Need help at being more creative and also improving my drawing

[jonny t]

Hey i have been drawing quite alot recently, mostly copying images and i have relised that i draw completely differantly when trying to draw from the mind. I am 17 and am feeling slighlty down at the moment because i seem to lack creativeness that wil enable me to draw from my mind without copying, if anyone could give me any tips on how to improve this i would be very greatful. Also i have been told many times to look at anatomy but i can't seem to implement the things i learn from looking at it into my own drawings.

These are a few drawings that i recently did from reference, i feel that these look quite good but i just really need some help because i can't draw like that unless i am copying from something.

thanks

[JParrilla]

Well Im no expert, but Ive asked this in the past.
dont worry about being able to draw from imagination right away. Its impossible to be able to create solely from imagination if you dont have experience drawing from life or photos or whatever. For example, If you have never drawn a tiger from life or a photo, how do you expect to know exactly what it looks like? basically you cant possibly know.. unless you live among tigers, and even then you wouldnt be right on. :) Try this as a test.. Think of a person you see every single day.. could be mom, dad, whatever.. someone you see every day of your life.. now try to draw that person from your imagination.. not to accurate huh? :) What im trying to say is theres way too much information in an image for you to be able to draw it without prior study. As you draw from life A LOT.. you will begin to build up a library of stuff in your head, which you can use to draw from imagination. Even then you will need to use reference.. you cant expect to be able to draw every single thing without having studied it. So heres my advice, forget about the whole imagination thing for now.. im not saying dont try to draw from imagination, just dont stress over it. Draw from life and GOOD photos.. and you will slowly increase your imaginative work. Good practice for you is to combine imagination and reference.. Im borrowing this from Seedlings post, dont wanna claim this as my own :) Try drawing something from life, whatever you want.. a shoe, a house, your cat, whatever.. then try adding to it from your imagination.. maybe turn your cat into a cyborg, or your house into a sci fi spaceport. At first you wont be too good, but as you build up that library I told you about, you will become better and better. Hope that helps.

[jonny t]

thanks joe, this seems like really good advice i will try to do the things you say or (seedlings) says, to try and improve upon my drawings. Thanks alot for having the time to help me out

[JParrilla]

no problem bud. Im definetely a beginner.. but I can bet you Ive asked every question there is. Ive learned A LOT about how to improve as an artist from this website. You can PM me If you have questions about improving.. I may not be able to crit your work too well.. but If its anything about practice, books, studies, etc.. im pretty sure I could help you out.. as could many other people around here. Just remember draw from life.. Not what you THINK something looks like.. draw EXACTLY what it looks like. I promise if you do this all the time you will see improvment in your imaginative work. And you have to remember something about artists who can work almost 100% from their imagination.. they cant draw anything they want. For instance.. someone whos been working for marvel comics for 10 years might be able to draw spiderman from their imagination in any pose possible.. but thats only because theyve drawn him thousands of times. Just because that artist can draw spiderman.. doesnt mean he can draw an elephant from his imagination.. he would have to had studied elephants before.. and drew them before. Good luck man

[Jasonwclark]

Can't argue with Harryhausen and Eraserhead.

Lets see some more :)

[Santon]

I keep asking myself the same question.

Here's one thing on the creativity side. I spent a lot of time trying to be original and creative. But I've only learned one thing, it's all been done before. Really.

But you can take this two ways, either accept it and give up...because, hey, what's the point anyhow? Or embrace it. Find subject matter that you enjoy and are passionate about, and then re-create it, redo it...and every so often you'll find that you really do have something unique and creative...even if it is based on something already done.

One example is...let's say...the Simpsons...sure I haven't watched the show in 6 years, but many of the episodes seemed really original and creative. What made it that way was that it basically pilfered pop culture, and even more obscure cultural phenomena and wrapped it around rather simple plots. The elements contained within the shows weren't new or creative, but the synthesis of them made something new and seem creative....

So, if you want to be more creative...read, look at art, appreciate good things...fill your life with excellence, so when you do make something, you will be using good things to make something.

Cheers.

[Marius el Servega]

these advice are really helpful. I have the same problem as well :D.

big thanks

[bigzax]

BRAND NEW HERE, AND THIS WAS MY FIRST STOP. THANK GOODNES FOR THAT TOO. VERY VERY VERY HELPFUL ADVICE. ..well i have to say it, "thanx" ALOT.

[Hamorhage]

At first you wont be too good, but as you build up that library I told you about, you will become better and better. .

That is the best advice I heard all day.
See I always believed that referencing limits your imagination, the more you know the less space you'd have to play around with things. But I was wrong, drawing is very much like maths. The possibilities are endless but you need to know your abc. Draw from life or picture if you must every day, your brain is a sponge and will somehow remember it further along the way. Join the daily sketchgroup! It's great exercise for the sketchbooks! :D

PS: those are some lovely drawings!

[Dr. Seuss]

Hamorhage is right..worrying too much on how your artworks looks good or not won't help..draw and draw if you're very good you will bound to soar

[Dogprince]

Hey Guys, This is an inspirational forum :) I suffer from self-loathing when it comes to my art VERY frequently.

So do you just push through the really bad, God-Awful drawings and keep doing it anyway? Do you see the progress as you go, or does it take months to see it?

I was quite frustrated at my sketches today, so i'm just curious about the hating my progress thing... lol.

[JParrilla]

"So do you just push through the really bad, God-Awful drawings and keep doing it anyway?"

Well theres not much of a choice is there? Either you push through or give up.. not much in between. Just know that EVERY SINGLE artist pushed through the really bad.. there really is no magic method. Your gonna be bad at first.. you have to deal with it just like anything else. Put on ice skates for the first time.. probably gonna fall.. swing at a 90 mph fastball.. probably gonna miss.. Try to play an Eddie Van Halen solo for the first time.. its probably gonna sound like complete shit. You get the idea.. im done with these bad comaprisons :)