Pinpointing the transition from beginner to intermediate stage

[Maridius]

I had a ski instructor who clearly drew the line between rookie and real skiier. It was when you could competently parallel rather than snowplow. I thought maybe a similar 'line' could apply to art. When do you guys consider another artist, or yourself, past the beginner phase and into the intermediate stages? I'm always calling myself a raw beginner mostly out of self-consciousness but it would be good to have that benchmark. Also I'm curious and it's 7am. Being a night owl, this is about when my brain goes south anyhow. Bear with me ;)

[J Wilson]

I don't know how I'd put it into easily defined terms, but for me I think there was a certain "Aha!" moment when Bridgman and a lot of the other books and advice I heard finally clicked and made sense. I heard the advice "big basic shapes" and I used them, but I didn't yet grasp how that was supposed to help. Like many people I learned to draw by drawing an outline and then filling in details. It was a complete shift of thought process and relearning everything I had done since the time I could hold a pencil. Reaching that moment where you finally understand was, for me, the beginning of really starting to get good at art.

[cmalidore]

I don't know if it was any one thing for me, and there are times now when I doubt that I'm horribly skilled as it is - but I think that when I was able to start drawing out of my head fairly accurately it was a big jumping point.

I still have so far to go it's difficult seeing where I actually am here skill wise.


And a side note: Maridius - I'm based out of Federal Way too. Small world! :p

[D.C.]

I don't know how I'd put it into easily defined terms, but for me I think there was a certain "Aha!" moment when Bridgman and a lot of the other books and advice I heard finally clicked and made sense. I heard the advice "big basic shapes" and I used them, but I didn't yet grasp how that was supposed to help. Like many people I learned to draw by drawing an outline and then filling in details. It was a complete shift of thought process and relearning everything I had done since the time I could hold a pencil. Reaching that moment where you finally understand was, for me, the beginning of really starting to get good at art.

You're definitely right about that and thanks to Vilppu among others i realized that myself recently. Think in VOLUMES!:). Of course I'm just starting and have a loooong (and hopefully interesting) way to go.

[Jason Rainville]

For me it was when I realized how to draw from observation accurately (measuring with the eyes) From there I could actually do studies that would benefit me and it helped me improve. That's when I considered myself going from "overall bad" to "overall good."

[nonie]

I'd say it's when you learn relativity. Thinking of everything in terms of how it relates to the whole - this teaches you measuring, proportion, conveying space and volume, and some rudiments of value, temperature and color. I'd have to say the jump is when people stop seeing in parts and start seeing the whole.

[Maridius]

I don't know if it was any one thing for me, and there are times now when I doubt that I'm horribly skilled as it is - but I think that when I was able to start drawing out of my head fairly accurately it was a big jumping point.

I still have so far to go it's difficult seeing where I actually am here skill wise.


And a side note: Maridius - I'm based out of Federal Way too. Small world! :p



Hi there neighbor! :D

I just bought the Dynamic Hands book by Burne Hogarth today and right on the first page he makes it clear one of the hallmarks of the artist who has made it is one who can draw hands well. I also see how seeing things in shapes rather than details is another benchmark to reach. Seems like Bridgeman and Hogarth are both trying to teach their students to see in masses rather than details, the way they approach anatomy.

I think I'm coming up to that point as an artist. I was looking at someone's study of drapery and it occured to me that the folds looked a lot like someone seated on a stool, with two major folds forming legs and even feet and bent knees. Normally cloth drives me bananas with all the wrinkles!

[ALH]

When your drawings change from trying to get things ' correct ' to trying to get them ' right '

'Correct' being the stage where you try and grasp the fundamentals. For example, When you draw a character, you're more concerned about the face looking like a passable face than if that face represents the character.

'Right' is more about tweaking things. You have a degree more mastery over what you do, and major problems are more about getting rid of bad habits.

I have an example actually


These images were done in 15 min slots. In the 2002 one you can see the panic of only having 15 mins, and how the emphasis is more on getting it to look like a figure holding a gun than anything else. In the 2004 version the act of blocking out a figure was no longer a struggle, and the emphasis is more on the details, on her attitude and design, as well as making sure the arms were at the correct angle. Anatomical bad habits and flaws are less severe, and theres obviously a better grasp of proportion and perspective ( compared to the first one ).

[BubbaGump]

I'll let you know when I get to intermediate...:(

I don't think there's ever room to stop learning.

[Ilaekae]

I'm trying to write you an answer, but I'm having real trouble with my pencil...

...all it does is leave a bunch of pink rubbery shit instead of black marks, so it'll have to wait til I find my manual...

[Maridius]

Next thread title:

Transitioning from raw bonehead to raw beginner in 107 easy steps! :D

[Ilaekae]

I'm in...:P