I need help being more expressive.

[lavhoes]

I'm an artist who's too reliant on references and must constantly trace back over his images to get anything useable out of his sketches. Every picture I ever draw involved three or four sheets of paper going over and over the same image, losing my original vision in the shuffle to something that's "passably good."

If there was one word to describle my art and the process I use to make it, it would be "stiff."

What I'm looking for are techniques and exercises or even ideas or approaches that I could use to relax myself and build confidence in all aspects of my art. What could I do to make myself a more confident, expressive artist?

Any input would be most appreciated, as this is a problem that's been plaguing me for a long while now that's just suddenly come to my attention.

[lucasgraciano]

Dexterity comes in time. Lots of drawing = more confidence. Drawings do tend to stiffen up the longer we work on them. Try finding your action rhythm and pushing it a little farther than you actually see it. This will give you a better foundation to work from. For dexterity purposes try redrawing the image each time instead of tracing it over and over. Each time push the action a little further until you break the image,or have gone too far, and then step back to where it worked. Reference is good to use but don't be a slave to it. Try posting some work. It's easier for others to see where your going wrong, and you may be able to recieve better critiques. Anyway hope this helps!

[LightBrownboy]

If you are just trying to be a little more expressive and less stiff, here's a suggestions given to me by some real talented artists/friends. Buy a sketchbook, make it your own personal sketchbook taht you really don't care if people see it or not. Get a pen (watever type you prefer) and do litttle doodle exercises in it. Try not to think to much, it will mostly be an idea book. Also by using a pen it will push you not to erase and to get more confident with each stroke you lay down.

Like Lucas said, find your rhythms and practice practice practice.
Everything comes in time, it just depends on how much time you weant to put into things.

-LBB

[pvrhye]

My drawing became alot more expressive when I took myself away from my familiar medium. Stop using pen or pencil or computer for a while and switch to a bamboo brush and ink. You'll find it to be great fun.

[soul8o8]

..here's some questionable advice I once heard on the subject:


"Buy $20 worth of beer and cigarettes, lock your room and swallow the key."



..well, it might not be "healthy" - but it does have a point. And the point is - do achieve change in your art you must change! And changing yourself might include some use of force. Do something different. Put yourself in positions you've never been in. Buy a pink pen. Get a hair-cut. Buy new shoes. Eat spicy mexican x-hot food. Rent a chic-flic. (ok, assuming you're a boy, otherwise go for van damme..) Buy strange looking marmelades. Move your bed. Buy a blue light bulb. Rent a sports car for a day. Find a new café at the other side of town. Order their today's special. Buy a magazine you've never read. Change the ring sound on your cell phone. Find a street you've never seen and walk it - from beginning to end. Take a black pen and write stuff on your body. Open up a floppy disk and see what it looks like on the inside. Leave a note for your post man saying "Hi there post man!"

In other words: ACT LIKE CHILD!


ciao!

[Dom]

lavhoes:Stop copying images and start drawing from life. When approaching something like art loosend up and clear your mind. Let the passions for the scene drive you and take the step and put the tool down on paper. Draw a lot of bling gestures. Dont think about the object or what your are drawing, anatomy and proportions will come in time. A lot of artist tend to concentrate to much on technical side of art, which ends up in drawings that look like boring technical studies and stiff. Its just like walking, you know you are walking but you dont really need to be thinking about it to do it. You dont say to yourself lift my left leg, move it forward place it down. You want to walk, you just walk. You want to draw you draw, you want to make a line make a line. Draw what you see, and let your feelings guide you. The more you draw from pictures the further you move away from expressive art. You need to be in a special place when you create. Be there, breathe the air, feel the paper, glide your hand, move your hands in dynamic motions across the page, like skating. Confident smooth long lines.

Practice practice practice. Draw on large size paper, dont get yourself trapped in small amounts of space. Draw with your body instead of your wrist or finger.

[Anto]

really great advice guys

yea, the unfortunate thing about learning is that its never instaneous - takes time

lavhoes - look up an illustrator named Hirschfield
he did a lot of charicatures, but his lines are unbelievably expressive and full of motion

good luck

[INFERNOmunky]

its some really good advice....for about 10 years everything i did was graphite pencil about 5 months ago i bought a small set of felt tipped pens and didnt draw with pencils again untill they all ran out.....
trust me, it forces you to look at every stroke in a way you've never seen before, and now my pictures look much less like skribble and scraches but actually defined people and objects the first time done...

have fun re-toning your drawing skills :dorky: