Where to start ?

[Tonks87]

I'm not sure where to ask this but here goes, I've drawing for about 5 years but nothing serious mostly average looking cartoony and comic characters. i want to go for a realistic approach to my art. where to start ? books, site whatever anyone can suggest ? also I want to keep a sketchbook and use it daily but i'm drawing a blank to what to draw on to improve my skills and anatomy ? any suggestions or help would be great.

thanks

[Tonks87]

anybody ?

[FactorZero]

Start a sketchbook thread and start posting your sketches everyday, or as often as you draw.

[Eric Young]

if you want to draw realistically then stop looking at anime and cartoons. The best place to find good references for realistic is real life. Just look around you and draw the people you see. Go to figure drawing classes, have a friend pose for you, doing this will help you with realistic figures and proportions.

[Earendil]

I highly recommend you read this thread by Jason Manley. It has some very sound advice on the things you can do to become a better artist.

Back to the Basics: An FAQ regarding the foundations of creating art (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26636)

[Collywobbles]

I would suggest learning perspective and anatomy together, you might regret it otherwise. I always recommend Loomis for basics, Vilppu for gesture, Bridgman for construction, and I like Gottfried Bammes, but it is in German.

Loomis has some perspective info in one of his books. Also Perspective Made Easy is a good starting point. It is important to learn it now because the great secret to anatomy is that everything is made of 3D shapes. Cylinders and cubes. Repeat it like a mantra.

Andrew Loomis books are available online, but I'm not sure I can post them here. There are at least four of his books that you should use. George Bridgman is essential, Bridgman's Complete Guide To Drawing From Life is very good. Glen Vilppu has a website. http://www.vilppustudio.com/

Wir zeichnen den Menschen and Der nackte Mensch are the Bammes books, I am not sure of their legality. The pictures are fantastic.

Use the books as reference and draw from life and photos at every opportunity. Don't worry about copying exactly, spend more time drawing many pages of elbows and ears and armpits. It will take time and a lot of them will suck, but it doesn't matter, just draw more. You will improve every day.

[Tonks87]

Thanks everyone, i'm checking out the links and starting a sketchbook.