Colours and lines help please?

[TerriO]

Hi there, I've been drawing for a few years without much direction. I used to draw (cartoons, anime, pop stars etc) with no awareness of how I draw their body (would always look lopsided or off) or I would just slap colours that look like I just placed a gradient on my drawing.

So my questions here are:

1) What can I do, to improve my knowledge or understanding of the human anatomy? (Like, knowing the shapes/masses and how they are placed together when the figure is still or moving?)

2) Where can I learn about adding colours together with the right values, shade, and light (when I use software like photoshop, or sketch with a pencil)?

3) How can I learn to draw with fewer lines?


Unfortunately I don't have life drawing classes in my area or anything like that, so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Zazerzs]

Hello TerriO

a1) There are a good deal of books on the subject, the popular ones (for good reason ) are Bridgman, Robet Beverly Hale, Peck, Loomis and a few others. Set them up in front of you and draw from them like you would anyother subject matter. Check out my anatomy link, its just one way of doing it, but i thought it would be good to show as an example. by doing so you will learn the shapes of the muscles and all that stuff.

a2) Check out my color link :P its an 80 page book on pallet controll and color theory, its short and has some great information in it.

a3)Drawing fewer lines ..might just be practice not drawing short scratchy lines. I like the point to point method, where you mark a point where you want the line to start and stop and draw one line connecting them.

also draw with your arm not your wrist. when you draw like you write all you do is make little lines with your wrist, by drawing with your arm,(moveing at the shoulder) you give your self a greater range of motion hopefully decreasing the amount of small lines.

[AndreasM]

I think the basic, obvious answer to all your questions, would be to draw all the time, while always keeping track of what you are doing right or wrong, treating every day as a possible step forward in any aspects of drawing. Also, read as much as you can about the tecnichal aspects. It will focus your mind much more on what you are doing and you might end up doing the right things earlier on. :)

Andrew Loomis has great books and the text here is golden.

All the books by Robert Beverly Hale will give you great pointers in how to percieve and interpret the human anatomy.

Search kevin chen here on the boards.

Another essential book, "The Practice and Science of Drawing" by harold speed gives a great overview on concepts such as line drawing and mass drawing, rythm and tone values, among others. It can be found as a free document online. read it.

I usually recommend using mostly traditional mediums when you want to learn the technical basics of painting and drawing, but mainly because it's my personal preference. When I started out, i was in love with the drawings by wes burt, lukias and lung bug here. Ps couldn't even come close to emulating the look of a well done pencil drawing. I have usually shunned away from digital as a learning tool because of it's many shortcuts (sliders for values, selective colours, hues and then there are the blending options etc). But then again i have seen loads og well painted pictures done without those mechanical aids. Just warning against using those tools too early, as they can become crutches in the long run.

[AChipps]

I have learned to draw people in motion from what I see of people in real life. It might be hard to understand how a person can draw a pose from a moment in time, frozen in place on paper or canvas, but the expriance of muscle movements are something you can remember after a while of working on each joint, and movement. People always think "How can I study or draw all the details when people don't stay still?" I think that is the point, to find a way to get things you study in your mind so you can create the pose you want from all the visual information you remember. It is not something you can look at and start drawing right away. It takes time, and it can make you a better artist. You can go to a beach, and study people mosly in the flesh, and not draw anything, just soak in what you need to know, and draw it later, or draw it there until you know every muscle, tendon, and bone you will see. This will not help your propotions much with out actually drawing every shape you incounter and remember. This can also help you with drawing cloth, with the way it drapes, wrinckles, floats, bend, and stretch, Or how it is seamed to support, and shape the body. Just learning how to draw things in action can help you a lot more than any book, because you expiriance the motion, and images first hand, and fill your mind full of useful information, and skill of how to draw anything by using your mind not just your eyes.