Where to start...

[BaGGyGCX]

I am a big person on sketching, I can always create almost an exact copy of someone elses sketchs. But when it comes down to me creating my own, I get stuck and I cant think of anything to make. If I have an idea I attempt to draw it and it doesnt work, what I want to know is how do you people draw from scratch? where do you get your ideas and motivation?

I also would like to know where I should get started on learning concept art...

[Coma]

draw from life, humans, cloth, chairs, trees whatever.
when you first start learning drawing you don't need to come up with concepts... the reason you cant draw things without looking at other peoples work, is most likely because you just need practice drawing the basics, form, light, shadow.

Don't copy lines, look at them as an object, try to understand how and why they appear.

[BaGGyGCX]

Ok I made this just to get a little feedback on what I am doing wrong. I don't really want to be flamed for it, I just want help on improving my skills.

http://www.gameconx.com/scan.jpg

[Wilson]

What really strikes me right off the bat is that you're drawing looks awful flat. It's do to the fact that you don't understand structure, form, or the principles of lighting. Even if you understand these concepts it will still take you a long time and a lot of work to aquire the skill to use them. My advice to you is to learn perspective first, then form and structure. Forms are shapes (2d) or outlines with plane changes happening within them. Basicly a shape would be a square where a form is a cube. Instead of drawing outlines you need to learn to draw through the image using the correct form for what you are drawing, like cylinder forms for an arm. Structure is connecting forms together in a solid acurate way so that you build the subject of your drawing up. This makes your drawing look 3d and consequently more stable and more believable. Ultimately you want to learn how light applies to planes so that you sculpt with light. But, all of this is useless without a good understanding of perspective. You can't pollish a turd. :) So, this is your homework assignment for the next 3 months. Get three sketchbooks. Sketchbook #1--fill up every page in this notebook with cubes in perspective. Draw them on perspective grids and also from life by making some out of cardboard boxes (or using cereal boxes). #2---draw straight lines on every page. Fill the whole thing up. Draw to points then a straight line through it. Also, draw 3 or more points and practice drawing curves through the points connecting all of them with the same curve. Try to duplicate your straight lines and curves as well. Sketchbook #3---draw whatever you want. Draw from life, draw from your head, draw master works (like michaelangelo), or even just write down ideas. Take this notebook wherever you go and never ever stop drawing! You should fill 10 pages in each sketchbook a week at minimum if you can help it. More would be better though. The more you suffer the better your work will become ;)

Good Luck!

[jester]

Oh come on Wilson, I see your point - but drawing should be FUN and this is discouraging and boring!

My suggestion is to draw from life (whatever seems interesting) and do some reading (there is a Book Thread in the Education Forum, just search for it, it's a few days old). Be dedicated. Take a look at what MindCandyMan is practising in his Journey of an absolute Rooky Thread (he started only in late summer last year!) and what other people in the Middle Class do.

Even copy (not trace!!!) pictures you like to understand how things work. A very good tutorial of more than 20 lectures by Glen Vilppu (teacher at Disney's as far as I remember) can be foung here:

http://mag.awn.com/index.php3?ltype=Columns&column=vilppu&offset=0

Hope this gets you going!

Jester

[Wilson]

Alright, maybe I did come off a little hardcore, but the truth is that drawing cubes and straight lines is absolutely necessary to progress past over rendering crappy designs. A good work ethic now will totally pay off later. Anyways, the first two sketchbooks are for work, the last is for whatever you want (fun).:D

[jester]

Wilson, I see. You are esp. right about the discipline! I try to draw at least a five minute sketch each day (that fits into anybody's schedule, how busy he ever may be) - and this really pays in the long run!

Keep working (btw how many sketchbooks with lines and cubes did you fill? :D )

Jester

[Chromo48]

I've got to agree with Jester, drawing should be fun and not tooth grinding work (although it can be sometimes).

You don't need to fill sketchbooks full of lines and cubes just know what you need to work on and try to incorporate that into your next sketch. I've seen plenty of artists (including myself) improve rapidly by just drawing what they want.
But, the best bit of advice I've seen on this thread is to draw at least once a day. - I would recommend at least a good hour

[Danilo]

Most imortant thing in drowing is comosition. This is whay some pic look good. So be carefule. more time spend on waching than to laying lines.
Simple to say, but hard to do;)