The New Look Towards Art: Sketches and Drawings (Absolute Beginner)

[fusionminds]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here at the forums. I am very eager to get started with my drawings and such. I have already done a few sketches, but overall I am a newbie to freehand drawing.

I currently do web design, and work with Photoshop daily(very experienced), but have never got involved with realistic freehand drawings. MindCandyMan inspired me to get involved with this process, but before seeing his work I have always been interested in getting started. I have no previous experience/classes taken in freehand drawing. Hopefully everyone can help me out with getting resources when I need them and pointing me in the right direction. Thanks in advance(I will probably thank you again though) for any help you give to me.

You will see my first pieces of work tommorow. Please expect very beginner sketches. Thank you.


Adam Rusell
(fusionminds)

[fusionminds]

Can you guys give me some resources on the web that are pointed towards the beginner, because I have found some that are helping out, but I want to do the more realistic approach. I found the Loomis book on making fun and creative faces/environments pretty good, but I am looking for some good studies on light and shading. Thanks.

BTW, I will post some of my Loomis(funny/creative faces) faces and blocks later tonight. They are not that good, but I have to start somewhere. I am at work and do not have a scanner. I have to wait to get home and post my sketches up.

[Signature]

You mean digital as well as traditional?

Just some random thoughts:

Personally I don't like "Fun With A Pencil" but I like the other Loomis Books.
I'd read Successful Drawing & Creative Illustraiton.
http://www.fineart.sk/anat (It's down a lot :( )

Learn drawing contours accurately before you take on light and shadow.
I think that's what I neglected and I'm not satisfied with my improvement.
First copy contour drawings then contours from photographs.
Life drawing would be even better of course.
You need reference as long as you are learning. Don't trace though.

A good way to practice: http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/tut_learn.php
Paint a lot and learn theory. You need to build a library that you can draw from.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8381
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3148
To come up with your own concepts you need to know the basics
(perspective, values, color theory, composition ... and so on).
Start with basic stuff.
It's more rewarding. And always keep it as simple as possible.
Everything is made up of basic shapes.

When you're outside (or in a waiting room or ... whatever)
ask yourself why you see what you see.
(Where are the lightsources? Where does reflected light come from and so on)

Learn a thing at a time.
For example when you make color studies you can trace but don't use the eyedropper tool.
When you post practice pieces always mention what you did.

There are tutorials @ Sumaleth's Link Archive (http://www.sumaleth.com/links).

[Mykro]

Alright, my first and last word on learning how to draw for the basics is Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain. There's a new edition out I believe. I still have my tattered copy that my mom gave me. But it'll be the #1 guide to get you started on drawing from reality.

[Jeff Gran]

Welcome to the club. Can't wait to start seeing your stuff. The key thing that MindCandy did was to post both the stuff he thought was pretty good and the stuff he hated...You learn more from making mistakes than from hiding them.

[MindCandyMan]

-Bridgman's Complete Guide to life drawing (the one that combines all the books together.

-Rendering in pen and ink (by guptil)

-Alla Prima (Richard Schmid)

-All the Loomis books (available online at http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials )

-Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink (Claudia Nice)

-Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters (Robert Beverly Hale)

-Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters (Robert Beverly Hale)

-Painter 8 Wow

-The Technical Pen (Gary Simmons)

-Drawings of Rembrandt

-Vilppu Drawing Manual

-Anatomy for the artist (the illustrated book not the nude photo one)

-Drawing Animals (Victor Ambrus)

-Human Figure (John H. Vanderpoel)

-Oil Painting Secrets from a Master (Linda Cateura)

-Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators (Ernest W. Watson)

-Keys to Drawing (Bert Dodson)


These are some of the books that have helped me so far.

Don't stop drawing...that's the biggest thing. Expect to draw a human head 5,000 times (literally) before you really have a grasp of it. But just take one step at a time...day by day...just know if you are serious. It will take utter commitment, sacrifice, and will power every day of your life. My advice...unplug your tv...that has helped me SO much I can't even tell you.

[fusionminds]

Drawing #1
------------
I got some of the books you recommended from my local library plus a few others. The one that I am going through right now is Nicolaides "The Natural Way To Draw". I am currently on exercise #1. It feels really weird to draw with his methods. These are just the beginnings of exercise #1. Hopefully I will post some better pics tommorow. Here ya go.

http://www.angelfire.com/blog/fusionminds/drawings/drawing1.jpg

------------

Adam Rusell
(fusionminds)

[BadMange]

You should be working through "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" first, using Nicolaides' book to practice. There's also a workbook of "Drawing on the Right Side..." that has the same exercises as the book, along with the plastic viewfinder in the back.

I wish so bad that I had a scanner (and room on my desk for one) so I could post my progress and my sketchbook pages in the other forum...

Good luck!
-Bad Mange

[fusionminds]

Alright, I will try and pick that book up from the library when it comes in. Right now someone has it checked out. Thanks though.

[xia]

Hi,

I use to be a 2d animator, but I turned 3D about half a year now. It's pretty fun, but I miss drawing so much...I don't really get to draw much except for some concept stuffs.


I have only one advice that will help you improve drastically in drawing, but you have to be persistant and determine. It's is the method that has been use successfully for centuries.

Find figure drawing session in your area (it's usually 3-4 hours depend on the session), go regularly at least twice a week. In six month, you will see drastic improvement from your first sketch drawing to your last session sketch.

As for props, background, and composition, go outside to any cozy coffeeshop, sit and sketch for couple hours when ever you can regularly. The key is you have to time yourself for each sketch. Say 5-15 minutes per sketches. Don't warry about if it look pretty at the time or not...but be concern with accuracy and your line quality.

This is my two cents,
:chug:

[fusionminds]

Alright,

I'm not going to be posting here anytime soon, because I need to work on improving my drawing skills. I will post here in about 2-3 months and show you where I am at. I think this will be the best solution for now, because I don't think I am up to speed yet. Plus I am wasting to much time trying to get my scanner to work when I should be drawing.

Thanks for you help on the resources and I will post back soon.

- Adam Russell
(fusionminds)