Drawing Tips For Newbies

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I think one thing that might help is try to draw things your way even if nobody else is.

Like I see a lot of artists that on programs like sai use little to no smoothing, sketch all messily and yet somehow manage to clean it all? I can't do that. At all. And I felt like total crap because I couldn't do it like they did. In my case, I have to keep it clear as can be with a cursor that lags behind a bit, it lets me go slower with sketches and honestly, works out better for me.

Basically what I'm getting at is sometimes you'll find popular methods of drawing by super popular artists that are just completely incompatible with how you work or think. Just remember the end result is what counts more.

Then again I'm pretty crap so maybe it's not worth listening to me.
 
MayMay dijo:
I think one thing that might help is try to draw things your way even if nobody else is.

Like I see a lot of artists that on programs like sai use little to no smoothing, sketch all messily and yet somehow manage to clean it all? I can't do that. At all. And I felt like total crap because I couldn't do it like they did. In my case, I have to keep it clear as can be with a cursor that lags behind a bit, it lets me go slower with sketches and honestly, works out better for me.

Basically what I'm getting at is sometimes you'll find popular methods of drawing by super popular artists that are just completely incompatible with how you work or think. Just remember the end result is what counts more.

Then again I'm pretty crap so maybe it's not worth listening to me.
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Trust me, you're better than me, I can say that much.

That being said- For all of those who want to draw in an anime style. Please please remember that you can't skimp on the basics of art like perspective and proportions. I've seen too many terrible drawings done up like those that look like garbage. And not just on dA either- I've seen plenty of terrible Japanese artists on other sites that forget that those two are some of the most important parts of drawing figures.

Also, while I may get mobbed for this. But from experience, references are not bad. While I can't say the same for directly tracing off the picture (unless you use it only for reference). I can say that pictures and models are by far an invaluable way to figure out how something is drawn.
 
This is one of the better general art tutorials I've seen, covers a lot of things about lighting/shading and thinking about how light interacts with different kinds of materials. I liked this one too, more about shapes and the importance of thumbnailing.

Also, on the subject of references - some people think that using references is terrible and lazy and you should just draw everything from your head, and they're wrong. But some people also think that using references means copying things directly as they see them, and they're wrong too. Copying stuff from a reference, even if you're not tracing it and only eyeballing it, doesn't teach you anything about what you're drawing except how to copy. The best way to use references is to look at a lot of different photos of whatever thing you're trying to draw, different angles, or even better if you're drawing an object you're able to look at in person so you can sort of understand how it's constructed, and then draw it based on that rather than trying to find a reference to copy directly. Like if you're drawing a hand in a certain position, instead of scouring the internet for a photo of a hand in the same position and at the same angle, look at a bunch of photos of hands similar to what you want your drawing to look like, figure out how the bones and shapes are constructed, and then draw it from that. This is another good tutorial involving the same idea.

Also, random tip I haven't seen people mention often - if you want smoother lines, moving your arm at the elbow instead of your wrist can help. Wrist movements are alright for small areas and details, but it's much easier to get steady movement with your elbow/shoulder.
 
One important thing I've learned along the way is that working hard isn't enough, you have to work smart to. So for those interested, here're some very helpful shortcuts you can use in your arting:

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Addendum: Don't have Photoshop or Paint Tool Sai? Then why not give these free art programs a go:

  • Autodesk SketchBook Copic Edition - This is the limited edition of SketchBook Pro with 72 Copic colours to choose from
  • Krita - Krita offers CMYK support, HDR painting, perspective grids, dockers, filters, painting assistants, and many other great features
  • GIMP - GIMP is a well known free alternative to Photoshop with similar features
  • Mischief Free Version - With six essential brushes, a basic palette of colors and an infinite vector canvas, Mischief-Free is perfect for hashing out ideas, life drawing, and endless doodles
  • MyPaint - MyPaint is a fast and easy open-source graphics application for digital painters, and comes with 39 different brushes
  • Verve Painter - Verve is a small painting application that uses fluid dynamics and brushes to push the paint around, though it is still in development.https://inkscape.org/en/
  • Inkscape - Inkscape is an open-source professional quality vector graphics software with sophisticated drawing tools with capabilities comparable to Adobe Illustrator.
  • FireAlpaca - A similar program to Paint Tool Sai that offers features such as a snap feature which creates a variety of perspective overlays.
  • MediBang Paint - A free lightweight painting program for Windows, Mac Os and Android with cloud saving to allow users to easily switch between platforms.
  • SpeedyPainter - Basic painting program with a simple layout and features such as perspective grids and reference view mode
Source: [1] <- The link also features Pixel Art and 3D Modelling Freeware, for those interested.
 
Última edición:
Oh yeah, found something else. Not sure if this would be necroposting and if it is I'm sorry but I got something that may be especially handy for Sai users.

Namely it's about the cursors. You can get an option to use a "dot cursor" which well, turns the cursor into a dot. It's a little small but you can use a program like Resource Hacker to change it to something of your liking, I tried using a small unfilled circle.

Basically this makes it a bit like the photoshop cursor in that it's nice and centralized. I just found it a little easier to work with it compared to the default sai cursor which is a little off the the bottom-right of the brush and in my case, seriously threw me off on quicker strokes and stuff.

Not saying it'll be perfect for everyone but hey, if it helps at least someone else to mention it then that's good enough for me.
 
I never draw straight ahead anymore. It's much better to plan out your poses before hand and break them up into shapes and forms you can build from and then focus on details and all of that last.

Another thing that I've learned over the years is how to quickly check that you have a decent composition and that you've included enough negative space for people to see what's going on with your drawing. If you squint your eyes and then look at what you've drawn, you should still be able to see the pose and the background from even farther distances and tell what's going on. If you can't, then you probably need to fix the composition and pose so that it's clearer to the eye.

There are a lot of other great tips here, some of them I've never thought about like the references that I'm going to try to incorporate into what I do.
 
Jewelsmakerguy dijo:
Trust me, you're better than me, I can say that much.

That being said- For all of those who want to draw in an anime style. Please please remember that you can't skimp on the basics of art like perspective and proportions. I've seen too many terrible drawings done up like those that look like garbage. And not just on dA either- I've seen plenty of terrible Japanese artists on other sites that forget that those two are some of the most important parts of drawing figures.

Also, while I may get mobbed for this. But from experience, references are not bad. While I can't say the same for directly tracing off the picture (unless you use it only for reference). I can say that pictures and models are by far an invaluable way to figure out how something is drawn.
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I second this. I was taught to look at the skeleton and tell apart the differences to get the art correct. While its hard, its also helps you learn so you can draw poses correctly.

It brings me to the next point. You can't do stylistic choices without knowing proportion. Do not hide behind "styles". I tried teaching someone how to draw but they kept getting mad because I taught them how to use proportions. (They refused to actually use them, calling it "not useful" because they want to be a cartoonist. Cartoonists use proportion.) Her work was terrible as a result. You can have a style, but only after you learn the basics. You can't mend the body how you see fit if you can't mend the body how its supposed to be.

You also don't need a tablet or paint tool sai. Tablets are difficult to use, thinking you'll be good because you magically have one will only cause grief. Thinking your work will be amazing if you have sai will cause the same thing. I have Krita, a free software, and its just as awesome, if not more so. It makes you work harder. Sai users can easily clean up their lines because its built to do so. Hence why many use it.

As bonus: Hair is thick. Lines should be thicker the longer it gets.Shading has a variety of methods. However, don't shade just the obvious spots. (Hair, clothing, etc) Everything bends and hits light certainly. Look at people, see that shading one location (or a side) won't work.
 
(I admit I'm not sure if this should go here or in "How Do You Get More Commissions" thread, feel free to redirect me if necessary.)

So I'm wondering how to break into the paid art/Patreon/commission/whatever-you-want-to-call-it bracket, because I am in dire need of some goddamn income. However, I would consider myself more of a 'developing' artist, due to the fact that I just straight up don't draw as much as I should (:powerlevel: but I had an ex-friend who used to love to mock the shit out of my art when I was a teenage sperg so it crippled me with self-doubt and basically slowed me down).

For samples of my work, you can see some of my shit on Tumblr here as well as here (be warned I think there's a dick in there), but you can probably figure out what's older shit from newer shit. I've also posted a few images on the Farms in some of the art threads scattered around. I use Paint Tool SAI for digital stuff (not counting some REALLY old shit I made with GIMP) and plain mechanical pencil/paper/colored pencils for traditional.

I haven't drawn NSFW in years (long story; blame /co/'s Homestuck General thread for killing that boner, literally) but I'm not averse to it, nor am I averse to drawing furries or guro/gory shit. I am...not really interested in ponies and some of the more extreme fetishes (vore, scat, whatever), but brony and deviant sick fuck money is as green as anyone else's, so. Think my only real hard limit is no kiddie/cub shit.

TL;DR: Underpracticed artist, wants to improve through drawing more while also making a buck off their shit, wat do?
 
Well I'm still developing myself so it's probably best not to take everything ultra serious.

I think sai might be a valid way of practising on its own. Mostly because there's no need for commitment with a digital canvas. It does take some time to get used to but eventually you'll have some way of scribbling whatever with no real need for commitment. You doodle a bunch of stuff on paper, you have to get another paper and so on, with a digital canvas you just erase it and pick back up immediately. So it might be easier to pick that up and try making a bunch of arms or something.

Second, again another thing I do with sai, studies. Get a bunch of images of things you wanna learn and draw next to them. And then keep doing that with whatever you feel you need to change. Here's a little example from myself
upload_2016-7-14_10-53-31.png
Going from left to right on the top row and right to left on the bottom, you can see that while I do have some ways to go, I'm still getting a better understanding of how these faces work. Also finding stuff to compare tricky subjects to (in this case, a gorilla's skull) can help immensely too.

Also, even when you're not drawing, just keep art in mind at almost all times. Think about how random things you find are structured, look up refs and guides, all that stuff. Even when you're not exactly drawing you can still learn.

Like I said, I think some of this may need a pinch of salt but that's how I'm going about things.
 
MayMay dijo:
Well I'm still developing myself so it's probably best not to take everything ultra serious.

I think sai might be a valid way of practising on its own. Mostly because there's no need for commitment with a digital canvas. It does take some time to get used to but eventually you'll have some way of scribbling whatever with no real need for commitment. You doodle a bunch of stuff on paper, you have to get another paper and so on, with a digital canvas you just erase it and pick back up immediately. So it might be easier to pick that up and try making a bunch of arms or something.

Second, again another thing I do with sai, studies. Get a bunch of images of things you wanna learn and draw next to them. And then keep doing that with whatever you feel you need to change. Here's a little example from myself
Ver archivo adjunto 115295
Going from left to right on the top row and right to left on the bottom, you can see that while I do have some ways to go, I'm still getting a better understanding of how these faces work. Also finding stuff to compare tricky subjects to (in this case, a gorilla's skull) can help immensely too.

Also, even when you're not drawing, just keep art in mind at almost all times. Think about how random things you find are structured, look up refs and guides, all that stuff. Even when you're not exactly drawing you can still learn.

Like I said, I think some of this may need a pinch of salt but that's how I'm going about things.
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Also! Helpful tip: Medipaint is on android. If you have a tablet (recreational like Galaxy or something), you can use a professional system for free to practice too, without a computer.
 
If you feel like something is off with your picture, mirror it. If it's on paper, literally go look at it in a mirror. If it's on a computer, just about all programs have a "flip" function. It helps you see what you've actually drawn and not what you think you've drawn. Sometimes if a piece is especially frustrating, put it away for a few days and come back. It's the same principle: looking at something with fresher eyes helps solve problems.
 
Here's a good tip


Don't fucking suck

Actual tip:

Learn to grow thick skin, because there will be plenty of people (especially professionals) who will say things like this about your work.
 
Última edición:
1. Study the fuck out of anatomy. Human and animal anatomy. Always. Push yourself non-fucking stop.
You got an art block? Fucking look at naked women/men and draw that.
http://artists.pixelovely.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing/
Get bored drawing naked people? Sorry you still have to draw them. Put your fav characters face on them to spice it up.

I noticed drawing naked people in complex poses a lot naturally helped me learn perspective with character drawings. Important shit.

2. Focus on values before colors. This will help you IMMENSELY in the digital art world especially. If you can paint/draw in values only and then add a layer then multiply colors over it it makes life so much fucking easier. I wish I knew this earlier.

3. ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GONNA SUCK BALLS FOR A LONG ASS TIME. Getting through this feeling is FUCKING IMPORTANT


4. DRAW EVERY FUCKING DAY.

every
fucking
day

I don't care how much of a 'block' you're going through. Draw something shitty then. A stick figure with a dick. Whatever. Just train your brain to keep going.
 
Funnybone dijo:
3. ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GONNA SUCK BALLS FOR A LONG ASS TIME. Getting through this feeling is FUCKING IMPORTANT
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This. I've only started becoming not-utterly-shit after a life drawing class.

The big tip I have is first to find a medium you are good with - I peck a lot, so Micron markers are great for me. Secondly, arm movement is very important. Drawing something straight and long? Use your whole arm. Small and straight? Use wrist.
 
I was told once that to do better at anatomy I should go to a pool and people watch and figure draw. But that just sounds creepy. :c
 
Yawning Kecleon dijo:
Draw from life. Don't draw from pictures if you are new as you won't learn very much.
Buy a sketchbook, pencils and pens and go out to the mall or the zoo. Draw everyday. Don't get lazy. Take Life drawing sessions if you can.

I recommend Figure drawing by Michael hampton which is available as a PDF if you search on google.
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Maybe I'm just autistic, but as someone who's been trying to learn how to draw for the past month or so, that book really didn't help. I tried at it for a few days, but just couldn't cement what to do in my head when applying it to my drawings. It may be some meme I downloaded from /ic/, but this image gave me at least some guidance in figuring out where to go, as a beginner.


http://i.imgur.com/ALwHwLq.jpg
 
Agreed on the subject of life drawing. Even if you're drawing cartoons, life drawing is incredibly helpful.
- It teaches you to look in three dimensions and translate that on to the page. Copying a photo won't do that.
- It teaches you anatomy. One of the big criticisms of a lot of crap cartoonists is anatomy - arms coming out at the wrong place, limbs out of proportion, eyes at different levels. When you've done plenty of life drawing, you start to understand how people go together, and you incorporate that into your work. You think in terms of musculature and bone structure.
- It gets you into good habits, like planning your composition and preliminary sketching.

With cartoons, as with most endeavours, you can't break the rules until you know what the rules are.
 
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