I've been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil.
My parents encouraged me and I've had classes and teachers and learned so much, I went to an art university.
But I still don't think I'm very good at it and often get frustrated with how difficult it is, when so many others make it look like such a relaxing, carefree experience. I've come so far but I'm still always learning and have so much further to go.
I've been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil.
My parents encouraged me and I've had classes and teachers and learned so much, I went to an art university.
But I still don't think I'm very good at it and often get frustrated with how difficult it is, when so many others make it look like such a relaxing, carefree experience. I've come so far but I'm still always learning and have so much further to go.
I’m self taught, so most of my learning has been just monkey see monkey do. If I find an artist that I like (I like digital art) I’ll watch their speedpaints until I can’t sit still and have to draw. I will try to replicate their techniques, and I discard what doesn’t work for me and keep what does. I also draw constantly, like always. I draw every day. Whether it’s just doodling a bust on a school worksheet or doing a full commission, constantly practicing is one of the most effective ways to get better.
Hope this helps! If you want either more tips or a more in-depth explanation of my art journey, feel free to shoot me a PM!
I’m self taught, so most of my learning has been just monkey see monkey do. If I find an artist that I like (I like digital art) I’ll watch their speedpaints until I can’t sit still and have to draw. I will try to replicate their techniques, and I discard what doesn’t work for me and keep what does. I also draw constantly, like always. I draw every day. Whether it’s just doodling a bust on a school worksheet or doing a full commission, constantly practicing is one of the most effective ways to get better.
Hope this helps! If you want either more tips or a more in-depth explanation of my art journey, feel free to shoot me a PM!
Ironically I actually found Flight Rising through an art book on how to draw dragons my parents gave me one year. It really helped me learn the basics for drawing dragons, especially talons and wings. Here's a link below to the book if anyone is interested!
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragonart-evolution-j-neon-dragon-peffer/1024360695
I would also print out copies of those dragon bases from the Wings of Fire book series, put them to a window with another piece of paper on top, and trace over the outlines. I must have been like 10 or 11? It was mostly to help me put together what the above book had showed me in bits and pieces, how eyes and legs and wings would go on a full dragon. A few months after that I began just looking at images of dragons and drawing them freehand to help with this even more, and slowly I started to develop my own style.
Ironically I actually found Flight Rising through an art book on how to draw dragons my parents gave me one year. It really helped me learn the basics for drawing dragons, especially talons and wings. Here's a link below to the book if anyone is interested!
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragonart-evolution-j-neon-dragon-peffer/1024360695
I would also print out copies of those dragon bases from the Wings of Fire book series, put them to a window with another piece of paper on top, and trace over the outlines. I must have been like 10 or 11? It was mostly to help me put together what the above book had showed me in bits and pieces, how eyes and legs and wings would go on a full dragon. A few months after that I began just looking at images of dragons and drawing them freehand to help with this even more, and slowly I started to develop my own style.
i know this thread is old but i thought i'd post some tips for those still reading!
sooo here's some ways that i learned to get better as someone who's going to get their undergrad BFA very soon
(also editing to add that these may not work for everyone and that's okay! but they're helpful for those who are interested in improving the formal qualities of their art)
- master copies! i'd recommend starting with classical sculptors (ex: Praxiteles, Bernini) or painters (ex: Rembrandt, Vermeer) and just try and recreate a work you're drawn to with charcoal/graphite. you don't have to be perfect, think of it as an exercise in observation. if your work isn''t looking like what you're trying to copy, try and find the differences between the two, it'll help train your eye to recognize when anatomy/lighting/composition/etc is working within a piece. i have a rather cartoon-ish style myself but master copies really help me maintain my understanding of the basics
- if there is a specific thing i want to draw that i am having trouble with, i'll find a reference and draw that. then i'll draw over my referenced sketch, and then i'll draw over that one too (i draw digitally so i do these in different layers). basically i will keep drawing the same thing over and over again to get a better understanding of the subject while also altering it enough in each iteration, so that the final drawing looks different than the image i referenced
- i know people say to draw every day, which is fine enough advice, but as a neurodivergent person this is hard for me to be consistent with. on days where i don't have the time or energy to draw i still try to stay active with art. i'll follow artists on instagram, make pinterest boards of art styles i'm inspired by, look at fine/modern art websites, even just observe the lighting/form/color of my surroundings. there's still opportunities to learn even when you're not drawing
- in my first two years of college they had us do figure drawing 3x a week for 2 hours at a time and it helped my understanding of anatomy a lot. if you live in an area with a college nearby see if they offer free open figure drawing sessions. obv drawing a model in person is the best way to go about it but its not accessible to everyone, so you can always try this website that has a ton of references and options
aaaand yea these are some of the big ones i can think of atm. i know i wrote a lot i just like talking about art lol :')
i know this thread is old but i thought i'd post some tips for those still reading!
sooo here's some ways that i learned to get better as someone who's going to get their undergrad BFA very soon
(also editing to add that these may not work for everyone and that's okay! but they're helpful for those who are interested in improving the formal qualities of their art)
- master copies! i'd recommend starting with classical sculptors (ex: Praxiteles, Bernini) or painters (ex: Rembrandt, Vermeer) and just try and recreate a work you're drawn to with charcoal/graphite. you don't have to be perfect, think of it as an exercise in observation. if your work isn''t looking like what you're trying to copy, try and find the differences between the two, it'll help train your eye to recognize when anatomy/lighting/composition/etc is working within a piece. i have a rather cartoon-ish style myself but master copies really help me maintain my understanding of the basics
- if there is a specific thing i want to draw that i am having trouble with, i'll find a reference and draw that. then i'll draw over my referenced sketch, and then i'll draw over that one too (i draw digitally so i do these in different layers). basically i will keep drawing the same thing over and over again to get a better understanding of the subject while also altering it enough in each iteration, so that the final drawing looks different than the image i referenced
- i know people say to draw every day, which is fine enough advice, but as a neurodivergent person this is hard for me to be consistent with. on days where i don't have the time or energy to draw i still try to stay active with art. i'll follow artists on instagram, make pinterest boards of art styles i'm inspired by, look at fine/modern art websites, even just observe the lighting/form/color of my surroundings. there's still opportunities to learn even when you're not drawing
- in my first two years of college they had us do figure drawing 3x a week for 2 hours at a time and it helped my understanding of anatomy a lot. if you live in an area with a college nearby see if they offer free open figure drawing sessions. obv drawing a model in person is the best way to go about it but its not accessible to everyone, so you can always try this website that has a ton of references and options
aaaand yea these are some of the big ones i can think of atm. i know i wrote a lot i just like talking about art lol :')
