Posts tagged tip

art-and-sterf:

and their facbook reference page

(Source: anatomyforsculptors.com)

amazinglyartisticadvice:

that if you don’t have fixative on hand, hair spray works.

(via art-and-sterf)

yunyin:

Time for my first in the tip section of drawing for young/inexperienced artists.

• Have you ever noticed your drawings looking flat?
• Are you a little unsure of where to put body parts?
• Is drawing anything in perspective an exercise in frustration?

You may want to pay attention to this lesson.

Here is a picture I drew a long time ago.  I’m not sure exactly HOW long ago since it isn’t dated, but it was scanned eight years ago.

There are many things wrong with this picture, but for now, we’ll focus on the face.

Notice how flat and lifeless this is?  This is partially because I was drawing in lines, and not in shapes.

I’ve said it before, but what does it mean?

Well, it means drawing your character in solid forms.  Your character is meant to be a 3-dimensional being REPRESENTED with lines, not made of them.

One way to make sure you are drawing a character in solid shapes is by USING solid shapes to “build” whatever you are drawing.

Anything you draw with a solid form (including humans and other characters) can be broken down and simplified into easy to understand shapes.

For example, a hand is something a lot of people find difficult to draw.

However, by using shapes to build the hand (and using my own hand as a reference, the process is easier.

A hand drawn mostly with ball and cylinder shapes.

The same hand with rough lines drawn over it with the opacity of the pink layer lowered.

The line art by itself.

While simplified and not the most realistic, it at least looks fairly solid.

Back to the face

I decided to redraw this face using shapes and guide lines.

Here is the shape layer:

While I left out a lot of detail, I did maintain a solid head shape and guide lines for eyes and the center of the head.

This is the shape+lines.  You may notice I adjusted a few things as necessary, including his ear and his jaw.

TIP: Reverse your image to more easily see where things look wonky.

The same head with lines only.

Compare the two and you can really see the difference in terms of solidness.

One of the best things about this technique is that it makes drawing things in perspective a lot easier.

Perspective is one of those things an artist needs to know, but seems to be one of the most difficult to grasp and master.  I will readily admit my knowledge and skill of perspective is weak, but even a little knowledge is beneficial.

The gist of perspective is that things that are close look bigger, while things that are farther away look smaller.

Using this basic principle, we can begin to understand how to make a body look like it’s existing in three dimensional space.

Connect the circles with lines, and suddenly it’s a cylinder.  Add another circle/ball for a shoulder joint, a square-ish shape for a palm…

And suddenly it kind of looks like an arm, doesn’t it?

While my method certainly isn’t perfect, hopefully this will help you all understand the basic concept of drawing with shape and perspective.

Further study from teachers and professionals (which I am not) is DEFINITELY recommended.

crowology:

Taken from PK’s color tutorial:

1) Keep light sources in mind, keep them consistent.

2) If two colors clash, they may need a third color in the group,or you may need to tweak one of the two colors.

3) Try to keep the temperature of the palette consistent (either definitely cool or definitely warm)

4) Don’t shade with black until you understand color relations better.

5) Vary values and saturation level so that they may emphasize the most important part of the picture.

6) Don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes!

arttoolsandtips:

When you’re working on your art, make sure you’re in a comfortable position. If you’re in an uncomfortable position for a long time then you’ll tire yourself out.

Checking the positioning of your computer screen is also worth the time, if you’re working on a laptop with a digital tablet then I suggest looking into a Laptop Riser. Having your screen even a little higher can ease the strain on your eyes and neck.

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inmyownlalaland:

When drawing eyes, don’t forget to draw the waterline! Most people usually forget and then their eyes turn out…veeery strange looking…Also, remember that eyelashes do not grow from under your eyelids, they grow on top of your waterline.

Sketched three more eyes for eye study today. There are images of eyes burned inside my eyelids now =.= (It’s eyeception!(?))

Rereblog because of current life relevance. :p

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inmyownlalaland:

If you are drawing a figure who’s leaning on one foot or putting their weight on just one foot, before you draw the body, draw a line from the base of the head to the ground. This will represent the spine and the center of gravity. Draw the leg along that line so that your character will look like they are leaning on that leg. Try experimenting with different curves of the line. It doesn’t even have to be completely vertical! It could be slanted, if your character is also leaning back. Only curve the line slightly though, because remember, this is his/her (it’s…) spine, so it shouldn’t be too curved or it would be broken. And if you slant the line too much, your character would look like it’s falling over.

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inmyownlalaland:

When drawing in class(not art class, by the way), don’t use your sketchpads, even if they’re little ones. They have these bumpy surfaces and when you draw it goes skritchhhh skritch skritch skritchhhh. And the teacher starts looking at you. Also, use big strokes instead of little ones, cuz then the teacher will think that you are actually taking notes instead of drawing. Remember to look up at the teacher from time to time and act like you’re reaaaally interested. Also, keep an open binder or something close by so you can discreetly slide your paper under it and look like you’re working.

Just some things I’ve learned in these past 3 months of school.

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inmyownlalaland:

If you want to be able to draw well, I suggest that you at least take a class or watch tutorials on still life sketching and watercolor painting. These two basics can help a LOT and open up a lot more drawing possibilities for you. Still life sketching teaches you how to shade, where to shade, and how to accurately sketch something down while watercolor painting will teach you basic color blending, matching, and color techniques. If you learn these two then you’re basically set for any other type of drawing medium/topic.

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