How do artists improve their drawing skills?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blahness
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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on strategies for improving drawing skills, particularly for beginners facing challenges in techniques such as shading and proportion. Participants recommend practical exercises, including using digital photography to aid in still-life drawing and employing tools that enhance motor control, such as thicker pencils. Key resources mentioned include Betty Edwards' "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" for understanding spatial relationships and Eliot Goldfinger's "Human Anatomy for Artists" for figure drawing. The consensus emphasizes the importance of practice and the potential benefits of art theory courses for deeper understanding.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of drawing techniques, including shading and realism.
  • Familiarity with digital photography for reference in still-life drawing.
  • Knowledge of motor skills related to drawing implements.
  • Awareness of art theory concepts for a comprehensive approach to drawing.
NEXT STEPS
  • Read "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards to enhance spatial awareness in drawing.
  • Explore "Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form" by Eliot Goldfinger for figure drawing techniques.
  • Practice using tracing paper to improve proportion and accuracy in drawings.
  • Investigate the use of optical devices in art, as discussed in David Hockney's work on Renaissance artists.
USEFUL FOR

Beginner artists, art students, and anyone interested in improving their drawing skills through practical techniques and theoretical understanding.

  • #31
GeoMike said:
Phenomenal artwork zooby. If you don't mind me asking, how do you handle smudging when working with pencils? I have a horrible time with this when I work on portraits. I'll get something exactly how I want it only to smudge it a bit later when I'm working on something else. It is annoying as all hell, because I can never "repair" it back to the way I originally had it. :mad:

-GeoMike-
Easy: I lay a piece of paper over the part of the drawing where I'm going to rest my drawing hand to work. Nothing special, just a piece of printer paper.

When smudges happen, repairs can be done, but it is frustrating to have to do them. I fiddle with all kinds of erasers, cutting them to different shapes with an X-acto knife, and also use the kneeded eraser, which you can pinch into shape.

Glad you like the drawings!
 
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  • #32
Zooby: Brilliant. Honestly, I don't have the determination, and based on what you say, the physical time to make beauty like you've done, but I'm going to try to make it look... more.

I only get in-class time, which is a problem, but... meh.

(I also have horrible handwriting, and Doctor Grandma has prescribed me 4 Handwriting books. Woo.)
 
  • #33
zoobyshoe said:
Easy: I lay a piece of paper over the part of the drawing where I'm going to rest my drawing hand to work. Nothing special, just a piece of printer paper.

Damn, I was hoping you had some super-secret method. I guess I'm just a big klutz, I've used paper but I always end up accidentally moving the paper while I have pressure on it -- then I have a large fuzzy smudge. :-p

-GeoMike-
 
  • #34
Ok, I just got back from Zooby's thread, and... just WOW!

Do you have a website or something?
 
  • #35
Blahness said:
Zooby: Brilliant. Honestly, I don't have the determination, and based on what you say, the physical time to make beauty like you've done, but I'm going to try to make it look... more.

I only get in-class time, which is a problem, but... meh.

(I also have horrible handwriting, and Doctor Grandma has prescribed me 4 Handwriting books. Woo.)
As for drawing well quickly, our DaveCP30 (or whatever those numbers after his name are) is the person to talk to. He draws great stuff freehand and even from memory rather quickly.

Projectors and grids are for when you want strict, realistic proportions. That isn't always desirable because the altered way an artist renders something without these strict controls is often better, more interesting and personal, than when the proportions are photorealistic. Dave's art is a case in point: he's got a personal style I really enjoy.
 
  • #36
GeoMike said:
Damn, I was hoping you had some super-secret method. I guess I'm just a big klutz, I've used paper but I always end up accidentally moving the paper while I have pressure on it -- then I have a large fuzzy smudge. :-p

-GeoMike-
Hmmm. I've never had any particular trouble with the paper moving and smudging things. I suppose I unconsciously watch out for this or something. Hard to say.

JasonRox said:
Ok, I just got back from Zooby's thread, and... just WOW!

Do you have a website or something?
Thanks, Jason. I'm glad you lke the stuff. No, I have no website. That thread is my main public show.
 

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