Doing something will probably make you better at doing something: An Art Muscle Training Thread

[Ocelot]

So my centaur ears have pricked lately, noticing there seems to be a fair few others around who are picture makers - drawings, designers, character artists, illustrators, anybody who makes things appear in two dimensions is welcome here to train and practice!

 

The thread title is taken from the NFer named Hulk In Nerd's Clothing, without permission (sorry, Hulk). It seemed to fit perfectly with my personal philosophy that art is nearly all about practice, and being able to draw is like a muscle: you don't just train it once, you have to keep it strong with regular workouts and consistency. You also need to think about taking enough art rest, and fuelling the art muscle with creative inspiration.

 

If anyone wants to join in here, an intro might be helpful, explaining why you want to draw things, and/or what kind of things you like drawing, how long you have been doing it, and maybe what you want to achieve. It can be hard to pin those things down as art is such a broad area, but I think it can be worthwhile. How about we post some old stuff too - our favourites, our firsts, etc?

 

Quick background on myself: I haven't got any qualifications, but I've worked freelance for 8 years doing fantasy portraits, illustrations and concept art. Including two published card games and, 3 book covers and a metal album cover. I've lately felt the need to branch out into comic books. I quickly realised my skills are not yet where they need to be to both tell a story and look good. So, it's back to basics for me, though I already have a deadline for February so it's a little too late to decide I need to start from scratch! Therefore, my art studies will be running alongside making a fully fledged comic book. Eep.

 

My personal goal will be to complete at least 5 studies a day. 'Studies' is a broad term. I'm including the following:

 

-> Life drawings (not just people - objects count! As long as its real and in front of my eyes, its from life.)

-> Gesture drawings (very quick expressive line drawings, about 10-15 per page)

-> Colour studies (can be anything, but with focus on colour)

-> Black and white studies (can be anything but with focus on form and value)

-> Master studies (literally copying a master artist's piece to learn from their techniques)

 

So for example, today I had a busy day and the only time I got to sketch was in the morning at a work meeting. So I drew people's shoes, and some of the kids' toys that were lying around XD

 

 

 

[kaelvan]

Hey few of you might of see me around the forums. Excited this forum became a thing. Whoo!

 

Let's see. I been in love with drawing since before I can even walk or talk. I was the kid in class that always got yelled at for drawing, instead of pay attention in class (funny because did well grade wise). I was kid that made fun as the "porn" artist just because draw nude female figure lot.

 

Most of my life I wanted to do something with the arts. Parents support it, until I got to high school (where art became not a "real" career move). Basically fell into a long depression at the end of my high school career. Decided to be communication major (basically film major) and that fell through. Parents telling me how I wasted my time yadayada Got certified as vet assistant. Yadayadyad went back to college to be science major and hated it. Though my art history class got me excited. Yadyadyad Being told I should do general courses instead. Yadayadyad Now screwed over by my community college money wise...they want their money

 

Lately since being on NF forums and meeting amazing people (also reading lot), I wanted to take my passion more serious. It's the one thing that makes me so happy. I would love to making my art my career. I know it's not an easy career to get into, but I would give anything to do it. I know it would be the one thing I would regret for my life. Worst enough it bugs me a lot.

 

Oh right forgot tell you what I draw (traditional and digital), mostly people. Also, some political and emotional pieces. On the back burn, I have webcomic like to get off the ground (eventually). Painting wise, I'm ok at. And lately I been falling in love with collage and mix media (wish tried it sooner).

 

My goals are do an art piece a day. Push myself to do stuff I'm not great at like coloring wise and hands. And I would want be atleast part time freelancing by the end of 2015. I don't know how to go about it. Still figuring it out.

[Ocelot]

Awesome! There's no reason if you put the time in that you couldn't have freelance projects. It takes a good few hours (like, a few thousand) to really get the basics I think, but as long as you're consistent anyone can get there. I love the goal of drawing a piece a day, that should give you a solid hour, lots more if you spend time planning and preparing by doing gestures and thumbnails. What medium are you planning to use? How's your webcomic, do you just have the idea or any scripts/concept art ready?

 

I need to do hands too. Maybe today is hand day. Take photos of everything you draw and post it!

 

Here's an old one of mine - I thought it was pretty relevant to this site Believe it or not this is from 2010, before I joined the Rebellion. Yeah, I've been a revolutionary centaur for longer than you thought.

 

[Ocelot]

WOOT. I knew making this thread would be a good idea. Just the fact that I knew I had to post made me very productive today. I finished up 3 pages of my comic commission! And then I did my studies. I know, studies should be done first, as a warm up. But oh well. I did them last. When very tired. I think you can tell. It was all about hands, but I could not get the second hand pose I was attempting. Maybe tomorrow. I like the first one, it has exactly the emotion I wanted to put in it, for me right now at least (probably will just look like a random scribble tomorrow)

 

[RedPandaOne]

I'm posting to sub as a place holder for my next challenge.

 

Some background:

Art was always my favorite class in school. Almost all of my electives in high school were an art class. I almost went to college for graphic art but decided I did it more as a hobby and that I wasn't creative enough to do it as a career.

 

Throughout the years I've sketched things. Nothing major. But then I stopped for a long time. My skills became really rusty. I want them back. I started up again, but still don't do it near enough.

 

I'm currently in a fitness challenge with a buddy of mine. The short is, if I win I get the 13 foot scarf he knitted. If he wins, I have to give him a drawing of Batgirl and Supergirl I've been meaning to do. It's a recreation of this one:

 

This will be difficult for me because I don't do people a lot. I also think my buddy is going to win our challenge, so I need to get working on this. My next challenge will have me working on it.

 

Just so you know what level I'm at, here are two sketches I did.

 

Artemis:

It's taken with my cellphone, so not the best picture quality. This took me probably a year to do. I would literally draw half a leg, put it down for 2 months then come back to it and draw the rest of the leg. Then put it down for 3 months, come back, etc.

 

Garfield:

I did this about 3 years ago. I can't remember how long it took me. Maybe a couple hours. Maybe a day or two, but not doing everything at once. It didn't take that long.

 

But that's me in a nutshell. Amateur sketch artist. Very rarely add color to anything.

 

[Ocelot]

I love those, great eye for proportion! Hope to see you practicing more and taking it further - lots of potential. Good luck with your challenge, I love that drawing and it would be fun to make a tribute piece but the scarf also sounds pretty awesome.

[Stonie]

Ooh ooh ooh drawing! Something I've been meaning to get back into also; maybe this will convince me again! I go through phases with all my hobbies - working on them solidly for a month or so then switching hobby. I've always loved drawing but never felt comfortable in myself to attempt to do it as a job; even when I decided I'd go do a digital media course at trade school.

 

I like animals and people as subjects, but I tend to let go and get lazy on backgrounds. I should get onto that. I also haven't done much with perspective, or transparent and translucent material, and I'm not great with lighting. But I like pretty colours and I easily spend hours on drawing something if I'm into it.

I'll link you some stuff I've done  because the image files are too big.  

[Ocelot]

Oooo. The bear! The koi! The last one (food zombie?)! Awesomeness.

 

Perspective is a huge one... I struggle a lot with perspective and I've learned you really have to put in the ground work with it. Make friends with large rulers and light-leaded pencils!

 

Join the daily practice! Even one sketch is enough to keep the improvement train rolling

[Ocelot]

I feel this thread could get quite image heavy so some of these will be links!

 

I'm LOVING doing 'five studies a day'. Today doing my illustration work didn't feel like a chore, because I warmed up properly first and had some fun. I designed some of my other centaur personas! I'm an assassin centaur by guild, but I dabble in taekwondo like a monk, weight training like a warrior, being a flower child like a druid, etc. So here are three of my centaur-ocelot selves!

 

Assassin. A common beginnerish error of mine is to draw so that the picture goes off the edge of the paper. Doh.

 

Druid. This is probably my favourite design. I don't think I'll switch to druid, but it is fun going undercover as one!

 

Monk. Had so much fun with this.

 

And finally, two hand drawings to finish off, because the only way to get better at hands is to ... draw hands!

 

[Machete]

Thought I was pretty good as a 6 year-old. I was already painting with oil and stuff. Just never ended up pursuing it. Every now and then I'd hit a spark of inspiration, and I'd bang out something with that residual skill I have left at the moment. Sometimes they turn out  pretty decent though.

 

[Ocelot]

I love the badass tiger and that's a veery purdy fish. I love the fins wafting in the water. Did you ink it on or just design?

[BlackTezca]

I used to draw a ton in middle school and high school (oh jeebus...like a decade or so ago) then slowed down in college, only to become a crawl then a near complete STOP when I got into my career. I decided to pick up drawing again this past year, which was GREAT, only to fall off again due to stress that happened in the summer (lay off) and haven't had the motivation to pick it back up.  I really need to get my ass into gear.

 

I've loving the sketches I'm seeing here! 

 

I have a deviantart account up that needs more loving again.  Here are some highlights (all of these done this year, so recent work):

 

http://artisticallystrange.deviantart.com/art/Graveyard-450841920

http://artisticallystrange.deviantart.com/art/Rosario-Child-of-Diskordra-450841932

http://artisticallystrange.deviantart.com/art/Gimme-Chocolate-456618324

http://artisticallystrange.deviantart.com/art/Ursula-The-Sea-Witch-454927895

 

I'll definitely need to get in some sketch practice after work and get back into it!

[Ocelot]

Your style is really nice, especially love the colours The greens in the shadows on the fleshtone of the ... Ursula, is it? And the reds in the chocolate cake drawing are tastyy. You too have a lot of potential! Even just one sketch a day will help.

 

I HAVE done my five studies yesterday, but the photos are on my phone, so no proof. Today's proof is here, it's hands again --

 

[Machete]

I love the badass tiger and that's a veery purdy fish. I love the fins wafting in the water. Did you ink it on or just design?

 

Inked. That guy got quite a few free tattoos from me.

[Fearkiller]

Whoa. Drooling because of all the cool pics!

 

I've decided to do at least of one sketch each day for a couple of months. I have always admired people who can draw,

and I've disliked my own drawings a lot, because they haven't been 'good enough', and I haven't had ,on my opinion, enough talent. But I've come to realize talent is for the most a lot of hard work.. Anyway, I hope to get some improvement, and maybe I learn to like drawing, like learning to eat avocados. Right now I am preparing mentally for a timeline of several months or even years to discourage unrealistic expectations. Rambling. Sorry.

 

Anyway, hi!