ask hamotzi!

Hi did you draw this?

I really like how you do your compositions too (that’s something I really struggle with) and I wanted to know if you had any tips!

It’s okay if you don’t answer tho, thanks for brightening my day still :D

oh thank you so much, that makes me so happy to hear!!

for composition it's a lot of eyeballing and testing things out to see if they look/feel right. but here are some more specific tips!

i like to think of my compositions as a collection of differently sized shapes. sometimes 1 big shape with smaller variously sized shapes surrounding it, sometimes all evenly spaced shapes that are varying or similar-sized. keeping in mind the sizes of your elements, you can place them in a way that makes the page feel balanced

i also consider color! oftentimes i have some kind of color palette in mind and that can help you figure out a composition (like if you want a focal point to have a lot of color, and you want to carry that color around in smaller areas around the page, or if you want the colors to be evenly distributed around the page, etc.)

having a good balance of positive and negative space (sometimes i can go a little crazy with the collage but i think busy compositions can be fun too if things are placed purposefully)

try to eliminate tangents

remember the rule of thirds! it's not a rule you HAVE to follow all the time, but it's a good way to help you place where you want a focal point to go

this isn't really a tip, but the medium you work in can be inspiration for different compositions! if i'm working in something 3d like string or cut paper, it's going to challenge me to come up with something different than i might choose for a painting

in general, this is great project for practicing composition! every book is 26 different prompts, and i'm always trying new compositions to keep things fresh and try something new! they're not always super successful but it's great practice regardless, so i recommend doing something like this if you want fun practice! :)

hmm i started drawing dogs when i was very little! i was inspired by cartoons i liked, real dogs, and my own stuffed animals sometimes. when i was younger, Youtube wasn't really on my radar, and i don't think it was a place that had all the drawing resources that it does now! i had a few how-to-draw books but i never found those very helpful in gaining an actual understanding of an animal's anatomy.

it was a matter of practicing on my own over many years and using real dogs as reference, while bringing in elements of what i liked about cartoon animals. over time i became more familiar with their anatomy, what their bodies could do, or positions they would often be found in. I loved dogs so I was usually looking at some kind of dog related thing lol! so i would recommend starting to practice by observing real dogs and drawing them. even just googling photos of dogs in different positions and drawing from those will be helpful.

Also important question! Can I use your art as a reference when drawing cats? I understand if not.

Anyway Thank You for answering if you decide to! Have a good day!

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hi there! so sorry for my late reply, i was away on vacation for a while.

i'm not sure what you mean by shapes! i tend to use a circle with a cross over it to mark where i want the head and eye direction to be, but from there i just draw! i've been drawing animals for almost my whole life and have a good understanding of their anatomy so i go ahead and draw the body without using shapes as a sketch. let me know if i'm misunderstanding your question though!!

as for referencing my art, it just depends on how you're referencing it! i don't allow any kind of tracing or copying, but if you're using it as inspiration and your work doesn't look like my work, then i'm fine with it!

I don't really have a question, just wanted to show my support, so that's all! Have a nice day!