eardrum conundrum

my favorite thing is to break down faces into geometric bits. for laying down the initial sketch or framework for whatever you are working on, it's helpful to work generally and then to get specific. this way when you start working on details there is harmony! i have had a lot of moments when i focus on something specifically for too long and then everything else comes out of proportion. it also is helpful for general sanity too because it can be very frustrating to have to adjust something after working on it for so long.

if working generally is good for harmony within how things fit into your piece, it also can be good for how your eye moves around the piece. there are so many ways to emphasize areas of your art, and sometimes peoples eyes can get stuck on things so to say. for pieces that you want to have deep meaning, this is a powerful tool for narrative. here's some things that can deal with eye movement!

directional lines, like contour shading or hatching

repetition of elements around the piece, like stickers or colors

avoiding lines going into the corners of your piece (think of it like leading off a cliff. i think of arrows going into the corner as like a "flip me here!" thing)

areas with more details or areas with less texture, etc., have different visual weight and the imbalance can create interest

there is a lot of theory within this, but i think these points are a good takeaway.

color theory is a whole beast, and most of my context with color is from working traditionally. when mixing colors to make a new one, i generally try to keep a limited amount of paints to avoid having muddy colors. outside of the digital landscape, my understanding is that your eye still registers each individual pigment mixed in even though you can't separate them out visibly. this can make a color look muddy and hard to register. some pigments also lean one way or the other (warm vs cold) and can create muddy colors. i think the most common example of this i have is mixing pthalo blue (yellow leaning) and a red and getting a gross purple.

two ways to introduce shadows: mixing the area of interest with a complimentary color (opposite side of color wheel!), and using complimentary colors to create contrast between areas in light and areas in shadow. this creates a bit of a dynamic

facesfacesfacesfacesfaces

pleasepleaseplease click for higher resolution but this was a good way for me to kind of describe how i do it. i consider these methods jointly when drawing a face from scratch, and i see people with more cartoony styles or OC sketches that consider the shape face thing.

i generally draw the main profile/size of the head and then start from the eyes since i find it easier to build everything else off of it. the nose is between the eye sockets so it comes next naturally, etc.

i also think a tips video is not complete without the classic step by step

these aren't super refined, but they give a general idea on how i break it down.

referencing photos is great, but building a framework that you can use as reference within your own drawing to understand ratios and proportions is critical! i find it easier to draw people with glasses sometimes because the glasses themselves are good reference for eye size, nose placement, etc.

some art youtubers/creators i watched alot when learning drawing outside of school (please keep in mind most of this stuff is old):

draw with jazza, how to draw the marvel way, peter draws (pen reviews & doodle seshes), camileon, and more. if you have any artists in mind they may have drawing sessions/speedpaints up which also can help (especially if they are a comic artist or youtuber or some sorts). artists that do interviews also often talk about other people they take inspiration from, and this can build a nice net of things to check out!

i think out of these i used the marvel one the most while learning on my own, before finding a system that was more intuitive for me.

i also grew into who i am as an artist within a community that inspired me (school and also online). having stuff that inspires you or some kind of inspiration board (i be sortin on pinterest) is good too. i will say that those portfolio videos on what got people into art school are scary to watch & aren't necessarily a blueprint for what they are looking for exactly (with animation schools that feed specific companies being an exception, i guess).