Subtitle: Everything Iâve learned so far.
*more added on bottom of list*
made for a friend but I figure Iâll post it if itâll help anyone ^-^
Probably will add to this every now and then if anything new comes up.
All links marked as ââ¤â
Most link to written tutorials but some are videos. Scroll over links to see if itâs a video in case thereâs a reason why you canât watch them.
Also posted on DeviantartÂ
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⧠Super helpful tutorials made by other people:
The shrimp method (How to draw anything) â¤Â
Background composition â¤Â
Perspective trix for the needy & lazy â¤Â
Step by step digital painting â¤Â
Perspective tutorial â¤Â
All of these video tutorials â¤Â
All of these resources â¤Â
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⧠Human anatomy basics:
Average female face â¤Â
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The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. -Michelangelo
âIf you donât know what colour to use, use blackâ -Pablo Picasso
âThe aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.â -Aristotle
âThe purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.â -Pablo Picasso
âGo and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make. Good. Art.â Â -Neil Gaiman
âNo oneâs better than me. Iâm not better than anyone. â -Carlos Santana
âLearn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.â -Pablo Picasso
âIf you hear a voice within you say âyou cannot paint,â then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.â -Vincent Van Gogh
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Loose grip = better for your hand & better precision while drawing.
If your hand hurts after a short amount of time drawing your grip is too tight.
Colour is a very personal thing. It has a lot to do with the way you see colours and the way you feel about those colours. So as much as things like colour theory are important, youâre the one choosing the colours, Â youâre in control.
People who say things like âa poor workman blames his toolsâ really need to stop. Your tools make a big difference, there is no denying that. Anyone whoâs ever tried Roseart crayons knows using them itâs like hammering in a nail with your bare hands, there are easier ways of doing things.
Of course this doesnât mean youâll draw better with more expensive tools but it does mean that if you donât like using a particular pen/brush/software/etc thereâs no use continuing to use it. Itâs distracting, makes you feel worse about your art and youâll be more likely to just not draw anything at all.
Experiment thatâs all. Just keep experimenting with things until you find out what you like. (guess that can also be life advice)
You can always improve. This doesnât mean youâll never be good, it only means you can get better even if youâre an expert.
Okay let me use this quote as a start off point âThe enemy of art is the absence of limitations.â -Orson Welles. This might sound counter-intuitive but itâs very true. Your brain can only handle a few things at once, if youâre told to draw anything you want youâll most likely draw something like a cat or dog or a house, things that are very normal to you, things that youâve probably drawn a hundred times before because when youâre faced with too many options youâll most likely pick the simplest and most familiar things to you.
Give yourself limitations when youâre drawing. Before you draw start with a theme or palette (etc) to let your mind relax and boost your creativity. (of course you donât have to do this every time you draw, just when you want to draw but have no ideas.)
Write down/sketch your ideas as soon as you get them because chances are you wonât remember them. Not that you canât change your mind about it later, itâs just good to know theyâre there and you havenât forgotten anything.
If you feel like thereâs something not quite right about your drawing, take a break. Come back to it the next day even. If you focus on something too long it messes with your judgement.
You donât have to show anyone what youâve drawn. Itâs your business what you draw so draw anything you want.Â
Chances are youâll come across people who have no idea about anything to do with art but still tell you how to do it/ what youâre doing wrong. These people arenât worth listening too. Ignore their advice.
Thereâs no problem with learning from tutorials, absolutely none. Itâs just one of the ways people learn. Itâs the same with art classes or anything similar. If you learn from it then keep doing it, but if youâre not then donât.
The best tip I can offer about tutorials is if you donât like the art style of the person who made the tutorial thereâs no reason to learn their techniques. Study artists who have art styles you like and figure out what it is you like about them. (their use of colours, emotion conveyed, etc)
And honestly if youâre a good artist and youâve never used tutorials or been to art classes, good for you, but itâs nothing to be smug about and no one is a lesser artist for using them.Â
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I made a mini tutorial on how to reference here â¤Â
Hereâs one on how to use them another way â¤Â
Also see âTracing vs referencing' â¤Â
also these are a couple great sites for references
Objects + architecture â¤Â
Everything all together â¤Â Â
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⧠Things that are really good to focus on and practice in your drawing:
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⧠Warm ups and practice
If you donât know about gesture drawing hereâs a tutorial â¤Â
If you do, this site is good for it â¤Â Â
Draw shapes, draw lines, draw random squiggles, whatever helps you warm up.
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⧠Possible reasons for artblock and remedies:Â
-Stress. Sometimes there are certain times when stress is for whatever reason unavoidable. Itâs a difficult thing to deal with and there can be a lot of different reasons why youâre stressed. Take breaks, try yoga or something thatâs more of a workout like boxing if it helps, meditation, anything that helps you feel better is a good start. Try writing down everything thatâs making you stressed so you can get more of a perspective on why youâre stressed and deal with the smaller problems first. Things like cleaning your room/house or fixing something thatâs been bothering you can help a lot. Thereâs also this helpful list if you wants some more ideas â¤Â
-Depression. *groans* donât get me started. Depression is a big deal and I have no idea what the best way to help it is. Maybe time. Maybe feeling useful. Maybe leaving your current life situation. Depression makes the simplest things difficult so the main thing to remember is to put your health before your art. Art will wait for you and be there when youâre ready, it always does.
Thereâs also this masterpost on depression if youâd like to have a look â¤Â
-Feeling inadequate. This might sound like a strange thing to say⌠Itâs kind of a good thing. You are wanting to improve and thatâs great. Itâs safe to say everyone experiences this multiple times in their life at some point but what you need to keep reminding yourself is, if you know you love doing something then youâre on the right track so stick to it.Â
-Feeling Un-motivated. Make an inspiration folder and go on a picture finding search to fill it with anything that makes you want to draw. Learning something new always helps for this as well so read/watch tutorials or someone drawing/painting.Â
-Not having ideas. Surprisingly easy fix most of the time. Use a random generator like this â¤Â or start some kind of art challenge to get you started.
-Boredom. (or being bored with the way you draw) Try using a different medium like sculpting or pixel art, anything you donât normally do. Surprisingly changing your image can help as well so getting a new hairstyle/colour, anything like that can work.
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Donât under charge for your work. It doesnât matter how much you love to draw, you shouldnât have to under charge for your work. Youâre not only charging for the piece its self but for your skills as an artist and for the time and effort you put into it.Â
âSo how much do i charge?â This question is one of the more difficult ones to answer. It can depend on the demand and the time it takes for you to make, etc. So this is just a basic list of things to ask yourself before you decide how much you should be charging.
-âHow much time do I spend making it?â
-âHow much am I willing to work for?â
-âHow much do other artists charge?â (not always relevant but something to consider)
-âWhat kind of customers will i get?âÂ
-âWhat is the customer going to use my art for?â (if itâs for a personal thing itâs no problem but if itâs commercial and theyâre going to use it on multiple occasions profiting from it, either charge more or work something out where they have to pay you each time itâs used)
Donât worry if you realise youâve been undercharging for your work because itâs part of the process of finding out whatâs right for you.
If someone challenges you on your prices or says youâre charging too much remember this
âIf you like what I do, this is what I charge. If you donât want to pay it, you donât have to buy it.â
Visual examples work better than descriptions. Show what youâre willing to draw and what kinds of commissions you offer with the prices listed. It can be laid out however you like. Hereâs an example â¤Â
Additional payments. Something to consider is are you going to charge more per added character or for a detailed background anything else that requires more work than your set price.
Make a check-list for commissioners to fill out. Not always necessary but can be a good thing to have. Things like âcharacter: Â background: Â outfit: Â â anything that you would usually ask them.
Some people might ask you to copy or trace something. I have absolutely no idea why people want something thatâs traced but donât do it. I promise you wonât like working with the client and you wonât be proud of your work at all.
Explain when you expect to receive payment. Either before you start, after you show them sketches or when the whole project is completed. In this case just do whatever feels right to you. But keep tabs on who hasnât played because there are some people that think they can get away with not paying. (just something to be aware of)
There will be people who try to get things for free. Ignore people who say things like âI wish could have something like this but i donât have money :( â please, please, please donât respond to these people with anything other than something along the lines of âThank you, maybe next time :)â because the only reason theyâre saying that is because they want it cheep or free. These people arenât your customers, donât worry about supplying to them.
Also along those lines, if someone asks you to do work for them for free and âmaybe theyâll hire/pay youâ if they like your work is bullshit. Theyâre conning you. What they do once they get your designs is tell you theyâve decided not to hire/pay you when theyâve actually stolen your design and get their designers to finish/alter it. DONâT TRUST THESE PEOPLE.
Have a paypal or something similar set up. This is completely necessary unless youâre working with someone face to face.
You can decide whether or not to work with someone. If whoever is commissioning you is making you feel uncomfortable or asking too much or is trying to make you do anything you donât want to, you donât have to work with them. Itâs entirely your choice.Â
Little bit more commission advice by someone else â¤
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â§Â More stuff added by others:
added by fruitncreme
- What is talent? â¤Â
- Anatomy, Manga to realistic and perspective â¤Â
- Anatomy and proportions â¤Â
- Folds and wrinkles â¤Â
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Feel free to add to this list if you have any other advice or tutorials you think would be helpful
pixelskylines
dailybridgerton
janainaart
tangentwithtanner
