#art hints

hints: pride month related, Havenverse and celebration of one year

So here’s how I learned every art skill I have, and likely pretty similar to how you learned, too. But before I describe the process, lemme talk to you about art history.

Historically, EVERY artist learned directly from copying other artists. Art school during the majority of history - and even to an extent today - was “Hey, see that famous artist’s work? Reproduce it.” This helped artists learn the major techniques that defined the styles they were involved in and the art rules. And even today. When I was in art school on several occasions I was shown a piece of art by someone famous from history and asked to reproduce it. Those experiments showed me so much, taught me all sorts of techniques, and helped me understand the historical and cultural inputs that created famous art pieces.

I say this because, no matter what you think, no matter what you’ve been told, EVERY artist steals. It’s our way. The first human who drew on caves or sculpted with natural clay looked at the world around them and reproduced what they saw. And then the next artist did the same, referencing what the first artist did. Your art is your own, and it’s unique in that you made it, but you learned from somewhere and that’s okay. No one owns colors or anatomy or a certain style. If you see someone’s art and think “I used that color” or “that looks like xyz’s work” or “hey, I drew a similar character in a similar pose in a similar style”, try to think of the history of art and how you, too, learned from someone else.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying “copy everyone’s art and sell it on commission” but I AM saying every artist learned from the artists before, and try to give people a break when you get upset because their art looks similar, no matter how similar. No one learned in a vacuum. That being said, you shouldn’t trace someone’s work and post it. But you can do this technique I learned in high school. I call it “trace, reproduce, stylize.”

Either print out or save a reference image. Try to choose an image that is representational of what you want to later draw or that can be used in a wide variety of situations. Draw over it. Notice the contour lines, the shapes that build it, and the way the shapes connect. Now, look at that first image and redraw those same shapes and lines beside the first drawing. Try to copy it as well as possibly. Finally, take the shapes you’ve learned and the stylistic rules you usually follow and draw the same image in your own way.

This technique can be used in a variety of situations and can look different from person to person.

As far as art programs go, the free ones I know of are: 

Krita

Firealpaca (Supposed paint tool sai alternative)

Photoshop CS2 (It is free, but you need to sign up with Adobe. It’s also heavy on the computer depending on your computer’s limitations.)

I’m not sure exactly what tips to give, but I’m assuming you have a tablet by now if you’re looking into programs? Whether you have one or not, don’t be intimidated by how vastly different tablet use is from traditional means. You’ll get used to it in time.

Drawing and practicing every day IS fundamental, but just aimlessly drawing will only get you so far. You gotta be dedicated to learning, comprehending, and constantly thinking about variables as you draw. Learn the basics, learn anatomy, learn color/design theory, and problem solving techniques. Even if you don’t plan on doing super realistic artwork or plan on going pro, it’s good to know those things. *I’ve been drawing for roughly 24 years and it took an anatomy course in college to learn to draw everything below the neck. It took me most of this year to learn to draw Mads and Hugh, but only a few months to go from dissatisfaction to improvement. I went about it obsessively though.

Don’t expect results over night. Whether you’re new to art or just new to digital art, there’s gonna be hurdles. Don’t let them discourage you. It’s very important to keep yourself pumped and motivated. Also, do not think you’re a bad artist because you can’t do this or do that. If there’s something you wish you knew how to do, then hit up that google search engine with “how do I do ___”. I compare myself to artists all the time, but i do not compare to be competitive. I compare for the sake of self improvement.

Working digital requires a level of understanding of your program and how the tools work. Be willing to spend time toying around and if need be then there’s a YouTube vid for almost everything.

And lastly, create a folder of photos and other artwork from your muse. The things that inspire you. The things you want to draw like. However, don’t just focus on one thing. Taking tidbits of visual information from various arts is one thing, but to just flat out copy one artist is an entirely different thing. Look at the trends in the various arts: how they color, the way someone does lineart, the way someone shades, the way a person approaches anatomy compared to actual anatomy. Study them. Taking little pieces of what other artists do will eventually help you establish your own style.

These Youtube channels have really helped me over a short period of time:

Sinix Design

Ahmed Adori

Marco Bucci

OMFG the secret is out! The reason my Moleskine sketchbook looks so good is because it’s the one I chose to show you. The one you don’t see is where all the work was really done and all I had to do was copy myself. 

The discord server asked for lighting tips and I am not a professional, I know what tips I can give.

Two of my favorite and VERY inexpensive daily brush cleaners are old fashioned bar laundry soaps that you can find at many discount “dollar” stores:  Zote and Fels Naptha.  I simply keep a bar in a plastic food storage dish (also thanks to the dollar store), and keep it in the art drawer next to my easel.  When I’m done for the evening, I simply rinse my acrylic brushes in the paint water, scrub the wet bristles on the bar, scrubby rinse in clean water, press dry in a paper towel to re-smooth the bristles, and call it done!

It’s so cold and I am loving it. Yesterday I was treated to a wonderful trip up into the mountains to see the snow. I have never seen or touched snow before.

It was the most magical experience, especially seeing as I was sharing it for the first time with my two granddaughters Chloe and Annie, and my daughter Bec.

I was facinated with the texture and how well the snow held together. It is a…