"well, i really want to improve. there is so much i want to be able to draw. realistic faces, proportionate anatomy, landscapes, developing my own "style" of drawing, god the list goes on! but... WHERE DO I START? D: help please and thank you. + what do when you have artist's block?"
Asked by LeV Oblivion
Sorry I don't really have much to go on, but your request is kind of vague. >.<! To get proportionate anatomy and realistic faces, you have to understand how the body works on a more scientific level - what muscles go where, what bone structures hold the eyes in, etc. The more you understand, the more you draw, and the more your own style will develop (style is the way an artist chooses to interpret the world for his/her drawing, so the only way you can develop it is by drawing a lot.) Made some tutorials here that might help: http://fictograph.tumblr.com/tagged/tutorial Also - when I get artists block, I do commissions. Not having to design the character takes away the block for me. I can draw other peoples' designs no problem.
Answered by fictiograph.
Haha, I've definitely gone through this before (every aspiring artist should have in the beginning), but since it's been a while, I can only tell you what I remember, but hopefully it'll help somewhat!
Everything you listed are general areas that every artist has to try at least once in their lifetime, so in my opinion, it doesn't really matter where you start. I would however, suggest beginning with something you feel comfortable with. Once you've had enough practice with that and you feel that satisfied feeling of "fullness," move onto the next. But you'll soon notice that an artist is never really "full" so to speak, it's really not something that's in our job description lol. We keep learning and approving, precisely because we'll never be satisfied and inspirations will hit us in the face the moment we let down our guard. If you understand this, you can advance. Now, as for developing your skills in those various areas to a certain point, the only methods that I know gives solid results are practice, passion, patience, (I call these the 2 P's) and a thirst for knowledge. The first three are self-explanatory and the fourth is just what Woeful/fictograph said - to draw humans, you need to understand anatomy and physiology, to draw landscapes, you need to understand nature, perspective and spatial theories, etc. Supplementing this with practice and your visual memory works wonderfully. And throughout this entire process, you'll come to understand yourself which will lead you to your own style. Personally, when I have art blocks, I look at my inspirations (I've kept several folders and blogs over the years for this), listen to music, or just read books/mangas for interesting ideas. Then I just doodle without putting any restrictions on myself, kind of like just drawing without thinking / letting my hand do the talking. You'll come to realize that experience and knowledge are double-edged swords - despite being essential, they can also take away your sense of freedom and block your development. The method of getting out of an art block is gained when you find a way to retrieve this freedom back. Hope that makes sense. ;v;)a
Answered by rhiou
