[Zex]

hello all. i've been looking at some of these pictures lately and im like aww ma gawd i wish i could make those! i dunno where to start. there seems to be so much to learn! i have adobe photoshop 6.0 and that is about all oh and microsoft paint. any suggestions?

[Zex]

sorry i lied its adobe photoshop 7.0!!

[geraldine]

Hi

Well I am new here too... but I think that it's quite difficult to help you, if you can't even tell what you want to draw.... or do or whatever....
Sorry....

geraldine

[bearsclover]

You don't need Photoshop to learn how to draw and paint.

It's nice and all, and I adore Photoshop, but I couldn't do anything with it worth looking at if it weren't for the fact that I learned how to draw and paint "traditionally."

If you don't know how to draw or not, (I can't tell from your post) but if you indeed want to improve your drawing skills, then get the book Drawing of the Right Side of the Brain and start with that. Get a sketch pad and pencil, kneaded rubber eraser, and practice a lot!

If you want to scan in your sketches later and color them in with Photoshop, that sounds like fun, but it also wouldn't hurt you to get a set of acrylics or watercolors and learn how to use color traditionally. But honestly, just learning to draw should be your first priority. (This is assuming that you don't know how to draw, or want to get better at it.)
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Madness takes its toll - please have exact change.

[geraldine]

Hi

just wanted to say that I know that book.. I think that it's really good for real beginners and ppl who think that they can't draw/paint...

[Zex]

thx for the help guys , yeah i can prolly draw if i take my time and have a little more patience(sp). not too good with shading and shadows and crazy stuff like that tho hehe.

[Zex]

geraldine i want to draw demon dogs emerging from mist, and i want to draw warriors and magicians and dragons and all that cool stuff. i can picture it in my mind but can't put it on paper if u know what im saying. i just looks so cool in my thoughts

[Citizen Cow]

Stop drawing Demon DOgs
Stop drawing wizards and magicians.
Close Photoshop.
Pick up a pencil and paper.
Draw animals.
Draw People.

Do not draw people in armor or baggy clothes. Draw peoples muscles, eyes, hands, feet, elbows, ears.
When you are comfortable with those, practice form and movement, anatomy as a whole, perspective.
Move on to Value and shading, depth and color.
Then practice textures and shapes. Folds and higlights.
Then, when youve got most of these down to where you think you understand them, draw a wizard in a cloak.

This is the shortest way to learn.

Or just start drawing wizards and demon dogs without knowing how to draw a hand and use gradient fill for their clothes and lenslares and filters to cover up your errors. But please do not post it here.

And avoid posting questions in "WORK IN PROGRESS".

[Phyrexial]

Zex, don't mind Cow, he's like that to all of us hapless newcomers.

The advice you want is going to really be based on how far you want to take your art. Obviously if you don't want to do it as a profession, then your approach will be different than someone that just plans on sketching from time to time.

My advice to you is to not use Photoshop as a crutch. I picked it up thinking that with my wacom in hand I'd be able to pump out something decent in a couple weeks of practice. So wrong was I. PS is not a substitute for true drawing abilities.

[Zex]

i can't draw people or animals. . i want to get really good and maybe as a profession. only 16 now so i have a few years to decide. any other tips? plz anyone

[bearsclover]

I think you've gotten some excellent advice.

Look�you don't need to know every simple step you'll need to take in the next 10 years. You just need to know the next few steps that you should take.

You need to learn how to draw. That "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" book is excellent. I got it when I already knew how to draw pretty well and I was impressed. People who were drawing newbies get even more out of it. It's an awesome book. And it's a good place to start.

So: The "Right Brain" book, sketchpad (acid free paper is good), pencil, eraser, and pencil sharpener.

That's where you start. Honest. That's how I started. That's how a lot of us started.
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Madness takes its toll - please have exact change.

[ViiSolidus]

dude, the tips u got so far are exactly what u need 2 do, so listen to em.

-Practice drawin ppl and animals, MUSCLES like cow said, PORPORTIONS!!! (u gotta know this before u even dream of a wizard ) get to know the shapes and diff methoods, and views of course!

what i do sometimes is I put my hand out infront of me, or juss something to draw and follow your eyes along the edges while moving yer pencil in the same movement (this is call'd BLIND CONTOUR) and its very usefully for yer hand eye co-ordination, also it'll improve yer drawin because u'll be focusing on what u'r drawing rather then what u "think" u'r drawing. I have the same problem as u, and juss practice is all u can do bro. It wont happen over-night, but if u practice hard enuff, u might be doin some ruff sketches of that wizard at least by the end of the month. Drawing aint rocket-sience but its something u have to be very familiar with in order to do it well.

-hope that helps a bit bro....u'll get there juss give some time and effort!

[DeadbeaT]

i agree partially with cow. however whatever you do dont get bored. drawing people and animals can get damn boring ( i only drawed birds for 2-3 weeks, so i know what im talking of) have fun thats what drawing is all about, do some doodles, some cariactures, try drawing a wizard and a demon dog (or anything else) from time to time. you dont wanna get bored for drawing either cause then youll end up just giving up. but again to learn to draw good youll have to get to know the anatomy.
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