[Phyrexial]

What do you think is more important?

Trial and Error: Just plain drawing tons of sketchs whenever possible and picking out what is wrong, fixing it, drawing some more.

Studying: Reading up on anatomy, various things like values, composition, etc. (buzzwords I've heard thrown around)

I figure its probably best to do both of course, but for the sake of argument which do you feel is more important?

[Impaler]

Important to what end? Important for drawing like Craig mullins, or for drawing like synj? Important for fundamentally understanding a particular techinque, or for exploring new, creative ways to use a medium?

Enough waffling from me, however. I would say that the tangible experience points racked up by Trial and Error are more important than erudition. You can study all the best books on art for years and still end up a pedantic dilettante (browse backwards for a page or two to find a thread by Les Watters) with no real idea how to translate what you see onto paper.

However, given even just six months of continuous sketching or doodling, pretty much anyone could produce an intelligent, articulated illustration (or painting or sumi-e or sculpture, et al.). There's this capacity for intuitive learning that makes homo sapiens a unique species. I'm sure there are thousands of artists who can draw quite well, yet have never heard of Andrew Loomis or Burne Hogarth.

But, yeah, the combination of the both is the best recipe for rapid progression. Reinventing the wheel, blah blah blah.
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QED, sort of.

[DJorgensen]

Umm... both (not much help eh?)

We can all learn by trying, but are limited to what we currently know. It is hard for someone to draw anatomy if they have never studied it, yet it would also be hard for someone to know how to draw anatomy if again they never have.

All in all, I've noticed that for myself, I'll draw a ton until I start getting unhappy with my progress, and then I will study different aspects and pick apart all the problems with my pictures. Then the circle starts over again.

I doubt this really helps or even answers your question, but I don't think that it is really possible to claim the one is more important than the other.
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[Drunken Monkey]

in my pinhead experience i've learned that studying from someone will save you years and a lot of bad habits. there is a lot that has been learned since early renaissanse... why ignore it?

turning into another human xerox academist is probably not a good idea though, so if you are just starting out find a teacher. go for about 1 year... then experiment solo for 6 months, then some more... whatever works for you.

[Javerh]

Technique is a means to an end: To produce art.

Drawing tons of pictures does not make the artist more capable artistically. Studying tons of books does not make the artist more capable technically.

You need to either study the art you produce or draw masterpieces you study. Obviously both, because one can't create art without technique and technique without art is meaningles.

[Phyrexial]

Wow, some deep answers here. (or maybe I'm just slow )

At the moment I don't really have access to a teacher, but I'm definetly thinking about plunking down some cash for an anatomy book. I'm at a Tech school for programming so I'm fairly limited to the amount of study I can do, but we'll see.

I posted something here awhile back, kinda got ripped to shreds and said I wouldn't post any more work until I've done some extensive practice but I wanted to make sure I was going about things the right way. Thanks guys.

P.S- I think someone inquired as to what end is what important. Basically I want to not be horribly bad at drawing and maybe be able to draw something that resembles what I see in photos or in other art styles. (anime, cartoons, comics) After all that, perhaps I'll try something original.

[DJorgensen]

Hey cool! I'm in university for CompSci right now

I would have to agree that it is hard to find time to draw a lot (or at least to keep the marks respectible and still draw).

Picking up an anatomy book would undoubtedly be a good idea. When I learned anatomy, I taught myself how to draw in an anime style, as I found it to simplify things but still maintain correctiveness in proportions as well as anatomy (well usually). From there I eventually made things more complex until they start getting more realistic even though I often still draw anime.

Drawing is in itself a learning process. If you can't find a teacher, then teach yourself. Ask questions (which you have already done), and if you get flamed so what? Ask at another forum. Take time to analyze others works, real life, your own art - say to yourself 'how could I make this one better' or 'how did they / could I do that' and then try it. You won't get it perfect from the start - heck I can't often make something I'm really proud of. But I try to learn from my mistakes and have undoubtedly improved in the last year, even the last couple of months.

Sorry for the LONG post. Runnig out of steam now. Later
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[idiot]

It's never bad to just draw, but there are exercises that artists have been using for centuries to increase their skill (master copies, cast drawings, the cube exercise). And you can progress faster by taking advantage of these, rather than having to reinvent the wheel over and over. A large group of intermediate artists are working together on these over at the Middle Class on conceptart.org.

[XIA]

Whatever exercise your hand/arm/shoulder, eyes and brain coordination the most. They come in handy.

Some thought: Some of the greatest artists....doesn't even get any chance to know or study composition...theory blah blah...like we do. They just produce art...that what make them artist.

Study theory alone...will make u a great art teacher and great art critique, not necessary great artist.

But this is 21st century...we can take advantage of the best of both world in matter of seconds. Photoshop. painter, etc. save us tons of time and give us chances to experiment as many as we want. Internet give us all sort of info, lesson, how to, and you name it. Take advantage of it while u can because NOThING ever last forever!

[Duracel]

"Studying" doesn't mean you have to read or do what other people have done earlier.

In my eyes one of the most impotant things you have to do is "studying what you see"! You don't have to read a book to get the knowledge of anatomy - but you can just watch people everywhere you are and so on.
Books can help .. or can offer information even if you're just at home. But But the most important thing to creat art is to open your brain everywhere you are!

I don't think you have to paint tons of scribbles and speedies. Well if you do you force yourself to think about. (Of course you have to train your motor skills, too.)
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Lars G�tze

www.duracel.de Gallery

Detailling a speedpainting is nothing but speedpainting in detail.