[analogheart]

Hi,

I posted a couple of times and first off want to say thanks for your help and feedback. I REALLY REALLY want to learn to draw. I'm hoping in future to go to college but at the moment I have no guidance really other than these forums, tuts etc. I'd eventually like to do digital panting and 3D even (I've only messed around with Photoshop and mostly limited to blending modes and photomontages )I've only been drawing for 6 weeks and I love it but I'm not great and most people throughout my life said I was rubbish at drawing but I don't really care too much.

I have the Loomis books and 6 weeks ago I started with Fun With A Pencil. (I spent a good few weeks trying to draw a ball properly ) I've also bought a Bob Kato DVD from Gnomon and I thought that was well worth the money because that gave me loads of ideas about line and flow and rhythm and all that. So I'm going to try and draw every day. Here are two pictures I did today. I didn't use photo reference though. I was 'fairly' pleased but I'm not exactly sure what is is wrong/right. I would be well chuffed if I could get some feedback however harsh. Hopefully I'm not too much of a noob for the forums because I know you guys do amazing stuff but if so then maybe direct me to another forum??..Anyway....

[notic]

hi there,

i think you're doing good! but i would recommend you to draw simple things from life to really understand form in space. spending too much time drawing from imagination probably wont get you very far technically. however, if you combine life drawing studies with drawing from imagination, you'll see improvement pretty fast if you're dedicated to it.

so keep on drawing! drawing every day is very good, make it a habit.

[analogheart]

Thanks for the feedback. I just got some of those geometric solids so I'm going to try to set them up and light them tonight and draw them before I move onto things!

[sweetums]

Good for you in being seriously dedicated to working at improving. Skill will come from practice.

BUT, GOOD practice comes from EFFECTIVE practice. Do not think that a DVD and a few posts in a forum will bestow such skills upon you that you can create portraits without reference as easily as you scratch your nose. If anything, human anatomy is one of the HARDEST things to learn to draw, because without sufficient study and practice, you end up drawing "symbols" of what you think a human looks like.

These two drawings are prime proof of this...Skull shape, feature placement, feature shapes...While I see some decent effort, you still are just drawing what you think a nose looks like, or how you think lips should look.

If you really, REALLY are serious, stop uploading portraits without ref, until you can draw a decent portrait WITH a ref. THEN start trying to render from your imagination. You will not learn by drawing mistakes because you don't know better. Start with the references and learn better.

Enjoy the Geo solids. Those you should upload...
_________________
Life is short. Expect nothing, enjoy everything.
That which does not kill you should make you wiser...

[Naeem]

sweetums> im not sure you're offering the best advice here coated with pushing the person not to upload their work. I remember when I started off, and a comment like yours would have had me so embarassed that I would not want to post again in fear of it. Now, it's different, but back then, I'm sure it was like that for everyone when they started out.

analogheart> as long as you're dedicated, that's all that matters. Go at your own pace, and keep working hard. If your pace is drawing 10 hours a day straight, then go for it. But definitely push it to the next level. You're on a good road. Things I like about your work: your hatching is kind of nice. You're also not afraid of being a little loose when finding your shapes, and then correcting up on it. One thing I suggest is collecting alot of reference work from other artists that you like, and studying it to find out what the artist has done. All in all, I can't give you much more advice right now then what the others have. Practice your basics, but don't be afraid to push your limits with things that aren't the basics sometimes (because those things are why you got into drawing to begin with). Sometimes it's more about creativity then it is about drawing every line perfect. Don't let that creative side die in hopes of trying to become the world's best sketcher. I have seen many people who can render the world's craziest sphere but can't apply it to anything else when they draw. Keep both in check- it took me a while to figure that out. Do things for yourself as well.

[octavian]

Analogheart: Listen to Annis, he knows what time it is.

Keep working hard, and keep posting.