Post 3072697 by espectalll@mstdn.io
(DIR) More posts by espectalll@mstdn.io
(DIR) Post #2906238 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-12T18:10:33Z
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Heya, any fedi artists there? What would you suggest for learning to draw besides "practice and keep practicing (by copying others')"? (that's a good tip, but not enough)
(DIR) Post #2907065 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-12T18:45:50Z
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Hi? Fedi artists? You exist, right? ...hello...?
(DIR) Post #2912830 by toro@mstdn.io
2019-01-12T23:11:52Z
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@espectalll maybe @Curator could help with a little boost?
(DIR) Post #2912977 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-12T23:15:30Z
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@toro @Curator well that would be nice indeed, but I don't know if it'd be a bit too spam-y?
(DIR) Post #2913188 by toro@mstdn.io
2019-01-12T23:21:30Z
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@espectalll Oh, okay 😁
(DIR) Post #2917643 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T02:31:20Z
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@espectalll It's hard to say because repetition and persistence are the keys to getting better.I think my biggest piece of advice is don't be too hard on yourself. It's not technical advice but it's still important to know the difference between valid self-critique and just being depressed or negative. In other words, "I should remember to fix that arm next time" is good, "all my art sucks and I can't draw as well as [person]" is hurting yourself
(DIR) Post #2917655 by sean@social.deadsuperhero.com
2019-01-13T02:32:30.204795Z
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@espectalll I would say try to study a limited amount examples that you'd like to influence your style, and try to guess how the colors, shading, and form are done. Regardless of what tools you're using, there's a high chance you'll need to invent your own technique, a process that makes sense to you. This is often more intuitive than it sounds; you're kind of just playing around with methods in the beginning, and trying to examine how different results differ.One healthy expectation to set early on is that you'll be doing a lot of this, and should expect to do many more pieces, some of which may never actually receive a human audience. This helps build up your talent and sense of resilience in having to repeat that task. Persistence and realistic expectations are key.Try to study how you approach creating form and color yourself. I like to sketch things out with a pencil, then take an additive color approach using a drawing tablet and layers.
(DIR) Post #2917692 by sean@social.deadsuperhero.com
2019-01-13T02:34:11.698286Z
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@espectalll I tend to start with darker colors at the lower layers, then brighter colors in higher ones. This isn't necessarily a rule, though. I also find it useful to break out visual components into different layers, in case I want to change something without affecting the entire piece.
(DIR) Post #2917759 by Sori@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T02:39:30Z
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@espectalll https://www.deviantart.com/tracyjb/art/Lackadaisy-Construction-245356999
(DIR) Post #2917824 by SunScales@comicscamp.club
2019-01-13T02:41:58Z
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@espectalll Hi! These things are just my opinion but might give you an idea of where to go next: * Art books that give you the basic foundations for things, like anatomy. * Have something that motivates you to draw and makes it exciting, like an OC, that makes it easy to just doodle whenever.* Have an idea of what you're aiming for with your art, so you can try to work towards that. Ex: If you want your inking to look some way, study art that has that type of inking.
(DIR) Post #2918065 by Reyaughi@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T02:52:16Z
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@espectalll I'm not professionally trained, but I try to balance between focused learning and comfortable practice. Regardless of your style, you can learn a lot by drawing from life, too. Also, if books are your thing, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain has a lot of great exercises to work through. I'm working through it myself.
(DIR) Post #2918125 by PalmerAnimates@socel.net
2019-01-13T02:55:33Z
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@espectalll One of the best pieces of advice I ever got as an artmaker, from way back in my high school days: "Draw what you see, not what you know." For example, when drawing a portrait, look for the shapes, planes, and shadows in front of you, instead of trying to draw what your brain thinks a face is supposed to look like.
(DIR) Post #2918301 by PalmerAnimates@socel.net
2019-01-13T03:05:00Z
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@espectalll Sketch from live observation whenever possible, even if your ultimate goal is stylized illustration or animation. If all you do is mimic your favorite comic/manga/anime/etc., you'll miss out on the underlying real-world knowledge that makes those works... well, work.My favorite sketch technique (at the moment) is the three-pass method. Light pencils to establish basic forms. Micron pens for outlines and rudimentary shading. Brush pen for deep shadows.
(DIR) Post #2918460 by PalmerAnimates@socel.net
2019-01-13T03:10:33Z
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@espectalll There are a bazillion books out there for learning to draw. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards, is a long-time favorite of many art educators, and for good reason.For myself, I prefer The Natural Way to Draw, by Kimon Nicolaides. It was the book Chuck Jones studied when he was learning to draw.Both books are as much about *seeing* correctly as they are about making marks on paper or canvas.
(DIR) Post #2918846 by blkmkt@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T03:33:07Z
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@espectalll Hello, I'd suggest breaking the skill down into the fundamentals you need to learn, and then doing specific training towards those things. I'm going to list suggestions, but I can go into further detail if you'd like.Some sites that can help include drawabox.com , and some youtubers like Sycra, Sinix Design and Proko, as well as videos from people like Peter Han.
(DIR) Post #2918867 by guephren@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T03:34:04Z
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Everyone has different ways of learning. I like structure for example so that I can focus on a few things at a time, and as such I also like classes. You can go look at Schoolism, Proko, Art Camp, and many others to help you out. You can also try Draw a Box for free.https://drawabox.com/@espectalll
(DIR) Post #2919625 by SueDraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T04:18:40Z
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@espectalll i’ll have to give deeper thoughts later, tho happy to help and discuss. but a quick thought: your well-being is just as important (if more) than the technical skill. mental health, self-worth, confidence, etc. while it can vary, i def had a bad burnout plus more bcs i wasn’t caring for myself. slow down, take time to find yourself and encourage building positive traits
(DIR) Post #2921231 by tromino@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T06:00:11Z
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@espectalll watch jazza videos 24/7 and do absolutely nothing else for the rest of your life
(DIR) Post #2921554 by STEPH_INFECTION@mastodon.social
2019-01-13T06:23:35Z
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@espectalll flip the canvas every so often. if you're a traditional artist, hold your piece up to a mirror, especially during the sketching. flipping your image makes your mistakes stand out much clearer.
(DIR) Post #2923086 by emilylorange@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T07:36:49Z
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@espectalll what you should practice depends a lot on what you want to do, but a skill that will help in all areas is learning observation skills - draw from life. Photos are OK but seeing it in person is better - photos can be deceptive and obscure information.
(DIR) Post #2923444 by SEM@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T07:53:46Z
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@espectalll draw from life! Learn the fundamentals. Try different media! Those are things I think helped
(DIR) Post #2923547 by MKULTRA@weeaboo.space
2019-01-13T07:59:08.009400Z
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@SEM @espectalll1432.jpg
(DIR) Post #2923866 by bavcreampuff@mastodon.social
2019-01-13T08:15:06Z
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@espectalll Draw from life, do gesture drawings, and if you're interested in portraiture, http://www.portrait-artist.org
(DIR) Post #2923908 by MKULTRA@weeaboo.space
2019-01-13T08:17:36.499933Z
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@bavcreampuff @espectalllgallery_1_31_586613.jpg
(DIR) Post #2925360 by unflocked@mastodon.social
2019-01-13T09:27:07Z
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@espectalll Follow @davidrevoy and check his tutorials!
(DIR) Post #2925845 by Curator@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T02:19:50Z
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@toro @espectalll This is absolutely worth a boost!I hope our •ARTists can help you out! Let me know if no one gets back to you, I might be able to help further. 😊
(DIR) Post #2925846 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T10:09:43Z
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@Curator @toro AAAAAAAAAA thanks a lot! I got a few so far so I'll make sure to read them now!
(DIR) Post #2925957 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T10:16:48Z
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@micahdraws Thanks for replying! :blobcatcoffee: Yeah, I've already gone through that and understand it, I actually like my "default" style. I'm just thinking that I have no technical background and repetition alone isn't going to show me what techniques are being used - like, I don't even do basic proportions yet
(DIR) Post #2926593 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T10:55:15Z
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@sean I was indeed planning on directly taking inspiration from styles I like, I'm right now picking up a few specific people's art, but since I don't have techniques of my own I'm expecting there to be some issues (particularly, on shapes) that I feel like could be solved with basic theory.That last thing about breaking by layers, I definitely do already tho.Thanks for the help! :blobheartcat:
(DIR) Post #2926895 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:10:05Z
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@Sori I think I've seen Tracy's work before, certainly l can't help but admire it regardless! There's clearly a lot of practice being applied there but those guidelines can be pretty helpful, thanks a lot for sharing! :blobheartcat:
(DIR) Post #2926902 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:13:03Z
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@SunScales Great points, simple but clear, thanks a lot! :blobcatcoffee:For that first point I'm actually looking for recommendations - I recall David Reroy's website had some good suggestions and orientation so hopefully that will do it for getting my feet on the ground.
(DIR) Post #2926907 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:15:37Z
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@Reyaughi Thanks a lot for the recommendation, it even looks affordable! I'll make sure to take a look at it :blobcat: And yeah, I've drawn stuff from around my environment quite a bit, but I think I could work more on it.
(DIR) Post #2926920 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:17:20Z
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@PalmerAnimates Ugh, I'm aware of it but I usually forget and will end up wondering what am I doing wrong! Guess I'm quite impatient for learning, but that can be solved. Thanks a lot! :blobcatcamera:
(DIR) Post #2927079 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:25:37Z
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@PalmerAnimates Your technique seems worth a try, particularly because of something I haven't told before: I only draw with black and blue cheap pens as well as digital tablets. I have little experience with physical materials and what makes each interesting, properties and such. So I spend too much time wondering which tools should I be using instead of just letting inspiration flow.
(DIR) Post #2927119 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:27:24Z
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@PalmerAnimates A drawing application like Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint or Krita has too many brushes and tools for just starting to draw with no previous experience. So constraining myself to a few, specific ones I actually physically hold could help a lot there.
(DIR) Post #2927172 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:30:07Z
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@PalmerAnimates And on this... yeah, I've already been recommended DRSB, certainly looks promising. I'll take a look at the other book as well, if it helped Chuck I can hope it could do it for me as well. Again, thanks a lot, it's great to have such insights and specific recommendations to start with, and I appreciate a lot your attention!
(DIR) Post #2927540 by blkmkt@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T03:38:59Z
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@espectalll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piKV5nXL-C4 Videos like this can help you to get started, or at least help you to direct your study as you learn. Stuff like drawabox.com would be effective for training Proportion & Placement, Form & Construction and Perspective, while Proko's videos can help you improve at all the fundamentals, etc. etc.
(DIR) Post #2927541 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:52:16Z
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@blkmkt Proko is a Youtube classic, an absolute mad lad. I haven't seen much from the others, though, and I'm right now carefully taking a look at Sycra. Also checking drawabox.com. They all look great, and having youtubers can be helpful since you see what they make stroke by stroke, so thanks a lot! :blobcatcoffee:
(DIR) Post #2927582 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T11:54:26Z
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@guephren lmao you recommended me some of these just at the same time as @blkmkt! It's fine though, I'm taking a look at Schoolism right now, thanks! :blobheartcat:
(DIR) Post #2927717 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:01:12Z
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@SueDraws Absolutely true! I've gone through that and I think I'm getting past it, but I would rather keep the lesson in mind. Thanks! :blobcat:
(DIR) Post #2927727 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:01:45Z
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@tromino yes :blobcatcoffee:
(DIR) Post #2927899 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:10:14Z
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@STEPH_INFECTION hmm, it makes sense, I heard things along that way and I guess the brain takes it as a new image so it has a lot of an easier time noticing details and avoiding bias. Small but nice tip, thanks! :blobcatsip:
(DIR) Post #2927921 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:11:19Z
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@emilylorange Yes! Been told that a few times already and I sincerely agree, I draw things by observing but not nearly enough for learning properly. Thank you! :blobheart:
(DIR) Post #2927946 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:12:49Z
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@SEM Oh yeah, I've been told a lot the "drawing from life" thing but the "different media" tip is also useful since I'm currently stuck with only cheap pens and drawing tablets (while lacking experience). Thanks! :blobcatcoffee:
(DIR) Post #2927962 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:12:39Z
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@SEM Oh yeah, I've been told a lot the "drawing from life" thing but the "different media" tip is more useful since I'm currently stuck with only cheap pens and drawing tablets (while lacking experience). Thanks! :blobcatcoffee:
(DIR) Post #2927964 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T12:13:38Z
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@unflocked @davidrevoy Already do, don't worry! The tutorials seem nice but I felt disoriented, I'll make sure to take a look at them again, thanks! :blobheartcat:
(DIR) Post #2928984 by Kooda@loutre.info
2019-01-13T13:21:25Z
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@espectalll I found that Draw a Box lessons are really great for logic-oriented persons (since you code, I suppose you are 😉). Check them out, they are free!https://drawabox.com/
(DIR) Post #2929174 by Wolthera@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T13:30:10Z
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@espectalll Okay, considering others have suggested books and styles, my suggestion will be: Always be on the lookout for a challenge.Never drawn a mountain before? Go draw a mountain. Never drawn a cat before? Go draw a cat. Too difficult? Find an easier challenge, return later.There's so many many ways to do art, spoil yourself with the possibilities.
(DIR) Post #2930386 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T14:26:51Z
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@Kooda Already been suggested it a few times, hope its approach helps me indeed! Thx :blobcatcoffee:
(DIR) Post #2931705 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T15:18:50Z
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@Wolthera Going of your "safe zone" and trying out new things is a great idea regardless of skill levels. I appreciate the tip, thanks! :blobcatcoffee:
(DIR) Post #2935564 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T17:18:24Z
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OK, here's one final thing on learning to be an artist - or really, anything tbh. I'm already aware of all of them but Andrew explains it all nicely. Particularly important are the parts of "do anything regularly, and then as much as possible" and "don't just randomly practice but instead do conscious learning" (which is what I'm looking forward to do) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM39qhXle4g
(DIR) Post #2936649 by Sori@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T18:01:30Z
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@espectalll You're very welcome :)
(DIR) Post #2936940 by SunScales@comicscamp.club
2019-01-13T18:10:03Z
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@espectalll Here's a figure book that a friend recommended as her favorite on the subject! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0615272819/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8XqazbJYV1B2N And here's one on perspective she also rec'd: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1933492732/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cWqazb3P92VH1There was also a figure drawing channel on YT, I think they moved to a private paid thing, but they have a backlog of models here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOVNvkn-f6BW18AvplWI8YA
(DIR) Post #2937605 by SunScales@comicscamp.club
2019-01-13T18:14:28Z
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@espectalll But yeah there's no one "right" way to develop your skills, which I think is why it's so easy to just tell people "just practice". So hopefully between that and the other recs you found that should help give an idea of where to go next! :bob_ross:
(DIR) Post #2937606 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T18:33:43Z
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@SunScales It sure will, thanks again! :blobheartcat:
(DIR) Post #2942812 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T21:46:07Z
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@espectalll Repetition is kind of how you get there, though. You have to draw something over and over and over and over and over before you do it "right." If you're not taking classes, look at tutorials or workshops online, but ultimately those alone won't be enough. You have to practice them over and over and over and over and over -- even proportions will click but you have to draw them over and over and over to get there
(DIR) Post #2942814 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T21:46:51Z
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@espectalll Most art classes will have you drawing 100s or 1000s of pictures throughout the course rather than a few polished illustrations because that repetition and study is what makes you better
(DIR) Post #2942856 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T21:48:37Z
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@micahdraws sure, absolutely, I'm just talking about repetition without any orientation will sooner or later make no sense
(DIR) Post #2942860 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T21:48:59Z
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@espectalll It sounds to me like you're in one of three situations.1. You're not sure where to start with drawing. In this case, look up a tutorial of something you want to draw and start practicing. There's tutorials for EVERYTHING.2. You're looking for something specific but asked for general advice instead, in which case the only advice you can really get is "practice tons"or (cont'd)
(DIR) Post #2942887 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T21:50:28Z
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@espectalll Or 3. You're looking for kind of a "get good fast" direction which unfortunately doesn't exist.I think it will help you to figure out what your goals are as an artist and look up how to go in that direction. "How do I learn to draw" is a really broad question. Figure out what you want to draw and then look up info and ask questions about that. It'll help your mind calm down :)
(DIR) Post #2942891 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T21:50:43Z
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@micahdraws case 1 I think fits best - I already draw, but in a very informal way, with no technique, so I lack consistency, I have a hard time drawing on something that looks slightly different from my "natural" or "default" style, so on
(DIR) Post #2943001 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T21:56:14Z
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@micahdraws I know what I want, basically I'm looking to start with character design, illustration, portraits... overall, I'm looking to build up characters I can work with for my stuff and which help express myself and create stories and stuff. Then I want to keep progressing and get into animation as well, both for the fun of it and to mix it in on recorded videos and CGI.
(DIR) Post #2943028 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T21:58:12Z
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@micahdraws Eventually, I'll be dealing with almost every major tree of drawn art. But I'm looking for the basis, which is being able to work with bodies, environments, composition, so on.
(DIR) Post #2943074 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T21:59:55Z
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@espectalll Yeah but you're still just saying, "I want to learn to draw better," in which case the only answer is, "Okay, well, practice."If you want SPECIFIC help, you have to ask SPECIFIC questions. If your goal is "just get better at drawing," then the advice is going to be the same. Practice, practice, practice.
(DIR) Post #2943094 by micahdraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-13T22:00:35Z
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@espectalll You said you don't have basic human proportions down yet. So why not go find a life drawing video or class or some stock photos or something and start drawing them?
(DIR) Post #2943175 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T22:03:44Z
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@micahdraws These specific questions are just so generic I feel it doesn't make sense to constantly ask them. It's like if I were doing chemistry and had to figure out everything from scratch with practice when I can just check basic stuff on books.
(DIR) Post #2943239 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-13T22:07:13Z
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@micahdraws First I have to go with just keeping proportions, knowing how to get things down to basic geometry. Then I'll get into anatomy. But I have so many other things to improve on, all of them so generic, it doesn't make sense to just go disoriented checking everything out time and time again. Many other people gave pretty specific resources to start with, particularly Drawabox, a few Youtube channels and books like Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and I feel like those will be good
(DIR) Post #2953405 by emilylorange@mastodon.art
2019-01-14T05:20:16Z
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@espectalll on a more personal note, the best advice I probably ever got in school is don't be afraid to erase or start over - ignore the voice that says 'it'll never look this good again' - because of course it will, it's still you drawing it!
(DIR) Post #2955275 by SEM@mastodon.art
2019-01-14T06:59:25Z
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@espectalll good luck!
(DIR) Post #2976386 by SueDraws@mastodon.art
2019-01-14T20:52:24Z
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@espectalll wish you all the best then!! ❤️
(DIR) Post #3072697 by espectalll@mstdn.io
2019-01-17T17:25:34Z
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@bavcreampuff For some reason I didn't notice your toot before! I'll take a look at it, thanks! :blobcat:
(DIR) Post #3073783 by bavcreampuff@mastodon.social
2019-01-17T18:03:03Z
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@espectalll No worries! Keep creating!