How can I draw better?

[Pinkiepieness 95]

Okay so as you can tell by my earlier post in "Let's Learn to Draw Ponies!"

 

http://mlpforums.com/topic/63097-lets-learn-to-draw-ponies-sketch-this-picture-current-rainbow-dash/page-7

 

I seriously need some help with drawing... My Rainbow Dash completely failed (As you can tell by the photo and my edits...) 

 

So! I need to learn how to not make them look buff with short legs and look more proportional. Any tips on how I could draw better ponies? Like, when I draw people (anime style) I'm pretty good but only on the headshot. I just don't know what to do!

 

PS: I don't know how to do skeletal bases yet but I'm hoping someone could teach me! Maybe that'll help...

 

Thanks ahead of time for your help!!!!

Edited June 17, 2013 by Sugar Note

[firetorn 187]

What i do to help with proportions, is start with something definitely sized such as the ear, and compare the size and location of everything else with what it is relative to that. Just continue this as you go along, and dont be afraid of redoing things too many times, patience is perfection. other than that, if you want to learn under-sketching and skeletal forms, there are lots of guides available if you just search hope this helps.

Edited June 17, 2013 by firetorn

[Pinkiepieness 95]

  On 2013-06-17 at 10:43 PM, firetorn said:

What i do to help with proportions, is start with something definitely sized such as the ear, and compare the size and location of everything else with what it is relative to that. Just continue this as you go along, and dont be afraid of redoing things too many times, patience is perfection. other than that, if you want to learn under-sketching and skeletal forms, there are lots of guides available if you just search hope this helps.

 

That's how I start all of my drawings but then it just falls apart from there It's really weird! Oh well! I'll search some of those bases up and try those Thanks!

[Mlpfan185 1,763]

Something was here. Something was here. Something was here. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by NONAME

[Thrashy 2,800]

First off: What are you talking about, "bombed"? Your RD wasn't half bad.

 

Second: The most generic answer I can give is practice, practice, practice. If you let yourself get discouraged before your skills have improved, you'll most likely quit, at which point they'll never improve. You really just have to keep at it, taking note of specific areas you seem to be struggling with.

 

Third: In all my years of amateur drawing, the thing that has been the greatest help to me is learning how to sketch skeletal frames of the picture I'm trying to draw. It really gives you a sense of proper proportioning and will most definitely improve your skills. Kind of like how my musician skills improved upon taking music theory classes...I digress, though.

 

Just keep at it. Even if you're 5 minutes into a drawing before wanting to rip up the paper in frustration, just keep going with it. You'd be amazed at just how many "happy accidents" you might discover along the way.

[Zygen 6,066]

Well someone recommended that I trace out a pony before drawing it a few times, that helps you get the shape and proportions down a bit.

 

Also practicing helps anyone a good bit i'd say .

 

Other then that idk, I'm not really an expert still even, but these things helped me improved, even if i'm mostly still bleh.

 

Sorry I can't help much :/.

[Pinkiepieness 95]

  On 2013-06-17 at 10:52 PM, Lowline said:

First off: What are you talking about, "bombed"? Your RD wasn't half bad.

 

Second: The most generic answer I can give is practice, practice, practice. If you let yourself get discouraged before your skills have improved, you'll most likely quit, at which point they'll never improve. You really just have to keep at it, taking note of specific areas you seem to be struggling with.

 

Third: In all my years of amateur drawing, the thing that has been the greatest help to me is learning how to sketch skeletal frames of the picture I'm trying to draw. It really gives you a sense of proper proportioning and will most definitely improve your skills. Kind of like how my musician skills improved upon taking music theory classes...I digress, though.

 

Just keep at it. Even if you're 5 minutes into a drawing before wanting to rip up the paper in frustration, just keep going with it. You'd be amazed at just how many "happy accidents" you might discover along the way.

 

That's some good advice!  I'll have to look into using skeletal frames to try and work on my proportions! Do you suggest any skeletal bases more than the others? That would help me narrow things down Thank you!

[Thrashy 2,800]

  On 2013-06-17 at 10:58 PM, Sugar Note said:

That's some good advice!  I'll have to look into using skeletal frames to try and work on my proportions! Do you suggest any skeletal bases more than the others? That would help me narrow things down Thank you!

 

It kind of depends on whether you want to draw in the show's style (I assume you're mostly asking about improving pony drawings?) or pioneer your own style. If you want to keep with FiM's style, the best thing to do would be to deconstruct screencaps from the show and break them down into their basic geometric forms to get a feel for head-to-body proportions and ideal limb length. kenniks did a pretty awesome job of showing how he does it in the pony drawing thread, in case you missed out on it.

 

If you want to break away from the show's style, I'd still suggest learning how to draw in the show's style first, just to get an idea of the original proportions, and then try to create your own style by altering / experimenting with the proportions you've learned.

 

Hope that helps in some small way, at least.

 

P.S.: I'm probably going to take a crack at that RD pic myself later tonight. I'll make few different scans detailing my progress to give you an idea of how I personally do it.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Lowline

[NavelColt 22,882]

Advice isn't the same thing as a request for artwork or a signature or something of the sort :3 Advice is more meant for Creative Resources' main forum, so I've moved your topic there.

[Pinkiepieness 95]

  On 2013-06-17 at 11:11 PM, Lowline said:

It kind of depends on whether you want to draw in the show's style (I assume you're mostly asking about improving pony drawings?) or pioneer your own style. If you want to keep with FiM's style, the best thing to do would be to deconstruct screencaps from the show and break them down into their basic geometric forms to get a feel for head-to-body proportions and ideal limb length. kenniks did a pretty awesome job of showing how he does it in the pony drawing thread, in case you missed out on it.

 

If you want to break away from the show's style, I'd still suggest learning how to draw in the show's style first, just to get an idea of the original proportions, and then try to create your own style by altering / experimenting with the proportions you've learned.

 

Hope that helps in some small way, at least.

 

P.S.: I'm probably going to take a crack at that RD pic myself later tonight. I'll make few different scans detailing my progress to give you an idea of how I personally do it.

 

Thanks for helping! I really appreciate it! I actually just drew my first pony using skeletal frames and it turned out pretty good! I'm quite surprised with the outcome ^.^

[Sky Warden 2,243]

To make your proportion better? Use this reference:

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

That helps me a lot in drawing, even though my things are still terrible as always, but better than before. :3

Edited June 18, 2013 by Sky Warden

[sibonny 18]

is not that bad,really.Also,if you use rulers/grid and whatnot,it might help you with the proportion.Try searching for tutorials,but if want on dragoart.com there is a tutorial that might help http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/8102/1/1/how-to-draw-my-little-pony,-friendship-is-magic-style.htm and also don't forget that the key is practising,motivation,never give up and have fun drawing

[Fhaolan 4,484]

There's an old trick that I vaguely remember from art class I took thirty years ago, when you're trying to copy a drawing rather than doing something new. Turn the original upside down, and draw *that*. It can disconnect the picture from your mental associations, so you're concentrating on the lines rather than the 'object' the lines represent.

[Lemonpie 47]

well mlp have weird anatomy/proportions to begin with so you shouldn´t worry so much about making them exactly like the ones in the show (once you manage to draw better doing so on purpose will be pretty easy) right now I think you should focus on things like shape and lines, practice a lot!! the key is always practice!!

[Iota _Riley_ 5]

Well what I did to be where I am today is I just copied a whole bunch of drawings, but I drew the mout with a skeletal base and went from there. Really helped me out. But you HAVE GOT to keep doing it or you'll forget and  start sucking again.

[Sugar Pops 210]

i usualy just draw simple circles and ovals for the basics. if you wanna see what i can draw ill have the link to my deviant art acc here  http://kasytheshark.deviantart.com/ 

[Valormos 262]

Well the more you draw the better you get thats how I better at drawings 

heres some drafts you can use that will help they help me alot

 

 

 

[skinamulink 0]

Just draw over and over, and when you get tired of it, stop and take a break, don't over do it. In terms of skeletal drawing, I just use a mix of basic shapes and stick figure-esq lines. I learned to draw the way I did by copying other, simple things, and drawing off of that. And all in all, remember that EVERYONE messes up!