I'd like some tips from any artists here

[Discordian 6,021]

So here's how it is: I've been an art appreciator for a long while now (at least four years) continuously faving art on Deviantart and such and when I told that to someone they said "If you like art so much why don't you try it for yourself?" so that's when I started considering it.

 

But the thing is, my past attempts were horrible but I know I could do it if I tried.

 

If it's not too much trouble I would like some tips on where to start.

 

Below are examples of my previous artworks so maybe you could point out something I need to start with, the things I know I need to work on are perspective and figure drawing but I'm not sure exactly how to start with those but I'll just wait and see if anyone's got any advice. Remember: I'm a beginner at best and I only have #2 Penciles and notebook or printer paper to work with so no digital art tips please.

 

 

 

 

Utter crap, right? xD

 

I've heard that some sketching would be a good place to start but I can't do only that.

 

And no, the turtle isn't a Koopa Troopa. A lot of people have asked that, but it's not. xD

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

My first suggestion would be to read up on some sketch books, and follow their steps. There are many different books that explain different aspects of drawing, as well as different techniques and styles. Another thing that really helped me is drawing from a reference. Eventually after looking at a character (Say Twilight for example) for a while, and drawing her figure from a reference, I just got a natural hold of how to draw her figure.

 

I know my methods may not work for everypony, but it is something that helped me, and may help you too. The most important thing you can do though is never give up. My first drawings were no better, if not worse than yours. drawing is a art form that takes time to get a hold of, and even then you are always still learning more to add to your skills.

 

And they are not horrible drawings, they are just new drawings that we all have done at some point I hope any of what i have said helped. (There are even some guides on youtube if you look for them ).

[Matackable 534]

You should have probably posted this in the Art Discussion thread, but maybe it'll get moved there.

 

Anyway, I guess my first two recommendations for improving your art is to find some references. Pictures you like or some poses that are very appealing to you and try to recreate them in your style. You should also try getting into using skeletal structures for all of your characters as those help a lot with proper body anatomy!

 

You should search up some tutorials on Deviant art as well! There are tons of them talking about how to draw and recreate various skills!

[XXVYNIKK 145]

This isn't the art I was thinking of.

[Discordian 6,021]

Well, I started with the "drawing from a reference" thing. Seemed the best place to start for me. I don't think I can connect my scanner to this laptop but I can take a snapshot of it when I'm done. (I know, snapshots of drawn pictures suck lol)

 

I'm doing a Twilight Sparkle for now as ponies seem to be the artstyle easiest to start with for me. (Not to say they are easy though lol)

 

I'll have to wait a while on sketch books though as my fines at my local library are far too high for me to check anything out so I have to pay those off before I can do that and I don't have a job so I can do that at the moment.

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

I can't wait to see how you grow throughout your drawing experiences! I love seeing what ponies can create!

 

(Especially when they are drawing ponies!)

[Discordian 6,021]

Welp, this is it. The snapshot is utter crap but hopefully y'all can see it well enough here:

 

http://res6.deviantart.com/art/Twilight-Sparkle-289799061

 

I used this as a reference

 

http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=twilight+sparkle#/d4jayzk

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

I don't see it as utterly crap, but as a learning experience. Yes it does not look exactly like your reference, but this is a step towards your capabilities with art!

 

You have a little bit of what I had when I first started. I tended to draw the image bigger than what the reference was and that messed me up a slight bit now and then, once I noticed it I worked towards scaling it to the same size. Once I did that the drawings looked much "Better".

 

All you need to work on is the scaling and positioning of her body/parts. Don't see your drawings as "crap" or "failures" but see them as learning experiences so you know where you need to work on, and what to move on to next. You cannot learn if you do not make a mistake, so keep up the good work! You'll get a hold of it sooner than you think!

[Discordian 6,021]

What I meant by utter crap was the fact that I had to take a picture of it. lol

 

The picture is crappy and makes it hard to see. xD

 

But yeah, I'll always consider what I do crap until I can at least draw decently without a reference. Until I get to that point I won't be able to call my art even a little adequate.

 

I'll try to keep it at one drawing per day. For now I'll focus on ponies so tomorrow be on the lookout for a picture of Applejack. Probably should put it in it's respective board next time though (Octavia's Hall) so I don't clutter up the Everfree Forest with this. lol

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

What I meant by utter crap was the fact that I had to take a picture of it. lol

 

The picture is crappy and makes it hard to see. xD

 

But yeah, I'll always consider what I do crap until I can at least draw decently without a reference. Until I get to that point I won't be able to call my art even a little adequate.

 

I'll try to keep it at one drawing per day. For now I'll focus on ponies so tomorrow be on the lookout for a picture of Applejack. Probably should put it in it's respective board next time though (Octavia's Hall) so I don't clutter up the Everfree Forest with this. lol

 

Ah okay, I misread about the picture quality being crap XD

 

But I can't wait to see your Applejack tomorrow! Another thing that may help is getting some of the actual techniques some other artists use for drawing their ponies.

 

For example: I start inside the face starting with the eyes, nose, mouth and ears, then I do the face shape/mane (I sometimes do the face shape first, and sometimes the mane first.) and from there I work on the neck and the rest of the body. I always do the tail last.

 

I tend not to do the skeletal method I find it annoying personally, so I go free flow and just edit what I need to. However I do recommend trying out the skeleton method for your drawings as it does help with angles, proportion, and positioning. If I recall, Pencils did put up a small pony skeleton tutorial to help those new to drawing ponies. If I can find it, I'll put a link here for you.

[Discordian 6,021]

That would be most helpful as I don't exactly know how to use skeletons yet. I only know how to use it for the face, not anything else.

[Champion RD92 8,658]

I'm not a professional artist, but when I draw, I use a picture for reference and basically try to copy it as best as I can. I find that taking your time is key to making the drawing look good. If you are impatient and rush through your drawing, it will probably look sloppy. Also, coloring certainly makes the drawing look nice

[Discordian 6,021]

I don't have anything to color with so that's out.

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

Here you go! Thank you pencils for posting this btw.

 

Edited March 11, 2012 by CeIestia

[Discordian 6,021]

Whoa, I was thinking of a totally different method. xD

 

But yeah, that could help me with one of my major flaws (Shown in the first picture)

 

Limbs. As you can see, he's got spaghetti arms and they aren't bent even remotely in the right way. lol

[碇 シンジン 27,440]

Looking at references and just trying over and over again is one way to go. with time your art will improve. Also reading some material on how to do things can be helpful too.

[Dreambiscuit 11,435]

The main thing is to be observant of everything around you. When you're out doing your day to day routine, look at everything and ask yourself why shadows fall a certain way or how colors change in different kinds of light. Learn how light reflects and how things look with the perspective of distance. 

Then start drawing as much as you can. Just doodles are fine. Get used to the process of creating and stay loose; don't obsess over details until you've mastered getting the basic image pounded out. Details will come later. Make a habit of looking at your art in a mirror; that will show you what needs to be fixed when you can't perceive it with your own natural eye. Stand back and take breaks and look at your work with a fresh eye from time to time. 

Some people find it useful to study reference material and sometimes even trace the work of others until they have an intimate understanding of why certain lines and shadows go a certain way. Once you've gained confidence, start working on you own stuff again. Use pencils at first because you can erase freely and therefore create freely without worrying too much about the outcome. Just keep at it. It'll come in time.

[Twilight Luna 31,493]

I would check out youtube for videos on how to draw MLP characters and such. They are easy to follow and will give you great tips. Other than that, keep practicing and always be open to criticism and help.

[Olly 1,015]

First: what is it you want to draw? what would you like to accomplish? 

is there a group of things in particular that you want to draw? or a style you want to emulate ?  knowing these will help you sort out what to do, if you just want general advice. 

Edited May 21, 2018 by Olly

[碇 シンジン 27,440]

On 20.5.2018 at 5:45 PM, Dreambiscuit said:

Make a habit of looking at your art in a mirror; that will show you what needs to be fixed when you can't perceive it with your own natural eye. Stand back and take breaks and look at your work with a fresh eye from time to time. 

I just have to say that doing this is extremely helpful as i have noticed myself that as you draw it is quite hard to perceive the straightness and shapes on both sides of the drawing equally. I think it is because at least for me im somehow favoring the right side of the drawing and usually all lines become slightly tilted because of that. Mirroring the work really helps you to eliminate that aspect making it look more uniform.

[Thuja 3,665]

Hey @Discordian how's the drawing going??  Show us some of your more recent work!!!!!