I need to learn how to draw.

Premmy · 12-31-2006, 06:11 AM

it's that simple, as a wannabe comic book writer, I have lots of ideas that would be better to work with if I had a visual and it's damn near impossible to get an artist to work with you if you're on the non-existent level that I am, so I need easy, free.free.free. and very easy resources to teach myself to draw, not trying to become a genius, just imagine if you will a guy who can't draw a straight line or a decently curved one. Now try to get him some basic human figure drawing skills, enviroments, objects and he'll be a happy man.
help me out why dont'cha?(how do you spell that?)

Melfice · 12-31-2006, 06:59 AM

Right...
Get yourself some books if you intend to keep this as low cost as possible.
Free you say? Tough luck. Sure, there might be some free tutorials online, but I find that books, some exceptions left aside, provide the best quality.

Now, if you really want to learn how to draw people and surroundings, get yourself into art lessons. You need practice drawing still-lifes and anatomy, and the best way is to get a teacher there.

Mind you, that'll cost you some. =/

Other than these -rather useless to you seeing as you want to keep this all free of charge- tips, I've got nothing.

EDIT: You could always get yourself some comics from an artist you like, and try to learn from that. *shrugs*

Premmy · 12-31-2006, 07:12 AM

well, free to cheap, with free as the ideal, but whatever works.

CelesJessa · 12-31-2006, 12:50 PM

You could do how I taught myself how to draw.

Go online and look at different artworks and try to recreate them. (not tracing, but just copying just from looking at it) It's free (relatively) and it helps teach how bodies, faces, etc are generally supposed to go, and it's even more effective when you add that with using "how-to-draw" art books. Do this EVERY DAY. I am dead serious, every day. Once you get the idea of doing the line-art and bodies right, you can try harder stuff, like shading or more details, or try to modify the drawing (like, do the same pose but make your own clothes and hair).
And it doesn't even necissarily have to be looking at a drawing, you could set up some stuff around the room and draw what you see (like a still life) that would help with backgrounds.

Eventually, try to draw from your own mind. It's hard, because it is most likely going to be waaay crappier than what you have been drawing by looking at stuff, but just remember what rules you've been learning, and apply them to your drawings. And KEEP PRACTICING. Even if your "on your own" drawings look junky, just keep drawing them and trying to improve (get a GOOD eraser)

For example:
Original Artwork - My drawing of the same picture
Original Artwork - My Drawing of the same picture
Then - Eventually a drawing I did all on my own. *shudder* Obviously the quality is way under, but with lots of practice you can work your way up to doing good stuff all on your own.

Hopefully that's helpful.

TheBlindMime · 12-31-2006, 02:17 PM

As a fellow wannabe comic book writer/artist (who does not do nearly enough to fully accredit such a title), I suggest Scott McCloud's and his magnificent Making Comics as references for whatever creations you begin. It has thorough explanations of everything from the choice of frame to format to expression and posture. In fact, pick up all his books, they are all great and while they aren't mainly for the purpose of learning to draw it helps a lot with any jumbled visions of comics in your head.

I'd also suggest following Celesjessa's suggestion. Also remember to draw some actual photo's as well, and never expect to be good. Your own perception of good will probably always be out of reach as you become a better artist. Think of it as an unattainable goal....

That will forever taunt me.... I mean you..... You.

xravi · 12-31-2006, 02:35 PM

I was never good at drawing. Then I got insanly good for no reason. Well maybe not good persay and not really drawings either. It is like my own style that I made up myself.

RickZarber · 12-31-2006, 04:38 PM

Feel free to ask these guys for help. I know for a fact that they don't mind offering advice and suggesting resources. In fact, it's a good bet they'll have more than you could ever use. Also, I told them I'd plug their site now and then.

...BARG!

Grandmaster_Skweeb · 12-31-2006, 05:49 PM

Cliche as it is: practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, and more fuggin practice. Use everything that you can get free or otherwise. Especially anatomy books and stuff on proportions. I have seen many people who can color good or do good inking or good at other things...OTHER than anatomy/proportions.

Oh, and don't expect to get real good anytime soon. It's a process you have to work at for a long time to get anything out of it. I don't want to sound like a downer but it's the truth.

It may look a tad advanced at first but I suggest something like Grey's Anatomy. Also, like said before: Classes are your best bet as well. Theres only so much you can teach yourself and even then what you'd be teaching yourself might not be the proper things to learn so you'd be reinforcing bad techniques.

handofpwn · 12-31-2006, 06:07 PM

I pretty much used Celes jessa's technique, except i also drew cd cover art, its very good for getting an eye for proportions. Also, copy the poses of manga characters, even if its just faces,i found that this helped me with facial expressions.

Zeenux · 01-04-2007, 05:00 PM

as usual, the internet is useful, seriously.

Good for drawings humans:
http://the-structure-of-man.blogspot.com/

Awesome, just plain awesome.

12-31-2006, 06:11 AM	#1
Premmy Stop the hate Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a nice web on fifty first street Posts: 4,466	I need to learn how to draw. it's that simple, as a wannabe comic book writer, I have lots of ideas that would be better to work with if I had a visual and it's damn near impossible to get an artist to work with you if you're on the non-existent level that I am, so I need easy, free.free.free. and very easy resources to teach myself to draw, not trying to become a genius, just imagine if you will a guy who can't draw a straight line or a decently curved one. Now try to get him some basic human figure drawing skills, enviroments, objects and he'll be a happy man. help me out why dont'cha?(how do you spell that?) __________________ Drank Last edited by Premmy; 12-31-2006 at 07:18 AM.

12-31-2006, 07:12 AM	#3
Premmy Stop the hate Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a nice web on fifty first street Posts: 4,466	well, free to cheap, with free as the ideal, but whatever works. __________________ Drank Last edited by Premmy; 12-31-2006 at 07:17 AM.

12-31-2006, 12:50 PM	#4
CelesJessa DA-DA-DA-DAA DAA DAA DA DA-DAAAAAA! Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Zanzibar Land Posts: 6,531	You could do how I taught myself how to draw. Go online and look at different artworks and try to recreate them. (not tracing, but just copying just from looking at it) It's free (relatively) and it helps teach how bodies, faces, etc are generally supposed to go, and it's even more effective when you add that with using "how-to-draw" art books. Do this EVERY DAY. I am dead serious, every day. Once you get the idea of doing the line-art and bodies right, you can try harder stuff, like shading or more details, or try to modify the drawing (like, do the same pose but make your own clothes and hair). And it doesn't even necissarily have to be looking at a drawing, you could set up some stuff around the room and draw what you see (like a still life) that would help with backgrounds. Eventually, try to draw from your own mind. It's hard, because it is most likely going to be waaay crappier than what you have been drawing by looking at stuff, but just remember what rules you've been learning, and apply them to your drawings. And KEEP PRACTICING. Even if your "on your own" drawings look junky, just keep drawing them and trying to improve (get a GOOD eraser) For example: Original Artwork - My drawing of the same picture Original Artwork - My Drawing of the same picture Then - Eventually a drawing I did all on my own. shudder Obviously the quality is way under, but with lots of practice you can work your way up to doing good stuff all on your own. Hopefully that's helpful. __________________

12-31-2006, 02:17 PM	#5
TheBlindMime IGNORE ME! Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,218	As a fellow wannabe comic book writer/artist (who does not do nearly enough to fully accredit such a title), I suggest Scott McCloud's and his magnificent Making Comics as references for whatever creations you begin. It has thorough explanations of everything from the choice of frame to format to expression and posture. In fact, pick up all his books, they are all great and while they aren't mainly for the purpose of learning to draw it helps a lot with any jumbled visions of comics in your head. I'd also suggest following Celesjessa's suggestion. Also remember to draw some actual photo's as well, and never expect to be good. Your own perception of good will probably always be out of reach as you become a better artist. Think of it as an unattainable goal.... That will forever taunt me.... I mean you..... You. __________________ President of the Official Zombie Horde: Shambling mess / Friend of Zombie Bear I was just playing around with my imagination and then everything got INTENSE.

12-31-2006, 04:38 PM	#7
RickZarber Please Be Well Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 2,715	Feel free to ask these guys for help. I know for a fact that they don't mind offering advice and suggesting resources. In fact, it's a good bet they'll have more than you could ever use. Also, I told them I'd plug their site now and then. ...BARG! __________________ Twitter / Art Tumblr / Personal Tumblr

12-31-2006, 02:35 PM	#6
xravi Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: California Posts: 568	I was never good at drawing. Then I got insanly good for no reason. Well maybe not good persay and not really drawings either. It is like my own style that I made up myself.

12-31-2006, 05:49 PM	#8
Grandmaster_Skweeb Doesn't care anymore Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 2,429	Cliche as it is: practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, and more fuggin practice. Use everything that you can get free or otherwise. Especially anatomy books and stuff on proportions. I have seen many people who can color good or do good inking or good at other things...OTHER than anatomy/proportions. Oh, and don't expect to get real good anytime soon. It's a process you have to work at for a long time to get anything out of it. I don't want to sound like a downer but it's the truth. It may look a tad advanced at first but I suggest something like Grey's Anatomy. Also, like said before: Classes are your best bet as well. Theres only so much you can teach yourself and even then what you'd be teaching yourself might not be the proper things to learn so you'd be reinforcing bad techniques.

12-31-2006, 06:07 PM	#9
handofpwn legally sane since 1999 ^^ Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: see that tall building behind you? now, see that thing that looks like a high powered rifle? well... Posts: 186	I pretty much used Celes jessa's technique, except i also drew cd cover art, its very good for getting an eye for proportions. Also, copy the poses of manga characters, even if its just faces,i found that this helped me with facial expressions. __________________ "My advice is take it as a compliment, as long as nobody makes a grab for the family jewels."(fifthfiend) My myspace Click for cookies Deviant Art Bullet For My Valentine Aww, stop makeing fun of Messy-Poo "Nothing better than boobs." (RaiRai) Check out my friend's forum. 2% of the internet population does not have a myspace. Copy and paste this in your sig if you are part of the 98% that do.

01-04-2007, 05:00 PM	#10
Zeenux Goomba Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 13	as usual, the internet is useful, seriously. Good for drawings humans: http://the-structure-of-man.blogspot.com/ Awesome, just plain awesome. __________________ --Life of a Game Design Student