Environment practice?

[Mat Kaminski]

Okay...

I've been trying to start again doing environments specifically. Whats the best thing to do with an artist trying to learn environments to later be an environmental artist? Keep in mind at the moment I'm only armed with multiple sketchbooks and art pencils lol.

[Zaxser]

Where are you? Your room? At home? The library? School? Where ever you are, draw your surroundings. Then draw it from four other perspectives. Post on CA for critique. Then do the same for four other places. Then do the same thing, except buy some gauche and paint the environments in your sketchbook doing that.

Study perspective. Seedlings got a good thread on it in the exclusive content section. Then, go look at the environmentoring subforum in the mentoring section.

EDIT: I just checked out your sketchbook. I'm not sure if its representative of where you are artistically, (mines not) but if it is, you need some serious anatomy rehab. Go check out Mentler's threads at the bottom of this post.

[Mat Kaminski]

Hmmm interesting, never seen that guys work. Definitely good for anatomy.
But in the long run, doesn't help much on the fact of environments.
But thanks nonetheless

As far as the perspective thing, I've done loads of them... Guess I just need to keep on truckin' lol.

[arttorney]

The best way to get good at environments is to draw a lot of environments. Draw inside. Draw outdoors. Draw them different ways and at different times of the day. (Morning and evening the shadows are nice and long).

Draw your neighbor's back yard this week for Environment of the Week.

[tensai]

Hmmm interesting, never seen that guys work. Definitely good for anatomy.
But in the long run, doesn't help much on the fact of environments.

Going to figure drawing sessions every week has greatly improved or at least developed my environments and how I look at drawing in general. It has radically altered the way I look when I'm drawing.

The figure has been good cause it contains so many curves and surfaces that drawing that has translated really well to other subjects.
The short poses have been great cause it enabled me to experiment faster than when drawing environments and look at what worked and what didn't. It also forced me to work through the bad and struggle my way out of a bad series of sketches..

I guess everybody will get something else out of it but I can almost guarantee you that you will go through an intense learning experience and a paradigm shift or two.

Regardless, have fun

[Farvus]

I believe drawing and painting lots of still life helped me improve my environment art. Even if you don't have time to go out and paint, some bottles, pots, fruits placed on drapery are basicly miniature environment. You can learn at the same time about light, perspective, materials, composition. That's almost everything you need.