What does it mean to draw very loose?

[PeteJ]

When I try to find examples of loose drawings, all I get are these scribbly work. Is that what it is? And does it help you draw better or something?

[crossmirage]

It's not being scribbly - it's about being relaxed and confident with your markmaking.

Confidence is important - you don't want your lines to look like you are being overly timid or careful, and if you worry too much about something it'll often show in your art.

[PeteJ]

It's not being scribbly - it's about being relaxed and confident with your markmaking.

Confidence is important - you don't want your lines to look like you are being overly timid or careful, and if you worry too much about something it'll often show in your art.

Could you draw too loose?

[Phight]

THIS is what successful looseness looks like:

Lukias Sketchbook: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...=55862&page=26

[Nezumi Works]

Here are a few more examples of successful looseness. The idea really is that if you get tight when you draw, your poses and general look will become stiff and cramped as a result. To get nice smooth natural poses, you have to loosen up and, as in the examples, draw with a loose, flowing motion. It takes practice, and it takes knowledge of just what it is you're drawing (anatomy, environments, whatever).

[PeteJ]

THIS is what successful looseness looks like:

Lukias Sketchbook: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...=55862&page=26

whoa, that looks looser than the ones I have seen

[PeteJ]

But how to you turn the loose drawing into a perfect masterpiece, won't drawing like that make you adapt to a sloppier style or something?

[Crane]

Dude, you're over thinking this, draw and paint how the hell you feel like it, don't look at other people for advice on style, cause no one is the same and nor should they be, just carry on how you are and with practice, you'll get that confidence.

Just stop concerning yourself with trivial things, and do what feels right for you.

[Nezumi Works]

Just the opposite. Drawing like that gets you a more organic flow to your lines and natural movement in your poses. Which can only help a drawing.

[crossmirage]

Could you draw too loose?

I say nope, never.

Just relax. Don't overcomplicate things.

[Eddieee]

But how to you turn the loose drawing into a perfect masterpiece, won't drawing like that make you adapt to a sloppier style or something?

Not neccesarily.

[Elwell]

Eddieee beat me to it, I was going to post some Justin Sweet.

[PeteJ]

Not neccesarily.

Nvrmind

[Gislebertus]

Interesting thread! I'm actually trying to master a looser style of drawing. I think it requires a certain level of mastery to be able to draw loose and make it look really good. Overly meticulous art can look like a photographic, which is impressive but ultimately can become anonymous, predictable, and well just plain boring. I don't see "loose" so much as a quick solution but as a unique style in and of itself (I'm thinking Delacroix, Goya, Watteau, etc).

[Elwell]

"Loose" and "sloppy" are not the same thing. If anything, they're opposites.
It takes massive skill to look effortless. Nothin' but net!

[PeteJ]

"Loose" and "sloppy" are not the same thing. If anything, they're opposites.
It takes massive skill to look effortless. Nothin' but net!

How does one distinguish the two?

[crossmirage]

How does one distinguish the two?

"Sloppy" people don't know what they're doing. "Loose" people do.

That's just me, anyway.

[PeteJ]

"Sloppy" people don't know what they're doing. "Loose" people do.

That's just me, anyway.

I mean like in the drawing.

[Elwell]

I mean like in the drawing.

Does it look like they know what they're doing?

[PeteJ]

Does it look like they know what they're doing?

errr. I guess I will say the ones with porportions more off don't know what they are doing

[Elwell]

Think of handwriting. Sloppy handwriting is hard to read. But beautiful handwriting (the kind none of us have anymore, thanks to keyboards) is not only more legible, but looks like it was done quickly and effortlessly. The writer can set their thoughts down as quickly as they have them, and still be clear. Even if there are strikeouts or corrections, they're part of the whole, not a distraction.

The kinds of marks you make when you draw are your artistic handwriting.

[PeteJ]

So is this drawing considered a good loose drawing or sloppy as F***?

[Nezumi Works]

It's loose *and* sloppy. But practice and learning make the sloppiness go away in time.

You might benefit from the exercise I've been doing this summer. Take a cheap sketchbook and a ballpoint pen and try to draw people in the real world. Not posing, not models, just try to capture them and their movement as quick as possible, and without living the pen off the paper if you can manage it. Take a look at the difference between when I started, and only a few weeks later, and you'll see what I mean about a lot of the sloppiness clearing up.

[Elwell]

Is that your picture?

[PeteJ]

Is that your picture?

Yeah, I tried to do a loose picture following what the people said here.

[PeteJ]

and thanks for answering my questions everyone. I really appreciated.

[Mussy]

yea i remember being in college and being taught that these excercises help u become more confident in ur line building, 'continuous line' is the term which makes things look really loose, ur not allowed to lift the pen/pencil off the paper. Reason why i think this is a good excercise is, it definately helps u improve ur overall confidence when painting/drawing, when ur too careful about things lines can look somewhat jagged, for e.g draw a straight line being as careful as u can, and then draw one quick line as straight as u can, now which ones better?.... should be the quick stroked one .. but yea being loose also helps u convey emotion easier than being tight.

[Serpian]

The style 'loose' as in sketchy lines and all that is not necessarily something you want to consciously try to obtain. I'm talking about the style of the finished product, not the approach to drawing. What I see in your drawing is you trying to bee all sketchy and loose-like and draw all the lines are sketchy and loose-like and what happens is you get a picture where you have no control of lines and edges and that leads to poor construction ( I mean the box-like construction of the keyboard, the ellipse of the base of the monitor etc) and this in turn leads to a poor drawing. STYLE is something you want to evolve naturally, not force.

I would say that the best thing to do at this stage is to practice drawing a lot (I mean a LOT) and if you're drawing a still life like your picture here, try to draw it as it looks, with clean lines (which doesn't necessarily mean they aren't loose) going for the construction and perspective of things. When you get better at drawing, you will find that drawing certain things will get easier, which means you will be able to draw them more 'loosely'.

Take a look at this drawing by Ingres. Take a close look at the lines. Analyse them. Look especially at the looser lines of the bodies and clothes. I would call those lines loose. Now compare them to the lines in your drawing. And try again.

[bhanu]

Your artwork, seems more like its unguided lines, you dont exactly where to lay the line, so you do it a few more times.
More number of lines doesnt mean its loose, it just looks confused.
The thing about Lukias' Art is that he knows the marks when hes putting, he just sort of puts them hurrily to give that effect. Its a bit like giving a free reign to ones imagination, but one must have the ability to that, at a beginners stage one cannot let the imagination run free, cuz frankly one cannot even control if properly.
So be steady with your drawings, know the forms you draw, let the contours be a realization of forms, give every line the attention it deserves.

[PeteJ]

So, what I am really trying to do, is get the line right the first time and do not go over it many times?