Sketch until my hand falls off

[anonanon]

I've been lurking here for a long time (years in fact) admiring the crap out of everyone's stuff, and wishing that I knew how to draw. I decided it was time to stop making excuses for myself and start a sketch book, so that I could improve while getting advice and critiques. I'm an adult beginner, trying to learn the fundamentals, and trying to put in the work to get to the level where I want to be. I count 8/22/11 as my start date. Harsh critiques and words of advice sustain me better than juicy delicious cheese burgers.

[anonanon]

I have a problem where I see that something is off, but then I'm not sure how to fix it. :/

[ranunkel]

It's never too late, and you are doing a great job! Keep up with your anatomy studies!

[anonanon]

So my hand actually started to get a nasty cramp last night. I can only assume I must be holding the pencil completely wrong or something. Has anyone else experienced this?

Also here are yesterdays sketches.

[anonanon]

Today was extremely difficult for some reason, I kept getting discouraged about my level of suck. Anyway here are the pages, as always critiques extremely desired. Anyone have tips on staying motivated?

[Ven S]

oooh good start! Want Motivation, then look at sketchbooks like Miles_, Mr.Delicious, SamC, Algenpfleger, etc. My critique would be to draw from life alot. Good luck

[Hem]

Your anatomy studies are awesome! I must make my ears look like yours...Keep rockin!

[p sage]

I have a problem where I see that something is off, but then I'm not sure how to fix it. :/

1. Look closer (concentrate harder)
2. Measure
3. Perspective sometimes help solve drawing problems. Draw a 3D box around your subject, find the side, front, and top projections from your subject and then check the symmetry. (Harder to do, but it works brilliantly)

So my hand actually started to get a nasty cramp last night. I can only assume I must be holding the pencil completely wrong or something.

[anonanon]

ranunkel: thank you for the kind words
Ven S: thank you for the suggested motivations I will definitely check them out
Hem: thank you! O_o never in my life did I think I would hear someone say they wish they could draw something like me.
p sage:Thank you for taking the time to respond to my specific concerns. I watched those videos and I am going to put what they say into practice. Also your sketchbook is downright inspirational. I think that unless I start working as hard as you are I need to not complain about my slow progress.

I got stuck on a bus pretty much all day and couldn't draw with it bouncing up and down. Unfortunately that means I only have two new pages to post
Anyway, I am trying to work on adding shading, and thinking about things in terms of their mass.

[anonanon]

My right hand was in some serious pain yesterday so I tried to do some large drawings of basic shapes on some newsprint with my left hand. They were mostly a complete failure, but I think that I did learn something about ellipses from doing them. Here are the drawings for today. The anatomy studies are from Loomis. I am not sure if I am learning anything from copying them, but I certainly hope I am. I am extremely grateful for any critiques and suggests.

[anonanon]

I have done a decent amount of drawing since my last post. I was actually really really really not looking forward to scanning all of it, so to avoid this being a massive dump I will post 10 at a time. I have been getting a bit discouraged about this whole trying to get better at this art thing. I am thinking that perhaps at my age I ought not to bother because I am just too behind. When I think that I tell my stupid brain to STFU and I go draw some more. Positivity and hard work are the key I think. However, I would love to hear if anyone thinks I am improving, or if I am just reinforcing the same mistakes and bad habits.

[anonanon]

Here is the rest of the sketch dump.
I have so many questions I wish I could ask someone who started from where I am and became really skilled. I will put them here in the off chance that someone actually stumbles into this thread.
Is it useful to draw from a photo? Any recommendations for what sort of exercises I should be doing? How can I make the most of my drawing time?

[Blue Gun]

anonanon I'm liking your animal studies. I'd love for you to shade them, show more detail. As far as copying Loomis, I think you're suppose to keep copying until you feel like you can do it from your imagination.

Keep pushing that pencil!

[Hem]

I'll parrot some advice I've been getting, but your work is definitely showing.

1) Gesture drawing on posemaniacs are good.

2) Studying anatomy is smart, studying how to represent the whole body first is probably smarter, (for the past week I've just been studying the first 40 pages of this, http://www.scribd.com/doc/6692986/br...wing-from-life other things I study are loomis, vilpu and this fellow http://www.scribd.com/doc/22466506/M...hrough-Drawing you're further on than I am, but this has been what I've been getting advice on studying. All studying is good, but getting the basic of the whole human form down before focusing on details makes sense.)

3) Drawing from pictures is useful and good for you, just not as good as drawing from life and you should try to get that in when you can. If you want humans, join a figure drawing class, or head to a park or somewhere like that and sketch people.

4) It's really never to late to get into the game. The figure drawing course I just started has a fellow who is 74, started serious art study at 69, and has his own gallery going on now.

[lohes]

Weeell the amount of work in here is certainly inspiring

Keep going! I'll be watching

[anonanon]

Blue Gun: Thanks, I think you are right, and I will try to go back and and some shading to things.

Hem: Thank you for all the awesome tips! I will definitely take what you are saying and try to run with it.

lohes: I'm watching you to...and I mean that in the least creepy way possible


So here are the pages I have done since last post. I also did 14 pages of posemaniacs gestures on giant newsprint. Since the photo quality was so bad I am only posting one page that I thought was getting a little bit sexy. Also included here are some more faces for my 1000 faces challenge. These pages represent another finished sketch book. Thank you for the encouragement you have given me.

[p sage]

Good work; but make sure you really think hard when you're practicing. Otherwise it's going to be a slow go. Just copying the books and stuff may give you a little boost; but understanding the drawings in 3D will help you much more.

See if you can find kingkostas' sketchbook in here. He really is on to something about how to practice and what to practice. Don't worry; there's definitely a way for you to learn drawing. Just keep trying to find understanding

[anonanon]

psage: You are completely right! It isn't about copying what I see it is about understanding why it looks the way it does and how it works. I think this is a bit of a mental breakthrough for me. I will check out kingkostas' sketchbook.


Here is a segment of the pages I have done since last time. I am super bummed about the posemaniacs site not working for me anymore. I am going to have to try to find more live figure drawing in my area.

[Hem]

nice studies, like the lips on your painted fellow especially. P.S. if posemaniacs is down for you, 1) Do you use firefox? My firefox is killing it too, but my friends computer uses google chrome and it works dandy. 2) that said, check out http://www.pixelovely.com/gesture/index.php for some posers.

[Hem]

Oh yeah, and your peoples are getting much more volume, that's awesome to see. It's what I'm shooting for right now too. Your laying down chika is nice.

[anonanon]

Hem: Thanks a lot I have really been working on volume. That link you posted is awesome!!!!!!!!!


Here is the update for this week. Working hard doing pages of gestures, but for some reason I'm putting more time into fewer drawings. I don't know why I seem to be getting slow. I'm going to split this dump up but they are all the same week.

[anonanon]

dump continued

[anonanon]

Here is the last of them. Comments greatly appreciated.

[Andofryn]

Wow! you're very productive. It's great how your lines have improved since the first post, nice and crisp! Looking forward to your next update

[lohes]

Keep breaking down those figures into simple shapes Are you familiar with perspective? I think being aware of some simple rules of perspective could improve your drawings: There's a great thread here that has a few helpful explanations and exercises...and keep on drawing! ^_^

[anonanon]

Andofryn: Thank you for the encouragement! Love your sketchbook.
lohes: I am familiar with perspective in the same sense that I am familiar with organic chemistry. I know it exists, I understand the basic concepts, but I cannot for the life of my put it into practice. This probably means I do not understand it very well at all, so I will certainly be checking out that link you posted and trying to learn more.


I haven't posted in a long time, but it is only because I hate scanning and resizing stuff. I'm going to try to post things more regularly. I do not know that this is important for any other reason than it would be great to have a record of my progress if I ever do get awesome. I am trying to get into Bridgeman a little bit, and attend some figure drawing sessions. I am getting better at drawing from a model, but drawing from imagination is still really difficult. I am looking for a study group, or somewhere where I can get assignments and feedback. If anyone has any ideas let me know!

[anonanon]

Still scratching away

[anonanon]

Another update. Study buddies anyone? I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with a professional artist and she told me to try copying some life drawings of the old masters. I am going to give this a try. Does anyone have any experience with this they could share? What should I be focusing on when doing these copies?

[anonanon]

work work work

[anonanon]

perpetually playing catchup