I need to improve

**eggmonster** · July 20th, 2006, 04:11 PM

I'm trying to improve drawing realistically, with little progress. This is a drawing I did about a week ago, and any input would be appriciated. I can't draw shells for crap and I'm no good with the pencils I was using, and I'm not very good with shading (I started getting very lazy towards the end)... I need to improve in all areas.

It's a drawing of my camera:

Ew. It looks worse all big when you can see all my crapwork.

Also, an older friend who has spent time in art school said I need to use more angles? I'm not entirely sure how to express this when drawing.

**deserthobo** · July 20th, 2006, 04:21 PM

hey there! you seem to be an amateur artist like i am! the guys who posted in my thread were really supportive in an objective way and told me to keep practicing hard.

they put a lot of emphasis on drawing a lot and suggested i start out with anatomy. you seem to have a good amount of talent for a person who hasnt been to art school.

**eggmonster** · July 20th, 2006, 04:34 PM

Thank you. Yeah, I have a deviantart account, but I know that place is shit for any actual critique, especially for life-like work. And I really need to improve, so I was hoping I'd find tips here.

**Nate2d** · July 20th, 2006, 04:50 PM

What you have is a good start. My suggestion is to keep working on what you got so far. If I were you I'd clean up the lines a bit and put some variations in your values (ex: shadows, midtones, and some highlights). Take your time, have fun, and don't get lazy with it. The only way to improve is persistence, patients, and lots of practice. Hope that helps ya.

**THUNDERCOCK** · July 20th, 2006, 05:02 PM

we all started out at your level believe it or not....I think ability has a lot to do with age...the older you get the more you really understand about art and drawing. Never disrespect yourself or you drawing ability or lack there of....everyone gets better if they just expect more of themselves and apply themselves. Rule number one about drawing though is you can't be lazy....it will show. Either try to work out your drawing problems or dont try at all...its ok to not know how to do something or make things look a cetain way but laziness is never an excuse for not progressing. you would be amazed at what a person can do with one regular pencil and a little know how....keep trying. I would suggest some persective studying. start easy...small steps you know. perspective in itself is a complicated and intricate artform that requires a certain level of understanding if you really want things to look right. have a good look through the critique and sketchbook sections of the forum here to see how and what other people are doing or trying to figure out. I bet you'll find a bunch of answers to your questions through other peoples threads....
Nate2D pretty much said it all there too...there is no substitute for practice. No magic words to make you instantly better. Just have to keep drawing. Best o luck!!

**More Junk** · July 20th, 2006, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by THUNDERCOCK

Never disrespect yourself or you drawing ability or lack there of....everyone gets better if they just expect more of themselves and apply themselves.

Words to live by. I couldn't have stated it simplier or better. Keep drawing!

**majesticrulez** · July 20th, 2006, 07:30 PM

Listen Buddy, i used to be like you, and i tried and tried, and you know i am still learning, what you should do is, when you look at an object see the simple side of it, dont try at first draw all at the same time, because you will get lost. For example that thing you draw, first do the outlines wich is everything you see on the outside part of the object. dont do any crazy stuff. When you draw those lines, try to keep them as clean and simple as possible. once you are ok with it, slowly draw the details inside the object, and improving your technique without getting laisy, youll se you will get PRO.

**Moai** · July 20th, 2006, 07:55 PM

If you have the time and the money, and if you're old enough, I'd recommend signing up for a basic college-level drawing class. Unlike highschool drawing classes, which are basically just a series of semi-random projects (in my experience at least), college classes start you out with the bare-bones basics to give you a strong foundation. You'll learn a lot in a short amount of time. In my first college drawing class, there were people there who claimed that they'd never drawn before in their lives, and by the end of the term they were decent artists. Not pros, but decent. Plust, most if not all of what you draw will be based on observation, which is what you seem to be doing here.
Good luck.