Your back ground learning to draw/paint

[Bug-eyed Earl]

How did you get to your current level of skill? Were you someone who drew constantly and eventually learned finer aspects and techniques through trial and error experiments? Are you someone who supplemented your personal experiments with academic/professional lessons or classes?



I take classes at a junior college, its gotten me a lot better. I now can see that anyone can do anything and talent has nothing to do with drawing better. Practice and perseverance has everything to do with it.

I'll show you guys some of my stuff one of these days if I can get it scanned or have a good picture taken.

[Vegeta897]

lol.

If you really think anyone is going to choose the poll option of "arts and classes" only, you're crazy! Practice is without a doubt the largest aspect of learning to draw or paint.

This poll should be changed to just ask "have you taken art classes" because anyone who considers himself an artist has no doubt had lots of practice. It's what makes you good.

[zombieturtle01]

What Vegeta said, practice. With practice, you can become good at nearly anything.
Although I have been taught some great things with four years of Art classes. But that information is useless unless you apply it and practice it often.

[Houndini]

practice i guess. there are some classes at school though.

[Naph]

I learned painting abilities with classes, but I learned how to paint well with practice

[Bug-eyed Earl]

I put taking lessons up there not because thats because thats all that you ever did, more like it's what you were taught techniques that you wouldn't have known otherwise.

People can take classes all the time and their work can be pos, and some people draw prolifically and their stuff is also total pos.

[Jintor]

School art classes. But that was just for a generalised art knowlege, my drawing is almost all the result of practising forever.

[Bad^Hat]

Everyone who said 'practice' actually meant to say 'bad anime fanart'. :P

[Dodo]

Art lessons are practice... they just give you more material to draw or to draw with. It all comes down on practice, tons of it. If you want to draw, i once got told by one of the leading concept artists in today's game industry, "draw every day". Do that and you cant screw up.

-dodo

[Naph]

Yeah but you can pick up things from Art classes you can't in normal practice. Other brush techniques, alternate ways on complete one task etc. Usually things you pick up under the influence of your mentor.
I didn't have a clue on how to paint straight, crisp edges until my instructor showed me.

[Crushenator 500]

i once got told by one of the leading concept artists in today's game industry, "draw every day". Do that and you cant screw up.

Who was it?

[CptStern]

there are art lessons (http://ais.imswebmktg.com/ais/unique/60974.php?t10=ADTEXT02&GTSE=goog&GTKW=art%20instruction%20schools)

and then there are art lessons (http://www.florencedesignacademy.com/)



pretty generalised poll


I'm mostly self taught, but school helped with the technical/theory aspect of art

[Dodo]

Who was it?Someone working at Guerrilla.

-dodo

[Shippi]

I've never taken an art class in my life. At least, I've never had a teacher give any advice or critique, other than a few times at life drawing. I've always drawn a lot though, I have some awesome paintings from when I was 3 or so. GIANT DINOSAUR RAWR :D I always kind of sucked up until I started my art thread. I started trying to get better round about then, so 3yrs of drawing every day and I'm finally getting alright at it. I'm sure I'd be a lot better if I had someone to teach me though, cause I'm still shaky with colour and perspective and all that fun stuff

[CptStern]

ya you can only go so far with being self taught ..it also helps if you branch out into other art fields like design ..you later realise you can apply some of the principles to drawing

[Shippi]

ya you can only go so far with being self taught ..it also helps if you branch out into other art fields like design ..you later realise you can apply some of the principles to drawing

The course I'm on now is a design course. So, I'm doing exhibition design, garden design, product design, set design, etc. I don't mind the work, but I'm not learning anything which is what frustrates me the most about it

[TheAntipop]

I've gone through all of my schools putting pretty much all my effort into the art classes, but not for grade reasons, just simply because they were the most fun. It's not been until the last 2/3 years that I've really put thought into drawing things other than soldiers or army guys like I use to.

Over the last 2 years in my sixth form (college), Art has been there to help further my knowledge on art itself by introducing me to all sorts of areas and to keep a constant open mind on the subject, and then in the same vein it's introduced me to medias and materials I naver really used at all, and then going out into projects on your own but without straying too far from ''do your peice in a style of an artist of your own choice.'' So whilst the finished product would be in a style of, say, John Keane, actually using his methods of working has been a great help if just furthering my knowledge on materials and my approach to work in general.

My Product Design class, too, has helped open my mind a lot, and then the graphics classes and workshops we do every week have been a real help to my drawing skills, although in the end it all comes down to just constantly drawing as much as I can. I keep my A4 and A3 sketchpads with me as much as I can.

[CptStern]

The course I'm on now is a design course. So, I'm doing exhibition design, garden design, product design, set design, etc. I don't mind the work, but I'm not learning anything which is what frustrates me the most about it

I meant the principles behind the design not the technique

I grew up drawing realistically ..it was a real challenge to learn mininalism

[Darkside55]

Self-taught, but I'm going to start taking classes as soon as I get the time. There are certain things I have trouble grasping on my own, like tone. I want to take some clasess dealing with that and also get some life drawing courses in. Classes will also help because I don't practice often enough; I lack motivation unless something's riding on it (a grade, or just the fact that I spent money on a class).

Everyone who said 'practice' actually meant to say 'bad anime fanart'. :P
Man, do I love you. In that single sentence you've collectively made Deviantart cry.

[CptStern]

if that's all you want, take a life drawing class ..some schools have an open to the public pay as you go life drawing classes ..generally $10 for an hour ..life drawing improves ones skill unlike any other class ..however dont expect drawing realism ..it's more gesture than anything

http://www.candlelightstories.com/images/JaggedLineGesture.jpg

the advance classes devlve more into realism/techniques however I find the 1 minute gesture drawings to be more helpful

[Darkside55]

Yeah, the gestures I'm OK at, I try to do those quick thumbnail practices on my own and I try to do anatomy studies. What really hangs me is doing tone. Light and shadow is a very hard concept for me to get for some reason; because of that I can't do tone, because I can't do tone I have a hard time coloring.

[CptStern]

life drawing/gesture drawing teaches you tonality indirectly because with the abscense of tone/shade you're forced to compensate with line

look at this image:

http://z.about.com/d/drawsketch/1/0/y/A/gesture_drawing_1.jpg

the tone/shade is the use of heavy and thin lines spaced differently ..they achieved "tone" without shading


edit: in case someone cant make it out it's a clenched fist

[Raziaar]

... Is it bad I have to stare at it for 5 minutes and I still don't know what the hell it is? I don't see a clenched fist there. :O

[Llama]

I do. You obviously don't have the eye. Then again, you are only a dancing talking cow. Not an art critic :P

[Darkside55]

I'm coming over to steal your eyes, Llama.

[CptStern]

you dont see it either? here's the same thing a little clearer but poorly drawn

http://z.about.com/d/drawsketch/1/0/z/A/gesture_drawing_2.jpg


ok this example is a little clearer ..same points I made above ..shading is suggested by line thickness and line weight (dark/light)

http://lh3.google.com/_l0U4anB7erE/RxXhRPuP4yI/AAAAAAAAA1w/7jRXwZr8mIw/s800/FIGURE05.JPG

[Shippi]

I've heard a few people say they struggle with tone, but I never had any problems getting my head around it. Near enough everyone in my family draws though, I suppose I picked a lot up from my sisters

[Vegeta897]

I can see a horse in the first image, too. At least the head part.

[Jintor]

Everyone who said 'practice' actually meant to say 'bad anime fanart'. :P

*runs off screaming*

/EDIT If I stare at that image long enough, I can see a Llama's head.

[Crushenator 500]

Someone working at Guerrilla.

-dodo

Xavier Marquis?

If you want to draw realism, your best bet is an atelier... (You'de also need to be extremely dedicated)

[Raziaar]

you dont see it either? here's the same thing a little clearer but poorly drawn

http://z.about.com/d/drawsketch/1/0/z/A/gesture_drawing_2.jpg


ok this example is a little clearer ..same points I made above ..shading is suggested by line thickness and line weight (dark/light)


Now this one looks like a fist. The other one... not at all. It doesn't have the shape or structure of a hand or fist or anything at all really! :o

And don't anybody tell me I don't have the 'eye' to see these things... While in the bathroom, I've been able to make out around two thousand different detailed images looking at the texture on the wall. Every time I go in there, I see new shapes, and if I had a pen I could draw them. :o

I am very good at seeing 'something out of nothing'.

[Darkside55]

I can see the second fist a lot clearer. Even if you hadn't told me what that one was, I could've guessed it. The scratchy look of it is more recognizable to me than the squiggles of the first fist.

I've heard a few people say they struggle with tone, but I never had any problems getting my head around it.
I'll be over shortly to steal your eyes as well, and possibly eat your brain.

[Dodo]

Xavier Marquis?

If you want to draw realism, your best bet is an atelier... (You'de also need to be extremely dedicated)
Nope, it wasnt Xavier, to be honoughst i forgot his name. He worked there for a while, but i havent seen him lately. If i remember i'll post it.

-dodo

[CptStern]

Now this one looks like a fist. The other one... not at all. It doesn't have the shape or structure of a hand or fist or anything at all really! :o

And don't anybody tell me I don't have the 'eye' to see these things... While in the bathroom, I've been able to make out around two thousand different detailed images looking at the texture on the wall. Every time I go in there, I see new shapes, and if I had a pen I could draw them. :o

I am very good at seeing 'something out of nothing'.

I can see the second fist a lot clearer. Even if you hadn't told me what that one was, I could've guessed it. The scratchy look of it is more recognizable to me than the squiggles of the first fist.


I'll be over shortly to steal your eyes as well, and possibly eat your brain.



ya but the second one sucks ..you can tell it's done by an amateur ..the first prson is far more skillful ..it's all in the lines

and I had no problem seeing the clenched fist ..probably cuz I've done similiar gesture drawings thousands of times

[Llama]

For raziaar
http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/7484/lolwutnm9.jpg
Obviously not the exact shape but you get the idea.
More interesting is this guys thumb is in totally the wrong place. Maybe the artist wasn't a very good fighter :P Or maybe i'm seeing it wrong. Either way, it's certianly a fist.

[Dodo]

the thumbs in the right place, look at your own hand. But ! maybe if you really are a lama even that wouldnt help...

-dodo

[Llama]

no, it is not.

If you put your thumb in that position well you hit someone you would hit with the thumb. This, in turn, would break.
The thumb should be tucked behind the fingers, not sticking out.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2545183/2/istockphoto_2545183_clenched_fist.jpg

[Jintor]

It's anatomically correct but not correct for figthin', is what he's saying.

[Kadayi]

ya you can only go so far with being self taught ..it also helps if you branch out into other art fields like design ..you later realise you can apply some of the principles to drawing

Agreed. Schools tend to focus on photorealism or replication which are not necessarily the best things in the world because as activities they are rather mechanical procedures, rather than creative. Being able to draw accurately is one thing, being able to take that skill and apply it creatively is entirely another. One of the big breakthroughs for me at college was learning to breakdown what I saw into component elements and see the structure beneath the skin of a scene.

[Llama]

It's anatomically correct but not correct for figthin', is what he's saying.

Yes. Not that I've got much experience maself, i'm just being an arse :D

[Dodo]

Yes. Not that I've got much experience maself, i'm just being an arse :D
I ment anatomically correct, but like you sayd... if you would punch someone with your hand like that, you'd break youre thumb... so were both right ! yeey.

-dodo

[Cavalry]

Learned through practice

[Raziaar]

For raziaar
Obviously not the exact shape but you get the idea.
More interesting is this guys thumb is in totally the wrong place. Maybe the artist wasn't a very good fighter :P Or maybe i'm seeing it wrong. Either way, it's certianly a fist.

Yeah but see, I see other things in that image I could draw for you. Not a fist. Heh.

[Llama]

oo, please do! :D

[Druckles]

Used to edit emoticons.