So it is time I stop fooling myself... · 6:09pm May 14th, 2022
...and goddamn make an effort to actually draw. And learn to draw.
Like, for real.
Now, I'm not horrible at it. I think. I mean, I can draw some sketches based on stuff I see on screen, like these two pictures of Robyn in her wolf form I drew while re-watching Wolfwalkers.
Or you know, that really quick sketch from when I was watching Jayden Animation's Ruby run.
(Was it Ruby? Or was that Platinum? eh.)
So I know that I can do... okay... if I apply myself, but I lack the uh... discipline.
So, if I lack discipline on my own, then I will seek motivation! And that is where you guys come in. I want you guys to hold me accountable for at least an hour a day of drawing stuff. So, I'm going to ask you to drop in the comments something I should draw.
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
By tomorrow morning I will have chosen five pics to work on from your suggestions (or if you can't think of anything, just comment in support of someone's suggestion). Once they are chosen, I will reply to you guys and you get to harass the shit out of me until the drawings are done. And then we start again.
I don't know if anyone out there is interested in helping me get good, but hey, better to ask. So! Suggestions to draw in the comments... go!
Well, you've already drawn some Pokemon, so what about other Gen 1's like us old people are familiar with? I used to be able to draw Pikachu, Raichu, Wheezing, and Arbok freehand (with references, obviously, but at least I didn't trace). That was before the tremors really kicked in, though…
These are really good! And you'll only get better at it 🙏
I'd be fooling myself if I said I could draw worth a farthing(so much worse than a dime). Truly drawful.
Your art is a good start on the other hoof.
One of the Crusaders.
What your goal is will influence what to emphasize...
Trees, rocks, clouds; buildings; still-life (table settings, lamps, furniture, fabrics, flowers); people; landscapes; platonic solids (solids studies are so boring and so foundational!); zentangle patterns (emphasis on precision and regularity?); and so on.
For a specific suggestion, how about one or more of your favorite characters from Lilo & Stitch, with some kind of background/environmental element? (I recall a few good guides on that movie's style, and it is conceptually surprisingly simple.)
Good luck!
I think Anon is a good place to start, it gives you experience with suits and facial depth and shading without having to worry about eye placement/nose shape/mouth
I would suggest drawing hands. This is a great video from a great channel explaining their structure and giving lots of tips for things to think about, as well as quite a few sketches of increasing complexity to follow.
Hope it goes well, whatever you end up drawing! It took me a long time to get the motivation to make an actual dedicated effort towards getting better too, because getting better is often hard and frustrating, but it's totally worth it and I hope you stick with it.
Your better than me at least
My art teacher told me that you have 1000 "bad" drawings you need to get out before the "good" once come out.
At least based on the three pictures here, I can say you are actually really good at drawing, but you don’t have much shading. (The lack of shading here might just be the fact that none of the source images have much shading, but still)
I’d recommend drawing and shading basic 3D forms. Things like cubes, spheres, and pyramids. It’s good practice because a lot of things are just various forms stuck together. There are plenty of tutorials online.
I can genuinely say that you are already great at drawing, but learning to add shadows and highlights will really elevate your art and make it feel more alive. Just think about light, where it's coming from, and how it would play off the objects within your drawing.
Other than that, just keep doing what you’re doing and drawing stuff you see on screen.
5657400 Sounds good! I mean, I guess drawing every single pokemon out there is about two years worth of at least a single drawing a day. So, drawing one every so often should be good practice!
5657412 Can never go wrong with the crusaders.
5657437 I hear hands are generally a challenge so learning to draw them well should be a good practice overall.
5657514 that's more technique, but it is true that I never put effort into that. I should practice with shapes and forms, and also try to incorporate it into stuff I draw
If I really set my mind to it, and put in the effort, someday I might be as good at drawing as you are now.
Not sure how much this will help, but this dude has a video on drawing exercises to help you refine your technique: https://youtu.be/s6TUkkZoEDw. Goes beyond just saying 'practice' and stuff, which is true, but not as helpful.
Good luck!