How to learn drawing?

Question

I've never drawn anything in my life. I did some 3D stuff(max and zbrush) but never actuall drawing/painting. Now, there is a lot of stuff online, but its either digital painting with assumptions of knowing some basics or pure basics with pencil an paper. I would prefer digital but I guess I need the basics regardless. My main concern is to not to get a bad habnits focusing on wrong things. Any advice? Where to look for lessons, books etc? Should I just draw... well, anything?

Answer 1

Learning shading is the most important part of drawing

1. Get a pencil and some good quality sketching paper. Strathmore is a good brand of sketch books. You can find these at hobby stores.

2. Once you have your pencil and paper, turn the book so it's in landscape and draw a large circle on one half of the page. Make sure there's ample space around it on all sides.

3. Draw a much smaller circle on the other half, towards the upper corner but not in it. This is your light source. Imagine that it is angled slightly in front of the larger circle.

4. Darken the outline of the circle on the side farthest away from the "light source".

5. With a very light hand, draw a circle where the highlight on the larger circle would be. Imagine that the circle in a sphere, and you are shining a flashlight on it from the spot where the "light source" is.

6. Gradually shade in the shadows of the "sphere", getting lighter toward the highlight and darker away from it.

7. Give the sphere dimension and the background depth by drawing a shadow, away from the light source.

Once the sphere looks realistic enough, you can use a stiff paintbrush, a facial tissue that doesn't have lotion, or your fingers to lightly smudge the pencil and give it a softer, less sketchy look.

Answer 2

My recommendation is just draw! Drawing isn't something you learn, unfortunately. But it's a skill you practice. If you're artistic, and by the sounds of it you are, you'll get it. Don't be worried about getting it wrong because in art you don't. It's a form of self expression and the more you practice the better you'll get. Technique, is indeed important and those things can be taught, there are many technique tutorials out there or how to shade in pencil or paint and how to get effects you want. But the basics have to come from you. So good luck and keep practising.

Answer 3

I recommend these two books:



"Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards



and



"The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides



Read Edwards book first and then Nicolaides. If you do all the exercises then you'll amaze yourself, your friends, family, and everyone else within 6 months to a year.

Answer 4

I think it's best to find something to draw, a reference picture, and try to draw it as closely as you can. Find things that you enjoy drawing and realise that there isn't really any right or wrong when you are an artist, as you have your own way of working. Tutorials are all well and good in helping you with things like hair directions etc but sometimes practice is what's best :)

Answer 5

go on youtube and watch mark crilley draw. he is so good it will make you think twice.

Answer 6

Look stuff up on youtube, thats how I learned too be a good drawer.