Drawing?

[OniaPL]

Hey, so as of late all the games I've played or wanted to play have, well... sucked. And it doesn't look like there's any relief to this problem anytime soon. Because I'm usually the type of person who always obsesses over whatever latest thing he gets into, I thought I'd use this force for good and learn to draw while this gaming drought is going on.

Problem is, I got no idea where to start.
I realize that I should probably start by drawing different geometrical shapes and then slowly start to make actual objects out of those shapes, but I still feel kinda lost.

Can anyone recommend any (free) online sources or the like that would help me get started, or does any of you have personal knowledge about the art of drawing?

Disclaimer: I'm a complete dummy when it comes to art of any kind.

 

[aba1]

Art is all about observation. Draw what you like or feel like drawing then just work on making it more logical, observing how shadows and lights work or how colours work together. Think about things like posture muscle positions bone structures. Don't forget distance and perspective as well. Things that are further away and have different angles will appear differently.

 

[Casual Shinji]

What do you want to draw?

You wanna draw landscapes, people, animals, fan art?

What about drawing appeals to you to make you want to try your hand at it?

I think you'll first need to answer these questions for yourself before you start.

 

[Rawne1980]

Going by who the OP is and his recent track record for starting "joke" threads i'm gonna sit back and wait for the punchline.

 

[Vault101]

Problem is, I got no idea where to start.
I realize that I should probably start by drawing different geometrical shapes and then slowly start to make actual objects out of those shapes, but I still feel kinda lost.
.

I recently decided to pick up a pen

where to start? BOOKS OF COARSE! books contain all th knowlege! try and draw people first, its the hardest thing but if you master it other stuff comes easy

Figure Drawing for all its worth by Andrew Loomis (you may even be able to get it for free on PDF on the internet)

somone others are

Dynamic figure drawing
Dynamic anatomy
Dynamic wrinkles (clothing) by Burne Hogarth

 

[Beautiful Tragedy]

Just draw. Don't worry about what. Draw everything. Draw things you see. Then move on to drawing things you don't see based on things you see. Don't worry if it looks like crap. Every drawing looks like crap when you start.

I have never seen good online drawing resources. But Hogarth's dynamic figure drawing was an invaluable resource when I was learning.

This 100% just sit down and draw what you see... and i also agree (when you're ready) the Burne Hogarth books (dynamic series)

 

[Waffle_Man]

Go to this [http://www.drawspace.com] website. Do absolutely everything as many times as it takes to do it well. Aside from that, draw every day. Four or five years down the road, and several thousand hours of practice later, you will be proficient at drawing.

If you want something to start with, pick up gestural drawing. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrGnMar2pAI] It is by far the best tool you can have in your arsenal, but isn't a dead end like a lot of "quick and easy" techniques.

 

[Lucem712]

I'd say try and draw things that are interesting to you. I'd leave the whole building things out of shapes for after you learn to "draw what you see, not draw what you think you see"[footnote]as in draw it how it is, not how you think it should be[/footnote] as perspective and scaling are going to be the biggest road-bumps on your journey.

Also, I recommend keeping it fresh. It can be easy to fall into a lull of drawing things you have already get a toehold on. Or, if you get bored, go from drawing faces to drawing nature or something. The difference in building phase and shading will make you use new muscles and learn new muscle memory

But, in the end, the most important thing it is to enjoy it and never stop learning.

 

[thesilentman]

For drawing, I'd say have a goal. Start out wanting to draw one thing (for this instance, humans) and work towards it, but don't force yourself. To get started on that goal, draw as much as possible. It can be anything, landscapes, humans, abstract objects, whatever you want; just draw and let yourself go. After you finish that sketch, look at what you could improve and decide to work on it.

But do not assume that forcing yourself to draw anatomy day after day will help you. In fact, it might have the opposite effect and might discourage you after you get to a stage where you can see the problems like night and day. In that case, take a break from what you're normally drawing, but still be involved with art, look into drawing other things or playing with other forms of art.

And don't be afraid to put a little bit of yourself in your drawings. It may be a little tic, or a completely different style, an example of which might be a little change in the way you do your eyes.

Another thing to note is that it will take time to improve. A lot of time. I'll just let my art do some talking.

Spoiler: Soul Eater and Maka, one year ago

Spoiler: Woman drawing that I finished in October of the past year

If anyone else wants to comment on them and give constructive criticism, you are more than welcome to. I'm just someone interested in drawing, so my skills are nowhere near the best.

OP, as you can see, I haven't improved that much even in the slightest. Now, this can be attributed to my laziness, but the fact still stands. It will take time to improve art skills. Even though this may seem daunting to you, do not give up.

Hope you go on to pursue this as a hobby, as this is one of the most rewarding things that you can learn, provided you have patience and an open mind.

Hope I helped, and don't get discouraged.

 

[Rylot]

Found this the other day: http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/elements-drawing

It might be more about ideas and theories behind drawing then you're looking for but it's free. And the people recommending Hogarth are so damn right.

 

[Rylot]

snip

The biggest critique off hand I can see is your hands... holy shit that worked out well! Anyway you're drawing hands way too small; other than that they look pretty good.