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Chutzpar · 08-10-2009, 02:56 PM

You've got a better idea of it, Rokkan. It's not that you need to use reference all the time, but nobody knows how to draw absolutely every single animal, building, clothing style and fabric completely out of their head without researching. Collecting and working from reference is where you start a lot of things. Even if you don't literally draw from it and just use it to generate ideas, it's a pretty important part of the process. Thinking that everything you draw should come straight out of your head with none of that kind of preparation is very naive.

KoA · 08-10-2009, 11:39 PM

No idea how much weight anything I say holds, as I'm not yet a professional artist by any stretch of the word, but I find references to be a very important and integral part of the art process.

Sure for instances like random doodles and sketches it's perfectly fine to go unguided, as most of the time these are usually just used for "warm-ups" or practice before you actually go on to make the actual art of whatever it is you are doing. However one mustn't try working on just memory alone, as your mind has a bad habit of playing tricks with your memory.

I'll give an example of what I'm trying to say. Think of your favorite video game character in your mind. You can make out all their features right? Hair color, general body structure, and other characteristics? Now without looking at any other picture other than what you have in your mind, try drawing them out. If you're anything like me, you should have difficulty because even though you have a concise mental image of what you plan on drawing, you can't really get it physically down on paper. Even getting the general pose and form of your mental image down can be quite difficult.

I'm not quite sure why this happens myself or if there's some strange memory problems I have, but it is nigh impossible for me to go to work on a new piece unaided as I quite simply just cannot trust my memory and mental imaging.

Take that same character and after having some reference shots made available to you, try sketching out different aspects of them and then some basic poses. Much in the same way that writing down notes in class helps you subconsciously remember the material, this helps your mind take notes on how that character is created and drawn out. After doing this enough times, you should get enough of a grasp on the character to work unaided and with good accuracy.

Know that that technique works for everything, not just video game characters. The most important thing about making a piece of art is that you have to be comfortable doing it or the end result will be awkward. The best way to get comfortable with something is to practice at it.

In my humble opinion, practice is what the key to success is. This current thread title is awkward to me because while art isn't the key to success for all trades, practice is universal.

Mabelma · 08-13-2009, 01:26 PM

Sorry for the late post but it's because I was at school but I didn't go today and I'm here. Thanks for all of the new post and everyone that's fighting please stop arguing. Thanks for all of the great advice guys. I will buy the books when I get some money cause I'm broke right now. I drew a lot of new things and I drew on a shoe for the first time. I will show you later because I''m not on my computer right now. It's my little brother's shoe. Tell me what you think and what I shouldn't do. I will keep it in my for hte next time I do something for shoes. I'll show you my newest studies and everything later. I'll change the name of this topic because I meant to write practice not art. I'm going to change my user name to it's going to be Khat. Tell me what you think of the name. Thanks for every post.

Mabelma · 08-14-2009, 01:19 PM

Skink · (This post was last modified: 08-14-2009, 05:12 PM by Skink.)

You wrote your name on your shoes.

Heh

Also the shading is horrible on the house. Looks like a half assed cross-hatch

Mabelma · 08-14-2009, 06:58 PM

Yeah I wrote the name for a little advertisement. They aren't my shoes. I know the house is horrible I'm awful with shading. I'm working on it though. Did the shoes looked cool? I know it's a simple desing but I will move on with more complex designs. It was my first payed job. A buck. Thanks for the post.

Marth · 08-15-2009, 01:47 PM

Don't shade yet man, focus on drawing everything better first then move into shade. Also, I like your bird thing, simple but nice.

Mabelma · 08-15-2009, 02:07 PM

Thanks I might do a vector of it and use it for something. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the post. Keep on posting guys.

Mabelma · 08-16-2009, 04:55 PM

Does anyone has a comment or critic on any kind of thing inside this thread? Thanks to anyone who posted already.

Skink · 08-16-2009, 08:15 PM

Quit bumping your thread. Just post new shit.

Mabelma · 08-17-2009, 10:49 AM

OK sorry. I'll do that I'll post something new when I get some time.

Mabelma · (This post was last modified: 08-23-2009, 03:19 PM by Mabelma.)

Sorry guys for not posting anything this Friday. I was out of my house on a hotel and I forgot to pack my sketchbook and the little notepad they gave me at the hotel got lost for some unexplainable reason. I'll post something good when I get some time. I'm going to try and write in some kind of graffiti style and see how that goes and draw some other random shit and maybe a bit of gesture drawing to top if off.

Chutzpar · 08-23-2009, 03:10 PM

stop
bumping
without
content

GrooveMan.exe · 08-23-2009, 03:33 PM

Actually, yeah. It's becoming annoying now; do it again and I will warn you for it.

Also how about actually practicing drawing human anatomy, since thet would be the entire point of the thread you've made.

Mabelma · 08-23-2009, 03:40 PM

Yeah sorry I was excusing my self for the lack of updates but please don't warn me I really didn't meant to bump without reason. Next time I bump I'll have something new to post. Sorry really.

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