What is needed to become an artist. Constantly moving forward
Naturally, in order to learn how to draw, you need to master at least the most basic rules of construction and perspective. If you have a talent from God, even this does not mean that you do not need to study. Take the best from the resilient and focused people around you and learn continuously.
Of course, in order to start writing, you need to buy a basic set for a beginning artist: a canvas (or a primed sheet of cardboard) and write. Don't try to create masterpieces right away. If you don't feel comfortable drawing in front of strangers or even friends, find a secluded place and free time for yourself.
Advice. We highly recommend that you read Betty Edwards' book"The artist within us". This will allow you to get rid of internal psychological problems associated with fear. To master new technologies, technique and techniques, read Ray Smith's book "The Artist's Handbook." These two books are available for download online.
Improving skills
Now imagine this situation: let's say you got some experience, painted a few paintings, and probably graduated art school. What's next? What to do with the paintings? What about work, family, daily activities...
90% of artists faced the same questions; they simply didn’t know what to do. Do you know what Cezanne said? - “If you want to become an artist, your parents must be rich.” Why exactly these words? It is a fact that an artist is a creative person who must devote all his time and energy to painting. But what are the realities today? Everyone needs a home, clothes, food. And the artist, like everyone else, has to think about these things and spend time acquiring them. So what should you do then? creative person, because he devotes all his time to art? Despite the above, becoming a professional artist is very possible. And there are three ways that will help you with this.
Internet and galleries
We must immediately make a reservation: the artist is not a seller, he is a manufacturer. To create real masterpieces, an artist should not waste time and energy selling paintings. Let those people who know how to do it do it.
The Internet offers a lot. Each artist can introduce the public to his work through social media, forums, blogs for artists. Thanks to the Internet, you can create your own page and this can help people learn more about your work.
As for galleries, they are intermediaries between the artist and the buyer. In Moscow, for example, there are about 70 of them. It sounds, of course, inspiring, but you still need to get into the number of those exhibited. Beginning artists must have patience. Persistence and self-belief works wonders; examples of this include such great masters as Levitan, Picasso, Monet and Korovin.
Just start slowly taking your work to galleries. Sooner or later you will get a place in exhibition halls. It is the matter of time.
In every profession and every form of art, theory should never be neglected. A composer can never write a melody without learning the notes. So is the artist. No one has the right to call himself an artist if he does not have theoretical knowledge of composition, perspective, anatomy, and the theory of light. Of course, you need not only to know the rules, but also to be able to apply them correctly in practice.
Don't despair if things don't work out. Even among professional artists there are those who are strong, for example, in drawing still lifes and architecture, but are completely unable to draw smooth and gentle curves human body. And vice versa, the artist can easily draw a portrait, but a landscape or still life in his execution will look clumsy and rough. Needed constantly work on your weak points. They won't disappear on their own.
Expanding your horizons
If you like a particular direction, anime or comics, realism or another specific style, you should not focus only on it. You definitely need to expand your horizons. Artists who work in only one direction sooner or later become hostage to established patterns.
By constantly drawing the same thing, an artist will never create anything new. When a person is familiar with different drawing styles, he can mix certain directions, thereby creating original and unique drawing. This is much more interesting than redrawing the same characters dozens of times from different angles and perspectives.
Think about your work
The main question that should accompany each of your drawings is: why is it being created. Don't limit yourself to drawing "cool things" or cute half-naked girls. Your work should say something to this world. You have something to say, right?
Just don't touch on lowest level pleasure. Try to go deeper. Touch the viewer's intellect and emotions. The quality and originality of the work directly depends on how much of his emotions the author put into the painting, song or any other work of art.
Copying reality
IN creative drawing it is rarely welcomed. After all, to convey reality there is a camera. As an artist, you have unique opportunity control of the surrounding world. Some things can be removed, others, on the contrary, can be emphasized. To detail something, add your own, remember abstraction and surrealism. It's a shame to have such great power and don't use it at all.
Sometimes even an ordinary cast of your own leg in a picture will look much more original and pleasant than a hyper-realistic drawing that simply shows the world.
It is inappropriate to spend days, or even weeks, on a drawing, painstakingly working on details, when the same result can be obtained in a few minutes of working with a camera. Of course, if copying reality is your job, then that's fine. But still don't forget to leave room for creativity.
Polishing is not always appropriate
Of course, only you can decide how meticulous you should be in detailing the drawing. But remember: bringing to the ideal is essentially a meaningless process, since the ideal is impossible to achieve. Instead of focusing on one thing, it is better to spend more time looking for new solutions and ideas.
Just like a chef who is constantly experimenting with new ingredients, an artist must also constantly think about new styles and methods. This approach will significantly increase your creative potential and will tell you when and which drawing method is more appropriate to use.
What should the practice be like?
Constant practice is the key to success, but thousands of sheets of identical scribbles won't get you anywhere. desired result. You also need to practice wisely. Draw what you don’t yet know how to draw, and don’t repeat hundreds of times a drawing that you can do well even with eyes closed. Of course, you cannot avoid mistakes along this path. This is not bad, but on the contrary, good. It's just necessary analyze your mistakes.
This approach will help save you from repeating mistakes in the future. Explore the outside world. After all light, shadow, shape- all this obeys the physical laws of nature. Once you understand them, you can significantly improve your own drawing technique.
Moscow was not built in a day. Needed long years practice and training to become a true professional in your field. This also applies to drawing. After drawing several dozen paintings, you will, of course, improve your skills, but to achieve greater results we need hundreds, if not thousands of paintings. Moreover, they were drawn wisely, with a thorough analysis of all the shortcomings and errors.
Take, for example, a portrait close-up. In order to draw one head, you need to have sufficient knowledge about the skeleton, muscles, skin. About how exactly light falls on the surface, how the eyes reflect the world around them, how to convey the age and emotions of the person they are drawing. Drawing affects almost all branches of science: biology, physics, psychology.
An artist, like any other person, lives surrounded by people who will certainly express their impressions and comments. That's what creativity is for - evoke emotions in people. Anyone who cannot accept criticism will not be able to become good artist, because criticism is an integral part of creative development and becoming.
At first, you shouldn’t count on objective and reasoned criticism. It is difficult to discern minor errors behind the general shortcomings. Therefore, most of the advice will be something like “Learn the basics!” Follow these tips, improve your theoretical knowledge, and learn to apply them in practice. When the basic rules are followed, it is easier to see and point out details where the author got it wrong.
General education
The world around us is not a collection of individual categories. Religion, culture, economics, sports, social relations - all this is connected by one large inextricable network. The more knowledge about outside world you have, the better artist you can become.
Personal experiences are rarely interesting strangers. It is much more pleasant and interesting for them to watch how general trends and events in the world are reflected in the heads and creativity of artists. Learn form your opinion about major events in the world and convey this opinion through the canvas.
This role is for you. Or not?
Why does someone become an artist, someone a singer, and someone an acrobat. From birth we are all equal. It’s just that some people can spend hours doing one thing, while others can do something completely different. A person becomes an artist when he is interested in drawing; he can spend hours on one drawing. This means he has perseverance and patience. If these qualities are not inherent to you, think about whether it’s worth starting at all. After all, it is quite possible that at the first difficulties you will simply give up drawing and do something completely different.
Each of us has different potential, and due to our environment, upbringing and habits, each of us has an individual disposition to creativity. If you just want and enjoy drawing, you won’t necessarily become a good artist. Desire requires a lot of effort, patience and perseverance. Desire will only indirectly help you withstand all the tests that will stand in your way.
The main contribution to development will still come from regular practice, which will often be difficult and uninteresting. If you only have a desire, and every step is given to you with great difficulty, sooner or later you will simply begin to hate drawing. Remember wanting to achieve something and being suitable for this role are completely different things.
Imagine a dancer who literally "vomits" dance floor Everyone sees his success, everyone notices his ideal movements and dreams of dancing no worse in the future. It seems that this is not at all difficult, because the dancer’s movements are so easy and relaxed. But once you look deeper and see hours of daily training, worn-out shoes and calloused toes, the idea of becoming a dancer immediately disappears.
It's the same with artists. Each master passed a long path of disappointments, mistakes, sleepless nights, lack of progress, hatred for own occupation or even to yourself. Only after all the difficulties did they achieve what they are called "wonderful artists".
To become an artist, you don’t have to be schizophrenic like Van Gogh or walk with an anteater on a leash like Salvador Dali. All it takes is a little talent, love for beauty and desire. Therefore, we will tell you, as artists do to an artist: even if you can only draw abstract rockets that resemble something else, you still have a chance to exhibit at least in a glass shop in Zyuzino. The main thing is to study, study and study again.
To write this article, we consulted with professional artists who manage to sell their paintings and earn money with their talent. Yes, they exist. So, if you want to become an artist, you can safely trust what is written.
1. Learn the basics
It all starts with the general basics. If you visited art school, then you just need to freshen them up. If getting to know the brush begins right here and now, then it would be a good idea to enroll in fine arts courses (or at least find online lessons), read books, listen to audio courses.
Drawing is not about dipping a brush and wiping it on the canvas. You need to be able to mix paints, know what a color scale, shadow, primary and secondary color are, and understand proportions. It is not simple general rules, this will make your work easier. In addition, you must know exactly what tools are needed to create in one direction or another.
Then, when you decide on a style, you will have to carefully begin to study it. Again, not to imitate, but solely for the sake of borrowing some nuances and secrets.
2. Don’t get hung up on studying one direction
For many experienced artists there are weak points. For example, one can perfectly draw still lifes, but his human anatomy is at the level of Soviet puppet films. You can learn a lot by improving your basic knowledge and skills, and become not just a generalist, but a master.
Expand your horizons. Discover other movements, styles, cultures and times artistic arts. Try to put everything into practice. A narrow vision makes an artist a gray mass who is unable to go beyond established patterns. Finally try to mix different styles and directions. It will be more interesting for yourself.
3. Study all types of fine arts
They say that a real artist must know about all the nuances of fine art. Not only how to paint with paints and oils, but also understand sculpture. Therefore, it will be a plus if you learn to work with pencil, crayons, charcoal, watercolor, and oil, and in addition to this, learn to work with clay or at least plasticine. We’re not talking about the tree, but we’ll give you a hint. A true artist must be able to turn absolutely everything into art.
4. Work daily
Work, work and work again. Because a real artist must become a master, and not a painter shaking with excitement who works according to patterns. You need to develop your own style, to fish out your zest from the depths of imitation, unless, of course, you lose hope of becoming famous like Nikas Safronov and memorable like Nikolai Kopeikin. Draw, transfer paper, canvases, paints, pencils, do not skimp on developing your talent. Expensive? – all you need is a computer and money to pay for electricity.
Devote at least half an hour a day to your favorite hobby. Inspiration - a capricious thing - does not always come, often at the wrong moments when it is needed. In rare cases, an image or plot comes to us almost ready-made. As a rule, everything comes in bits and pieces, in separate fragments. And what to do in this case? Continue to work, overcome all difficulties and build creative life piece by piece, day by day.
An artist I know, in cases where there are no ideas or inspiration, recommends painting the view from the window, a fight between alcoholics in the yard, or, at worst, trying to capture in your own way the pattern of the five-story building that is opposite. It’s just that a person lives in the center of St. Petersburg - it’s easier for him to find beauty.
5. To become an artist, you need to learn from the greats
The artist is obliged to study the works of already established masters. This is why students of the Academy of Arts are taken to the Hermitage - so that the children can study. No Hermitage - other museums and albums by fine arts to help. Carefully peer into the smallest facets of the works of artists of bygone eras, immortalized proper names in art. Copy to educational purposes welcome. If they are imitative, they are already despised.
6. Try to create something new
On the one hand, you need to hone your skills, trying to achieve perfection in painting butterflies. To do this, you need to hone the skill with daily exercises. But one day you will have to choose slightly different priorities in your career. If you want to become an artist who will be recognized, find a way to create something that has not existed before and offer it to the world. Some people spend their entire lives painting nymphs in the academic style, but remain out of work, despite their talent.
The search for something new is difficult and requires painstaking work. Perhaps what you create today will be a complete failure, or maybe, on the contrary, a masterpiece. Either way, you won't know until you try.
7. Don’t hide your paintings from the world
An artist who creates but does not show his masterpieces to the world can only count on posthumous fame. It is necessary not only to create, but also to bring it to light. A true artist is not just a creator and angel of art, he is also a supplier. Even if you create exclusively for yourself, it wouldn’t hurt to show off your talent to the world. In the end, the girls who beautifully paint plates have learned to benefit from their talent, so should you.
Many people are embarrassed by criticism. Good God, don't let some untalented bastard ruin your self-esteem. Have you invested so much emotion, time, effort into the picture - and all in order to hide the product of your talent in a dark closet? Sorry, but this is stupid. Especially now, in times of social media. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece or even complete. You can simply post a report on your blog about your work on a masterpiece called “Whores in Gelendzhik.” This may seem insignificant, but the more often you do it, the easier it will be to deal with criticism and, most importantly, to understand in which direction to move.
8. Enjoy criticism
A few more words about criticism. An artist who lives surrounded by people will always receive comments on his work. If he can't take criticism, what kind of artist is he? Therefore, any comments - both negative and positive - are necessary for the development and growth of the creative unit. If they criticize, take it seriously, and don’t take it as an attempt to hurt the ego. And if you are a novice creator, then listen more carefully. Suddenly you learn something.
With all this, you should not give up your style, your ideas. Firstly, you can’t please everyone: some people love the avant-garde, and others love Shishkin’s paintings. Secondly, by listening to everyone, you will lose your individuality.
9. Communicate more with others like yourself
You need to keep in touch not only with the outside world, but also with other artists. These, in turn, are comrades who can suggest something, teach something, and comment on your work with a fresh professional look. Attending workshops is a great way to see how art lives and where it is developing. In the end, a party is always a party, and thanks to such communication – even with the “right” people – you will have a better chance of getting into exhibitions or finding a buyer for your painting.
10. Don’t get hung up, create for your own pleasure
Your job is to simply create, share, and then move on. You can't stop at one job and wonder if it can be improved. You can't constantly think and worry about how the audience will react to it. Trying to sit down and create something that the audience will definitely love and appreciate is the most Right way to creative stagnation. You cannot create to please the public, otherwise it is not art, but commerce.
11. Follow fashion
Don't under any circumstances think that we are coming down on painting. For us personally, the pinnacle of talent is an almost photographic image of the surrounding reality. We're so old-fashioned that we love the painstaking, detailed depiction of potholes in plaster, human expression and the natural exuberance of nature. We look at two straight lines on a white canvas as an attempt to deceive and pass off lack of talent as art. In general, we love it when talent is visible on canvas. Alas, this is not in fashion. It is fashionable to put on glitter, draw a rainbow and call the picture pretentiously, for example, “The Lamentation of Moses.” Whether this is good or bad, the devil knows. But this definitely opens up new opportunities to realize oneself in art.
12. Learn to look at the world like an artist
The artist looks at the world as the subject of a painting. Great talent– to see in ordinary city landscapes or banal things something worthy of being captured. Therefore, some see a stunted tree surrounded by houses as just a trunk with leaves, while others see it as a symbol of hope.
We must look not only through the prism of allegories and metaphors, capturing in our works hidden meanings. What if you become a painter? Then it would be nice to learn to see the beauty in simple things. Even an ordinary traffic jam or a banal sunset, with the proper skill, becomes a masterpiece.
13. No need to copy reality - depict the world as you see it
To capture the world as it is, you need a camera. Gone are the days when paintings were almost the only document recording the era and the past.
An artist can stylize, emphasize, idealize, create abstractions and surrealisms. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this.
But sometimes it’s really more pleasant to look at a footprint than at a dry, boring, lifeless painting painted like Monet. This foot has more expression and life, it is truly captivating. You can work in a direction known as photorealism, but what kind of creativity is there in that? People are more interested in finding a trace of an artist than looking at another picture in the style of “how everyone else does it.”
Some people are lucky and are born with a gift, for example, the gift of drawing. Others who are less fortunate have to study to master the language of art. There is no third choice in this situation. However, there is no need to worry - the artist actually sleeps in each of us. And this article will tell you how to wake him up.
1. Work hard and learn the basics of drawing(composition, perspective, anatomy/figure, color theory, volume/light, etc.). You can't call yourself knowledgeable artist until you actually become one. Ideally, you should not only know these basics, but master them perfectly. And when you master it, you will be not just a knowledgeable, but a confident and authoritative artist. This applies not only to beginners, but also to advanced and professional artists. Many experienced artists have weaknesses - for example, one can perfectly draw still lifes and landscapes, but in knowledge of anatomy and the forms of the human body he may be zero. You can learn a lot by improving your basic knowledge and skills. I definitely have a weak spot that needs to be worked on.
2. Broaden your horizons. If you love anime/manga, superhero comics, photo-realism, or any other specific art style, and have not yet tried to apply or have not yet discovered other directions, styles, cultures and times of art, then you should expand your horizons. A narrow vision is destructive and makes the artist a gray mass who is unable to go beyond established patterns. Mixing different styles and trends is much better and more interesting.
3. Don't be a mindless artist. Think about WHY you are creating. Is drawing “cool shit” and “hot girls” your only interest? Do you actually have something to say as a representative? human race, in this multi-layered society? Maybe everything you create is just meaningless garbage? If you are only working towards the lowest level of satisfaction, never thinking about higher concepts like intelligence and emotions, perhaps now is the time to dig deeper! You have a soul - so use it. It's not about just "digging" - it's about quality! For example, a film masterpiece differs from a full-length and short film from the science fiction/fantasy/horror genre because of how much love and soul the author put into his script.
4. No need to copy reality– there’s a camera for that. As artists, we have the power to stylize, emphasize, simplify, selectively detail, idealize, create abstractions and surrealisms - it would be a shame not to use the power we have. I would be more pleased to look at the work of an artist who left his footprint on the canvas than at a painting that is almost no different from a photograph. I am much more interested in artists such as John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, Richard Schmid, Gustav Klimt, Nikolai Fekhin, etc., than artists with such clamped, gloomy paintings in which all life, expressiveness and naturalness are killed (if your work involves photography -realism, then work is work. But what is in your creativity?).
5. Polished finish is the last thing you should think about. Loose or clear brush lines, sketches or simple lines- your choice. Internal structure and basic knowledge are much more important. Bringing it to perfection is an endless process that is constantly changing and developing. A good artist must be able to use different types work with a drawing, and not take one and use only this method. Experiment with more often different methods and styles, as chefs experiment with ingredients in the kitchen. By following this advice, you will eventually be able to approach this matter intuitively, and you will then be able to determine for yourself which technique is best to use when drawing a particular drawing you are working on.
6. Naked practice is not enough– you need to practice wisely. Drawing doodles in a sketchbook is not smart. You must achieve what you cannot yet do, and not do what you can already do even with your eyes closed. Think of it like a science experiment with a clear plan that aims to achieve a specific goal. Analyze errors. Avoid wasting time on things that don't serve your purpose. Observe, analyze, and understand structures and patterns - the physical laws of our world (light, shadows, colors, texture of fabrics, etc.), or create methods that bring best results(use of contrast in color, saturation, shapes with different edges, etc.).
7. Be realistic in your expectations. Rome was not built in a day. It takes years of hard training and smart training to become a pro at your craft. Painting an album or two won't take you one step higher - it takes a lot more. Artists don’t just train, drawing dozens of heads, and then get excellent results - they draw hundreds and thousands of heads for years, and do everything thoughtfully - they study the structure of the skeleton and muscles, facial expressions, lighting conditions, age, distinctive features each race, etc. And that's just the head. The road leading to becoming an artist is actually similar to the path creative search myself.
8. Learn to accept criticism. An artist who lives surrounded by people will always receive comments on his work, and if he cannot take criticism, he will be a pitiful semblance of an artist. Take criticism as a necessary part of your development and growth. If you receive both positive and negative comments, be grateful for them. A wounded ego must strive to become stronger and expand its views. If you can't see beyond your wounded ego, it will destroy you. While you are still a beginner, you may not hear more useful tips, except “learn the basics!”, and it’s all because of your level, no matter what you do, everything is wrong. Continue to study the basics hard and you will improve your level.
9. Be well-rounded. Study the world you live in - history, politics, religion, economics, science, literature, music, photography, cinema, etc. You will be surprised how everything in the world is interconnected. The more you understand about the world you live in, the better artist you will become. Maintain strong relationships because family, friends and lovers create powerful emotions in us that we can use in our creativity. An intellectually and emotionally undeveloped person has little to offer the world as a creator of art. Think openly, be sociable and educated.
10. You may or may not be suitable for the role of an artist. People are different, and not everyone has the ability to become an artist. If you have no patience, are not diligent, quickly lose concentration, are easily irritated, are not motivated, are not ambitious, do not know how to take negative criticism, and just want to draw for fun and not owe anyone... etc., then you, Chances are you won't succeed in life as an artist. And this applies to all people – not just creative ones.
People are different, both physically and mentally, and we have different potentials and to varying degrees propensity for one activity or another. Just because you have an artistic inclination does not mean you will become a good artist - it all depends on you, your willingness to learn and grow, and how much you can filter out the unnecessary and concentrate on what is most important. And just as importantly, you should enjoy the process of learning and your own growth. But if you hate every step you have to take to get there, you may be wasting your time feeding yourself the idea that you want to be an artist, but you're not quite cut out for the role. Remember, wanting to become someone and being suitable for that role are not always the same thing.
It's like some people stand on the sidelines watching dancers tear up the dance floor and wish they could do the same - they also love to move their bodies to the music. But once they really appreciate the effort that needs to be put into this goal, they let go of this idea because it is too difficult for them. Simply put, they want it, but they are not ready for it. And there are those who enjoy the process of grueling training, and whose passion goes far beyond mere desire, and they inextricably associate these trainings with pain and fatigue, but know for sure that in the end they will win - these are those who live on stage. The road to becoming a good artist is much the same. You must go through a path full of disappointments, mistakes, puffy eyes and calluses on your fingers, long-term lack of progress, doubts in yourself and your strengths, overwhelming hatred and envy of the talent and achievements of others, in order to ultimately become someone I will look up to, and say “wonderful artist!”
You need to not just want something, but persistently move towards your goal. Or remain just a hobbyist, do one thing or another as a hobby, or choose something else that suits you better. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because you can just as easily find happiness by simply enjoying the work of an artist, rather than trying to become like him. Because being an amateur doesn't involve any sacrifices or years of agony and disappointment only to fail. No one can tell you whether you can handle it or not. And you won't know it yourself until you go all the way. Some people spend years trying to become worthy representatives of their business, but fall short and stop for one reason or another. For some, a week is enough to realize that everything is not as great as it seemed. Others came very close to becoming professionals in their field, but stopped, considering what they had achieved to be sufficient, and devoted themselves to others life goals(and no one said that drawing is the most attractive art activity - there are many others areas of interest– music, directing, writing, cooking, fabric painting, etc.). There is no right or wrong choice here. You choose your own path, and as long as you feel like you're doing what's right for you, you're on the right path (as long as it doesn't harm others).
This post came about quite spontaneously. But in the end, after spending two hours on it, I’m glad that I said everything I’ve wanted to say for a long time. Even if this is a repetition of what has already been said, it is my own, carried out through my experience. And if at least someone after this post goes and draws even the smallest picture, that’s already a victory. Well, or he’ll make a cake =) After all, despite all our fears and inconveniences... Yes, they exist - but everything is not as scary and not as inconvenient as we scare ourselves. The main thing is to just start. It will be easier later. Is it true.
0. Laziness
No inspiration? You were going to draw an hour ago, but you had something to do? Don't want to force yourself? Has the unrealized idea been in your head for more than a week? Wrong conditions? Is someone interfering? Don't want to draw in front of strangers? Tired today? Not in the right mood? New beautiful materials won't they run away? Will you try tomorrow because it's too late today? “Something doesn’t show up”? Have you tried, but your hand doesn’t obey you today? Children, husband, cooking, important things to do? Do you want to sleep, do you want to get up early?
Congratulations. If you didn't draw for one of these reasons, your point is zero. You will remain at zero. So long until you overcome yourself and... Sleep half an hour less. Prepare one soup for two days. Take less walks with your child. Clenching your teeth, you will draw with force for an hour or two. Don't be afraid to try new materials. Stop being afraid of strangers and ashamed of your work. Overcome your tiredness.
Believe me, even half an hour taken from all these reasons is already a victory. Yes, progress doesn’t come easy. Yes, I understand, there are difficult situations in life, lack of time-money-energy. Yes. But in most of these situations - almost all - there is still some possibility. You can feel sorry for yourself, encourage the little whining girl or boy in you, but the price for this is... Lost time life. You lose it if you don't do what you want. And this applies to everything, including health problems or undone repairs. You need it? Do it. Decide, heal, draw, make repairs. Now. Yes, it will be uncomfortable. Yes, now is not the right time. There will be no suitable one. Miracles in this case are you, who overpowered yourself.
When I sit down to draw, I overpower myself. And only after an hour or two of work, I begin to get real pleasure. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. But this pleasure is worth all the inconveniences I go through. And it applies to almost everything I do. I recently wrote a post about how I “hate” cooking. Many people didn't understand me. It's just that cooking has a little more obstacles for me than my other hobbies. But I love doing it. I love you no matter what I say. Because I come back to this again and again. So I need it; it means I will go through all the obstacles and achieve my goal. And that will make me happy. Successful cakes, a beautifully taken photograph, a finished drawing, order in the house, caring for someone dear to me, a learned violin etude - that’s what makes me happy. And you? Think about it. If you have desires in your head that come again and again, they are worth fulfilling, despite the inconvenience. This means you need it, which means your happiness depends on it. Just try to overcome yourself. And then you will understand whether it is worth it or not.
1. Completely from scratch
It's very simple - the book by Betty Edwards, "Discover the artist within you."
Then, however, you will have to forget what they teach there and start over. But for those who don’t know how to draw anything at all, the book will help them take their first steps.
Draw from life. The bigger, the better. Carry a notebook with you, make clumsy quick sketches - collect visual information, remember, get used to drawing every day. You will have a serious advantage over those who draw only from photos. When drawing from life, you analyze information in a completely different way: you have practically no opportunity to sketch - you grab the very essence, try to understand the structure - as opposed to mindlessly copying spots on a photograph. If your nature moves, so much the better for you: look for difficulties, try to convey information with a minimum of means.
Study the sketches of other artists: see how they work with line, spot, composition; how they manage to convey the entire plot in just a few lines. Print them out as examples and carry them with you (for example, in your notepad pocket). Get inspired and convey what you love through your sketches and sketches. Try drawing in different styles, different instruments, in different formats.
2. Light, shadow, reflexes.. Blah blah blah.
All, the information needed in most cases is located.
Yes, it won’t be possible to understand and study everything the first time. But the information is right in front of you. The rest is a matter of your desire and practice. And don’t even think about making excuses again! Everything is right here.
3. Anatomy.
The method of working with literature is this: you print out spreads with the necessary diagrams/muscles/bones, put them in front of you and draw a living person, looking at the printouts. Feed your friends chocolates, ask your boyfriend to get up from the computer less often (yeah, let him be kind), draw on playgrounds, shopping centers- believe me, no one cares about you (you can say that you are a student - and then they will definitely leave you behind if they pestered you).
You can't study anatomy until you see for yourself on a living person all the muscles and bones hidden by skin, fat and clothing. Make sure that you yourself, as a teacher, can draw these diagrams, having only nature in front of you. Simply redrawing pictures from a textbook will bring little benefit (and only to beginners).
Here's Ryzhkin's video. To begin, draw everything that the teacher draws.
No, you won't learn anything if you don't draw it. Neither in this nor in any other case. You should always draw and copy.
4. “Oh, I need criticism and comments from the teacher, I can’t handle it myself..”
(-Oh, I won’t sleep!
Oh, put on a dress!
Uu-Uu-U!..)
Take it. My. Work. Open it. Mail. You write. Letter. To the one you liked. To the artist. Sending. (preferably several).
Someone will definitely answer. You can even speak English - a translator will help you. Correct errors and send again. Asking for advice, etc. Those who are especially brave can even show up to the art department and ask for advice - either from teachers or from students. Make friends in this way and consult with them. You can do the same thing - but through VKontakte, in a group at some art school, to communicate. If you are embarrassed to show your work, you will not learn anything.
5. Where to start (from sketch to finished illustration)
0. Draw everything around you live. Exaggerate, stylize, do anything - but from life. This way you can avoid many mistakes and speed up your development significantly.
1. Sketches “from your head” (any kind, squeeze out everything you remember and know, with sketchy people and crooked drawings - the main thing is that it’s clear to you)
2. View refs ( better photo, not other people's art)
3. Sketches based on refs (pass through all the information received, combine with the developments that already exist - think, think!)
4. Search for ideas
5. Natures, refs, sketches, search for ideas - repeat again and again until you think through all the work;
6. Details - even small frilly buckles - are invented in the same way as the main objects. Every little thing needs to be worked on; it won’t come on its own.
7. You can try to assemble a collage future work from refs. But in the end, you will need to draw all this yourself: no daub on top of photos will look good, unless you are a professional matte-painter. Line art and detailed sketches require long and careful work. Negligence is permissible only in the very first stages.
8. Have you drawn it? Increase the resolution, scale, draw in more detail, clarify and make lines and strokes more accurately - it is precisely from accuracy and clarification, coupled with the addition of little things and “imperfections” that the detailing of the drawing consists. Enlarge and refine until you get bored. =)
9. Don't forget to look at big picture. Make sure everything looks harmonious together. Don't be afraid to redraw what doesn't fit. Don't forget about the format you need in the end. Everything is usually drawn 2-3 times larger than the finished version.
10. Don't be afraid. And don't stop. Demoralization and criticism in the early stages are your worst enemy. Work as long as possible. Hold on, be patient, and your diligence will definitely be rewarded good result and progress. The more difficult it is, the greater the progress. Simple ways No.
6. Working with living materials
Try everything. Be sure to use a pencil - this is a basic tool for learning: it disciplines and does not allow you to mess around. =) The rest is up to your taste. But I don’t advise you to get carried away with hoarding. materials and the search for “divine quality, with which I can do everything.” Nice pencils-koh-i-noor. In general, you can even draw with a Constructor - they are still produced, by the way. Eraser - the same koh-i-noor, with an elephant - great option. Paper - for sketches and small sketches, a cheap printer's paper (or even a cheap "newspaper" paper, look for it in stationery stores will do; it is suitable for soft pencil). For long-term work, take whatman paper and Gosznak drawing paper. If you need something with texture, then fabriano or canson.
Try everything, but don't get too carried away with shopping. If you bought watercolors, learn how to paint for at least six months, then draw conclusions - is it worth developing further or trying something else. Again, go see some artists you know - don’t you know anyone? - get to know each other, go to the workshop, try a little bit of everything and decide which materials you want to master. Be prepared for the fact that everything is about 10 times more difficult than in tutorials and videos. Because you are new. This is fine. Don't give up, try, no matter what. And only when it works out, decide whether it suits you or not. There are, of course, exceptions - but in most cases it’s worth the trouble and trying out the material or technique properly.
7. Speed
First, you will draw very slowly at first. This cannot be avoided. Then you will draw at the same speed, but more complex things. And only after time (a year of regular training, for example), you will notice that the speed of work has increased significantly. But this is only with constant practice.
!important You can draw works of any complexity right now. But if prof. the artist drew something in 5 hours, you will do it in 10, 20 or 50 - depending on your level. But you will do it if you are persistent and diligent enough.
It's also worth understanding that drawing serious illustrations takes longer than you think - even for professional artists. So calm down. Calm down, I'm telling you. Take your time - just do it. You can even (when drawing on a computer) put TV series in a small window in the corner of the screen. If it doesn't distract you too much, of course. You can pin a window on top of others using the DeskPins program, for example. It's free and easy to use.
Think carefully about what is stopping you. Even about little things. Disable unnecessary buttons on your tablet. Change hotkeys. Study them if you don't know. Try other programs. For example, some find it more convenient to draw in Paint tool SAI or Painter rather than in Photoshop.
Action in Photoshop. It's simple. Come up with a name for the action, press the record action button, perform the actions, release the button. Now, instead of a series of actions, you have one button. You can also press file - batch - and there use the action for an entire folder of files at once. Try it, experiment, optimize your time. It's little things like these that add up to hours of work and days of missed deadlines.
8. Photoshop slows down
Settings, performance, uncheck OpenGL. You won't be able to rotate the picture, but there will be less hanging. I also advise you to reduce History states - say, to 30 - this is the number of possible cntr+z. It also frees up memory. Wasn't it enough? Then you will also have to uncheck the use graphics processor box in the Performance section. You won't be able to rotate the canvas, but there will be much less slowdown.
And if you reduce spacing to zero in the brush settings, you should leave it at least at eight: this also affects performance.
9. My arm hurts.
An elastic bandage helps. You can also use a wrist brace (sold in medical stores).
10. Back hurts
Charging, charging, and charging again. Even if you have any diseases of the spine, it’s all the same: gentle, with a gradual increase in loads, regular exercise will help you. Especially exercises recommended by your doctor. Well, watch how you work - put your feet under you/on a stool, place a pillow under your back/butt, do what is comfortable for you - so that your back is straight and nothing is overstrained. And let yourself rest - lie down, stretch, stretch. Listen to your feelings and do the exercises that your body wants.
10. Vision
Well, that's all for now. Then I will add to this post. I hope I didn't waste my time =) Hello everyone.
Many thanks to Alexey Samokhin for valuable knowledge, qualitatively selected and illustrated. Without him, it would have taken me much longer to grow up to all this.