# Advice for new artist :3



## Acara (Aug 26, 2009)

So I wanna get better at my art. I'm pretty... bad and really want to improve. I really can only draw one pose, and can't draw sideviews at all. 

I was just wondering if you guys could offer advice for new artists, how you got better, or links that could help out. I figured asking on here was better then googling it, since you guys are all real artists and can offer real advice 

And just for reference, here's some of my art XD
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2557733/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2498224/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2364074/


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## Azerane (Aug 26, 2009)

The only way to get better is to practice a lot. Especially drawing from photos, and from life (if you can) both people and animals. It will really help you. Don't worry about tidyness, just do a lot of sketching to get the anatomy right. Eventually what happens is that your hand will memorise movements so you won't have to use references as often.

Also, in terms of drawing a side view, my art teacher quite a few years back told me that you can't draw something if you don't know what it looks like.  I'm sure you could recognise a cat from the side if you saw one  But that doesn't mean you know which way the face curves and where etc. So use references from all angles to practice features like that, it may not take you much time to pick it up, it may take you a long time, depends on the person, but practice a lot. That's the only way. You can't get it perfect overnight. In fact, I'm not sure it's possible to ever get it perfect =P


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## Arshes Nei (Aug 27, 2009)

Practice, Observe, and learn that making a lot of mistakes is part of the process.


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## azalea666 (Aug 27, 2009)

Drawing from life helps tremendously. Photos of people and animals are great resources, use photos that have dramatic lighting, so that you can learn where the body curves and deepens. Learn about anatomy inside as well as outside and it will give you a better handle on the way the body moves and muscles contract. I read a great book sometime ago called anatomy for the artist, it's a huge hardcover with an african-american man crouched down on a clear box on the cover. It's a great resource for learning the body.


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## Azerane (Aug 27, 2009)

Yes! Anatomy books... Animal anatomy for the artist = <3 http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Anatomy-Artists-Elements-Form/dp/0195142144


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## Arshes Nei (Aug 27, 2009)

To be quite honest with you, I honestly don't understand why that Simblet book gets pushed so much. Yes, nice photography but you're supposed to learn anatomy. It has some points for the overlays but it's so minimal in content (for the purpose of the book) overall, there are other books out there that cover this better and at a lower cost.

Someone put it on the furry wiki and then everyone thinks that this is *the* anatomy book. It barely covers...actually pretty much doesn't... cover other kinds of body types. I'm referring to mesomorph endomorph  and ectomorph body types. 

What about flexing of muscles, what are the kinds of joints and types they are? Ball and socket, hinge...etc? Barely covered or at the very least demonstrated. It's nice it has a picture of Jenny Saville's "Contact" series but what does it tell you about fat and weight distrubtion?

Also for 40 bucks (its hardcover general price) where are all the older and younger demos? Not everyone is the 18-24 range last I recalled that lives on this planet.

Maybe the reason people recommend this book so much is because there's photos of  flaccid penis and you get a vag shot too.

The only reason I bought the book was because I got it at a high discount. I kept looking at the Amazon price of (around 30 bucks) and the regular price of 40 ...and I've seen this book in the stores. It was worth half that at least in terms of practical use. Makes maybe a good coffee table book if you want to invite your other artist's friends over for tea. I have Sarah Simblet's book on Sketching too, and I wasn't going to pay a certain amount because she's got great material but doesn't really follow through on how to construct.

Atlas of Human Anatomy by Stephen Rogers Peck covers much more an artist needs to know about Artistic anatomy. Yes the book is dated in terms of "cutting edge" photography and drawings, but I find pictures of the body types that I mentioned before. Extreme examples and even photos. Get some info on some younger body types too.

George Bridgman's The Human machine covers more of the mechanics of human anatomy  (Peck's book gets into it) much further. It's also a cheap book. The problem is the quality of the prints at times. But I'd rather pay 6-7 bucks for a book that at least covers it than 40 that doesn't. 

I have Classic Human Anatomy by Valerie L Winslow that even goes into better detail than Sarah's book on capturing the human form, and it also has the Da Vinci drawings. It covers planes more than Simblet, basic shape breakdown, locomotion (like Peck does)  and body types and heights. It also covers rhythm. It runs about the same price as Simblet's book but is better presented for beginners. The glossary is much more handy and useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Human-Anatomy-Function-Movement/dp/0823024156

Though to be honest, a lot of books you can find online for free, look in the tutorials thread. There's also the nice thing about going to a library and not even spending money on books that for a few weeks you'll be engaged in but probably put on the shelf after a while because of its lack of usefulness. That's what happened with this Sarah Simblet book. I have books that cover this much better and more extensively at a cheaper price.

Look in the Tutorials sticky for books.


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## Acara (Aug 29, 2009)

Oh wow guys! Thanks so much for all the great info and stuff


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## dwolv (Aug 30, 2009)

My best advice would be watch tons of professional artists interviews (not necessarily but possibly tutorials). And try to associate art around other things you enjoy.


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## NeroFox1989 (Aug 31, 2009)

-start off by realizing that if you ACTUALLY want to get good and proffessional, it will take you years and years of practice.  Serious dedicated practice.  Then tell yourself if you actually want to take the time to learn a proffession, or just give up halfway through.
-If you DO decide you want to go through with it, start off by viewing references or real life objects and freehand try to draw what you are seeing.  Do this over and over and over with many diff. objects and refs and some day you will end up with something that closely resembles what you are going for.  By then you will probably have some grasp on 3D to 2D/poses/angles/whatever
-Once you've decided you want to draw something of your very own, you're allowed to use reference pictures still.  Lots and lots of references.  Good artists tend to do that.  I'm obviously still working on that...


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## Skyfire (Sep 1, 2009)

The best you can do is practice, practice, practice.  If there's one book I can recommend to use in learning to draw, it's "the New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Dr. Betty Edwards.  That book is very useful regardless of whether you draw animals, superheroes, manga, etc.  It's also available as a workbook and a video, which can be used alone or with the book.

Try an art class or two.  If money is an issue, check for some cheap drawing classes that might be offered at an adult education center, community college, or continuing education at art schools.

Above all, practice, practice, PRACTICE!


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## DArtJunkie (Sep 1, 2009)

lol....was scrolling towards the bottom of this page to type and saw your post. ;3

Seconding Drawing on the Right book. AMAZING ideas, some really neat tricks to get your brain thinking in terms of shapes and negative space, which helps out tremendously.
Also, draw from life. Not just animals and people. Draw....stuff. When you go out to dinner/lunch, bring a sketch book. FILL it with all the things you can't/suck at drawing. Saltshakers, glass of water, whatever. It's a lot of repetition, muscle memory, and practice! There's stuff I still suck at drawing, which is why I have a sketch book filled with scribbles of that stuff. Whenever I have down time I try to draw at least 1 thing I hate doing/need practice at. 

Above all, keep at it and don't get discouraged! Some people can be jerks and trash your art, but remember....we all started somewhere. Nobody was born w/ perfect drawing skills, they had to be learned and perfected...and for most of us, it's an ongoing process!


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