# drawing 1 help for those who need.



## Gnarl (Jun 19, 2014)

I am starting a traditional art (non-digital) drawing tutorial for those who are interested. I will be posting pages with some drawings on them and some exercises you can do. this is for those who don't know how to draw but would like to learn. I recommend not using costly materials. 
All of the examples I will show in these pages will be done with a number 2 pencil on plain typing paper. So the materials should cost less than a few dollars. I will try to find normal objects you might have around your house and you will be able to use a regular lamp (you might have to take the shade off). I will start out with helping you learn how to see. By that I mean shapes, light and shadow and what the eye sees as lines.
We will work only in mono-chromatic for the start. If there is enough interest then later I would move into color and hue of color and how warm and cold colors work to create effects. So if you want to PM me with questions go ahead. I will try to get a new page on here each week. 
here is the first. 





I would like to know if this will actually help so let me know if you want me to continue or close the thread, please.

adding a couple of pages but these are out of any particular order, just answering questions. 




and




any help?


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## Bartymew (Jun 20, 2014)

I may take up your classes Mr.Gnarl ^^


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## Gnarl (Jun 20, 2014)

I don't know if you would call it classes, more like putting the information down and answering any questions. welcome to the fun!
if there is something in particular you would like to know either put it here or pm me!


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## monochromatic-dragon (Jun 20, 2014)

I think a big one that people could probably use is something about human proportions n.n


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## Jayke (Jun 20, 2014)

I may be up for some.


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## Gnarl (Jun 20, 2014)

monochromatic-dragon said:


> I think a big one that people could probably use is something about human proportions n.n


I think you are referring to what are called cannons. there are actually some two different types, classical and modern and within each of these there are three different sets, male, female and infant. Most of the changes in the cannons or the shape of the human body occur during the time of puberty. 
this is not a sexist statement, the hormones that cause changes in the female makes changes most people don't realize. One of the bones in the forearm pretty much stops growing and in the lower leg that is how the expression knock kneed came into existence. Girls can hyper extend their arms and most boys can not. There are other more obvious things I will show has they affect the drawing scale later. For the purpose of this I will present the classical version of the cannons but I must stress that these are not laws, they are only intended to help with proportion, they are not absolute, so let me do a couple of drawings and I will post them in a bit.


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## monochromatic-dragon (Jun 20, 2014)

Gnarl said:


> I think you are referring to what are called cannons. there are actually some two different types, classical and modern and within each of these there are three different sets, male, female and infant. Most of the changes in the cannons or the shape of the human body occur during the time of puberty.
> this is not a sexist statement, the hormones that cause changes in the female makes changes most people don't realize. One of the bones in the forearm pretty much stops growing and in the lower leg that is how the expression knock kneed came into existence. Girls can hyper extend their arms and most boys can not. There are other more obvious things I will show has they affect the drawing scale later. For the purpose of this I will present the classical version of the cannons but I must stress that these are not laws, they are only intended to help with proportion, they are not absolute, so let me do a couple of drawings and I will post them in a bit.



Hm, that sounds interesting. I was mainly taught not to follow canons, but to measure proportions by measuring the body against itself (i.e. the classic "heads" example, although my professors encouraged me to not use heads) Such as saying that the leg is (x) bigger or smaller than (other body part)


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## Gnarl (Jun 20, 2014)

Your professor was trying to get you to look and draw what you see, a better way to do it. The cannons are no more than a basic guide lines and there are as I said more than one set. I prefer the classical if you are going to use them for a base on anthro characters because they are mor flexable. the newer cannon is 8 heads instead of 7 and a half. Sorry it took so long, I had to run to the store and get a new ruler for this....





The measuring with you pencil is great if you have a willing model to work with. I also want you to know that for a whole lot of these type canons you can google "seven and a half heads tall" and hit the image key. 
Almost every classical artist has done a set at one time or another. The hard part is converting these to an Anthro character.


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## tisr (Jun 21, 2014)

I need help drawing human faces D:
I really don't like those tutorials giving exact proportions for the ideal face, because there is never an ideal face.
I watch art experts draw faces, and even though they start from a face shaped like a random blob, and the features are imbalanced, and the proportions are off, it still looks like a realistic and believable face.
However, when I try to draw faces, any feature that is half a millimeter off already makes the face look weird.


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## Hikaru Okami (Jun 21, 2014)

Aha! I finally found your thread. I've been trying to look for it ever since you posted the shading tutorial!


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## Gnarl (Jun 21, 2014)

Alright, guys, first we will get some basics down then we can work on faces and hands. Now there are a lot of really good artists on FA I may want you to look at as well as what I post. My request is that when I list them for you to look at that you don't try to bother them! You can fav their work but please don't try to bug them alright?


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## Bartymew (Jun 21, 2014)

Dont talk to the talent. Got it XD


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## Gnarl (Jun 21, 2014)

I just don't want you to get blocked by them! Some of the line art is fantastic and would be a great help in explaining things. 
Also we have people who are following this and trying hard but are at different levels so please bear with me if I go a little up and down in the skill level department, sooner or later it will all make sense. I am working on a few drawings to post to explain some of the starting things you can do, but remember these are only for starting. You can use these until your eyes/hands learn what to do but I would prefer if you did at least every other drawing by trying to use what you learn and not rely on the cheats! They can help at first but it is better if you train yourself to see and to translate to the drawing without them. 
I know from some comments that there are a couple of perfectionists (like me) who want it to be right all the time, well, that is not going to happen, at least not at first. believe me when I say "You will get better!" the more you draw the better you will get. Now I will get these done and posted hopefully yet this afternoon. 
Alright here are a couple of more pages for you guys. 










Guys, don't be afraid to post a link or a picture, if you have questions. It will be much easier if I can see what your having trouble with. I promise to give anyone HELL, if they try to make fun of them. I seriously believe that the members of FAF have more respect than that though, so go ahead!


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## Gnarl (Jun 22, 2014)

Alright so from some of the questions I have received here are some things that can help, with the human face (not sure why you would want to draw those things). These are the mechanical forms only and should only be used to help you in the very beginning of learning to draw the face. I still recommend that you use a mirror and draw without these as often as possible. The first is simple to draw an EGG shape and then to find center points. this is done with a pice of paper, make marks at the top and bottom then fold the paper and ta-da the center point. Then do the same for width. 




Then the next to figure out per the previous tutorial what direction the person is looking. To make the explanation easy I have chosen straight on. 
once you divide it where the eyes will be then you can draw one of the eyes. take a separate piece of paper and cover the eye, then rub your pencil on the back of it. 




This will make the paper pick up the first eye on the back side and it will be in the reverse of the one you already drew. Then just line it up and trace. 
Once you have that done you will have the basics of the face and can start working on the rest of it. 




Now that you have the basic face you can start to add a bit of detail, form the shape of the face and add a few shadows.




Then you just a few details like clothes and hair and an attitude.... and then...wa-la a bad hair day! 





Good luck and let me know if you have any questions on this.


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## Mixfur (Jun 22, 2014)

As far as toony charectors my proportions are always off. I get that for cartoons the type of proportion is different for a "cuteness" factor. Is there any guide to that?


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## Gnarl (Jun 22, 2014)

Mixfur said:


> As far as toony charectors my proportions are always off. I get that for cartoons the type of proportion is different for a "cuteness" factor. Is there any guide to that?


Believe it or not there is! about ten years a retired animator, I think he worked for HB created a guide to cutness in Cartoons. 
I will have to look up the name of the book. Let me do some checking and see if I still have my copy, then I will get back to you with the particulars.
Can't find my copy but here is a link to an article that might give you some good info and refers to a few books on the subject.
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-co...-difficult-to-make-cute-characters-81160.html
hope this helps.


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## tisr (Jun 23, 2014)

For the face of the woman, the eyes are slightly too large, the forehead too small, and the ears too big.
I still can't draw faces though D:


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## Gnarl (Jun 23, 2014)

You are correct but for the time spent.... would you prefer I should you how to do this... it only takes about 100 hours.




The other was more concentrated on the how to than the what it looks like. I also think that doing it mechanically is a bad idea. 
we have a tendency to be a bit to critical on need to understand that small steps are required before we learn to run. 
Now if you are able to critique so well, and you were correct on the elements, would you post something of yours so we can see where the problem is?


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## tisr (Jun 23, 2014)

For a long while I have been trying to draw faces, and I have looked up many portraits, so I know the rough proportions of the human face.
The problem is I can never translate it into my drawings. I draw a face, and I see where its off, I correct it, but it still does not look right. No matter how much I correct it, the face always looks flawed.
I agree that drawing a face mechanically is a bad idea. Thus I try to watch people speedpainting faces, and try to mimic how they get perfect proportions by eye very quickly. Someday I'll get it right...
I guess I could try drawing a face for critique though.


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## Gnarl (Jun 23, 2014)

first of all you should realize the digital form of speed paint and the traditional form are parallel but not the same. 
I can give you the basics of traditional but am afraid I predate digital art. I believe in the character of the flawed face. no human face is perfect, so why should the painting/drawing be? And I hope that will change that attitude first, it should not be "I can't draw faces" it should be "I can draw faces and am improving with each drawing!"  The more you do the better you get! While we wait for you drawing, and don't worry if you think it is not perfect, I will get back on track with some practice on learning to see. I will post some later today. happy drawing!
Sorry I won't be able to get there today, I was making a kitchen cutting board table thing that my wife asked me make for a friend of hers and when she looked at it.... well the first question was, "Can you make two?" 
(no way, not going to happen, what do you think I am a slave?) then aloud I said, "Sure dear, the same size?"


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## Fallowfox (Jun 23, 2014)

Have you thought about purchasing a scanner? Your images are not bright and sharp enough for me to read.


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## Gnarl (Jun 23, 2014)

I had one but the bulb thingy burned out and a new one is like 500 bucks! I will have to save up for it. I looked at a little HP all in one but even that was 300 bucks. I am a little strapped as I just had to get my daughter a car for college. Plus I have to pay tuition for both kids. I won't let them have student loans like I did. Those loans mess up your life for a long time. Sorry for the quality, my phone only takes those pictures and that is the best camera I have, digital anyway.


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## Gnarl (Jun 27, 2014)

Here is how those things are as of tonight. Sorry about the delay.http://d.facdn.net/art/doggywolf67/1403926362.doggywolf67_projects.jpg
 Now for the next exercise: I would if you have a chair... place a lamp where it will create shadows on the chair and turn the upside down! Try drawing the chair from at least two sides. then for the third drawing try not to look at the paper! Just try to have your hand moved to follow your eye movement. 
This is called a blind contour. This will help you learn and train your eye hand coordination.


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## Mixfur (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks!


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## canismajor35 (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks for everything so far. I'm coming along slowly.


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## Gnarl (Jul 1, 2014)

Practice! and let me know if you need anything, or if you have a question. here or a pm if you want! You are welcome to put a practice drawing up here and then we can discuss it or send me a pm link and we can privately if your more comfortable.


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## Gnarl (Jul 14, 2014)

Guys, The next lesson is in the pipe here, I am trying to figure out the scanner thing. It involves doing a drawing without using any lines. 
This is where you may get a better idea about the shading! I will start you with being able to draw an orb by shading around and inside it without using any lines at all. That is of course if anyone is still wanting this?


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## Kitsune Cross (Jul 14, 2014)

I don't quite understand the thread, are you offering art classes?


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## Gnarl (Jul 14, 2014)

Yes! but in traditional media. I have no experience in digital. Allow me explain what happened here. 
There was a sort of lesson plan but it moved more to a question based format. 
yes it is free! just read the thread and add your question! 
My qualifications, I got my bachelors at Bemidji state University back in 1989
I did my masters exhibition in june of 1993 at the Conklin gallery. Each of the studio masters degrees (drawing and painting) were 45 graduate hours and I finished with 107 graduate hours. 
I have been a working artist since. Though I do not do it for a living. I just love art. I trained to be a university professor but there were no jobs in the US or Canada at the time, so I ended up back in electronics (what I did in the Navy). 
I also have many books out there! Now for this thread you should ask the questions on here but if you feel embarrassed you can always PM me. I will help if I can or refer you in the right direction. just check out my gallery and you will see what my work is like. Note: I am lousy at taking pictures of them. Also many of the works are done on an isolated ground using a powered zinc in the gesso. Since I work in a style called Alla Prima, it lends itself very well to what is called light reactive paintings. For example the one called the Glimps does not a black background (though that is what the camera sees) it actually has a red based color and room effect when the light hits it, as in a gallery setting. Also this makes the eyes come to life when the light shines on them. There are many elements that took years to learn, like making a portrait that seems to stare at the viewer no matter where you are in the room, the eyes seem to follow you.  
does this answer your question?


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## Gnarl (Jul 15, 2014)

Here is the example of the next lesson, drawing without using lines. By practicing drawing objects in this manner you will improve your ability to see where and how to shade objects in your drawings.


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## Gnarl (Jul 19, 2014)

Where do you guys want to go from here? What troubles are you having?


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