# Starting From Zero



## Senrai (Mar 3, 2013)

I'm a 22 year old guy whose never really managed to develop any skill in art. I was so bad that, in school, even the teachers laughed at the stuff I handed in for the mandatory art assignments.

Now, years later, I've been in this fandom for a while and seen so much creativity that it's really making me want to try and participate. I recently went out and bought some art supplies so I could start sketching and begin my long journey of learning how to draw. I'm still quite bad, of course, but I can see that I'm learning new things and I'm quite happy about it.

I'm determined to continue on with this, and one day start doing digital art that's good enough to post and show people. My question is as follows: Should I go out and buy a beginner's tablet now to try and develop my basic art skills at the same time as I learn to use an art program, or am I getting ahead of myself, and should I wait until I've got the basics down using a pen and paper before I start trying to learn to use a tablet?

And advice would be super greatly appreciated ^^


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## Car Fox (Mar 3, 2013)

Most artists would say to get basics down before starting drawing on tablets. But me, being a person who believes that no one style is better than another, would say pick one up if you can afford one, and try it. Tablet drawing is very different than drawing in pen-and-paper.


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## Cairn (Mar 3, 2013)

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I too am just beginning to draw. While I don't have any specific goals like you do with digital art, I plan to just keep using pencil and paper until I get better.
I find that the hardest thing to get used to when drawing is getting the shapes of objects and bodies correct. You have to become used to this regardless of what you draw with, so I figure I might as well start simple.

Anyways, it's nice to meet you, and I look forward to seeing some of your art.
Cool avatar btw.


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## zhuria (Mar 4, 2013)

Nice to meet you ^w^
Pencil and paper is better for practice in my opinion, because you can't modify the pic as much as in digital (For example, the only way of resizing something is to erase and draw again). You can restrict yourself with digital though.
Also, I like to carry my sketchbook everywhere I go, and draw stuff I think it's interesting.
I suggest you create a sketchbook thread in the Tutorials and Critiques forum, there you'll find a lot of people willing to help and critique your art.

One last thing, digital isn`t the only way to create good art...
Look at Nordguard or Blacksad for example. And you can do lots of great stuff with just a pencil, like these: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9901054/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9942492/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10036233/


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## Exodai (Mar 4, 2013)

I started drawing around 4 days ago aswell, so high paw!

Being on par with 6 year old kids, I struggled with the confidence to even start drawing at my age (17), so I strongly recommend you to read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Obse...tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1362395483&sr=8-1 (it really helps)

I do not have the patience to draw on paper (no idea why) so I went digital immediately. But it's really up to you whenever you want to start with digital or not. 
If you like to get quick results and use cheap tricks, then I'd go digital. If you do decide to get a cheap tablet, then either get the Trust Flex Design or a Wacom Bamboo, can't go wrong with either of them. 

But before going out buying a tablet, make sure you atleast learn the basics and shortcuts of a drawing program. Otherwise you will spend more time looking for the tools than drawing. 

Lastly, do take drawing exercises online, they might seem completely irrelevant for furry art, but they really help you getting started, quickly at that too! http://www.drawspace.com Is a good site with easy step-by-step guides for complete beginners as well as advanced artists.

I hope this slightly helped you.


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## RTDragon (Mar 4, 2013)

OP you can also post a sketchbook thread on here for starters. or look at others sketchbook threads to get an idea.


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## Senrai (Mar 10, 2013)

Thank you for all of your recommendations. I really appreciate them ^^
I'll be sticking with a good ol' pencil and paper for now. Maybe I'll think about a tablet again after I've filled a few sketchbooks :3


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## mapdark (Mar 11, 2013)

Senrai said:


> My question is as follows: Should I go out and buy a beginner's tablet now to try and develop my basic art skills at the same time as I learn to use an art program, or am I getting ahead of myself, and should I wait until I've got the basics down using a pen and paper before I start trying to learn to use a tablet?



You are DEFINITELY getting ahead of yourself there. 

There are things you need to consider first.

1-Do you EVEN LIKE to draw? I'm asking this because a lot of furries feel like crafting stuff is the only way to participate in the fandom and I have actually seen people forcing themselves to draw when in fact they didn't even like to draw.

2-A tablet is still an expensive purchase. And let me tell you that it's pretty hard to draw with one at first if you're not used to . So if you are a beginner as much as you say to be , it will make so-so drawings look even worse . I think you ought to stick to traditional for a while so you can improve on your skills and THEN consider buying a tablet. Also this way you will find out if you actually like to draw or not and if it happens that you DON'T , well atleast you won't have a useless tablet lying on a shelf collecting dust.

3-You don't SUDDENLY become good at art. it's a skill that needs to get developped and worked on. Ask yourself : Are you willing to spend hours and days and YEARS developping that skill ? If the answer is no , then it will have answered point 1.

I , in NO WAY , want to discourage you from drawing BTW. It's just I find it sad when people force themselves to draw for the sake of trying to fit in.


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## Senrai (Mar 11, 2013)

I'm not forcing myself to draw just to fit in. It's something I've wanted to be able to do for a long time now. I have so many ideas I'd like to see come to life and they're just never gonna come out unless I'm the one making them. I will admit, I'm forcing myself to start trying to draw. Depression issues, blah blah blah, you gotta force yourself to do everything XD I am finding it very relaxing though, and I'm feeling better about myself because I'm actually attempting to learn to do something I very much want to do instead of just sitting on my butt and being down on myself. Drawing so far seems very good for me :3
And I know I won't suddenly become good at art. I know it will take many years of practice, and I'm okay with that. I mean.....I've wasted thousands of hours on video gaming for no real reward. Shouldn't be too hard to start pouring that time into art instead and actually get some real satisfaction out of it. And maybe one day even draw a picture people like!


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## Kio Maru (Mar 15, 2013)

I, too, am starting out, I cannot even draw a straight line (no homo).

"I've wasted thousands of hours on video gaming for no real reward"
I know that feel. I think I could have gotten quite good at anything by now if I hadn't been playing games and procrastinating on the internet for the last 7 years. Still, it's never too late to learn, right?

I just wonder how many hours a day I should contribute to learning art.


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## Zydala (Mar 15, 2013)

Kio Maru said:


> I just wonder how many hours a day I should contribute to learning art.



The honest answer? As many as you can 

Have a saturday off and no plans? Draw like crazy. Back from school or work and you're super tired and have to go to bed soon? Use that last half hour of your day.

Drawing everyday is key to not getting rusty and to learning. Even if it's just a doodle; just keep trying new things. Commit as much as you can without getting frustrated and wearing out. That's the best you can do for yourself.

EDIT: Also, yes, it is never too late to learn


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## Cid_Nielcen (Mar 15, 2013)

Something you may want to consider is you don't need a tablet to draw.  All my stuff is done with Photoshop and a mouse.  Well, I start off with a pencil drawing and scan that in, then do Photoshop.

I am also still a new artist, still learning how to draw =D


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## Kio Maru (Mar 16, 2013)

Zydala said:


> The honest answer? As many as you can
> 
> Have a saturday off and no plans? Draw like crazy. Back from school or work and you're super tired and have to go to bed soon? Use that last half hour of your day.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your reply. Do you know any good ways to seek creativity? I mean I have ideas (many influenced ideas from furry and even non-furry artists) but to employ them feels impossible, I guess I need to learn the theory, right? Then it's just a case of thought -> process -> result? (though, obviously not as simple as that ) So far I've found books on anatomy and this website called drawspace, but how frequently should I attempt a lesson? It's just before I start with that stuff, I need to consider a routine, otherwise I'll feel like I'm not on track. I also want to learn how to digitally paint, is there any decent sites for this or should I just try to work it out like from livestreams and stuff? And my last question is (so I don't take anymore attention from the OP), how long before I could get good enough (like on a commission level, although I'm not really oriented around the idea of commissions, I just want to learn to draw furries), if say I drew for 4-8 hours a day (yep, I have that much free time)?


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## Zydala (Mar 16, 2013)

Those are all questions that don't have straight answers unfortunately. The most helpful way to go about learning is to start with the basics: form, line, value, proportion, perspective, etc. Color is a basic one but it's also a really complex subject so most people start with just white, easy objects until they get the hang of the rest. Or some dive right into color and learn along the way!

If you need a structured schedule, sign up for a beginner's life drawing class in your neighborhood, or if you think you can make your own structured schedule - setting time away for yourself - go for it. If you have time for a lesson on those sites you found, there's no reason not to go for it.

There's no 'right' or 'wrong' way to learn how to draw, no matter what anyone tells you. There's more helpful things to learn _first_, but you'll still be making mistakes. Tons of 'em. All the time. Get used to it ;P

Another thing to keep in mind is that most people who are really good at drawing (and make money off of it) started off going "man I love to draw" and didn't worry so much about the best ways and just learned as they went, then later said "oh hey people will give me money to draw". People who look too far ahead as to what they want to do with their art often overlook the fact that they're supposed to be enjoying the process NOW - mistakes and frustrations all. So don't let too many anxieties get in the way.

So who knows how long it'll take for you to get better? It's different for everyone. But the more you worry about "what lesson and when" and setting up your schedule, that's that much less drawing time, and that means less bad drawings, which means it takes longer to get to the good drawings. So don't worry about it! Just Zen and enjoy the ride.


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## Cid_Nielcen (Mar 16, 2013)

Kio Maru said:


> Thanks for your reply. Do you know any good ways to seek creativity? I mean I have ideas (many influenced ideas from furry and even non-furry artists) but to employ them feels impossible, I guess I need to learn the theory, right? Then it's just a case of thought -> process -> result? (though, obviously not as simple as that ) So far I've found books on anatomy and this website called drawspace, but how frequently should I attempt a lesson? It's just before I start with that stuff, I need to consider a routine, otherwise I'll feel like I'm not on track. I also want to learn how to digitally paint, is there any decent sites for this or should I just try to work it out like from livestreams and stuff? And my last question is (so I don't take anymore attention from the OP), how long before I could get good enough (like on a commission level, although I'm not really oriented around the idea of commissions, I just want to learn to draw furries), if say I drew for 4-8 hours a day (yep, I have that much free time)?



These are not easy questions to answer, and I'm not the most experienced person but I'll give it a shot.

The best way to seek creativity is to do creative things.  The mind is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.  If you do creative things, like trying to think of things to draw, you'll get better at it.  But you don't have to limit yourself to drawing, anything creative will work, like writing or even just daydreaming.

Inspiration can come from anywhere.  A good place to look for it is within your own interests.  What do you like?  What tickles your fancy?  For example, if you like long walks on the beach, you could use that as a theme for a drawing.  Another good place to look for inspiration is your own experiences.  A fond memory could also be used as a theme.

Drawing is not only a matter of what you want to draw, it's also a matter of why are you drawing it.  If you are doing a reference sheet, then the reason you are drawing is to show someone what something looks like.  If you are drawing something because you like it, then you have an emotional investment.  You want the viewer to feel the same thing you do.  Just like it's important for good music to inspire emotion, a good drawing should do the same.

Once you have a theme and a purpose, use your imagination to play out a scene, like in a movie.  Then take a snapshot in that scene that would make a good drawing.  It's much easier to employ your ideas when you know what you want the drawing to look like.

Unless you are treating it like a job, you should draw as often as you feel like.  If you draw when you don't feel like doing it, you wont have much fun and will be less likely to keep drawing.  Finding motivation to draw can be difficult, especially when you are first starting out and things are not turning out the way you want.  A good way to stay motivated is to make drawing part of your life.  An example of how to do this is find other people with similar interests and help motivate each other.  Another way to develop motivation and make it part of your life is to start off by drawing a little bit each day.  I know this goes against the first two sentences in this paragraph, but even if you don't feel like it, it's only a little bit so it's not that bad.  Eventually you will get used to it and it will become routine.

There are all kinds of free tutorials online that can teach you how to use pretty much any drawing program you can get your hands on.  A simple Google search should do the trick.

And for your last question, there really is no way to answer that.  You're just going to have to try it out and see.  One final bit of advice, remember that it is just as important to enjoy the process as much as the results.

Edit:  Darn, Zydala beat me to it.

Edit edit:  Almost forgot, one last tip.  Once you know what you want to draw, do your research!  Look for pictures or drawings that are similar to what you want to draw (but don't copy!).  Just like a painter who has someone pose for a portrait, it's much easier to draw when you have something to look at.  After doing this for awhile, you will be able to draw straight from your imagination.


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## Kio Maru (Mar 16, 2013)

Zydala said:


> Those are all questions that don't have straight answers unfortunately. The most helpful way to go about learning is to start with the basics: form, line, value, proportion, perspective, etc. Color is a basic one but it's also a really complex subject so most people start with just white, easy objects until they get the hang of the rest. Or some dive right into color and learn along the way!
> 
> If you need a structured schedule, sign up for a beginner's life drawing class in your neighborhood, or if you think you can make your own structured schedule - setting time away for yourself - go for it. If you have time for a lesson on those sites you found, there's no reason not to go for it.
> 
> ...



That kind of reminds me of music, to learn the basics first to be able to bring it all together, then working by trial and error and picking up technique along the way. I guess it's the same for any skill, though. So what I gather is, the less worrying about routines and the keyword is basically practice, as someone wise I knew once said in reference to obtaining any skill in life, "it's not about learning what to do; it's about learning what not to do".
Thanks again for your input.



Cid_Nielcen said:


> These are not easy questions to answer, and I'm not the most experienced person but I'll give it a shot.
> 
> The best way to seek creativity is to do creative things.  The mind is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.  If you do creative things, like trying to think of things to draw, you'll get better at it.  But you don't have to limit yourself to drawing, anything creative will work, like writing or even just daydreaming.
> 
> ...



Well for one, my imagination is a vivid place, I just don't know how to convey it, I need teh skillz.
Good idea on the snapshot thing, though my mind can be fast moving and things fall into fragments and it all becomes very abstract to its like a short term memory issue if I'm thinking of something on the spot. Last tip is also in particularly good. My main visual arts interests would be anthro and feral animal characters, high fantasy scenes and characters (incl humans and mythical creatures), the surrealistic/dreamy, realism and cartoon, sci-fi and futurism, epic and alt and concept art - that which I like from those genres is inspirational to me. Though, I feel like I'm getting way ahead of myself here, I can't even draw a circle properly.

Thanks for the tips.


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