What is meant by grasping the fundamentals is to see a cute girl, or a dinosaur, or a house not as a collection of lines, but as an amalgam of simpler shapes. Although a drawing is made of lines, it's not the lines that you're drawing. As the above linked shadow exercise shows, sometimes you can do away with lines entirely--because it's ultimately volume that you're trying to show, the peaks where light gathers and the valleys where light can't get in. As an illustrative example, and these links are slightly NSFW:
I start with a basic stick figure to get the pose down. (http://i.imgur.com/IdBL6.jpg) At this point I'm not worried about details at all, as long as the joints are in the right places and proportions are about correct (torso and arms 2 heads long, each half of the leg a little less). For further guidance, I draw in a ball and plane (http://www.stanprokopenko.com/blog/2009/05/draw-head-any-angle/) for the head, a cut-off egg for the rib cage, and a couple angled ovals at crotch level to represent the pelvic bones.
Second, I start adding volume to my stick figure. (http://i.imgur.com/ee36Q.jpg) In this, art books provide useful practice (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/crapitalism/Artwork/musclepractice.jpg) - these studies come from Loomis's Figure Drawing for All It's Worth. (http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-All-Its-Worth/dp/0857680986)
Only here, with the underlying form, pose and shapes laid out, do I concern myself with hair and eyes and other details. (http://i.imgur.com/8T1tO.jpg)
e: Finished product. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/crapitalism/Artwork/madoka-shibarikini-websize.jpg)
Looking at the ten tips to become a better artist, I have a question: how do I learn to accept failure as a positive thing? I can read those tips, but I don't know how to apply them :/ I'd appreciate help with this.I don't know how to explain it properly. But I'd say the way I try to accept failure as a positive thing is to just move on and be happy with the end results even if its nowhere near the results I imaged...
For those of you on the art-appreciator side of things--Ctrl+Paint's Matt Kohr (http://vimeo.com/44864213) speaks on critique and how to make it as useful as it can be.
Hm, i c. Thanks for the answer, though I could still use more help with that.Well in a way you answered your own question :U
Also, another question: how do I make drawing something that relaxes me? I heard that's a common effect of drawing, but more often than not it makes my mood worse, perhaps due to not being able to really accept failure.
Hm, i c. Thanks for the answer, though I could still use more help with that.If you don't like drawing, just stop...?
Also, another question: how do I make drawing something that relaxes me? I heard that's a common effect of drawing, but more often than not it makes my mood worse, perhaps due to not being able to really accept failure.
@Krackocloud: then, that brings me back to the issue of getting able to accept failure.
@Kinoko: Due to my circumstances, drawing is not something i can simply give up. I need to become a good artist for the sake of my future. It's complicated...maybe I'll make an entry in LettyJournal about it sometime.
@Krackocloud: then, that brings me back to the issue of getting able to accept failure.
@Kinoko: Due to my circumstances, drawing is not something i can simply give up. I need to become a good artist for the sake of my future. It's complicated...maybe I'll make an entry in LettyJournal about it sometime.
Seeing your own mistakes can be pretty difficult. Sometimes it takes days before I see a big glaring flaw in one of my drawings. If you really can't find any mistakes, then you've got to ask for criticism. It'll hurt, but if you've properly acknowledged that your drawings already are bad, then it makes more sense and is easier to accept and work off of.
Also, to clarify, I can deal with the sting of someone pointing out my art is bad, it's just that I can hardly take the sting of hardly executing my drawings well.
Also my own improvement: http://fav.me/d4zfoig :derp:I love that before and after, Paradox, I had to look twice though because at first I thought the improved version was the second one. :V
References? As usual, just read some manga :U.Don't do this.
Don't do this.Whoops. Sorry Termspeon. I forgot art's gonna be really important for your future. Forget about that :x
Also, "Music is art too!" can't everything be considered art really?
Okay sorry for necro-bumping but
How do I draw shoes and feet?
you don't becuz boots are the only thing you should draw :v BooooootsmasterraceBut Satori wears shoes and I'm trying to draw her :V
:v
But Satori wears shoes and I'm trying to draw her :V
BUT REIMU DOES-boots
Oh well thanks anyway
I found this useful though. (http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=shoes+tutorial#/d46jv0m)I find feet in general a bit difficult, so thanks for the link. (saving Tyshea's tut for use in this)
I really need help with realistic expressions - especially profile ones. Whenever I try to draw someone with an angry expression they always come out looking distraught or sad, and I can't find any useful tutorials.
Wow, has it really been two months? Anyway, here's a really useful tutorial on shading basics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V3WmrWUEIJo), one of the best I've seen.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCD2CF65888663986stop that
C'MON IT'S TIME TO GET HYPE SAY HOOP THERE IT IS (http://comictool.blogspot.com/2009/04/this-week-ball-hoop-cone-vase.html)You always find good stuff . :V
(pretty good little anatomy resource)
animation gestures (http://www.floobynooby.com/pdfs/gesturedrawingforanimation.pdf)
Also, quick reminder that this (http://yuumei.deviantart.com/gallery/?q=tutorial#/d58fpqc) is essentially DEVIANTART SANIC RECOLORS: BACKGROUND EDITION before somebody else links it and tells you to use it for whatever infernal reason.
I'll also add some public free domain books later. :V
3D is cool and so, but what you draw is planar arbitrary-by-themselves lines. You cannot create real space within a piece of paper just because the piece is flat.You can't create real space. That's obvious; drawings are 2D. But it's very possible to represent 3D objects on paper.
I wonder if we should move the discussion into other thread, to not derail Espeon's one.
Is it possible to get a sticky on this thread?Guys, that's what the report button is for. We can't exactly check each and every post in each and every thread to see if someone wants a sticky. :V
okay i don't know if that even makes sense and sorry if it's like overly abrasive or somethingIt's okay, one must do his best to offend me even a little bit.
Essentially a process of digestion then? Breaking things down into simpler things.Look at how it Espeon does it. (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/002deg.jpg/) I'd even say simplification makes him to do mistakes rather than actually help. What I see there are cylinders, cones, spheres, but not shoulders or legs.
Which is to say, that you visualize underlying structures as simple polygons and polyhedrons. These themselves are constructed from lines.
What you end up drawing are lines, and the skill to learn is to draw them as you want them to be drawn.
But precisely because lines are arbitrary by themselves, I would suggest one should learn to see shapes instead. In the end you're drawing lines, but they give meaning based on how they associate with other lines.
Also highlighting this blog post. (http://ctrlpaint.com/blog/choose-to-succeed)
Then, how would I go about learning to draw proper shapes?
Would it be okay to discuss how to put that blog post into good use?
Can't really see the shoulder ^^; Mind pointing it out more specifically (with even an oval drawn over each shoulder), and how it looks compared to an arms-not-raised perspective?
Um, draw shapes? The average TF2 model is made up of about 580 bazillion polygons. If you can't even draw and render one polygon convincingly, then what chance do you have? This is why we practice balls, cups, boxes, and other simple stuff until we get sick of it, then keep practicing them until we're able to draw and shade them from any perspective, any lighting angle. Only then are we ready to move up to humans and other complex subjects.
I don't understand the question. When you read that blog post, what did you understand the message to be, and how do you think it was supposed to apply to you?
See attached.
If it's not too much trouble, could you perhaps explain how it is, or explain the proper meaning of a shoulder?I
Aside from the bits about entering the commercial business, I understood the messages as advice on getting to improve faster. Specifically, about "choosing not to fail" and "making yourself have fun with it" Which is advice I could use, if I knew how to apply it. I was hoping to discuss ways to overcome mental blocks to be able to successfully apply that advice.
I'll explain: looking at the ref, I knew that all this time I had been seeing shoulders incorrectly, so I asked for an explanation of what a shoulder exactly is, since (as I mentioned) two parts of that ref seemed to obscure the shoulder. In my eyes, that is.
We've been over this before, albeit in a different context. Without knowing what "mental blocks" you're talking about--that is to say, without being you--we cannot help you on that front. We can provide resources and guidance; what we cannot do is wave our magic wand and make you a better artist, or make you understand a concept. You have to take charge of your own development, which means you need to put in the time, the effort, and the study. Only you can decide what a lesson means to you, and how to apply it in your life.
Shoulder advice
I'll be studying that a lot. Thanks! Though, it doesn't seem to explain how you don't see the shoulder jut-outs when the arms are raised, like in your previous ref. Thats what I meant earlier, btw; I already know that the shoulder juts out, but thanks for reaffirming it for me! Was kinda unsure there, actually...
I'm pretty sure you know what you *should* be learning, and what people are probably going to tell you :U
Because realistic is a big priority!
That being said, even if you choose to go for style first, you will inevitably have to learn realistic anatomy anyway - So it's really just a matter of if you want to put it off for a while or not.
Also, please don't think that realistic drawing doesn't apply to your style. It always does. I can't think of a single art style I've seen that doesn't apply real anatomy to some significant extent.
Except for chibis. Chibis are basically aliens.
Had a feeling this would be the case. What has always been a boundary for me is 'draw from life'. The article mentioned (which is an amazing one by the way) you need to draw anything at random from things to animals to people. But how can you do that when most of those things won't even stand still for a minute? Do you have to memorize the entire thing in one go? Is one minute enough to fully draw something you've seen? And should the resulting drawing be highly-detailed or a sketch to simply get the hang of how things fit together?
The article shows many pitfalls that I have fallen in the past. To be honest, hearing the sheer amount of effort and discipline that goes into it makes me lose hope, but that's what makes me people lose before they even start the race. It's just going to be a long, tough ride I guess.Drawing really isn't different from any skill. And just like with any skill, there will always be discouragements and plateaus that make you wonder - why even bother?
Have you heard of gesture drawing? In Hidamari Sketch, the girls went to the zoo to do gesture sketches of animals. Gesture sketches are really quick (like 30 seconds to a minute) sketches that just try to capture the basic forms and direction. The idea is to skip over the face and all other extraneous details and just try and get a recognizable human-shape down in the pose you want. And because gesture sketches are so short, you can do tons and tons of them in one session. Here are some of my gesture sketches.While I am much too shy to go to figure drawing classes, gesture sketches sound like a wonderful idea. I tend to cycle around the lake in my area to get fresh air. I can bring a sketch pad while cycling and practice drawing on anything I see. That should help~
Of course, you can also do a longer pose with a model. They'll stay still because that's their job and they get paid for it. You don't even have to go to an art school--lots of cities have amateur figure drawing classes for about $12-15 per 2-3 hour session.
Drawing really isn't different from any skill. And just like with any skill, there will always be discouragements and plateaus that make you wonder - why even bother?Yes. I mainly want to draw for fun, and to catch up with my friends (several of them are rather artsy and I haven't been able to practice in a long time. As such, I lag behind a lot). It's a pretty light motivation, but I think it might get me through.
I'm glad that you're willing to endure those parts, but you should also consider why you actually want to learn how to draw, because that may very much determine how much motivation and effort you'll output.
All the 'style' in the world won't save a drawing if the character's head is coming out of her shoulder. Similarly, one of the most prevalent newbie mistakes is flatness--the failure to convey a sense of volume or depth.
Not sure if goes here...Wait, what? Like, casual clothes you'd see someone wear in China if you happened to be there now?
Well, I want to draw in my original character Chinese clothes, but not typical chinese clothes (like the chinese dress), I want casual Chinese clothes, but i don't know how to search it (in google appear clothes but made in China, not Chinese at all)... any idea?
(No, China's or Yoshika clothes don't work, I want to put on her something more casual-original)
Not sure if goes here...I'm not sure I understand what you're looking for - have you been in any East Asian countries? Their fashion sense is different, but in general their clothing is almost completely westernized. If you're looking for something modern-exotic, it's not really there, tbh.
Well, I want to draw in my original character Chinese clothes, but not typical chinese clothes (like the chinese dress), I want casual Chinese clothes, but i don't know how to search it (in google appear clothes but made in China, not Chinese at all)... any idea?
(No, China's or Yoshika clothes don't work, I want to put on her something more casual-original)
I will put this in a easy way: I want my character to be casual, but when you see her, you say "whoa! Chinese style!"
If you're looking for something modern-exotic, it's not really there, tbh.Seriously, the only people who would wear anything like what I'm pretty sure you're asking for are old women 60+.
reference+ this
referenceWhat do you mean?
I've been tryin to make the sclera of some eyes I drew smooth like you see in a lot of animu art like you see here (http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=511944), but regardless of me using tools with smooth settings the edges look pixelly, most noticeable in a high magnification view. Here it is (http://puu.sh/47Exi.png), at 300% magnification.Want a neat tip I've learned over the years of making everything smooth?
So far, I've tried blurring the edges with the blur tool and a low-opacity eraser tool. Anyone know how to pull off them smooth edges? I use Sai, in case that matters any.
Having a really hard time drawing some handsTry to draw the fingers slightly going inward at the tip. It'll make a perspective of the tips being at the top, but also make it a lot rounder, and add lines separating finger joints.
I think I did the right hand okay enough, but have absolutely no idea how to do the left. I kept looking at pictures of hands but their not quite right.
[attach=1]
I think you can see from the right hand what im trying to get, but at a different angle. Someone help?
A lot of the links in the OP are broken.
Other than that one would need to see the rest of the body to put the hand into proportion, since you cannot really judge the slimness of a clenched fist in comparison to the whole figure. (At least I can't. :V)
If the thumb was a bit thinner where it connects to the hand and you could have the transition from hand to arm at the right side bend inwards before it goes to the wrist where the bone stands out.
I suppose then it would look more feminine.
To be honest, I always overreact regarding my drawings look like male as any girls I drew look like guys ._.
been self-learn by redraw naked female figure I found on the booru sites, is that a good way to learn drawing?
So, I've been practicing drawing figures at about ~6 heads tall. As I finished the sketches, and tried to measure with my eyes, it seemed I succeeded in getting the height I wanted.
Then I broke out the ruler, to confirm. Ruler told me I was off by a whole head. So, I tried drawing a 6-head tall figure according to the ruler's numbers, and when I gave it a once-over with my eyes, my eyes told me the figure was 8 heads tall.
Something seems really wrong here. Could someone explain why this happens?
been self-learn by redraw naked female figure I found on the booru sites, is that a good way to learn drawing?
And don't be too harsh on yourself if it doesn't turn out the way you want it to.It's hard when most of your drawans look either like shit or like some form of Cthulhu. :/
been self-learn by redraw naked female figure I found on the booru sites, is that a good way to learn drawing?I'm inclined to disagree, and would instead suggest anatomy guides and figure drawing courses / sessions. It's more important to grasp fundamentals first before going for style.
It's hard when most of your drawans look either like shit or like some form of Cthulhu. :/Eh, we all mess up along the way. Simply move on to the next one taking into account the earlier errors.
Also I don't know if I have an issue but even when I go to doodle, I just end up looking at my blank paper/canvas and my mind goes blank and it annoys me to no end :/
Could you post images to explain what you mean?
Almost every art tutorial I have seen so far always draw the basic shapes before getting to detail, but watching some artist stream and drawing video on youtube, I noticed that most of them don't do that at all and get straight to draw the facial feature detail.That's because they're good. They already got the basic down and memorized and won't forget ever, because before doing youtube videos they've drawn basic shit 200 shitbajifucktillion times. So the answer to your question is
my question is: is basic shape drawing necessary at all?Yes. Completely. 150%.
Almost every art tutorial I have seen so far always draw the basic shapes before getting to detail, but watching some artist stream and drawing video on youtube, I noticed that most of them don't do that at all and get straight to draw the facial feature detail.
my question is: is basic shape drawing necessary at all? is it only good for learning artist to get the facial position and anatomy right?
I decided to halt on practising drawing anatomy and human figure drawing to focus on the face until I could draw a decent anime face.
is there a good tutorial, tips to draw specifically anime face? the tips on the OP is about human face at general, which somewhat different from how faces and hair is draw in anime facially and anatomically.
and no, I'm practice art as an hobby, I want to draw anime because it is what I love and because I want to one day create something visually beautiful, so I wouldn't care less about not being able to draw anything but anime-style drawing.
Even if you just want to learn anime its always a good idea to learn proper human anatomy, especially if you want to become good at it.Especially since anime styling is generally very reliant on consistent anatomy, even if its very caricatured. A good artist will always follow a strict set of anatomical rules they've developed from combining their experience with proper anatomy with their stylistic goal.
Explanations
A good artist will always follow a strict set of anatomical rules they've developed from combining their experience with proper anatomy with their stylistic goal.
Well, not always; I happen to have a friend who when asked about it, pretty much said that she didn't really get as good at drawing people as she did from learning any theory. There's always the exception for these things :/...but is she good at drawing
Just because she didn't study theory doesn't mean she doesn't use it: she could have had the talent to develop her forms from observation alone. If you asked her to draw a chair or a human hand or something else that isn't in her usual style, I bet you she would still draw it better than an average untrained person. That's theory at work.
(Also im updating the master post so if theres anything that you guys are looking for its a good time to say what you might want more of :v)
hair 'tutorial' for a fren (http://puu.sh/3QOaD.jpg)Here you go. :derp:
Wouldn't that leave a mess, though? I don't see that happen in the streams I've watched, nor do I see the artists use such huge brushes.
My apologies if this is the wrong area to for this but can I ask a question about something digital related?
I'm trying to come up with a Banner of sorts using Kanji, but I'm not very sure on how to go about either making the Kanji not look plain or if there is a stylized font I can use. Any tips?You could probably look around for real banners (https://www.google.com/search?site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1360&bih=703&q=japanese+banners&oq=japanese+banners&gs_l=img.3...2442.4004.0.4083.16.7.0.8.0.2.311.1139.2j3j1j1.7.0....0...1ac.1.42.img..12.4.624.m-hRiejmQZM) or other stuff with Japanese writing on it until you find one that gives you inspiration.
How not to feel bad when seeing that what you're drawing is shit? That's not motivating at all. :/
And by "how not to" I mean "any other way besides 'just come and don't'", if there exists any.
How not to feel bad when seeing that what you're drawing is shit? That's not motivating at all. :/pasu mentioned something about art block, which reminds me of this:
And by "how not to" I mean "any other way besides 'just come and don't'", if there exists any.
?Writer?s block is a gift from God.? ? OSCWriter's block, artist's block, same difference. (Thank you, Orson Scott Card, I love your books)
Writer?s block is not when you look at the words and they seem stupid.
It?s not a disease, it?s a blessing. Either you just wrote or are about to write something you just don?t believe in. Go back and start asking yourself what else could happen. Find something you believe in.
You don?t write your way out; you invent your way out. You end up with more story.
How not to feel bad when seeing that what you're drawing is shit? That's not motivating at all. :/
And by "how not to" I mean "any other way besides 'just come and don't'", if there exists any.
2.) Do something you just find relaxing (for me it was coloring other peoples' lineart). This could be scribbling nonsense if there's no relaxing part of art for you yet. It's just a good way to wind down and relax and will still keep you drawing *something*
But yes, in the end it's difficult to get over if you stop drawing completely. Keep at it though, I'm sure the thing you really want to draw will come to you.
But I won't improve if I don't draw. :fail:
Tidal, well, I sorta have a thread for this kind of things and sometimes even post something there, stuff that doesn't look too hopeless (or wasn't intended to be good from the very beginning, which is usually just :colonveeplusalpha:).
Seems there's no way besides "just sit and draw" after all. Gonna get some chocolates then, I guess, and continue to attempt to draw classmates from photos more often that 0.5 tries/month. ._.
I'm trying to come up with a Banner of sorts using Kanji, but I'm not very sure on how to go about either making the Kanji not look plain or if there is a stylized font I can use. Any tips?Luckily for you, I recently had to do a bit of searching myself for one of my classes. Here (http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Japanese.html) is a pretty useful list of some Japanese font (naturally, this includes kanji), simply install them after downloading.
So, I've been progressing through Loomis' Figure Drawing For all It's Worth, and I'm near the point where I have to work from this page (http://puu.sh/8F2F1.png). Problem is, that it has quite a bit of skeleton foreshortening that I wasn't taught in any parts prior to that page, or anywhere else for that matter.
What am I supposed to do, there?
So, I've been progressing through Loomis' Figure Drawing For all It's Worth, and I'm near the point where I have to work from this page (http://puu.sh/8F2F1.png). Problem is, that it has quite a bit of skeleton foreshortening that I wasn't taught in any parts prior to that page, or anywhere else for that matter.
What am I supposed to do, there?
Any good tips on how to begin on making your own sprites? I'm working on a project and I feel bad for using others work and would prefer to use what I make. If it would help it's gonna have Touhou characters so any tips on how to convert them easily over to custom sprites would be very helpful.
I've been trying to figure out how to draw the head tilted upwards as seen from the front, but i don't get how the jaw shape changes. I understand that features like the eyes, ears, and hairline are placed differently in relation to each other, but when I try to draw the jaw, I get something like this (http://puu.sh/8WEOv.jpg).
So, how does it work?
Experience.
The more you draw the more stable you get with it. After drawing the same pose for the fiftieth time you know what you're doing and it just flows.
Speed is something that just comes with time, nothing you focus on acquiring.
Well I'm getting to the point where GIMP is falling behind on what I need to do so I've been thinking of getting photoshop (thank god for monthly plans... are they till it's paid off for forever?) so I was wondering what version of photoshop I should go with? I look on the main website and it looks like they have a Photoshop CC but is that the same as say CS2 is? It's been years since I used it... like Photoshop 7, so I'm a bit confused.Adobe CC is a subscription model. You pay indefinitely to keep using the product(s) - and whle it is cheaper than buying retail, it essentially ties you to Adobe's services (and if Adobe authenticaiton servers are down, well, forget being able to use the program!).
Before you go buy Photoshop, first try out Krita (https://krita.org/). I've tried it and thought that it was pretty packed with features and tools. Interface and brushes are especially nice. I don't use it because it's a bit heavy on my crappy laptop, but it's free so definitely check it out.Haven't tried that program yet (Sketchbook Pro user here, and I tend to do more traditional sketching), but the FLOSS and cross-platform nature of this may make it a good go-to recommendation for any digital illustrators.
EDIT: Oh also my avatar I'd like to be evaluated please! I'm not 100% sure how to go about it really, it's what I had in my head before I made it but not sure if the outlines are really good on Eiki but it was to help her not blend in with the scales of justice in the background. Speaking of the scales, is it not large enough? I felt it really fit with her and it made making it black and white simple but not sure if I should try to have it stand out more or since Eiki is the main focus that it should be made smaller or stay the same. The border seems a bit jagged and not sure how to fix that, but should I even add something to it for a actual border? So many questions, sorry! :wikipedia:
I did a bit of experimenting, and I just discovered a neat little trick in Sai in regards to filling things with base colors. You have all the lineart in one layer, the base color layer(s) under it, and when you select the areas in the lineart you want to fill, you then go to Selection->Increment. That makes expands the selection area so that when you fill in the color, you won't have any of that white pixel garbage.
Hello all! I'm in need of some advice and help if possible. I'm looking to actually start drawing in general but hope to get to the point where I can make my own portraits for my projects. How should I begin to start? On paper or through things like photoshop? I do not have a tablet so how would someone like me get my stuff online or is it even possible to get high quality works without one?1.) Draw with pencil and paper; 2.) Scan it; 3.) If you think you want to enhance it(like adding colors, etc), use either Sai(I prefer this) or Photoshop; 4.) Upload; 5.) Profit
OK picked up a sketchbook today along with some colored pencils, kinda nervous to even get started but as you say the sketchbook is for experimenting. I kinda wanted to by some colored crafting paper and make some paper versions of Touhou character out of cut shapes, maybe next paycheck lol.Protip: Focus on what you can do now, and sweat with the small stuff later.
For a pencil would any just do for the sketchbook or should I get a certain kind?
Drew some monster girls. (http://tidalespeon.deviantart.com/art/DAversity-Assignment-10-496242771) (nsfw)Chihuhua monster girl should be a loli IMO. :derp:
Only really satisfied with the penguin girl, myself. Opinions?
Feedback
Feedbacks
Excuse me... I'm trying to get into serious comic making and I was wondering if anyone had any programs that I can use to make an easier time of formatting. I use SAI, but to be frank, I find it's editing capabilities to be somewhat weak, so mostly what I do is paint and sketch in it, without finishing many pictures. I don't think I can insert text into it (which makes putting in dialogue hand-cramping at best) and I've no idea how to use the line tool for panel layout, so I mostly end up drawing my own lines which are frankly sloppy at best.
Something simple that isn't too hard to transfer to would be my favorite, but I'm open to suggestions. Also I want to know if there are any particular stipulations on size. I tend to try to go for larger images, but ahh... I'm aware that some of them get crunched up in previews. Is there any way to avoid this?
I've made one comic (Here! (http://40.media.tumblr.com/86992ca19792892ce729745951332c82/tumblr_nbo48x6YaE1s5d3c7o1_1280.png)) so far, but it was pretty back-breaking and I had to give up on nice clean linework so I don't know if I'll try it this way again. Any critique at all, especially on layout and readability is greatly appreciated!
Great start to your comic there! I like the stroke, and the page size is fine if this is meant for online reading. The text as you said, could be cleaner, but it actually does fit in context with your style.
Anyway, for programs, there's of course the usual Adobe Photoshop which may cost an arm and a leg, but I'd suggest Clip Studio Paint (http://www.clipstudio.net/en). The pens are similar to Sai, and there are editing tools to add in panel layouts, text, and screentone effects among others. The Pro version is rather affordable and there's even periodical sales where the price goes even lower.
For page size, if it's online, then the sky's the limit and you can make the canvas as big as you want, but if you're planning for future book printing, something along A4/B4 size at 300 to 600 dpi would suffice. With that you can already resize for the usual book sizes without losing quality in print.
Hope that helps and keep on drawing :D
I've tried Monoprice and low-end Wacom. Monoprice is really, really good. I'd totally recommend it for anyone who's not drawing for a profession, though you should note that it's desperately lacking in tech support and may have compatibility issues - nothing you can't work around, and the price does make up for it, but it can still be a hassle.
Drawing pads as in tablets? Try Monoprice.
if you've got $50 to shell out (http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=113&cp_id=11303&cs_id=1084101)or wacom if you have $$$
Thank you for the info, Mea.
So... I just found this on Mercado Livre (pretty much the Brazilian equivalent to ebay):
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-597572051-mesa-digitalizadora-tablet-wacom-manga-comic--_JM
It's a bit expensive, but seems to be specific for drawing manga style. Since this is the style I want to draw mostly, would it be a good idea to purchase this model?
Do your colors have enough saturation? No they don't.Don't over-saturate your colours, now! :P
Screen sizes are almost always measured and categorised in inches, even in lands where imperial measurements are otherwise unknown.Why do tech sites use filthy imperial system instead of glorious metric system?
Everyone struggles with a typical drawing tablet at first. Don't expect to get good drawings from it for a good while, and just keep practicing.
Pen control will be what let's you improve the most during the early stages. You can't learn to draw, if you can't draw.That's something I didn't consider before and I imagine it's certainly a contributing factor.
Also I like Hampton muuuch more than Loomis (buy a physical copy of his figure drawing book (http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-Invention-Michael-Hampton/dp/0615272819) after getting throuhg fun with a pencil and skip every other loomis book). Bridgman is alright too but miles less comprehensible.Hm I might have to get one myself. What else would you recommend? I'm going through one of the Bridgman anatomy PDFs and having some trouble since it pretty much only lists muscles and their actions with a couple limited example pencil sketches thrown in.
If you're just looking for a place to start then I actually recommend copying other things you see, whether it be other paintings (even then it can be anything from a photograph, to a old master painting to a random image on Danbooru that you like) or objects from life. Drawing from another 2D image will be easier because then you can just focus on the shapes rather than try to figure out exactly how to translate a 3D object to a 2D surface. Also, to clarify, I mean copy, not trace. Tracing will not help you, but copying is much more useful than it sounds, and I'm surprised it doesn't get recommended more often.I always re-draw my game screenshots instead of using my imagination to create one picture. Never knew it's a really good tip.
For me, the first hurdle with painting was training my eyes to see what's actually there rather than what my brain thinks is there. In order to avoid overwhelming us with information, our brains developed a very effective auto-correct system and simplification system that we as artists have to learn to look past in order to accurately portray what we see. By copying something, you're learning to look at what's actually there rather than what you think is there. It's important to take it really slow so that you make sure you're really paying attention to everything there. Besides helping you learn to train your eyes, if you're copying photographs or other works that you consider 'good' or 'high quality' you're giving yourself a baseline for your own work. You'll just start understanding whether or not something is 'correct' because you've been looking at it and emulating it for so long. This will help you spot mistakes in your own work so that you can go correct them.
For techniques, there's one that I think carries over regardless of what you want to draw, the medium you want to use, or any other techniques you find you like: an iterative approach. What I mean by that, is that you don't want to jump into details right away, rather you want to start with the simpler shapes and then fill in the details so that you can see the whole image first and make sure your composition's good, your proportions are correct etc. This post (http://anatoref.tumblr.com/post/126495809101/light-and-shading-tutorial) shows it better than I explain it. See how the artist blocks out the simple shapes first and then starts adding details?
For medium, most of what you learn from one medium will carry over to others just fine; you'll have to learn the quirks of whatever particular medium you want to use. So, if you know you want to do digital I don't think there's anything wrong with picking up a tablet and diving right into it. If you're not sure you'll like the hobby, or just can't afford a tablet right now, then starting out with a pencil and paper won't slow you down any if you decide to switch to digital later. Don't worry about it too much, the important part is just drawing.
With all that said, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do to learn how to draw is draw what you like. Learning how to draw can be frustrating, so it's important to keep it fun. Besides, no one becomes an artist 'to get better,' they do it because there's stuff they want to draw. So, be sure to do whatever's fun for you.
it's not very nice to have to ask the audience to download the file, load up a midi player, load the file, select the instruments, and then finally after all this to play the file. People don't have long attention spans and I certainly feel less inclined to go listen to something when I need to go through all these steps to listen to it.That's probably an issue on your end. In my experience all a MIDI requires is Windows Media Player unless you're trying to play it at higher quality than necessary (which is rather pointless for such simple files).
midi doesn't feel like a very responsible or considerate form to submit your work instrikes me as true (with all the rest of it in mind, of course). That's why I'm trying to do something about it. It doesn't have anything to deal with attention spans of people though :P
DAWs are a good way of doing that. There are plenty of free ones out there which you can find on the google machine. There are also lots of free vsts that you can download, virtual instruments, among which you can pick out the one that you would like your notes to be played by. I'm not super well-versed with the usage of these because I don't use these much, but simple experimentation with them works well most of the time.Thanks! That's exactly what I wanted to know! I also did a bit of research myself, but I don't understand all of this yet. Isn't a VST basically a software synthesizer, and do I need one for each of the instruments, or can one be used as more than one instrument, if I use different settings? Because I really use a lot of them already. Also, could you (or someone else around here) recommend some of those that sound prettiest? And do those plugins also emulate drums? I think, if I got that correctly, that there are also such things as samples and soundfonts, that can also be used to make music, not just synthesized sound. Should I use those as well?
In my experience all a MIDI requires is Windows Media PlayerThat's not entirely true: some platforms don't have a way of playing midi at all (like my former Windows Phone), and some others play it not the intended way (like my new Android device). What Mea said is correct. As I send a file to my friend, who I know has Windows, I can be relatively sure that he hears the same sound that I do, but that's not the case, when I upload it for a broader audience.
I think, if I got that correctly, that there are also such things as samples and soundfonts, that can also be used to make music, not just synthesized sound. Should I use those as well?If you want certain sounds, it might be better to get soundfonts. I haven't yet stumbled into the world of VSTs, but I am aware that they are very different. Best idea is to just get both and mess around with both until you find what you like. It's all about experimenting.
What worries me is that some of the more complex formatting that I used in my midis didn't import into LMMS correctly; it probably doesn't support all of the so-called flags or events.Yeah, that's normal. I tried importing a pitch-bend, and it literally crashed. I suggest you only put the notes in, and edit all other effects in the DAW itself. It's easier in the long run, and gives more freedom.
I thought this was clear enough. My fault for not elaborating more on MIDIs. I just thought it wasn't really necessary, considering you're moving away from them (as individual sound files). MIDIs are just a series of notes and simple techniques, and so use the sounds of what's actually playing them, which is why your Android phone made it sound different. Also Macs are not capable of playing them at all without external software, mainly because of the file-type (possibly because of a lack of pre-installed sounds too, but I don't actually know about that). Either way, MIDIs are still not good forms to release content as, when they're the main feature.Windows Media Player
considering you're moving away from them (as individual sound files)No, really, I think I'll still be using midi a lot, at least to input most of the unaltered notes. Piano roll is just too inconvenient for the task.
MIDIs are just a series of notes and simple techniques, and so use the sounds of what's actually playing them, which is why your Android phone made it sound different.I know that ^^ I've actually been using this format for years already, but I started trying to arrange Touhou stuff only a little more than a year ago. One of the best things about midi, even to this day, is that it's pretty much universal. Most of the software that has something to do with music also has a means to interpret midi, making it almost as portable as such things get.
No, really, I think I'll still be using midi a lot, at least to input most of the unaltered notes. Piano roll is just too inconvenient for the task.I completely agree, to be honest. I use MuseScore and export/import MIDIs to external software, because I prefer the manuscript interface. I just meant the use of them as the actual content.
I know that ^^ I've actually been using this format for years already, but I started trying to arrange Touhou stuff only a little more than a year ago. One of the best things about midi, even to this day, is that it's pretty much universal. Most of the software that has something to do with music also has a means to interpret midi, making it almost as portable as such things get.MP3s and WAVs are also very universal, and manage to keep playback consistent, although the good thing about MIDIs is how easy they are to make, as well as their small size.
With all your help, I might finally be ready to post one of my arrangements soon. Because, well, I really need some feedback. While I don't think they are utterly awful, there is always room for improvement, right? I'm still not sure where to upload it. Would you recommend something?I use SoundCloud, but after you upload a certain amount of music it becomes a paid service. It lasts quite a bit though. If you can make some kind of a thumbnail, YouTube is another option, although I'd wait until you're confident for that one (it doesn't really matter, just my personal opinion).
YouTube is another optionYeah... er, no. I mean, Youtube is full of trolls, I'm not ready for THAT kind of public attention. SoundCloud should probably be fine, thank you!