Pursuing Art At 30(as a beginner)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- It's scary out there, here's some of the lessons I learned while attempting to learn how to draw from scratch, with no prior experience in art.
Reach out on Twitter! @TaylorLosch
Music Used:
Stardew Valley OST - Stardew Valley Overture
Stardew Valley OST - Mines (Magical Shoes)
Dredge OST - The Restless Town
Alice Mare OST - Miracle of the Stars
Art is not a matter of your age or body (as many "handycaped " artists prove). Art is a matter of mind, mindset und your heart. And that's the beauty of it, because art is for everyone no matter the sex, age, heretage, religion or anything else. Every artists starts at a different point and puts something very personal in his, her or their work.
And everyone is still on the journey...
Your 100% right! I just didn't think that was the case until early this year.
So if anything I hope others can find that out earlier than I did.
Don't put a quotation on handicapped, don't deny the truth.
and that journey never ends.
Yes, every art is art. However, if I wanted to draw realistic portraits, but now I can't do it because of lack of skill and training, I won't be satisfied with whatever nonsense I can put onto paper now, I won't call that art.
It is indeed important to appreciate any level a person can produce, while accepting nothing is perfect; or sometimes a simple piece can be perfectly fit for whatever the artist wanted to achieve.
We use the word Disabled, without quotations. None of us are ashamed of our disabilities.
Started art in mid 30's, have done it professionally several years later. Enjoy your own journey, only you can walk your own path. 10-30 minutes per day is plenty, but the most important thing is understanding yourself.
Thanks for the advice!
When I first started I wanted to get good as soon as possible, but the more I drew the more I started to enjoy the process. Now I'm just interested in seeing how far I can go! XD
What job did you get? I started drawing at 19 and am looking into storyboarding for my future career :D
This is great to hear! Started drawing 4 years ago, and now at 31, I was wondering if it was still possible. I was in the same boat as TaylorLosch - wanted to get good as soon as possible but the secret sauce seems to be just to enjoy the process and stay at it.
This is the thing I noticed and stopped my studying and am focusing more on what I want to do and why, just grinding knowledge is already hard for me, and without feedback from a mentor I'm stuck doing extra work trying to figure out the wrong parts and having to guess, so that's going on the backburner for now instead of hoping to one day be good enough to do the things I want
what does ‘professionally’ mean exactly here?
Something I think everyone should keep in mind regarding PewDiePie's art journey is that he's retired. He put in the work but most of us don't have the amount of free time he does to pursue our hobbies. Stop the comparisons, be patient, and keep trying.
That is Definitely true lol. I need to get better at not comparing myself to others for sure.
I have more free time so I really should compare and stop procrastinating
at least in the first video he said he drew like 30 mins a day, might have been even less too
i partially disagree. its not uncommon for people to hit 3-4 or more hours of social media a day at all. the main point is if people actually prioritize it it's possible to make significant gains without needing to spend a decade doing it. obviously not everyone but lots of people have more free time than they realize or are willing to admit.
He put in like 15-30 minutes a day
As someone who started to draw on my 27's as a hobby, my advice is to draw what you love. If you love to draw stories, try to draw stories that you love. If you like to draw animals, star to draw animals. If you like anime girls, draw anime girls. Practice figures like cubes and circles some in a while, but keep in mind what you love to draw, what you enjoy, otherwise it could be really hard to keep motivate :')
Anyone who's starting drawing at any time, is never too late!! :D
That's perfect advice! I think I should have stated in the video more about enjoyment and finding what's fun for sure.
I'm glad you pointed it out XD
Yeah, the enjoyment factor is so important! I was so fixated on getting better that i burnt out and dropped drawing for many years. Only now picking it back up. Dont burn out, seriously!
Damn, nice to know someone else is starting this late too, I'm 31 myself, used to do it a bit in college but thought 2 months ago to take it seriously. Been a good ride so far, hard but rewarding.
Keep it up man! You got this 💪 🙌
@@TaylorLosch You too man✌
I'm in the same position myself, keep it up and enjoy it!
I love this! I will say, as an adult, I think you will find it easier to improve than a small child. Kids often don't have the self-reflection, self-criticism, concentration, and hand-motor-skills required. They are often 100% stagnate, all the way up until they start becoming older, and then 'magically' improve. At least thats how it worked for me.
I definitely think your right! I feel like I'm better at learning things now, despite always hearing that kids learn better.
I agree with this. I was too much of a perfectionist to learn as a kid too. Starting as an adult, I’ve enjoyed it a lot more.
That actually works for pretty much any mental activity (including learning languages and composing/playing music), just in case. Kiddos are overrated (/affectionately).
The beginning of something great. This video felt like there was already experience beforehand with making youtube videos. Pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t. Also finally someone addresses this problem and then talks about their journey facing this age art problem.
Thank you so much for the compliments! I'm glad I was able to surprise you haha 😄
Funny enough, when I saw the very first derpy drawing in the beginning, I was genuinely like AWE WHAT A CUTE CHARACTER!! ;o;
This was a great video to watch. I got back into drawing at 34 during lockdown in 2020 and now I'm in my second year of animation in university. Never too late to start.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
One thing ive gleamed from my addiction to art videos is the three big things are consistently, completion and clear goals.
Consistently means doing art regularly(covered in video), completion means taking art to a finished state, and goal that have fixed meaning.
With completion it's not about it being a masterpiece it's just working past the ugly phase and doing all the details, highlights and shadows that can put good moments into something, you might even save something you were giving up on. Or at least have things you'll want to copy into the next try.
Goals are just being sensible, where you need to go and what getting there looks like. Learning hands. Learning hair. Breaking it down into the steps like bullet points to check off. like i can block it out, i can make the blocks into organic shapes, i can texture and detail. You'll probably cycle through as you improve but its about marking milestones for where you've gotten not chasing the horizon perfection sits on.
I think you bring up alot of good points, I hope other beginners read all these comments to get a fuller picture haha.
I myself need to work on rendering entire pieces for sure. As I spend countless hours just sketching stuff out and not really moving past that stage.
Thanks for adding to the conversation!
@@TaylorLosch I do think what you're doing is awesome and something truly beneficial, as I do see a lot of disheartened adult beginners in comment sections and online art groups. If you can encourage people where it's not so daunting, the less targeted artist channels & etc will feel like a resource and not a high hurdle.
Also hands are on my short list of what to improve so looking forward to the video.
Probably should say somewhere I'm more art enthusiast and artist as a hobby that anything meaningful, but I do try to pass on helpful advice and information.
This is some good advice. Trusting the process is absolutely key, and setting goals is super important!
This is super inspiring :] keep drawing!! The longer you persue art, you find out new things about yourself. What you prefer to draw, how you like to learn, your own routine etc. It's so rewarding. Even if you don't plan to make a career out of it, I think art is something anyone can use for expression. Do what you love!
Its been inspiring reading everyones stories and encouragement! I'll do my best to keep going haha. XD
Everything you said in this video is so relatable. Even if you aren’t new in art, this things are a constant as an artist
I'm 38. I was into art but stopped due to been told how bad I was now. Now after a breakdown and autismn diagnosis later im back drawing and painting again. Can i say I'm learning just to do art for myself first and everything else comes after is a bonus. I would like to do paintings and make picture books. So I'm just taking each day as comes. Don't late the world write you off because of your age its never too late to learn. So I could really relate to your videos. Thanks for sharing x
That's exactly what's important. Learning for yourself and no one else! I know your going to kick ass on your journey, I have no worries 😉
Your drawings exercises are so good, I can see you took the practice seriously and did your best to understand them which I see is something a lot of beginners ignore - me included lol I didn't even know how to practice in my first two years of taking art seriously.
But now, if you don't mind, here's some advice from an intermediate artists. The two things that were essential for me in my artistic journey were 1: find what you love to draw. In the beginning I used to draw what I thought was beautiful and subjects that other big artists also draw and that almost killed my joy for drawing, so please hear my advice and go out and experiment with different media, style and subjects and find the ones you really like. Doing what you love is what will make you always pick up your pencil to draw. And 2: If you want to improve you need to learn how to practice right. I recommend the one week practice plan, I don't know who exactly created, I heard somewhere it may be Peter han, but it's a method where instead of taking a drawing season or a day to learn something you instead make plan to study and draw it for a week so you can have time to fully figure out the subject. It doesn't have to be precisely a week, but still you have to dedicate some days if you really want to learn it. Also, if you have a broader goal like learning anatomy for a few months that you can also divide learning which muscle per week. That's the most effective method of practice that I found for me because now I don't forget the information that I learn. There's also other details about this method and the only video I have ever seen taliking about it in english here on youtube is from Jacob from Drawfee. I recommend searching for "Drawclass: Jacob's no pressure guide to learning how to enjoy art practice " if you are interested.
Hey, thanks for all the advice! That's really helpful, I'm gonna look up the video you recommend now, haha.
I think that's what happened to me when I was only doing drawabox, is I just wasn't enjoying it. Experiencing other forms of art helped me alot I didn't go over it alot in the video but I started oil painting & then obviously digital art, playing with different mediums I think is very fun and something I hope to dive into more as I get better.
Thanks again for the advice. I'll do my best to adhere to it 😆
This is good advice!
@@TaylorLosch hey, sorry man but I think a got the video of the playlist confused. It should be the video "Jacob's no pressure guide to learning how to enjoy art practice" instead. If you already watched that other two hour vlog sorry again, but at least that video has some good advice too. If you haven't then you can just watch this guide video.
You shoudn't sell yourself short. I'm not a bigginer in art and I love your videos ! I was always good at drawing and dedicated pretty much my whole life to it. So it is facinating to hear someone so different from me entering the world I love !
And I have to say, your exercise drawing are highly impressive. And you made sooo many of them. You have the dedication and patience of a monk. Seriously !
I think the "Just draw" advice might come from a place of frustration. Through out my life, I don't know how many times I heard things like "You're so lucky you can draw!" or "I wish I could draw to!" Like, you have paper, you have a pencil. If you WANT to draw...JUST DO IT ! It's not a magical art that only the few chosen one can weild. But I know see that it can feel degrading to be told that. So I guess it should be more like "Try it. It's fun!"
I appreciate the kind words! I'm not that patient, I promise lol 😆 😂
instant sub because of your methodology.
There is something that you alluded, or spoke of, and that is '' diving in research '' beginners and people wanting to get better drown in research so much that we get tired and decide to not draw at all for a while, an example of that would be researching the best '' character design book '' getting confused and branching out into other researches cause we think it is related.
The best advice is the advice you gave, focus on 1 thing, get better at it and move on, all that while having a clear bigger goal.
mine is : becoming a creature designer, so learning animal anatomy, drawing animals and mishmashing them, learning how to render fur, all of those are on my agenda.
It makes me so happy to see more and more people picking up drawing as a hobby. I started at a really young age but I put a lot of pressure onto myself to be a "good" artist. I was off and on with art as I struggled to relearn the joy of making art. I appreciate the thought process you had before and after. Art is not just on the paper or screen, art is a feeling that transcribes into music, drawing, or whatever art medium is your fancy. What is it you want to know how to draw and how are you going to get to that are the two main things I ask myself too. I'm very happy to hear your opinion as art as a hobby really should be more common and heard. My biggest advice is to keep learning/trying new things, in example use a new brush, if you draw with boxes, try circles this time etc. Art is ALWAYS CHANGING and GROWING, my all time favorite part of being an artist.
I could have never of predicted learning to draw would take me to working with oil paint, sculpting in 3d, or wanting to create music.
Art really does just make you want to CREATE. It's been one of the best things I've done for sure.
Thanks for watching!
Something key that I think a lot of people look over about PewDiePie's progress is that he hard focused one subject matter. I think you have set yourself up to progress really fast by starting out with draw a box and now choosing to focus on hands as a subject matter. Its a long but rewarding road learning to draw and I wish the best of luck! I look forward to more of your videos :)
That's definitely a good point about pewd's video, something that took me awhile to figure out, haha. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
I'll do my best to learn form every video I make, so the next is a smidgen better 😆
Something people also leave out is that he was already an established artist, he got his start long ago by doing photoshop edit commissions. While he may not have had a lot of practical drawing skill, dude had at least some artistic knowledge.
I'm not sure if I recall this correctly, but I believe he said he used to study architecture while working in a hotdog stand and also publishing youtube videos...? I think, when I saw his first attempts, he was at least 5 to 15 years ahead of me. I've only studied engineering and math and when I tried drawing, I was definitely like him when he was in highschool. I believe he did had some fundamentals already somewhat done
Also 30 and started going to school for graphic design last year. Best of luck to you!
You too man, you got this!
I find myself on the complete opposite end of the spectrum here. I'm 17 and have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I find videos like these really interesting, listening to people who start their art journey a lot later than I talking about their experiences and what they're learning along the way. It makes me think about where I might be with my art when i'm in my thirties! great stuff!
Just remember you have all the time in the world! There's no need to rush anything. 😆
Hey I started art about 7/8 years ago from scratch!! And I think you and everyone eles will have such a great journey, my only thought would be to always enjoy the process and journey! It's so easy to get down on yourself for not being better then x but it's all about a self reflection not comparison
That's definitely something I'm learning to do better everyday lol.
Awesome to hear your so far into your journey and still going! Wishing you the best of luck!
i started drawing digitally back in mid 2021 on my phone with my grubby fingers, was absolutely awful at it, and after meeting my bf through mutuals on twitch, i started rapidly drawing his OC as if it was what made me breathe. I've made roughly 400 drawings since, and even tho plenty of them were atrocious, there were pieces that just blew me away when i finished them. Looking back to my old art from where i am now, i'm still wildly baffled at how much i grew, as i now even help friends improve on their art with little nuggets of info. It took time, and i'm nowhere near being perfect, but being able to look back and see how far you've come, will always be satisfying. I look forward to watching your art grow, and i wish you nothing but the absolute best on your journey!! Lots of love from South Africa dude
That's such an awesome story man! I love hearing it, and hope to see the same thing for myself haha.
I know your only gonna keep growing! Good luck! 👍
oml those exercises look pretty good and clean! As person who's just been drawing what they want for a couple years it's kinda hurt my progress on the more technical side. Not to say that making art you wanna do is bad, but it was all I was doing. As a result, I neglected actually studying fundamentals which I could benefit from. I think it's really cool that you're sharing your art process! It really helps to remind new artists and older ones too that we all start from somewhere! Hell I might start studying fundamentals. good luck!
Get after those fundamentals! Lol 😆 you got this!
So nice to see so many people starting art from scratch late in life. Makes me feel less lonely. I started at the age of 26 from zero and have been doing it for three years now. Three years and a 1000 boxes later, I've come to realize that good things take time. Thanks for making this video and I hope that you keep going and never give up! 🙂 Hope the same for myself because some days are so hard but all that matters is that we showed up and kept at it! More power to you! 👍🏼
This video was really interesting~ As someone who's been drawing on and off her whole life, I always think its cool to see beginners documenting their progress as they learn art and go through the many ebbs & flows lol.
Wishing you the best on your art journey!
@kiricappuchin I'm wishing you the best too!!
Wanna know what will make your anime art feel better faster? You see the ends of the lines inside the hair and inside clothes and stuff like that? Taper them. Take the eraser tool and erase so it comes to a point. This instantly makes all beginner art look more elevated.
Good luck ! Your love for improvement is contagious, keep it up
Thanks, you too! XD
I'm one of the people you would consider "Used to draw but stopped at one point" only, I never got very good at it and if I actually collected all of my art it'd probably only fill up a single sketch book.
I stopped over a decade ago because of personal reasons and feeling like I'd never be any better at it. I picked it back up a couple of years ago because of a vtuber I watch, but even then I wasn't taking it very seriously because it just brought back all of my self-doubts about improving. Last year I decided to finally be serious about it and it's frustrating because unlike back in my teens and early twenties I'm not really able to keep my hands from shaking so I'm never able to draw a straight line, but I refuse to give up this time.
I have so many stories in my head that I want to tell through my art, and eventually become good enough to animate as well. This video is inspirational to me, thank you for sharing your perspective from someone else in their thirties. I look forward to seeing your journey in art!
Also, I've wanted to do the same as you and share my learning journey on TH-cam, do you have any pointers on starting out?
Do I have any pointers? 😆
I'm just starting out with you! This was my attempt to figure youtube out haha.
So I'd say give it a go! Try making a video that you think you'd enjoy watching. I knew when I went about making videos that I wudnt be as interested if I just sat in front of the camera, so I went about making the video in a way to avoid that 🙃
But alot of people like the talking head videos, so if that's what you like don't let me stop you haha.
I know your going to do amazing! Feel free to let me know when you upload your video!
@@TaylorLosch You may be new as well but I don't even know where to start lol I understand what you mean though. Appreciate the answer, all the same 😀 I'm pretty introverted but I wanted to use making videos to help get over that. I was kind of waiting to work up the courage to but, I think now, after watching your video I should just do it.
@@shelbyjackson6903 100%! I'm not that much of an extrovert trust me lol, you got this!
I watched your 2 videos and they're very nice, how you talk about your experience is inspiring and heartwarming. Can't wait to see what you'll do next
Aw, thank you so much! I truly feel lucky that people like you found my videos despite being a new creator. 😆
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m on day 4 of my art journey (30y/o) and my process has so far led me through a similar series of realizations. I can only get so much out of drawing lines and cylinders. Ultimately I have to embrace just drawing stuff badly so I can more easily see what I need to improve at.
Boxes and cylinders are like aim trainer programs for FPS players. It’s an important skill to develop but eventually you need to round out your development by just playing (drawing) the real thing.
Thats a really good point! I play a few shooters and have downloaded aim lab a few times myself lol.
I love videos like these! I started drawing around eighth grade and very intermittently throughout high school. I felt like I was in that beginner stage that whole time. My first couple years of college were when I really started to grow rapidly. I think it is important to value having fun with art most of all, and that may sound challenging since it can be so hard. I didn't get addicted to art until I started seeing results. It's a lot easier to have fun with art when you're good lol. The secret sauce for me in art was the epiphany of how important constructional skills were. Everything really is built out of simpler shapes. So I'd say practicing breaking down objects into simpler 3D shapes does wonders, and other skills like perspective work together with this. Mileage is super important as well, these skills won't come immediately. Just make sure not to burn yourself out and enjoy the process the best you can.
Oh ya, totally that's awesome advice! And it's very hard to try having fun when u have expectations, haha.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
You’ve got mental fortitude kids haven’t mastered yet. Good place to start.
I really enjoyed this video, and I wish you immense luck on your personal endeavors and your journey. Welcome to the art community !! 😊
@mauchr0matic aw thank you! I wish you the best too!
As a kid in high school who thinks I have wasted my time and will never get good because I'm too old this really inspired me to see all different kinds of people in the comment section along with you pursuing art. Keep at it, as long as your in good health mentally and physically we would love updates. 🧡🧡
@UhmAnywayMeBored the comment section really has become an awesome place haha, probably better then the video :3
Thanks for watching! You definitely got this! 👍
starting out at 30 sounds adorable :) I’ve been drawing since I was a kid and it was enchanting to see my skills slowly improve to the point that my internal vision could be brought into the external world. It’s a great way to know yourself and tell other people things you can’t describe with words. Starting art in your 30s seems like it would be akin to growing a new limb partway through life. Like you’re giving yourself a renewed consciousness :)) I recommend drawing from life as much as you can, the three dimensionality of real objects changes everything. And try drawing from the shoulder rather than your wrist!! An old community college prof told me that in a life drawing class and it made my drawings much less stiff and awkward. One day you’ll just get it in your hand, that’s when the frustration evaporates. It’s kinda crazy haha
Keep drawing! I'm 33, and I started at 30. I love it and continue to draw every day! 😊
Excellent video man. I see a lot of my old self in you. I don't mean to discourage you from trying things, because I'm convinced trying is the only way to ever really learn something. I tried what you're trying here with heads for a while, and experienced a similar burnout to what you went through with boxes and cylinders (though I also went through that drawabox slump too). If I had to guess, it's got something to do with the stage after the beginner gains come easy. I still don't know. I'm feeling it out the same as you.
I definitely think by trying new things I've gotten to learn alot of what I like and what I dislike. So I'm definitely not going to look at it as a bad thing haha.
I’m happy to see someone pursuing the art!
I’m self taught artist and have been focusing on art for about 3~4 years. I’ve reached considerable amount of progress (I can provide examples (idk how though)). I’ve made quite few mistakes and wish no one to repeat them.
So the tips I’ve collected so far:
1) It is hard to start learning new skill, there are gonna be moments where you will feel lost, it is totally fine
2) Your start is correct - starting to learn from fundamentals like: shapes, perspective,how light works, anatomy etc (fundamentals allow you not only to understand how to perceive the world, but also build and enhance it)
3) TH-cam videos or other social media often don’t represent learning art or making art genuinely. Often it is made for clicks rather than education.
4) Short tutorials are often too short to cover the subject
5) Early improvements are fast, just remember that at certain points you are going to have pauses in progress and it is totally okay
6) “Just” drawing doesn’t improve skills. Applying knowledge and finding solutions does.
7) Observations give improvements, look how things work, interact etc. after all art mostly represents something from real life, even if it’s distorted. Observations will be even more important the more you understand on how to draw for example you will be able to analyze timelapses/ speedpaints and bring improvements to your own art
8) Imagination can be trained
9) Don’t get stuck in some limitations. Real life can sometimes be boring, art can enhance the perception of it
10) Important‼️ Try different techniques till you find one that you are comfortable with.
11) Sometimes artist are discouraged by looking at others people art. Don’t, the may’ve spent dozen more time than you, so their journey is just different.
12) You can actually study by combining the subject of study and things you like. Practice shapes and like 🦕 ? Combine it!
13) Complex stuff is made from simple shapes, so you are doing the right approach.
14) Never get yourself to the point of burnout. Burnout is worse than the pause as it may kill the motivation.
15) Always use references. That way you will steadily learn objects alongside drawing it
Very Good materials to capture most of the fundamentals:
Scott Robertson - How to render
Framed perspective vol.1, 2
Stephen Rogers Peck - Anatomy for Artists
Need help? Feel free to ask!
Wow! This is an awesome list of stuff! I want you to know I sincerely took notes lol 😅.
When it comes to books I recently got Scott's learn to draw and tom fox's shape and form. But I do find trying to learn out of books challenging as I never know what I should be drawing and what I should be reading(hope that makes sense).
Thanks again for all the information! I shall try my best to utilize it.
@@TaylorLosch You are welcome!
The books you are reading now are good ones. I think in regards to any Scott Robertson’s materials you can follow same steps as he does in his guides.
As for path for which to follow you can’t go wrong with fundamentals. As for order Imo: simple shapes, shape perspective, rendering matte simple shapes (light&shadow, full perspective and then if you need glossy objects, reflections, anatomy etc.). But imo Scott’s “How to render” cover order very well.
In regards to how to learn. I wouldn’t recommend just dwelling on remembering stuff like you are preparing for an exam. I personally learn stuff as I go. I skip parts I don’t apply, after all I always have a book and can return whenever I need to (haven’t finished anatomy book still)
In regards of what to draw - it’s what you like to. I like drawing characters. So I practice rendering, shapes, anatomy, etc on characters (example break body into simple shapes).
I’m happy to help fellow artist!
I started drawing (again, for like the 6th time) maybe 2 months ago, I fell into the same routine of "If I do X thing so many times I'll learn Y", and much like you I discovered it didn't work. I also put an unrealistic expectation on myself that if I learned anatomical concepts, perspective, proportion, all that jazz I'd suddenly learn to make beautiful artwork. Unfortunately, that isn't true either.
So I came up with a idea, draw something everyday, practice a concept, ignore how bad it turns out. Just focus on trying __one__ thing with each drawing. It won't be pretty (goodness knows my works aren't) but if you set the goal of trying something, you'll learn what works and what doesn't.
I'm glad you shared your experience! Unfortunately or fortunately it does seem like art literally just wants you to draw some random stuff your passionate about and that's the "secret" to getting better lol 😆 😅
This is just the motivation I needed. Started seriously pursuing art recently at 30 after a bit of a "personal crisis" at the tail end of last year. I'm so happy to see this video and read all the comments of others around my age and I'll keep it in my heart going forward
Art really is a journey for all artists, no matter how we choose to go about it. Being able to eventually build from an imagination is a beautiful thing to experience. Great video.
The anime time transition sound effect..This Guy Gets it😢 love from🇯🇲🇯🇲
Lol I'm glad you were able to sniff that out XD. Thank you for the love!
I came looking for a comment like this and wasn't disappointed hahah
I think the 250 Cylinders should be done after the lessions about organics (after the Plants, Insects and Animals) so that you don't burnt out too fast. The major use of cylinder-form would benefit for the everyday object. I'm a Drawabox rage quitter-I quitted Drawabox before the 250 Box chalenge but I "rematch" again and this time I go as far as lession 4 about Insects and I can draw very much anything insectoid, plant life and aim to go to Animals. The major thing about 50%rule is that you must cast-out your perfect mindset, don't make the sketchbook a pretty place, just destroy it with your drawings-even though they may look like children's drawing, the main goal of 50% rule is to avoid burning out after the exercises and make you draw imperfect things until it get good, just imagine it as a practice ground where you test your newly learnt skill or just a idea in your mind. Keep drawing!
Seeing a CC you recognize in the intro is like a flashbang. Mr. Fruit is surprisingly rare to see.
Lol I like to stay cultured when it comes to youtube 😅
yesss i love videos like these. I have lots of thoughts on this subject so i apologize in advance for this wall of text but there are things you’ve said in this video that i just have to reassure you on:
- “transferring the image in my head on to paper” is rarely how many artists work. There are tons of amazing artists with aphantasia, and for us who can visualize things in our heads; one of our biggest struggles no matter out skill level is that we very very rarely end up drawing exactly what we pictured in our heads. I have hyper phantasia, i can imagine up entire music videos if im bored enough. But whenever i try to illustrate a visual idea in my head it is just as difficult as trying to keep an excited dog still for taking a photograph lol. So see your imagination as suggestions but dont get devastated when your artwork turns out different - it can still be a great piece of art anyway!
- “i cant even draw a straight line” i have some big reassuring news to you - vast majority of professional artists cannot draw a straight line either. Sure you can draw a straight line by doing a swift motion but it might not end up at the right position or angle. We use rulers. If you watch the process of professional mangaka you will. often see them use rulers for straight lines. You’ll be fine. Thats one less thing to worry about lol.
- “draw a lot” is definitely not a useful advice. I would say it is more of a response to when ppl ask artists how they got good, because they all just spent a lot of time of their lives just drawing and honing their skills. It’s how you work up your muscle memory, but you gotta know what to practice drawing and how to vary your subject matter to make that phrase useful.
I think you already have a pretty good fundation of a drawing style, and i look forward to see your improvement as an artist! Just make sure to have fun, and to not overwork your drawing hand - breaks are just as essential as practice!
- “learning new skills as an adult” - ive found that i have an easier time to learn new skills as an adult, mainly because i no longer have to struggle with boring homework. I do think that younger people have more imagination which can help with creativity, but on a technical level such as learning the fundamentals of art? You can practice that stuff at any age as long as you have the time for practicing it.
Wow! Thanks so much for the detailed reply!
It's reassuring to hear how professionals might be just like me after all haha. I'll do my best to keep practicing with your advice!
Keep it up! I’m on a similar journey, except I’m 38 now :) it’s never too late! Let’s gooo :D
Btw, love the Stardew valley music. And thanks for the great anime and manga tips. Really nice voice to listen to as well. Keep it up :)
Im 32 and learning to make art as a beginner as well! I've been making videos about it on my channel, and I'm really happy to be recommended your channel! usually all I see is teenagers who are beginners on youtube, which is great of course, but its a little harder to relate to them. But I get the worries of a 30 year old man thinking it might be impossible. :) Great video!
omg ur vibe is so comfy
subbed and looking forward to more vids!
Came here to say this too! I’m on the same journey!
I loved hearing your thoughts! I'm similarly in my 30s, wanting to improve my art, and thinking about what that means. Something that really resonated with me is the idea of choosing what it is you want to improve. "drawing everyday" isn't helpful advice unless you know what it is that you want to improve. Is it anatomy? Shading? Emotion? Making your characters more dynamic? Choosing what it is that you want to improve and learning how to make it possible gives you more of a focus than just drawing the same things again and again.
Omg finally! I'm 30 and just started drawing and I suck! I've been trying to find other adults who started art at an older age and don't start with really good drawings! I've only watched the first 1min of your video and know this is what I've been looking for. Thankyou for sharing
Great video! I also dipped my toes into drawabox several times, but kept feeling burnt out and wondering if I needed to invest more time to appease the 50/50 while making progress. Although I think knowing fundamentals is very important, it doesn't mean anything if you can't bring yourself to do all the hard work. This is especially if you're a working adult and just want to wind down and enjoy your free time outside of work... while balancing other things like fitness, meal prepping, socializing, etc.
It really makes you gain a great amount of respect to all the hobbyist artists that manage to balance it all.
I here with you, as I just started to do drawing practice every day!
Been drawing on and off since childhood and I think the examples you've gotten inspiration from like PewDiePie is an example of iterative drawing. You're drawing basic shapes, that's great! I never have gotten to those when I started learning, just copying anime art and then branched out to perspective drawing. I keep hearing consistency is key so don't rush yourself into getting better with art. Even pros struggle with this too! Goodluck to us :D
As someone who's trying to draw (and do graphic design) in their 20's this was valuable to me. Where I tend to have really bad commitment issues like: if it not youtube, then it would be my writing, if it isn't my writing then it would be my art, and if it isn't my art and you get the picture. Seeing someone who's around my age with these same sorts of problems and finding a way to do what they love is inspiring... and I must tell myself that I must love/commit to what I want to do so I can make my special things too.
Thanks for this video.
I think this is extremely beautiful and helpful for many who wish to begin in art. I myself do 6-10 hours of art per day (pursuing it professionally), but amount of hours is not an indicator of artistic vision. It's all about expressing yourself in the art that you create.
You just need a good practice plan that is sintered around characters drawing
If that is your goal practicing those subjects might speed up ur learning speed
..
gesture drawing
Face plans
Human Anatomy
Clothes studies
How light works
Contrast
Basic color theory
Shape language
Line Weight
silhouette
Negative space
Composition
dynamic and flow
Simplification and stylization
U already learned prospective but still need to employ it on the character while
doing previous studies
...
Always use references its not cheating
...
Ask urself what u like about ur favorite artists work and apply it to your art
The comment about draw a box turning into procrastination is very relatable. I started drawing a year ago at 26 after having an anxiety about art from being surrounded by great artists since I was a kid. What i do was do about 20 minutes of gesture drawing to make sure I am doing some sort of actual practice then try to apply those learnings by drawing things i like from pinterest so it doesnt feel like a chore and i actually look forward to it.
Thats a great way to get both the practice and fun into the session! And I use Pinterest everyday haha XD
I’m really glad I’ve found this video. Since I was 3 I’ve been drawing (I’m currently 15 😅) but as of 2024 I decided to relearn art from scratch
I*'m almost 42 and I decided, this week, that I want to be able to draw. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Veery inspiring video. As someone whos approaching 30 , ive me doing art most of my life and has been stagnating with in my Art journey, it nice to hear theirs still improvements and things for me to learn , and not feel to rushed to achieve by the time i hit 30.
Also i love the "Re:Monster" Transitions
Ah!! someone knows all the music! 😆
I always have to sneak things that I enjoy in the videos.
You definitely got this! No one's putting a time limit on your journey ✨️
This video of yours is exactly the thing I needed to hear. I decided this year to pursue drawing, and as a complete beginner in their late 20's, frustrated about their lack of progress and how to go about improving, this video makes me glad that there's someone else who was in a similar situation. Thank you for talking about your experience, and I wish you the best of luck on your artistic journey.
Thanks so much for the kind words! There's many of us on this little journey we just have to reach out to each other XD
Your journey is going to be awesome👌 👏
Honestly, seeing this video now makes me want to keep drawing. I'm not really that long into drawing and the sketches of different things I've made are kinda crap 😆. But I remember stopping because that was what stopped me from going forward. I'm trying to draw each day even if it's only for a little bit. I hope your journey goes for you and instant sub for this channel
0:55 finally a kindred soul! (I began at 29 :p) It feels downright embarrassing to have shaky linework and such little knowledge, but that is only a sign that you're getting better, I have found it to be so soothing to revel in that feeling, let the little artist out that just wants to experiment wildly :D Also cool Tattoos! If you're down and need a study buddy, why not create the very start of a smol community right here?
I wanted to create videos because It was all I could think of to help find other budding artists like myself! So I'm glad you found my video!
I'd love to start a smol community but not really sure how XD
I feel the only advatage of starting art young it's the sense of time. I feel ike as an adult if you don't see results more quickly you start feeling like you are wasting your time, pr that time is running out. Also thought your 30 year on earth you've seen countless art pieces that trained your eye to see what's right and what wrong, which when you are younger u have less sample input, so you see your art as more valid which gives you more encouragement to keep going on. With all that said i think starting older makes itposible to get better quicker, since you can think of more structured lerning paths instead of running around like a headless chickenlike you do early on. Good luck on your journey! Hope you keep up the good work!!
I definitely agree, its 2 different worlds learning art from a young age and an older one. But both of them are indeed possible! Good luck to you as well! Thanks for watching!
art is one of the kindest industry regarding to age. there are people starting out at 70, 80, 90 and became painters. there's no such things as too late to learn art! it's actually crazy that we think 30 is "too late" 😂
having this just gotten into this community I see that now haha, I'm not as rare as I once thought XD
Wishing you the best of luck with your learning journey! First time finding your channel but I can definitely see you creating beautiful work in the future! Best of luck to you, dont ever give up!
@moons7599 aw thanks so much! I'm gonna try my best! Best of luck to you as well!
This is exactly what I'm doing with 3D sculpting my friend. Starting every thing with simple shapes and gradually building till it looks organic. The progress is very evident and it's fun. Great advice!
In my studies I've been learning all different types of art from painting, to drawing, 3d modeling, and more.
I've tried sculpting in zbrush and wow that is really challenging! Best of luck to you! You got this!.
@@TaylorLosch 🥂
ive been drawing since i was a quite young. Im in my 30s now. It normal to feel like your not doing well. keeping older art as a look back is always nice because you can see how much youve improved and such. when im buned out i sometimes just take crayons and scribble basic shapes like rectangles and circles to form cars and such. Doesn't have to be perfect.
I agree completely! I like looking at the first pages I ever did compared to now haha.
I've been learning for a few years(and I am in my late 30's) and also went through a period of answering every "beginner at art thread" on Reddit as a way of getting a sense of all the challenges. I currently believe the best path at the very beginning is to find videos where you can see people moving their hand in real time(no edits), and use that video as a direct model for how you move your hand. That takes you through a lot of the mechanical elements that are explained verbally in tutorials, but which seem abstract or which you can't make yourself do until you treat it like you're learning ballet or shooting baskets. At the end, you end up with a drawing, but you also get all this tacit knowledge about what their decision making looked like, what parts of the drawing they started with, what took the most time, where they hesitated or went back over something.
That is a really great point! It's actually something I didn't start doing until just a few days ago!
*whispers* I even play them at night hoping my sleep self will absorb the information 😂😂
As someone who also started later in life and had little training before hand I relate to this journey as well including doing draw a box and not really being able to translate it into actual art.
If you’re looking for more things to explore I recommend a series of drawing meditation videos on TH-cam by Steven Zapata starting with “how to get into flow” I’m not exaggerating when I say that this channel, this man is one of the biggest influences that kept me on the art journey, revitalised my love for art when I had lost all hope, and made me actually enjoy the process of creating even when the thing I am making is “bad” “not good enough” etc.
My biggest advice I’ve gotten from him that I will distill and pass on however is that I think the best thing you can do for yourself is take whatever it is that you hold in your mind that you want to make someday when you’re finally “good enough” and simply start making that today, don’t wait, don’t limit your creative expression or lock it behind the gates of first having to learn the fundamentals. You are already an artist, you are already creative, so give yourself the permission to create. Today.
Great video. I also picked up art in my mid 30s. I admittedly did used to draw as a kid, but was discouraged at about 13 to 14 by an art teacher who said my cartoony drawings weren't real art and I wouldn't be able to make a living from it, so I hadn't done anything in over 20 years. For me I'm really struggling with frustration. A lot of the time I don't really know WHAT to draw and I really really struggle coming up with concepts, I guess because of a mix of some kinda aphantasia (literally just can't create some of the images in my midn to do it), and inexperience. And when I do draw it often just isn't what I want. Trouble for me is I have a burst of drawing for a month or two, then drop it for a year, then repeat the cycle, so I'm not really improving.
I definitely approached it from a totally different angle from yourself. For me I wanted to draw tabletop characters (mine and my groups), straight away, so that's what I did. I went for digital art as I really liked beig able to redo lines over and over without messing up the pic, I loved the freedom of adjustment (as a newbie I ALWAYS draw eyes and heads too large so once I get the picture starting to form I can just isolate those thinbgs and shrink them). PLUS I found layers really really helped me as I could practice tracing shapes a lot easier. I've just been drawing cartoony characters a lot. Even if they suck. And supplementing it with a lot of youtube art videos so I can still learn some basics. Not sure if my art's IMPROVED, but I've definitely gotten bolder with my art this year while participating in art fight; I even messed with lighting and full body. Albeit basic version of that.
I'm hoping I can keep up some practice, but I worry I'll drop it again soon. What I love most is animation, and storyboarding styles. I have some pretty great "music videos" knocking around of tabletp characters acting scenes to songs, so I wonder if I should research how to get started with storyboarding and just try that. Even if I suck, it'd be nice to get my ideas down physically.
Ahh I’m so excited to see your art journey and love your tattoos so much. I also loved watching struthless! He was a great TH-camr to watch when I was down.
I also want to add even those of us who have done it for years, still struggle with some things. I’ve been working on clothing and hair. Those are challenging to me.
32 here, I'm going to participate with you with pixel art!! I feel so disheartened sometimes due to my age and lack of skillss.... So Good to see someone also learning!
Thats awesome! I've also been dabbling in Pixel Art as well and I think your going to do great!
I think a lot of people put this pressure on themselves to dive in and get good all at once or pursue art full time when you could save yourself the stress/frustration and do it casually while still building up muscle memory and feel for it.
A lot of new artists hate hearing “just draw” but it’s enduring advice for a reason, everyone’s journey will be different, the most important advice is first and foremost to not stop the momentum, everything else is secondary.
Just never stop drawing
I'm going to do my best!
Really nice video! Love it ❤
As I started drawing when I was 34 years old, I had similar struggles. I was able to draw a box at this time, but everything else was kind of witchcraft to me 😅 Then, I found the book "drawing like a sir" and this boosted my skills extremely and fast. The book is based on manga art but it has chapters for biology and more. Even if most of it is focused on drawing humans, I learned a lot of perspective, shading and so on. I recommend the book, because it gave me solid basics and still is a good reference book for me.
After I learned the basics, I started on drawing things I could see. A lighter, some books, etc. And I started to play with colors.
I'm still absolutely not gifted at art 😂 But, looking at drawings from before and after my little art journey, I made a huge progress. Because of this, I also would give the advice to everyone, to keep all drawings while learning to draw. Your mind might tell you that you made no progress but if you look at an old and a new drawing side by side, you will see how much you improved your skill :-)
great job and fantastic progress!! one of my favorite things ever is the writing Ira Glass did about the gap between taste and talent (which seems really applicable here), which can be heard here on youtube or probably any other video/audio program of choice.
28 here. I watched a few videos from Brads Art School on TH-cam. He breaks down construction very well and once you understand construction other things fall in line.
I agree drawing random stuff doesn’t help me towards my overall goal, but it helps with my thinking process when it comes to creating form and having ADHD and Autism it is easy enough to do a few, but more importantly it’s building habit.
Having the habit of drawing daily is much harder than drawing. Most people don’t start because they don’t know where to begin. Will you can’t create a masterpiece until you’ve failed a couple of times.
If we compare it to writing a book. It’s better to write a bunch of short stories and learn the strokes, because writing the book.
Best of luck to everyone.
practice, practice and more practice, let the art flow through you!
@sda8jsdj9k121 yes! I must reach the flow state! I need all the help I can get haha 😄
Hello! Just wanted to drop by to say that those perspective practices you've made is not a total waste of time! It helps build your foundational skills, even tho it seems like you're not learning anything from it! You'll find drawing freehand of landscape with subject matter a lot easier due to having a better spatial understanding. The muscle memory will help you a lot!
Have fun and good luck with your journey!
I'll try to remind myself any drawing I do is worth the effort! Thanks for watching!
I'm 30 and started my sketch daily challenge, glad to know I'm not alone in trying something new.
Your never alone! There's so many great people just starting their journey everyday!
I 100% believe in you!
I look forward to seeing how you grow in your skill!
Aw thank you! I believe in you too!!
Your advice actually hits very close to home here. I felt the same way, I've never really drawn until I was 29, 3 years ago. I looked around for methods to learn to draw and found DrawABox.
I ran into the same problem of not really knowing how to handle the 50 50 rule, because there wasn't anything I could draw that I really enjoyed drawing because my skills were so basic. I completed lesson 1 of DrawABox but I gave up art during the 250 box challenge. I just started again, 30 days ago, using the "You Can Draw in 30 Days" book by Mark Kistler and found that it was a great method to start getting into drawing because he teaches day by day, from cubes and spheres up to on the last day, drawing a hand. Unlike DrawABox were I felt like I was just improving technical skills and not learning how to draw what I wanted to draw this felt like actual drawing.
I found your video while deciding what I was going to work on next.
I drew a lot in highschool but always got too discouraged to really try to improve. It wasn't until turning 31 that I was mature enough to push through the feelings of inadequacy and practice every day. I'm improving so much over just a year
30 is not "too old" to start doing anything.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
I'm one of those people who have drawn on and off most of my life but never consistently up until now at the ripe age of 28. I've always wanted to pursue an art career but idk why I always struggled a lot with it. It feels like barely a few months ago something just clicked in my head and I'm able to finally draw consistently how I've always wanted to. I think it may have been that my desire and need for an art career has surpassed all the anxiety, insecurity, and stress I had associated with art :D I still got my struggles and insecurities, but i feel it's the beginning of a new chapter in my artistic life. I hope you're able to achieve all your artistic goals and dreams and have a blast in the process :D
edit: also!! a small bit of advice, try and develop a good habit of stretching your hands, wrists, and fingers (and body in general) since artists often end up developing some form of arthritis over time.
I'm in my 30s as well and just started to learn art. I was also in the position of not having drawing since I was a kid, and at this point not having memories of drawing. Trying to start was overwhelming and didn't seem like there was any help for someone starting from complete 0. Finally, 2 months ago, I signed up for a 1 on 1 online tutor and that has been a huge help. I'm surprised out how my are has progressed in 2 months, though I still have a long way to go.
i started trying to draw again in my early/mid 20s (i'm 27 now). i graduate college soon for my creative writing degree and will be getting into art again because i wanna draw my ocs (lol) so this video has given me some idea of where to start, thank you!!
Thanks for sharing this video, definitely inspired me and made me feel better about my own journey. Especially reminds to be mindful when I practice. I feel like it's constantly too late for me to ever make a career from my art but that's the crippling doubts I have to fight against. I *can* get better and will.
I think your already doing great! XD
Even 10mins a day toward a goal will compound over time! Good luck! Thanks for the kind words 😄
I look forward to seeing your journey
Thanks so much for watching! Wishing you the best too!
This is inspiring 🥺Thank you Taylor
The thumbnail is so cute. It made me subscribe
Knowing what to improve on is better than saying “just draw”, most Artist don’t draw everyday and yet they get better despite of it. Having someone like a friend, a teacher etc, can really help you understand where you went wrong.
I am part of an organization where we meet each other and teach each other how to draw, how to improve and where to step forward next.
Understanding anatomy, basic fundamentals, you dont have to be good at them just understand them. Art is about understanding life, emotions and translating it into the paper with your own rendition. Some guidelines tricks are not helpful either, sometimes you have to figure out your own way of doing things.
Hands and feet in particular are things you really have to formulate your own formula be to perfect.
Its a puzzle that you yourself have to carve the pieces of and its both frustrating and liberating.
Thanks for the advice. I needed it.
i am 31 and just starting to draw, very cool to see this video :) best wishes
i would like to add something important with draw a box is that the course author really stresses the importance that you need to be drawing other things in conjunction with the course. I think he said something like the course should never be more than half of the time you spend drawing. it's supposed to supplement your drawing practice, not become the entirety of what you practice. but also if it's not for you then it's not for you.
I recommend the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. You’ll be drawing pretty well in 3 months.
I’m in my mid 30s and coming back to learning thanks for the video and motivation 🎉
So I started art in my early 30’s. It’s been a few years and I still feel like a beginner. I feel like one of my big issues is consistency in how much time I spend, which is exasperated by my tendency to beat myself up over anything that isn’t perfect. Working on the beating myself part has made it easier to be more consistent but it is something I still need to work on.
Side note, I’ve probably spent more money on books and courses than any sane person should. Of them, there is really only 2 I found useful. Draw A Box (mentioned here) and Brad Colbow’s learn to draw in 60 days.
@vu1641 I pretty much have the same issues. Over the course of the past few months I'd go from spending 6hours a day on drawing exercises and then go a week without being able to touch a pencil for more than 30mins.
I too also beat myself up consistently, lol. It's very hard not to, especially with my prior life experience.
Thanks for watching my video!
I've learned from everyone's comments that these issues we all seem to have in common. Which makes battling them everyday feel little less daunting.
I started to draw at 26 last year and found drawabox. The cylinder challenge isn't supposed to be done immediately after the boxes. I really would recommend pushing past it after the boxes because how Uncomfortable breaks everything down for plants, insects, animals, etc. really is fantastic.
I think you may have felt burnt out because you were just doing exercises. There is a great emphasis on making things for fun along side exercises themselves, splitting your time 50/50.
I still am not done with drawabox, I picked up painting or occasionally will draw with another medium like oil pastels. Have fun with it and take what you learn and try to apply it. But try not to let yourself burn out from dong one thing consecutive.
Your definitely right! But overall I'd say as helpful as drawabox was after the first half I have much more fun drawing objects I want to draw using the lessons I've learned 100% of the time than I would being told what to draw 50% of the time.
I definitely think there's a lot more to learn from drawabox, But I feel good leaving it at this point for my own studies if that makes sense XD
@@TaylorLosch i’m not sure how far you got with it but at least nowadays in it you have a significant amount of freedom in choosing what you make in it
TLDR; Don't let your age stop you from pursuing any goal at any age and have fun doing it! progress at your own pace and not at anyone elses pace, we are all different.
I drew on and off when i was younger, but didn't pursue it due to constant pressure to pursue a "real job" it also didn't help in my younger age i would often compare myself to others around me, even with older artists that had many years above me drawing. it was demotivating especially when I had a friend at the time that could draw anime characters within seconds (I found out later that she was just drawing what was on the screen instead of creating something unique, doesn't take away from her drawing ability but its a lot easier to draw that than it is to draw something unique) so at some point I just stopped in high school and focused on other things.
I have now returned back to it, in my 30's and I'm improving a lot better that I did in my younger age, as with age I've gained so much perspective, I don't compare my work to others around me, but what I drew last week, and it is constantly exciting to see "I CAN DRAW ANATOMY!" kind of feeling when I'm able to get the proportians right and to make it look slowly more and more human is an honestly best feeling.
I don't think I could learn the way I do now than i did in my younger age, I believe people stop learning as they get older is due to other responsibilities or with the mindset of "can't teach an old dog new tricks" which is I believe a hurtful expression that hinders more people than it does help.
I definitely agree with you, growing up we have so many responsibilities that adding a somewhat frustrating thing like drawing or any other skill doesn't seem worth it.
But once you get over that hump- like you said it's exciting to see what you can do! I definitely think I learn better now than a few years ago too.
Thanks for adding to the conversation!
I'm in the same situation. At my age, the problem is that the difficulty of learning something so complex that demands so much time seems like a waste of time for someone who should be doing things, not just trying them. This discourages me. And of course, when you're younger and full of potential, everyone will encourage you. But now, they might see it more as a hobby where you struggle. You need to build two pillars: one of motivation that drives you and another of discipline that sustains you while you climb a very difficult wall.