No Shortcuts! An important drawing skill too many students try to avoid
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- MY ONLINE COURSE
COURSES.ALPHON...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY BOOKS
New Pen & Ink Drawing Workbook: amzn.to/2CZjLVp
Pen & Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide: bit.ly/dunnbook1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL MEDIA:
/ alphonsodunnart
/ alphonsodunn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO DESCRIPTION:
In this video we take a look an important drawing skill many students tend to avoid using shortcuts, but may be undermining their progress and growth in critical ways.
#noshortcuts #drawingskills #alphonsodunn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL DRAWING MATERIALS:
#2 HB Pencil amzn.to/2s8lAHR
Bic Ballpoint Pen amzn.to/2t9mnXo
Pigma micron pens amzn.to/2qZhdg8
Pigma micron pen 003 amzn.to/2sGliJl
Copic Multiliner SP refillable amzn.to/2t9JzVC Copic Multiliner Disposable amzn.to/2t9o0ob White ink pen amzn.to/2qAS3n8
2mm Lead Holder: amzn.to/2roC66K
2mm Lead pointer/sharpner: amzn.to/2roLt6f amzn.to/2sdZQIK Kneaded
Eraser: amzn.to/2s8lAHR
Retractable Eraser amzn.to/2rmZzlJ
Strathmore Smooth Bristol Paper amzn.to/2tWmdCn
Canson Multi-media paper amzn.to/2rky1RW
Schmincke Watercolors amzn.to/2rkP1aq
Sakura Koi Watercolor Field Set amzn.to/2rEHYtj
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was too lazy to draw the grids when i did portraits when i started learning on my own, i just kept eyeballing it. At first the proportions were always off and wonky, but eventually in time, i got used to the relationships of certain body/facial parts and it only got better from there. I'm glad being lazy helped me in a way I didn't expect.
Yes I experienced this too. I didn't like having to draw the grids before doing the actual drawing. I just wanted to get to it.
i know right? i used to always feel ashamed bc the grid-based tutorials with all their different tricks never really clicked with me, now i'm glad that i stuck to practicing the way i felt was right
Tbh you can just use a notebook with grids already in it, but I agree that practice is necessary.
It's not laziness but actually passion.
I started experiencing this but then listened to a ton of other popular artists who say construction is critical. It really made drawing a draining chore....Maybe I should go back to that freedom.
Got back into drawing 8 months ago after getting burned out some 4 years ago as I was just focused on studying "perfect" proportions on youtube videos (the easy, surgarcoated ones).
Mind you, at that time I was drawing with a graphic tablet, and the stress of getting it right, creating something nice to look at was just too much for me.
I got back into drawing with just some paper and a ballpoint pen, not caring about mistakes, making them permanent and still drawing over them, and as I got back, I found myself just wanting to "know" about some methods to get proportions down and completely disregard them most of the times, trusting my eyes first, which is actually extremely hard, but so much rewarding when it looks just "right.
Something I noticed helped me is to look way more at the reference than I do at the paper, it takes time to get used to it but it's a game changer.
I've been enjoying drawing ever since, and I'm now drawing at least once a month for the past 3 months, and I've just become so much better, each time I finish a sketch, I just notice how I'm getting better at something, little by little.
Consistence is key. If you feel let down by drawings of yours just look at them, and look at much less recent ones, and you'll see just how much better you are, so keep going!
Those are just some thoughts from a beginner artist, hope that can help someone out - or if it doesn't, it just felt nice to share.
Wish everyone here a lovely life, and a great drawing time!
I am sure you will help more than someone. And you’re so right looking more at the subject than at your paper works
Can someone please recommend me some other videos of Mr.Dunn that are relevant to this comment, particularly this part of the comment where it said “looking at the reference rather than the paper help with working the proportion of the subject more effectively.” Any other videos that provide helpful tips on that kind of topic?
Something my art teacher said to me was to draw what you see, not what you think you see - particularly when trying to draw 3d stuff in real life with perspective-. Its easy to try to imagine the stuff you see beind the apple, but if you try to draw what you think you see it wont come out good, you gotta (look at the reference) and literally just draw what you see and stick to it
@@alphonsodunn When I was a kid, I drew video game characters, however it's been about 16 years since I left all of that. I'm trying to get back into drawing but as a beginner. So I would like to know which of your Playlist would you recommend I start from?
@@Hana-sd2ne basically, as my art teacher said, and what the comment below your's says: draw what you see, not what you think you see.
Study the reference, spend a good minute just looking at the reference before beginning. And once you start drawing, compare the 2 constantly. You should spend almost double the time looking at the reference than at your own photo.
I hope this clears some things up. If you have any other questions, I would be more than willing to answer away
This is such a good video. I definitely avoid shortcuts when practicing and daily sketching, but if all I care about is getting a pretty looking result, I'll do whatever it takes to get there. I'm really glad you addressed that shortcuts have a place!! Occasionally making something that just looks good without putting a million hours into it really helps motivate me and then I practice more so maybe one day I can do it without needing any help from tracing or grids at all haha.
Ultimately, thats the goal
The more you use grids etc the longer it will take you to be able to do it without. Do you think Leonardo and Michelangelo used grids and tracing?
@@atticustay1 I mean, we don't actually know what they did because we don't exactly have accounts of their processes. Considering Leonardo's obsession with inventions though, I feel he no doubt had some tools to help. It's not like people in the Renaissance did everything completely unassisted.
Besides, that goes counter to the point of the video. The point is not to never use tools, it's to know when to use them, and when to not.
Hey Alphonso I started drawing at 12 and 13 and I'm proud to say I'm a free hand drawer I refuse to trace and use lightbox and I'm proud of it!!!!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Literally was tracing 3d models as you posted this. Thanks for the mentorship!
haha sorry.
tracing could be useful when starting to learn anatomy i guess
Couldn't agree more. Never used grids or trace. I also find drawing without such shortcuts is the most satisfying, a very important aspect as I just make art for fun!
And drawing things in different styles can help you experiment with proportions as well. Specially if you’re going for a more stylized or cartoonish look.
You are absolutely right. Sometimes I use a projector to create the underdrawing for a painting, but I'm so glad I learned how to draw in the classic way.
I've been burned out on making original pieces for commissions. i had to step back to just draw straight from one reference for practice. this helps
This is wisdom that can be applied in all aspects of life. Shortcuts cut you short!
Thanks for the tip, I’ve recently got back into working on improving my drawing skills again.
wow! I REALLY needed this! I was recently get stuck in this rut of just drawing blanks while I stared at this clean, perfect outlining I'd set up but by taking your advice and try to not rely so much on outlines and worrying about mistakes, I've really let my imagination take the reins and as a result I've drawn some really neat stuff! THANK YOU!!!
Thats so awesome!
God bless! Thank you for this! Also prayer here when wanted!
legitimately, i have never used grids or anything, except for the times i was told to use them while in uni
also, when practicing drawing people doing things, i usually just eyeball it unless the image really does stump me. then i trace it
even then i'd probably retry the sketch without tracing
I Agree to this- its something steange with drawing things to correct, it becomes less right- pure tracing over an image or projection can after my opinion be less realistic-drawing on autopilot, where the line often get overenhanced- where the sense of form is stuggeling.. and it doesnt add personal dynamic of the artistic eye- that you get through training the eye-hand connection.. this special skillset is what make the visual choice- even if you are not abstracting at all and want a realistic piece of art- you still want to make visual choices- big or small- that challenge the direct copy of the real world- the eye of the viewer would also fill in if a drawing describes forms and gives space for interpretation.
I have your workbook but I'm scared to draw in it for fear I'll never get to again lmao.
I also use graphite instead of ink (I do not erase) so exercises pertaining to line weight don't translate the same.
But I want to say thank you for all your hard work in sharing your books, videos, and your journey.
Thanks much! 🙏
another great vid. Thanks Alphonso.
Hola Alfonso eres genial, considera subtitulos en español. Somos muchos de habla en españo.Gracias
Thats very true ! Thanks very much for all the info.
🙏🙏🙏
Wow u are great man
Thanks much
I tend to be very impatient with art so I love the whole scribble/sketch with the old man, that's always the most fun way to draw for me. Also, Im a perfectionist so it helps with accepting imperfections to draw in that way :)
THANK YOU
Brilliant wisdom
I see those aids as training wheels, rather than shortcuts. Easy to just say “draw what you see” but it’s hard to learn how to see and many give up without the sense of success provided by using these aids. Famous artists like Van Gogh used grids and aids.
Nice !!
Appreciate all of the points you made about the importance of drawing with the shortcut tools and working from observation. I was also wondering about your color pencil tool. Where did you find those? Thank you for your video.
Thanks. Theyre just 2mm lead holders that you can buy colored leads for
In life drawing class I could never get proportions right by using the pencil to measure. I'd usually be more accurate just by eyeballing it. I did a loopy of gesture drawing before I attended the class so that's probably why.
this was fabulous video !! thank you so much... norakag 👍👍
beautiful 👍😍
Always love checking out your videos!
(They're short and concise, easy to digest.)
Nice
I feel like I'm ahead of the game, all i do is doodle and draw freehand from imagination land. and yes all my stuff is out of proportion but I'm learning to see it and fix it, I am yet to trace anything
That’s it
I don't know if this is common knowledge but a quick way to see if your drawing has screwy proportions is simply to look at it upside down. Things magically become clearer.
Yes, or looking at it in the mirror.
Good vid.
Shortcuts? I wouldn't dream of using ANY! I mean I WANT to learn drawing, I WANT to be able to master the various challenges, and I LOVE the feeling when I finally succeed. Sure I am often scared, but in drawing the failures aren't like REAL failures. There is no way to progress without making the mistakes first. Mistakes aren't just inevitable, they are important really. Our learning-drawings aren't supposed to be masterpieces. We are beginners after all. And the state of being a beginner lasts much much longer than we care to believe. When learning to play the piano, one wouldn't expect to be able to play some Symphony after only 3 years of learning. But there are so many people who after 3 years of drawing (often they don't do more than 1 hour a week ...) they believe they should be able to do much better than they really do. I won't say that's stupid. I rather think they don't ENJOY learning to draw, and often they don't even enjoy drawing. They just want to be able to produce super cool drawings. All they're interested in are the END-PRODUCT instead of the process. That's why they search the net for SHORTCUTS ...
Exactly! I have always been puzzled by why is it the fine arts are generally not seen with the same rigor as say playing the piano or dancing or writing, where one would not expect to be able to create masterpieces in a short time. But then again you so have some of the “instructors” telling people, “learn how to draw anything in 30mins!”
Great skill
explanation
Wonky is so much more interesting to look at.
Nourishment for the mind.🙂
Alphonso your sketches are gorgeous! Accurately rendering freehand must boost artistic confidence, it's an impressive super power 🌻🥰💖
🙏🙏 thanks much.
u said quite a lot of stuff but you didnt say how .
😢 i can't seen anything from blue color not clear
Yea, sorry. I worked a little too light
Very true. As someone with ADHD whose reward system works differently than neuro-typical people I find myself doing this for paintings, so I can skip to the part that reward my brain and keeps me being able to enjoy the hobby. Because someone with ADHD has a tendency to discard a hobby when it's not feeding that rewards system. But I try to offer a balance so I am challenging myself to get better at proportions and creating a mental library and feeding the reward system of my brain by doing the part I like to do as well.
i didnt know ty for that.
Shortcuts are for the masters, not the students.
I was taught to draw completely freehand. When I saw the concept of using a grid in an art book, I loved how precise it was! And then I was taught tracing and projectors in another class. Although all have had their place in my art, there's nothing like picking up a pencil and just sketching! Thanks for the thoughts, very good advice.
Honestly tracing can give very poor results if you don't understand how the figure under works. My art teacher would encourage everyone to trace photos when most students didn't even know the basis for drawing people. Results were wonky af and lifeless.
@@GayToBeHere exactly.
I can't get into grids or tracing
@@SUGAR_XYLER I used a grid for the first time the other day because I had to do a mural based on a very detailed digital drawing. I worked out great. :) definitely a huge help when translating a design from 8 to 120 cm...they're just tools.
@@GayToBeHere I like to trace to practice my line work, BUT... a big thing I've noticed is the original drawing doesn't always make sense to me, particularly in areas with detail. So, it's not a perfect solution. One thing that's helped step up my game is doing ink drawings of portraits from Earthsworld/Instagram/Google. I do these on cheap copy paper every morning, knowing they are disposable sketches, although I'll often scan them for later reference. A long winded way of saying I agree. lol
The different rewards you get with the different methods::
Seeing WHAT you can draw
Seeing what YOU can draw
*Don't take shortcuts. I started drawing during the lockdown and worked through Alphonso's Pen & Ink Drawing workbook and textbook* . I did all of the exercises including the 30+ final drawings at the end of the workbook. My thoughts? Fabulous. Even if you draw or paint, ink is not only an unforgiving medium but forces you to be confident. Not going to lie: I made plenty of mistakes and had to redo a number of pages, but by the end of the workbook I didn't.
*Figure Drawing Tips* I've worked on portraits and figure drawings since then, and I've posted some examples in the original comment, but YT keeps taking them down. In any case, what you take from these exercises will help the integration of your mind and body and help you see proportions and shapes better. As for figure drawing, I started with construction lines but no longer use them and draw interlocking shapes (Bridgman calls it wedging) directly and figure out the proportion with my eye. Why not use construction lines? Because people have different proportions from the Loomis and other construction techniques. Great way to learn and that's what I did, but you understand its limitations the more you draw figures. How long did that take? Oh, about a 1000 figure drawings.
So inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
@@alphonsodunnThanks for shsring.xan you share what pen or pencil you are using here.and can you shareany tips on how to learn faster especially if you deal with ADD and depression and get discouraged easily? And do any of your videos cover how to learn to draw caricatures or caricature type.drawings quickly and easily? And how do you make such a long process like he posts above fun and enjoyable and not so time consuming ? Thanks for sharing.
My mother was an artist, but when I became interested in learning to draw and asked her to teach me, she was no help to me at all. She would take the pencil away from me, say "You go like this", and draw something. I would say, "Yes, I can see that "you go like that" but how do you KNOW to "go like that"? How do you know which way to turn the pencil and how far, etc.? This was back in the day before computers and TH-cam; I couldn't afford time or money for classes; so I resorted to the library and eventually came across a book called "The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides, where I learned about blind contour drawing. Betty Edwards' book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" is more comprehensive but actually I think his instructions on how to do blind contour are better than hers. There are many other good books which concern other aspects of drawing, but for me, doing blind contour studies was the foundational lesson. Anyway, I do admire your videos --- thanks for the good advice!
😍😍😍 love watching your sketches come together! I am nearly 70 and have spent 55 of those years as a commercial artist and illustrator, after being thrown out of school for doing nothing but doodle. When it comes to drawing figures from the imagination, the SPINE HAS IT ALL! The weight of the attitude, how the head is angled, how the pelvis and shoulders turn and tilt... All of this depends on the spine.
So true. The spine twists and turn and determines the angle of the axes
Fear of failure is HUGE for me. I am ok during sketching, for the most part, but I can freeze up when it comes to inking or painting.
The best way to break that fear is to just push through it! Then you’ll wonder what was the fear about all this time
Such a great well structured video. I think a lot of the time students get too focused on the specifics of “perfect proportions” and matching their study to look exactly like the reference that they forget to look to see if the study actually looks right. Just because a study doesn’t mimic the ref exactly, doesn’t mean it’s a bad drawing 😤
Exactly. Those works are often much more expressive
the funny thing to me is, I never actually traced as a kid, I just visually broke down shapes and drew what I saw, I would call it tracing cause I copied another person's art style, though I do wish my first art style wasn't fairy odd parents, been trying to get big head mode out of my art style for years.
basically though, all I did is stuff like "Timmy has a head shaped like a D" then draw that letter D, then put the circle ear, and so on, sorta like building a skeleton in my head before I touched the paper then I drew over that skeleton when it was ""on"" the paper, I couldn't afford stuff like projections and tracing was too hard to do since I could really only do it by putting paper on the tv or computer screen and it was very uncomfortable, so I just ended up having to wing it most of the time
Hmmm
I always thought I was being lazy by not measuring out everything perfectly and just eyeing it. 😅Thank you so much for giving me a boost in confidence!
Same here.
Having just gone through a year of training up my proportions, I have this to say: every tool can be used as either a shortcut, or an error correction method.
At the start of the process, I did some tracing in digital, using my phone and a capacitive stylus(the cheapest way to draw on a screen), and made the source material progressively more blurry so that I had to interpret more of the shape. This trained a lot of awareness of what proportions were, because I could see that every time I did this with a figure, I could maintain accuracy of the larger shapes but started to guess with the small ones and flatten out hands and heads. So I observed whole shapes, rather than lines.
Later, I did some gesture drawing, using my desktop and a non-screen tablet. Here, I made a quadrant grid to start the sketch and give me a reference point for where my center is relative to the reference's center. This helped a little, but I was still working in digital, and what I noticed with digital was that the latency, aliasing, smoothing, scaling, and disconnected feel of a desktop tablet all made things more confusing and inconsistent: If I'm watching a cursor on a 60hz screen, the cursor is always at least 16 milliseconds behind what I'm doing, which means I can't easily adjust a line while I make it.
This thought led me to compare screen vs not more closely and see what other people on TH-cam were using: my conclusion was that if you're really drawing for accuracy, you're probably going to gravitate towards traditional or a screen tablet. All the animators, in particular, seem to use large displays - and you know they're drawing a ton. But if you're rough sketching, painting, making edits, the difference matters a lot less, because you can go back and sculpt the shape.
Finally, I moved towards ink sketching, and my main study project became to copy every page of Morpho. Here, I started applying sight-size and comparative measurement. I didn't pressure myself to get things perfect, just to make one attempt at each image. The first few pages looked like my gestures: I used a quadrant and rushed through each one. Gradually I introduced more use of sight-size, picking up the sketchbook to line it up with the source. By around page 100, I had had some breakthroughs, became increasingly fastidious, and could start using just my eye and my pen more and more. After another 100 pages I became more interested in comparative measurement just so that I wasn't constantly picking up the book. I had also learned some ways of disguising my prospecting marks.
I've finished the book now and have started the same project with Ken Hultgren: Art of Animal Drawing, and I found that it taught me some new things about proportion because the style of drawing is different, not because the text had any advice on proportions.
So my conclusion is that actually, it's not about whether these techniques are shortcuts, it's about "isolation practice": study of each of the techniques deeply, like Bruce Lee's "one kick 10,000 times", and you get more comfortable at accessing an overall sense of proportion; copying a book full of similar drawings builds up familiarity for that material. And at the very beginning, it's less frustrating to use techniques with very strong error correction, which tracing and grids do: you just have to also progress to other forms of training. I actually have a grid drawing book I'm planning to go through, because I'm pretty sure a more intensive use of grids will show me some new things.
You cannot develop a "style" if you do not work on the basics.
My favorite tool has been a proportional divider. I try not to depend on it too heavily but I find it’s a great way to check my work when things seem a little off.
That's completely fine, Its not let them get in the way of us learning the skills that's important
Many years ago trying to draw a portrait for a commission, and drawing draft after draft, using various methods and even trying to just draw it.
In the end what was holding me back was something I learned in a sculpting class I had taken many years prior to that in which I learned that a nose was two eyeballs long. When I really looked at my reference images of the individual, I realized that the nose was almost three eyeballs long. Since then, I have strived to always see what is there, then draw what I see, not rely on perfect world models.
Precisely! In fact thats the way we should use models: As a base upon which you make adjustments, not as a “one size fits all” for all subjects.
Thank you for this encouragement to use our hands and eyes and senses, it is very motivating! Had a portrait class which was amazing in most ways but the teacher would nitpick at the imperfections in our drawings, like being a tiny bit off on the precise line of the chin, or the exact width between the eyes, etc. We were told that if we wanted to trace instead of draw on our own, it was totally legit. Didn’t love this idea myself bc I can trace a photo in like 10 minutes and get very little satisfaction from it, and did not need to take a class to learn to trace. On the other hand, I was frustrated when a from-scratch drawing would turn out a little wonky. Then I just didn’t feel like doing much drawing after that, which I’m sure was my bad. Drawing is such a nice sensory experience though, plus I’m sure there are neurological benefits, umm like hand eye coordination or whatever, so thank you for this pep talk! 🤩
Oh here is a good article about the neurological benefits of sketching: www.invaluable.com/blog/sketch-drawing/
I agree, there is just something about the experience you get with a from-scratch drawing. Thanks for that very thoughtful comment, will definitely check out the article
I don’t think your teacher was nit picking. Knowing the proportion of eye distance and other face measurements is a basic in portraiture. Getting the centerlines are a basic too. If you haven’t done it you’ve efffed up. If you do t know it you will eff up.
At 68 all my art has been out of my imagination. I’ve recently desired to learn how to draw what I see, even if just to enhance my imaginative pieces. Gosh it’s hard! I have to believe I can learn though. Off to buy your books!
It is possible. You will have to slow down though, and really look more carefully
@@alphonsodunn Yes, those seem to be the trick. Plus those lines you teach to help orient everything to each other, the horizon and the whole. Plus an eraser! ☺️
Drawing from life and not from flat 2d images is necessary for developing the eye. Cheers
Excellent advice. I prefer working out proportions by eye rather than relying on shortcuts. It may not always come out right but it's all part of learning and improving ones skill.
Agreed 100%
While I agree that it's important as a foundational skill in art, for professional work (I make character illustrations) I always rely on measurements to have a very consistent looking output. I draw a lot freehand to improve and it does show up more and more when I use references since I know what to exaggerate better when comparing it to the freehand sketch.
Whatttt??????
I thought you were going to reveal a strategy An important drawing skill?????????
I agree 100%. I see too many people copying photos trying to do portraits without learning to draw first.
We are faced with the same dilemma: doing maths by mind versus with a calculator/computer, driving a manual car versus an automatic one (and soon completely autonomous ones), drawing everything with pencil and paper versus drawing on a tablet. From this also arises the idea that those who do things with the help of technology are not so real.
My stand on this is that, without a doubt, starting learning the manual mode and then the digital one is much more advantageous than just learning from the beginning only the digital ways, but if one focuses on the final result (a math operation result, getting to be at a place we need to be, having the illustration we need to show/explain/ something, etc.), the way it was done becomes, in a way, irrelevant, that is, the method used to achieve the result, doesn't, in a way, matter that much anymore. The good thing about technology is that, if nothing out of the ordinary happens in the world, we won't lose it. And as for the skills that we stop teaching the brain because technology gives us shortcuts, we have to give it new challenges.
Such an interesting take! Love it
i've been thinking about this for a while, but digital art is strangely oppressive sometimes. i grew up around digital art and over time the standards of what those circles considered 'good art' kept getting more and more "perfect"; it got to be less about the expression and process of drawing and more about competing over who can make the prettiest looking picture.
it's gotten very easy to make something that looks pretty with minimal foundational work, and while the accessibility is great, it also leads to young beginners being essentially forced to use the crutches to "keep up" with their peers. if you don't rely on them, the "prettiness" of the art takes a significant hit. the speed takes a significant hit. it's not even necessarily about the process of getting good being a pain, it's also that the current social circles surrounding art are competitive to an absurd degree. someone who knows their field will instantly be able to see when someone relies on 3d models because it looks awkward and doesn't have the confidence of someone who knows their fundamentals, but beginners won't see the difference. and if you teach them that prettiness and perfection is all that matters, they won't learn to see the difference.
i'm talking from experience. took a very long time to realize why i hated drawing, even though i never actively used crutches myself. the mindset is very pervasive.
I couldn’t agree more. I always ponder the reasons why people in those “circles” you refer to find it so hard to pull the curtains or try to be forthcoming with students about how they really achieve those consistently perfect results at the rate they do.
Thank you so much for this! As someone new to drawing, I wasn't sure I was going about learning the "right" way for me. I have never traced or used a grid. I am thinking of getting a tool to help me trace, but I like some of the things I'm doing by eye alone. I have a process of 3 steps. 1. I try to draw something from memory. 2. I watch and follow along with a tutorial. 3. I use a reference to look at. I found that using a reference works best for me, but I'm erasing a lot. I want to be able to confidently paint on canvas, but I don't think I'm there yet. Anyway, sorry for rambling. 🙄 Thank you for all the videos you post, they really do help!
Erasing is fine, eventually you’ll erase less and less
Another thing people don't realize: if you blindly use the grid method without already having developed a good sense of proportion, you can still end up with things not looking quite right - in part because you'll make subtle errors when constructing the grid (it's not going to be even), and in part because you'll make tiny mistakes within the squares, and won't be able to course-correct and unify the patchwork, cause you won't be able to notice when things are off. It's probably going to end up looking OK, but it might not look as great as it could. You still have to be able to transcend the grid.
Absolutely true
ngl you deserve more attention.
🙏
One of my biggest inspirations in art is Kim Jung Gi. He's famous for drawing by eye and by memory, and was the reason why i decided to go freehand. RIP.
totally agree and I always struggled to articulate the same ideas myself when talking to people about it 👌
Hey man, just a heads up with the thumbnail - the red border made me assume I had watched this video before! Might be worth changing the colour?
Noted. Thanks
Thank you! Now I know I'm not wasting my time just drawing! I've been banging away at it with no Loomis method, no nothing, just hours of work!
Is using "+" for the face and other similar methods (sketching arms with ovals, fingers with squares, joints with circles) considered shortcuts?
I've never heard of the "grid method" before and thought the ones I mentioned above were that at first, when I did search it, I was kinda shocked that it was actually grids.
May I ask which mechanical pencil holders and lead you're using for the red + blue?
I think maybe a nicpro? With Koh-I-Noor coloured lead?
Does this include the Loomis method? I’m an absolute beginner, so I’m struggling with Everything. I just started looking at Loomis. Should I focus on something else? I would appreciate any advice.
Of course, once the the emphasis is on observation and eye-hand coordination
This makes me feel so much better. I am a beginner and was feeling that I should be drawing a grid etc. That just seems so boring and 'rigid', but I am struggling to do it freehand. I have tried using my pencil to try and work out proportions and I'm just going to keep practising! I love these short sweet videos, thank you. I've actually come here to try and find your books as I'm just re-starting and this time I plan to keep at it!
I've always enjoyed drawing freehand and when i learned about the grid method i thought it was like cheating. And I still kept drawing freehand . Now I know that this was the best choice . I might not be as good at rendering but i get the proportions and perspective right
I am drawing by intuition and trying to keep in mind shapes and curves, but sometimes an ear or en eye "fall" to low och get to close to eachother. Then I find it usefull to correct my drawing with measurementsteakniks (as I sholuld with my spelling now🙈 I'm from Sweden)😊 Before I've gone to far with the painting and the endresult would become a disappointment. But I'm happy to listen to your teaching that I'm on the right track though I'm spontanius in my 'art', and having fun doing it. 🌞
Yet another 5+ minute video around what can be told with ONE short sentience.
I decided to learn more about drawing recently, and I feel my self broken trying to do it with help of youtube. All those countless youtube clickbait "tutorials" is just deeply unbearable. I'm so sad on what it became for people to do with such powerful technology what we do now for the sake of views/counts/attention/ads are ridiculous.
I’m so sorry this has been your experience. What is it you need help with? What questions do you have that are yet to be answered?
@@alphonsodunn Well, I’m glad you answered, Alphonso. Thank you for paying attention! I guess my message was a little harsh, excuse me.
I think the right thing for me to do is to change youtube videos on that topic for some online school more structured course, cause content here seems to be highly fragmented, which is probably the cause of frustration.
The first part is pretty much how I do figure drawing. One piece of advice I got that always stayed with me was "draw what you see, not what it is." I feel like it's a little hard to explain without visuals, but basically instead of trying to draw a leg, I draw a serious of lines that resemble a leg. And these are drawn using reference points and measurements made through observation. This approach has helped me with foreshortening and perspective
Reminds me of my middle school art teacher. He would say, "Draw what you see, not what you think you see". Basically focus on taking down whats actually in front of you, and not your mental representation or symbol of the object(s).
Thank you soo much
I like the mirror test, Love your work!! Thank you 🙋🏼♀️
100% correct - long time artist here, I've returned to super basics and made coloring books for kids. If your a very new artist and can't draw worth crap, try a coloring book. Help relax body and mind and build those fine motor skills you need for better drawing. ;D
Excellent video for a decent but stiff and frustrated draftsman! Thank you
You and people like Crumb don't need the grid with such an, "Informed" hand. It is just a little bit surprising just how absolutely planned out Rockwell's each and every portrait is laid out. As far as a grid goes he used a model for just about every drawing he ever did!😅
I knew an art student that would always critique others and they literally lectured me "You MUST do grid lines and tons of guidelines ALWAYS. Otherwise your drawing will suck and you will NOT get better. Only professionals can skip guidelines."
This made no sense since I know lots of artists that don't use guidelines and never have. And if those professionals got better by practicing (with guidelines), then surely people can get better by practicing without guidelines.
And if I'm not going to use those grid/guidelines in the end when I'm "professional" level, I don't see why it's a problem if I don't use them in the beginning as practice.
It just annoyed me how they insisted there was only ONE WAY to draw. And the funny thing is although they acted like an expert their drawings themselves were amateur-ish with wonky proportions.
THANKS FOR LETTING US KNOW that drawing by eye is actually okay 🙏🙏
Creo que el video refleja algo muy importante de crear dibujos que tengan vida, ya sea realistas o tipo caricatura, es como si parte de uno se proyectara en el papel, aunque de manera inconsciente sea un árbol, un animal, una persona. Recién ahora estoy comenzando a sentir eso.
I feel so incredibliy conflicted right now; so your telling i shouldn't use shortcuts even as a complete beginner or i shouldn't use them *too* much?
TH-cam has recommended me your channel recently, I'm so happy I've clicked on that thumbnail! Subscribed :)
Just spitting out "drawing wisdom" while sketching, is not conveying any "drawing skill".
I have noticed a lot of YT drawing sites do the same while hawking their book or course.
Our art teacher used to always tell us to draw what our see. Not what our brain sees.
As in, we have to draw however the subject is seen, not how you know it's supposed to be.
And it truly helped me so much more than using grids.
I never understood art tutorials on yt where they would whip out a ruler then measure guidelines. I thought they were a waste of time and i never sat down and got to learn it 😭 i wanted to just get into the fun parts and draw. Im glad my stubbornness helped somehow lol
Oh my God, I have your book! Didn't know that you had a channel! Instant subscriber!
Drawing what I love helps me get into the heavy task of layering the proportions/anatomy correctly pushing me to improve likeness and observation skills.
This has motivated me enough to study form under the skin level, there is A LOT going on in the face region, it is valuable to have that knowledge in mind since it can always be ported on ANY refs. There is region of the face where the bones are dominant others where the muscles are overlapping in specific directions to guide the shading.
Also drawing still life accurately require more observation, discipline and organisation sometimes and share similarity on how to draw hair since it can have complex shapes.
Such a good video, I have also been struggling with this for some time, until I started going to drawing lessons where the teacher opened my eyes. There are too many tracers on the internet who call themselves artists, and the young people who look up at them become skeptic about how their work needs to be perfect. The point of art is to be free, learn from your mistakes and explore as much as you can.
4 years of drawing study and I've never used a grid. I think it's too time consuming and it doesn't give you the right focus on the entire project.
Thanks, I am thinking of drawing again. My style is draw a bunch of lines and erase what doesn't fit. I used to use fingers to blend, but I am investigating using more than just pencils and coloured pencils. I have never learned grid, I think I would hate it.
I think the best thing is to learn how to identify where a line should start and end by using the proportions u have already laid out. I used to struggle with figure drawing because I would draw the legs way too long or maybe too short, or things like that. But then i learned basic proportions of the subject. I learned that if I block in the head, ribcage and hips with boxes, bridgman style, I could then use that to find where the feet should be. I did this by measuring the distance between the head and the crotch area and then doubling it and that's roughly where the feet should end up. But I think this could be applied in other areas too. The idea of identifying proper proportions by using what you have already sketched in. Looking at the subject, maybe an angle leads straight to a part you haven't gotten to yet, and by following that angle, you can find where that part should be placed. Like following the angle from the elbow to the knee or something, and then matching that angle to the drawing to properly place the knee.
You should probably remove the red frame because i almost scrolled past this thinking i already watched it, til i realized i don’t remember watching it.
I equate this to calculators and Math. A calculator gives you an answer to what you put in - if you put in something wrong, how will you realize? If you don't understand the concept you're trying to do then you can make a careless mistake. Learning the concepts allows the tools to be more useful
I am learning that this video is true from the first words. Thank you Alphonso.