Im coming back 9 years later not because i stopped drawing but because ive stagnated and im in sore need of a back to basics trip. Thank you so much for being such an influencial figure in my life mr. Sycra :]
This helped get me a bit more happy and comfortable with beginning drawing. I feel like a know what I am doing a bit more, and that I can continue with a more confident and comfortable method of drawing using the shoulder and elbow pivot points. Thanks!
When you first said that you were going to talk mostly about how to hold your tools, pencil etc, I thought 'pfft... I know how to hold a pencil'. Then I thought what the heck and tried a different position (the one with the pencil between the middle and fourth finger with the thumb on top), and I was surprised at just how much looser my lines were! Even though I was pivoting with my elbow and shoulder when I normally draw, I was still so stiff. Changing up my hand position was really awkward at first, but my lines were immediately freer. I'm surprised just how much of a difference it made in how I approached a sketch. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us (especially these easy to understand/follow vids for beginners. They really help).
Helpful to me to see HOW you actually draw, physically, rather than just seeing the drawing on the page. I vaguely remember art classes back in grade school talking about not using your fingers and wrist so much, but I'd completely forgotten it after all these years. I think the reminder will be helpful in not getting stuck being discouraged when I see what I *actually* draw rather than what I'm drawing in my head. Thanks!
pretty good tutorial on using ur arm, elbow, etc as well as having different holding positions for gripping ur pencil to draw. they definitely make a difference when drawing. another helpful tip for beginners is to make quick, short stokes in order to have those nice, smoother lines. if someone just drags their pencil slowly across the page, their lines can be pretty wobbly too. thanks for the vid!
You blew my mind. I've been drawing with limited motion my whole life. Two sketches of using my elbow and shoulder and my pictures are already looking 5 times better. Thank you sir!
It all makes sense now! My shakey lineart even though i don't have shakey hands. I've been drawing for a long time, but i could never figure this out. Thank you! I'm definitely going to practice these.
I want to add an opinion. It does matter if you use an easel or a table. If you are using a table that is not LOW enough it becomes very hard to use your shoulder to draw without causing strain pain on it. If you use a table it needs to be low level enough that you can freely use your shoulder
I don't know when this habit begun, but I've never EVER focused on how I hold my pencil before, so when I picked it up and tried to compare it to the manners you showed, I was surprised to find I didn't hold it any of the "mainstream" ways. This is to be expected, really, as a kid I thought myself most things so I held things the "wrong" way and to this day tie knots the "wrong" way. I don't even do my maths the right way! You can imagine how much that pisses off the people around me. But back to the pencil, I hold it like a surgeon would hold a scalpel to make precise lines. My pinky juts out and my lower arm is locked so I don't shake. That "precision" explains why I can actually draw a straight line despite never using anything beyond my fingers after the sketch (I do use all my arm, but once I have the outline I'm more detail centric). All do funnily enough my fingers take turns with the pencil as well.
I am just getting into learning how to draw and well i figured using your wrist was likley better then just your fingers. I never considered elbows and shoulders. I am starting with digital and i really think this video will help a lot thank you.
I feel like he's basically saying the same thing. He's just showing us different ways to do things. It may sound dumb but I honestly never even thought of using my shoulder or angling my drawing surface or even holding my pencil some of the ways he did. It's nice to know what works for other people so you know what you could try for yourself.
Thanks for this. I don't hold my pencil at the exact angle that I'm "supposed" to because some of my fingers have a bit more curvature to them and as such what is comfortable for me is not the same as everyone else. I spent too much time stressing and forcing myself to be miserable trying to do what's not comfortable in an attempt to get better lines and here you are saying to just be comfortable and use my arm and shoulder and I just feel so much better now. Thanks!
Thank you again for a really helpful video. I've been trying to get better by drawing, and that's all well and good, but I find myself making a lot of the same mistakes. I think these exercises will help me get better, particular the target one, and it was really great of you to share.
Te lo escribire en mi idioma el español... Tengo años dibujando, no he tomado cursos ni nada, sino todo al natural, y no te imaginas lo mucho que me haz ayudado con este video, he aprendido muchisimo y ya se como hacer mejor las lineas y todo eso! :D un millon de gracias
So, I've only taken a few graphic illustration courses so take this for what it's worth, but one piece of advice I was given that helped me a lot with straight lines was to focus on your destination point, rather than watching the pencil as it goes along.
Great video Sycra, thanks for the advice! :-) This helps a lot. I knew some of the warm-up exercises, but a few were new to me. So much of drawing is just learning how to use your tools, to relax and be comfortable making marks rather than tightening up. It isn't enough just to know theory and then go and draw really timorous shaky lines- you'll fail to put what you think you know into practice. When I realized this I finally understand that da Vinci quote "The greatest misfortune is when theory outstrips performance..." XD
i just love how at 11:55 Sycra almost whispers into the microfone when he's drawing lighter lines and gets louder when drawing darker ones, it just shows how drawing involves the whole body
Thank you for this video, when you were talking about how different tutorials/people say draw a circle and lines to draw a face and mine didnt look right because im drawing from the wrist and it was discouraging that is exactly how ive been feeling when i try to draw faces, so again thank you i shall get to practicing drawing using my shoulder and elbow more :)
The lower left pencil grip at 0:41 is how I hold my pencil normally. I feel so validated after years of my friends thinking I'm crazy for how I grip :)
I was having the same problem with the smooth surface of the tablet. The solution that I came up with was to carefully tape a piece of medium tooth drawing paper to the drawing area. As far as I can tell, it doesn't seem to effect the tablet in any way. Just swap the paper out every couple of weeks as it can get very dirty after awhile.
Hey Sycra! I really love your tutorials and it's really help me. In this tutorial you're greatly explaining about hand coordination and movements. But can you suggest some exercises for eyes. I mean to see proportion correct; because it's really different to see something on photo or screen vs live drawing .
Hahah, I'd never actually heard of someone else using ghosting, I didn't even know it had a name (some people look at me quizzically while I do it). I've got to try out this shoulder drawing you speak of, I usually use elbow (and fingers for small details such as eyes and hair highlights) but shoulder sounds interesting.
Interestingly (perhaps) the old penmanship methods taught to write with the shoulder as well - this was massively emphasized with something like Spencerian. A bit weird when you try, but I think it makes sense. Think about clerks writing all day before everything was typed - or students today who complain of pain/cramps during essays. The shoulder muscles are much larger and capable of endurance and yet with practice can also be precise. It also has benefits when you think about writing at larger sizes or with large flourishes. That may be a good way to practice - if one writes or draws large enough it is impossible to use just the hand.
how to draw straight line in a big piece of paper: tape the paper on the wall put your pencil on one end of the paper. Run all the way to the other side while your wrist, elbow, and shoulder stays still. Ignore any wobbliness from running.
in my opinion I think it depends when you want to draw small things or big things, I cannot use all my arm when I just draw a small face as a coin size
Can I use different pivot point for different types of things for instance I can draw Circles with my wrist as pivot point and Straight Line using my elbow
Not really, but try getting a straight line or smooth curve larger than 4 inches with your fingers/wrists and you will see why elbow and shoulder training are a must.
Heyaz Sycra, didn't know where to post it so I found a Tool video :P So my little question is: I am currently using an Intuos 4 tablet and was wondering if going for the cintiq 22 hd touch is worth it. As in how big of a difference will I feel once I transfer from tablet to cintiq. I do have the necessary funds, just wondering if it's a smart investment, like gaining in speed and such things :) Oh and I'm taking the opportunity to give you a huge thanks for all your videos, it feels like your channel is a fountain of endless knowledge for people who love drawing !!! Great work! :D
so I usually draw with my fingers, and im getting the impression thats bad? I think i can get straight lines with just my fingers and some of my wrist, but should i try and use my elbow and shoulder if I want to excel?
Im coming back 9 years later not because i stopped drawing but because ive stagnated and im in sore need of a back to basics trip. Thank you so much for being such an influencial figure in my life mr. Sycra :]
This helped get me a bit more happy and comfortable with beginning drawing. I feel like a know what I am doing a bit more, and that I can continue with a more confident and comfortable method of drawing using the shoulder and elbow pivot points. Thanks!
That and the proportions tutorials were two of the most influential videos in my drawing experience. Keep it comming, it's really helpful!
When you first said that you were going to talk mostly about how to hold your tools, pencil etc, I thought 'pfft... I know how to hold a pencil'. Then I thought what the heck and tried a different position (the one with the pencil between the middle and fourth finger with the thumb on top), and I was surprised at just how much looser my lines were! Even though I was pivoting with my elbow and shoulder when I normally draw, I was still so stiff. Changing up my hand position was really awkward at first, but my lines were immediately freer. I'm surprised just how much of a difference it made in how I approached a sketch. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us (especially these easy to understand/follow vids for beginners. They really help).
Helpful to me to see HOW you actually draw, physically, rather than just seeing the drawing on the page. I vaguely remember art classes back in grade school talking about not using your fingers and wrist so much, but I'd completely forgotten it after all these years. I think the reminder will be helpful in not getting stuck being discouraged when I see what I *actually* draw rather than what I'm drawing in my head. Thanks!
pretty good tutorial on using ur arm, elbow, etc as well as having different holding positions for gripping ur pencil to draw. they definitely make a difference when drawing. another helpful tip for beginners is to make quick, short stokes in order to have those nice, smoother lines. if someone just drags their pencil slowly across the page, their lines can be pretty wobbly too. thanks for the vid!
You blew my mind. I've been drawing with limited motion my whole life. Two sketches of using my elbow and shoulder and my pictures are already looking 5 times better. Thank you sir!
It all makes sense now! My shakey lineart even though i don't have shakey hands. I've been drawing for a long time, but i could never figure this out. Thank you! I'm definitely going to practice these.
I want to add an opinion. It does matter if you use an easel or a table. If you are using a table that is not LOW enough it becomes very hard to use your shoulder to draw without causing strain pain on it. If you use a table it needs to be low level enough that you can freely use your shoulder
I don't know when this habit begun, but I've never EVER focused on how I hold my pencil before, so when I picked it up and tried to compare it to the manners you showed, I was surprised to find I didn't hold it any of the "mainstream" ways.
This is to be expected, really, as a kid I thought myself most things so I held things the "wrong" way and to this day tie knots the "wrong" way. I don't even do my maths the right way! You can imagine how much that pisses off the people around me.
But back to the pencil, I hold it like a surgeon would hold a scalpel to make precise lines. My pinky juts out and my lower arm is locked so I don't shake. That "precision" explains why I can actually draw a straight line despite never using anything beyond my fingers after the sketch (I do use all my arm, but once I have the outline I'm more detail centric).
All do funnily enough my fingers take turns with the pencil as well.
This was really helpful! I am very new to drawing and i had no idea about drawing with the elbow and shoulder. Thanks!
I am just getting into learning how to draw and well i figured using your wrist was likley better then just your fingers. I never considered elbows and shoulders. I am starting with digital and i really think this video will help a lot thank you.
sir youre awesome! i feel like ill be using your vids as a start of a new begining for me, after 5 years i havent done art .
I feel like he's basically saying the same thing. He's just showing us different ways to do things. It may sound dumb but I honestly never even thought of using my shoulder or angling my drawing surface or even holding my pencil some of the ways he did. It's nice to know what works for other people so you know what you could try for yourself.
Thanks for this. I don't hold my pencil at the exact angle that I'm "supposed" to because some of my fingers have a bit more curvature to them and as such what is comfortable for me is not the same as everyone else. I spent too much time stressing and forcing myself to be miserable trying to do what's not comfortable in an attempt to get better lines and here you are saying to just be comfortable and use my arm and shoulder and I just feel so much better now. Thanks!
Thank you again for a really helpful video. I've been trying to get better by drawing, and that's all well and good, but I find myself making a lot of the same mistakes. I think these exercises will help me get better, particular the target one, and it was really great of you to share.
Te lo escribire en mi idioma el español...
Tengo años dibujando, no he tomado cursos ni nada, sino todo al natural, y no te imaginas lo mucho que me haz ayudado con este video, he aprendido muchisimo y ya se como hacer mejor las lineas y todo eso! :D un millon de gracias
It's nice to keep this stuff in mind. I tend to forget about it as it's become more subconscious.
I love how he tried to do a bad circle but it ended up being pretty good
Thanks for the tips! Really enjoying your videos.
I like that you make mistakes in your drawing videos because it makes me realize that you started just like we all did.
Thank you for your advice I'm a beginner drawer and I really draw like using my fingers rather than using my arm. So I will start practicing
This is really really great and helpful video , thank you so much!
So, I've only taken a few graphic illustration courses so take this for what it's worth, but one piece of advice I was given that helped me a lot with straight lines was to focus on your destination point, rather than watching the pencil as it goes along.
Ah perfect timing! Was just settling down to do some draws!
Great video Sycra, thanks for the advice! :-) This helps a lot. I knew some of the warm-up exercises, but a few were new to me. So much of drawing is just learning how to use your tools, to relax and be comfortable making marks rather than tightening up. It isn't enough just to know theory and then go and draw really timorous shaky lines- you'll fail to put what you think you know into practice. When I realized this I finally understand that da Vinci quote "The greatest misfortune is when theory outstrips performance..." XD
this is really helpful, thank you! I have a friend who has a hard time sketching straight lines and I think this will be helpful to him too ~!
I really liked that lesson, i will try it !
Wow this is really helpful. Thx sycra. Added this to my fave
i just love how at 11:55 Sycra almost whispers into the microfone when he's drawing lighter lines and gets louder when drawing darker ones, it just shows how drawing involves the whole body
Thanks! I suspected as much. I'm considering buying one of these.
Thank you for this video, when you were talking about how different tutorials/people say draw a circle and lines to draw a face and mine didnt look right because im drawing from the wrist and it was discouraging that is exactly how ive been feeling when i try to draw faces, so again thank you i shall get to practicing drawing using my shoulder and elbow more :)
loving the how to videos!!!
This is just the vid i was looking for...
The lower left pencil grip at 0:41 is how I hold my pencil normally. I feel so validated after years of my friends thinking I'm crazy for how I grip :)
I was having the same problem with the smooth surface of the tablet. The solution that I came up with was to carefully tape a piece of medium tooth drawing paper to the drawing area. As far as I can tell, it doesn't seem to effect the tablet in any way. Just swap the paper out every couple of weeks as it can get very dirty after awhile.
Thank you so much for making these beginner videos! :)
Hey Sycra! I really love your tutorials and it's really help me. In this tutorial you're greatly explaining about hand coordination and movements. But can you suggest some exercises for eyes. I mean to see proportion correct; because it's really different to see something on photo or screen vs live drawing .
Thanks. Great tutorial
I have the same eraser, the same playdoo-eraser AND the same pencil!! Woohaa, feel so special! :D great tutorial!!
**It's great to learn.**
BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
Hahah, I'd never actually heard of someone else using ghosting, I didn't even know it had a name (some people look at me quizzically while I do it).
I've got to try out this shoulder drawing you speak of, I usually use elbow (and fingers for small details such as eyes and hair highlights) but shoulder sounds interesting.
Nice tutorial :).. You should show us how to draw female upper body proportions!
Thanks. I found this good advice.
Would you use fingers/ wrist mostly for details but sketching with elbow/ wrists?
Interestingly (perhaps) the old penmanship methods taught to write with the shoulder as well - this was massively emphasized with something like Spencerian. A bit weird when you try, but I think it makes sense. Think about clerks writing all day before everything was typed - or students today who complain of pain/cramps during essays. The shoulder muscles are much larger and capable of endurance and yet with practice can also be precise. It also has benefits when you think about writing at larger sizes or with large flourishes. That may be a good way to practice - if one writes or draws large enough it is impossible to use just the hand.
great videos! thanks!
hey sycra, if you add wrist movement to the arm and elbow combo thats a fibbonacci just like your latest video demonstrates.
Really helpful, thank you!
awesome video! :D helps me alot thanks!
thank you for doing this
good job. very usefull
thank you, i needed this video
great tips, thx bro :)
So, Sycra, you use a cintiq or an intuos?
Thanks for your awesome videos btw!
I'm soooo jealous of your tablet!
Did you ever take a dynamic sketching class?
Where are the haters! huh u scared of his amazing talent
This helped me alot
thx
cheer up, because your not going it alone :)
Very helpful video! Tnx :)
I'm ashamed to say its never occurred to me to use my shoulder when drawing. so simple yet so genius.
how to draw straight line in a big piece of paper: tape the paper on the wall put your pencil on one end of the paper. Run all the way to the other side while your wrist, elbow, and shoulder stays still. Ignore any wobbliness from running.
I do that ghosting thing a lot and never knew anyone else did:P
in my opinion I think it depends when you want to draw small things or big things, I cannot use all my arm when I just draw a small face as a coin size
Can I use different pivot point for different types of things for instance I can draw Circles with my wrist as pivot point and Straight Line using my elbow
Hello sycra, im just wondering is it wrong to use a compass to draw curves/circles?
That's why imagination become more powerful than knowledge.
I've been drawing for a little over a year, and oh boy does this feel weird.
I need a Pulling Off The Band-Aid support group.
Not really, but try getting a straight line or smooth curve larger than 4 inches with your fingers/wrists and you will see why elbow and shoulder training are a must.
I would say that you should practice using your elbow and shoulder. You can still use your fingers, you just won't be able to draw long straight lines
i laughed so hard because i broke my wrist and have a splint on but im still drawing :) hes right about it taking a day or two to get used to :/
lol
famegirl5101 Has it healed fine?
yo, legit, hope u get better, i wouldn't want to lose a wrist
what do you prefer, Syra? The intuos3 or intuos5?
Heyaz Sycra, didn't know where to post it so I found a Tool video :P
So my little question is: I am currently using an Intuos 4 tablet and was wondering if going for the cintiq 22 hd touch is worth it. As in how big of a difference will I feel once I transfer from tablet to cintiq. I do have the necessary funds, just wondering if it's a smart investment, like gaining in speed and such things :)
Oh and I'm taking the opportunity to give you a huge thanks for all your videos, it feels like your channel is a fountain of endless knowledge for people who love drawing !!! Great work! :D
gimp is pretty good.. its the closest to photoshop out of most free image softwares i've tried.
so I usually draw with my fingers, and im getting the impression thats bad? I think i can get straight lines with just my fingers and some of my wrist, but should i try and use my elbow and shoulder if I want to excel?
Even the scribbles look nice :p
How does your draw pad know where the sylus is when you're ghosting over it and not drawing?
I might end up buying everything you showed in the video .....
5:48 mind if i ask what program are you using?
thank you
Is it possible to use a drawing pad for something like the surface rt or surface pro?
What is the best free digital painting software?
didn't know you switched to cintiq :D
aren't those insanely expensive?
Knowledge does have a limit... but imagination doesn't :)
When I draw, i Listen to stuff that fits the picture Im going for.
Thanks a lot, I've suffered a lot before I watch the vid :D
Nice
What drawing pad are you using, please? And what software? Can you make a video about these two questions? Thanks.
bruh, your scribbles are fuckin impressive
An artist that relies on software cannot truly call himself an artist.
wwas that a cintiq or intuos in the video?
Imagination leads to knowledge
-Albert Einstein
Knowledge is limited but Imagination encircles the world -Albert Einstein :3
Just a heads-up: writing with your fingers isn't good either. It's better to write with your elbow or shoulder, especially if writing cursive.
Yes he did, he is using a Cintiq
Horizontal or 45* lines are ok, but vertical lines are a pain in the...
GOT EM' COACH
and then..
Imagination is more powerful than knowledge..
I swear scribbles haven't been this interesting until now...
no way this guy doesn't play osu, his lines are deliciously straight
i swear to god if you take this out of context
fallin in love with your circles
and your lines, and everything you did in this video