"Don't be a slave to it." Adding on to this, one of my ex-art professors at Ringling College of Art and Design always told me: "You are an artist, not a camera!"
That's not how it works buddy. It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to draw hyper-realism or something like that, then you need to follow the reference, similarly for other results you wish to achieve. For a sketchy or caricature sort of result you can always give your input. "You are an artist, free to be or not to be a camera"
Nana that’s a silly thing to say, photorealistic artwork is just as valid as other styles - it’s still another form of artistic expression. Saying that about any form of art; that it isn’t ‘real art’, is just ignorant of what art is.
Hi Aaron. Just wanted to say thank you for braking down your drawing process and sharing it. I never went to art school, so seeing the various techniques to manage your drawings is invaluable.
You don't want to imagine the amount of knowledge I've gathered from watching this video...same with all you videos. You're such an inspiration. Thank you ever so much.
Thank you so very much for showing these techniques. I've been drawing from references exactly this way my entire life. I went to art school a few years back and was shown the "classical" -- for lack of a better word -: technique of drawing in the center line of movement then the basic shapes then memorizing anatomy... Don't get me wrong. I learned plenty. I just started feeling as if the technique I'd been using was not correct. Art became tedious and less fun, as you stated. It is so encouraging to see that someone of your outstanding experience draws in the same mindset as I do. This video is now my favorite of yours thus far. It validated me as an artist and reinforced the reason I love to draw -- because it is truly fun. Thank you again.
Thanks Aaron, great video! I was getting frustrated not getting things exactly matching perfectly in my own sketches and this showed me that you don't have to. My perfectionism was killing me. What a relief. Now I know what you mean by not being a slave to the reference.
Hi Aaron , I'm from Brazil and met his work today , I am delighted , thank you for sharing your knowledge , few people share what they know like you, we need people like you in this world ... Thank you so , I will continue watching the channel you .
This is the best tutorial I have come across on drawing and really helps me finally feel that I can put the methods into action, something that I have managed to do with other methods. Thank you!
I like it that the guitars in the back are matching with your shirt :D thanks for the really great video Aaron! It helps me a lot to compare and understand forms.
Aaron- This is one of THE best art videos I’ve watched online and I have seen hundreds, literally. I am sooooo looking forward to the watercolor class in Sarasota next month!
Aaron, thank you, very helpful video. Proportions have always plagued me but I regularly practice an exercise to help develop my eye for seeing and recording them accurately: I trace the shapes of the photo on a layer over the photo. Next, I hide the photo, I extend the canvas and I copy the original tracing on a new layer next to my tracing. I superimpose the copy over the tracing for comparison and I note where I'm off. This feedback has made me more aware of my mistakes, it's helped me to see the big shapes and it has gradually improved my judgment. Maybe this exercise can help others too.
Hi Aaron. My name is Lisa. I have been spending a lot of time watching your videos. I am so facinated at your work. Your so talented. I have developed a skill of creating animal forms from paper mache. I study the animals and break them down in sections with different pieces of paper balls and cardboard and wire. I have just recently built a realistic zebra figure with a foal simulating the real ones. I am interested in showing you my work. May I have your permission to do so? Thanks. Lisa
Interesting technique drawing digitally and comparing to the real photo. I like how you walk the audience through the shapes, forms and refining needed to master drawing. Thanks for sharing!
Oh WOW! I want to try drawing with Photoshop like this! I love how you can draw freely and move things around. I've only used graphite so far. This is excellent.
Great tutorial as always, Aaron! Since I discovered your channel I'm more aware of things I didn't notice before; textures, shapes,... and take mental notes of those things. Also I'm concentrating more on animals as subject. I've always been more into character design, but your tutorials really did open my eyes to all the stuff that surrounds me in real life, and I can't thank you enough for that! I don't know if it's in the cards, but could you someday make a tutorial on drawing likeness in human portrets? With animals I don't really seem to have that many issues but when I'm trying to draw a human face I just can't find the right proportions to create a good likeness.
It was really interesting to see your process - how you measure, think, and move things around. Funny the thing with the horn, that the mind refuses to believe it's so big, so you needed to erase it and move it twice. All a part of the process.. I also sometimes overlay the sketch on the reference to see how I am doing. And the painting technique had a nice result too! I am going to have to disagree about the eye placement - for me it's one of the things that don't look right in the context of the underlying bone structure.
This video should go as the very first tutorial for anyone who wants to learn drawing. It would save lots of my time if I could come accros it earlier. I'm using the same tecnique for drawing but the difference is it took me months till I got it. While here, it(the same technique) was already explained clearly, free and in 30 minites tutorial.
Just followed along with photoshop. And even though I'm not near as proficient an artist as I would like to be. The drawing turned out looking fairly close. :)
The Art of Aaron Blaise Do these techniques work just as good if you were drawing an animal from real life cause I dont think I'd be able to think about all this stuff when my model only gives me a short amount of time to capture a pose
It's great to see what you do! Inspiring. I love the fact that you show your small mistakes and just leave them, as it looks good. Well done and keep it up!
Hey, Aaron. I'm new to your channel and I find everything you do and share, very helpful. I also find it extremely helpful just hearing you talk in the background while I draw or sketch. Thanks for sharing you knowledge with us, and you got yourself a new subscriber.
whew, you're f'n awesome man!! I saw you together with proko on his channel in that zoo and your skill is insane! This video helped me a lot to get the right approach down, thanks a lot!
@DAVID BLAINE @ARTIST You make it look so easy. How are you drawing a bigger version without measuring proportions? Would like to know what technique you use
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful and valuable information. I've learned a lot from this video, even if I'm just working with regular drawing pencils.
And all this technique is free? We are obliged forever Aaron! Btw, i have already bought 3 courses from you around the black friday sales but this is an absolute masterpiece. Basically you narrating line by line what you thinking and revealing your reasoning.. priceless!!
That was great! So informative and makes a lot of sense. Compare, compare, compare...shapes, lines , angles. great stuff Thank you Aaron! My sheep came out pretty good.
Hi Aaron! Pretty cool technique! It's gonna be very useful the next time I have to draw a portrait or similar... I have the basis, but didn't understand it properly until now. And I'm more convinced that don't have to be afraid of making mistakes nor giving my own personality. Thanks for encouraging on that, as keep sharing your knowledge to the art community! :) Have a good one!
Hi Aaron, I love all your art tip videos, they help me out so much! I was wondering when you draw animals from life if you start off by thinking of a mass and hinge style and hang the muscle masses off of that or some other way? Would love to know your thought process when you build the forms. Any advice would appreciated.
Thank you very much! I love how you compare certain points to get proportions right! But can you please tell me, why don't you just copy the image into your canvas, mark the critical spots on a new layer, and start from there? I'm not talking about tracing, but getting the overall shape roughly down?
you can use liquefy tool after finishing the drawing to get the final proportions right , it seems kind of like cheating but you can get precise proportions
So how do you save the picture with your drawing of the picture so they stay together? And what format do you save it in if it is just a reference drawing?
I've seen previously the 7 steps to design a character. I'm wondering if drawing a likeness is it considered like a "research" before you begin the character design ?? is it a part of research ?
these tips are excellent. Though i have one question, what will i do with these technique when trying to draw from imagination, i know when drawing from photos that you can compare angles, shapes, etc. But when using imagination the image is kinda blurry, plus i don't know the direction where the drawing should go so all that comparing is not that effective. Does that mean i do not know enough, should i try more photo drawing?
I think it is very good advice from you to simply spend time observing. But my experience trying to draw live animals is often frustrating. I end up with scribbles all over and the art publishers want fine details.
This was great, thanks Aaron. Learned some stuff. Do you always start a colored painting in black and white to understand the values of the piece first before focusing on hues? Or maybe is that just a good exercise to do?
Aaron, so the guidelines, did all of us artist started out learning to draw from reference this way, or was this just a way for art teachers to explain their mental processes better to new artist?
Hey Aaron, I wonder what education in college you recommend if I maybe wanted to be a animator? You see for a long time I wanted to go to nature science but I'm afraid it doesn't teach me about animation. And so far I've seen, there no college with both... :c Which makes it difficult to choose what I want.
Hello mr Aaron, could you tell me what is the number of the bursh you used for the sketching part of this video in the set in your website.? wich one it is out of the 24 brushes that come with the set?
Fantastic video :D thanks. Btw, I've never seen a sheep with hair like that, we don't have sheep like this in Australia, is it a meat or dairy goat, or dual purpose?
Greg Mixon Basically, yes. Different people have their own favourite brushes. There's no real answer to which brushes are best, it's all about what you prefer and like in the end. So yes, try all of the brushes you think you'd like and find you favourite ones in those. (:
Your channel is a like a free art education right here on youtube. Thanks for sharing you insight!
Micah Buzan I 10000% agree
"Don't be a slave to it."
Adding on to this, one of my ex-art professors at Ringling College of Art and Design always told me:
"You are an artist, not a camera!"
That's not how it works buddy. It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to draw hyper-realism or something like that, then you need to follow the reference, similarly for other results you wish to achieve. For a sketchy or caricature sort of result you can always give your input.
"You are an artist, free to be or not to be a camera"
@@AkashSingh-ee5qj Hyper realism isn't even real art lol.
Nana that’s a silly thing to say, photorealistic artwork is just as valid as other styles - it’s still another form of artistic expression. Saying that about any form of art; that it isn’t ‘real art’, is just ignorant of what art is.
@@nine-vi7rw Of course it is. It take lots of patience, practice, and time. Check out Silvie Mahdal's channel. She does hyper realism
Lmao people say this because they can’t do it 😂
Hi Aaron. Just wanted to say thank you for braking down your drawing process and sharing it. I never went to art school, so seeing the various techniques to manage your drawings is invaluable.
You don't want to imagine the amount of knowledge I've gathered from watching this video...same with all you videos. You're such an inspiration. Thank you ever so much.
Thank you so very much for showing these techniques. I've been drawing from references exactly this way my entire life. I went to art school a few years back and was shown the "classical" -- for lack of a better word -: technique of drawing in the center line of movement then the basic shapes then memorizing anatomy... Don't get me wrong. I learned plenty. I just started feeling as if the technique I'd been using was not correct. Art became tedious and less fun, as you stated. It is so encouraging to see that someone of your outstanding experience draws in the same mindset as I do. This video is now my favorite of yours thus far. It validated me as an artist and reinforced the reason I love to draw -- because it is truly fun. Thank you again.
Thanks Aaron, great video! I was getting frustrated not getting things exactly matching perfectly in my own sketches and this showed me that you don't have to. My perfectionism was killing me. What a relief. Now I know what you mean by not being a slave to the reference.
Still amazes me to watches you put those lines down so flawlessly.
Oh my gosh you're like the Bob Ross of Photoshop
You are an amazing instructor....your fur brushes just saved a rush job of mine. Thanks for being a hero Aaron.
you help me so much with my animation assignments/art for UNI and my drawing observation
Hi Aaron , I'm from Brazil and met his work today , I am delighted , thank you for sharing your knowledge , few people share what they know like you, we need people like you in this world ... Thank you so , I will continue watching the channel you .
This is the best tutorial I have come across on drawing and really helps me finally feel that I can put the methods into action, something that I have managed to do with other methods. Thank you!
I like it that the guitars in the back are matching with your shirt :D thanks for the really great video Aaron! It helps me a lot to compare and understand forms.
Aaron- This is one of THE best art videos I’ve watched online and I have seen hundreds, literally. I am sooooo looking forward to the watercolor class in Sarasota next month!
Aaron, thank you, very helpful video. Proportions have always plagued me but I regularly practice an exercise to help develop my eye for seeing and recording them accurately: I trace the shapes of the photo on a layer over the photo. Next, I hide the photo, I extend the canvas and I copy the original tracing on a new layer next to my tracing. I superimpose the copy over the tracing for comparison and I note where I'm off. This feedback has made me more aware of my mistakes, it's helped me to see the big shapes and it has gradually improved my judgment. Maybe this exercise can help others too.
Thank goodness for Aaron Blaise.
This is pure talent
Hi Aaron. My name is Lisa. I have been spending a lot of time watching your videos. I am so facinated at your work. Your so talented. I have developed a skill of creating animal forms from paper mache. I study the animals and break them down in sections with different pieces of paper balls and cardboard and wire. I have just recently built a realistic zebra figure with a foal simulating the real ones. I am interested in showing you my work. May I have your permission to do so? Thanks. Lisa
Interesting technique drawing digitally and comparing to the real photo. I like how you walk the audience through the shapes, forms and refining needed to master drawing. Thanks for sharing!
I appreciate your knowledge and creativity! You have given me inspiration! Thank you so MUCH!
Oh WOW! I want to try drawing with Photoshop like this! I love how you can draw freely and move things around. I've only used graphite so far. This is excellent.
This is something I've been wanting to improve on, so this helped a lot! Now it's just time to practice.
Great tutorial as always, Aaron! Since I discovered your channel I'm more aware of things I didn't notice before; textures, shapes,... and take mental notes of those things. Also I'm concentrating more on animals as subject. I've always been more into character design, but your tutorials really did open my eyes to all the stuff that surrounds me in real life, and I can't thank you enough for that! I don't know if it's in the cards, but could you someday make a tutorial on drawing likeness in human portrets? With animals I don't really seem to have that many issues but when I'm trying to draw a human face I just can't find the right proportions to create a good likeness.
very nice drawing
It was really interesting to see your process - how you measure, think, and move things around. Funny the thing with the horn, that the mind refuses to believe it's so big, so you needed to erase it and move it twice. All a part of the process..
I also sometimes overlay the sketch on the reference to see how I am doing. And the painting technique had a nice result too! I am going to have to disagree about the eye placement - for me it's one of the things that don't look right in the context of the underlying bone structure.
This video should go as the very first tutorial for anyone who wants to learn drawing. It would save lots of my time if I could come accros it earlier. I'm using the same tecnique for drawing but the difference is it took me months till I got it. While here, it(the same technique) was already explained clearly, free and in 30 minites tutorial.
Awsome! Thank you, I'm so glad of learning here
This is wonderful! You're a great teacher! Could you tell us what brushes you used in this video? I would like to purchase them on your site.
SimbaStudios Here is a link to the brush set I use: creatureartteacher.com/product/aarons-custom-photoshop-brushes-set-1/
Thank you! :)
The Art of Aaron Blaise Thank you!
one of my favorite videos, thanks Aaron
Thank you so much for this video and for your art
Your videos are so helpful and fun to watch! I'll do a follow-along soon! Thanks so so much.
Great tutorial !!!! A technique which my teacher taught me was to invert the image horizontally to check the error :)
This was great! I was giddy when you overlayed the photo and measured your drawing against it. So much fun!
Thanks!
Anyone else see Winnie the Pooh reaching into a honey jar while he's in the early stages of the drawing?
haha i do!
Eleazar Cabrera now I do
Where?
random person 7:03
Oh my gosh yes
I'm so excited! 👍
Just followed along with photoshop. And even though I'm not near as proficient an artist as I would like to be. The drawing turned out looking fairly close. :)
Aaron Blaise is the Bob Ross of animation!
I'll try to apply your techniques in my drawings! Thanks a lot!
The Art of Aaron Blaise
Do these techniques work just as good if you were drawing an animal from real life cause I dont think I'd be able to think about all this stuff when my model only gives me a short amount of time to capture a pose
thank you so much because that was a really good piece of artwork
It's great to see what you do! Inspiring. I love the fact that you show your small mistakes and just leave them, as it looks good. Well done and keep it up!
Hey, Aaron. I'm new to your channel and I find everything you do and share, very helpful. I also find it extremely helpful just hearing you talk in the background while I draw or sketch. Thanks for sharing you knowledge with us, and you got yourself a new subscriber.
whew, you're f'n awesome man!! I saw you together with proko on his channel in that zoo and your skill is insane! This video helped me a lot to get the right approach down, thanks a lot!
@DAVID BLAINE @ARTIST
You make it look so easy. How are you drawing a bigger version without measuring proportions? Would like to know what technique you use
Awasome art and awasome artist! Thank you very much Aaron! 😊
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful and valuable information. I've learned a lot from this video, even if I'm just working with regular drawing pencils.
this is so cool thanks really enjoy watching you drawings
And all this technique is free? We are obliged forever Aaron! Btw, i have already bought 3 courses from you around the black friday sales but this is an absolute masterpiece. Basically you narrating line by line what you thinking and revealing your reasoning.. priceless!!
That was great! So informative and makes a lot of sense. Compare, compare, compare...shapes, lines , angles. great stuff Thank you Aaron! My sheep came out pretty good.
this video was awesome thank you
Hi Aaron!
Pretty cool technique! It's gonna be very useful the next time I have to draw a portrait or similar... I have the basis, but didn't understand it properly until now. And I'm more convinced that don't have to be afraid of making mistakes nor giving my own personality. Thanks for encouraging on that, as keep sharing your knowledge to the art community! :)
Have a good one!
yeaiii, Aaron tips are back!!, i missed you!!, thanks for sharing, :)
Thanks for sharing, thats awsome
Looking at negative space to judge accuracy helps too(the right horn!)
i do the same at my practices :o
sometimes i use the ref behind my draw to see what i did wrong
Thank you just amazing
I have a quick question for you, have you ever used inktense acrylic pencils ? Just a simple question, thank you for your excellent weight tutorial
Great drawing
Hi Aaron,
I love all your art tip videos, they help me out so much! I was wondering when you draw animals from life if you start off by thinking of a mass and hinge style and hang the muscle masses off of that or some other way? Would love to know your thought process when you build the forms. Any advice would appreciated.
I have started learning PS and AI but I am still struggling with drawing so I guess my problem will be solved now :D
great class, thanks so much!!
nice thanks, i just leveled up watching this!
Thank you very much! I love how you compare certain points to get proportions right! But can you please tell me, why don't you just copy the image into your canvas, mark the critical spots on a new layer, and start from there? I'm not talking about tracing, but getting the overall shape roughly down?
So cool!
this is an excellent video and has been a big help already so thank you :)
great lesson
I love that brush you used to colorize the drawing. Is that one in any of your packages?
Excellent video.
Thank you, that was an excellent lesson. My sketch needs some work but it's not too bad for how out of practice I am. :D
Thanks for the video, Aaron! Getting the likeness is the hardest part for me and this was very helpful.
Great shirt Aaron! :D
You're a really great teacher!!! Love your channel :))
Oh! Dear....Sheep have a muzzle,Aaron,not a snout.Pigs have snouts...LOL I love what you do.
you can use liquefy tool after finishing the drawing to get the final proportions right , it seems kind of like cheating but you can get precise proportions
Have you ever used corel painter? And I’m wondering if I can download your photoshop brushes onto corel painter?
Just found this channel.. absolutely gold!! Btw.. couldn´t you put a new layer on top of the pic and then trace it? wouldn´t that be faster?
I've been drawing this:)
So how do you save the picture with your drawing of the picture so they stay together? And what format do you save it in if it is just a reference drawing?
I've seen previously the 7 steps to design a character. I'm wondering if drawing a likeness is it considered like a "research" before you begin the character design ?? is it a part of research ?
Great tutorial :)
these tips are excellent.
Though i have one question, what will i do with these technique when trying to draw from imagination, i know when drawing from photos that you can compare angles, shapes, etc. But when using imagination the image is kinda blurry, plus i don't know the direction where the drawing should go so all that comparing is not that effective. Does that mean i do not know enough, should i try more photo drawing?
Awesome
how can I make the brush you use for sketch? it's awesome
The brush you're using to sketch looks like it works great for nice, loose sketches! Is it available in any of the brush packs on your site?
Tylociraptor Yes it is! Here is a link: creatureartteacher.com/product/aarons-custom-photoshop-brushes-set-1/
Thanks Aaron! I was eying that one, but now I will HAVE to pick it up! :) Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
This is great! My problem is that my observation skills are 100x greater than my drawing skills, lol
I think it is very good advice from you to simply spend time observing. But my experience trying to draw live animals is often frustrating. I end up with scribbles all over and the art publishers want fine details.
This was great, thanks Aaron. Learned some stuff. Do you always start a colored painting in black and white to understand the values of the piece first before focusing on hues? Or maybe is that just a good exercise to do?
Great video! And I got a question; probably is stupid but I'm new to photoshop so.. How do you open a picture for reference like that?
Aaron, so the guidelines, did all of us artist started out learning to draw from reference this way, or was this just a way for art teachers to explain their mental processes better to new artist?
Can anyone share a good set of brushes for digital painting ?
wow I love your drawings. Do you use a drawing tablet?
where I can get brushes just like the one that you used to draw this pice? thx)
Hey Aaron, I wonder what education in college you recommend if I maybe wanted to be a animator?
You see for a long time I wanted to go to nature science but I'm afraid it doesn't teach me about animation. And so far I've seen, there no college with both... :c Which makes it difficult to choose what I want.
i wanna buy that brush, but witch pack contains that brush
Hello mr Aaron, could you tell me what is the number of the bursh you used for the sketching part of this video in the set in your website.? wich one it is out of the 24 brushes that come with the set?
Christopher Cruz I believe it is #7
Thanks! :D
you`re awesome
Hi Aaron. I really like your channel. Your style is the "eye candy" for me. What screen record software you use?
Timo Filpus Thank you! I use Screenflow/
Wow has it really been a month since the last vid?
Fantastic video :D thanks. Btw, I've never seen a sheep with hair like that, we don't have sheep like this in Australia, is it a meat or dairy goat, or dual purpose?
its a wild ram they arnt used for meet there just roam around in places like Wyoming and Colorado
I'm new to digital drawing, is brush selection by trial and error ?
Greg Mixon
Basically, yes. Different people have their own favourite brushes. There's no real answer to which brushes are best, it's all about what you prefer and like in the end.
So yes, try all of the brushes you think you'd like and find you favourite ones in those. (: