Will's channel is another one that I stumbled on years ago, subscribed, and then promptly forgot about while I focused on school and starting my family. His humble approach to drawing and loose sketch work is what caught my attention back then. It's still a great thing now that I've been drowning myself in the epic works of artists who have been at it longer than I've been alive.
For starters I checked out his video on how to get out of a drawing funk. Mainly because I am in kind of a funk of my own right now. Learning Manga Studio was a convenient reason to put down the pencil and get a breather, but I've still got that worry in the back of my mind. Am I going to get better? How much time is that going to take? Everyone says it takes years or even decades, but how much of that is spent in the "No one can ever know I drew this," phase?
Taking a day to fill up a whole sketch book seems insane to me. In a good day I can fill up two or three pages. Maybe. I've still got a lot of work to get comfortable with the idea that a practice drawing can be bad and that's ok.
Will's video on 5 tips for better drawings has some more practical advice, like drawing lightly during the sketching phase, turning the paper to see your mistakes better, and practicing to get confident smooth lines.
That part kills me. I did those choppy awful lines for probably the first ten or so years that I was drawing. If Youtube and the internet in general had been a bigger thing back in the 80's I could have found someone to tell me not to do that. Live and learn, right?
Showing posts with label drawing tutorials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drawing tutorials. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Day 76: Tutorials by Jet Kimchrea
Jet's YouTube channel, "The Jetty Jet Show" is a new addition to my watch list. Right now I'm cramming through a marathon of every tutorial he has on Manga Studio.
To put it simply, these videos are great. A lot of take screen captures of their work and go back to voice over it for their lessons. Jet is actually recording live. So when he says, "This tool will do ___," or "Using this affect will cause ___" he actually stops what he's doing to go through the different steps.
This is probably the first time I actually felt like I understood what the dodge tool was even used for or how the multiply layer option affects the layers below it.
If you're new to Manga Studio or looking for pointers on how to color a drawing after you've scanned it, his starting Manga Studio series is a great place to get a feel for what his channel has to offer.
Starting Manga Studio 5 Tutorial Pt.1
For an idea of what his finished works look like, check out his DeviantArt page at:
http://jeteffects.deviantart.com/
To put it simply, these videos are great. A lot of take screen captures of their work and go back to voice over it for their lessons. Jet is actually recording live. So when he says, "This tool will do ___," or "Using this affect will cause ___" he actually stops what he's doing to go through the different steps.
This is probably the first time I actually felt like I understood what the dodge tool was even used for or how the multiply layer option affects the layers below it.
If you're new to Manga Studio or looking for pointers on how to color a drawing after you've scanned it, his starting Manga Studio series is a great place to get a feel for what his channel has to offer.
Starting Manga Studio 5 Tutorial Pt.1
For an idea of what his finished works look like, check out his DeviantArt page at:
http://jeteffects.deviantart.com/
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Day 69: Tutorials by Neil Fontaine (Learn2draw)
So this is one of those channels that I threw into my watch later bin and never really got around to before now. On the plus side the host posts regularly, has decent content, and there is a structured course on Udemy. On the downside, this is one of those one take styles where you get advice direct from the artists mouth. So there are some tangents involved which don't really have anything to do with drawing.
On to the links.
How to draw the female figure from your mind -- no references
This is the video that caught my attention because he's using Manga Studio EX. The tutorial on laying out the human skeleton is more of a refresher for me at this point, so I mainly focused on which preferences he was playing with and how to use rulers in the program.
If you're still working on drawing a skeleton and getting the proportions right, this is a pretty decent approach.
Lesson Story Structure and Plot 1-12
I segued into this video from the female figure just to see if it would shed any light on my current script writing process. I picked up on a new concept of breaking the plot down by turning points, which seems rougher version of using a beat sheet. I plan to watch through the rest of his lessons on story structure just to make sure I understand the process he's using. From the first lesson it seems like a pretty solid approach.
On to the links.
How to draw the female figure from your mind -- no references
This is the video that caught my attention because he's using Manga Studio EX. The tutorial on laying out the human skeleton is more of a refresher for me at this point, so I mainly focused on which preferences he was playing with and how to use rulers in the program.
If you're still working on drawing a skeleton and getting the proportions right, this is a pretty decent approach.
Lesson Story Structure and Plot 1-12
I segued into this video from the female figure just to see if it would shed any light on my current script writing process. I picked up on a new concept of breaking the plot down by turning points, which seems rougher version of using a beat sheet. I plan to watch through the rest of his lessons on story structure just to make sure I understand the process he's using. From the first lesson it seems like a pretty solid approach.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Day 62: Tutorials by Jazza
I've been a big fan of Draw with Jazza for a while now. For some reason I always home in on the inspirational or philosophical videos. He does have a series of step by step tutorials for drawing particular subjects or characters that are on my watch list.
This week I caught up on two clips that have been collecting virtual dust on my saved for later list.
Types of Practice:
When I sit down with a dozen copies of Prinny fan art and start reworking them to learn the style / structure of the character that's inspirational practice since I'm huge fan of Disgaea and my desire to learn helps to push me through slumps.
Developmental is my personal weakness, since it focuses on weaknesses and I don't like doing that. I'll ping on a weak area like drawing hands for a day and then move on. What I really need to do is take a weekend and just throw a dozen or so hours at dedicated study of one topic and push myself over the hump. Like Jazza mentions in the video, doing something that you're weak at can be pretty soul crushing.
What To Draw... When You Don't Know What To Draw
I usually don't buy into pep talk videos, but for some reason I get this. Probably because I've been stuck looking at the blank page so often.
Jazza recommends three exercises which include:
Draw something mundane, use randomized ideas, and repeat the same drawing with progressively less time.
I've done the mundane practice before and have a few dozen sketches of keyboards, mice, erasers, speakers and so no to show for it. I'm not sure how much it has helped me grow but it's the closest thing to drawing from life that I typically get.
Using an randomized sketch generator sounds like a lot of fun and the repetitive drawing exercise seems like it would help me a lot so I'm going to try to work both into my routine. Just as soon as I can stop playing around with charcoal drawings...
This week I caught up on two clips that have been collecting virtual dust on my saved for later list.
| How to Practice - Improve your Art Skills, the Smart Way! |
Types of Practice:
- Innate
- Inspired
- Developmental
When I sit down with a dozen copies of Prinny fan art and start reworking them to learn the style / structure of the character that's inspirational practice since I'm huge fan of Disgaea and my desire to learn helps to push me through slumps.
Developmental is my personal weakness, since it focuses on weaknesses and I don't like doing that. I'll ping on a weak area like drawing hands for a day and then move on. What I really need to do is take a weekend and just throw a dozen or so hours at dedicated study of one topic and push myself over the hump. Like Jazza mentions in the video, doing something that you're weak at can be pretty soul crushing.
What To Draw... When You Don't Know What To Draw
I usually don't buy into pep talk videos, but for some reason I get this. Probably because I've been stuck looking at the blank page so often.
Jazza recommends three exercises which include:
Draw something mundane, use randomized ideas, and repeat the same drawing with progressively less time.
I've done the mundane practice before and have a few dozen sketches of keyboards, mice, erasers, speakers and so no to show for it. I'm not sure how much it has helped me grow but it's the closest thing to drawing from life that I typically get.
Using an randomized sketch generator sounds like a lot of fun and the repetitive drawing exercise seems like it would help me a lot so I'm going to try to work both into my routine. Just as soon as I can stop playing around with charcoal drawings...
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Day 55: Tutorials by Mike Koizumi
My recommendation for today is Mike Koizumi a.k.a 'koizu', and his YouTube channel. This is the first channel I've dug up for my blog that doesn't seem to be active anymore, but it still has some valuable information.
Don't let the low level examples in some of the videos throw you, this artist has a strong grasp on anatomy and perspective which really shows in his more advanced drawings particularly the video on How to Draw Fight Scenes.
It's no exaggeration that I've watched that clip over a dozen times since I first subscribed to his channel. The sad part is that after all these years I'm still stumbling around on the "fill in the details' stage even though he describes it as the easy part where you start to coast. Still, laying down the fundamental shapes and poses before starting the drawing is sage advice.
Lately I've been experimenting with laying the groundwork in a thumbnail sized version and referencing that but it's easy to lose proportions when I start to expand to full size. Now that I'm back into the swing of drawing I may have to revisit Mike's ghosting technique and see if that doesn't work better for me this time around.
Don't let the low level examples in some of the videos throw you, this artist has a strong grasp on anatomy and perspective which really shows in his more advanced drawings particularly the video on How to Draw Fight Scenes.
It's no exaggeration that I've watched that clip over a dozen times since I first subscribed to his channel. The sad part is that after all these years I'm still stumbling around on the "fill in the details' stage even though he describes it as the easy part where you start to coast. Still, laying down the fundamental shapes and poses before starting the drawing is sage advice.
Lately I've been experimenting with laying the groundwork in a thumbnail sized version and referencing that but it's easy to lose proportions when I start to expand to full size. Now that I'm back into the swing of drawing I may have to revisit Mike's ghosting technique and see if that doesn't work better for me this time around.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Day 48: Tutorials by Drawing Tutorials Online
So this weeks recommendation is a little odd. Drawing Tutorials Online is this website / YouTube channel that I have been following on and off for over five years now. The odd bit is that I've watched literally hours of videos from these guys and I still haven't actually seen a single tutorial.
I always end up caught in this loop watching the sketchbook videos of the students. There's a lot to be picked up from looking at the different tools and techniques they're using and the kinds of assignments they have to turn in.
It might just be my perspective, but I find it more motivational to see a younger person building on their talent than watching an industry veteran show off twenty or more years of experience. Don't get me wrong, the talent in most of these sketchbook videos blows anything I can produce out of the water.
Seeing younger people who have just started their artistic careers putting out that level of quality is inspirational to me. I'll set my sights on drawing at Joe Mad or J Scott's level when I'm ten or twenty years down the road.
If you're not sure where to start, I recommend these two students as an introduction to the channel:
Spencer's Sketchbook and Allan's Sketchbook
I always end up caught in this loop watching the sketchbook videos of the students. There's a lot to be picked up from looking at the different tools and techniques they're using and the kinds of assignments they have to turn in.
It might just be my perspective, but I find it more motivational to see a younger person building on their talent than watching an industry veteran show off twenty or more years of experience. Don't get me wrong, the talent in most of these sketchbook videos blows anything I can produce out of the water.
Seeing younger people who have just started their artistic careers putting out that level of quality is inspirational to me. I'll set my sights on drawing at Joe Mad or J Scott's level when I'm ten or twenty years down the road.
If you're not sure where to start, I recommend these two students as an introduction to the channel:
Spencer's Sketchbook and Allan's Sketchbook
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Day 41: Tutorials by Mark Crilley
I've gotten a little carried away with doing gesture drawings since I dug up an old charcoal pencil. The last few days my 20 minute warm up has ended up running for almost the whole hour I set aside for drawing. Which isn't bad at all, since observation is one of my weak areas.
On the other hand, I still like to soak up some of the expertise that's floating out there and since I looked over one of Mark Crilley's books on Monday, I thought it would be a good time to skim through his YouTube channel again.
If you check out his How to Draw playlist, you'll find 217 tutorials and that doesn't even include the other videos like his realism challenges. At this point I've literally watched less than 2% of the how to playlist.
One of the things I really appreciate about Mark's tutorial is that he considers the length of the video and uses time lapse editing to skip through the time consuming parts that might not shed much light on the topic at hand.
I followed along on his first ear and hands tutorials for a quick refresher.
How to Draw an Ear [HTD Video #1]
There's something about drawing the ear that's still challenging for me. Even when it's reduced to cartoon simplicity I struggle with nailing the symmetry between one side of the head and the next. It's especially difficult when drawing atypical ears like you would find on goblins or aliens since you don't really see those out in the real world.
How to Draw Hands [HTD video #3]
Drawing hands is still hard, but it's starting to come along now that I have basic shapes to build with to establish the general location and motion of the hand and fingers. I still need a lot of practice to draw them on the fly, but at this point I feel much more confident drawing from reference and that's a good first step.
On the other hand, I still like to soak up some of the expertise that's floating out there and since I looked over one of Mark Crilley's books on Monday, I thought it would be a good time to skim through his YouTube channel again.
If you check out his How to Draw playlist, you'll find 217 tutorials and that doesn't even include the other videos like his realism challenges. At this point I've literally watched less than 2% of the how to playlist.
One of the things I really appreciate about Mark's tutorial is that he considers the length of the video and uses time lapse editing to skip through the time consuming parts that might not shed much light on the topic at hand.
I followed along on his first ear and hands tutorials for a quick refresher.
How to Draw an Ear [HTD Video #1]
There's something about drawing the ear that's still challenging for me. Even when it's reduced to cartoon simplicity I struggle with nailing the symmetry between one side of the head and the next. It's especially difficult when drawing atypical ears like you would find on goblins or aliens since you don't really see those out in the real world.
How to Draw Hands [HTD video #3]
Drawing hands is still hard, but it's starting to come along now that I have basic shapes to build with to establish the general location and motion of the hand and fingers. I still need a lot of practice to draw them on the fly, but at this point I feel much more confident drawing from reference and that's a good first step.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Day 34: Tutorials by Stan Prokopenko
Disclaimer: Proko's tutorials cover a range of topics, including anatomy, which commonly have NSFW reference material. Please keep that in mind before you follow any links in today's post.
While I haven't had the opportunity to view any of the premium content that Proko offers on his site at proko.com, I've watched close to two hours of his free content on YouTube. There's a healthy debate on the merit of tutorials with paywalls when there is so much available for free but my opinion is that this would be a worthwhile investment if I had the extra funds.
Proko's videos are more polished than other tutorials. He makes use of proper editing, voice overs, and even some jazzy background music. A number of lessons include a split screen showing both the reference material and his step by step process. This is much easier to absorb than the typical web cam dangling over the shoulder technique that's used in many of the free tutorials.
Some "safe for work" examples of what Proko has on his channel are:
Drawing Muscles: What You Need to Know
I included some of my sketches from this video lesson in last weeks summary.
How to Draw a Nose - Anatomy and Structure
His nose tutorials are incredibly helpful for moving from flat cartoon noses to more convincingly realistic drawings. I'm still struggling with anatomy at this point, so every little tidbit helps.
While I haven't had the opportunity to view any of the premium content that Proko offers on his site at proko.com, I've watched close to two hours of his free content on YouTube. There's a healthy debate on the merit of tutorials with paywalls when there is so much available for free but my opinion is that this would be a worthwhile investment if I had the extra funds.
Proko's videos are more polished than other tutorials. He makes use of proper editing, voice overs, and even some jazzy background music. A number of lessons include a split screen showing both the reference material and his step by step process. This is much easier to absorb than the typical web cam dangling over the shoulder technique that's used in many of the free tutorials.
Some "safe for work" examples of what Proko has on his channel are:
Drawing Muscles: What You Need to Know
I included some of my sketches from this video lesson in last weeks summary.
How to Draw a Nose - Anatomy and Structure
His nose tutorials are incredibly helpful for moving from flat cartoon noses to more convincingly realistic drawings. I'm still struggling with anatomy at this point, so every little tidbit helps.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Day 27: Tutorials by Evan Burse
Here's a quick blurb on Evan Burse from The Cartoon Block's official website.
Evan has been an animation professional for over 10 years. He’s worked on such shows as Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Black Panther, Marvel’s Hulk and The Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and Teen Titans.
I have been using Evan's tutorials on and off for years. The first one I followed was his guide on How To Draw Superhero Chest (Torso) and I've run through it several times trying to commit the method to memory.
Granted, I'm no Michelangelo when it comes to anatomy but this is a pretty decent reproduction for a guy who had no traditional training in drawing the human body.
His channel's big appeal are the how to's for popular characters. Below you can see the Krillin and Vegeta head shots I finished from his tutorials. They turned out much cleaner than the other two that I copied over from some comic books I had laying around my desk.
For today's exercise, I'm going to run through the Superboy tutorial a few times and see how well it turns out. You can find that link here: How To Draw Superboy.
I'd also like to point out that it was the tutorials at Cartoon Block that introduced me to Col-Erase pencils and they're awesome. They lay down much smoother and more consistent color than any other brand I've tried to use so far.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Day 20: Tutorials by David Revoy
I found David Revoy's Pepper & Carrot comic on imgur last year and followed the internet crumbs back to his home page. He has a very interesting philosophy on creating comics, using open-source software, and closing the gap between creator and audience. He even encourages people to use his characters to make a profit so long as they give him credit. So far I haven't found anyone else taking this approach and I really like it.
I also love that his web comics are translated into English and Japanese. Reading the same comic in both languages is really great practice for me.
Back to the meat and potatoes of today's post. David's site has a ton of great tutorials here and on his YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/user/DeevadRevoy. I don't have a lot to show for the hours I've thrown at Krita but after watching a few of his tutorials I now know how to customize the tool bar to make the smoothing tool easier to find, how to easily turn my sketch into a blue tone that's easier to ink over, and how to adjust saturation to remove left over marks from the sketch work.
I hope my comic can be even half as well produced as Pepper & Carrot. I may even have to break out the Japanese books again so I can tackle the bilingual approach.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Day 13: Tutorials by Sycra Yasin
Sycra hosts one of my favorite YouTube channels and has some of the most interesting lessons I've seen. The tutorials he posts are helpful, but it's the in depth analysis that he does that made me a subscriber. They can run long and that might not be great for everyone, but if you have the spare time check out these videos as an introduction:
How to Practice Drawing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKFfSl-EBfI
Iterative Drawing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0ufz75UvHs
His video on iterative drawing was a real gut punch for me. Especially when he talked about drawing heads in the hundreds as being on the low end of the scale. The example he used of drawing 20 rough heads per day would have you at the 1,000 marker in less than two months. At this point in my drawing career I've probably only drawn a few dozen heads tops. After watching the whole hour long video I was hyped up and ready to work it into my own daily routine. The only problem is that the exercise would take an hour or more for me to complete at my current level.
So for now I'm going to stick to the basics and keeping refining the fundamental skills. I will be incorporating the iterative approach into the exercises that it suits. Like the lesson I'm working on today sketching the human eye. Taking an iterative approach to improving the same eye feels more rewarding than just doing a bunch of random sketches that could turn out to be a mixed bag of good and bad.
If you like what you've seen, you can find more at his official home page over at www.sycra.net.
How to Practice Drawing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKFfSl-EBfI
Iterative Drawing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0ufz75UvHs
His video on iterative drawing was a real gut punch for me. Especially when he talked about drawing heads in the hundreds as being on the low end of the scale. The example he used of drawing 20 rough heads per day would have you at the 1,000 marker in less than two months. At this point in my drawing career I've probably only drawn a few dozen heads tops. After watching the whole hour long video I was hyped up and ready to work it into my own daily routine. The only problem is that the exercise would take an hour or more for me to complete at my current level.
So for now I'm going to stick to the basics and keeping refining the fundamental skills. I will be incorporating the iterative approach into the exercises that it suits. Like the lesson I'm working on today sketching the human eye. Taking an iterative approach to improving the same eye feels more rewarding than just doing a bunch of random sketches that could turn out to be a mixed bag of good and bad.
If you like what you've seen, you can find more at his official home page over at www.sycra.net.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Day 6: Tutorials by Ahmed Aldoori
When I first stumbled on Ahmed Aldoori's YouTube channel I had never heard of him or seen his work before. I was just binge watching random tutorials and the video he posted on "How I got into Art - Y'know " popped up in my recommended viewing feed.
I have to admit that a few years ago this video would have left me discouraged about my own possibilities. I mean, here is another artist who started drawing when he was very young, attended art school, and maintained a passion to improve his art throughout his life. This is a common origin story for many of my favorite artists and it brings me down sometimes because there is no way to emulate it later in life.
It was different for me the second time around. Listening to Ahmed talk openly about his struggle with unsatisfying schools and under qualified teachers made me feel more motivated. If he was able to develop even a fraction of his ability through self-education, then that is an example I can try to follow.
If you have a couple of minutes to spare, I highly recommend checking out the following quick tips to see if you might want to subscribe to his channel.
Drawing Figures and Poses QUICK TIP #1
QUICKTIP - Focal points and composition
Once I clear the fundamentals of drawing like perception, symmetry, and shading I plan to burn through his videos to jump start my anatomy and digital skill sets.
I have to admit that a few years ago this video would have left me discouraged about my own possibilities. I mean, here is another artist who started drawing when he was very young, attended art school, and maintained a passion to improve his art throughout his life. This is a common origin story for many of my favorite artists and it brings me down sometimes because there is no way to emulate it later in life.
It was different for me the second time around. Listening to Ahmed talk openly about his struggle with unsatisfying schools and under qualified teachers made me feel more motivated. If he was able to develop even a fraction of his ability through self-education, then that is an example I can try to follow.
If you have a couple of minutes to spare, I highly recommend checking out the following quick tips to see if you might want to subscribe to his channel.
Drawing Figures and Poses QUICK TIP #1
QUICKTIP - Focal points and composition
Once I clear the fundamentals of drawing like perception, symmetry, and shading I plan to burn through his videos to jump start my anatomy and digital skill sets.
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