Advise how and where to improve, where should i start

Hey

I started drawing some time ago (1-2 years) as a hobby, for the fun of doing it.. mostly in the train... or on rainy days.

I do most of my drawings in 10 - 30 minutes directly on paper without using a pencil or much thought.

https://imgur.com/a/jNBp8wu

(here 3 animals, 3 faces)

I am a bit at loss ... how to approach it to improve my workflow or what to do in general to sharpen my perception or anything else really.

I would love some advise about the drawings themselves and mostly in what areas or/and what to do to improve my skills more systematicly...

I never did a course or and anykind of schooling in that area...

Thx

• Pastabrother edited this post on October 28, 2021 4:25pm.
• Pastabrother edited this post on October 28, 2021 4:51pm.

Are you drawing from reference or from your imagination? I'm assuming you're drawing from reference. First, I suggest that you also try the quicker time frames, like 30s, 1m, 5m. By drawing across time frames you build up your sensitivity to what's important to any given piece. In a creative writing class, my professor once gave a prompt that was: "write a story in 500 words, then write it again in 250 words, then write it again in 125 words". I loved that prompt and I think shorter times are the visual equivalent.

Another suggestion is for you to forget labels when drawing faces and do more "monkey-see, monkey-do" drawing. I noticed that your proportions for animals are better than for faces, I think this is because when we see faces, a special part of our brain activates and we think "thats an eye, that's a nose" which naturally leads to us enlarging and misplacing these features according to their importance rather than real location. We're deconstructing the face as we see it! Instead, if you ignore "eyes, nose, mouth" and instead focus on "edges, corners, curves" then you will be able to draw more accurating.

You paintings have a dynamic energy to them! I can immediately feel the emotion of each reference, that's a terrific starting point.

Pastabother,

Drawing is like weight training. If you want to get better, I suggest you create a drawing routine and keep to it. I also suggest you take on a few workbooks or collage course books with assignments in them. Do all the exercises, but redo the ones you find difficult or uninteresting as you may learn more from the things you are disinclined to do. They make the "Ah-Ha!!" moment all the more rewarding. Or they do for me at least.

When you create your workout routine, don't forget to place a lot of the simple basics in alongside the complicated fun gestures like the ones on this website.

One great exercise is to try to draw perfect basic 2d shapes in one stroke. Circles, squares, triangles, parallelograms and ovals are great options.

Once you master this, do it again but timed, like gestures.

Want to up the game again? Try it with 3d shapes. This helps you enhance your understanding of vp's and light.

Then again, time out those gestures.

Warning: Yeah, this is a quick exercise, easily done on a train. But... it can be quite taxing on the brain. Have a reward ready before you begin.

You can also add shading and all of the other bits and bobs that make art awesome looking. Often we wanna make cool things because they are more postable on social media or get more affirmation from others to further our skills. But they are called foundational blocks for a reason. So do more of them to make your hand control and skills better.

If you would like to draw simple forms from life use these: Stone blocks I can not recommend these enough. They are well worth the investment and should be in any artists studio.

If you do this kind of warmup before you start gestures, which is similar to stretching before working out, you will be amazed by how much more improvement you will have when taking on more formal works.

Enjoy pushing pigment, and if you ever need a body double to draw at the same time as you. Or would like a study buddy. Feel free to email me: Michellercusack@gmail.com

All the best,

JCML Fine Art

Well, Pastabrother, I feel like that all of your faces and animal paintings have a lot of potential for each. I love the colors, the tones, and more importantly, the relationships! Way to go. Bravo!! Keep up the great work!

If I could suggest you my criticism, I'd say that most all of your animals and all of your faces look or seem a bit far too itchier and far too rigid, personally. Would you like to get you a cheap notebook with your pens and loosen up your shoulders with 10 minutes of 5m animals, and 10 minutes of 5m facial expressions? The explanation is, so that you would be the least precious with the products and more and more into the process behind them.

https://youtu.be/pzVQX9CK9EM This is the video that will help you grow as not just as an artist and an illustrator, but as a common person.

My hat's off to you and your journey. Looking forward to your first sketchbook posts in the future.

• Polyvios Animations edited this post on November 11, 2021 12:38am. Reason: Link appear readable

Well, Pastabrother, I feel like that all of your faces and animal paintings have a lot of potential for each. I love the colors, the tones, and more importantly, the relationships! Way to go. Bravo!! Keep up the great work!

If I could suggest you my criticism, I'd say that most all of your animals and all of your faces look or seem a bit far too itchier and far too rigid, personally. Would you like to get you a cheap notebook with your pens and loosen up your shoulders with 10 minutes of 5m animals, and 10 minutes of 5m facial expressions? The explanation is, so that you would be the least precious with the products and more and more into the process behind them.

This is the video that will help you grow as not just as an artist and an illustrator, but as a common person.

My hat's off to you and your journey. Looking forward to your first sketchbook posts in the future.

• Polyvios Animations edited this post on November 11, 2021 12:38am.

Thank you for your Feedback, links and encouragement.

I started with some Training series with 2 minutes and 5 Minuten animal sketching and had a lot of fun. Some excamples...

https://imgur.com/a/pKBpFNt

I will gladely continue practising.