Quotes and Responses
Oh I'm still around. No apology necessary. I respond to everyone here when I can - and if applicable. They are great opportunities for people to learn. I am afraid I have iced everyone else out with saying way to much stuff however.
Compared to others I typed very little for you. You should go read some of the other critiques sometimes - you might benefit from the effort put into other peoples struggle for theory.
I even post to my blog here with my own art along with many others. You should come and visit them and make one - join the discourse. Not make an art school art journey and dump it like every one else. What you post here is your work. Your blog content. Your history.
Stop by and see our struggles and our wins.
Pass out some of those rare likes around here lol.
You aren't alone although this is a lonely monk like endeavor.
Okay. Hmmm. So....Hmmmm.
Theory is something that you apply - to a practice. Practice is something you do to commit theory to memory and execute it. Perform and execute the method - that is practice and theory put to test.
A teacher provides further critique and theory to help you improve that simple process more quickly.
A reference is a standard. A starting point, or end goal. It could be anything from manga heads to finished artwork from great masters.
A simple drawing can have many theories applied to it. Perspective, shape language, line weight, and style applied by ones own choice of drawing element (pen or pencil)
It is up to you which theory you are pulling from it that day and applying it to your practice.
Perspective. The forever struggle of beginner artists.
Have you tried it? It might work.
THE GOOD WAY TO PRACTICE DAILY
1 - Observe by drawing it.
2 -Then draw it from memory. Then try different angles.
3 - Ask experts for feedback (they skip you past all of the balony)
Be consistent.
That is it.
You are not being consistent however.
I will give you the secret sauce passed down through the ages of the artist's schools pedigree. This is the GOOD way to do it but real life in present time does not allow for this if you have to work full time or part time. But it is the way people have been making students DO effectively for centuries. You choose what it is that you want to fill the two subjects of - observtion - and -memory execution - with.
As a student -
-Breakfast
Theory and intent lesson - then Practice a subject from observation for the morning. THE WHOLE MORNING
-Lunch
Practice the same subject from imagination for the afternoon. THE WHOLE AFTERNOON
-Dinner
Go look at art and read a book. Write daily intentions and daily priorities for life in a list to keep your mind organized.
That is it. I am not going to explain that you need to break things down into shapes and compositions and simple perspective and stuff like that. That is a brain muscle you are going to have to practice flexing on your own. You have decided to fill yours with manga head drawing. A commendable goal.
You are going to have to compromise your daily life however to be able to perform that set of tasks until it becomes boring. Eventually people will start asking you - how do you do that and you find yourself trying to explain it - all of a sudden - you are the teacher.
This is a kung fu like monk endeavor. You're a bio chemical battery that has to be recharged. Your brain needs fuel and sleep and cannot do this on just caffeine or video games.
In 2009 My young self did not hear CryptCrawler clearly enough in his Massive Black DVD - . "Put down the controller, Put down the bong, and just draw." I couldn't believe someone painted like that. There are hours of videos of him doing it with just a smudge brush.
Whoa whoa whoa. You need to cut yourself a break. And have some fun. This shit is not about being right all the time. Seriously. You need to do this for fun. Cut yourself some slack. Then watch the magic happen.
If you take it too seriously have someone tell you what is right at some point you will not have fun. Maybe you dont like drawing anime or get anime. I love certain anime but I dont draw it. I've tried and dont like it. I learned that about myself over time. Maybe it's time for some introspection.
OR MAYBE you need to take a class and learn from a teacher online who can show you want you are doing wrong through specific assignments. Invest in yourself. But choose something based on manga/anime which you seem to enjoy so much. Don't go looking for manga perfection in a figure art class - you will throw your dart at the board and hit the wall instead. Choose purposeful education.
Did you not make your own construction lines then? The constructionlines are the easy thing yoyu have to remember - to put them in any angle. Not memorize a perfect anime head in any angle. The brain can only do one thing at a time. It's called CONSTRUCTION because you are building something with steps you have to follow.
The construction lines are what makes the whole process possible. You are not supposed to ink perfectly without them without DECADES OF PRACTICE. Two years of off and on study does not make someone Kim Yung Gi.
You went from practicing the head - to full illustration with style guide limitations set for you that you had never practiced or executed before. I'm sure this was devastating. But I hope you learned from it with some practicality. Is your plan to do commissions? If not you need to just keep learning and having fun.
I only can assume you are talking about a anime figure drawing figurine. Draw form reference from the internet for free. Brushes and products are not going to make you better or execute a style guide.
Why? Why would you think that? That is 12 weeks!
That is a long time of not committing stuff to memory, or having to practice stuff from your mind or from references. That is almost a WHOLE SEMESTER's worth of time!
Sometimes I HAVE to take long breaks from drawing because such is life. And when I get back to it I understand through practice that it takes me two weeks to "wake up" my memory to what I do remember. And when I say two weeks it's probably 4 drawing sessions that I can fit into the weekends.
MY ADVICE.
I am going to make this as plain and straight forward as I can.
You have created what are called - UNREALISTIC EXPECTAIONS
for yourself. For some reason. Stop it.
You are struggling with consistency and purpose.
Art execution is an athletic endeavor involving the brain, and muscle memory. Athletes get worse when they dont practice. Artists get 'dull' when they dont practice.
An athlete who runs for speed, cannot be asked to go do the high jump! They have to practice it first, and even warm up before they do it!
So I am going to tell you the way to accomplish the things you are not doing. It is up to you to do them or not (consistency and purpose).
-
-
PURPOSE
1 - Make Small Goals
You need to make it simple and small with a lot of room (time) for forgiveness-
- " I want to learn the human torso - in 4 WEEKS"
Start with parts of the human body. Not the whole damn body. You are already doing it with the head. Then DO ANOTHER PART! You are not going to know how to do the whole thing after practicing the head that is a UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION.
Body is bones and muscles. You need to learn both. If you start with the middle and make your way out you will be fine! Bone masses of the torso, muscle masses of the torso. That is the only goal for 4 weeks understand?
If you do not accomplish it what happens? Nothing. The world is still here. Cut yourself a damn break. You have other stuff you have to do sometimes but dont procrastinate. Life is a fine balance of work, errands and chores, creativity and relaxation. Too much of one causes inconsistency.
2 - Gather Your Art Gods
You need to collect art. I would start with art station account likes. And making a stash of save files. These are mine.
If the art of Genshin impact is your level of mental completeness or success - it is one of your art gods.
You need to make your temples to these gods and their imagery to learn from their style - they are style guides. They are your fighting school masters, your baseball coaches, your golf teacher's, your head chefs. Everyone learns from someone else. But you are sticking to two random books I dont know what they are. But it isn't working. You need to switch it on 'em fam.
CONSISTENCY
1 - Montly, Weekly, Daily Art Planner (ONLY ART)
This is where you need to put your goals. Seriously. Move them around if you get side tracked by real life problems and things dont work out. Digitally with open source excel spreadsheets that are free if you wanted.
When you can see your whole year - it is much less complicated and much more purposeful
2- Daily Priorities.
Every day - this takes some practice - EVERY DAY WHEN DRAWING - Write down the list for the day - based off of what your planner is organized with. You can write it one of two ways. This is how you SET YOUR INTENTION - without aimlessly scrambling for knowledge.
The List Style
Torso Week 2 -
Thursday - Rib Cage Proportions -DONE
Friday - Rib Cage Construction - x 20
Friday - Rib Cage Invention (any angle!) x 5
The Journal Style
"This month's goal is torsos, this weeks goal is the rib cage, next week is rib cage and hips together for the whole torso, i've finished proportions studies of the rib cage, now I need to seek and learn the construction methods for the rib cage today and make a reference page with notes.
No one will ever see this, so dont worry about it being right. Okay?
-
-
-
-
Your knowledge is limited by that which you consume. People become a fan of something enough to want to learn to draw just to replicate that thing. It happens every single day.
I wanted to draw 3 panel webcomics in 2003. That's how I started. But I wasn't satisfied not knowing how other people painted the way they were painting.
You are getting better!
I can tell that you are improving. But only on the stuff that you are practicing on. Dont set unrealistic expectations of yourself.
Try your routine, and post them here in a blog. I'll see them. I'll stop by. I promise.
Ta for now.
