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I used to draw years ago as a kid and did pretty good, but unfortunatley I lost all of my sketchpads but one. Recently I have started to develop a new intrest in it and was wondering if anyone knew of any good web resources. Tutorials, how-to's, galleries, or anything like that?
What specifically are you looking for? I am an art teacher, and perhaps steer you in the right direction. Something like a self study course in basic drawing?
Thats the truth for sure! It would be good to have someone to study with, some guidence as far as what to draw, and techniques to try, will help much. I give my students weekley assignments that they have to figure out, as well as draw, then I give feedback and assistance as far as how they can improve their skills and choices they make in what they draw, and how they draw it. Goes for many other media as well.
Packrat, what grade do you teach? when I was in junior high we had to do an oil painting, they were neat and I gave it to my dad for christams that year. What is neat is that a friend of mine who was in the class is now a 1st leutenant in the USMC and he gave his oil painting to his dad and I was in his dad's office visiting a few weeks ago and on the wall was that oil painting, my dad had also put it in his office and the day before that he said he was going to take it down, it had been in his office for about 12 years now since I was in the 8th grade and he thought he take it down. After I told him about Will's dad he left it there.
I had fun in art class, I took a ceramics class in high school and got kicked out, don't remember all the details but I ended up taking a metal shop course, which I loved and it later led me to an internship in HS with a sheetmetal contractor,went to school for HVACR repair, worked in it three years and then landed the job I'm in now that is awesome. I guess I owe where I am now to that art class in a round-about way.
What specifically are you looking for? I am an art teacher, and perhaps steer you in the right direction. Something like a self study course in basic drawing?
I don't know really. I geuss I just want a resource for ideas, different techniques, and critique.
My experience and short fallings:
As a kid (teens) I would flip through a Playboy magazine and look for a pose that I wanted to draw. I could draw it usually within an hour and it looked good considering I had no systematic approach to drawing the human form and nothing but a No.2 pencil. I had trouble with faces and hair mostly. I started drawing faces more and got better at it.
I want to learn to draw potraits and more figure drawing. I want to learn more about shading and such. Maybe landscapes.
I never had much imagination and couldn't produce anything from my mind. I had to see it to draw it. I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed. I was a good drawer but not an artist by any means. My parents often showed my work to geusts who were usually impressed. I figure if I was good back then as a kid, I could be better now as an adult, because I have more patience.Thanks for any advice.
I teach 14-18 year olds (high school) My classes are photography, ceramics, and sculpture. Drawing is an important part of EVERY class. My own art work is metalsmithing, a passion I got from metal shop classes in jr high and high school as well! I lived in that metal shop. I still draw, paint, and make clay stuff, but the bulk of my time (whats left after my job, my wife, and my child) goes to antique restoration including my old motorcycle and 56 F-100. Drawing is a basic part of everything in my life.
What do you like to draw? What other materials have you worked with?
Gotlift, sounds like you have excellent natural drawing skills already! Draw all the time (as broncobillybob said) start working bigger, use 9x12 fos a single face, drawing tiny faces is difficult. What you learn from the larger face drawings will help with the smaller anyway. Use good drawing paper. There is a basic layout to the human face, as well as the human body. Go from the general to the specific, basic layout with realistic porportions (sp?) to the specific of the individual person. Become familiar with the bone and muscle structure, its whats under the skin, but try not to exagerate all the muscles..most people dont look like that.
Post some of your work somewhere, love to have a look!
EDIT:
Oh, there are some good basic books, Ill get some names and post them
I started drawing about three years ago, I've done maybe a dozen drawings, cars, trains, ships, portraits. (That's one of my drawings in my avatar) I like lots of detail, I did one of a steam train that took me about 80 hours. I find I just don't have the time for it lately though, partly thanks to this computer! I also do (or have done) ceramics and metal sculpture, and woodworking. Most of my creativity these days goes into the construction of stringed instruments. I'm currently building a violin (fiddle) and a guitar. I'd like to get back into the drawing though, I guess they're fairly good. I entered 6 of them into the county fair this past summer, all 6 won ribbons; three firsts, two seconds, and a third. Thought about taking a class at the community college, it's just that time thing getting in the way again again. I guess the thing to do is to get interested in it BEFORE you get too many other interests! -TD
Burne Hogarth has some great books for drawing, I have most of these in my library.
Been drawing since I was a child, lately my medium has been photoshop
I bought a book called How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs; it showed me techniques that I'd have never thought of and helped me improve my drawing/sketching skills quite a bit.
Here are some before and after samples of my work.
the first two were done with 1/4" graphite stick and were pretty quick, probably less than an hour each.
Wow furball! That book made a world of difference. You can see the difference in the proportions of the face. We have a couple of good arts and crafts stores here in Albuquerque. I plan on buying some books after the holidays and getting as much practice as I can.
I'd like to post some examples but I'm not sure where I could host them. I looked at one last night that I drew five years ago when I was bored and the proportions look good but there is no life to the drawing. I'm excited to learn.
Artist? Yes. Sketching? Not so much..In addition to the machine shop I run, I'm also a photographer. I spent 3 years on my college year book staff, and worked another 3 in a studio.
I should buy a pad and some pencils though...you guys are inspiring!
-Douglas