Learning to draw..

nicecupotay

I am looking at learning to draw Japanese fan-art/manga style drawings,along the lines of this;



Should I just go ahead and just copy drawings,or is it better to start with shapes/lines and do something like this;

http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/2498/3/1/learn-how-to-draw-a-geisha-girl.htm

I can draw(to a certain extent:D),I used to copy a lot of comic characters years ago,but a bit out of practice now!,so now I would like to create better drawings.

Are there any books worth getting on the subject?

Cy_Revenant

I'm not an artist, but from what some of my arty friends have told me, you should look into drawing human figures first. Then develop that into your own style.

But like I said, I'm not an artist.

There's a couple of pretty knowledgeable artists who frequent these boards. A good few amateurs too.

ztoical

It depends on your reasons for wanting to draw something in a set style. If your just looking to do fan art for yourself then you can get one of those 'how to draw manga' books and learn to basicly copy a set style but you won't be learning to draw. You'll learn a set of formula's to make a set series of images but will learn nothing about bringing a pose to life, about making it dynamic and interesting or develop any skills to help with problem solving. Not saying to avoid all art books but there is a difference between a book that is teaching technique and ones that just teach formulas - good book or tutorial should not try to art direct your work for you. Something like the Comic Strip Artists kit is always worth having lying around as reference - Yes it was done by a Disney artist and uses Disney characters but the basic principles put forward regarding line of action, composition, silhouette etc etc are the same regardless of what style of drawing your working in [and I've been given copies of it on comic courses in the states, France and Japan]

If your looking to actually learn how to draw and be able to develop your work into a style then it's best to start with the basics of solid observational drawing. Get a sketchbook and go sit in a shopping center, train station, dance classes, the zoo, anywhere with large groups of people and just draw....yes it will most likely look like crap for the first while but you'll be able to see the different types of body shapes, different way people move, how different body parts move, how clothes fall on bodies, the little differences between people that bring character, originality and life to what you draw. There are also plenty of figure drawing sessions happening around the country so depending were you are based I can rec ones. There is a Doctors Sketchys in Dublin and the Irish Guild of illustrators runs a weekly drop in session that uses most of the same models from the various animation courses in Ballyfermot.

nicecupotay

ztoical wrote: »

Not saying to avoid all art books but there is a difference between a book that is teaching technique and ones that just teach formulas

Good point.

Well I'll be starting from scratch,so I think really what I am asking is,should I start with "formulas" just as a means of improving my drawing skills,before progressing on to understanding how to make a drawing actually 'work'?

ztoical

nicecupotay wrote: »

Good point.

Well I'll be starting from scratch,so I think really what I am asking is,should I start with "formulas" just as a means of improving my drawing skills,before progressing on to understanding how to make a drawing actually 'work'?

Again it comes down to what your looking to get from drawing/art. Formulas don't help you improve your drawing skills, they are a crutch that alot of people learn and then can't shake. There is a difference between aids like negative shapes, line of action and silhouette and the type of formulas the 'how to draw' books present.

nicecupotay

ztoical wrote: »

Formulas don't help you improve your drawing skills, they are a crutch that alot of people learn and then can't shake

Thanks for the tips ztoical:cool:,I'm going to head to the local library and check out a few books to give me a better insight into where best to start........books without set formulas of course;):D

Sairus

I would consider myself a pretty decent artist by this stage and the best advice I can give is simply 'draw all the time'. If you're ever sitting around with nothing to do at home, on a bus, waiting in line, etc crank out a drawing pad and doodle. It doesn't matter what you draw as long as you excercise your hand. (Get your minds out of the gutter ya sickos :pac: ) Any practice will help you out immensly - even if it's an incoherant set of scribbles that sort of looks like Cloud making out with Sephiroth. You need to build a delicate touch with the muscles in your fingers - so get them used to managing a pencil properly!

Of course I dont recommend just doodling. As Ztoical explained, understanding of how bodies work and move is very important, so you'll want to learn how to draw anatomy. A great tool for helping get to grips with the human body is http://www.posemaniacs.com/ - I recommend this site to anyone interested in drawing - regardless of skill level.

mihairosu75

I tried once to draw some characters from dragonball and i've made it, but that was all.