A few tips to help you learn to draw from life.
All tagged drawing
Draw with me | Catching Up
A relaxing draw with me video where we catch up on what I’ve been up to in the past four years.
2 Point Perspective | Building Objects Out of Boxes
How to draw a simple cube or box using 2 point perspective and how to build almost anything out of a simple cube or box.
1 Point Perspective
How to draw a simple cube or box using 1 point perspective.
Perspective Drawing Materials
A list of 10 materials you'll need to follow along with my perspective drawing tutorials!
Developing My Personal Style
My journey in learning to become an artist has been nothing like I thought it would be when I first decided to seriously pursue this hobby of mine.This is the breakdown of my progress in the last ten years, from 2005 to 2015.
Drawing A Still Life
If you want to learn how to draw, you have to draw from life. Learning how to draw a still-life or how to approach drawing from life in general can be a bit stressful and even a little boring at times but there's no way around it. Once you start getting the hang of it, though, you'll start noticing great improvements in your drawing skills that are well worth the effort!
Drawing Starter Kit
These are all the materials you need to start learning how to draw!
Give It Volume With Value
Using value creates the illusion that the objects in your artwork have volume, which will make your artwork much more interesting and lifelike.
Creating a Character Turnaround Sheet
A turnaround model sheet of your character can be a very useful tool. Animators and comic artists use turnaround model sheets to help them stay on-model as they draw characters from different angles and in varying poses. You can also use your turnaround sheet as a reference to create a maquette of your character.
Drawing A Self Portrait From Life
Drawing a self portrait from life is one of the fastest (and most challenging!) ways to learn how to draw faces.
Setting Up A Still Life
Creating your own still life is an excellent way to begin painting/ drawing from life. You can also treat it as a photoshoot and build your own reference library. This same method can be used for a life drawing setup. Just use a person instead of an object!
Transferring With A Grid
Using a grid transfer instead of projecting or tracing a reference gives your finished piece a more organic and unique look. The grid helps you stay close to your reference without making you feel forced to recreate it perfectly.
Draw What You Want To See (Step 3)
There are three steps to learning how to draw. Step 1 is where you learn to draw what you see, Step 2 is where you learn to draw what you know and Step 3 is where you learn to draw what you want to see.
Draw What You Know (Step 2)
There are three steps to learning how to draw. Step 1 is where you learn to draw what you see, Step 2 is where you learn to draw what you know and Step 3 is where you learn to draw what you want to see.
Draw What You See (Step 1)
There are three steps to learning how to draw. Step 1 is where you learn to draw what you see, Step 2 is where you learn to draw what you know and Step 3 is where you learn to draw what you want to see.
Sketching With Tracing Paper
Tracing paper is a great cheap alternative to a light box or light table. Tracing paper saves you the trouble of having to redraw something from scratch as you explore and develop ideas. It allows you to easily composite an image together, taking and adding elements easily without forcing you to commit to anything. It can also be used to create a clean version of a final sketch which can be transferred onto another surface or scanned to work with in a digital medium.
Transferring With Graphite Paper
Using graphite paper can be really useful when you want to create something that's very realistic or if you're ready to color over a finished sketch. The graphite paper will allow you to transfer your image onto a clean sheet of paper with very minimal effort.
Create Your Own References
I used to think setting up a still life or taking reference pictures required some kind of unknown skill or sorcery that only professionals and wizards had access to. Once I went to college, though, I found it only takes a blanket, some interesting objects/ model, and some lights. It’s not mysterious or complicated and it doesn’t take more than a bit of effort on your part (and maybe also the help of a friend).
Draw From Life
I don’t draw realistic stuff. I need to spend my time figuring out what my style is. I need to spend time getting better at drawing cartoons/manga/original characters/etc. because I want to be an illustrator/animator/painter/etc. Drawing realistic stuff is a waste of my time.