THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING TO DRAW
Cool drawing is a form of writing which has the advantage of being almost universal. We can thus communicate a message to the whole world without having to learn the language! It is also an excellent learning method. When you draw something, you have to understand it, even when it is a simple diagram. It allows you to put your ideas on paper and show them concretely. Do you want to redo the decor of your salon or radically change your hairstyle? You can do some testing before starting by drawing it all out to give you a clear idea.
Finally, the practice of cool drawings requires a particular state of mind that subtly mixes self-sacrifice, will, curiosity and humility. Remain open to criticism, admit that you are not perfect and that what you do is not perfect either, that you can continuously improve, that there is no such thing as perfection. So, many elements that lead to open-mindedness, and to accept his mistakes, his faults and want to work on them to improve 🙂
Whether you are already reasonably confident or a complete beginner, drawing, like any other discipline, is governed by a whole bunch of rules and principles that should know, understood and mastered to learn effectively. But like any discipline also, it is accessible to everyone regardless of their age.
A quick overview!
Before starting, do not hesitate to take a tour in the Training section, where you will find a complete, progressive, step by step training showing. You have everything you need to know to have a solid foundation in drawing and thus achieve all the illustrations of your dreams:
THE 3 GOLDEN RULES FOR LEARNING TO DRAW
Begin with, and there are three essential stages in learning any discipline: observation, understanding and practice.
To put it simply, if I draw a parallel with cooking, for example:
You want to make a recipe. First, you already need to know what the dish is supposed to look like and its tastes. Then, what are the ingredients to prepare it? Then find a recipe. It is about observation.
Once you have the recipe, you have to understand the steps to organize yourself and follow the logic of the dish you want to prepare. For example, why prepare these elements separately and those together? Why use a spatula instead of a whisk? Why refrigerate or sear over high heat? It is the stage of understanding.
Finally practice. Because even if we know the theory perfectly, a famous adage says that it is by forging that we become a blacksmith. Well, that’s quite true. The more we repeat the recipe, the more comfortable we will be, and the more efficient we will be, and we will follow the steps quickly for a consistent result or better and better.
The cool drawing idea works the same way, except that it is crucial because if something is not understood, it shows. So even a neophyte will tell that the picture is not working, that there is something strange, or even manage to identify the error.
OBSERVATION
If I bring it back to drawing, you have to know what you will draw and not hesitate to go and see yourself, take photo references in books or on the net, or videos. If you want to remove a bicycle, see what it looks like and see how it is. What are the different parts, etc.?
Most professionals spend their time relying on photo references because they’ve already drawn an element so many times before they no longer need a model to refer to when they do without it.
If I take my example, I don’t need a model to draw a human. But, on the other hand, if I have to draw a cat, I will take out the armada of photos of cats from all angles to understand. How it is ruined and redraw it as I wish it to be, even if it means mentally combining different images between them to get what I want.
To draw on the parallel with cooking, the more you make a recipe, the faster you go and the less you need to consult it until you are almost able to make it with your eyes closed.
So never hesitate to look at the photo or absolute references to draw something if you are in doubt, and try to understand the structure and operation of your model.
COMPREHENSION
Then you have to understand what you are going to draw. To stay on the example of the bicycle: where is the chain placed? What is the size of the wheels, etc.? Asking yourself these questions leads you to become curious and seek to understand the logic behind the object / the morphology of the subject you want to represent.
THE PRACTICE
Finally, the practice of drawing, by the way, is better to draw a little every day than once a month for hours. It’s a bit like sports. Every day is more effective than a big session once in a while.
Below, I have given you an evolution of my understanding of the structure of bird wings. The drawing on the left is old, and I felt I didn’t need any references. The one on the right is more recent, and I always reference it when I draw wings to avoid making any mistakes. more info to visit http://liveblogcenter.com/
