Recommended Free Ebooks for learning how to draw and paint - Loomis, Bammes, Speed | How to Digital Paint These are really valuable sources of knowledge for learning how to draw and paint. I recommend you study these books daily and apply what you learn into studies and your artwork. I recommend you study in this order but it’s really up to you. 1. I give more information and discuss these books in the video here Download them here: In this video I give an overview of some great free ebooks out there for fundamental knowledge for drawing and painting. These do not present digital art techniques but the methods and foundational knowledge can definately be applied to the digital platform. The books discussed are mainly by Andrew Loomis (Click titles to download) Fun with a Pencil – Andrew LoomisSuccessful Drawing – Andrew LoomisEye of the Painter – Andrew LoomisDrawing the Head and Hands – Andrew LoomisCreative Illustration – Andrew LoomisFigure Drawing for all it’s worth – Andrew LoomisThe Practice and Science of Drawing – Harold SpeedWir zeichnen den menschen (We Draw People) – Gottfried Bammes
untitled The Uncanny Valley Most people have heard of "The Uncanny Valley" by now. I've heard people refer to it in two contexts in the animation industry: characters that are almost lifelike but are just enough off to be creepy, and stylized/cartoon characters who have an off-putting amount of realistic detail. I want to talk a little about the second one because I've run into it more often recently when artists have asked me for critiques. I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for this type of uncanny valley. However, until the kids who prefer a Robert Zemeckis zombie-fest become the norm, artists who want to add realism into the animation industry are going to have to be sensitive to the issue. In my experience, the most important form details for navigating the the uncanny valley seem to be the eyes and the nose. Does this mean you can never define the forms around the nose? Even if you keep the forms simple, the texture on those forms can make a character disturbing.
Proko - How to Draw, Draw Step by Step, Draw People, Draw Face, How to Paint, Learn to Draw, Drawing Tutorials, Figure Drawing Free art lessons, learn to draw sketch paint LINKS to ARTISTS' SKETCHBOOKS ONLINE 1000 Hours of Drawing (Taylor O) sketchbooks | sketch 1000 JOURNALS PROJECT (Someguy) 8861 miles collabration of 2 danish artists, one (Peter) living in Denmark and the other living in Australia (Lene) 8861 miles apart... Chicago, sketchbook, copyright © 2011 Susan Abbott Susan Abbott: A Painter's Year • sketchbook Travel Sketchbooks sketches of "Hans Blix" © 2009 Sigmund Abeles Scattergood, "Just got lost in your sketchbook images, I draw almost every night from live TV, usually from The Charlie Rose Show and will send you some..." Sigmund Abeles: Homepage Late Night Self Portrait , conte © 2009 Sigmund Abeles LSD drawings #1 and #8, © 2012 cowboybooks Josh watching WALL E © 2009 Adebanji Alade Adebanji Alade | tube/train sketches • My Passion for Sketching • The People I Sketch Everyday • flickr: adebanji's photostream New Baroque Airplane , © 2011 Mattias Adolfsson Mattias Adolfsson: Inks blog sketchbook page © 2009 Afriboy (Orokie's Art) Afriboy | African Male Erotic Art Tokala and Aiyani H. Auria Mr.
The Technique Trap Email A perceptive (and talented) art student by the name of Chris Campbell recently asked me this impressive question: “What do the animation industry pros say about us when we’re not around?” He elaborated… “Have they noticed any common mistakes or bad habits in current student portfolios?” “What do most pros think we need to work on?” Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone. But… …there is, in fact, one general criticism that comes up pretty much every time I discuss current student work with animation industry artists. Just this past week, I had three different conversations with three different artists and they brought it up every time the topic of student work came up. It isn’t going to be easy to hear. But because I love you, I have to share it with you… For many aspiring concept artists, the answer to this question could be the most important critique you’ve ever been given. Except Maybe You… What I’m about to share with you is a generalization. Generalizations are, by definition, inaccurate.
Online Drawing Lessons - Composition and Design Enhance the effectiveness of our online drawing lessons and improve the quality of your drawings by understanding the importance of Composition and Design. Learning to draw is not only about mastering the ability to draw what you see. Knowing how to create a balanced and harmonious composition within the borders of your page is also an integral part of making art. There are no official "rules" when it comes composing a visually interesting work of art. Simply use the elements of art (line, shape, form, texture & color) to create your desired outcome. Click here for important tips on how to light your still life For Teachers: How to teach Composition Video! From still life below, several different compositions can be made. A good composition may be traditional or unexpected; complex or simple. Here are a few examples. Principles of Design: Movement - This refers to the way your eye moves through the composition. Use the links on the left to browse all of our online drawing lessons.
How to See in Value One of the most important concepts to know and understand as a visual artist is that pictures, scenes and still images are arrangements of value; light, dark and gray shapes. It’s these light, dark and gray shapes that the human mind assembles as a cohesive picture. Being able to see the world as shapes of value, especially colored shapes and objects, is a master skill to cultivate as a visual artist. It’s important to the artist because in order to compose and arrange shapes in our pictures, we must first see and understand their inherent grayscale value. The most basic and abstract pattern of dark and light shapes (A) is the first ‘read’ the mind makes. This happens on a visceral, almost subconscious level. How do we train our eyes to see the world in value? To see these strategies in action, watch the video below or continue reading for the in-depth breakdown. Step 1: Ignore color information One way to see color as value is to simply ignore the color. Step 2: Look for Edges and Borders
TL;DR The second bit of advice a beginning artist usually gets is “draw from life”. And it is excellent advice! After all, if you can't draw what is right in front of you, you certainly won't be able to draw what you see in your imagination either. But the advice is a bit short, and will usually leave the artist behind unsure of what to do next. Materials? Figure 1.1. So... a ream of the cheapest copier paper you can find, or in a pinch, the inside of a pizza box. The most important thing to keep in mind is to start with the largest shapes, and gradually work down to the small details. The best way to explain this is by example. The first step is to block in the large shapes. Figure 1.3. Now pause and check if everything is still correct. The proportions are okay: the line through the eyes is supposed to be a bit below halfway (say, at 5/8ths) the lines of the ear tips and the chin. Figure 1.4. Eyeballing diagonal lines through your figure is called “caliper vision” by [Ryd]. Figure 1.5.