What’s the best way to get good at drawing?
Ian asked:
I’m in 8th grade and I am terrible at drawing.
What I’m wondering is, are you born good at drawing, or can you get better if you’re already as terrible as I am?
I’m not joking when I say the best I can do is a crappy little 11 year old drawing.
I’m in 8th grade and I am terrible at drawing.
What I’m wondering is, are you born good at drawing, or can you get better if you’re already as terrible as I am?
I’m not joking when I say the best I can do is a crappy little 11 year old drawing.
My dogs look like giant blob beasts.
Any advice?
Jaymie
January 23rd, 2010 at 2:28 am
Lera
Practice makes perfect!
That is still the best answer out there.
I also have a blog and some drawing tutorials, they might help:
January 24th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Arielle
Practice makes perfect.
Start off trying to copy simple drawings, tweak your own until they muster up to your liking and keep at it. Eventually you’ll develop your own style and be able to make less blob-like beasts.
January 26th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Arnette
Practice and determination are the best way.
Try and draw from life as often as possible. There is a flatness in pictures that translates into drawings.
Sit one day and just watch people, notice angles and shapes and how shadow and light appear.
Also break things down into basic shapes and build on them.
Try to avoid drawing the same thing over and over and over to the point that it becomes a formula.
Thats the best I can offer. Good luck and keep at it!
January 29th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Lesa
some people are born with a natural talent in drawing, but no one is born perfect.
I drew all the time when i was a kid and now i draw part-time to help pay my college tuition. I used to always be frustrated when my drawings didn’t come out good, especially when i would compare it to professional. It still frustrates me to this day. But that frustration is what encourages me to keep practacing.
so in short just keep practicing
January 29th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Whitney
practice, practice, practice
but some people are just naturally more artistic than others
February 1st, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Cheree
Keep a sketch book and draw everyday. In all honesty , that is what works the best. Also, expose yourself to art work. If you know what other people are doing, then you can get some ideas.
February 4th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Leia
use references. start by drawing a simple picture or even a box or anything near you. then gradually draw more complex and more detailed pictures.
once you’re good with reference, you can probably draw well without them because of the experience you gain. then you can create a drawing that’s purely a product of your imagination.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Ramonita
You can be born with a natural artistic talent, but most of us (like me) have to put in the hard work to get better than giant blob beasts.
I’m in 9th grade now, but just last year I was a horrible drawer. I’m progressing, but I’m not where I want to be in my artistic ability.
The progression between horrible and okay actually happened quite fast, about the time I started to be home schooled. The spare time (as I finish work quicker than normal school) gave me time for a hobby. I’d always liked art and thought i’d put an honest effort in to get better.
I think some time after you’ve been practicing for a while, you break through some mental barrier and you really look at things artistically. I’m noticing things I wouldn’t before, like how shadows fall on someones face, or how little imperfections in nature and people make them unique. I see why this person’s lips are different from the others, and so on. (i’m getting all philosophical here!)
But in conclusion, you’ve got to be persistant and keep drawing as much as you can. Despite what I’ve said, there are techniques to improve your skills along with sharp observational skills. The website I’ve got down there is fantastic, and you can range from basic to advanced so you can still use it as your skills develop.
Oh, one more thing. Something I read really got through to me before I started to draw seriously, “draw what you see, not what you think”. This means you have to draw exactly the curves, the shadows and the texture of what you see, not what the idea you have in your head of what the subject should look like.
Good luck, persist with the drawing. It gets so much fun.
February 11th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Ardis
Hello!
Well you probably heard this over and over but..PRACTICE does help you improve. Also, you need to get some basic knowledge and get some books on learning how to draw. I’ve been drawing for years but I’m still improving. Sometimes you might get frustrated ’cause your drawings don’t look like from a professional artist but you gotta take your time and be patient, you’ll become a pro just not right away. You will also need the right materials and tools.
I’ve found some really good videos on youtube that can help you:
Some other helpful wesites:
This has helped me, hope it helps you too
February 14th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Judy
Practice, practice and more practice. Also copying other people’s drawings, photo’s and anything else you see.