Drawing is a thing I love to do, and lots of other people like it too! People usually say to me, “That’s really cool, how did you learn do draw like that?” (By the way, if anyone has ever complimented me, thank you!) Today instead of just blushing and shrugging, I am going to give some tips for beginner artists:
1. Make sure this is something you truly want to do. Drawing isn’t as easy as it might seem, so it is going to take a lot of perseverance. If drawing isn’t for you that is alright!
2. Be on the lookout for inspiration. I often find myself saying, “What am I going to draw? I have no idea what to draw!” So maybe take requests, do fanart, or just draw something you love.
3. Make sure you know your anatomy. This is if you would like to draw animals or people. Proportions are very important, having incorrect proportions makes your drawing look strange.
4. Simple shapes. Remember proportions? A way to get good proportions on your character and for them to fit onto the page is to break everything down into simple shapes. Some simple shapes would be squares, circles, and triangles.
5. Character design. Character design helps you portray your character without using words. If you want people to associate certain characteristics with your character then make sure you at least know a little bit about character design. (If this article goes well I might do an article explaining character design.)
6. Taking constructive criticism. Taking criticism is very important. If you don’t take criticism from your friends, how do you expect to improve? If your friends are shy, politely ask, “Is there anything I could do to improve this picture?”
7. Explore different types and styles of art. You may be drawing an anime OC for the fifth time. Make sure you try out different types of art. Draw from real life, draw a request from a random person, draw an animal, draw a self-portrait. It doesn’t matter as long as you are always trying new things so that you can improve!
8. Think about the background. I constantly see beginner artists ignoring the background and just drawing the character. Background art is important! It helps tell the story in your picture.
9. Have the proper materials. Make sure you at least have drawing paper, a pencil, and an eraser. Having proper materials is different from having EXPENSIVE materials, keep that in mind. I would stay away from drawing on lined paper because it doesn’t last long, and trust me I wish I had some of my first drawings.
10. Try not to compare yourself to others too much. Other people with more experience will be better than you, someone is always one step ahead. I personally struggle with this one, so please you are a beginner, it takes years to learn.
Those are my top 10 tips for beginners. Good luck on your quest to become an amazing artist!
-Ashlynn Garza '20
Kommentarer