Advice
Recently, I've been visiting a website called Rad how to written by a fella who works for Dreamworks Animation. His website is brilliant for giving novices such as myself advice on learning the art form. Sometimes I send emails to artist I like or want to know their process. Sometimes I get snubbed or lost in spam, and sometimes I get a response. Well, yesterday I decided to contact Rad and ask him for some advice.
He responded, twice! And, not with vague "just draw and have fun" advice but with honesty and detail on what I need to do to get where I want to go with my work. I cannot tell you enough how jazzercised I get when professionals respond to my queries. I once emailed someone who worked on The Corpse Bride and an artist wrote me back with a list of resources to explore. I find it so encouraging and inspiring when these people take the time to write blogs and respond to the novices who come looking for help.
When people do this it reminds me of how much we really do want others to succeed. As if we profit from their success. This demonstrates that it is not always about "me" but that it comes down to "us" to mankind's culture and progress. Through posting pieces on Illustration Friday I have had visitors to my site from nearly every country on the planet. I've had people I've never met from places I've never been give me compliments or offer me advice. This makes me marvel at how kind and connected people can be from all over the world and we have the internet to thank.
Sorry for the rant, I don't normally do this. I was just so charged this morning that I felt a need to compose this diatribe. So, Rad's advice to me, copy. Copy those I wish to draw like. Spend at least two years working on developing good structure and the fundamental skills necessary to make my work proficient. Aye aye Captain Rad. I gave up on art for over ten years and if I want to do anything with this in the future I'm going to have to put in twice the work to make up for that time. Once again, it comes down to time and the sickening feeling that there is never enough of it.
After getting his advice I reached over and picked up a book called, How to Draw Wizards, Warriors, Orcs and Elves by Steve Beaumont. I turned to a random how to draw _____ page and started to follow the directions on how to draw an orc. The finished piece would like this:
I started much smaller and chose a different color to paint my orc, but the overall form was close.
My porportions are off and my shading/color could use some work but overall not bad. Maybe I'll draw an ogre next.
He responded, twice! And, not with vague "just draw and have fun" advice but with honesty and detail on what I need to do to get where I want to go with my work. I cannot tell you enough how jazzercised I get when professionals respond to my queries. I once emailed someone who worked on The Corpse Bride and an artist wrote me back with a list of resources to explore. I find it so encouraging and inspiring when these people take the time to write blogs and respond to the novices who come looking for help.
When people do this it reminds me of how much we really do want others to succeed. As if we profit from their success. This demonstrates that it is not always about "me" but that it comes down to "us" to mankind's culture and progress. Through posting pieces on Illustration Friday I have had visitors to my site from nearly every country on the planet. I've had people I've never met from places I've never been give me compliments or offer me advice. This makes me marvel at how kind and connected people can be from all over the world and we have the internet to thank.
Sorry for the rant, I don't normally do this. I was just so charged this morning that I felt a need to compose this diatribe. So, Rad's advice to me, copy. Copy those I wish to draw like. Spend at least two years working on developing good structure and the fundamental skills necessary to make my work proficient. Aye aye Captain Rad. I gave up on art for over ten years and if I want to do anything with this in the future I'm going to have to put in twice the work to make up for that time. Once again, it comes down to time and the sickening feeling that there is never enough of it.
After getting his advice I reached over and picked up a book called, How to Draw Wizards, Warriors, Orcs and Elves by Steve Beaumont. I turned to a random how to draw _____ page and started to follow the directions on how to draw an orc. The finished piece would like this:
I started much smaller and chose a different color to paint my orc, but the overall form was close.
My porportions are off and my shading/color could use some work but overall not bad. Maybe I'll draw an ogre next.
posted by Kirk at
6:23 AM
4 Comments:
Very nice. If I were to note a real difference between the two it would be in how the top one is more menacing becasue his lean forward implies more forward thrust and thus aggression and thus... more of the yips!!!
A subtelety, but it's why that one scares me more. Interesting stuff, no?
Absolutely. If you follow the directions it is difficult to eyeball and discern the overlays. I think that is what happened to my proportions. I see what you mean with the tilt and the face especially.
Good job, Kirk! Accurate observation is a necessary tool for all artists. I like to think that makes us pretty special - that we try to capture even minute details to faithfully reproduce something with our own hands. It certainly helps with hand-eye coordination!
Thank you Christina. I'm trying to attend an open studio life drawing class regularly(it has been twelve years since I took a class in college) and you are certainly correct about building hand/eye coordination! I forgot how difficult it can be.
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