Art Tips!

[Beardo]

I thought it would be nice if there was a thread where artists leave their tips and stuff, so that both beginners and advanced artists alike can improve and try new things!

Please be very detailed, and check back every so often to see if people have asked questions!

Tips I can give (Even though I'm not that great of an artist)
-Anatomy references: Have lots of them for different bodies, different poses, different proportions. Accuracy is key, and even mimicking these poses until you get down how the body works it good!
-Sometimes you need to isolate different body parts and practice. Whether it be heads, hands, feet, or anything else, a page or two of just practicing those features can go a longgg way

 

[Beige]

Wow nice thread idea. I'm too lazy right now to type out stuff so I'll just post this skin colour chart thing I found on tumblr. I can't remember who created it im afraid but it should be easy enough to find if you google it. It's a big blob of different skin tones mixed together so wherever you pick a colour from with the colour picker tool thing you'll find a realistic human skin tone.

 

[Beardo]

Wow nice thread idea. I'm too lazy right now to type out stuff so I'll just post this skin colour chart thing I found on tumblr. I can't remember who created it im afraid but it should be easy enough to find if you google it. It's a big blob of different skin tones mixed together so wherever you pick a colour from with the colour picker tool thing you'll find a realistic human skin tone.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Beige

 

[Luxanna]

Hmm, I know this is vague as fudge xD, But practice make perfect. I recently found my tablet and well when I was starting to draw, even my old doodles were kinda iffy but now I've been doodling more and they're getting much better even though its hasn't even been a month

My friend recommended " Design Doll" to help create pose's, anatomy and stuff like that. All different kinds of anatomy too ( Chibi, "Anime" Human. I havent gotten to much into it, only a little. I think you may have to buy the program to be able to download some premade "Body figures". The program didnt seem to hard to use at all even though I didnt watch any tutorial. The only issue I had with the program is, it seems to be made in Japan so the body figure page was in Japanese and you had to buy the program which is like 80$ but i'm pretty sure you can torrent the program, and all its features for free

Edit: If you're using sai paint, I recommend you try flipping the direction of the imagine you're drawing sometimes. I believe the default key is "H" You get used to drawing in one direction so what seems normally portion may not actually be.

 

[Hipster]

When I started to learn to draw I read mangas.. not the best thing if you want to major in animation for western cartoons.. practice different art styles... use youtube to find guides on how to sketch something.. draw characters then when you feel comfortable, create your own! If you end up pleasing the crowd, try to do some requests and continue drawing don't stop or you might lose your touch, or even get more art block xD

 

[tomothy]

If you're first beginning to draw, don't draw hands hiding behind the character's back. It looks pretty uncomfortable and you should just draw the hands, even if it looks like crap because that's how you improve :>

 

[allykitty]

If you're first beginning to draw, don't draw hands hiding behind the character's back. It looks pretty uncomfortable and you should just draw the hands, even if it looks like crap because that's how you improve :>

Great advice! I personally used to do that ALL the time haha it was terrible >.<

There are a ton of great tutorials on deviant art, as well. I uploaded one below by kyorin featuring pixelated strawberries since I was making a strawberry patch QR code for my town recently ^_^

Spoiler

View attachment 133524

As for graphic art? My personal advice would be to always use your layers! It makes it a lot easier to edit/adjust later on to your liking. Blending is very important, as well. Using shadows gives depth, as well as shine. Learn what all the different tools do on your program and play around with them.

As for fonts, there are thousands of free fonts at dafont.com. When picking a font, be wary of intricate fonts. They make look cool, but most of the time, it's best to use a simple, classy font so it doesn't distract from the main focus of your piece/clash with the background. When picking a font color, use the dropper tool and pick a shade in the art already to best compliment your work.

As for colors, stray from everything neon. You don't want to blind people with your work! Neon of course can look great when used with black for hints but usually try to pick colors that are soothing to the eyes. There are many times where I have personally thought my coloring was awesome but once reviewing it later I saw it was WAY too saturated and just too much! It's always good to get a second opinion and there are many graphic forums out there too, just for that.

Deviantart also has stock images and livejournal.com has a ton of textures. Textures are fun to use on the lighten or darken mode for great results. You may have to join the communities first, though. Most fan sites for celebrities have galleries with high-quality photo uploads. It's always best to use high quality photos! Nobody likes grainy images! If you do want to get rid of some graininess, however, using a smoothing/blending brush can help even it out.

You can also download brushes and such. Many different graphic designers create their own brushes that you can download. They can be found on deviant art, personal artist sites, livejournal, etc. Even if you google "Photoshop brushes" or "Paint Tool Sai brushes" you will have a zillion results.

Like I said, play around with the settings of different things. Change the opacity and adjust saturation. Use all sorts of layers and tools just so you can see the various outcomes. I'm sorry if this is confusing and one big ramble haha hope I could help! Thanks for making this thread! :3

 

[TheAbleSistersShow]

Great idea for a thread. I'll make a small contribution.

We have a concept we like to call "line economy". For those who are unfamiliar, this basically means try to draw with as few lines as possible. Avoid short, scratchy lines. Instead, put down one, long stroke. This will help build your confidence in your line work and also help make your drawings cleaner.

And I'll give one more for fun. Another technique is referred to as "ghosting". Basically, before you draw a line, you go through the motions. Move your hand along the path you're about to draw without actually drawing the line. Ghost out your lines a couple times before drawing them with one, quick motion. This will also help you build confidence in your line work.

And remember, repetition is important. You get good at drawing by doing it a lot and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

 

[Saaaakisuchan]

Oh god, memories of when I first started to draw...

Do not, and I mean do not, draw the eyes of Manga Characters too big. It will end up looking "Forced"

 

[Mega_Cabbage]

Oh god, memories of when I first started to draw...

Do not, and I mean do not, draw the eyes of Manga Characters too big. It will end up looking "Forced"

Haha yes... XD

Don't even try to start with drawing manga in the first place. It's better to just begin with basic human anatomy.

 

[Saaaakisuchan]

Haha yes... XD

Don't even try to start with drawing manga in the first place. It's better to just begin with basic human anatomy.

unless you're going for that moe look. I wouldn't even try to make the eyes huge.

That's true. I regret trying to start with manga because it's all I can do now ;w;

 

[Keitara]

unless you're going for that moe look. I wouldn't even try to make the eyes huge.

That's true. I regret trying to start with manga because it's all I can do now ;w;

I'd also say it's better to start with human-sized characters and human anatomy, instead of chibi. It'll help to understand anatomy and things like this much faster, and especially chibi, since they have deformed anatomy, is hard to get right, if you don't have any basic understanding of anatomy at all.
Of course, you can draw chibi just with stick hands and arms/legs, but honestly, that is "just" looking cute, not more or less. It's not a desirable way of drawing if you want to become more than just a bit of hobby artist in my opinion.

Though I wouldn't say that once you start with manga, you can't do realistic. Both is possible, I just recently discovered my more realistic style lately haha

I could give tips but as long as there are no specified questions or requests I don't know where to start...

 

[riummi]

I made these mistake when i first began drawing and its made my life a bit harder now ;c

-make sure you start off with practicing anatomy!
-try to doodle something each day! It can help keep art block away+give you extra practice~
-dont be shy when drawing hands! i used to hide them before and now i struggle with drawing them ;u;
-dont be afraid to try different styles! It can be fun and it also helps you find your own unique style too c;
-Honestly, just keep practicing!!!You'll definitely see improvement no matter how small ;o;

Color Tips:
-When using the color wheel, do not go straight down (the box) when trying to pick a color for shading. Go diagonally instead!

Spoiler: this is what i use mainly!Feel free to use these colors!

-Try coloring your lineart a different color, it can make your art look more interesting instead of using black or dark colors.
-When shading cloth, try not to go for your standard grey. White can go with all colors so using light pastels can look just as good.​