Thread: Tell me about Drawing/Sketching

I would start by getting some nice pencils. Get a good set with a bunch of pencils with different densities, and get a good sketchbook.

I would start by drawing from life, set up fruit or whatever, with a good light source and just get busy man!

I feel you, i always drew and painted through high school, then took 10 years off, now i am back, and better than before

Originally Posted by BPolar

I would start by getting some nice pencils. Get a good set with a bunch of pencils with different densities, and get a good sketchbook.

I would start by drawing from life, set up fruit or whatever, with a good light source and just get busy man!

Agreed, you're looking for a full pencil range (9B-9H) and a medium or heavy paper. When it comes down to paper, it really is a matter of preference. I learned how to draw on standard 20lb printer/copy paper, so I'm simply used to using it.

I'd say realism is the best way to learn. You'll do better when/if you decide to do something else (cartooning, abstract, etc.) if you learned off of realism. Everyone isn't great when they first begin, so don't let it kill your buzz. Motivation and dedication is needed if you wish to develop your skills.

Like the two posts above me, I agree with the drawing from still/real life thing. As for the pencils, I find 6B, F/2B and 5H are ideal if you can't afford a full pencil range like Lulian suggested.

You should be able to find a full set for around $20-$30 USD, although it will depend on the brand. I normally purchase top-tier brands such as Derwent, Sakura, and Prismacolor, as they do make quite the difference. Having the right tools is pretty important for learning. Compare a 9B to a 9H, and you'll find totally different results. B (blackness) pencils are softer, getting more so the farther up you go. While H (hardness) pencils are harder (obviously), producing a lighter shade. B pencils are typically used for shading, although if you're weird like me you'll prefer them when it boils down to drawing itself.

As Tami said, if you cannot afford a full set seek out the middle ground for both grades. Derwent sells 'medium' metal tins containing 6B-4H pencils.

When just starting out - as was said - anything from 4H to maybe 6B should be ideal. On the lighter side, it will help you learn to be lighter by your own hand, instead of relying on the density of the lead. The same goes for the darker side, but opposite.

I would also suggest shading sticks. They help get you used to blending shades together, learning how (just like with the pencils) to change your technique for the desired affect.

As far as what to draw: just draw what you see. The best thing about still-life is that there really is no imagination involved. The most you have to worry about is being meticulous. If you are drawing a cup, use your eyes to measure the difference between how wide the cup is, and how tall it is; how thinly any rings around it are spaced, or how wide. Always measure one point of what you're drawing with another. This will help make sure your objects are proportional. Don't rush. Take your time and make sure you're drawing all that you see. Pay attention to the details, and where they are in space, and try to transfer this to your paper.

Great... thanks guys! I've already started drawing still life... so far I've bagged a pocket knife, apple, mug, and I drew the view from my campout in Garibaldi Park (from memory). The one thing I need to work on is better shading... since some of my drawing are really 2d... I'll work on hatching etc.

Thanks for all the help!

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

When just starting out - as was said - anything from 4H to maybe 6B should be ideal. On the lighter side, it will help you learn to be lighter by your own hand, instead of relying on the density of the lead.

Lighter leads can get butchered in the scanning to black & white process. For example.

A part of a cartoon cloud.

Spoiler for Images:

Spoiler for Black & White:

Spoiler for Grayscale:

Spoiler for Photograph with terrible lighting:

Spoiler for Colored and penned in Photoshop CS3:

By digitally penning a drawing, you can overcome that problem though. Sketching and then inking is pretty solid too, but that's more advanced.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

I would also suggest shading sticks.

They technically called shading stumps and tortillons, so you know what to look for in stores.

Originally Posted by mindwanderer

Thanks for all the help!

You're welcome. Just keep at it and you'll improve over time.

A persistent problem I had with scanning pencil drawings was the degree of fading and poor contrast. Many details were lost and the lines were not consistent enough to color (they ended up very "fuzzy"). Is using a heavier pencil the solution to that?

Originally Posted by mini0991

A persistent problem I had with scanning pencil drawings was the degree of fading and poor contrast. Many details were lost and the lines were not consistent enough to color (they ended up very "fuzzy"). Is using a heavier pencil the solution to that?

I'd say so. It could be your scanner or settings. You may want to learn how to use the pen tool in Photoshop for better results.

Remember to keep sketching every day so you keep the hang of it. Unless you end up like me. Loosen wrist and the whole arm and draw in fast, carefree manner.

Well, it's only 2 months.. after that I can draw again.

So, here's a few quick sketches I've done over the last couple weeks. They were all done with just a mechanical pencil, except for the lake one which I started inking too.

The eye one took me about 5 minutes.
The hand and hut together took me maybe 5-10 minutes.
The hand and body one took me a while for the hand, and a minute for the body.
The blurry one with all the still life and structure sketches took me probably half an hour.
The knife apple and capo took my about 10 minutes each.

Here are the last two pics that didn't fit in the last post!

The lake scene took my about 30 mins to sketch out, shade and start inking.
The face one took about 5 minutes.

p.s. All the still life was from actual still life (apple, mugs, knife, capo, my left hand) but everything else was from memory. The eye one was from memory, just a buddy of mine... and the half face was a self-portrait type thing from memory. And the lake scene was from memory...

Originally Posted by mindwanderer

So, I used to 'doodle' when I was younger... but recently for some reason it's come back and I really wanna get serious about drawing/sketching. I wanna start with basic still life, animals, scenes/landscape.

So where do I start? Supplies? Excersizes?

Thanks,
mw

Omigosh! I just started re-drawing recently too. The best way to get back into it is to get MOTIVATED! Google the type of art you do, i.e. concept art, and like just motivate yourself with all the awesome drawings they have. You can also search tutorials on what you want to draw. The only supply you really need is a pencil and color pencils or anything you need to draw/color. You don't need any professional sets or anything. Just whatever.

Edit: Your drawings are really good!! Yeah just keep on drawing like that and I'm sure you'll get better. =]

Thanks! I've been on Deviant Art a lot checking out drawings for some insipration!

Yup listen to this young woman. She knows what she's talking about.

She is AMAZING at drawing.. It's hard not to fall in love with her drawings...

If you want to improve your shading, you should do some value drawings. Rather than drawing lines and then shading them in, for value drawings you treat the image as a series of shades, and attempt to recreate it with only shading

Value drawing guide

Another thing worth trying is negative space drawing. This involves selecting an object (preferably something with a complicated outline-chairs are good), then imagining the space around it as a solid black object, ignoring the object, and drawing the space. This excersize is good for improving your ability to draw objects exactly as they appear. By forcing you to look at space rather than the object, it prevents simplified mental versions of the object from intruding into your art. It also helps you to develop an ability to choose strong compositions with a good balance between positive and negative space.

Negative space drawing guide

Hi,

To the OP, may I recommend the book, 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.'

Drawing/representative art is said to be assisted by the brain's right hemisphere. So instead of seeing a chair and drawing it as a 'symbol' (every chair looks like this with 4 legs etc. - left hemisphere), you actually look and draw exactly what you see, including all the space, differences in colour and tone (right hemisphere).

I recommend drawing from life. Cups, glasses, fruit, other little objects, a decent paper/sketchbook and a sharp pencil and you're good to go.

Thanks everyone! Ive been drawing tons, I've been focusing of shading a lot. I'm getting better, I have a really good understand of what's going on the paper, and where etc. I've got a very spacial/3d/image based mind so a lot of the time i know what going on the paper before it's there... I jsut gotta fill it in!

Thanks for the help... and i'm gonna go to the library for a few books!

Originally Posted by High Hunter

Yup listen to this young woman. She knows what she's talking about.

She is AMAZING at drawing.. It's hard not to fall in love with her drawings...

Awww baby...
I love you..

Originally Posted by mindwanderer

So, I used to 'doodle' when I was younger... but recently for some reason it's come back and I really wanna get serious about drawing/sketching. I wanna start with basic still life, animals, scenes/landscape.

So where do I start? Supplies? Excersizes?

Thanks,
mw

Ok, just say this and not sure if your still checking this thread OP but i will post anyways. so..
Firstly i would strongly recommend keeping a decent sketchbook ( try to get one that's an actual bound book the ringed types always end up tearing) this will be helpful for when ya draw having a place where all your drawings are together, not to mention mentally, so you can see how you've improved as you keep drawing.
secondly a tip from my art teacher is that you should be looking at the subject 70% of the time and your paper 30% so as to see how things are and where they are (this has already been said)
another little tip that will help with the drawing process is this, our art teacher used to make us draw upside down. so what the basic idea is this grab any basic picture maybe some other drawing and take it so the top is facing you on the table (so its upside down to your perspective) and start to draw i guess, this is supposed to help with developing with the right side of the brain.
I guess one of my last tips would be this challenge yourself with perspective, i find at least for me its helped alot. well i hope that was helpful in someway
sorry to everyone else who's all like "omg he did NOT just resurrect an old thread "