Tips for beginner artists

[Autumn247]

So I am returning to drawing, I was always a tiny, microscopic bit above average with my art, so I got into advanced placement art when I was in high school and I took an art class in college at one point that I did well in. Other than that though I feel like I'm still a beginner. I'm not good, I want to be good though, and eventually really good. I'm also very out of practic because I just started drawing after a long hiatus. I would do it sporadically but now I'm going to start really committing time to it.

If anyone can offer some practical tips for getting good at art, specifically anime type characters, that's what I want to draw mostly. I want to do fan art and someday create my own original characters.

Also tips for what brands and whatnot for pencils, etc

Thank you!

 

[Yanrima~]

If you're one of the beginner artists, I would recommend checking out this thread here.

It has all the sources needed for artists including figure references, tips, tutorials, and more. As for the tip, My advice is that you should practice and experiment on art especially trying out which style fits best for you. There were artists willing to give you feedback and advice to help you improve your skills. Sure, some advice can sometimes be hard to swallow but it'll help you on your journey to art. Especially in finding room for improvements.

 

[Autumn247]

If you're one of the beginner artists, I would recommend checking out this thread here.

It has all the sources needed for artists including figure references, tips, tutorials, and more. As for the tip, My advice is that you should practice and experiment on art especially trying out which style fits best for you. There were artists willing to give you feedback and advice to help you improve your skills. Sure, some advice can sometimes be hard to swallow but it'll help you on your journey to art. Especially in finding room for improvements.

Thank you I didn't realize there was a thread for that

 

[Yanrima~]

Thank you I didn't realize there was a thread for that

You're welcome and I'm glad to help you!

If you need more advice, don't be afraid to ask other artists in this forum. And enjoy your art journey!

 

[smoky]

my biggest tip for drawing, especially freehand and using references, is look at the shapes and proportions of things. is the face round, oval, square? where does the nose line up on the face compared to other features like the ears? things like those, even in anime characters, is extremely helpful!! and the most important thing my art teacher ever taught me was tracing is ok!! i used to feel really weird about it, but if you take a picture of something and trace over, putting outlines where they would be, can really help, especially when learning how to draw folds in clothing.

draw everyday, keep a little sketchbook. doesn't matter what brand or paper quality, i used to draw in notebooks as a kid. just draw or sketch at least once a day. learn from what you like about the art you make and keep doing that. experimenting is the best way to learn, even if you hate what you make. also make sure you never throw anything away! it sounds dumb, but keeping even your worst art can really make you appreciate your favorite even more and is really enlightening to learn from.

as for tools, i really like prismacolor colored pencils. you dont need every color they make, just get the basic rainbow and neutrals and learn how to mix those colors. copic markers are really expensive if you're looking for that type of thing but are amazing. but if you're just starting out, try a cheap "knockoff" set from amazon. another tip for coloring specifically!! if you're shading, try not to use black as the shadow, or a darker version of that color. use complimentary colors! it creates a really natural shadow and can make the colors more interesting to look at.

if you ever need anymore help, feel free to reach out! c:

 

[Autumn247]

my biggest tip for drawing, especially freehand and using references, is look at the shapes and proportions of things. is the face round, oval, square? where does the nose line up on the face compared to other features like the ears? things like those, even in anime characters, is extremely helpful!! and the most important thing my art teacher ever taught me was tracing is ok!! i used to feel really weird about it, but if you take a picture of something and trace over, putting outlines where they would be, can really help, especially when learning how to draw folds in clothing.

draw everyday, keep a little sketchbook. doesn't matter what brand or paper quality, i used to draw in notebooks as a kid. just draw or sketch at least once a day. learn from what you like about the art you make and keep doing that. experimenting is the best way to learn, even if you hate what you make. also make sure you never throw anything away! it sounds dumb, but keeping even your worst art can really make you appreciate your favorite even more and is really enlightening to learn from.

as for tools, i really like prismacolor colored pencils. you dont need every color they make, just get the basic rainbow and neutrals and learn how to mix those colors. copic markers are really expensive if you're looking for that type of thing but are amazing. but if you're just starting out, try a cheap "knockoff" set from amazon. another tip for coloring specifically!! if you're shading, try not to use black as the shadow, or a darker version of that color. use complimentary colors! it creates a really natural shadow and can make the colors more interesting to look at.

if you ever need anymore help, feel free to reach out! c:

Thank you so much this is really helpful! I got a new sketchbook the other day and I’ve been drawing in that everyday. I plan on getting some colored pencils too. If I can afford prismacolor I’ll get those if not I’ll get another kind and upgrade eventually when it’s in the budget I just bought my first printer so that’s been really helpful for scanning my artwork and printing reference photos I will keep all these tips in mind, thank you!

 

[Dunny County]

i tend to draw hands as circles then draw maybe 4 or 5 straight lines sort of coming off the circle, and those are the fingers. You can use that technique if you want, although it only applies to hands - if you attempted it with the nose it would just look like they had a hand right in the centre of their face.

 

[mocha.]

Hi! I’m aware you’ve been linked to the resources for artists thread but thought I’d leave some advice here:

I’m by no means a professional but I have improved significantly over the years. Whilst looking at tutorials, watching videos etc is very helpful, the only thing that will help you improve is PRACTISE! The more you draw, the better you will become. I really like Kaycem’s videos on YouTube as he encourages a “draw along” when teaching new concepts - allowing you to put the theory you’ve learned into practice.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things!