There is more than one correct way to start drawing. Artists use different methods that best suit their work style. In this article, I'll show you five common ways to start drawing creatures/characters.
- Persecution
Whenever I read a story from a professional artist, they always admit that it's the way they started. Tracing is drawing an image to copy some or all of the lines in the image. The result is clean lines and perfect proportions.
To trace:
Find the drawing/photo (the clearer the line, the better). Cover with a thin piece of paper so that the original image can be seen through (you can use a temporary light table like a window). Draw on the visible line.
Advantages:
The drawing is beautiful. The proportions are perfect. The effort is minimal. It improves your manual skills. This process is also very intuitive for children.
Disadvantages:
The picture doesn't belong to you (if you call it yours, it's a theft of art!). It's not yours, so any praise you receive for what you draw isn't directed at you. That way, you can't draw what you want, you can only draw what was pre-painted. This is a one-time solution.
- Imaginative search for traces
This is the only method that beginners can think of as honest. After all, it's all summarized in imagining a line. The process looks like this: Get a clean piece of paper. Look at it and imagine the picture you want to draw. Draw on the presented line.
Advantages:
It's very intuitive. If you think you're talented, it's fairly easy. If you know what you are doing, the lines are very neat and tidy. No pressure-sensitive tools are required.
Disadvantage:
The more complex the subject, the more "talent" / experience / better visual imagination is required. Until it's done, you don't know what you're drawing-it's a guessing game. The more you guess, the more confusing.
- Structural Drawing
If you are serious about drawing, the final line is the result of the guidelines and you will be informed that it is a kind of internal skeleton of drawing.
How to use this knowledge: Get numerous introductory texts on one topic. Analyze them to understand the structure of the subject. Easily draw structures using imaginative traces. Use the structure as a guide for the final drawing.
Advantages:
If you analyze the subject correctly, you can draw a very realistic picture without reference. It gives you the control and ability to fix bugs in an instant. You don't have to guess where to put the last few lines for clarity. You can change what you have learned before you learn something new in online drawing classes.
Disadvantages:
Overuse of guidelines or drawing too much can be very cluttered. The pose looks stiff and unnatural (unless you are using references) because you need to plan first. You have to put a lot of effort into a thorough analysis of the subject. It takes a lot of practice.
- Gesture drawing
Every living thing has a specific rhythm that appears in every posture of the body. This rhythm is very quick and easy to sketch, but you can't complete the picture only this way. The usage is as follows.
Get numerous introductory texts on one topic. Analyze them to see the common lines. Use these lines to sketch a simple representation of your body (imaginary trace). Use the gesture sketch as a suggestion and draw the structure on it. Use the previous sketch as a guideline for the last line.
Advantages:
It's easy to learn. This makes the pose very natural. The drawing looks great without the details. This allows you to sketch your ideas and save them for later use. You'll know what you want to draw right away, so you can easily compare and adjust to your vision (or don't waste your time discarding it!).
Disadvantages:
To do that, you need an artistic mind. If you are not careful, the drawing can be messy. It takes a lot of practice. It is based on non-intuitive hand movements (fewer wrists, more elbows/shoulders).
- Visual stimulus
This is primarily intended for digital artists unless there is a way to simulate a light table or another layer. This is the simplest and simplest method possible.
How is it?
Draw entanglements of random lines and curves. Analyze the photo and take a look at the gesture sketches in it. Create a new layer or place a thin piece of paper on it. Track what you are looking at. Add a structure. Add the last line.
Advantages:
You don't need a clue to get started. You can control every step because they never obey from the imagination. Start taking it seriously and refer to TangoLearn to know what you should do to enhance your skills. It's very easy to use and you can create many "bases" and choose the most promising ones.
Disadvantages:
If you are a traditional artist, it is not very convenient to use. You need to have a specific set of brushes that will most inspire your imagination.
Conclusion
As you can see, the basic method you may have used is the most difficult. I don't know what I'm drawing until I have something to compare my visions with.
Whichever method you choose, we recommend that you start with the quick and easy one. This is the basis for more complex lines.