anyone got some drawing tips?

[ChrisvK]

First off, i hope this is the right place for this topic (if not feel free to move/remove it)

well over the last few weeks i've started to enjoy drawing. Oldschool imagery to be precise. Yet i only seem capable of copying existing pictures and i just can't seem to put images i have in my head onto paper. Also i can't draw a straight line to safe my life, this is what i struggle with the most. Has anyone got any tips for me?

Just as a disclaimer of some sort; I in no way wish to become a tattooer. I'm not that arrogant to think that just because some people say ' that looks like ' when they look at a drawing i did i got what it takes to tattoo people. Not trying to disrespect the artform in anyway. If you can't bring something positive to the art, don't even bother.

Well anyway I hope some of you brilliant artist can give an excited amateur some tips;)

Cheers everyone

[Shmitty]

It just all comes down to practice bro. Just keep drawing. As for the straight lines, a ruler helps. :0)

[Kev]

1) Get basic drawing books if you've never drawn 2) If you're drawing off old flash, get some tracing paper and trace,trace,trace; then try drawing. That will help you understand what the artist was doing when they created the original painting.

It also helps to try and find what the old flash was referencing in the first place-stuff like old lithographs, book illustrations,etc. Find the 'outline' in those things and shade accordingly.

[ChrisvK]

Cheers!

@Shmitty as retarded as it may sound, the thought of using a ruler to draw straight lines never occured to me, so thank you xD

@kev

Thanks a bunch! directly tracing the old flash makes sense. Learn to draw by muscle memory. Gonna see if i can find some nice books and get myself some tracing paper this week

[nmkcle]

Make yourself draw every day. Even if only to copy images of others. If it is some thing you enjoy do it art in any form can be therapeutic. As far as drawing straight lines, try drawing some art Nouveau type images, (Beardsley, Mucha) The lines are a lot more curved and asymmetrical rather than straight, but it will help you to keep the pencil on the paper.

Last but not least, you can always take drawing classes at your local community college.

Good Luck!

[macheteloko]

smitty is correct!!! practice!

[Stewart Robson]

@ChrisvK Nobody believes you when you say you don't want to be a tattooer. But like everyone else says, practice. Practice, then practice some more.

Here's a golden nugget: Doodling requires you to repeat shapes with your hands. Drawing requires you to use your mind more than your hands.

Good luck.

[ChrisvK]

@Steward Robson Honstly i don't want to be a tattooer. I know people on this forum (and artists in general) are hesitant to share knowledge because they might fear competition or disrespect of their profession. My goal in life is to be a social worker, so don't fear any competition from me;)

Thanks for the wise words non the less.

Cheers. O and one day i will surely visit your shop. Currently saving up for a holliday to the UK and i will include a visit to your shop. The work you put out is just amazing. Respect!

[gougetheeyes]

1) Get basic drawing books if you've never drawn 2) If you're drawing off old flash, get some tracing paper and trace,trace,trace; then try drawing. That will help you understand what the artist was doing when they created the original painting.

In my own experience, tracing is more of a hindrance because it doesn't allow you understand the use of space/shapes/composition. If you're trying to replicate designs like eagles or snakes or.. draw anything, it's worked for me to get the shapes down, and then refine it more and more. And then, Robert DeNiro said it best in Ronin: "Draw it again."

[Kev]

Tracing helped me get down line flow and opened up my outlines. Everything I drew prior to doing that was super tight and had a weak profile. Then again, I had been drawing since elementary school, so I understood basic art concepts already.

[ThaliaCamille]

Invest in a non-photo blue pencil. It allows you to start out with basic shapes and sketchy lines (I always find it helps to draw "skeletons", gestures and work out composition first). I go through those things like there's no tomorrow.

[ShawnPorter]

As probably the best illustrator on LST (see my epic "squidpants" and try not to be jealous) I have a ton of advice....

Draw outside of your comfort zone.

I used to draw every day and while I was never a spectacular artist I was able to successfully draw things that looks mostly like intended. As my carpal tunnel got progressively worse and I drew less and less, I'd find myself guilty of 'doodling' and Stewart is right... it's a much different exercise.

Now... I draw weird little scratchy things that look like... squids.

[Jennifer Stell]

Hey Shawn...

You smell like tacos.

xo,

Jen

[hogg]

@irezumi sent me this today:

[smiling.politely]

that reminds me of this...

[Scott R]

As probably the best illustrator on LST (see my epic "squidpants" and try not to be jealous) I have a ton of advice....

while I agree that your level of talent is mindbending I must remind you of the prodigee which is Dcostello

[irezumi]

@irezumi sent me this today:

Bill Waverly is the person to thank for that bit of art instruction

[Kev]

I bought one of those non-photo blue pencils w/ the intention of speeding up my clean-up to scanning process. My damned scanner still picks up the blue lines. I guess I need to adjust the settings.

I also forgot to mention that I'll draw stuff on the tracing paper first because it's cheaper, get the lines right, then use a light box to trace those lines onto the final paper in light pencil, mess with it a bit there, and then line in ink. Things change for me as I do that and helps me make decisions along the way.

[Shannon Shirley]

Ive drawn since before I can remember, I kinda dont get the questions. I took instructions as a kid, I now know, all one needs is motivation . So, get motivated. this is the escense of art, everyones mind,hand,thoughts and feelings are different. the truer you are to yourself the better the art. posing isnt good. I have always in my life, tried to get those that ''cant draw'' to do so. because representationalism is where its at. bad art doesnt exist, unless its a lie. lies arent good. Do you.

[brimstonesix]

main thing is keep doing it

[ShawnPorter]

Hey Shawn...

You smell like tacos.

xo,

Jen

haha. do I ever.

[blacksandtattoo]

Invest in a non-photo blue pencil. It allows you to start out with basic shapes and sketchy lines (I always find it helps to draw "skeletons", gestures and work out composition first). I go through those things like there's no tomorrow.

This is one change I made a couple years ago that helped me overcome some obstacles I had trouble with for a long time. The blue pencils are softer and easier on the paper. Sort of like training wheels, especially if you have a habit of pressing harder to get a darker value instead of switching to a softer pencil when you're rendering an image (giant hands don't help either). Once I figured out that the pencils aren't very light-fast, I started to think of the drawings as more disposable, so it was easier for me to throw something away and start from scratch. Spending more time constructing drawings rather than trying to patch them up really boosting my productivity.

@chrisv

Good luck buddy! If you can see yourself doing it, don't give up until you get there!

[durtyxsanchezz]

the best way to trace is to trace flash, not tattoos.. Atleast in my opinion lol. trace over the hard lines and shade how they do until you get to where you think it would look "better"...well more of your style by shading and coloring another way

[alice]

i've been an artist my whole life, but when i started tattooing i started thinking of my tracing paper sketches as disposable, and using red and blue pencils to sketch really changed the way i draw. it really does help to not stress about a drawing and to just go through a few sheets of paper as you work out certain details. i think a healthy mix of tracing for practice and using reference is really helpful. "you're only as good as your reference library" haha

[Bart Bingham]

my advice is draw more from life and less from tattoo flash. example: It's a lot easier to draw a good traditional tattoo style eagle if you understand the anatomy of an actual eagle as opposed to if you try to draw one based on someone elses already skewed anatomy.