My experience with art began with drawing and those required art classes in middle school. I just did whatever felt natural and taught myself how to draw. I began "drawing" by copying photos online and redrawing them. Even to this day I have few original drawings, as I turn most of my inspirations into paintings. Here I'll explain little tips and tricks I've picked up:
1. There are different types of lines. When drawing a cartoon face, for example, it is not just a 'circle.' Is it slightly oblong? Are some lines slightly more straight? Are the sides bowed inwards? Even straight lines are not 'straight lines.' It's pretty neat to notice- try to look at lines more closely!
2. Proportions. Even if you copy the shape of a tiger's head and his body exactly, if your proportions are off the whole drawing will be off. Try to use your pencil and make light marks on your paper so you now roughly where the head should start, end, etc. If the pumpkin is roughly two erasers on your phone, keep it equal on your paper. If enlarging or drawing smaller than the original picture, be extra careful to resize all parts of your photo with equal proportions.
3. Shading can bring ANY drawing to a whole new level. A little shading adds volume, and the more you shade the more realistic your drawing will look on a piece of paper. My drawings are never complete until I've been doing nothing but shading for the same amount of time I spent drawing it at first. When in doubt- Keep Shading!!
4. Only draw when in your "element." I call this my "art brain." I can't draw or paint if my 'art brain' isn't on- and I can't do anything else when I get inspired by accident. I always do my best work when I'm blasting either 80's or Broadway music in my headphones; I can't accomplish anything else without this. I believe art is something an artist is able to create from their souls/deep personalities, so this should really only be attempted when an artist is at maximum potential. Maybe you don't know what your 'element' is yet- that's O.K.! Experiment, try drawing outside, playing different kinds of music, literally any change that can be made to you or your environment.
5. Lastly, don't forget this is YOUR art. You can create whatever you want with only your hand and some drawing tools- don't let anybody tell say 'that needs more shading' or 'ooh, that doesn't look very realistic.' Don't be afraid to be the Salvador Dali of your time!
Stay tuned for an oily update on teaching myself to paint and a rant on the various paint mediums.
