ok, sure, everyone says practice, practicing is a given, but what if you feel that the teacher, or resource isnt explaining everything as they should?...*inhale* Behold! my ever growing collection of how to draw mangoes. i wish it wasnt so big, since i buy them only to see which ones can actually help me draw. there are some anatomy books there, like at the top is the michael hampton figure drawing book, but even reading that makes my brain implode on itself does anyone have any reccommendations for books or resources? i already know about mark crilley and Mikey since thats part of the reason i have that figure drawing book. the sad thing is, ive been using some of these books for years trying to wrap my head around what they are doing, yeesh lol. any advice?
i would really not recommend following those "How to Draw Manga" books if you're a serious learner. Feel free to use them as inspiration, but not as a reliable learning tool unless the author is actually a reputable manga artist (but those would probably be in Japanese). The top row of books seem good just because they don't seem to be in manga style and seem like legitimate learn how to draw books lol. You want to learn how to draw from real life. Real life references are best, but photos are fine. Draw a lot, practice everyday. Drawing is a skill, not a talent. Here's what you can find by Googling! Learn how to draw lesson things https://drawabox.com/ https://www.ctrlpaint.com/library https://www.proko.com/library/#.XymWFChKhhE https://www.nma.art/courses/a-beginners-guide-to-drawing/ (Free for now, but not sure if it'll be unfree? later) https://www.youtube.com/user/Sycra/playlists https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd9YlgrhwWqCSiGwPwA_N_nqKfTLY1Kn8 (Chinese w Eng sub) Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/learntodraw/comments/adyijo/welcome_to_rlearntodraw_heres_the_sidebar_and/ https://www.reddit.com/r/learnart/comments/fnrxxm/free_or_reduced_cost_art_instruction_master_list/ Photo references of people https://line-of-action.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing/ Google. And copying is fine as long as it's purely for learning. If you plan on posting it online get permission from the original artist. If you can't or unable to get that then don't post it. Don't ever trace. You won't learn from that or maybe you will, but not as effectively as figuring it out on your own.
Do you want real advice? Take it slow. You really need to imagine your anime character. Don't reference your lines by what you see on paper, always aim for the look in your mind. Seriously, take it slow. Do not think about how your line shakes, the precision only comes from experience, trust me. What you need to get first is the accuracy, get the shapes as close to your projected image as you can, never forget the original image in your head. The reason why anime styles have trends is because the artists gained the experience to accurately depict their specific shapes and lines with repeated precision. Draw smaller if you want more precise lines, although that will decrease detail on the overall drawing. If you want higher details, ignore the shaky lines and draw big. I really can't stress enough on the shaky lines, they only get smooth after repetition. Always, always get your shapes and style developed firsthand. This is essentially the same as learning to write and have a personalized signature or font. As for anatomical ratios, I'm sorry to tell you on this part... but you need to look at actual humans for this. My highest recommendation is to start off on fashion and model magazines. Really pay attention to the shapes and outlines of every facial part and structure. The geometry is crucial. If you practice outlining real faces and bodies, then fill them in with simplified circles, ovals, and morphed squares. By then, you've got yourself a start on understanding anatomical proportions. Take care of your hand, pay attention to how it moves. Be aware of which directions it has a weakness on... typically it's making curves. Test it out by drawing circles in both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Spot out parts of the circle where it either curves less or more. The muscle structures of your fingers are extremely complex, use three fingers if you have better finger dexterity. If you got sausage fingers, then utilize your wrist, and draw larger. if neither works... Your last resort is through the entire arm: everything between the elbow all the way to the chest and shoulder blade muscles are used in this style. You'll really need to go big on this method though. I recommend using a sketching tablet with something like autodesk sketchbook on the computer, with lots of paper space or very zoomed in. That's a little taste of drawing 101, good luck.
this guy has the right idea. proko and ctrlpaint are vetted choices to learn how to draw properly. great tutorials and learning methods for tikes and professionals alike no idea what the "take it slow" guy is talking about, but i sort of get the sentiment of what he's saying: "pay attention to what you're drawing". a fairly good rule of thumb i guess the problem with drawing from how to draw manga books like you do are that they only really show you step-by-step methods on how to draw extremely specific things. if you've never drawn before they aren't entirely worthless, because a basic foundation and guide is being presented--you're bound to learn something, certainly, but you should understand that the best books that'll teach you drawing have nothing to do with just showing examples but instead actually teach you why certain things work or don't. that way you'll get a deeper understanding, and thusly, a better understanding. Drawing, at its most basic, is problem-solving and visual theory, muscle-memory and practice practice practice. id also check out michael hampton's figure drawing book
