Hi everyone, welcome to my blog. Okay so let's talk about how I learned how to draw. Firstly I was always interested in drawing so I'd spend a lot of time doing it through my childhood but there was probably a point in time where I wasn't exactly good at it because of course, everyone starts off in the same position having to go through that process of trying to learn and practice. At a young age, I would just spend more time drawing for enjoyment rather than worrying about if my drawings were good. Because I was drawing a lot and practicing consistently and naturally improved over time. I became more experienced and more comfortable with what it was I was actually drawing. As a kid, I was always drawing my favorite cartoon characters and anything that I found interesting. I'd set out to draw these as best as I could but I suppose in somewhere it was the process of drawing it, which I actually enjoyed the most. For a young kid, it gave me the opportunity to recreate my favorite things on paper and I enjoyed seeing the resultant images of things that I could relate to as well as actually drawing it.
I think that's what a lot of children do as they grow up. Every child likes to draw and eventually they end up wanting to draw things they can relate to and it's at this point when a child maybe becomes a bit discouraged and stops drawing because they struggle to draw how they are supposed to look. In turn, they see themselves as not being good at drawing because of that. That is at least something that I experienced when I was practicing if I was to draw something like a cartoon character and aim to draw it the best that I could and capture the likeness of that character. For instance and maybe I didn't do that too well then I'll be under this illusion that the drawing isn't a successful drawing. That'd be a lot of people who would also set out to create drawings and if it didn't look correctly as the actual reference or something they were trying to draw then they'd think that the drawing was bad. It's almost like this man said that can be quite frustrating. If you are learning how to draw and you have to look at these situations in a different light. For instance, if you are drawing something and it doesn't end up looking like it should don't consider it to be an unsuccessful drawing. Think of it as being more of a step forward and aware that you can then improve and learn from.
Look at the mistakes analyze your work and then move on and try again and see if you can improve on the things that you maybe struggled with in the last attempt. As long as you are spending time drawing then naturally you will be improving and working on your drawing ability. Don't worry about the actual outcome instead just try to spend a lot of time drawing and focus on the process of learning. Going back to the subject where I was talking about growing up and drawing as a kid, how sometimes we can be discouraged if our drawings don't look like we want them to and then as a result of that, we maybe stop drawing completely because we come to this conclusion that drawing might not be for us. There are children who maybe have more practice or found something else in drawing that keeps them doing it. It might be a talent but I don't like to throw that word around too much because if there is some form of talent, it can only do so much.
I was the type of child that kept on drawing even when I wasn't happy with it. I'd just start again and aim to do it better next time. It was a challenge for me to draw all of these different things. I also enjoy showing people my work in hopes of getting a good response out of them once they had seen what I had created and in somewhere that helped push me forward. It was motivating me to always create better things. If I was to go ahead and answer the question how did I learn how to draw then I'd say that just being obsessed and wanting to draw all of the time, naturally helped me to learn new things. It was something that I carried on through school and as I was growing older the drawings and things I was making were also changing as well. I started to do a lot of design work for other subjects and so I was still learning different drawing aspects I also came across hyper-realistic drawings. In somewhere that inspired me to try and create work on that level. I'm not sure why I had the mindset to draw as realistic as possible. I guess it was a style of work I wanted to strive for.
It was pretty much like a goal to make every drawing better than the last one and over time it came to a point where I was confidently drawing with a realistic style. I started to learn a lot about different elements of drawing and just started to immerse myself in everything creative. I started to learn more by looking at other artists and paying attention to all of the things that make up a successful drawing. I also look at my weaknesses and trying to work on them. I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I have learned everything there is so much involved in so many things to learn when it comes to drawing and that's what makes it exciting I'm still learning and just like when I used to attempt to draw as a kid.
If I was to give someone some advice on how they should learn to draw. I'd say that first of all you need to want to do it, you need to want to be drawing whenever you get a chance. Just enjoy the act of drawing and start getting a feel for it. Draw anything you want in anywhere. Don't worry about how the drawing appears instead just keep on drawing, doing something is better than doing nothing and from doing that you will learn more about your drawing ability and give yourself a starting point where you can then find the things that you want to work on. You should try and analyze your work and honestly recognize the areas you need to improve in.
Going back to when I would draw as a kid I remember drawing the same things over and over again and with each attempt, I would always look at why I could do better and then take that into consideration with the next one. Sometimes this would lead me to study more of creating textures and so I would set myself goals of working on those areas. Coming back to the drawing and going again analyzing your own work can be really beneficial but you need to be able to recognize what it is that you need to work on. This can be tricky for a beginner. Sometimes looking at other professionals and more experienced artists and analyze their work can help you to learn how and what you need to do in your own drawings. However, don't compare yourself and your work to others in a way that will discourage you. Instead, recognize the fact that you are learning and take advantage of it. Now of course when you are learning to draw, underlining everything will be the drawing fundamentals. This includes perspective which from experience, I have learned to be one of the most vital elements involved in drawing.
When it comes to perspective without it you will struggle to draw anything. Then, of course, there are other fundamentals, anatomy, light, and shadow but don't let all of this overwhelm you. You don't have to tackle it all at once, just take your time with it and also try to figure out what will be most important to you in terms of what it is that you want to draw and what you will be creating. When I was drawing at a young age I didn't really have a concern with these fundamentals. However, eventually, I realized that they allow you to really improve your work in other directions and I started to pay more attention to them. They can seem like a boring and tedious part of drawing but you will benefit a lot from a basic understanding of them when you want to draw anything. If you are mainly interested in creating realistic drawings like portraits or landscapes which involve mainly working from a reference image then you might benefit more from focusing on creating textures and details the actual techniques you use to recreate these images. On the other hand, if you want to explore character design and focus on more imaginative work then anatomy perspective and most of the fundamentals will be needed and all of this will require lots of practice.
Don't think that you need to learn all of it before you start drawing because we learn all of these things from actually drawing. What I mean by that is that you should just start drawing and make mistakes then recognize those mistakes whatever that might be. If it's in terms of perspective, for instance, it will give you a starting point to then go and learn more about that before then correcting it or drawing again. It's a constant cycle of drawing and learning and there isn't an endpoint and overall that's what makes drawing exciting. So there we go that pretty much concludes this. I hope you enjoyed this. Thank you, everyone!
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I'm selftaught myself but not without spending alot of time learning. It's a never ending lesson, but I love it. Below you can see my development in a year making portraits. Good post!
awesome progress man
Thank you so much @edgarsart :)
Thank you @edgarsart. @vaansteam I think he meant me ;)
Wow, your drawing is amazing! Keep it up! I love to see more of it :)
If all works out I will start posting again next week :)
your drawing looks like a real living object.honestly speaking, this is better than the computer shop printer in our nearby place, lol. by the way, what a talented hand you possess buddy
It literally does! It’s the best drawing I’ve seen on here honestly
Thank you @geneeverettshow
Thank you @hiroyamagishi That is quite a compliment. ahaha
Brilliant post. Every artist/designer will definitely relate. It’s an artist’s mentality of “my next work will be better”. Keep up the awesome drawings!
Thank you for this :) always have a good mentality!
Thats cool! Painting can be learned through constant practice with good instructor but having a gift of being a painter is on step ahead among them.
That is also true but the gift can only take you so far. With constant practice, we can do anything :)
So very true. Great positive outlook you have!
Keep it up.
-Mb
Very interesting and motivating! Good luck, you have a bright future:)
Thank you @edgarsart I wish the same for you :)
Every artist was first an amateur.
You’re right ;)
Wow! so nice art @vaansteam.That is the most wounderful pencil art.I love it.You are the great artist.keep it up.
Thank you so much @powerupme
So beautiful and profound portrait @vaansteam !! Yes we draw by our hands and also by our hearts. How you draw is a reflection of how you feel about the world
Thank you so much @livvu! I’m glad we have the same mind. I haven’t seen you artwork in awhile, hope to see more of your drawing soon!
Hey,vaan. I want to tell you something .so i wanna contack with you on facebook ,i will be happy if you contack with me...
Now I'm traveling so taking some time out to enjoy the moment. I'll hopefully post soon.
Have fun and stay safe!
Thank you very much @vaansteam !!
Do you have any drawings that you've done when you were very young? I wonder if your mom has kept some. I would love to see!
Hello @linlee888. :) I don't think I still have any drawing from when I was young. It has been so long.
Oh, what a bummer! I really think even if a drawing is someone's passion, I truly believe that person has to have great talent to become great like you!
awesome post! we don't have to stop learning and enjoy the process here is a little of my progress i'd like to know your opinion thanks
WOw you're a lot better. This really proud it :)
You are an amazing artist.
Art is learned, first there is interest for it, as times goes on it becomes a passion as it being perfected.
I can't draw because I don't have interest in drawing but when I see a good art work I appreciate it.
Well done @vaansteam
I'm sure you can if you have some interest in it. We have to like what we do :)
This is incredible! You are an amazing artist
I have learnt a lot from this article.
When I was a kid, I love drawing but dropped it when I thought I wasn't perfect enough but now my orientation is changed with this
Most people dropped it when they think It wasn't good enough. I'm sure you did a good job :)
Wow you are the great artist, keep it up.
Thank you @tangera I will!
You are welcome! I will be glad if you visit my blog!
Thank you @tangera
What a great composition! It describes exactly what I experienced too, when I was starting to learn how to draw at the age of four (in 1974).
In my case, I was influenced by an uncle who would draw Superman and other superheroes for me and my sister.
I just picked up a pencil and started drawing on paper, that's what my Mom told me. It was like automatic.
I'd just draw and draw anything, and everything interesting I saw. My uncle did not even need to teach me. He just left me alone to do things on my own.
I learned at my own pace, and there was no rush to get better right away, like what I see with most kids nowadays.
Most of the kids I see want to get into realistic portraiture right away, eschewing the learning of basic drawing to learn how to use a grid for accurate copying of pictures.
A lot of them end up becoming too dependent on grids that they don't bother to learn freehand drawing anymore.
I'm a freehand artist, and have been one ever since. And in 1998 I entered the animation industry and became a traditional animator. I did that job until 2003, and then I switched to 3D animation in 2005.
Here's a colored pencil drawing of a wolf that I made back in 1996, before I became an animator.
And a portrait of a friend I drew last year.
Your art is very beautiful. I'm glad you were inspired by your uncle. Just amazing. Keep it up!
nice photos friend
thank you for sharing
I am a new follwer for you
nice draw
resteemid
wow unbelievable work
Thank you @jassi
my pleasure
I really love your drawings. It catches all the emotions and I love that I get to see the step by step to the finished painting. <3 Thank you for sharing all this ^^
Thank you Kristin, I really appreciate the feedback. :) I see that you’re new on Steemit. Hope you enjoy the platform!
That’s amazing! Talent and practice makes perfect!
Yes, that is right! :)
Lovely post to encourage people to start drawing, thank you. When I started studying art my drawing lecturer told us that the biggest thing to learn is to learn to really look with your eyes, because when we draw things that we see all the time, our brains tell us that we know what it looks like so we rely on drawing what we think is there and what our brain tells us is there instead of drawing with our eyes.
That is really good thank you for sharing this!
Really good article. You're right, we have to keep on drawing, no matter what.
May I add one more thing? Don't be too hard on yourself! I always have been too hard on myself and got burned out. Just don't.
Best way? Just have fun! If you make a mistake, that's okay. You can learn from it and improve from there. That's all. :)
I practice what I preach - I'm making my art journey fun again by experimenting with all different mediums. Keep it fresh you know. In fact, today I did a urban sketching with watercolor.
It was challenging with few accidents here and there, but the important part is, I HAD FUN!
So, draw AND have fun. ;)
Cheers!
Dm7
Right, just have fun and enjoy. And your painting is just amazing! Keep it up! I love to see more!
I think I would keep on drawing no matter the mistake that I make. I just started drawing after about six years. See what I achieved
See what I set out to draw
Checkout my work here
https://steemit.com/art/@oshiokhenhoya/a-glow-in-the-dark-my-succor
Beautiful! Keep up the good work!
Really very nice... I wish I had a such sketch of me!!
Thank you 😊
Very nice painting and process log! Voted and followed.
Thank you so much @gmateev
@vaansteam great post and your drawings are amazing. I think that this can span across to anything. If we set our mind to something and really pursue it, rather than giving up at the first mistake we all could all master our crafts. With the way society is now it is easy to get distracted but if we push through and around the obstacles, there is light on the other side. I have seen people teach themselves how to sing, physics, how to code and develop games, how to cook you name it. With the right mindset and attitude, anything is possible. Thank you for the inspiration and amazing story!
You’re right with the right mindset anything is possible. :)
Nice post.
Maaan! This is really awesome work of you, I really like how put your words of encouragement and tips to every artists, especially for those who are just starting, lately I'm more involve in creating Digital arts, but seeing your work makes want to go back atleast, and do some traditional art, its always good to be back where vou've started, hopefully I can create some traditional Art in the next days thanks for sharing this work @vaansteam
That is great. I would love to see your work :)
a very nice picture of a friend, wish you success to be a great and famous artist
I hope to be a great artist but I don't know If I'm going to be famous anytime soon :)
Siempre miro tus post, son muy buenos tus retratos. Es un placer poderlos apreciar.
Thank you@tatorey
Great message. I also believe that you have to become somewhat obsessive with an ability to want to become better and not giving up. Very beautiful and realistic drawing.
I was obsessed with being better at art and thank you!
thas is awesame ..
Thank you
As always fantastic!
Thank you so much!
excellent work, I like the eyes very much, they look full of life with the reflections that you have given them, keep it up friend ;)
I do like drawing eyes. Thank you :)
These three words motivate me: patience, practice and persistence. I am self taught too, even though I stopped for about four years in my University days, I was able to slowly bounce back and even recover those years.
I started practicing daily and learning from other artists especially on YouTube. I can proudly say I am almost there now.
See my progress
I think you're already there. Amazing progress!
Thank you very much
every man or woman born some extraordinary. And it makes him very special to all.
I’m sure you are special too :)
maybe. I don't know how special I am to all.😊
Casually browsing the art tag and suddenly felt my jaw drop a bit on your post.
Beautiful work.
It's so true though, actually wanting to do something and making yourself repeat it over and over into madness is what it takes to really get a point that makes people like myself stare in awe at your talent.
Having said all that I should let you know you gained another follower.
I know my upvote isn't much at this point but take it anyway dammit.
Cheers,
Speck.
Thank you for that I really appreciate that. It's the thought that counts :)
Nice job. pls check my sketch. I used ball point pen
Very nice drawing of the joker :)
I do believe that everyone can be made to become an artist in drawing/painting, though being a gifted or born with this talent is more advantage. I myself likes to paint, or shall I say loves it. Happiness can be truly seen once you enjoy of what you are doing. Right? It's a feeling of contentment on the result because you know you did your best at the same time enjoyment. I have started basic painting, but not continued for few years now. As I have read your blog I was feel motivated to continue what I'm at before. I'm very much thankful of you for giving me an inspiration and for sharing your fantastic work of arts with very informative tips to all of us.
I’m glad you able to find happiness through painting. I wish the best for you :)
Many thanks :)
Wow - you maybe learned a lot but your talent is way more than what you have learned - this is stunning
Thank you so much @alishi I’m sure you’re good at what you’re doing :)
That's really a super piece of art. I myself is also an artist and almost have identical story. Here is one piece of pencil sketch that I just draw after look at your post.
Wow! So amazing. I like all of it. Keep it up 😊
That a very nice piece of art as well! :)
Wow. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! To me, I believe that not everyone is born "talented". However, you can improve your skills through hard work and dedication.
"Work hard. Hard work is the best investment a man can make." ~ Charles M. Schwab
You’re right. Not every born with talent, our skills gets better with practice;)
Your skill is amazing. Art is the gift of God. It inspired you to do something good. I think if you observe yourself then you will realize that God has gifted you wonderful heart which encourages you every time to do something extraordinary. Your imagination can do that nobody can do.
Thank you very much! I think i’m very blessed to be able to enjoy doing art ;)
Lovely artwork you have there! I love the freckles on her face, it made the art look so natural!
Nice one buddy!
Me too, I like the freckles art sometime need to be natural.
This post has been shown by @wishmir to 900+ followers. Please check the @wishmir page
Thank you
Awesome work! I wouldn't say I'm an artist (yet) but I like to be creative (or so I wish). I am in the process of learning though and it feels good to see posts talking about achieving good art through practice. It gives you a sense of hope that you would one day be able to achieve it.
Sometimes people think that in order to be great at something, you have to born with it. But what I have realized from training most of my life as an athlete and a martial arts practitioner, is that hardwork pushes you more towards excellence rather than talent, and if you already have the talent, hardwork multiplies it.
Practice is one of the keys towards realizing dreams!
I’m sure that you will achieve anything whatever that may be with good mentality. I was also trained in martial arts and it’s the same, with practice and good training, we will get there ;) good luck to you!
What martial arts were you on?
Kickboxing and jiu jitsu
cool!
I do believe most things are a skill and art is just another skill set. I strongly agree on the "don't have to learn everything to start drawing" part. You learn by doing, so go do some art!
You're right. Let's go do some more :)
Amazing drawing, I love your style, the girl looks beautiful! 😊
Thank you so much! :)
Such a wonderful art sir @vansteam. Your drawing is highly appreciable.
Thank you friend!
Bro you started very well and you are doing excellent work now, I envy your work though I don't know how to draw,
Well done Sir.
Thank you bro. I’m sure u are good at other things :)
This is a amazing art photography..and great work..thanks for share..dear @vaansteam
Your welcome! Thank for the compliment!