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Draw a Box [0] comes highly recommended. All lessons are free and are taught from scratch. Everything from absolute basics is thoroughly explained and demonstra

by rg111 5y ago

Draw a Box [0] comes highly recommended. All lessons are free and are taught from scratch. Everything from absolute basics is thoroughly explained and demonstrated. Paid courses by Proko [1] are also said to be of very high quality. I have never bought one, though. I would also suggest that you look into digital art. Sketching/painting/drawing paraphernalia is expensive with time-consuming upkeep and hard to carry if you travel. OTOH, drawing on Krita, Photoshop with drawing tablets & stylus (even $60 ones) or an iPad with pen is low-maintenance and you can find other uses for them even if you don't continue drawing. Digital art and conventional art have many overlappings, but they are different media with neither being higher or lower. [0]: https://drawabox.com/ https://drawabox.com/ [1]: https://proko.com https://proko.com

karaterobot 5y ago
As someone who "can draw" by most people's standards, but who never had a formal art education, I benefited a lot from Draw a Box. I liked that it focused so much on the actual, literal mechanics of drawing a good line with your body, which is not something I had ever focused on. I think it builds sort of slowly, and you need commitment to get through to the part where you're drawing "the rest of the owl" so to speak, aka the fun parts that aren't just endless pages of boxes in perspective. But, there really isn't a shortcut anyway, and it's worth it, and this course is presented really well, for no money.
- maroonblazer 5y ago
  Another upvote for Drawabox. Some other commenters here have said things like "Anyone can do decent mark making" and "It's more about seeing than drawing". Drawabox proved to me that it's a LOT to do with mark making. The difference between a line drawn straight, with confidence, and one that is wobbly and not confident, is huge. It makes a big difference as to the quality of the overall drawing. Just a page of boxes drawn in 3D space, with each line drawn confidently and straight, can look impressive.
eigenhombre 5y ago
The free Proko videos on YouTube are not bad as well -- maybe a good place to turn once you have a few of the basics in hand -- in particular, the artistic anatomy videos are helpful if you get into drawing humans. In regards to digital art, I recommend the opposite. A sketchbook and a few pencils can be had for far less than the cost of a drawing tablet or iPad, and the physicality of drawing with analog material is, for some of us at least, part of the appeal. Lastly, try to draw every day: from life, from memory, from imagination. Take whatever classes appeal, for sure... but in the end, the time you put in, drawing things that interest you visually, is what really makes the difference in the long run.

by rg111 5y ago

karaterobot 5y ago

As someone who "can draw" by most people's standards, but who never had a formal art education, I benefited a lot from Draw a Box. I liked that it focused so much on the actual, literal mechanics of drawing a good line with your body, which is not something I had ever focused on. I think it builds sort of slowly, and you need commitment to get through to the part where you're drawing "the rest of the owl" so to speak, aka the fun parts that aren't just endless pages of boxes in perspective. But, there really isn't a shortcut anyway, and it's worth it, and this course is presented really well, for no money.

maroonblazer 5y ago
Another upvote for Drawabox. Some other commenters here have said things like "Anyone can do decent mark making" and "It's more about seeing than drawing". Drawabox proved to me that it's a LOT to do with mark making. The difference between a line drawn straight, with confidence, and one that is wobbly and not confident, is huge. It makes a big difference as to the quality of the overall drawing. Just a page of boxes drawn in 3D space, with each line drawn confidently and straight, can look impressive.

eigenhombre 5y ago

The free Proko videos on YouTube are not bad as well -- maybe a good place to turn once you have a few of the basics in hand -- in particular, the artistic anatomy videos are helpful if you get into drawing humans. In regards to digital art, I recommend the opposite. A sketchbook and a few pencils can be had for far less than the cost of a drawing tablet or iPad, and the physicality of drawing with analog material is, for some of us at least, part of the appeal. Lastly, try to draw every day: from life, from memory, from imagination. Take whatever classes appeal, for sure... but in the end, the time you put in, drawing things that interest you visually, is what really makes the difference in the long run.