Before we begin, this lecture does not aim to teach how to draw anything definitely. Rather, it discusses some key concepts in drawing that may help some people. I'm attending art school and I notice that even some of the upperclassmen apparently do not utilize these concepts and it really shows (in a negative manner) in their art (that is not to say that everyone who doesn't use these concepts draws poorly <:3 ).
I try to keep it as general as possible. I'm not trying to force any particular drawing style upon you guys, just providing some drawing methods. Whether you draw in a more realistic, cartoony, or manga-ish manner is your choice. I also highly recommend reading as many drawing tutorials as you can get your hands on and read books that deal with drawing from real life (i.e. don't waste your money on the How to Draw Manga books unless you really want one! They are good for showing you the materials used by Japanese artists, but don't compromise your drawing style just so it can look like "one of the pros"!). Learning to draw from life aids in learning to draw in a stylized manner. The old saying goes "you have to know the rules before you can break them."
First, to get better, you must draw all the time!
I cannot stress this enough. I've spent all my life having people tell me that they wish they could draw as well as I can. The first question I usually ask them is how often they draw. The usual responses are either rarely or never.
You cannot expect to become an artist overnight. The best artists have been practicing for years and drew with whatever they could get their hands on- scraps of paper, notebooks, envelopes, even walls. And yet, even in art school, people try to get by with drawing as little as possible.
It is rumored at Savannah College of Art and Design that there is a drawing professor who, on the first day of class, hands each of his students an unused ball point pen. He then tells the students that their first assignment is to empty that pen by next week. It sounds tough, but it's the perfect excercise for anyone who is serious about drawing.
You don't need to draw fast in order to be able to draw well. The only reason anyone would really need to draw very fast is if they are an animator, because then your job is on the line. So please, take your time when you draw. Pay attention to detail and try to create something that looks like you cared instead of trying to be speedy.
Secondly, you must grasp the concept of simple shapes
Everything you see can be broken down in to simple shapes. Even the most complex objects such as cars and machinery can be reduced to geometric objects. It is rather a matter of picking out the objects you see or wish to embellish on paper that dictate how well they will come out. I don't recommend doing freehand unless you are able have a good grasp on simple shapes first. Many capable artists are able to draw without simple shapes. However, many more make extreme use of simple shapes.
Keep in mind that when you are using simple shapes, they don't necessarily have to be used to make a realistic object or person. Depending on your style, you can characterize it anyway you want. A car or a building can be drawn easily from a box, but who says that the box you start with has to have sides that are always parallel? Maybe you wish to curve them a bit to imply a cartoony look or even accentuate the corners to make them stand out more.
The same can be said for organic objects. Depending on your personal style, skill level, and the function of the person or thing you are drawing, you may utilize your shapes differently. Not all heads have to be drawn using ovals. Sometimes you can use a triangle or even a square. Please refer to the example below:
As you can see, I drew each person using a different set of simple shapes. The green man's face has a more pointed triangular look to it while the purple guy is constructed primarily of rectangles. The attitudes of these men are affected by this construction as well: the green guy looks keen, sharp and alert (partly because of his eyes) while the purple guy looks tough and unforgiving.
Now refer to the two females (refering to the guys first was not intentional- I'm just writing this as fast as I can think ^^;; ) We have a Zoey look-alike in dark blue and a skinny girl in red. The blue girl has a more circular face and her chest and hips are circles as well. She also has thick, stable limbs. The red girl, however, is made of ovals rather than circles. Her arms and legs are skinnier, more curved. There is a different feeling portrayed because of how they are drawn.
Which brings me to another point: start off simple and get the overall picture first before working on the details. No point in rendering a realistic head if you don't have an entire body. Don't draw a window before you draw the house. Best to lay down the foundations first and then build upon what you are trying to create.
Third- be gesturely.
Do not draw with a stiff hand. So many people do this and it pains me to see it. And it's boring. Draw from the wrist, not the fingers! Utilize your arm, not only your hand! Be loose! Have fun! Being gesturely is all about repeating the motion of the line over and over until you get the right feel for it. Lines are not often found after being laid down once--it might take several tries before you can start to really see where they are or need to go.
Do not simply put the pencil on the paper and move it in one, monotone direction. Let it explore the paper! An occasional stray mark may yield interesting results. Heck, a stray mark on a sheet of notebook paper when I was 13 is what led me to the drawing style I use in Blue Zombie today :D Here are some questures from my sketch book:
Even when being gesturely, I stil use basic shapes. They help me to feel the form of what I am drawing and enable me to render it more efficiently. When you gesture, take into account the parts that construct the body of what you are drawing. Does the drapery fold a certain way or the muscles tighten in a specific pose? Try to capture that. I'm not saying it has to be completely accurate; just as long as the idea comes across.
In this gesture, I attempted to simplify and capture the form of a body slightly turned. I didn't finish this, but even though it is not too detailed, I can still see what I need to do to finish it or correct it (i.e. she's got a HUGE head!)
Putting it to use
Okay, so you have a very rudimentary idea of how to go about starting a drawing. Lets put it to use! I'm going to draw Emeradia very quickly using the methods I described above.
PLEASE NOTE that this is not a follow along. I don't show each and every step I take, just the very basic ones.
I start off with a gesture composed of only simple shapes (mostly circles, as you can see). I did go a bit farther with drawing the dress so soon, but you get the idea :)
Now that I have my basic form, I can start to gesture in some of the details. I add a face, some hair, and some fingers. I've already drawn the dress flowing to the left, so the hair must follow as well or otherwise it will look odd. I start to darken in the lines I want to keep so that I can see the form a lot easier through the gesture. I also add some wrinkles to the shirt and draw in some pull-on sleeves (as per Emeradia's unique style).
We pretty much have a good picture of what she looks like now. I did a bit of cleaning digitally so the eye isn't so distracted by the gesture (although, sometimes leaving the gesture in can look very cool. People might want to see your process.)
See? Drawing doesn't have to be complex and boring and full of headaches. Remember to start off simple, rough it out, build upon what you have instead of focusing on the details too early and to DRAW OFTEN! Given a couple of months, improvement starts to show and you'll soon have something that you can be proud of ^_^