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learning how to draw

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I've always wanted to learn how to draw and I've tried to get into it several times but I end up getting frustrated because I'm so shit at it. :poly118:

Do you guys think it would be beneficial to learn how to draw vs just doing more portfolio stuff?
I'm doing plenty of 3d art at work, but none of it is next gen hard surface.

I know I'd benefit a lot from being able to create my own designs. I think my lack of creativity is holding me back right now.I usually just use a lot of references and try random shit until I find something that works. Is creativity a skill that can be learned or improved through practice though? Or is it more of a natural talent? Probably a mix of both I suppose.

Has anyone here started drawing after doing 3d art? What would the carry over be like compared to just focusing on 3d?

I'm struggling to get much personal art done at the moment. So focusing on something else for a while might be nice.

Any tips on how to get started would be nice too :)

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  • EmAr
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    EmAr polycounter lvl 18
    Ctrl+paint! The premium videos are well worth the money and free ones are great as well. Just go to the Traditional Drawing section in the video library.
  • Mask_Salesman
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    Mask_Salesman polycounter lvl 13
    Your works fine for Env/props atm, the main benefits from drawing are better understanding of form, perspective, anatomy, lighting and composition.

    Also while it is possible to learn anatomy through sculpture alone, it is harder without drawing.

    Depends how and which direction you want to progress in as an artist.

    Andrew Loomis books teach a general understanding of all the above although mainly specializing on anatomy, it does include perspective types, form, lighting and brief composition.

    Talent is a fictional word, hardwork is real. One thing I like to keep inmind and or see in designs is functionality. And that's a design element that is often very important in transferring 2D into 3D.
  • Zocky
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    Zocky greentooth
    Well, if you want to go about drawing, especially human figures and stuff, i would strongly suggest to take a look into Glen Vilppu, he has tons of video tutorials, and those are just freakin awesome. Go goes on about hours just how to draw nose, eyes and such, what kind of types there are, how the skull influence it etc.

    Of course, he has a lot of tuts on the basic stuff from how to even hold pencil, to how to make basic forms etc. I really think you can't miss with that guy.
  • MagicSugar
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    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    komaokc wrote: »
    Do you guys think it would be beneficial to learn how to draw

    88aeb42ce64a3e9100736ba55f83a2d6.jpg
  • Kel-Shaded
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    Kel-Shaded polycounter lvl 6
    You can make a stencil, from a printout, apply to the skin and then tattoo through the stencil,
    In the same way you can photomash, zsketch, greybox... your vision for 3D.

    You 'learn' to be more creative, just by creating lots.
    Creativity is the point you start trying things with the knowledge of 'I know 10 ways to do this, So I can go back, but I wonder what would happen if'...
    Allows you to try many things and not be afraid of screwing up. Speed is important in that case.

    Which is much easier to do via sketching than it is 3D, I worked as a 3D artist for about 3 years before deciding to see what this drawing thing was all about, and took traditional art classes; Drawing, watercolour, oils, photography, sculpture...
    And found 4 things:

    1. It makes you Much more employable
    2. It really helps you to imagine in more detail
    3. It Greatly improves your texturing and lighting
    4. If you don't enjoy it, It's a waste of time to force yourself to do it

    I improved loads in that time, But figured in the end, I could learn those things by learning to prototype faster in ZBrush for instance, something I enjoy and benefits me overall, and I enjoy putting the hours into.
    Essentially learning to approach a problem in a different way will always teach you new things, but if you don't enjoy the approach, the basics is all you need and about all you will be able to grasp.
  • slipsius
    http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=552

    Got a friend taking this soon. looks really interesting. The course outline at the bottom seems pretty legit too.
  • Joost
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    EmAr wrote: »
    Ctrl+paint! The premium videos are well worth the money and free ones are great as well. Just go to the Traditional Drawing section in the video library.

    Thanks, seems like a great resource to get started :)

    @Mask_Salesman: I have no interest in becoming a character artist. Though I think I would enjoy drawing characters. I really want to be able to do my own sci-fi industrial design stuff and environments in general. It would be nice to create something from scratch, instead of translating someone else's vision to 3d.

    I'll check out Andrew Loomis. Thanks

    @Zocky: Thanks, my main focus isn't going to be characters but I'll check him out.

    @Kel-Shaded: Thanks, I think getting a good grasp of the basics will definitely help a lot. After I manage that I can still decide whether or not I want to pursue it further.

    @slipsius: seems interesting, but way out of my price range right now.
  • Fomori
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    Fomori polycounter lvl 12
    Kel-Shaded wrote: »
    You can make a stencil, from a printout, apply to the skin and then tattoo through the stencil,
    In the same way you can photomash, zsketch, greybox... your vision for 3D.

    You 'learn' to be more creative, just by creating lots.
    Creativity is the point you start trying things with the knowledge of 'I know 10 ways to do this, So I can go back, but I wonder what would happen if'...
    Allows you to try many things and not be afraid of screwing up. Speed is important in that case.

    Which is much easier to do via sketching than it is 3D, I worked as a 3D artist for about 3 years before deciding to see what this drawing thing was all about, and took traditional art classes; Drawing, watercolour, oils, photography, sculpture...
    And found 4 things:

    1. It makes you Much more employable
    2. It really helps you to imagine in more detail
    3. It Greatly improves your texturing and lighting
    4. If you don't enjoy it, It's a waste of time to force yourself to do it

    I improved loads in that time, But figured in the end, I could learn those things by learning to prototype faster in ZBrush for instance, something I enjoy and benefits me overall, and I enjoy putting the hours into.
    Essentially learning to approach a problem in a different way will always teach you new things, but if you don't enjoy the approach, the basics is all you need and about all you will be able to grasp.

    This is an awesome post. Read it 3 times!
    I think drawing is essential for any artist. You don't have to be awesome at it to be a good artist. But it's something you should be doing. Even if it's just for an hour a week.

    That's drawing, which is actually a technical skill. Creativity is something different. But if you draw and are confronted with a blank page a lot - no reference - for sure your creativity will grow. Help it grow by engaging your imagination; read books, take walks, stare into space and see what comes.
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