How to Become an Artist

Some people have different stories but in general becoming an artist is usually triggered from a picture you do in class which you really liked (at least that's what happened to me) or you saw some amazing drawing that an older person made. Whatever the reason you have become interested in becoming an artist and you want to explore and learn to paint or draw.

Tips:

When I got interested in drawing I immediately went to the ultimate source (Google). The two tips that I found at every single source I went to were these:

1. Always always ALWAYS use basic shapes in your drawing. Start with a circle for the head and then draw a bigger circle for the rib cage area and then draw circles and rectangles for the shoulders etc.

2. Practice. I don't think people say this enough but I know by experience that the most important key to success in ANYTHING is practicing.

Other Tips:

1. Draw lightly. It is important to make sure you don't put a lot of pressure on your pencil because then you might want to erase a line but it won't erase and you'll end up with "ghost lines".

2. Be confident. It's important to not be afraid of trying new stuff, be diverse.

3. Use reference. It's ok to go back to an image and try to imitate an eye or wings or something.

4. Practice. I don't think people say this enough.

Drawing:

When I started to draw I really liked anime and all those really cool Dragonball Z looking things and I found a website that teaches how to draw anime but this website opened new doors for me: http://Bakaneko.com/. This website which is made by a woman named Athey teaches fundamentals in drawing and it teaches the difference in different drawing styles. Before I found this website everything was anime but after, I realized how important it was to stretch my creativity further than just making a line for the nose. You may think that these tutorials are childish anime drawings but these are anatomical and precise drawings which are very professional. Another website that you can visit is http://ratcreature.livejournal.com/175099.html , a website that taught me to draw comics in a very professional way.

Other Art:

Now anatomy is very important but some of you as well as I would want to expand and learn other art forms such as painting and portrait drawings. You will eventually want to try digital painting or charcoal drawing. This, as well as drawing requires much practice and effort. You can't expect to be Michelangelo in a day. This requires the same basic knowledge as drawing but I suggest to start with simple sucky anime and you will eventually develop skills. Once you feel confident drawing things you may want to paint an apple or draw a portrait of you girlfriend/boyfriend. I bought this amazing book called Dynamic Anatomy-by Burne Hogarth, but if you don't want to spend bucks there are many free tutorials on the internet such as: http://homepages.tesco.net/~p.wilkinson/ or http://drawsketch.about.com/od/drawingportraits/Portrait_Drawing_Drawing_Faces.htm.

Materials:

It is also very important to find the right utensils.

Plain old drawing- I recommend you use a .5 led mechanical pencil for your 2d drawings and a really good eraser. This provides a light feel to the drawings and lets you get into details.

Portrait Drawing- You should look for an ok beginner's kit at the closest art store. I found my drawing kit when I visited Los Angeles at a Blick store. You don't need anything too fancy, just something that works and has the essentials.

Painting- Depending on what art style you are into you can use basically anything. You don't need anything special, you can use markers, colored pencils, and paint.

Digital art- If you want to use Photoshop or Corel Painter you should get a drawing tablet. I personally own a cheap Adesso tablet which works fine for me but most people buy Wacom tablets.

Conclusion:

Becoming an artist is an art (irony) and isn't really exclusive but requires time and effort. Anyone can do it but they have to really love it and be willing to spend time on it. These tips can lead you on to be an artist as a hobby or maybe even become a professional artist. The rest is up to you and your efforts. There is one last tip I want to mention: Practice. I don't think people say this enough.

Other Links:

- (most important) http://www.google.com/

- (second most important) http://www.youtube.com/

- http://polykarbon.com/

- http://idrawgirls.com/

- http:/www.howtodrawmanga.com/

- http://tutorialized.com/