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Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#101

Post by goblin89 »

systemvoltage wrote: post #96
goblin89 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t downvote but I object to this part, especially for beginner learners: > The litmus test for someone who knows truly how to draw is to ask them to redraw whatever object they drew but from a different angle or perspective. Most people to learned by measuring and training their eye won't be able to do it. How many of us, when we encounter a piece of artwork we appreciate, really care if the artist is able to r…

I think its underrated - being able to draw whatever you want without a reference except an object you have in the mind in any angle, any perspective distortion and have light falling on it from any vantage point. It is so powerful! You can draw comic strips to serious fine art almost effortlessly after understanding the construction of the form. I just think that it is the only way to learn how to draw because it is…

I imagine it’s a fantastic skill, but I also believe I’m not alone in foreseeing such a massive grind to get there from scratch that I write myself off in advance, not having the persistence and intrinsic motivation as an adult—considering even as a child I failed at it (it worked with music but not visual art; I blame the differences in how those were taught to me).

On the other hand, presuming I had some basic ability going (which is what the copy method appears to promise), having proven to myself I can draw at all, I can see myself advancing to this skill eventually.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#102

Post by megameter »

Some notes:

1. Drawing as a skill does not live in the muscle memory(although it is possible to encode symbolic elements in muscle memory) but in the conversion of eyesight to concrete measurements, followed by a reproduction of those measurements on the page. If you really "get" it, the medium will not matter.

2. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain does get you the starting point of this - by giving you simple techniques to decode what your eye sees - but it does have a gap when you aim for cartoon construction and drawing from imagination - at that point, maintaining proportion as you transform the object in your head becomes the challenge.

3. A simple way of getting past the gap is to focus on graphic design and typography. Simple ratios of 1:2, 1:3, 1:5, over and over, subdividing a space or being translated to an extrusion. If your eye can see simple ratios, construction of the form proceeds by referencing the ratios and mapping them to primitive shapes with the intended relationships. Sometimes you need a lot of construction lines, other times you can see it immediately. The way in which you structure things directly affects the results.

4. Perspective is sweaty work - while you can estimate how a form looks with some rotation, it gets very hard to compute what's going to happen as you make more extreme changes with foreshortening. Professional artists are always looking for ways to cheat around attempting this computation directly, and many fall into a trope of stock scenes and poses adjusted or interpolated into each other, since those are the ones they know well. Making the scene really lively and distinctive always comes back to good use of reference.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#103

Post by rigmarole »

elusivepeanut wrote: post #2

Check out the books 'The back of the napkin' and 'unfolding the napkin' by Dan Roam.

Quite a few answers took the “how to draw” question literally, but this is an incredible series of book when it comes to distilling and communicating information and concepts. It’s a book that goes far beyond drawing, and improves thinking and explaining things.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#104

Post by ulisesrmzroche »

There are two books you need. You’ve already gotten the title of the first one. That’s the first one you should read. When you’re done, the other is “The Natural Way to Draw” by Kimon Nicolaides.

It’s weird to find something that can be so easily answered but there it is. Truly great books.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#105

Post by musicale »

hourislate wrote: post #27

Although I consider myself a hack, my family and friends think I have some God Given drawing talent. Not true I tell them, anyone can draw well. You just need this book and practice. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B005GSYXU4&preview=new... This is probably the best book I have come across and it took me from stick figures to what my family con…

As an alternate "analytical/drafting" approach, I found "Drawing in the Digital Age," by Wei Xu to be pretty interesting. He uses triangles to divide up space and to build up basic shapes, and focuses on position, orientation, and proportion/scale. These seem like things that beginners can understand.

For constructing energetic characters, I like the Marvel/stick figure approach of "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way," by Stan Lee and John Buscema (also John Romita's book "Draw the Marvel Comics Super Heroes", which is sadly out of print but not hard to track down.)

Note that these books concentrate mainly on line drawing. Shading (or inking and coloring on the comic side) is of primary importance for turning line art into three dimensional art, and I don't have a great reference off the top of my head.

I think drawing programs with perspective grids can help as well. And lots of people use 3D software as a composition aid or to actually draw on top of. Some consider it "cheating" but remember that the old masters used optical devices like the camera obscura and wire grids (known in antiquity) as well as Renaissance optics like lenses and mirrors. I believe David Hockney tried to replicate some of these techniques with much success.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#106

Post by harperlee »

roberthahn wrote: post #84
systemvoltage wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know why its hostile to say something is bad. No personal animosity intended. The problem is that your method is an easy way to get great results and probably good enough for hobbyists. But if you really want to seriously learn how to draw, I implore you to explore the formal way of learning how to draw. It's hard and long haul task, takes years but it is damn satisfying.

Saying “ This is the worst way to learn how to draw.” feels, to me at least, like a microinvalidation. If that’s not your intent then I’m happy to move past it. That exercise I outlined was the first project that gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a fine art education up to an undergraduate level. I didn’t get to that point without learning anything more, but I honestly don’t feel I made a critical error here.…

Another take if “microinvalidation” sounds handwavy or political:

If someone puts forth a view, and you say what he consciously chose as his recommendation is the worst option to choose, literally any other choice would have been better[1], you are basically implying that the criteria of that person is actively harmful to the world and he would have best shut up. That he is an idiot, basically.

[1] Yes it is clearly an exaggeration but it is what you wrote. Kind of drawing what you see instead of what you think there is there :)

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#107

Post by crnkofe »

Draw a lot and avoid books, tutorials, secrets of, timelapses and so on. Courses and books are just a distraction. There's no substitute for a lot of practice. It's frustrating being bad over a long period of time (speaking for myself here) but you do improve. Practice makes perfect.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#109

Post by drcongo »

hourislate wrote: post #27

Although I consider myself a hack, my family and friends think I have some God Given drawing talent. Not true I tell them, anyone can draw well. You just need this book and practice. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B005GSYXU4&preview=new... This is probably the best book I have come across and it took me from stick figures to what my family con…

I went from absolutely no ability, to limited ability thanks to this book. It must be knocking on 25 years since I read it though and I've never forgotten the things it taught me. I don't think I can say that about many books.

Re: Ask HN: How do I learn drawing?

#110

Post by knbknb »

Apple has a series of free Books "Everybody can be creative". One of them is called "Everybody can be creative - Drawing". It has some interesting projects to get started with the Apple Pencil, (which you already own, you said). Get it from Apple Books
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