Yeaaaa I need drawing tips. I'm in my 2nd year of College (Doing art & design L2) and I haven't learned one thing. (Been there for a month for level 2) Ok so I started off drawing Anime , didn't know I wasn't meant to start with this until 2 weeks ago. .-. I can't shade properly at all , comes out too dark. When I draw one eye , I draw the other one and it comes out looking like a one eyed Santa decoration. I just really need help since I want to be a tattoo/piercing artist and if that fails move to Japan to be an Anime/Manga artist. e.e I'm an average drawer.
Uh...I know that Majnouna from DeviantART has some great tutorials on anatomy. I have the same issue with eyes though, so I'm not sure how much help I would be. As for shading, I think there are many techniques you could try. I think googling it or looking at art books in your library might help. I realize this advice is pretty lame. Sorry. Drawing is more of an occasional hobby for me than a career path. Anyway, I hope you find good stuff from Majnouna.
It would help if I could see an example of your work. I've already gotten a Bachelor's in Fine Art, and I draw in manga style so I can help you out, but I can't push you in the right direction without seeing how you draw now. Scan an image, or just take a pic with a camera and upload it. :icon_bigg
Check out the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It goes deeper into how artists think and has proven results, not just a bunch of vague explanations. The main thing is to keep practicing. For shading, always have a sharp pencil/pen so you don't smear.
What does average drawer mean? First of all I have to say, I don't have any degree in Fine Art. But I've studied art theory, colour theory and art history, and I've been taught drawing by several teachers plus I've dabbled in online communities, plus I used to draw in an awful manga/anime style myself so I have a fairly good idea of how to improve from that. I say start by doing croquis – quick drawings of life around you. Start with capturing the essence of what you see; don't try to replicate what you perceive on paper because you'll only get frustrated. Don't use an eraser. Use as few lines as possible. Once you get better at croquis drawing, you should stop drawing the outlines of things and concentrate on light and dark. Start with relatively simple objects like chairs and mugs and move on to more complicated subjects like wrinkly fabrics and so on. I can't say I'm really good at drawing yet, but I'm improving all the time, and the techniques I mentioned above helped my improve and change my perception. There are tons of tutorials online for developing technical skills, like how to shade with a pencil. But I guess if you use several different types like HB for lighter tones and softer pens like 2B and 4B for darker tones you'll develop techniques yourself.
