Do u have any advice for artists who draw ridiculously slow???
draw faster
jk haha. here's some tips:
1. identify what's making you draw so slow. can't figure out pose/anatomy? too perfectionist about inking? getting caught up in details? indecisive coloring?
2. timed gesture studies. draw a loose figure w photo reference in 10 minutes. do that a bunch of times. then 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 1 minute. train yourself to omit as much detail as possible while keeping the figure recognizable.
3. the dot/line exercise, sometimes called the "target practice" warmup. draw two dots, then a line connecting them. keep moving the dots farther apart while drawing the line as fast as you can while keeping it STRAIGHT (not wobbly!) and hitting the second dot. the line is ONE stroke. it's harder than it sounds. this should help you get an idea of how fast you can make a controlled stroke
4. look up tutorials on coloring more quickly in whatever art program you're using if you do digital art. chances are there's a tool or setting that can make it easier to fill in shapes. i almost never color by hand, i fill bucket everything
5. free yourself of "clean line art"... 9 times outta 10 people think sketchy lines are more visually appealing anyway. it's faster and they have more life. in my opinion at least
6. use lots of references. spending hours on a complicated pose from memory instead of just looking at photo/3D model reference isn't impressive it's just stupid and unnecessary
7. study with intent. if you struggle with leg anatomy for example, do lots of studies from photos (eyeballing and tracing), then try it freehand/from memory, rinse and repeat 9000 times until it's not something you get stuck on when it comes time to do an illustration/comic page
8. less detail. simplify. you can have ultra detailed art or you can draw fast. pick which is more important to you
9. bullshit it... draw ugly and bad but do it fast. done is always better than perfect
10. thumbnail. it's not just for comics. do a teeny tiny sketch of your drawing beforehand with colors. then use it as reference. helps to finish the actual piece faster when it's planned out
bonus: be impatient and easily bored. i rarely spend more than 2-3 hrs on any one drawing, including comic pages. i got other shit to do!!!! like nap
3 and 5 are honestly huge. I feel like so many digital artists, even long-time artists, struggle with digital lineart because they're so used to having Undo that they get into this habit of carelessly throwing out lines and undoing until they get the "perfect" one. I hate that it's become a "relatable" struggle that so many digital artists accept as some unchangeable truth. There's a better life out there, you just have to stop hovering your hand over the undo shortcut and find it!
Spend time practicing the act of making lines, building confidence, and getting them right the first time (3). Very good advice for more than just lineart is "Look where you're going, not where you are." The point is to have a destination for your pen in mind and know where you're planning on going, rather than just throwing the pen and hoping it lands in a good spot. The important part is that you have to be deliberate with your intentions or else not even your muscle memory will know what exactly you're trying to practice.
Once you're actually drawing, just worry less straight up (5). Trust the practice you've been putting in and focus on making art rather than making perfect art. If you want your lineart to be neater (or your colors to be more eye catching, or your shapes to be more energetic, etc) well don't worry, this is just practice. Everything is practice. Follow your gut and assess the damage later, when you're done. I believe you learn better that way, instead of burning yourself out trying to make every piece perfect.
