Ian's Art Blog

hey there! i'm ian and i draw stuff sometimes! yeah! cashapp $hiimian

[raikissu]

since a lot of you were asking.

[prrb]

How I pratice drawing things, now in a tutorial form. The shrimp photo I used is here

If this tutorial has helped you, please consider buying me a coffee! :)

[kaiami]

Tutorial: from paper to digital.

Hey ya’ll! I’m not much of a tutorial person, but this was a technique that I learned from Syuzuki, one of my favorite artists back in the day, when I was 13. I memorized the technique and it’s been one of the most useful things I can do on photoshop. This was something that really helped me, and I hope that it will be useful for even some of you.

In this tutorial, I will be going step by step how I take something from my sketchbook and color it on photoshop.

[qinni]

Semi-realistic Eye tutorial. Hope you guys find it useful ^^. and here’s the step-by-step in GIF: 

Full view tutorial

[fangirlinginleatherboots]

things i did that forced me to be a better artist:

used a reference for everything

thinner line art (you think thats thin? go thinner….)

sketch, then do a cleaner sketch, THEN start finalizing

THUMBNAILS

color research, picking a set palette or light/dark for each work

you like that pose? redo it one more time

USE A DAMN REFERENCE

do not rely on stylization as an excuse for anatomy

draw the goddamn background you coward

just draw the hand- a bad hand is better than a hidden hand

the rule of thirds WORKS

take a considerable break between sketch and lines/paint

know that art takes longer as you get better at it

draw the seams on clothes

stop aiming for accuracy and focus on fluidity and motion, accuracy will come with practice of those two concepts

just…do the chiaroscuro. just DO IT. no excuses it always works

stop making excuses, make yourself an art schedule/set weekly(or daily) art goals and just DO IT.

[zenkovva]

“draw the goddamn background you coward“

[kingofooo]

by storyboard supervisor Erik Fountain

A few years ago, Erik put together these updated AT storyboard guidelines for new board artists and revisionists.

[chgreenblatt]

These are excellent notes for tv boarding.

[atalana]

quick tutorial on clothing folds for people with no idea how to draw clothing folds

so if, like me, you’ve done all the research on how clothing folds, and you have a decent idea how the physics works, but you just can’t get it to look right?

change all your lines into this

im serious

it makes everything look so much more natural

for added realism, just add random bumps to the line wherever you put one

and there you go!

(please dont judge me for my anatomy i drew this in five minutes)

[moatdd]

[meowmart]

[get-to-the-choppa-me]

Oh look. My life in a simple pie chart.

[concave-asscheeks]

i am in love with the 80s anime aesthetic you used for that amethyst drawing!! what programm do you usually use for drawing and how did you create that fuzzy effect?

hank you, im really glad you like it! I usually use SAI to draw and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (yes its absolutely ancient i knooow) to add certain effects i cant quite recreate in SAI

to get that fuzzy effect, i have the entire image on one layer and duplicate it, changing the opacity of the copy to around 30-40%

then i hide the copy for a bit, and select the background. there, i apply the “diffuse” filter found right here:

the “lighten only” mode, creates a base to get that “scanned pencil lines” look which helps to make it look more like a screencap of an older anime. 

(i found that this works best with clear lines and cell shading)

then, still on the background layer, i get a gaussian blur filter going, found over here:

a radius of 1-2 pixels blurs the whole deal out a little to make it look like its a good ol low quality screencap

then i go back to the other layer and, using the same gaussian blur filter but a radius of 15-20 pixels, get that foggy feel going!

this step is the most important as it creates that dreamy, foggy feeling which helps to make it look like ye olde animes

lastly, i clean up some highlights that might’ve gotten washed away by all the blurring, and we’re done!

of course you can always do more things like add a texture to make it a little grainy, or resize the canvas to fit the average dimensions for most old animes, or do something difficult and technical with the colors which i know nothing about, but i feel like this process is a pretty alright method to satisfy those ~ a e s t h e t i c ~ cravings!

(quick before/after)

i hope this helps, im sorry this turned out so long…..feel free to ask me to clarify if anything isnt clear!

[ice--ocean]

FYI

[artist-refs]

Female Tummy Reference Sheet by LordStormCaller

[inkys-resources]

need refs/inspo for period clothing?

here you go:

Medieval (9th-15th century):

10th century and earlier

Romance (1000-1250)

11th century

12th century

13th century

more 13th century

14th century

more 14th

15th century

and more 15th century

Gothic (1150-1550)

Renaissance (1520-1650)

16th & 17th century

16th century

more 16th

Tudors (1500-1550)

more Tudors

Elizabethan Period (1558-1603)

Jacobean Era (1603-1625)

17th century

more 17th century

and again

and even more

this won’t stop

Baroque (1600-1750)

Georgian Period (1714-1830):

18th century

more 18th century

18th century women’s fashion

18th century men’s fashion

Rococo (1720-1770)

Classicism (1770-1790)

children 18th-19th century

Regency Preiod (1811-1820)/ Empire (1800-1820s):

1790-1820s

more stuff on regency and georgian era

even more

that’s not enough regency

and more

how is there so much

early 19th century men’s wear

early 19th century women’s wear

Victorian Period (1837-1901):

Romantic Era (1820-1840s)

Civil War Era/1850-1860s

1870-1890s

more victorian

Edwardian Period (1901-1910):

1900-1910s

Belle Epoque (1880-1910s)

more edwardian/belle époque

Modern:

1910s-1920s [Fashion between the World Wars]

1920s

more roaring 20s

so much 20s

1920s hairstyles

1930s

1930-1940s

1930-1950s

1950s

more 50s

1960s

1960-1970s

1980s

lots of periods in one spot/fashion through centuries:

here, here, and here is almost everything (and properly ordered)

also here with lots of historic fashion magazines

historic fashion

costumes of antiquity

more historical clothing

history of fashion

more history of fashion

“vintage” clothing

historic costumes

children’s historical fashion/toys

details

historic wedding dresses

historic assecoires (hats, shoes…)

hats

masks

parasols

lots of embroidery/jewlery

it indeed is western/european centric, I’m sorry for that, but for other cultures I simply don’t have so many references

[jef-jaxon]

What a great post!

[pissyeti]

good artist tips

there’s always gonna be someone better than you. try to work less on comparing yourself to their work and instead learning from them and turning envy into a personal challenge for your own stuff. i know its hard, trust me.

the best way to get better at art is to practice. there is no special trick to improving, no secret method. practice makes perfect is a tired old saying that im sure you dont want to hear but unfortunately, its true.

draw as much as you are able to. i wont say draw every day!!! because i know that there are folks that dont have this sort of luxury, whether it be because of physical or mental restrictions, or simply because they dont have time. draw whenever you can and have the strength to. try not to be too upset if you miss a day or a week or even months. shit happens, do the best you are able to.

if you get bored or stuck, try another way. change mediums if you can, flip the canvas, do something weird that you wouldnt normally do. sometimes this is the best way to un-stick yourself from art block.

dont be afraid to ask for help. this is so important! its ok to ask for assistance from other artists you admire (given that they have time to give pointers.) even if asking for help is straight up asking for a redline of your work, its ok to ask for it. improvement doesnt come without outside assistance, more often than not.

references are 100% a legitimate resource. i’m not really sure where the idea came from that real artists dont use references, but its not true. every renaissance painter used references in the form of in-house models. disney artists use references of animals and people to correctly model and then correctly exaggerate their designs. you cant learn to draw the world around you without actually studying it. use references, even if its just google searching.

your art is not an island. you will pick up styles from other people like tape picks up pet hair. its inevitable, and its not something that should be seen as a negative. artists inspire other artists. use your discretion, and study what you like about another artist’s work. every artist’s style is a mashup of a hundred other artists. its ok, experiment.

youre not going to make masterpieces all the time. youre gonna suck more often than not. but youre putting effort into something you enjoy and in the process you are getting better, slowly but surely. you arent going to see your stuff improve overnight, be patient.

please be kind to yourself. you are making a unique form of artistic expression, regardless whether you see it that way or not. youre doing fine, please keep going and pat yourself on the back for getting this far.

[zzleigh]

Many things that I often have to remind myself of.

[wannabeanimator]

While looking at the BBC stuff I also came across EndlessReference which has stuff like:

and:

and:

I’ve also updated the resources page with new links.

[stuck-in-hawkins]

You know what’s some crazy $hit?

This fabulous bitch

She makes a shit ton of poses (like 16,000 or some crazy nonsense).  I used this lovely lady to draw so much as a teen.  Whether it was some nerdy pose for my Mary Sue as fuck OCs

or for full on fight sequences

or for tragic deaths of my OCs in the arms of a totally OOC main protagonist.  

this bitch hooked me up.  

And with the wildest, craziest stuff that you could see in your head but had no way or resources to reasonably draw like

or this

or this

DUDE!  INASNE SHIT!!  So I was using her for a pose reference and decided, you know what, I owe this bitch some cash.  Lemme dole it out for her.  BUT then, I looked and saw she only has 286 fucking patrons!!  This chick gives out free shit and spends countless hours arranging these shoots and setting this stuff up.  

I’ll fork up the cash, SenshiStock.  You’re worth it.  

Check out this amazing woman’s stuff, and get knowledged:  https://www.deviantart.com/senshistock

[brainmuncher]

I have been following her for years on deviantart.

Highly reccomend checking her out. She’s the best. If I had any money to throw I’d throw it at her for providing such a big help in my life.

[sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes]

This hero doesn’t wear capes, she instead wears (and looks utterly flawless) in tank tops(?)

[anstarwar]

Interrupting my regular Star Wars BS to reblog this because @senshistock is amazing and beyond worth the follow and support!  I first started using her refs gosh I want to say back in maybe 2008, and I’m happy to be a supporter of her over on Patreon.  If you’re an artist please go find her stuff on all the platforms, you will not regret it!

[cacodaemonia]

Yessss, she is so awesome! Been following her for years. My favorite stock artist is jademacalla, who is, incidentally, in the last two images above. He has a lot of great angles, costumes, gear, etc! I love his hands, too.

[steppingonshatteredglass-deacti]

rb to save an artists life

[thatdisasterauthor]

Just so everyone knows, she recently stopped using the name SenshiStock and switched to AdorkaStock! All her links and socials have switched to that. Also she has a TikTok of her doing the poses live, which is stupid useful because you can pause it at any point in the pose for just the right reference.

[ketchuplaser]

…and she’s on here!

@adorkastock

While we’re at it, let’s pile on

@null-entity

@jookpubstock

@theposearchives

[saszor]

"Tutorial" on how to "draw" a blind OC.

My kofi

Boring tired disclaimer: Keep in mind that this is an introductory "drawing" "tutorial" and has some generalizations in it, so not every “X is Z” statement will be true for Actual People. Which happens to be true for everything in general. Links below so that you can research and do a nuance. Ones that were directly mentioned are bolded.

Writing a blind character 101 What to avoid etc Video on types of white canes Video on types of cane tips Some more explanation on white canes + tips + other stuff Guide animals Video on working with a guide dog ↑ if you're doing a non-dog non-horse animal please still perceive those two links. A guide animal is not a GPS that tells you "left" or "right" (in fact, you're the one telling it which direction you want to go). So before giving them something weird check if it actually makes sense. You can make a fantasy animal that still makes sense I promise 🦮👍 But why are Magical White Eyes a problem Same as above Going blind from an accident Video on conformers World's most basic "what do you call someone with albinism" The blindfold thing. No people don't wear these. This mostly stupid trope of covering a blind character's eyes because lord forbid someone sees a disabled body part This just stupid trope of giving a blind character some bs superpower to "see" The echolocation thing that every other blind oc does for some reason Just give them a cane good lord if you want a character that can see perfectly then maybe don't make them blind Bonus: if your character has a bunch of scars or whatever else then congrats! You made a character with a facial difference. Which is also something you should research.

[fangirlinginleatherboots]

just so yall know

art block is your brain telling you to do studies.

draw a still life. practice some poses. sketch some naked people. do a color study. try out a different technique on a basic shape.

art block doesnt stop you from drawing, it stops you from making your drawings look the way you want them to. and thats because you need to push your skills to the next level so you can preform at that standard

think of it as level grinding for your next work.

[gallusrostromegalus]

As a scientific illustrator- this is 100% true and going to review your basics will fix it every goddamn time.  Not only does it keep your skills sharp, when you’re not emotionally invested in the final product of a piece, you relax and your brain makes more/better art juice for you.  So, when you get back to that big/important piece?  You’ll know what to do and how to do it.

Nothing in nature blooms all year round.  Rest, and take care of yourself.

[strawbebbynya]

i want someone to put this into writer’s blocks now

[404computerhamstersnotfound]

Writer’s block means you need to relearn the whole alphabet. idiot.

[redwingedwhump]

For writers block- same thing. Do Studies.

Write a description of an object. write the weather today. Write a made up characterization of a random photo of an actor from the internet as to the character they are in that picture. Write a little story about your pet’s day. Write about spilling soup and make it super dramatic and tragic. Write about someone’s day being ruined and make it funny. Write a meetcute coffeeshop AU of two OCs you’d never put together- maybe from different stories. Write them breaking up.

Write a bunch of short stuff meant for no audience ever and super duper self indulgent.

[blackaquokat]

@sweetiepie08

[accidental-spice]

@kanerallels

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

I found out relatively recently that it really helps if I write short fiction surrounding the novels I write. Like oh? I’m stuck for a bit? Ooh there was that section I wanted to explore but doesn’t fit in the plot really. There was that what-if that could never happen in the actual story but would be fun to explore. It keeps me in the characters’ headspace (tho that’s not always what I’m needing) but not right where they are exactly.

[winterinhimring]

Yes! I have gotten past writers’ block multiple times by writing drabble collections. Making something coherent happen in just 100 words is a very different challenge from writing a long story and it also lets me get past plot points that I don’t want to explore in-depth.

I am also going to have to start drawing studies now…