Hello! Hope you’re doing well, you’re a big inspiration to me! 🩷🩷 I was wondering how you study art effectively? (Anatomy and colors) Copying references is one thing but putting it into practice is another…
hi!! i totally understand where you're coming from… this is a really good question and i was mulling over how to answer it HAHA 🧎 it can feel like there's such a long list of fundamentals left to learn, to the point where even thinking about it makes you woozy. here are two things that have helped me over the years:
it's so, so important to know what kind of art you want to create and enjoy creating. this isn't always the same as the work you like looking at. as an example, i love crisp, sharp styles with lots of angles, but it's not in my interest to create them myself. i'd recommend making a folder with pieces from different artists that inspire you. afterwards, choose the top 5 artworks that best represent the type of art you're most invested in (i know this is super super hard💥💥)
for each of the pieces you chose, there must be something that caught your eye. it could be color, line, texture, composition, style, shapes, "i just think this character looks hot 🔥🔥", a vague feeling in your gut, gesture, lighting etc. anything at all :]
chances are, this is the kind of work that rly energizes you creatively. when you have a better idea of the art you're excited about, you'll prioritize the kinds of studies that feed into your Dream Art. you don't need to be a master at every fundamental known to man instantly - just keep doing and practicing the stuff that brings you joy right now.
HOW ? I WILL EXPLAIN…
what are ideas you've always wanted to draw, but haven't felt "skilled" enough to realize? this is going to sound sooo daunting, but . try to draw one of your beautiful ideas now. resist the demon attempting to sell you on the idea that you're just not up to scratch yet, because this attempt won't be a complete shot in the dark. you can prepare! like a rehearsal before the performance💨💨🏃➡️ i find that studies are most helpful for me when i'm having to apply everything i've learnt on an actual piece. even if it doesn't work out right away, know that you've taken a step forward and learnt a bunch of new things along the way. to walk you through it:
1. write down your idea
mind maps can be a great way to do this, as they'll also let you expand on any associations you hit upon. i usually just end up scribbling my jumbled thoughts onto a sheet of paper
(example: "character A leaning against character B, collage type composition, whimsical washi tape, innocence, colorful, light values, scrapbook, hatching resembling colored pencil, less rendered and more textural")
you can really do anything for this step though, from more specific descriptions of a scene to a couple words that vibe, to actual composition sketches 😼
2. gather your references (or look up some tutorials)
i am not kidding when i say: go nuts. please please please HAHAH save anything that may become helpful to you down the line: artworks that capture the intended mood or color scheme, photos showing off the kind of lighting you're looking for, environments with a similar perspective, funny stock photos of poses, hands, legs, eyes at specific angles and possible anatomy refs-- these will expand your visual library and it's totally OK if none of the references line up 100% with your vision. the end goal is more of a mashup than a 1 to 1 copy anyway! if you're unsure on how to draw some things (like putting people into perspective), this is the time to look up some tutorials online.
i use the super awesome and free program pureref (just put 0 as a price to download it) to collect and save my refs in one place. you can open up the board at a later time whenever you need it and place it on top of your art program as you work! it was soooo life-changing for me 🔥🔥🔥
(…the only downside of pureref that you may end up looking for One (1) specific reference in over 15 boards that are randomly named so it's really anyone's guess where it could've ended up)
(please don't be like me LMAOO)
3. study your references, plan your drawing
you can do this in any way that works for you, though it usually goes like this for me:
(if i'm drawing an environment, the perspective and environment studies go here! if not, we go straight to character sketching ->)
sketch out the poses from the refs to get a feel for them: shapes and gestures. consider what parts to change for the final drawing (such as making a character look more natural, or exaggerating the pose)
if anatomy refs are relevant for the artwork (shirtless guy or something HAHA), try to apply them to the pose you're planning on drawing. muscle diagrams, photos, as as well as youtube videos on anatomy (the channel "proko" comes to mind) are helpful here. this one might be tough esp if you're starting out, but it really is ok to just try and learn :] don't feel like you need to have a full 360° understanding of every muscle and bone yet. it's enough to gain a better understanding of the anatomy on the specific pose you're trying to depict
put simple value thumbnails down. if you'd like a better explanation of values, i have one here. i usually use 5 shades for this: light, light midtone, midtone, dark midtone and dark (if this is still difficult, you can try using three! lights, midtones and dark. this really helps with boiling down the image to a simple visual statement too).
if works by other artists are on the ref board, what values did they use? where did they put the highest contrast? how do the values structure the drawing? would these types of values be beneficial for this drawing (such as lighter values for a more airy mood, high contrast with dark values for something dramatic)? i try a couple different value keys before settling for one
(sketches + value thumbnail on the left, final on the right)
using the values as a guide, start exploring different color options with simple thumbnails. check ref board again for inspiration: which colors evoke the vibe you're looking for? how to bring out the focal point using color along with value? at this point i'll arrange the chosen colors on a value scale while chewing on what palette works best
(you can see the final drawing turned into a mash-up of all three thumbnails 🐧 funny how that works sometimes LOL)
the most important thing here is to figure out: what parts of the references work for you? which ones don't? why not? if you're looking at an amazing artwork, what choices did the artist make (color, values, posing etc.) to create the effect that it has? how can you make use of the same principles in your own work?
(a study i did of one of dean cornwell's painting and the way he arranges his values and colors)
(my skrunkly practice doodle of a riverside scene. this was really helpful for drawing the final piece on the right)
4. start drawing the real thing!
how do you know you've studied enough? how do you know you're "ready"? i don't feel like i can answer this question for you, but for me, i tend to quit whenever i get bored with the studies HAHAHA when this happens, i know i'll usually have some kind of idea of what i'm going for at each step of the drawing.
occasionally the excitement gets the better of me and i'd really rather learn as i go. sometimes i come out of it pleasantly surprised. other times i end up realizing, wow, i have no idea what i'm doing and this is not matching my vision and also definitely NOT turning out unexpectedly different in a good way 🤣🤣🤣 so i go back to the studies. rather than the churning out of masterpieces all day every day (unrealistic!!), i like to think of these attempts as bringing me one step closer. they're never wasted or useless 🙂↕️ i reflect on why it didn't work out, maybe gather more references, take a break if i need one and try again at another point.
i feel like along with the Doing, art is a lot of Thinking and Reflecting and Chewing. both your most beloved and most beloathed works will offer you pieces of a puzzle. and i find gathering these pieces, bit by bit, is incredibly fulfilling :]
something i feel like i need to say as a side note: studies are great and they can be a lot of fun! but when they're everything you do in pursuit of "good" art, when you want to have those amazing technical skills first and won't allow yourself to draw for fun until you've "made it" - you may end up losing track of what inspired you to draw in the first place. so unless studies are your lifeblood, the hill you would die on, i'd recommend combining them with your personal work as described above 🙂↕️ and maybe keep your ratio of studies to personal work at 50/50 (or even 10% studies, 90% personal work really HAHAHA as long as the studies aren't more important than the art you actually want to make)
LAST THING FOREAL NOW: if you feel like, at any point, none of what i said works for your process and artistic journey: shake off my words, throw them out, bury them in the sand. art is always yours to enjoy, forever, in any way or shape you want.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A SUPER GREAT DAY!!
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