(Part 2) Best products from r/ArtistLounge

I just want to start out by saying: screw those haters. All good artists started out as excited novices and got better through years of practice. I've been drawing for over a decade, and I started out at the same skill level that you did. No one just picks up a pencil and immediately has a flawless understanding of how to make art. You're one of my very favorite people on reddit and an exemplary moderator, and people who hate on beginners are people who don't understand how learning works.

/fume

General Art Advice for Beginners:
I did actually volunteer teach an art class on drawing people for middle schoolers, so I've worked with beginners before. Something important to understand is that humans are very difficult to draw. Even though people make very interesting subject matter, it's kind of like picking up a violin for the first time and trying to play Beethoven's 5th symphony by ear. Sure, after a few thousand attempts you'll probably have it down, but you'll have a much easier time starting with boring basic stuff like notation and scales. I'm going to talk about the way I taught their first few classes, because it seemed to work pretty well.

The first day of class, we talked about learning the tools, and how to get a full range of shade out of the pencil. A good beginning art exercise in general is to try to produce a smooth gradient from the lightest shade you can make to the darkest. I still draw gradients all the time in the margins of my notebooks, and it's the first thing I attempt when I pick up a new tool. Light and shadow is how you create the feeling of depth in art, so being able to produce a full range of shades with your tools is the first step to being able to draw believable 3D objects. Even if you plan on drawing people in a minimalistic (source) or stylized (source) way like these examples, being able to draw light and dark, thin and thick lines will help you to give dimension to the image. Even these 'simplified' drawing styles use line weight and shading to show the form of the person.

The next step I recommend for beginners is to draw some simple 3D shapes. For the middle schoolers, I brought in a bunch of building blocks/simple kids toys and a flashlight. I pointed the light at the blocks from different angles and pointed out to them where the highlights and shadows were, did a bit of talking about why some areas are in shadow and how it helps the brain understand the object, and then we all drew spheres/pyramids/cylinders/cubes together for a few hours, trying to get it to look as detailed and 3D as possible. This is really easy to do at home, is a very beginner-friendly exercise and it makes excellent practice.

A few classes later, I showed them how you could stack some cylinders on an angled triangle block and make something that looks like a leg. We used the blocks to make 'people' shapes and tried to draw the block person. It's a really good exercise to break complicated shapes into simpler ones- I still will pretty much always start figure drawings with the arms as simple cylinders, the hips as a bowl shape, the feet as triangles. You can do this with every day objects too- a bed looks like a rectangular box, a water bottle looks like a cylinder etc. It's pretty easy to draw a rectangular box in perspective, and it's much easier to draw bed details on top of a rectangular box than it is to freehand a bed in perspective with no guidelines. While you're learning, I recommend periodically drawing simple objects around your house- its generally easier than drawing people, and it's great practice.

Those are the fundamentals that I would recommend you work on before looking at resources on how to draw/paint people. Art tutorials will often start with framework/simple shapes, but having control over the tools, understanding how to draw 3D shapes and working on breaking down complex objects into simple ones really makes a good foundation for the information in tutorials.

Learning Resources: I want to echo what /u/GodlessGravy said and point you towards the books of Andy Loomis. This book in particular was recommended to me by my figure drawing teacher, and does take you through figure drawing step by step. I'd also recommend (eventually) investing in a good anatomy book for reference. I use one called Artistic Anatomy and have found it to be very thorough- and it fits in well in a budget. There's also this tumblr blog which is a great compilation of resources.

My personal favorite place for art tutorials is youtube. I'm a pretty visual learner, so nothing does the trick for me quite like a video. These are the all the art channels I'm subscribed to (a lot of different styles, some quite advanced stuff mixed in here):

For Tutorials:

• bluefley00 (tutorials, stylized, concept art)
  
• marcobucci (tutorials, realistic, painting)
  
• KienanLafferty (tutorials/draw-alongs, stylized, cartoons and concept art)
  
• MarkCrilley (tutorials, stylized, anime)
  
• Sycra (tutorials, mixed styles, lessons) <- Probably the most helpful for beginners
  
  And for speedpaints:
  
  
• Saejinoh (anime)
  
• Spoonfishlee (concept art)
  
• 梁月 (Liang Yue) (realistic paintings, sometimes done in real time!)
  
  Advice for IWBM specifically: Based on what I've seen of your work, it looks like whatever you're using for digital painting does not have pen pressure capabilities (or maybe the pen pressure isn't enabled, or maybe you just have a very steady hand?). For digital artwork, ideally you want something that reacts to how hard you press on the pen, and responds by making the lines thinner/thicker or lighter/darker. Working without pen pressure makes your job much harder!
  
  If you're interested in graphics tablets which will have dynamic pen pressure, the cheapest ones are around $50-$80. If you're willing to pay extra, good tablets are a solid investment. My Intuos3 has held up for at least 8 years now.
  
  But you don't need to get one right away! You can get a better range of shades in your art just by messing with the brush opacity, which is a feature all good digital art programs (even free ones) should offer. Just turn down the opacity of your brush, and then you can lay in lighter lines and work up to darker ones. You can quickly do a loose sketch with a low opacity brush (maybe 20%?) and then reinforce the lines that look right or that you want to be bolder by passing the brush over it again. That's a good way to 'cheat' in some of the advantages of pen pressure. I find that a small brush at a low opacity, set to a 'multiply' blending mode will imitate the feel of a hard pencil quite well. If you really can't seem to get a dynamic range of shades with your digital tools, I recommend switching to traditional for a while.
  
  And as always, the best advice for any artist: practice! The more you draw, the faster you'll improve. :D And if you ever need an essay about some art-related topic, feel free to bug me for it. I can be one of your free resources.
  
  (Obligatory apology for the wall of text. Obligatory reminder that I love you and you're awesome.)

Hey, man! You're stuff looks good, keep it up! And honestly color blindness isn't an issue. Just make your style saturated colors.

So, I do notice things that I once did when I was in high school that you also do with your drawings.

First, lets talk about equipment. You said you use a Wacom Bamboo tablet, and Sketchbook 6 pro. While a bamboo tablet is excellent for beginning drawings, if you want to improve noticeably, my suggestion is getting an Intuos Wacom tablet. The smallest size goes for about $80 bucks, and it is more dynamic than a Bamboo tablet. Secondly, I used, what I am assuming you have, is Corel Sketchpad 6 pro? If you can, try to get Corel Painter X3. It's a much better program. Now, this might be hard, since it is a $500 dollar program, so I would suggest getting an "extra-legal" copy on the website with a cool looking galleon ship on it.

But I also believe this: you should stop exclusively using the tablet from here on out, until you're in a professional setting. Why you would do this is because you want to train yourself classically first. A lot of artists use tablets as crutches, or just started out using a tablet, but you want to draw with a pencil first (or even better, a pen, so you can't erase, and this will train you to be faster, and be better at line quality). And draw a lot with it. I essentially go to Starbucks with a sketchbook, a fountain pen, and a ball-point pen, and draw people walking in, for 3 to 4 hours. And draw people who are leaving, that way, you have to remember what they look like from your head. This helps you conceptualize what a person looks like. Once you're comfortable with pen and pencil, then you can start doing a lot of tablet drawings again.

Gesturally, your drawings look pretty good, but structurally, your drawings could use improvement. You want to start drawing with 3D shapes so you can get an idea of perspective with your drawings. Also, and what I think is the most important to you, this is the ONLY way to get better at shading! Shading a person is hard. Shading a box is easy! Now imaging making a person into a bunch of boxes. Now, your brain has something to comprehend with shading. My bible is this book: http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-Invention-Michael-Hampton/dp/0615272819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395995139&sr=8-1&keywords=figure+drawing+by+michael+hampton I carry it with me wherever I go. It will show you the best ways to draw bones, then muscles on top of bones, and skin on top of muscles. Can't draw skin without knowing what's underneath, and can't draw muscles without knowing what's under that. https://www.vilppustore.com/Storefront.htm#!/~/product/category=7091955&id=30369340 This book helps with clothing.

All of this is a jumbled mess of writing (why I am an animation major, and not an english major) so if you need to know anything else, just reply to this comment. And I've been academically drawing for 5 years, so, I barely, but confidently, know what I'm talking about. :)

If you want to draw people:


I recently found the perfect book (for me, at least). Not too technical with anatomy (pretty much everything but), but also not too simplistic. Has a ton of helpful tips! Drawing People: How To Portray The Clothed Figure by Barbara Bradley. I've never read anything by Andrew Loomis, but I'm always seeing him being recommended so I'm just going to recommend him too lol


Books and videos aren't the only things available, though. I think you should search all over online for drawing tutorials to start out. It's free!
I personally watched DrawWithJazza a lot when I started out. Sycra is incredibly helpful. You might like Mark Crilley and Proko too.


There are little infographic-type things all over deviantart and tumblr. They usually cater towards digital artists, so you're in luck! It's inactive, but this tumblr has tons of posts, and they're all organized!

There's Ctrl Paint, which is a free video library specifically for digital artists. I love this one, it's got tons of stuff.

Really just searching "how to draw ____" will get you tons of stuff.

A few random tips:

• Draw from life and from reference. Every artist does it, there's no shame, and it will absolutely help you.
  
  
• Watch other artists while they draw/paint/whatever. Youtube has tons of speedpaints, usually fandom-specific. These can give different ideas and different methods of doing things.
  
  
• You will get discouraged, and you most likely will experience art block. It's ok. I'm in a block right now. It's absolutely fine to take breaks. Once you're ready to come back, it'll be awesome :)
  
  
• If you like anime/manga/cartoon styles, you still have to learn the basics and the "rules" first. You need to know the rules to break them! Otherwise it just looks wonky and "off".
  
  
• Flip your canvas!! Or look at it in a mirror or take a picture + flip it or something. This is easier with digital. Flipping it horizontally reveals mistakes. It's crazy. Do this a lot when you're sketching, it's much easier to fix a sketch than fiddling around with all your layers and colors and whatnot
  
  
• Inspiration can come from anywhere ;)
  
  
  Good luck + have fun!
  
  edit: formatting

>don't understand all of what's important regarding stats

• Figure out what form factor you want, either a slab tablet or a monitor tablet. Slab tablets are MUCH cheaper, but you need to have an external monitor and computer to use them, whereas a monitor tablet you only need a computer and can draw directly on the screen.
  
  
• Figure out what size you want.
  
  This one is kind of tricky as there's no right or wrong answer to this one, it's entirely subjective. I personally use a tablet that's 10"x6" which feels comfortable to me, but I know people who use massive ones twice the size as mine, and some who use ones smaller than mine, it's all about what's comfortable to the artist using them.
  
  
• Pressure levels.
  
  Every tablet will list their "Pressure levels", this is just the level of sensitivity that the pen is capable of achieving. In general the higher the number the better.
  
  For reference the tablet I use everyday for work is quite old at this point and has either 2048 or 4000-ish (It's been a while since I bought it, I honestly can't remember =P.) levels of pressure, whereas most modern tablets will have 8000+.
  
  
• LPI (Lines per inch.)
  
  This is basically the tablets "Resolution". Same deal as pressure levels, the higher the better.
  
  
• Screen type (Monitor tablet specific. Doesn't apply to slab tablets.)
  
  When it comes to monitors and thus monitor tablets as well, IPS monitors are generally better for art related things as they offer a better colour range, but because of this they're also more expensive than something like TFT monitors. There's tablet monitors out there that use all types of monitors in them, and while I would personally suggest one that uses an IPS monitor in it if possible, it's usually not a noticeable issue unless you have something like a TFT and IPS monitor side by side.
  
  One thing they do vary on quite a bit is their viewing angles. IPS has much better viewing angles whereas other types of monitors tend to "Colour shift" when viewing them from anything other than straight on.
  
  Note: "Colour shifting" is when as you look at the screen at more and more of an angle the colour starts to drain away and in some cases when viewed at extreme angles will actually look like a negative image.
  
  Some other things to keep in mind:
  
  
• Is it modular? aka can the cord be removed from the tablet it self meaning if the cord breaks in the future (And trust me, it will.) can you replace the cord easily without needing to replace the whole unit.
  
  
• Is the tablets surface textured or smooth? Some tablets are perfectly smooth while others have a paperlike texture, which one is better is another case of personal preference (Personally I prefer my tablets like I prefer my peanut butter, nice and smooth.), but if the tablets surface is textured then it will wear down the stylus nibs quicker than a smooth one would. Nibs are replaceable and tablets will always come with some number of replacement nibs and a nib removal tool, so it's not a huge deal.
  
  
• Does it work with your OS? It's pretty rare for a tablet to not be compatible with modern versions of Windows and OSx, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't seen some that will only support the latest version of each OS, or will only work on one and not the other, so just make sure to double check that the unit you're buying does say that it works with whatever OS you use.
  
  If you're looking for a solid and inexpensive tablet, I would personally reccomend the Huion h610 pro, I've been using ths non-pro version (Which has since been discountinued apparently.) for the past 4 years now everyday for work and have no major complaints about it other than the drivers were a little finicky when I first set it up.
  
  If you're wondering what the differences between my non-pro version and the pro version are, the pro version has slightly better specs and a textured surface. My dislike for textured tablets was why I went with the non-pro version at the time.
  
  If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll help as best I can.

I would recommend something in the pencil range from Staedtler or Derwent, depending on your price range and what he may already have, a sketch set with a range from 6B to like 4H (because this happened to have that), but generally a range of hardnesses, a couple of different erasers (kneaded are particularly fun, but I have become partial to the white plastic ones recently), and a sketchbook or two (am partial to the recycled Strathmore ones) in a 9x12ish and/or 4x8 would probably be a good start. OH, and a good metal pencil sharpener, is cheap but probably the best thing (Pentel makes good erasers and sharpeners).

Really, you would definitely be able to drop by your local art supply store (probably Michael's) and get all he'd need, might wait for a sale or grab stuff from amazon and just look at the options in the store.

For what it's worth I'm a penniless recent college grad but the above is what I bought in hs/college with coupons and sales and the like, is definitely a good start. Colored pencils I still go with a good old 50 pack of Crayolas, and I have a 4 pack of Faber-Castell artist markers (for lining and inking), usually ~$15, can get on amazon or where ever.

Edit: Alvin (and Staedtler) also make nice mechanical pencils and the like, if he's more into (or is studying something) technical drawing. That said I have metal Zebra mechanical pencils I really like and are much of what I use right now.

You might already be aware, but please note: don't ever put india ink in a fountain pen unless you want a bad time! India ink will almost certainly clog up a pen (with shellac & other stuff), that's why specialized (more viscous) fountain pen inks exist! Anyway...

For brushes:
I went on quest to find the darkest, flattest, quickest to dry, and matte (no shiny shellac in this bottle) ink! What I found was Dr Martins Hi-Carb Black Star India Ink. This ink always dries without a hint of gradation, perfect for inking comics! OOh I love this ink.

For fountain pens:
After years of loving Noodler's Heart of Darkness ink (it's just so black!), I found something better last summer: Sailor Kiwa-Guro. My god, no words, it's hard to describe, and while it does dry a little slow, it DOESN'T BLEED EVER! Google image searches might help.

Anyway, uh, I love water based inks, can you tell ;)? I hope you find some favorites. My tastes are for ultra hi-contrast, but everyone is different. And oil based inks are another matter altogether...

P.S. My favorite travel brush pen is this guy. It's disposable and a little on the dry side, but the ink quality is fantastic. Out of the twelve or so brush pens I've tried, this is the only one I personally enjoy using. I notice jetpens has a 5pen sampler pack, you might wanna try that out.

Some of the newer ones...maybe. But as a means to block out shapes and forms it is very concisely set up. You can find the same info online too but it has a pretty solid core for most aspects of drawing. Perspective, shading, for-shortening, and basic proportions. Once you can break a body into basic shapes at the right proportions you can go deeper into anatomy. Which, if I remember it even touches on this too.

Does it have a comic book slant? Yes. But most really skilled comic artists spend a great deal of time understanding anatomy (rob liefeld not withstanding).

Breaking down the depth of the eyes and slopes of the nose. That comes after you understand to basics.

Now the one I am recommending is Stan Lee’s how to draw comics the marvel way, the original. I saw a newer version and was not as impressed. But the original is still sold online.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Comics-Marvel-Way/dp/0671530771

Edit: saw you hand work and you are on the right track. Hands and feet are super hard to get the hang of.

Look of some of the classic painters, Da Vinci has great hand sketches to review or grays anatomy of useful but you can download for free online.

One thing that helped me with getting a softness of form in hands was old Archie comics. Incredibly simplistic but had a delicate aspect to them. All about shapes and form.

Do you have a specific budget? The following brands have always been good for me. These are all acrylic paints:




* Golden (duh...this is the creme de la creme of acrylics. I've only used their fluids but they're most well known for their heavy body.) This set is a solid option, but this is even better





* Galería (best student grade I've worked with) This kit includes paint, brushes, and canvas paper and so may be an ideal option for a beginner.





* DecoArt 1-Ounce Traditions Acrylic Palette Sampler -- great professional grade paint for the price and a solid color selection and two mediums -- one which slows the dry time and a glaze.





Finally, although they aren't my preference, many people ADORE Liquitex Basics and it is used by even professional artists. With that in mind the Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint-It! Kit provides a great color selection with a larger white tube (definitely needed, I go through white like crazy, most artists do), paint brushes, a palette knife, a palette, and a canvas board. This is definitely a solid option and really a bargain.





I paint almost exclusively with round and filbert brushes (I like Royal & Langnickel's Zen line), but a good, low cost variety pack with flats, filbert and round would be a good option.

I am by no means an expert, been drawing for six months definitely still a noob but this is the only book I've ever read http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1585429201 and I highly recommend it.

It doesn't teach you how to draw, it teaches you how to see, and how to trigger the right side of your brain. Which is life changing and can be used to learn things like mediation, or yoga as it is such a great release.

When the right side of my brain is operating I get into this amazing zone where I can see life in a completely different way. It's hard to stay in this zone but when I'm in it time passes by unknowingly, the music I'm listening fads away and I'm completely grounded. In this zone I can see every facet of someone's face, and understand how lines bend, curve, and contract.


This is when my drawing comes to life, and I'm actually drawing what I am seeing. Unfortunately in the beginning and even now I can only stay in zone for short periods, but the more I practice the longer it stays and the easier it is to trigger.

I learn how to draw by trying to draw what I see then if I get stuck I look at everyone else's work to see how they saw it and compare the two.

For example that one chick who posted "I was told to post my mug here." The bridge of her nose was immensely hard to draw and also for me to understand what I was actually seeing there. If you go through you'll see some artists got it right while others changed the pose, or how it looked.

Or artectors post I saw it and just started drawing all those amazing shapes in the shadows of his face. I never finished it http://i.imgur.com/tdVRMXg.jpg but I learned a tremendous amount from it. Like the top right curve of his check starts the curve down to the chin. Or the right side shadow at the end of the mouth not only curves up but outlines the cheek and the smile. Now I can see that in other drawings I can't really draw it yet but that will come with practice.


So for me I'm learning to see first then the technical part of actually putting that on paper will come after that. I hope this helps.

Also I feel obligated to say I just got out of a bubble bath, I'm in a robe and bette mildler song came on my mp3 player while writing this . So it might explain all the feels. Lol


Oh and here's my first drawing like six months ago of the wifey http://i.imgur.com/sAbnfpX.jpg BOOM!


~Eric

Classes will not curb your individuality.

​

A lot of people have this fear. The paintings you make in class will look academic. This means other trained artists will be able to tell they were created for learning purposes. Studies have a distinct look, but many studies are revered.

​

Ultimately, classes will get you closer to your true style. All humans have an innate way we draw. Drawing with The Right Side of the Brain goes into this well. I highly suggest picking it up. It is my opinion that formal training will get you through these predictable stepping stones quicker than teaching yourself. In this way you will achieve art with individuality faster than self taught artists. Teaching yourself is a viable option. It just takes a lot longer.

​

Step one to being a good painter is learning how to draw. Pick up a sketchbook. Draw what you see very often.

You probably have Raynaud's Syndrome ... trust me, it's a thing. In its extreme form: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/raynauds-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20363571

I wear fingerless gloves except in summer. My old ones have paint all over them and I haven't been able to find the same ones since. This is a close substitute:

https://www.amazon.com/Fox-River-Weight-Fingerless-Medium/dp/B000V5AQ94/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1549245742&sr=8-15&keywords=insulated+fingerless+gloves

Don't get elastic, pressure, or magnetic gloves ... you only need warmth. Consider wearing whole cotton gloves overnight. Never hold a cold drink. I could bet your feet are cold as well ... socks.

​

This is my collection from back in 2015. I was in the middle of moving, hence the box, but it's grown since then. My favorite addition since then is the Art of Blizzard art book. So yes, I collect art books.

Your anatomy work is looking nice. Did you draw them from life or out of a book? This is a great comic/book on perspective

https://www.amazon.ca/New-Acrylics-Complete-Generation-Acrylic/dp/0823031594/ref=asc_df_0823031594/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292942809563&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13904807460932317148&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001425&hvtargid=pla-452997108388&psc=1

I found this book really helpful for explaining mediums and newer colours and what can be done with them. Also, the photography in it is fantastic.

I'd try tattoo grip wrap, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Tattoo-Grip-Cover-Disposable-Accessories/dp/B07DPC3P6K/

Comes in other fun colors too

You might be interested in getting one of these Tonic Studios 806 Mini Rotary Perforator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000641G9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DB2UzbPPFRBC9
Or
Tonic Studios 807 Mini Rotary Sharp Cutter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MARGMS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kD2UzbJAFJ05W

To cut the pages out. But I feel like loose leaf is easier to work with and it usually comes in larger sizes.

These days I just drop it into Clip Studio Paint and trace what I need. :D

In my defense I did learn to do perspective by hand back in the day. It can be hard as hell once you get into curved surfaces. I did find David Chelsea's Perspective! book to be pretty useful as a reminder on how to do it.

But even with digital help I still lay out the perspective lines so everything I add to the image, or move around, looks like it's in the right place. Even though I'm fairly confident I know enough nowadays to fake it some habits die hard.

This is where/how I learned about negative space. I learned about composition from my photography days pre-painting; mostly from Andreas Feininger and Henri Cartier-Bresson.