What should I draw for practice?
Question from Brian
If drawing from photos is not good then what should I draw for practice?
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Artist’s Mannequin, a Useful Reference Tool?
Question from Emily, Drawing Academy student
Hello.
I have been having a lot of trouble lately with drawing figures in different positions and at different angles. I’ve attempted many times to depict figures in a scene from imagination, and almost every time I have had to erase and re-work an area multiple times and still not have the angles or details correct. I have practiced drawing human figures and am able to depict them with overall accuracy, but unless I have a clear reference for a particular pose, it seems that I just can’t visualize the lines for drawing it. I would like to become more proficient in drawing figures from imagination, but in the meantime, I have been considering getting an artist’s mannequin to use for a reference. Are these a good tool to use? Or is there a better means for drawing figures accurately?
Thanks!
Emily
How to get the head’s proportions right
Artwork and question from Sietske, Drawing Academy student
I struggle to get the proportions right from the side view. Can you please give some advice. I especially struggle with the ear placement.
How to use a pencil to measure from life
Using a pencil, you can measure from life:
- Vertical alignments
- Horizontal alignments
- Angles
- Cross points
- Relative proportions
How to spot mistakes in drawing
Question from Johann, Drawing Academy student
Hello Vladimir,
I hope you are fine!
This question has not left my head for some time:
Why can I immediately recognize the mistakes in my pictures when I look at the painting in the mirror?
When I look at my pictures, I often do not see my mistakes. I can feel that something is wrong, but I cannot say exactly where the mistake is. But when I look at the picture in the mirror, I recognize the mistake immediately. Why is that? Is my eye in the habit of cheating?
How to improve pencil hatching
Question from Raise
I need some advice on hatching.
I don’t know how to get a gradient tone. How do I show the difference between dark, light, and mid-tone values by varying strokes?
How do I hatch depending on the shape of an object?
Thank you
Can I learn drawing from books?
Question from Mike, Drawing Academy student
Hi,
I recently discovered a Russian book called “Основы учебного академического рисунка.” Although I don’t speak Russian, I really like studying from it.
Can you give any advice on how to study from a book? Is just copying the drawings enough?
Do you believe that it is better to start from the beginning of the book or to study the things you are interested in?
How to find out what drawing skills you are missing
Artworks for critique from Danielle,
Drawing Academy and Anatomy Master Class student
Hi,
I am working on the Anatomy Master Class course. I am on lessons “How to draw a portrait”, drawing the head from the neck-shoulders up.
I find that I cannot quite render the right proportions of the head. I think it has to do with the circumference of the base of the neck oval, then the length of the clavicle. I cannot get this right.
Could you enlighten me on what I am doing wrong and how to correct it?
How to draw accurate proportions when figure drawing
Question from Aileen
Hello,
I find it quite difficult to get my proportions right when figure drawing.
When I’m working on a portrait of just the face it’s fine but once I begin to work on the body everything gets a bit distorted.
How can I find a way to easily get the right proportions for the body?
How to study drawing the right way?
Question from Maria
Hello, Drawing Academy!
I’ve been a silent fan of yours for a while through some of the free videos you distribute on YouTube. I’ve been drawing for half a decade now and at this point, it feels like every day just gnaws at me. I actively hide my old art in boxes and even rip it up at times because there is no progress. It feels absurd.
I try to draw smarter and learn concepts, but no matter what I do, there seems to be a wall between what is being said and how to process what the instructor is doing. Why? Why can’t I understand how to draw a rotating box? Why can’t I understand how to draw from life? Why can’t I learn how to keep proportions right when drawing a subject from different angles? Why do perspective and anatomy fly out the window of my drawings if I draw a pose that’s not someone standing straight?