Hi,
I want to learn to animate, but first I need to learn to draw at least marginally well. My drawing ability right now is not really any better than that of most children. Is starting from this level even feasible?
Can anyone recommend some books that would be good for learning how to draw? Specifically, are there any books that would be more appropriate for someone who wants to learn to draw as a first step in the process of learning to animate? I know there are literally thousands of books on drawing, but I don't know which ones are useful.
Also, should I focus on learning to draw cartoons and construct known characters out of the basic forms or should I focus on life drawing and realistic drawings as a foundation?
Sorry if this post is very similar to what someone else has already posted, but I wanted to ask these questions under the conditions of my own drawing ability.
Thanks for your help!
Brian
For starters, I would recommend Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (by Betty Edwards), and also The Natural Way to Draw (by Kimon Nicolaides) - both are aimed at breaking the brain's tendency to say "yeah yeah I know what a nose/knee/shoulder looks like, it looks like *this*" and really truly focus on drawing what's in front of you. You'll also want to find a life drawing class, preferably with a tutor...s/he will probably be using some of Edwards' and Nicolaides' exercises too!
liebestrauma - http://rach3.animationblogspot.com
You could also try the Glenn Vilppu lessons that AWN hosted a while back... they helped me out some.
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.3/3.3pages/3.3vilppudrawing.html
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Hi Brian-
Not to take anything away from the previous two suggestions, my advice is as follows:
What kinds of drawings are you currently interested in looking at?
What I mean is; what kinds of drawings do you find yourself gravitating toward?
Comics, cartoons, realistic illustration??
Once you narrow that down a bit, you can doubtlessly find a book ( or books) that will assist you better.
My philosophy is to pick a book that showcases work that you yourself would like to draw, irrespective of the methodology they use to achieve that look.
For me, because I was interested in comic book art, I found trusty tomes like "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" to be indispensable.
Recently, I have seen a book called "Draw the Looney Tunes", which I thought was excellent. Both cover very fundamental procedures and methods that are ideal for beginners.
There will be no one book that covers everything you'll need, so buy, borrow, copy etc whatever you can get your hands on.
And depending upon where you live, if you seek to animate professionally, they may be a tax write-off.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
I think you should dive right into Richard William's "The Animator's Survival Kit" because he offers a wide range of drawings but most of them have been simplified. Have fun and stay loose!
Animator Survival Kit is a super serious book. In my opinion, each chapter should be given at least 10 hours of effort. If you can get into speed drawing, I think you could cut the time to 5 hours. DO NOT BE AFRAID, the time spent on drawing will feel like minutes, once you get into the zone.
Also, post your work. :D
I'd forget drawing books and take drawing classes, even if it's at your local community college. Nothing can replace instructed life drawing. If you want a drawing book to go along with class, I usually sugest Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life. It deals with forms, masses and how they interlock with one another. When you learn how to draw the human form, you'll then better be able to stylize it into cartoon form.
Aloha,
the Ape
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
"Animator Survival Kit is a super serious book."
I don't see it as serious "serious" -- more that it has a lot of "depth" and you can go as deep as you want (spending hours and hours on it) or you can skim the surface and use the illustrations as a guide. I'm looking at page 150 "A Jaunty Walk" and think it's a fantastic example of a "simple" drawing style that would be great for a beginner to work from.
I'm not looking at it as an exercise in walk cycles (although it can be used as such) but it has curves and angles, expression and movement while staying relatively simple. Simpler still pages 219-221 on facial expressions.
And I love the way he breaks down arms and legs. And face it, he's going to get this book sooner or later, might as well get it sooner.
Also highly recommended - Walt Stanchfield's books "Drawn to Life".
I do classes and sketches and books - I think it's best to take an "all of the above" approach.
What do they call those classes that are not connected to any college? It would be nice to take a class with out the worry of grades.
You mean drawing workshops? They have those as well. Usually they charge a day rate and you can just go in for un-instructed drawing.
Aloha,
the Ape
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
There are also ungraded courses at many schools. Continuing education courses are what you're looking for, or an art school similar to The Art Students League.
In addition to the books already mentioned, take a look at Robert Beverly Hale's classic, "Drawing Lessons From The Great Masters."
I would also suggest spending time drawing basic forms (cylinders, cubes,
pyramids) from many different points of view and running lines over them. The greatest lesson from Hale for me was that drawing is basically running lines over conceived forms.
Grades only matter if you care about them. If you're there to hone drawing skills, the grades are a secondary concern at best. And if you're working at getting better, it'll show in your assignments, and your grades will reflect that. See how it all takes care of itself? ;)
Oh sorry I forgot about this thread. Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
I agree here, or even more important, is just do ALOT of drawing. If books get you drawing then go for it. If classes do (which always work better for me) then do it.
The most important thing that will improve your drawing skill, is just drawing ALOT, and FREQUENTLY.