I Need Tips Please!!

[annie14892]

Okay.. Uhmm..I have no talent in drawing manga,but yet I do it anyways.

Here are some of the weakness that I notice about my drawings:

-Everything is either straight in front or a side view,there are no 1/3 view or top or bottom view.[Is there a way to help me draw the characters from a 1/3 or 2/3 view?]Oh,and when I try to draw a 1/3 or 2/3 view I can't seem to get the clothes angle to match the face angle..

-The clothes are straight,there are no shadings and very few fold lines.The fold lines are very unfoldline-like.

-I have trouble with drawing the feet or shoes..

-MY NUMBER ONE WEAKNESS:'Teh hands' I draw hands that looks very..mutant,Claw like..

-The eyes are never perfect.I can't even draw the pupil part.[This is probably my second most weakness after the hands]

-The backgrounds are very simple and plain..I only draw simple stuff like a chalk board and desks..Or when out side,ONE store.

-Plus I erase too much so the art looks very smeared..

Sorry,I have no scanner so theres no example to show an example..but can you guys give me some tips anyways..

Thank You for taking your time to read this and help. =]

[LadySage]

Take art classes. Learn how to draw the human figure. Draw lightly first.

I'm not an artist myself, but I figure that's as sound advice as you're going to get without an example of your work.

[annie14892]

Yea umm..I would but I'm already taking spanish class in school.Besides My mom works so I don't have anyone to take me to an art class anyways..hmm..Maybe I'll try to put up a picture on the web cam..It might be a bit weird though..

Thanks anyways

[Ritalin]

Don't feel too bad about not being able to draw hands that well, they are by far the hardest part of the human figure to draw. There are huge books dedicated t just hands out there. Go pick up one of those, they're all going to teach you the same thing... I've got 3 of them. o_o

Furthering what LadySage said, it's in your best interest to learn the basic rules of art and drawing the human figure first. If you're doing cartoon/anime and can't do realistic or at least "normal" looking people, STOP. Learn the rules of art before breaking them, you'll gain so much in the long run and would probably have avoided these troubles you're having now with the different angles and views of the character.

Honestly, it sounds like you lack a creative drive. I have artist blocks all the time and just half-ass backgrounds in my drawings (if it has a background at all), so I know the frustration well. Don't force yourself to draw a lush background... do a pattern or design instead. If you can't do that, wait a bit then do it some other time.

[jetfire]

Art/Manga tutorials have always given me a lot of insight to learning new things or perfecting my work. There's usually always something you can learn from tutorials like these:

http://www.polykarbon.com/tutorials/
http://www.mangatutorials.com/
http://www.howtodrawmanga.com/tutorial.html

[ShinoMatrix]

Tutorials are indeed your friend, agreeing with Jetfire here (not just about this but for so many other things, art related or not). I'm just curious though, perhaps if we were able to glance at the things you mentioned, maybe it's easier to give advice.

[Haven]

For inspirations, I recommend you check out:
> Nobuteru Yuuki (badass clothing wrinkles, and badass cel coloring)
> Masakazu Katsura (more badass clothing wrinkles, plus all those details)
> Satoshi Urushihara (shiny hair and outfits; nudity warning)
I learned from their artworks more than the anatomy books that were mostly nowhere near as artistically stimulating to look at.

[annie14892]

Jetfire:Wow!I've looked quickly over the tutorials and I really like the way they show you how to draw the cloth folds.Thanks I'll go look it over more closely later.

Haven:Okay,I will try to go find pictures on the animes or mangas you recomended.

Everyone else:Okay I will go practice as much as I can.However,I cannot go take art classes though.It would take too much time and there's no one to drive me.


Thank you everyone so far who have tried to help me.I will try my best to improve.

[PerfectDeath]

CURSES jetfire has linked to one of my fav tutorials first >_<
my plans are foiled!!

neways, the most important thing to remember while drawing is to enjoy it. While you draw, think about what you are drawing, what is the significance of it, why is it there, etc. Build some life into your details.

EDIT:
OH and motivation is another BIG thing, at least for me =p

[Itachi Uchiha]

My Advice -
If you're bad at drawing people, draw/paint landscapes and objects instead. Then, if you still want to draw manga make all the characters talking flowers in reverence of Lewis Carroll...

[Smitty]

You don't necessarily need to take art classes to be a good artist. I have taken very few, personally. All you need is a positive, perservering attitude and an eye for details. Observe what's around you and practice mimicking it. Use yourself as a model if you need to see how something works or what a certain pose looks like. Don't get discouraged. And if you have specific questions, consult online tutorials, drawing books, or feel free to ask me - I'd be happy to help you out as best as I can!

I would definitely recommend you try drawing traditional people before you go into any cartoon style; you will have a keener understanding of proportions and a better appreciation for details, which will ultimately make your cartoon style a lot richer too! :)

P.S. This is a no-no for finished works, but try sketching on lined paper! The lines will help you keep things straight and in proportion!

[aoi_n_asul]

a reference photo to serve as your guide is a good way to practice. go for anime pictures that you like and go from there. don't be frustrated if you don't get them right the first time around; it's a great way to loosen up your hands and shoulders ^^ to avoid smearing your lines when you erase, rub your eraser first on a piece of paper. often the smears are from the old eraser marks stuck on the eraser, not your drawing. there's nothing wrong with erasing all the time, but if you do want to minimize it then use a soft-lead pencil or draw really lightly. that way, you can cover the lines up later.
shadings and folds are really hard to learn c= to get the shadows in, try to visualize where the light strikes an object. good luck ^^

[kyubichan]

Everything is either straight in front or a side view,there are no 1/3 view or top or bottom view.[Is there a way to help me draw the characters from a 1/3 or 2/3 view?]Oh,and when I try to draw a 1/3 or 2/3 view I can't seem to get the clothes angle to match the face angle..

Try perspective lines. Those are lines that run from wherever you want your character to face towards or away from. They look like speed lines but lighter.

-The clothes are straight,there are no shadings and very few fold lines.The fold lines are very unfoldline-like.

Face a mirror and look at how your clothes fold and try to draw that ^^

-I have trouble with drawing the feet or shoes..

Look at different anime images and take note of the ratio of the feet to the body.

-MY NUMBER ONE WEAKNESS:'Teh hands' I draw hands that looks very..mutant,Claw like..

Look at your own hands. That's what I do ^^ Better yet, draw a skeletal outline of the hands you want to draw and 'fill' it.

-The eyes are never perfect.I can't even draw the pupil part.[This is probably my second most weakness after the hands]

Eyes differ depending on the lighting and your drawing style. Refer to anime images to see which ones you can try drawing.

-The backgrounds are very simple and plain..I only draw simple stuff like a chalk board and desks..Or when out side,ONE store.]

On backgrounds, don't try to draw the whole thing (like a whole building). Instead, focus on it's outline and shadows. Refer to real items and imagine what they'll look like without the color.

-Plus I erase too much so the art looks very smeared..

Use plastic eraser, and make light strokes as you draw so that the pencil will not bleed into the paper so when you erase it, the paper won't be left with a mark.

*These tips are based on my personal experiences when I started drawing. I took drafting classes in highschool, but that didn't help much. Experience is the best teacher. Don't be afraid to try new things when you draw too, and even if it doesn't turn out the way you want it to be, just take note of where you went wrong and draw it again ^^

[LadyYuina]

I have a need for tips as well. The things I suck at drawing are hands and feet, they are so hard for me to draw. In what ways could I improve on this drawback?

[NausicaaBoy]

use lots of lines - draw with a lite pencil and keep drawing the lines until you find one that works. then go over this line with a line black - fine liner. as for the hands. draw the fingers in segments.. refrain from drawing complete lines

hope this helps - any question message me-

[aoi_n_asul]

I have a need for tips as well. The things I suck at drawing are hands and feet, they are so hard for me to draw. In what ways could I improve on this drawback?

try drawing basic shapes first, like ovals and circles for the hands and feet. then you can continue with the details while being able to see the proportions. also, use lots of pictures and models; use your own hand as a starting point ^^; use softer and curvier lines for a girl's hand; make the knuckles more prominent and lines more solid for a man's hand. hope that helped ^^;