I'm new to the art world and would like to start off on the right foot. I've been looking around for books on how to draw. And I would like some input on whether this is a good path to take and if so what are some good books to get or if i should take Art classes and some community college?

I don't think there's such thing as 'the right path', because from what I know, every person learn with their own way. Some through theories first, but I personally suggest you to practice as much as you can. Art skill and sense are something that (in my opinion) you get by practicing and learning through other people's artworks.

I once bought a book that's telling me how to draw. I have to draw it from here, to here, and here, and now the book end up covered with dust. I mean, it's definitely useless for me, because I'm a type of person who can't learn well by reading books. It's only adding headache to my poor brain. Now, in the college, I learn that every single thing has construction lines. It's something that I've been avoiding for years because I'm having hard times learning it. Guess what? Now I can do it. The result isn't extraordinary, but at least now I can do it and I'll keep learning how to make it better and better. My lecturer pushes us to learn. I'm glad he did that.

Knowing the theory won't increase your skill. Practice a whole lot more. Practice as much as you can, and believe me, your skill will develop. Could be rapidly increase if you're really diligent :D

So, the conclusion is : Try each way you can find and think, which one suits you the best. Is learning by reading books could make you learn faster and better? Or is there another way that you can find? Art classes and community college is good. Join if you want to :D It doesn't bite, I guess?? :D

Wish you luck ^^

Warm Regards,
Yuki

Step 1: Practice.
Step 2: Repeat step 1 until your body turns to dust.

Just do what you like the most I would have to say, you think you need more work then keep on working on your skills and get better...

Just practise!

Well, theories aren't the best teachers! It's experience who will build your skills! I don't have any art blood lines in my family.. My family isn't artist! But, I love all about art from I was still very young! I love to play music, poet, and drawing. I build my skill by my own.. Now, I draw as well as my friend who had artist bloodline (His Mom is an artist)..

Here the trick:
1. Try to draw a simple item. Concentrate at the object!
2. Then, if you already be able to draw it well, start to practice draw another!
3. Then, Use your imagination! Draw something you imagine! This need more concentration than 1st step!
4. If you already be able to do 3rd step very well, it will be easy to do this one! Try to draw something alive.. Cat or Dog! So you must use your imagination coz no animals will keep stay in their position for a long time!
5. This is the final step! Look at the mirror, then draw your own face..

If you need more help, just send me a message!
C ya around!

null

Coming from experience on this subject just draw 23 hours a day, start off with simple shapes such as cubes, ellipses , cylinders and spheres and work your way from there. Because everything that you see in nature can be broken down into these simple shapes that once you learn how to draw well will be no problem for you to recreate more difficult subjects to draw in the future. I hope that this sheds alittle light on your question and good luck.
Cheers,
Cup Cake 3000

There isn't books that could teach you how to draw maybe the basics but thats all and I recommend looking at books about Formal elements, Visual language and Primary colours/colour wheel and such.

Check artists around the world to for inspiration.

Slt dsl je comprend pas l'anglais et j'ai ce message quand je click sur une wall " Contribution Limit

AnimePaper is a community built around contributions. To continue enjoying wallpapers made by AP members we would like you to start contributing towards the site and enjoy the features other than wallpaper downloads, thanks! Alternatively you can help us out at AP by giving us a small donation to cover bandwidth costs, you get unlimited wallpapers that way too! "
ci kelkun px m'explique!!!!!

I think that there isn't a right path, or a right method to learn to draw...you should maybe buy a book just to learn the draw the body in proportion and things like that but every artist has his own tecnique and you should find or create yours...it is not an easy thing but you'll see that it's gonna be funny ^^...you'll only need to practice and draw and draw and draw and draw and draw..............and you'll become a very good drawer ^^

Probably the best book on drawing is The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It doesn't replace practice, but the methods Betty Edwards teaches will give you a kick start and prevent you from getting frustrated at the beginning. I drew the following after just a few hours of reading:

I know it's far from being perfect, however considering I wasn't even able to draw stick-figures before reading the book it isn't bad at all.

In learning things, there's 2 rules
1: Practice.
2: If you don't have the talent, practice until you know the rules. (in drawing terms, its basically means proportions)

You can read books, get into a class, whatever, but you won't learn if you don't practice with it. Why? because it shows what you want to draw.

Imagine this, you just want to draw a straight line, you know how, you know what its going to look like, so it works if your hand does what you want it to do. If you think of a character and you don't know what you want it to look like, it'll never be what you expected. Plus, you might not have a knowledge to put in details like shadow. It might not seem hard, but it is and requires a lot of knowledge or photographic memory to make it look right. (Like skateboarding or sth ^^ it looks easy, but no way it is)

In my case, I started of just drawing heads over and over again, and tried to see what looked good and what didn't, and tried to find my own style in proportions and hairstyles. It's still far away from perfect tho, but yeah I'm that not bad =)

What I found a good study, is when you go and get a new haircut, look around you and try to see how hair is attached to the head and in which ways it's possible. It might seem useless and obvious, but it isn't since there so much detail :o

Ahh well, to make a short story long (or was it the other way around? XD) Practice!

While I believe that this should be an Artist Alley thread, I think that going the community college route is a good choice. At Long Beach City College, my alma mater, we have a strong Creative Arts program. Even though it's going through some transition, there are professors who work closely with students who have the talent to make a live out of drawing.

That's the beauty of community colleges: you get to work with people who want you to succeed, and work closely with you if you have any problems. If you are going to get an Associate's degree in Creative Arts, you need to talk with your counselor about what classes to take, and to make sure that those drawing courses are under your belt by the time you transfer. I had to go through three years, even though a community college is supposed to be a two-year place. There are some students who have been taking community college for over a decade, non-stop.

Also, if you need to get a refresher course, the community college route is a good choice, too. But I believe that you are making the right choice to go the juco route. That's what I did, though I chose a different major.

I wish i knew how to draw too, i saw this weird book of how to draw i don't remember the name but i didn't like the way it was explaining things, i think its better practicing by yourself, at least thats what i do, but i really suck at drawing lol.

Practising is the best way in learning how to draw. I can take myself as an example, I've progresses much without taking any lessons and only now and then leafing through the odd drawing tutorials. Here is an example, the first picture is a bit over a year old and the second I drew a few weeks ago:

http://exart.deviantart.com/art/Fanart-40324657
http://exart.deviantart.com/art/Pyramid-Head-version-2-66325588

Taking breaks shouldn't be underestimated either, virtually all my progress during the last two years that I've been drawing has happened so that I didn't draw for a few weeks and then I suddenly noticed I'd become better when I drew something again.