5 Steps to Improving Your Drawing Skills
I've spent my entire life learning to draw, enjoying it and striving to improve at it. I went to art school and hope now to become an influential and exorbitantly wealthy figure in the art world (among other things — I also hope to discover that I can use the Force). In my 25 years, I've learned a few things that have helped me improve. Here are five of them:
- Draw all the time. This is probably the most important one. You'll never get better at it unless you do it a lot, and it stands to reason that the more you do it, the faster you'll improve. So keep a sketchbook or some paper, along with your drawing implement of choice, in your car, in your purse or man-satchel, at your girlfriend's house, in your sock drawer, under your couch — everywhere. Draw while watching TV, while taking notes in class, while eating dinner. Make it so that you don't feel right unless you're drawing.
- Draw from life. The second most important one. All the drawing in the world can't help you if you aren't learning anything from it, and there's no better teacher than the world around you. Don't make the mistake of being too selective in what you choose to draw; anything is a suitable subject. Look to your left (or your right, or up or down). What do you see? Doesn't matter — draw it. Draw people, places, things, and whatever else isn't covered by those.
- Learn to accept criticism. Don't be offended when someone tells you your drawings suck, and don't become complacent when someone tells you they're awesome. Criticism is the best learning tool you can use, if you know how to use it. Understand, though, that some sources are more qualified than others to criticize. Professional artists and teachers, for example, can give you more valuable criticism than your friends or relatives will. Using criticism to your advantage means identifying the best sources of it and seeking it out. It may sometimes feel like you're being a glutton for punishment, but trust me, it's worth it.
- Be content with your progress. Michelangelo wasn't born ready to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and neither will you become the best artist you can be in a day or a week or even several years. In fact, you will never be as good as you want to be, but don't get frustrated with yourself because of it. That's what'll keep you trying to improve, which is a good thing. Be content with yourself, and remember that if you keep at it, you'll eventually get past whatever's currently got you frustrated. When you get in a rut, take a look at some old drawings of yours. Look at how much better you are now, and think about what it'll be like a month or a year down the road to look at a drawing you did today. It's coming — be patient.
- You don't need art school to be successful. Though art school was a great experience for me, from which I learned and improved a great deal, it's not for everyone. You may not have the time, you may not want to go into debt, or you may just not like school. If it is for you, go for it, but there are other ways to educate yourself. Just constantly be in "learning mode." For example, say you get hung up on drawing a hand. Go get an anatomy book, become familiar with the underlying structure, and then practice, practice, practice — problem solved. Any problem you encounter will have a solution, but you must look for it. Visit art-related message boards, seek out tutorials and how-to articles, view the work of other artists you admire. As with criticism, though, you have to be able to judge the value of different resources, especially stuff you find on the Internet. But lots of tiny steps eventually add up to really big ones, so learn everything you can, no matter how trivial it may seem.
Special bonus tip. This last tip won't help you become a better artist, but it is nevertheless essential to commercial success. Once you've reached a certain level of professionalism, you'll want to try to get work. Simply being a great artist isn't enough — you have to learn how to market yourself. For illustrators, I recommend Inside the Business of Illustration by Steven Heller and Marshall Arisman, an entertaining and informative book on the ins and outs of the illustration business. (If you're not an illustrator, several such books exist for just about any industry you can imagine.) Either do your homework or get an agent. Just keep in mind that it's free to do your own marketing, and an agent's going to take at least 10 percent. If you get so busy that you need the extra time to do your work, an agent's the way to go. Otherwise, learn to market yourself.
Ryan Cole is a freelance illustrator specializing in digital illustration. He uses Corel Painter IX software and Wacom Intuos3 graphics tablets. You can see some of Ryan's work at his illustration site. If you'd like to contact Ryan regarding a personal commission or freelance assignment, visit his contact page. Please keep in mind that Ryan does not work for free. Requests for free artwork — even simple sketches — will be disregarded.
