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Does anyone on here draw?

14 replies

Yebbie · 30/12/2021 09:33

I feel I need a hobby that doesn't involve staring at a screen. My screen time is through the roof and my mental health is in the gutter.

I have no hobbies! I think I'd like to learn to draw. I have a £50 Amazon gift card so I'm looking for a good set of pencils and sketchbook to start and wondered if anyone can recommend?

Also perhaps any good books or courses to teach me? Or is it best to just start copying pictures until I'm good enough to do my own?

Any tips or tricks appreciated!

OP posts:
Mabelface · 30/12/2021 09:37

A set of pencils from h to 7b and good quality cartridge paper. Also get a putty rubber.

Little tip for you - to copy a photo, photocopy it in black and white, draw a grid of 9-12 squares on it, then lightly draw a similar grid on your paper. You then draw one box at a time.

Mabelface · 30/12/2021 09:39

Oh, and try to draw every day. You'll see yourself improve over time. Used the grid method for this pic.

Does anyone on here draw?
Yebbie · 30/12/2021 09:42

@Mabelface Thank you! Are there any brands for pencils you'd recommend? There's so many on Amazon I don't know where to start. I don't mind using the entire £50 gift card if they will be worth it!

That drawing is brilliant! You have a real talent. How long have you been drawing?

OP posts:
MiloAndEddie · 30/12/2021 09:43

Amazon sell reverse colouring books. They have some pattern and then you fill in the lines. Sounds weird but might be a good way to practise

toomuchturmericinwatermelon · 30/12/2021 09:46

How about watercolours and just let it all 'flow'?

RaspberryBeret1999 · 30/12/2021 09:49

I started a little bit of drawing during the first lockdown by following YouTube tutorials. My favourite is Farjana Drawing Academy.

PR1CK · 30/12/2021 09:57

buy 'drawing on the right side, of your brain'

Mabelface · 30/12/2021 10:58

Daler rowney or Windsor and Newton are my go to.

Thanks for the compliment! Drawing and painting has been my favourite thing to do all my life, although I've had a few hiatus over the years. I'm in painting mode now and that pic was for my sister for Christmas.

I've just bought a light box and tracing paper so no more grid method for me!

Oh, and get a decent, metal sharpener. Add in a pallette of watercolours. You'll get loads for £50.

TheRealMrsJelly · 30/12/2021 11:23

For some basic hints and tips, any Drawing for Beginners style books will do. They're all much the same (but still check reviews!) so I wouldn't pay more than £10 for starting out, you can often find them in charity shops for pennies.

Any pencil set (Derwent/Staedtler, etc) with a good range will do too. Buy a few rubbers (I like the cheap Helix ones) to see what suits you and don't forget your ruler and sharpener.

I'd buy a mid-range sketchbook, if it's too expensive, as a novice, you might be too scared to 'waste' it. Maybe start with a spiral bound so you can tear pages out if you feel the need. Once you feel more confident you can upgrade.

I agree about using grids when you're copying and also learning measuring to scale. Also agree that the more you do it the better you get. Find a daily drawing challenge online and don't be too precious about the results. Good luck.

britnay · 30/12/2021 11:29

Betty Edwards' book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" is a great place to start :)

Elleherd · 30/12/2021 13:41

Am a common or garden artist, so drawing's a part of it. (Have a particular interest in use of creativity to support well being)
There's lots of good makes but some of them also do budget lines which can be confusing. However generally you can't go too far wrong with Windsor and Newton, Steidler, Derwent, and Daler Rowney for pencils, and paper.

If you're able to access a Hobbycraft or similar, go have a look at different weights (gsm) and types of paper and pencils, you'll learn a lot browsing.

TBH a simple starting point for learning to sketch, is an HB, 2B, and a 4b pencil, a sharpener, a putty rubber or gentle eraser, as well as a reasonable sketch pad and save the rest of the money for when you've realized where you might want to take things. (Watercolor crayons and a soft brush are often a good starting point for many though)

I can't recommend any books as I never got round to reading any. Blush I learnt through observation, analyzing art I liked, and practice.

Elleherd · 30/12/2021 13:42

Bits and bobs:
A large part of drawing well is about observation. If you get people to draw a jug for the first time, you often get something quite accurate for the first two thirds, and then it goes wonky. It's the point they stop actually looking, and imagine the last bit, because we all think we know what it looks like. We do, but not maybe well enough to draw it from memory. Smile

Hence grid drawing and tracing can be helpful, because it makes people really look, but can have some drawbacks.

Good pencil grip, but most of all constant practice, both in drawing and in observing. Doesn't have to be long sessions, though they never hurt.

When you're drawing, you're often taking a 3D thing, and mentally reducing it to 2D to gain the line, then using light and shade to bring it back to 3D, so if things look flat, the chances are you just haven't quite got/finished the third bit.

Drawing the gap in between objects, people, plants, etc, can teach you a great deal.

Re less general tips: Is there any particular artist whose style resonates with you? and anything in particular you'd like to be able to draw first?

OublietteBravo · 30/12/2021 13:51

I don’t have any experience of drawing. But one of my colleagues held art classes (via Zoom) during lockdown. He started off teaching us how to use pastels (1 hour session per picture), and then progressed to watercolour (1.5 hour session). I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It wasn’t nearly as daunting as I expected. It’s the first time I’ve attempted any kind of art since school (I dropped art after Y9). Good luck!

Does anyone on here draw?
Does anyone on here draw?
Does anyone on here draw?
Mabelface · 30/12/2021 15:32

@OublietteBravo I love the colours on your pictures! Yes to observation, most definitely. I don't just look at the clouds, for example, I look at the shapes, the colours, the shading etc.

Art is such a good therapy for me. If I'm anxious, it can chill me out within 10 minutes. I have a specific area set up so I don't have to get stuff out and put it away. Really into oils and gouache paint ATM.

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