Should i get a how to draw book id so which ones, or are there better ways to learn art? Also what supply do i need to draw, pen, pencil, paper, etc?
It would help if the book was cheap.
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I absolutely love Drawing on the right side of the brain!
that’s funny I was thinking ‘I wish i knew the name of that one drawing book I tried that worked really well’ but darned if I could recall. This is the book!!
The hands and upside down faces I drew from this book are probably the best hand drawn art I have ever made, it’s a real one.
Definitely! That book taught me that drawing wasn’t a magical skill for a few lucky people, but that anyone could do it
Yes! And also Drawing with Children
Word to the wise, unless you need it to be a physical book, get your stuff from Anna’s Archive if money is an issue right now. You can go and support the authors and artists you love when things are better for you.
Further note - look for a book that teaches the fundamentals of sketching. You want to start right, and learn about lines, construction of forms, anatomy (if you’re interested in figures), and real basic stuff like colour. Maybe even a textbook.
Agree with the above. Learning simple stuff such as tone or how-to bunch shapes together is priceless.
Have you considered some short activities? Like put 20 circles on a page and then make them in to objects? 20 seconds per circle. Try some charcoal or chalk. Cheap and forgiving.
I actively enjoy a doodle pad. Learning to make marks and not be scared to make a mess or mistake is very freeing.
I’ll give you some suggestions you can download for free from the internet archive
As others have said, The natural way to draw is an excellent book https://archive.org/details/naturalwaytodraw0000kimo_q8c1
Andrew Loomis has a lot of great books.
https://archive.org/search?query=andrew+loomis
Personally I recommend Fun with a pencil. https://archive.org/details/andrewloomisfunwithapencil1 You can start from zero with that one.
He is good for anatomy and portaitureAnatomy for the artist by Sarah Simblet This book has great photos, even to just flip through
https://archive.org/details/anatomy-for-the-artist
This next book I haven’t read myself but is a very important topic!! Some people are scared of perspective because it looks very technical, but it’s not hard at all. You definitely should get comfortable with it!
https://archive.org/details/PerspectiveMadeEasy
Color and light by James Gourney This one is more about painting, but these are concepts that you should get familiar with early on, and some people neglect.
https://archive.org/details/color-and-light-james-gurney-english
Now for video:
The Proko channel on youtube has great tutorials on anatomy as well, I used those a lot arround 2014? So I would look through their archive.
For figure drawing sessions
The Croquis café https://croquis.cafe/ Has a huge archive of natural figure drawing videos and photos, you have to pay a subscription to access but it’s so worth it! They have a free section as well if I remember correctly
Edit:
For materials, start simple: pencil and paper. A cheap sketchbook or just printer paper will do. Whatever you have arround .
And just draw draw draw every day! a little every day will do wonders for you. Don’t be precious with your drawings, and learn to let go of your mistakes and your successes as well.
Check the different resouces and see what clicks for you. Art requires you to pay attention to a lot of stuff, but don’t get overwhelmed. Ask for advice, look for drawing groups/ buddies. Have fun with it.
This comment is amazing and I have now temporarily bankrupted myself based on its recommendations.
Oh man, since you are more advanced I can share some extra recs for you xD. Also since I know you like drawing people, maybe you can save this for the future. (Plz don’t bankrupt yourself :P )
Figure Drawing Design and Invention by Michael Hampton this book is my literal bible. It distilles the anatomic study in a super comprehensive way, it has a lot of George Bridgeman’s influence but is a lot more digestible…
Devin Korwin Creative Fundamentals vol 1 & 2. These are digital only. They are very affordable , but excluded them last time for the paid aspect; and I think it’s better to dive into them with some knowledge already. He has advanced books as well but I haven’t read those.
https://devinkorwin.gumroad.com/l/YPtf
https://devinkorwin.gumroad.com/l/cfv2?layout=profile
An extra
Gesture Drawing by Ryan Woodward. Series of books focusing on quick sketching technique for the human form. His approach is super sleek. This is certainly not fundamental but it’s worth to check out if you are interested in that practice, just thowing it in 'cause I like it a lot.
You’re my hero. Thank you so much
Always happy to share learning resources. ;)
The Natural Way To Draw by Kimon Nicolaides. You should be able to find a copy online for free.
or are there better ways to learn art?
Nothing is better than classes where someone will give you personalised advice, corrections, and assignments. IMO books are a supplementary resource.
Definitely not cheap though, and definitely not required if you want to do it as a hobby.
I did a couple days of drawbox before I got bored again, seems legit https://drawabox.com/lesson/1
The art and science of drawing by Brent Eviston really help me. I highly recommend it.
There are so many books out there but I really like ‘Keys to Drawing’ by Bert Dodson. Start simple, you only need a pencil and something to draw on.
Depends on exactly how far into the ‘beginner’s’ category a person is, but Ed Emberley’s how-to bibliography is a good place to start for an absolute beginner, as in that person has never drawn anything before and is just picking up the hobby for the first time, for example, or at least that’s what I’ve heard anyways.
For going more advanced than ‘absolute beginner,’ others have made some good recommendations on this thread as well.
