How did you first learn to draw?

[Alyzro]

How did you all get your very start with drawing? I am interested in learning to draw and am still working on the basics, so I figured I'd ask how everyone else went about that? Did you take a class? Use a tutorial? Just start doing practicing a lot? Any way you learned I'd love to hear!

Also, if you have any good resources for learning the basics of drawing (especially in the form of video series  ) I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd share them. Thanks!

[Ventus Fall]

Maybe this will help?
 https://www.thefurryforum.com/forums/index.php?topic=35247.0


I started drawing by myself, then got some drawing books of things I had most interest in drawing (dragons, later anime/manga, later other stuff (more advanced)) then went on a few art courses/classes, but most things I learned online and practise.

[Alyzro]

That's cool, I've never really understood how some people can learn to draw from just practice and art books.

Also, that thread has some good advice, like using a bunch of different tutorials/refs, but I think I'm still a bit too early on in learning to be able to use the rest

[Ventus Fall]

I started drawing since I could hold a pencil (or so I'm told), it comes down to practise. An artbook might help, but only so much. Real-life things usually help, but if you don't know where to start it can be quite the hassle ^^;
So just take things step by step

[Alyzro]

Ok, will do (hopefully )

Thanks!!!

[Timmy Fox]

I wish I could draw

[Alyzro]

lol, same here. Just gotta figure out the best way to learn

[Albie]

I never drew for years because the most talented artist I know is my older sister.  So in high school, you don't get much confidence when the art teacher fails you because you draw like a normal high school kid and not some prodigy that shares your last name, lol.

But later, I really liked looking at cute Pokemon art that helped me get out of depression.  Finally I started thinking of pictures that I wanted that didn't exist.  And since I have no money to get good artists to draw what I want, I decided to try myself.

I only really started drawing since November.  While I don't think I am a good artist, I am a better artist than I was in November.  Because of that it really helped me out of depression.

I don't know techniques or styles or anything fancy like that.  I just experiment with things.  Use different types of brushes and whatnot.  That is why much of my pictures aren't consistent as I try something new most of the time.

[Alyzro]

Sorry about that high school art class, hopefully it didn't hurt your grades too much. That's a cool way to learn and get happy at the same time too! I guess just drawing seems like the thing to do. Thanks for the advice!

[Albie]

It didn't hurt my grades too badly.  Of course, my grades were terrible in high school, lol.

I am leary on classes and stuff like that because that same sister ended up going to art school for college.  She loved to draw and was great at it, so she decided she wanted a degree and make a career out of it.  It made sense to get a degree in it.  But when she went there, the instructors killed all the fun that she used to have out of it.  Art school ruined her art.  Now she rarely draws anything.

Also if you just want to draw something, just draw what you can.  Ask others for constructive criticism.  That helps a lot to get other's eyes on it to tell you thoughts.

Also if there is a technique that you are unsure about, there seems to be a youtube video on it somewhere.  Can't draw hair, for example, go do a search and you will see pointers and advice about that and then implement it in your own art.

[Alyzro]

Ya, I can see why taking a class in art might make things less fun. I feel like it might help for getting the basics down though. Idk.

And just drawing and incrementally adding skills and asking for criticism does sound like a good way to try to go about it, thanks!