Since this section has stayed empty I guess it was meant for the discussion of the basics.
If you want to be an artist you will have to learn the basics of art. Which is usually pretty boring to the person who wants to learn art. They see art as something unstructured, inspirational, magical and talent driven. It is those things of course but it is more then that too. It is a lot of hard work...practice and learning how to draw boring stuff along with the fun stuff.
Disclaimer:
These are just my musings and opinions...pretty muched shared among the artists I have talked about this with...I didn't think them all up on my own...
but as with everything not everybody agrees and others have many different takes on these thoughts so of course post those and make this a discussion.
Many who go to art schools get caught up in the "Throw paint freely at the canvas" art philosophy...like Jackson Pollock was the only artist that ever existed.
I always got a kick out of that...Pollock was jingle. Do you know what I mean? People love songs that they can sing easily in the bathtub. Pollock art anybody can learn to do without much effort...They can stand around and admire each others dribbles...and call it art.
Oh it is great fun...and the snobbery is soooooo outrageous. I have always wondered if the snobbery wasn't some form of defence system. If you are snobbish about it then it becomes art...aye.
But anyhooooo..touching on that subject flame.
I may have made some folks mad...ekk. So I will go on to another subject that is wildly debated.
In my opinion in Art school you will really have to wade through a lot of bull pucky before you actually learn anything that will help you as an Illustrative artist.
I think in this section of tutorials you will be able to learn more that can help you to be an illustrator then a lot of expensive art school will do for you. Not that art school is a complete waste...in some fields of art they do want that degree and it also depends on the art school and the instructors...so if you can ...do...but by no means is art school necessary to become an illustrator. Most of the illustrators that are working are self taught or have art school and then self teach on top. I have never ever met a really pro artist...drop dead good illustrator...who credited art school. They may have gone but then they went on and self taught. Learning from others in the trade.
Two funny sayings in the illustrative business..." I understand you have a degree, but can you draw?" "Well I went to art school, now I have to unlearn everything they taught me about art."
I think we should define Illustration too.
It means anything that looks like anything realistically or stylized...Seriously.
All of the old classic masters of art until "Modern art" of the late 1800s and 19th century
Were illustrators. The snobs don't say that of course...but it is true never the less.
LOL...like they draw an Angel and it is art...you draw one and it is illustration? That doesn't make any since. AYE? Well I never got it. Everyone of the Masters I admire were illustrators and every one of them did art that was fantastical and would fit in really well in our Fantasy section.
I wanted to draw Angels and the teacher wanted me to roll my cat in paint and see what came out...Well of course that is an exageration, she didn't say roll the cat in paint...but I did get an A on a canvas that my stupid cat did roll across the paint drips on. I didn't tell how I got that effect...you don't share in art school...so I was genious of the day...Gah it is so superficial.
So folks...If you want to be an illustrator you are going to have to learn how to draw the basics and save some of the fun for later.
But first we need to touch on one thing about learning the basics.
The Basics are not written in STONE. That is one thing in teaching art that I have the hardest time getting across. I show a method to draw something and the student thinks that is the only way and wants to fight about it...tell me that someone else doesn't do it that way... My reaction is always....SO? your point is?
There are many many ways to approach the basics and what you will see here are the ways that the artist that does the tutorial does the basics. Their method.
It is the results that count...how you got there...what tools you use...is just a method.
Even one artist may show you several methods to learn a basic. Your job is to try them all...give them a shot...and in the end use what gives you the best results. That is what is meant by SELF TEACHING.
Absolutely anybody...the biggest untalented dolt can learn the basics of art. There is a method for you. The only question is..."Are you willing to put in the time and practice and be open to learning?"
For instance....Do you want to learn to draw a really great face?
You can use many methods for Basic construction. The only rule is you do need some form of construction of the face. Those that don't believe that you need any construction to do a face...either have absolute perfect eyes and are prodigy and don't understand that others are not...or they are just hoping that with hit and miss they will do a face.
I can show many methods of face construction and I think I will show them all real soon. Why can I show all the methods?
Because I wanted to learn to draw a really great face and so I sought out tutorials and there are a lot of ways to do face construction. I tried them all. Everyone of them works.
The same will be true for every method you will see in the basics here or anywhere.
Techniques and tricks of the trade abound.
A tutorial section like this is to put them all in and have an eclectic look at the Basics.
The best artists try every method. Learn it all...Have fun doing it and glean the best for themselves to use.
imho
