The most important thing is wanting to learn new things. That is why if you read it, you are already going in the right direction. I am writing this blog because there were a lot of people asking me through Instagram for art tips to improve their drawing, but I could not answer on every one of them. I hope that you will learn a lot reading this blog!
Tip 1. Use a lot of references
The biggest mistake I made, was not using references. I had an idea that I need to draw out my memory if I want to be really a good artist. But as you probably already assumed, I was totally wrong. You have to use references to learn new things.
Maybe you can’t tell, but when sketching faces and body’s, you will most likely make a lot of mistakes. But because you have no reference to compare it to, the drawing will just look a little off but you will just not know why.
Here you see an example of a illustration where I used a reference, whole body except for the neck and the head. I saw that there was something off, but I didn’t know what.
But I got some feedback from my dear followers (I really appriciate any critique, I learn so much from it!) which made me notice the problem. That is how I improve my art, listening to other people will be in one of the other art tips I will explain.
Shortly: Make sure to use references at least 50% of the times you draw.
Tip 2. Listen to what people say
Most of the times I read this kind of blogs I see people saying “don’t listen to what people say!” which is – in my opinion – totally wrong.
And I can feel some of you getting angry only after reading this title. But wait, don’t leave yet, I will explain.
Well listening to what people say is not the same as doing what people tell you to do. Just listen. Listen and consider if their opinion can help you improve, or look at your drawings from another perspective. For you as an artist, your mistakes are less noticeable as for people who – may be complete amateurs – see your drawing for the first time. It’s because your eye just got used to the drawing and wont see the mistakes unless someone points it out.
Listen to people’s opinion, think about it and decide if you are going to use it or not. It may be gold or it may be trash, but it’s worth trying.
Don’t let people demotivate you, if you get any hate – use it for your advantage. Show people that you can improve even though they wish you didn’t. If someone says that you s*ck at drawing eyes, take a look at your drawings and decide if you need to improve your eyes drawing skills. If not, leave it, if yes, do it. You just turned negativity into positivity. That’s a win, isn’t it?
Shortly: If you listen you may learn, if you don’t you wont even get a chance.
Tip 3. Draw every day
That may be a problematic task, honestly I don’t even succeed to draw ever day. But it is significant. This is one of art tips maybe the most important to improve drawing.
If you can choose between drawing every day for only 1 hour, or drawing only on Sundays for 7 hours straight, choose option 1. You can compare it to working out. Its better to work out every day than run till you pass out once a week. Just like every part of your body, your brain needs some constancy and rest to improve faster.
You can draw for 7 hours straight, if you know that your brain can take it. Remember that everyone is different.
Shortly: Frequency and constancy is more important than length of a draw training.
Tip 4. Watch drawing process videos and improve
We live in an era where you can learn more from internet than from school… In my honest opinion. You can find so many quality drawing videos and articles for not more than free.
While watching drawing process videos, you learn more than you think. You automatically pick up the techniques even though you don’t know it. You realize that even the most beautiful drawings can start from a ugly sketch. Those videos show you every little step that was made by an artist while creating a masterpiece. That knowledge is literal gold, so use it.
I chose one of my favorite drawing process videos, made by @Cyarine
Shortly: Watch people draw (drawing process videos) to improve faster and make less mistakes.
Tip 5. Go outside of your comfort zone
You don’t have to do this all the time, but sure at least once or twice a month. Draw something that you don’t enjoy so much because you are just not so good at it. Not only to broaden the diversity of your skills, but also to possibly find out new favorite drawing techniques. If you always draw with a pencil, try to make an ink drawing once, you may love it.
I did it once, and maybe I didn’t find my new favorite, but I for sure made a drawing of a landscape I never thought I could.
Shortly: Drawing something you don’t enjoy at first may lead you to discovering new favorite techniques and drawing fields. Try it.
Art tips that help you improve your drawing.
Tip 6. Steal from other artists
That is another tip that probably made you ask yourself if this blog author is crazy, but let me explain.
Art tips the best you can find, how to improve and drawing better fast.
This said by one of the most successful artist we know, means exactly what you think it means.
The explanation:
Almost nothing is new in this world anymore. A lot of big ideas that proved to be a big success, are stolen ideas. Just like facebook, google, coca-cola and basically almost everything. They were not discovered, they were re-invented or re-discovered.
So you can’t be scared or holding yourself back from creating a better version of someone else’s vision, if you think that you can do it better. They probably were not the first one with this idea anyway, there is a little chance that you can be now the first one to come up with… Any kind of idea. And there comes the role of “inception”, but if you want to read more about it I invite you to read this – Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal.
The difference between copying and stealing is that you don’t want to re-create the exact same idea/drawing, but you steal the idea and make it better.
Shortly: Just listen to what Picasso said.
Art tips that help you improve your drawing.
Tip 7. Talk about your art
We, human beings, are such lazy animals. We often don’t have enough discipline to keep going with a decision for longer period of time. You know that if you promise something to yourself, it will not be as important to you as when you promise something to a friend or family.
So talk about your decisions with everyone, even if it seems scary because you don’t know if you will succeed on the things you are talking about. But that is not the point. When you speak out about your dreams, they become so real, and so serious. It feels great, but also responsible.
In this situation you can’t get away from decisions you made as easily as you would if you promised it all only to yourself.
The second point of this tip is to believe more in yourself. When you talk about something, search things up, hang your drawings or things you want to achieve on the wall – they become so real and so close. It is the best way to stay motivated. Let your dreams get out to the world.
Shortly: Let the world know about your dreams, and it will be harder to give op on them.
ART TIPS how to improve and drawing a lot better.
That will be it for this post. I hope that I helped you, and appreciate you taking your time to visit my website. Those tips I wrote are the most important ones, according to me. I tried to explain to you how to stay 1. Motivated 2. Inspired 3. Disciplined, because I think that those are the only things you need to succeed not only at drawing, but also generally in life.
People who don’t know me from Instagram, I invite you to visit my profile. @alicjanai
If you want to stay even more motivated, inspired and disciplined, join our artists community on Facebook. > The Art Freaks group <. We post art, give opinions, advice, share experiences and more.
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ART TIPS how to improve and drawing faster.
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Thanks for the tips! easily laid our for me thankfully and not a bunch of paragraphs, which is easier to sink in and read. hope to hear ore from you, i’m picking up techniques because of this so thank you so much! ??✌