A simple efficient way to learn to draw

4 min read

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KashimusPrime's avatar
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Let's cut right to the chase folks. 

Tracing or copying another artist and posting the traced or copied work claiming you did it will not make you a better artist. It makes a hot mess for yourself trying to claim you 'referenced' their works when it looks identical to their works. 

It's just as bad a handicap as traced bases. 

I'm here to teach you a tip on how to learn to draw. I use to do this bassackwards till a friend showed me the right approach. 

We're going to take a coloring book page for this since it's in public domain. If you wish to learn to draw like someone, please always ask before you do this. And never post your process as you're not the original owner and are only borrowing their works. 

Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 11.09.13 AM by KashimusPrime

Here, we've got a simple coloring page of Disney's Simba to help us learn. 

Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 11.09.21 AM by KashimusPrime

The next step is to draw a stick figure over the image, showing how his body works. We use a circle to define his skull and to find his rib cage. Notice we use a line extending from the base of his head to the tip of his tail simulating a spine. 

Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 11.09.30 AM by KashimusPrime

Next we build up the shapes over the stick figure image then hide the stick figure. Show casing how the shapes build up the character. 

Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 11.09.45 AM by KashimusPrime

Then we trace the image to understand the lines. This we never share online. We're only tracing to learn. It's a very healthy process and the more you do it the more it will become second nature and you will find you will no longer need to copy off of other artists. 

If you keep practicing these steps you will get better over time and will be able to draw your own images without the need to copy someone else. I'm not ashamed to admit I learned through this process. It's extremely helpful and I hope it helps you as well. 

© 2014 - 2024 KashimusPrime
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AClockworkKitten's avatar
This technique could work with photos too, right?