# absolute beginner needing advice



## Paolo L'Abbate (Mar 11, 2020)

ok ladies & gentlemen, first of all greetings from Italy!

being forced to stay at home because of covid19 I decided, at the very ripe age of 37, that I could give a try at something I have never done before: drawing! 
actually, lately I've been thinking about getting me an iPad and "paint" on Procreate, and I stress the word "paint" rather than "drawing" because I DO need some color in my life, after years of... - long story short - personal tragedies. 
I got absolutely no real ambition rather than having fun and, as I said, paint a little for my own enjoyment. But I thought I should at least see if I could draw something, first. I used the grid method, to help myself a little with proportion. These are the very first drawings I've ever done so be kind haha, or be mean and criticize if you won't to! Bob Dylan is the first one (I got him a nice T.Rex hand as you can see ), then I've drawn Zappa, the last one is Don Van Vliet. I didn't try to shade because I wanted to get the right facial features first (well, I don't know how to shade ). Also, I'd be interested to know if (after MANY, MANY drawings), these could be a nice starting point to paint. After I get rid of my awful shaking hands, that is! 

Thanks

Paolo

ps. forgive my many mistakes!


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## MLFLY (Mar 17, 2020)

Very nice! Now it's time to add the details  I'd take another look at Dylan. Something isn't quite right and I think it's partly the nose size and angle of the jaw line.


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## armadasetyadi (Mar 23, 2020)

Digital drawing and traditional drawing can feel different. I personally choose to do traditional drawing because it feels more natural. Your grid method is okay, as mentioned before it's time to add the details. You might want to learn how to shade if you want to do realism. You can check out my Youtube channel too, I have some tips on how to practice shading. Good luck on your journey!


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## Kylie (Mar 31, 2020)

the tips is just start draw something... like this one artist i see that he draw scribbling sketch technique but it became one wonderful potrait.. can visit his website https://vincelow.com.my/


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## Kylie (Mar 31, 2020)

armadasetyadi said:


> Digital drawing and traditional drawing can feel different. I personally choose to do traditional drawing because it feels more natural. Your grid method is okay, as mentioned before it's time to add the details. You might want to learn how to shade if you want to do realism. You can check out my Youtube channel too, I have some tips on how to practice shading. Good luck on your journey!


i think this one can be the inspiration...


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## NicolasSequeira (Apr 30, 2019)

*Get a style*

Sure, those are some nice tracings, but I'd suggest developing a style. One that sets you apart from the crowd. When someone sees a Nicolas Sequeira comic, for instance, they can tell at a glance who it's by. Everyone has a style in them somewhere, the trick is finding it. Here's a sketch I did of game show host Art James yesterday, for instance. 


And here's the original:



As you can see, it's a verbatim sketch, but I change some vital details to make the sketch more Nicolas-ish. I make his eyes dot eyes, his fingers vague, his shirt flowing. That's how I do sketches, and they pop out as a result. Shading isn't any prerequisite. Just vary things up a little, but set some boundaries as to what could make your sketches a little more spicy. For someone with shaky hands, that's pretty good, Keep at it!


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## Kylie (Mar 31, 2020)

NicolasSequeira said:


> Sure, those are some nice tracings, but I'd suggest developing a style. One that sets you apart from the crowd. When someone sees a Nicolas Sequeira comic, for instance, they can tell at a glance who it's by. Everyone has a style in them somewhere, the trick is finding it. Here's a sketch I did of game show host Art James yesterday, for instance.
> 
> 
> And here's the original:
> ...


oh i think this is quite nice... what do you think abt this potrait? i bought this for only $100 at https://vincelow.com.my/


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## NicolasSequeira (Apr 30, 2019)

Sure, those have a style to them. I'd pay $100 for that, whereas my Art James sketch might go for $10.


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## Kylie (Mar 31, 2020)

NicolasSequeira said:


> Sure, those have a style to them. I'd pay $100 for that, whereas my Art James sketch might go for $10.


actuallt the price is between $30 to $500 depends on the size of the artwork... This one also i like hihi


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## KacperMichalczuk (Jul 2, 2020)

Main problem that newbies face is lack of good drawing courses on the market. If you really want to learn I suggest just drawing moer and more till you become good. However when I was starting I used this course: https://drawing-session.com amnd I can recommend it for beginners that need basics and clear learning path. Thanks to this course I now understand how to do basic things like shadings. Anyway you should practice and again practice.


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