altuixde's learning to draw thread

[Amazing_Grace]

KOTORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
I love Kotori, and I think you drew her wonderfully. Props on redrawing that girl, also! It looks like it must have been difficult, but you pulled it off amazingly well.

Also Miku is awesome.

[altuixde]

Thanks, Grace! I'm glad you like them! The profile view of the girl was kind of time consuming because I kept erasing parts of it and retrying. Her hair was less difficult, though. It's harder to make hair look wrong because it can bend in any direction.

[Amazing_Grace]

Thanks, Grace! I'm glad you like them! The profile view of the girl was kind of time consuming because I kept erasing parts of it and retrying. Her hair was less difficult, though. It's harder to make hair look wrong because it can bend in any direction.

You're welcome!

I've found I have troubles with hair facing to the side when I'm trying it for the first time, because I have to make sure the hair actually looks how it would look if you were viewing this hairstyle from this side. Do you tend to have the same problems, or is it just that simple and I way over-complicate things?

[altuixde]

I think I would have the same problems... but I think that this girl is the first character I've ever drawn at more than one angle, so I haven't run into the problem other than in this drawing (I also had a reference to look at for both angles, but I tried to make my copies a little bit different from the references). I really need to draw more. Can you give me any tips on how to be more motvated? I find myself listening to music and surfing the web when I could be drawing.

[Amazing_Grace]

You're asking the absolute wrong person for help on motivation. X'DDDD I have an art request from like, six months ago that I still haven't finished.

I think when I get motivation to draw, it's usually when I get a fantastic idea and I just HAVE to draw it.
So my advice is to get great ideas.

What did I tell you.

[altuixde]

I think when I get motivation to draw, it's usually when I get a fantastic idea and I just HAVE to draw it.
So my advice is to get great ideas.

Ah, that is good advice! That was the reason why I drew Miku and Kotori. There was one other idea I had, but I didn't write it down, so I forgot what it was and it never got drawn. Anyway, I'll keep in mind that I should think of ideas that would make great drawings.

What did I tell you.

Um, I forgot. Could you remind me?

[Amazing_Grace]

Oh wow, that worked?! XDD

Well, glad I could help, I guess. XD Good luck with motivation!

[altuixde]

Can anyone guess who this is?

Hint: she's not from im@s.

[altuixde]

About the mystery girl above, here's another hint: by default she wears a hat and a pair of headphones.

Anyway, here's Azusa:

She was originally going to be Miki but when I drew the eyes she looked a lot more like Azusa. I had a problem with the torso being elongated in this one; that could be because I didn't pick up the paper to look at it often enough. As it is, I think this drawing looks better if you lay it flat on a table, sit down, and look at it as if you were drawing it. Also, I couldn't figure out how to draw the folds in Azusa's T-shirt, so it doesn't really look like a T-shirt.

Please leave comments!

[Amazing_Grace]

I don't do enough of anything to know who that girl is. XD

But I love how Azusa turned out! The anatomy and the way her body looks is just fantastic. You did a really great job!

[altuixde]

Thanks, Grace! Any suggestions for improving Azusa? It's all pencil so I can still make changes.

Edit: I should also give credit to Christopher Hart's book, Manga for the Beginner. Azusa's pose is from an exercise in said book. Also, her clothes are from the Kagayaki no Mukougawa e! movie.

[Amazing_Grace]

You're welcome!

Hm...the only thing I can think of is that her face looks a bit off, but I can't seem to pinpoint just what it is that makes me think that. It might be the mouth and nose; both are ever-so-slightly off-center from the chin. From personal experience, I've found that the mouth can be off-center without it looking bad, but the nose usually looks less out-of-place when it's lined up with the chin.

But, I've never used a drawing book as a reference, and am essentially self-taught, so I can't be sure that's the way it's actually supposed to be. ^^" Moving the nose might also make you have to move the eyes, which I think are perfect. So I could be WAY off.

[altuixde]

I agree that her face looks a little off. When I compare my drawing to frames from the anime, it's apparent that I actually drew her eyes too big, or at least bigger than what the anime viewers are used to seeing. However, if I change her face, I think that I'm much more likely to redraw it worse than it is now than to redraw it with improvement, so I think I'll leave her face the way it is. I'll keep your suggestions in mind for future reference, though!

[Okayu]

I think this image is useful.

[altuixde]

Thanks, Okayu! I can't read the text on that image, though.