Having been part of several art groups in Facebook, I’ve come to realize that most beginning artists don’t know what they want to achieve in their artwork, let alone where to start and how to get there. Most are tempted to start joining courses and end up paying for expensive yet generic lessons that do not comply with the actual and individual goals.
This post is about helping you to get “the focus you need to make the progression you want”.
And if you get stuck, feel free to join my artgroup on Facebook , where we aim to help all of you reach your art goals. No paid lessons, just simply the help that fits your level and goals.
Know what you want to achieve
The moment you decide you want to draw, you’ve already seen many drawings. And some of them made you think “I want to be able to do that!”. So why bother doing all the other stuff? Set your goals and the level in which you wish to achieve them. We’re not all fan of hyper-realistic drawings, or impressionistic paintings. And that’s ok! Just decide for yourself where you want to be good at and make sure all next steps are in line with that goal!
You don’t want to be the Jack of all trades but master of none. You want to be a master in one trade, before adding a new trade.
Know what's keeping you from achieving what you want
Once you’ve decided what you want to learn, you sit down and you write down what skills one must have to be able to do that. And in another list, you write down what you already are able to do (very important, because you can use the things you already master to your benefit!)
Once you know what’s standing between you and your goal, you know what to work on to overcome that gap ánd you know where you need help to ask for!
Don't overcomplicate
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is overcomplicating the road towards your goal. Sometimes it’s easy as 1,2,3. After all, drawing is nothing more than learning the technique to put together a bunch of basic shapes (like lines, circles, squares etc) into a bigger shape or image.
Use other people's experiences to your benefit
Don’t think you are the only one to have ever faced the gap ahead of you. Many before you have crossed that canyon on the same journey to master an art skill. So benefit from the knowledge and experiences others before you have encountered. Don’t let their skill discourage you but use their lessons learned and their skilled artwork as an encouragement that the gap CAN be closed So ask for their advice on how to close the gap and use the advice that works for you!
Use good (enough) materials and references
Many beginning artists are seduced by large sets of art materials for a small price. But be aware that most of these cheap articles end up being very expensive, once you figure out they do not contain much pigment, or get damaged easy. In the end you have to buy better materials anyway. So why not start out with good materials in smaller sets. After all, once you have a yellow, a red and a blue, you can get all the colors you want by blending and mixing them. And treat yourself to a few more pencils or paints every now and then until you have all the colors (or variations) you want/need.
The same goes for reference photo’s for those that want to draw or paint from a reference photo. Make sure the photo has enough quality for you to (digitally) zoom in to see all details you want to draw. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to determine where the fur ends and the background begins (for example).
Actively ask for feedback (and use it where applicable)
The quickest way to learn is to ask for feedback (and pick the feedback that resonates with what you want to achieve). Don’t get defensive when someone gives you feedback that may come across as harsh or blunt. Simply accept the feedback for what it is and decide for yourself whether or not it will help you towards your goal. And if not, then simply ignore.
Know your pitfalls
We all make mistakes, making us fail during our attempt to close the gap. First of all, do not give up. Failure is part of success, so embrace it, learn from it, and make more mistakes!
BUT….if you find you are making the same mistake over and over and not getting closer to your goals because of that, that’s when you want take action. Mostly these kind of mistakes are made subconscious. Knowing/realizing where you slip up is half of the solution. The other half is to find a way to prevent those subconscious mistakes. And even if you make mistakes, FINISH THE DRAWING. Once you’ve decided that you failed the drawing, there’s nothing holding you back from trying things you would normally fear (for example being afraid to make your shadows darker because you might ruin the drawing). Make use of failed drawings to try out all those scary things!
Fast isn't always best
Most artists start out being extremely productive, finishing multiple drawings a day. Improvement of your skills isn’t achieved by many drawings in a few hours, but by a few drawings in many hours. Worse, it can widen the gap instead of closing it.
So don’t rush your drawing, try to add more details, take your time to find out how to draw those details, how to apply certain techniques etc etc.
Knowledge is key. Keep learning (and share what you know)
Once you’ve closed the gap to your desired goal, challenge yourself towards your next goal. And don’t forget to look back to see the beginning artists following in your footsteps. Teach them what you’ve learned during your process, so they can use your lessons learned and experiences. After all, we’re all on the same journey and by now, you are further ahead than the ones that just started. Help them find their path towards their goal, just as you have learned from the ones before you. And realize that by now, your skills may put them in awe (and perhaps may be experiences as discouraging) so encourage them, tell them that their gap can be closed too!
Expand your goals
Before you know it, it’s time to expand your horizon. Find other materials, other techniques, other subjects to master even more. There may be more to art than you know and there may be more skills to master than you have discovered so far. Start anew with the first step and master another trade!
No matter what goal....some more helpful tips
Every artform has it’s own techniques but some techniques are multi-purpose-techniques. Here’s a small list of skills that will benefit you no matter what goal you decide on:
- Practice, practice, practice. No skill comes naturally, mastering a skill comes with practice.
- Draw what you see, not what your brain thinks you see. Look through your eyelashes and work in shapes and shades. (This goes for both using a reference photo and trying to draw (parts of) that photo, but also the artpiece you have imagined yourself drawing or painting. Put your work upside down if you get distracted from shapes and shades.
- Try out new techniques on test-paper of test canvas using the same media and reproduce small portions of your artpiece to test out the technique. Once confident, use the technique in your drawing or painting.
- Once you feel you get impatient (you really want the piece to be finished because you are getting fed up with looking at the same piece day in day out) stop immediately and put your artwork aside. Perhaps try again tomorrow. If you continue while in above mentioned state of mind, you are going to rush it, and usually that means you’re getting sloppy.
- Be proud of every step you take towards your goal and don’t get discouraged because others can do something you can’t (yet). You don’t know how long it took them, you only know that apparently, what they have achieved, is an achievable goal, so be happy instead because you too can get there!