Top products from r/ArtistLounge

It's actually a really nice printer! Although quite expensive I guess, but I got it in the january sale as I knew I'd be eventually branching out to prints. Here's a link https://www.canon.co.uk/printers/inkjet/pixma/pixma_pro-10s/ It actually has 10 cartridges! Which is pretty insane! But the quality is definitly there! I actually ordered some prints from a print on demand place(I think it was printful) before I bought the printer, and the quality and colours weren't as good, and my borders weren't even straight. Being a perfectionist, I just decided to buy a printer lol!

So as for paper, it seems to print on just about anything(including canvas apparently, although I haven't tried that yet)! I am currently using bockingford inkjet watercolour paper for my unicorn prints(my only prints atm) which allows that lovely paper texture to shine! I have also printed sketches on to arches hot press paper and painted over them with great success! Both these papers need to be set to "other fine art paper". You can usually tell which setting to use depending on the thickness and weight of the paper. Although a lot of papers have their own profiles which you can download too. Also the borders come out straight!! So I am very happy with it!

Oh I should mention, although you probably know this, but if you decide to do home printing, get a monitor calibration tool! Then your prints come out exactly like they appear on the monitor. I use this https://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5PRO-Designed-Photographers-Designers/dp/B00UBSL31Q

I only have 4 prints at the moment which are a set of unicorns that I did for myself. They do have thick white borders, but I designed them that way for easy framing. I'm not sure if I will do it for the new series yet. If you are curious my Etsy is https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KneeleyPillustration?ref=seller-platform-mcnav it really needs updating A LOT! Lol. But maybe you can see the paper texture from my printer?

I would love to see your work too if you feel like sharing! Although I understand if you don't. I'm usually pretty shy at sharing my work too, but I'm trying to get over that lol :)

Haha yes! It does feel like we have to wander around blindly a lot! But it's part of the fun I guess. Plus it is really nice to meet other artists too! It's also nice to share stuff with others who are interested, as my friends tend to glaze over a bit if I go off on a tangent about art supplies(I think I have an addiction to pens! lol)

Hi 'currently using bockingford inkjet watercolour paper for my unicorn prints(my only prints atm) which allows that lovely paper texture to shine! I have also printed sketches on to arches hot press paper and painted over them with great success! Both these papers need to be set to "other fine art paper". You can usually tell which setting to use depending on the thickness and weight of the paper. Although a lot of papers have their own profiles which you can download too. Also the borders come out straight!! So I am very happy with it!

Oh I should mention, although you probably know this, but if you decide to do home printing, get a monitor calibration tool! Then your prints come out exactly like they appear on the monitor. I use this https://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5PRO-Designed-Photographers-Designers/dp/B00UBSL31Q

I only have 4 prints at the moment which are a set of unicorns that I did for myself. They do have thick white borders, but I designed them that way for easy framing. I'm not sure if I will do it for the new series yet. If you are curious my Etsy is https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KneeleyPillustration?ref=seller-platform-mcnav it really needs updating A LOT! Lol. But maybe you can see the paper texture from my printer?

I would love to see your work too if you feel like sharing! Although I understand if you don't. I'm usually pretty shy at sharing my work too, but I'm trying to get over that lol :)

Haha yes! It does feel like we have to wander around blindly a lot! But it's part of the fun I guess. Plus it is really nice to meet other artists too! It's also nice to share stuff with others who are interested, as my friends tend to glaze over a bit if I go off on a tangent about art supplies(I think I have an addiction to pens! lol)', im DAD.

Hey, man! You're stuff looks good, keep it up! And honestly color blindness isn't an issue. Just make your style saturated colors.

So, I do notice things that I once did when I was in high school that you also do with your drawings.

First, lets talk about equipment. You said you use a Wacom Bamboo tablet, and Sketchbook 6 pro. While a bamboo tablet is excellent for beginning drawings, if you want to improve noticeably, my suggestion is getting an Intuos Wacom tablet. The smallest size goes for about $80 bucks, and it is more dynamic than a Bamboo tablet. Secondly, I used, what I am assuming you have, is Corel Sketchpad 6 pro? If you can, try to get Corel Painter X3. It's a much better program. Now, this might be hard, since it is a $500 dollar program, so I would suggest getting an "extra-legal" copy on the website with a cool looking galleon ship on it.

But I also believe this: you should stop exclusively using the tablet from here on out, until you're in a professional setting. Why you would do this is because you want to train yourself classically first. A lot of artists use tablets as crutches, or just started out using a tablet, but you want to draw with a pencil first (or even better, a pen, so you can't erase, and this will train you to be faster, and be better at line quality). And draw a lot with it. I essentially go to Starbucks with a sketchbook, a fountain pen, and a ball-point pen, and draw people walking in, for 3 to 4 hours. And draw people who are leaving, that way, you have to remember what they look like from your head. This helps you conceptualize what a person looks like. Once you're comfortable with pen and pencil, then you can start doing a lot of tablet drawings again.

Gesturally, your drawings look pretty good, but structurally, your drawings could use improvement. You want to start drawing with 3D shapes so you can get an idea of perspective with your drawings. Also, and what I think is the most important to you, this is the ONLY way to get better at shading! Shading a person is hard. Shading a box is easy! Now imaging making a person into a bunch of boxes. Now, your brain has something to comprehend with shading. My bible is this book: http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-Invention-Michael-Hampton/dp/0615272819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395995139&sr=8-1&keywords=figure+drawing+by+michael+hampton I carry it with me wherever I go. It will show you the best ways to draw bones, then muscles on top of bones, and skin on top of muscles. Can't draw skin without knowing what's underneath, and can't draw muscles without knowing what's under that. https://www.vilppustore.com/Storefront.htm#!/~/product/category=7091955&id=30369340 This book helps with clothing.

All of this is a jumbled mess of writing (why I am an animation major, and not an english major) so if you need to know anything else, just reply to this comment. And I've been academically drawing for 5 years, so, I barely, but confidently, know what I'm talking about. :)

This. Just getting new supplies is often just as motivating as a tablet I think. A nice new pad of paper, a few nice new pens, maybe even a brush or g-pen and ink if you're feeling adventurous (definitely exciting, but possibly messy).

The Copic marker pad is some nice paper. Paper's a lot about personal preference though, whatever you get go to your local art store the next time and have her help choose one with you https://www.amazon.com/Copic-Markers-Alcohol-Marker-Sheets/dp/B000Q7G7S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481785351&sr=8-1&keywords=copic+marker+sketch+book

For a brush, I'd recommend one of these for sure: https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Kolinsky-Sable-Watercolor/dp/B000YQG9ZK

For ink, this one is great but messy container: https://www.amazon.com/Speedball-2-Ounce-India-Super-Black/dp/B0007ZJ8TM/ref=pd_sim_201_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DQKJEH36V4PAJVXBXQAC

A G-nib: https://www.amazon.com/Zebra-Comic-Model-Chrome-PG-6B-C-K/dp/B006CQW428/ref=pd_sim_201_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MKPZYS4GTKG4MPMV5BKF
plus nib holder: https://www.amazon.com/Tachikawa-Comic-Holder-Model-T-40/dp/B000UF2774/ref=pd_sim_229_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JQ1R1E1GERQQ20KEYEVF is more traditional japanese style than a brush but I personally don't like it as much

And a few Copic markers would also be awesome, they're expensive but refillable and the best on the market IMO. A Skin tone set: https://www.amazon.com/Copic-Markers-6-Piece-Sketch-Tones/dp/B004XR92EG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481785568&sr=8-2&keywords=copic+markers

Plus maybe a floral set: https://www.amazon.com/Copic-Marker-Sketch-Floral-Favorites/dp/B005NB4IZ4/ref=pd_sim_201_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JG9YQ4AVBM15NPXW4XRW would provide a very good base as far as markers go

> How would you handle this without angering the client?

Sorry that this has happened to you, alas it's very common.

This is not a question on how to handle this situation/client, it's a question on how to handle all commissions. There's not 1 way, but we all need to learn from our experiences.

This is what I do with my commissions:

• I try NOT to do commissions. I make art. I execute pieces, then I put them out there for sale.
  
• If you want to do exclusively or mostly commissions, you need to understand that you're in the "service" business, and not in the "piece of art" business.
  
• Outline a process, the best that you can think about, something that works for you and for your prospective clients. This is what I use (read following points)
  
• Initial talk with prospective clients to see if it's something that I am interested in doing. Must be something in line with my line of work, interesting enough to me, and that pays more than what I price my art.
  
• If I get good vibes and it satisfies the above, I continue under the following conditions
  
• I make 3 sketches/proposals. Something that outlines enough what was discussed, but won't waste more than 1 hour of my time. It highlights materials, sizes, pallette, timeline for delivery, pricing (always + shipping)
  
• If the client accepts the proposal I ask for 50% non-refundable deposit upfront via PayPal (or cash or check if they are locals).
  
• Once the piece is done, I show them the piece (in person, webcam, photos). If they accept it, payment is now due, and they need to arrange for shipping (I usually drop it at the nearest UPS store or FedEx store and the client deals with them directly). Yes it's expensive, but we're artists we're not in the shipping business, and we are responsible for our Art not for the shipping business. I ONLY sell framed pieces, or sculptures. I do not sell unframed pieces. My choice.
  
• If the client doesn't like it. Nothing happens, I keep the deposit and the piece is mine to do whatever I want, even sell it if I decide to do so. Or re-work it or modify it
  
• If the client has MINOR suggestions on re-touching re-work I might consider. I am an artist, I make art. It's my voice, my artistic expression, the outcome of my decisions. I am not a tool in the hands of someone else.
  
  I am not saying that this is perfect, I am saying that this works for me. I have adopted after talking with other artists more experienced than me, and this is the process that people who have commissioned art before understand.
  
  If you do commissions for low price and/or with people who have not purchased commissioned art before, 99% becomes a nightmare.
  
  Of course all of the above is outlined on my web site under "Commissions". And no, I don't get many "commissions" but I do get my fair share of "site-specific installations" which is what I like, and those are "commissions".
  
  Read this book https://www.amazon.com/Art-Work-Revised-Updated-Everything/dp/1501146165/

I am by no means an expert, been drawing for six months definitely still a noob but this is the only book I've ever read http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1585429201 and I highly recommend it.

It doesn't teach you how to draw, it teaches you how to see, and how to trigger the right side of your brain. Which is life changing and can be used to learn things like mediation, or yoga as it is such a great release.

When the right side of my brain is operating I get into this amazing zone where I can see life in a completely different way. It's hard to stay in this zone but when I'm in it time passes by unknowingly, the music I'm listening fads away and I'm completely grounded. In this zone I can see every facet of someone's face, and understand how lines bend, curve, and contract.


This is when my drawing comes to life, and I'm actually drawing what I am seeing. Unfortunately in the beginning and even now I can only stay in zone for short periods, but the more I practice the longer it stays and the easier it is to trigger.

I learn how to draw by trying to draw what I see then if I get stuck I look at everyone else's work to see how they saw it and compare the two.

For example that one chick who posted "I was told to post my mug here." The bridge of her nose was immensely hard to draw and also for me to understand what I was actually seeing there. If you go through you'll see some artists got it right while others changed the pose, or how it looked.

Or artectors post I saw it and just started drawing all those amazing shapes in the shadows of his face. I never finished it http://i.imgur.com/tdVRMXg.jpg but I learned a tremendous amount from it. Like the top right curve of his check starts the curve down to the chin. Or the right side shadow at the end of the mouth not only curves up but outlines the cheek and the smile. Now I can see that in other drawings I can't really draw it yet but that will come with practice.


So for me I'm learning to see first then the technical part of actually putting that on paper will come after that. I hope this helps.

Also I feel obligated to say I just got out of a bubble bath, I'm in a robe and bette mildler song came on my mp3 player while writing this . So it might explain all the feels. Lol


Oh and here's my first drawing like six months ago of the wifey http://i.imgur.com/sAbnfpX.jpg BOOM!


~Eric

If he's wanting to get into drawing, I'd suggest picking up a book or two from Andrew Loomis. They were written back in the early-mid twentieth century, and they're still popular among artists today, and for good reason. I personally have Drawing the Head and the Hands by Andrew Loomis, and it's a wonderful reference tool for drawing/painting the human face. [Amazon]

Another great artist's reference book is Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney. [Amazon] James Gurney also has a great informational YouTube channel that's worth checking out.

Also, please don't start with cheapo supplies kits whether they're watercolors, acrylics, or oils. They're not well made and can be frustrating to work with for beginners and pros alike. Read or watch some reviews first (YouTube review videos are a great place to see a lot of supplies in action from real artists).

I think a fun medium to start with would be gouache (it's like a cross between acrylic and watercolors). Arteza is a good quality middle of the road brand (not cheap quality, but not pro grade either) that you can get for a relatively good price [[Gouache 24 pk on Amazon]](https://www.amazon.com/ARTEZA-Gouache-Premium-Artist-Paints/dp/B077Y6TVC8/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-YXJ0ZXphIGdvdWFjaGU%3D-ac_d_rm&crid=2JWZ3D4I54A2Z&keywords=arteza+gouache&pd_rd_i=B077Y6TVC8&pd_rd_r=942fb13e-2eb9-4ca8-b9a8-bd5e0b48cb65&pd_rd_w=a9GyB&pd_rd_wg=dNTqd&pf_rd_p=ed481207-4bea-4e19-bbad-73ed40fdc292&pf_rd_r=FKJM040T2XS3HPN4EJTA&psc=1&qid=1572883675&sprefix=arteza+gouache%2Caps%2C195), and they're fun to work with too. You'll need something to paint on too. Watercolor paper or multimedia paper/sketchbook are good to start with. A plastic or porcelain palette and some watercolor brushes will be needed too. You can pick up some of these at your local art store. Heck, I've even seen some artists using porcelain plates or deviled egg servers from a thrift store as a palette for their watercolors and gouache!

There are lots of tutorial videos on YouTube that you or he can check out. Skillshare, like some of the others mentioned, is a good learning resource too.

This might not be very helpful, but I'm gonna post anyway. I'm no expert with watercolor, but I've been creating art my whole life and love playing with new toys. It seems to be difficult to find any meaningful reviews about the markers you posted except for the ones on Amazon itself which makes me think that either these markers are so new that very few people have actually tried them and written a review, OR no one buys them.

With that said, I did see a lot of reviews and youtube videos regarding Arteza and Zig so maybe they'll a little better? The Arteza markers are also priced better on Amazon, so that could be something to think about.

Regardless of which set you end up buying, take comfort in knowing that it won't really matter which set you get your girlfriend, she'll probably just love the fact that you support her creativity!

​

I'll second James Gurney's books, his blog and his "In the Wild" video series.

I really like the Complete Guide to Drawing Animals by Gottfried Bammes. It brought together a lot of concepts about anatomy in art that I hadn't really fully understood until I read it. Similarly, I think Sarah Simblet's Botany for the Artist has beautiful and inspiring art.

I'm a big old paleontology nerd, so I have a lot of books on my shelves with fantastic paleoart: Dinosaur Art, edited by Steve White, is a great showcase of modern paleoartists, and Feathered Dinosaurs is full of gorgeous paintings by Peter Schouten. For drawings of dinosaurs of the non-extinct variety, I'm fond of Katrina van Grouw's The Unfeathered Bird.

And I just got a copy of Shaun Tan's The Bird King and, oh man, I really love it. His imagination is incredible. Highly recommended for when you're in a creative rut.

I really really like sketching in ink. It forces me to live with (and not erase) lines, so I think it helps me learn through sketching. I also like doing my finished work in ink, so it is good practice for that too.

I have been using a Pentel Brush Pen lately to good results, although I usually like to go back and finish with it. For just sketch sketching, I like a thinner line. I use fountain pens, or sometimes the Sakura Pigma Micron's.

For sketchbooks, I've been pretty happy with my current Stillman & Birn Epsilon. It handles washes of water color/ink pretty well, and generally is not too seethrough (so I can sketch on both sides of the page).

Prismacolor and copic are what I use. I get different shades from both brands so I can't recommend one over the other. I started with a few prisma color grays and then got a pack of 24 colors. From there is was like an addiction picking up single markers every time I went to the store. Give me about 20 min and I'll update this post with some good starter packs. :)

UPDATE:

For gray's I would start with Copic Neutral Gray - 6 set. If you have a Hobby Lobby near you they have a 40% off coupon and you can get that pack for $25. Check their site offten because they have that coupon a lot. Or you could get The prismacolor neutral gray

For just skin tones you could get Copic Skin set1 but I only use 3 of the markers from that set for skin. I use Copic E00 E11 YR61 R20 and Prismacolor Light Peach for skin. You could easily get away with just E00 and prismacolor light peach. Thats all I used for the skin in this picture.

If you're looking for a full color set this is what I have.

If you don't want to make a big investment I'd say grab a prismacolor cool gray 30%, Prismacolor warm gray 30%, a Prismacolor Light Peach, and a copic E00 skin white. Those 4 markers are a great starter set imo.

You may also want to grab a colorless blender, they come in handy for smoothing.

A few things about Prismacolor vs copic. You can buy refills for copic but in my experience copic dries out faster than prismacolor. You can also buy replacement tips for copic markers.

You can refill BOTH markers with a little rubbing alcohol when they start to dry out, but over time this can ruin the tips.

Sorry if this is TMI.

TL;DR I really like markers.

It really depends on your budget, what were you thinking? Obviously there's a lot of directions to go in. Whatever path you take, I also recommend getting better pencils and paper from an art supply store. It's important to do digital and physical. Both skills will always be handy for an artist. I'm using a Surface Pro 4 great for what you mentioned, and it's mind blowing. The Surface Pro series is going to be a bit more economical compared to the Wacom stuff. The reason to go more Wacom/Surface Pro is the same others have already mentioned. Pressure sensitivity! It can detect more, and get more detail. There are two kinds of digital drawing. Drawing directly on the screen (preferred, you can see what you're doing) or drawing off screen on a sensor pad, that's attached through a USB chord (cheaper). With the Surface Pro you can draw directly on the screen. For programs I'd recommend Photoshop or Clip Studio if you want something a little cheaper that's arguable to be just as good if not better to inking Manga and Comics. Another reason to avoid Ipads and Phones, etc. is that they don't have the software to run normal computer programs, they run slimmed down versions which only give you a little not a lot. That's a bit of my take on the computer stuff. If you're curious for physical stuff at all, I'm using a brush pen from Pentel and another from Copic which would be good for anime/manga art as you mentioned. Right now I'm also drawing some comics physically with it, and it's doing the job of like 10-20 pens I would normally use. Plus they are both refillable. Inking lets you get crisp lines and you can erase the pencils away afterwards. Here's the paper I'm using, which already comes with light blue guide lines printed on it (the lines are the standard comic formatting for American Comics). They are easy to get rid of while scanning.

Just as a footnote, some colors you'll only be able to find in a hue, because they don't make the original pigments anymore. An example is Indian yellow. It used to be made from feeding a cow mango leaves & collecting it's urine. This makes cow very sick, so you usually can't find it anymore in its original form. Nickel Azo yellow is a good acrylic alternative.

Hues aren't necessarily bad, what they are is a combination of pigments to mimic a color. Take a tube of paint and flip it over. You'll see a pigment code, they usually start with the letter P, like PY1. Better brand will list the pigment name. Hues or pre-made mixed colors will have multiple pigment codes. For folks who want to know more about pigments and want to look up pigment codes check out http://www.artiscreation.com/Color_index_names.html

But why not go with cadmium yellow/red hue or cobalt hue? Yes the colors look almost the same from their true pigment counterparts, but because of what they are made of they will mix differently. Artist grade pigments have series numbers in their pricing. That's because pigments have different costs in how they're manufactured and the price of the pigment itself. Instead of having all the paint be expensive they rate the paint so you're getting what you pay for. Cobalt, cadmium, and others aren't cheap to make, sometimes the ore is toxic and in demand by other industries so the price is high, or the manufacturing of the pigment is complicated.

But why buy all these colors? Why not get red, blue, yellow, and a white and black and mix whatever you want? It's because pigments don't work that way. Buying a CMYK palate only works if you are working with dyes. Pigments behave differently, and will mix differently depending on what they are made out of (organic, inorganic, or synthetic) it's the reason why you may see a bunch of reds that look almost the same. It's because they are not and you'll get different mixes and effects with each. Btw the pigments are the same in Oils, Acrylics, watercolor, and pastels. The difference is the binder.

Anyway. What I would recommend is this book: The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated (Reference) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0670837016/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uRj4xbP0TYA6P it'll tell you everything you'd ever want to know about painting ever. I've read it (because I'm a nerd for this shit) but you can just use it as a reference book if you want.

Footnote: if you're buying paint from Blick, Utrecht is decent, the Blick artist grade is good too, and is the only Blick brand paint I'd suggest, gamblin is good too. Windsor & Newton I find too oily but some folks like that. Rembrandt mixes their paint too light, their cad red dark is like cad red light in other brand!s. Gumbacher imho is shit. Gamblin 1980 is a good cross between artist and student. Doesn't have a ton of fillers and it contains real pigment, but also can be oily. You can mix between brand so don't worry, you're not marrying your friend to one type of paint. Stay away from Bob Ross paint. It's overpriced shit, you're just paying for a name.

And if in complete doubt, get brushes. You can't ever have too many brushes.

Good luck!

it's definitely not a natural thing, it is a learned skill. the problem is that most people don't know enough to understand and notice it, how it behaves and how it can be affected by everything around it.

this book is also incredible https://www.amazon.com/Color-Light-Realist-Painter-Gurney/dp/0740797719

even if you are not aiming to be a realistic painter, the excerpts are easy to understand and explains some very basic fundamentals in interesting ways.

check this free resource out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3WmrWUEIJo

lighting studies. understanding how light works really helps me imagine it on the fly.so i did this exercise for 2 weeks.

once you have watched the above video and memorize its contents, pick a simple cube with some good lighting, and try to complete an almost completed study in 30 minutes, at best as possible.

once you can do an accurate 30 min study accurately, move onto something more complex, like a sphere or a another subject. apply the same 30 min study rule, if you can do it accurately in 30 mins move on to other subjects.

rinse and repeat, and eventually you will gain an understanding of how light acts, so you can improvise with the knowledge.

I haven't used it myself, but this sub might be useful:
http://www.reddit.com/r/artbuddy

If you are used to University level critiques, I think they are hard to find outside of the actual University classes.

But, if you need deadlines and structure, THE NATURAL WAY TO DRAW is a great resource. I feel like it changed my life. http://www.amazon.com/The-Natural-Way-Draw-Working/dp/0395530075

Nobody likes sweaty palms, especially when creating master pieces XD. I would suggest picking up a glove to draw with, something like this. They are simple, breathable and easy to clean. Goodlucks!

Well, "creating awareness" is more of an Art per se and not a science (not replicable process) so you need to squeeze those creative juices and come up with your own creative process to "create awareness" as you call it.

About "insta, FB" and other social media, that is not awareness per se, it's a measure of awareness. It's not the whistle that pull the train.

Some people say that it's about being at the right place at the right time, and - personally - I agree with that. Here's the rub: we don't know when it the right time and we don't know where is the right place (physical place and online place). So all we can do is to be in as many places as possible, as many times as possible. And yes it is a lot of work, really a lot of hard work, long hours with uncertain success rate. There's no silver bullet, no paint-by-numbers process, no $19.99 book or $99 course (or $999).

There are some resources out there to gather some info and then go out there and try try try try till you succeed, my 2 favorites are:

• https://abj.artrepreneur.com/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Art-Work-Revised-Updated-Everything/dp/1501146165

The colors are really nice, but, going forward, it may be worth doing some anatomical sketches on the side. Any art instructor worth their salt will point out that photos often lie when it comes to lighting, form, color, etc. (Think about the last time you tried to snap a pic of an awesome sunset!) That's why, if you do work from photos, it is so helpful to work from life as often as possible.

Not sure if this will help, but I'm finally getting around to reading an old copy of The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study. Kimon Nicolaides has broken down drawing into a self-directed study course that will allow you to strengthen your drawing skills on your own schedule!

Classes will not curb your individuality.

​

A lot of people have this fear. The paintings you make in class will look academic. This means other trained artists will be able to tell they were created for learning purposes. Studies have a distinct look, but many studies are revered.

​

Ultimately, classes will get you closer to your true style. All humans have an innate way we draw. Drawing with The Right Side of the Brain goes into this well. I highly suggest picking it up. It is my opinion that formal training will get you through these predictable stepping stones quicker than teaching yourself. In this way you will achieve art with individuality faster than self taught artists. Teaching yourself is a viable option. It just takes a lot longer.

​

Step one to being a good painter is learning how to draw. Pick up a sketchbook. Draw what you see very often.

You own the copyright, you can licence it out for a specific use like prints etc. You can still use the piece in your portfolio. The exception is if you give up/sell the copyright. Then it is no longer yours and the client can do as they wish with it. 'Work for hire' contracts normally ask for transfer of copyright. You can use it in your portfolio if they give you permission.

Always have a contract. Join the associationofillustrators (uk) or graphic arts guild in the usa for advice on this. The society of authors has info too.

Royalties are common in publishing, but not many other places as far as I know. It will depend on the contract. Book covers or one-off illustrations don't usually give royalties.

Try here for some basic info, it is a huge topic. https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/artists/advice/169/an-artists-toolkit/essential-information/copyright-law-for-artists

There is also these books, which might be helpful

https://www.amazon.com/Illustrators-Guide-Business-Practice-Association/dp/0955807603

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graphic-Artists-Guild-Handbook-Guidelines/dp/1507206682/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XR6V8TWF2JWQ74TSDPJD

I don't advise any artist use Fiverr. It's a race to the bottom, price wise. Bad for artists, bad for the industry (imho).

Good luck!

Check out the book "Force: Dynamic Drawing For Animators." It's been a great resource for me and helped me make drawings that feel more lively and not flat and stiff.

Georgia O'Keeffe https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Artist-Biography-Georgia-OKeeffe/dp/0671016660

Her life was full of rich experiences from NY to VA, TX, NM trying to find herself in art ... she created her own unique place in the Modernist movement. She had a convoluted relationship with Stieglitz that promoted her work but had a negative affect on her personally and her art. She found herself in NM after his passing in the work we are most familiar with. Her success gave her independence.

Different era of course, but the emergence of an art movement, gallery influence, all with trying to be an artist with a singular voice ... a path that wouldn't happen today but really interesting.

Your anatomy work is looking nice. Did you draw them from life or out of a book? This is a great comic/book on perspective

The ones you posted are pretty good, but i prefer these https://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Painting-Flexible-Coloring-Calligraphy/dp/B01N9IY5QF they blend better in my opinion plus you get 27 more colors for less money.

I don't know how decent it is compared to other tablets since I've only ever used this one, but I have the Wacom Bamboo tablet and have been using it for years. It's a pretty small tablet and it might be discontinued at this point, but you can get one on Amazon for about $100 if you don't mind buying second-hand (or $259 new).

I like the Pental water brush here's a tutorial since they are pointed you can do fairly thin and thick lines, I would say fine sharpie sized. Ultra Fine will take a steady hand.

I would definitely also consider a few brushes and India ink, as it won't fray as much. There is also the less adjustable Brush Pen which will smoothly go over paint, but is less adjustable and only comes in black.

there's a book that may interest you called "art and fear." i like to listen to the audio sometimes when i'm not motivated to draw.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Observations-Rewards-Artmaking/dp/0961454733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511550560&sr=8-1&keywords=art+and+fear

B would be the skin tone set. Also comes with many reds and two sets of grays.

I started out with a set of 36 and a full set of grays and built on from there (currently have about 140), but the B set actually has a lot of my favorites.

Some that aren't in there that I get a lot of use out of are E50, E70, E71, E74.

The Graphic Artists Guild publishes the Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. You should find a copy.

These days I just drop it into Clip Studio Paint and trace what I need. :D

In my defense I did learn to do perspective by hand back in the day. It can be hard as hell once you get into curved surfaces. I did find David Chelsea's Perspective! book to be pretty useful as a reminder on how to do it.

But even with digital help I still lay out the perspective lines so everything I add to the image, or move around, looks like it's in the right place. Even though I'm fairly confident I know enough nowadays to fake it some habits die hard.

I've been doing ink and watercolor sketches in a sketchbook lately and have been using microns (which you can find at Michael's) and One of these Pentel brush pens (that I've been loving). brush pens also let you vary your line thickness more than the set size microns, I think they work well together though.

I remember feeling a lot of these same feelings. There’s a book called Art and Fear... it really helped me. Here’s a link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0961454733/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kW30CbH1NBXKJ

buy a roll of LEDs and a transformer. No heat, long lasting.

https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Changing-Cupboard-Decoration-Installation/dp/B07RY76LGX/ref=zg_bs_17534489011_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QY3G56VWCDDDYP445XSW

Like these

James Gurney (of Dinotopia and Color and Light fame) has an excellent blog that provides tons of information on plein air painting and hand-made pochade boxes and easels.

He uses this sketchbook for most of his plein air work (watercolor, gouache and casein paints) It is small and versatile.

• Figure Drawing for Artist: Making Every Mark Count
  
  
• Color and Light: A Guide for Realist Painters
  
  
  From the Library I've taken out
  
  
• Eliot Goldfinger's Human Anatomy for Artists and Portrait Painting in Watercolor by Charles Reid.
  
  
  
  

I don't have that original and don't remember exactly, but I think it was 5.5" x 8". This is the Pentel pen I have.

This is what I ended up ordering: http://www.amazon.com/Copic-Marker-72-Piece-Sketch-Set/dp/B000MRURPO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405962476&sr=8-2&keywords=copic+sketch+markers+72

They say sketch. I hope they have the brush tips or I'll be really disappointed.

...so are you referring to this one when you when you mention a tablet unsuitable for drawing?

Also, how do you bring yourself to draw people at Starbucks? I'd think people would notice you drawing them, and it doesn't seem like drawing them as they walk in would give you a whole lot of time.

"...if I want a good mobile drawing tablet..."

I'd argue it's much better than good, it's downright awesome. I use my 12.9" gen2 ipad pro for the same things you do. I've put my Cintiq away with it's paltry non-retina screen.

I have a drawing glove for gliding across the screen: https://www.amazon.com/Huion-Artist-Glove-Drawing-Tablet/dp/B00VTHAS00/

I got a silicon grip for the pencil + a little zipper pouch for it.

Otterbox Defender case -- it's bulky, but holy hell it's solid. Screen, back, edge protection. Hardshell case all around -- including a hardshell cover that turns into a 4-way stand.

My ebooks and comics have never been better to read. I have the 512gb model, and it's overkill. Exactly what I needed.