HOME | DD | Gallery | Favourites | RSS
| halflife123
halflife123
[16254136]
[2011-01-15 21:13:14 +0000 UTC]
"HL3, why you no show up?!"
(United States)
# Statistics
Favourites: 2422; Deviations: 21; Watchers: 74
Watching: 46; Pageviews: 5550; Comments Made: 120; Friends: 46
# About me
Don't mind me, I am just some random person on the internet, here to satisfy my freakish desires. I roleplay, favorite photos I like, submit art here and there, and just being a typical deviant user.# Comments
Comments: 60
π: 0 β©: 0
Hey, thanks for faving my stories! Β Anything you specifically like or dislike about them?
π: 0 β©: 0
Hey! Thanks a lot for the fave.
Your last journal caught my attention and while it's been some months since you wrote it (journal was written back at May) I thought I could comment a bit about the goal of drawing and such. Because in the end, I've been in your shoes. I'm not a pro at all but I did push through and end up learning to draw.
Now, back before I started drawing girls and stuff, holy crap man, the only things I was able to scribble (not even draw) were cats. And I'm not talking about cats in realism, nope, just like cartoony stuff. Cats with big heads and pointy ears and expressions like ":3" doing different stuff. At that time I've always tried to draw but never went through it, never practiced it or something.
Then I started looking at how my gf drew stuff. I dunno how to say it, but it inspired me. I grabbed a pencil and gave it a try.
Dammit, it was hard! Artists are wizards I tell ya! But then, with careful observation, practice and reading some fundamentals (on realism) I started doing things, bit by bit. First I learned how to draw a head, then a bit about the figure (you can see my failed attempts at studies in my gallery lol) and then mixing it all. Again, that was some hard stuff to do. There were mistakes, faulty anatomy, bad perspective and more. But I FINISHED IT! It felt so good 
After that I continued to practice and more. And now you faved that last drawing I made. It garnered a lot of faves and I'm really proud about it because it turned out more or less how I want it. I know if I keep on practicing I'll improve and someday I'll look back to that drawing and say "oh man that looks horrible" but I'll never stop being proud about it because I made it back then and it took me a lot of effort.
Now I don't consider myself an artist, just a guy that draws stuff because it's fun. But again, I've been on your shoes and I can tell you this:
Keep going. Take the challenge, learn to draw, fulfill what you want to do. It may seem hard at first because it is! But it's a lot of fun and it's really rewarding to finish it.
This whole thing I'm writing may seem a bit sudden but I hope it may help you. I'll end up with some tips if you do continue with it:
- It's good to have an inspiration. In fact it's really good! You have a goal with it which is a nice way of controlling how you want to be. One thing though, be sure to be yourself, don't imitate your inspiration. There's nothing more valuable than the value of oneself, not a copy. I've seeing a lot of artists that just end up being copies of others. Be inspired and be yourself.
- Don't worry too much about a tablet right now. Try it on paper, it's really worth it. I bought a sketchbook and I carry it with me to work and college. Always sketching something (faces, figures, etc). So yeah, try some paper, with mistakes and everything it's a fun experience.
- Don't look at tutorials about "how to draw a manga face" or something. Not trying to diminish their effort but in the end those tuts are only making you know one style. You'll be just copying. Look for realism to learn the fundamentals then add a bit of your ownself. Don't try to imitate but reproduce what you can do. Don't try to learn stylized, go for realism. Better know the rules before breaking them right?
- Make it fun. Draw things you want to do or see. Toy around with ideas and then to paper.
- Practice. But not just draw an eye and that's it. Do it a lot, draw it lots of time. Try with different parts. Practice gives you speed. Speed gives you mastery.
- Don't stress yourself when something doesn't look good. Accept some mistakes, finish what you're working on and analyze it. In the next drawing give yourself the task of making it better. Learn to move on.
- Take breaks. Don't make this take your whole life. After finishing that last drawing I got a bit burned out. Nothing I sketch turned out okay-ish. Gave meself a break, played some games and WHAM! I could draw again. Give yourself some rest.
- Be proud. But I don't mean like "my drawing it's the BEST thing in the world". Naw dawg, be more like "yeah I DID this with my very best and I'm proud. I know there's things to improve but this one, right now, I'm proud of."
- Learn to take critique. Don't take it personal, whoever gives you feedback it's trying to help in some way (unless they are trolls and they all like "omg this suxxx"). Take what they are saying and give some thanks. Sometimes it's really hard to take critique since, say, you spent DAYS doing a drawing and someone comes and says "foot looks weird", don't get mad and analyze the critique. Then reply based on what they're critiquing, maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, maybe it's maybelline. In the end, you can use that feedback into your next pieces.
- Watch people draw. Go to livestreams, fave some work and talk with artists. Their insight it's incredible. And you may even learn a trick or two from watching them.
And...
- Always be nice to people. Be that artist you want to be. Reply like how you wanted to be replied. Even if people doesn't like your work you can always talk them and they may even end up liking and watching you just because you were a nice sport. Being nice to others it's like the flag of Switzerland, a big plus. Also be tolerant of others people tastes. So yeah, be nice and be tolerant.
Woop! And that's it. I hope it helps!
And again, thanks a lot for the fave. Being someone who didn't knew how to draw and then getting faves for a drawing. FEELS GOOOOD
Thanks!
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks for this. Β One day, I'm going get the nerve to really chase that dream!
π: 0 β©: 1
You know how happy it makes me to know this helped someone?
Thanks man, I really appreciate it :') !!!
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for the favorite! I hope you enjoy the story.
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for the fave! 
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for adding Unknown Origins to your favorites!
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for adding my picture to your favorites !Β
Β
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for the fave on my Mass Effect lit! ^_^
π: 0 β©: 0
Thank you for the recent 
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for the fave. What did you like about it?
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks for the
π: 0 β©: 0
Just checking some random deviants and ran up to you. Conclusion, you have a strange thing for huge...
π: 0 β©: 0
Thank you very much for the fav! Have a llama!
π: 0 β©: 0
thank you so much for the
π: 0 β©: 0
| Next =>