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http://www.furaffinity.net/user/arcsol/ · Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 28 Aug 2011 Posts: 1386

I heard from alot of different sources that some of the best art schools around could be found in italy, i ask because my drawing isnt very good yet and i would like to learn more to better my work, I have friends who like the drawings i make for them, but since I've only started drawing 2 months ago I feel I lack the practice and the experience i feel that i could do better if i took more classes...any advice?

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 2173

((Well... I'm not Vanessa, but you could try SCAD or CIA.

Which are "Savanah College of Art and Design"... this is where Poe, of Explotation Now fame, got his degree. And, Cleveland Institute of Art, which is near my alma mater of CWRU.

So... there's a start. ))

Royal Member of BonBon Joined: 20 Oct 2009 Posts: 12351

1. Classes are not entirely neccessary, but they do help.

2. After 2 months, you shouldn't expect to be a world class drawer. Even those who study drawing vigorously can take a year+ to become exceptional artists.

3. Though the choice is entirely yours, I, personally, would recomend not worrying about art classes, at least not yet. The internet has some astounding artists with amazing skills. Regular practise should be your main priority. Draw everyday for at least an hour. It doesn't really matter what you draw and it doesn't have to be perfect, but it'll help train your hand and your mind's eye for detail. Browse the net and look at other people's art, A LOT! I'm talking about top teir art, here, really high quality stuff. Look at the pictures, see how the lines are drawn, see how the colours are shaded. Stop by some streams and watch some of those really good artists draw. See how they draw their art. Everyone has a different style and technique, but the basic funadmentals are very similar in each case.

Remember, this is my personal recomendation, not my direction as a skilled artist. (because I am not a skilled artist, yet) Most of what I just said has been said to me by other artists with great skills and other parts are just practically sound logic.

Here is a short list of my favourite artists. I'm not saying these are the only artists you should watch. I don't doubt there are many more artists with equal or better skill, these are just some of the ones I've found so far.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/os/ - Os's style is a bit simpler, detail wise, but his linework is fluid and stable. His shading and colouring is great as well.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/daq/ - DAQ is a more lineart based artist, but his linework is amazing and surpringly detailed.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/fluff-kevlar/ - FluffKevlar is an amazing example of what I consider a top tier artist. Her attention to detail is wonderful.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/miles-df/ - Miles is another great, top tier artist. His skill with colouring and shading brings a great sense of texture.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/meesh/ - Meesh's art is another style of simpler detail. Still high quality art, but once you start to notice the sublte difference between each artist's individual styles, you'll start to notice the subtle differences between the level of detail different artists use. To the unacustomed eye, the amount of detail may not seem very different. But to someone who regularly views a lot of art from a wide variety of artists, the difference is noticeable.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/tsampikos/ - Tsampikos I consider to be near the pinacle of top tier. The amount of attention to detail he puts into his art is amazing... and the short space of time he can achieve this in is... frightening.

These are just a small handful of artists that I watch. I recomend checking out their galleries for inspiration. See how they have drawn their art. Over time you will grow to see how each artist draws their art and you will then see how to draw your own. And if you think just looking art other peoples' art won't be of much help, just remember that in an art class, you're going to be studying the art of classic artists long gone and maybe even some amazing artists of today. We learn from those who have walked the path before us. Their trials are our lessons. Their mistakes form our course, guiding us to our destination without error.

After all that, you can still take a class if you feel you need it. It certainly won't hurt. But getting your feet a little wet by yourself before diving into the deep end with the couch can help you get accustomed to the water easier when you start taking lessons from someone else.

I hope my ramblings have been helpful in your endeavours.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/arcsol/ · Rank: Super Veteran Joined: 28 Aug 2011 Posts: 1386

Thanks for helping out Smile

and I know it will take years to do it and I'm up for that and after drawing for 6 hours last night I finally finished my avatar, it's going to take me longer to learn multiple styles since I can be hard on myself when it comes to drawing, the main reason I draw is to make a lot of people happy someday and I'm going to see that to the end or my friend will kill me, again thanks for helping silv