PaperDemon Art RPG

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Anatomy + Frustration = help?

  1. Posted on May 4, 2008, 11:53:47 AM UTC
    ID: 21477 | #1
    Jeica
    Level 18 LOCKED
    XP

    | - I feel like kicking myself in the head - |

    AAAAAAAGH! I hate anatomy!
    I sat down this morning to practice some, looked for some stock images and yadda yadda, you know the deal. BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WTF I'M DOING HALF OF THE TIME. Why?
    I mean, do I HAVE to know all those little details about how the skeleton works and every goddamned little muscle twist and turn when we move around?

    ..man, if that's the case, I reeeaaally need a tutor or something.

    And the annoying thing is that everybody says different. Some say "Just sit down and draw lots of bodies, it worked fine for me" while others say "You have to know the basics in anatomy - the skeleton and muscles etc.". Wtf? Where do I start? And what guidelines am I supposed to use?
    I even bought two damn books on the subject and they're pretty much as indeep as anatomy books can get..

    I suppose my impatience is getting the better of me, huh?

     

    If someone has any sort of tips, tricks, hints, whatever... tell me? Cause I am so damn stuck I'm about to rip my own head off. It feels as if I'm not getting anywhere. I'm not improving and I want to know why.

    Last edited by BogusRed on May 11, 2008, 3:37:36 PM UTC. 1 total edits.

  2. Posted on May 4, 2008, 12:16:21 PM UTC
    ID: 21478 | #2
    ArkillianDragon
    Level 273 BETA ADMIN
    XP

    You know why noone can help you? Cause art is grey. All people can do is give you advice and you just practice and that's art in a nut shell. Getting muscles right is all about drawing them alot and knowing where they sit.

    My suggestions-

    • Use referances with GOOD lighting. How do you know its good lighting? If you turn it into grey scale, it has even amounts of dark and light- not just grey. Oh- and don't get photo manips
    • Don't start a picture thinking it'll take one hour. If what you do is 2 hours now, a referance shouldn't make it a quicker process. Spend 4 hours on it and make sure you understand why it does what it does.
    • Don't drive yourself nuts just drawing random poses. They get boring. Find a pose you can fit to a scene and build it in. NEVER force yourself to draw. You wont put your full effort in.
    • Find some good art books on human proportion. This one is an EXCILLENT book- I learnt how to draw from this book. Beware though- the art style is 1960s (it's been around THAT long- its a GOOD book), and it focuses on mostly 30+ humans- not teens. You'll have to figure out how to make them look younger. The drawing tuts in this book are the BEST I've ever found and I look at alot of art books.
    • Lastly- Don't worry about how shit you think you are. Push yourself hard, and in 3 months time, if you can look at your old art and say "Hey look- I've improved!!" then it's mearly time before you're an awesome artist.

    EVERYONE starts off like you. Just perceiver, and get better. Don't become a pro over night cause it wont happen. That's my suggestion :)

  3. Posted on May 4, 2008, 12:25:43 PM UTC
    ID: 21479 | #3
    Jeica
    Level 18 LOCKED
    XP

    Yeah, thanks. T__T I just feel as if I can't get over that goddamned wall.

     

    I'll just keep bumping my head against it until I break through it.. since I can't climb over it the quick way, right? (XD)

     

    Anyway - yeah, thanks. I really appreciate it.

  4. Posted on May 4, 2008, 1:24:18 PM UTC
    ID: 21480 | #4
    ArkillianDragon
    Level 273 BETA ADMIN
    XP

    To be honest Jeica- sometimes to improve your art you need to look at what really bugs you and adress that insteed of what you think it is. See, I think your proportions look right to me. I seriously don't think its your issue. If you want critique on what does look wrong, then I think your next step is dynamics- not proportion. It may look out to you cause it may look mundane. You seem to draw a similar pose looking forward. Don't be too exciting on your first few, but try doing an action shot of someone running. Or doing a pose you've never tried before. Spend as long on it as you need. I think that is your answer- you have the basics. It's not biggie- you're alot further with art than alot of people are. IF you're at this point with art and STILL want to get better, then I know you have the drive to get action shots ^^ If I can do it, then so can you ;)

  5. Posted on May 4, 2008, 1:57:25 PM UTC
    ID: 21481 | #5
    Jeica
    Level 18 LOCKED
    XP

    Aah? Okay, I'll try that out then.. Hmm. Must get my hands on some good stock photos or something then.. or should I skip those? o_o

  6. Posted on May 4, 2008, 6:19:09 PM UTC
    ID: 21482 | #6
    pazazz
    Level 29
    XP

    Anatomy is a big bugga boo with many artists, so you are not alone there.  I too struggle with it.  Stock photos do help, and there are some really good books out there specifically for artists for anatomy study.  Perhaps this web site may help you some too. http://www.posemaniacs.com/  Practice really does help, good luck.

  7. Posted on May 4, 2008, 8:23:56 PM UTC
    ID: 21484 | #8
    Jilly
    Level 115
    XP

    Anatomy is a tricky thing I always struggle with it too but what I found is the only way to learn it is to just keep drawing it. All the books say pretty much the same thing: Use references and shapes and all that is true. If you draw from real life then you'll start to understand how muscles work. Knowing where the muscles are and how they connect to the skeleton first really didn't help me at all. Anyone can memorize where all the muscles are but that doesn't mean they can draw it like a pro. The only way to learn how to draw is to draw. So my suggestion keep using refs all the time and do quick gestures and pretty soon it'll start clicking with how muscles and the bones work together.

  8. Posted on May 4, 2008, 8:42:37 PM UTC
    ID: 21485 | #9
    fablespinner
    Level 36 BETA
    XP

    One of the things that really helped me tighten up my UNDERSTANDING of anatomy and how a body moves... I picked up POSER, it's a 3D model and it was initially desgined to replace the wooden artist model. A lot of people just use it as a rendering device, but it's primary development was to be an artist's tool in learning all the multiple facets of the human body.

     

    An artist's wooden dummy is very basic and does not give you muscle sinue, a 3D model does. You can use 360 degree camera angles and multiple light sources too, it's really helped me "SEE" just how a body moved and contorts.

     

    You can get a free version from DAZ Studios. Try playing with a model, create your OWN "stock photos" in an environment you control, you get exactly what you want that way.

     

    ^_^

  9. Posted on May 5, 2008, 9:37:15 AM UTC
    ID: 21492 | #10
    Jeica
    Level 18 LOCKED
    XP

    Jill; Yeah, I think I'll do just that, because.. I honestly just cannot see the point of learning how the skeleton works. To me, it looks like just another detour in learning.. I might be wrong, who knows, but that's what I'm thinking right now. Thanks for the reply! <3

     

    Fable; WHOA, THANKS. O_O I sooo have to go get that thing! It sounds pretty much amazing! xD Thanks a lot for the comment!

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