ok i havent been doing art for over 8 years now only one drawing here and there!
am doing a distance learning drawing and painting art course from home and i would like a list of the Mistakes that Beginner s make so i can stay clear of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


cant wait to hear from you all

aww hun its good to make mistakes then we can learn by them . ive been doing art for over 20 years and im still learning by my mistakes

I agree with you woo, you learn from your mistakes, but often these mistakes dont seem like mistakes till someone points them out.

Personally, the ones Ive learnt painfully:

start light, work through to dark.

Never assume your first line will be right. Always work light enough to correct.

Warmup is just that, warmup, not art making time.

Don't work solely from photographs. This is an image already in 2d, the challenge of drawing is converting 3d into 2d. Work from life where you can, otherwise your drawings will look like photos, and whats the point in that when the photo is probably more accurate?

Plan your drawings. Otherwise it looks like you made it up as you went along.

Use reference where possible, no its not cheating.

If it works, its probably right.

I don't make mistakes....anything i didn't mean i adapt it to look as though i did. lol, I think it was Bob Ross that coined the phrase "happy accidents", that is what they should be treated as, a wrong line is what makes each piece individual to you, don't lose your individuality!!
Good luck with the course work.

RJS

One thing I have noticed is that beginners are afraid of the darks. STudy your reference carefully, use a value scale to judge the depth of tone and go darker!

Another thing is outlining the subject. In life, nothing is outlined, it simple exists in a place, surrounded by other things and isn't surrounded by a harsh line. Try to soften edges and make them blend into their surroundings.

A third is going to quickly. Good drawings don't happen overnight usually. They take layers and layers of graphite and hours of work. Don't rush it.

LOL! Jeanette, I was going to mention those very things, especially about the darks! I have a really hard time getting my darks dark enough. I know the solution is starting light enough then gradually getting darker so that the darks at least look dark by comparison, but it's really difficult to do!

The outlining got me a verbal reprimand when I was first starting out & the teacher was so important to me that I've never forgotten it.

As far as going too fast - that's certainly not my problem! It takes me so long to draw anything that I get almost sick and tired of it before it's even finished!

J

Oh man you Guys are Great!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for your tips i will be writing them all down

Yes value scale is so important if you have the wrong value it wont(the drawing) appear anything like the image you are trying to capture.When you are then going into colour you have to judge the colour mix to your value scale.There are plenty of books on the subject of values.keep drawing and enjoy Lorrir.

You do have to be careful with this. Yes, most beginners do not go near dark enough in the deep value areas, and the result is non-realistic looking work, but it is NOT always good to start light and keep going darker. Especially if you are using high "H" leads. A lot of clay and binder is added to harden the graphite in them which will fill the "tooth" of the paper....depending on exactly how it is applied. Once this happens the paper will not hold any more graphite, and will not darken all that much, it'll just be shiny, and gray. If I know an area is to be dark I will start dark....very dark.

For me it's going too fast... both with rushing through lessons as trying to draw my drawings too fast. I ended up having to stop myself and take a step back and re-do some lessons.
Really the main thing I need to do is every time I finish a drawing, exercise or lesson, I have to take the time to stop and look at it all and ask myself if I am happy with the result and if I think I could have do better.

The darks are also a problem, but that is more something I need to make sure I practice untill I have graphite comming out my ears to learn the proper technique and pencil control

Next will be practicing to make lighter sketch lines when I first line out the drawing, but i'm currently using cheap, thin paper and random pencils, as I can't afford new art supplies at the moment.

Another tip is to stop and step back - literally - from your work to ensure that it looks as it should. We get very involved in being hunched over our work and forget to step back and look at it from a distance.

also holding your drawing up to a mirror will also reveal problems that you may not have noticed.

Finally, work on your drawing on an angle. If you work flat on a table, it can become skewed. Keeping it at a 45 degree or so angle while you work will help you keep it in the right proportions.

Another mistake I see from beginers is the way they draw hair. The hair should be just as important as the rest of the portrait but I've seen many beginner artists draw hair by either scribbling their pencil back and forth, up and down and all around, making the subject appear to have haystack hair or they draw it perfectly straight with no single strands anywere with every part darkened leaving no highlights so that the subject appears to have hair made out of cement.

LOL LOL LOL LOL

how do we do take layers and layers of graphite on a drawing is that in the lessons on this site?



whats a value scale?
and where can i find out more about it?
and what is contrast? i cant spell i hope u know what i mean?

A value scale is a piece of card with a preset range of grey squares ranging from 100% black to 0% white, it allows u to keep a constant range of greys throughout your drawing.

Contrast is how quickly your black changes to white in the gradients of ur drawing. A low contrast means it changes slowly, so the drawing looks greyer, a higher contrast means it changes quickly, so your drawing looks brighter. Usually you aim more for a higher contrast when drawing, as it generally makes the drawing sharper and more realistic.

thanks!

Most of what I wanted to say has been said. I'll say it anyway. Just some helpful additional tips.

Work from light to dark. I agree with Dragonshade but if you start thinking about that right away it would get complicated. Its something you have to do to learn to avoid.

Wrong lines - Yes, I learned about this when working with gesture drawing. I sometimes find it difficult to draw a first line in a figure.

Planning - Thumbnails! I have learned that even though I think I have the image down because I have it solid in my head but then I can't do it on paper. Making a smaller scale simple version helps.

When you really want to draw one specific object it helps to draw the background too even if you don't care much for what is around it. The background light really helps to make the light on the object stand out when they are contrasting light and dark.

I think, I know what you mean....
The term can be confusing, as what we usually know as mistakes, are those minor details that, make our drawings look, a bit off. which, once corrected, the drawing gets better and can be easily saved....

To make a distinction evident, I would call them "Common Errors", and some examples can be seen at:
>> this webpage on the "Don't Do That" in our drawings.
>> and at this link, where they call them errors / mistakes indistinctively. Common Drawing Errors and How to Fix Them...

Hope it helps...

Regards

Thank you so much for your links and post they are very help ful sorry its a late reply

take care uk artist x

Another mistake I see from beginners (I've done this too), is that when they draw a face portrait, they always make the eyes much too big.

better to have too bigger eyes than too small... unless ur trying 2 draw a seedy, cold sorta person.

Strokes in Shading!!! Its alright to let pencil strokes show through in shading, but watch out with thier direction. Don't shade the length of something, it won't look good, trust me. Go at right angles to it or cross hatch it.

3lansir, thanks for that last tip about the shading. I shaded the hand holding my chick the wrong way as you stated, and yes, it did look very comical and not pleasing. I'll definitely be redoing that portion to take in your suggestion.

Eric

Wait, what do you mean? Length of something?

Do you mean follow the shape? Like you would do with shading a sphere?

reference eric's last entry to the first drawing challenge, while it is a nice drawing, and shows alot of potential and advancement frm his previous drawings, he could have improved it by not shading along the fingers, instead cross hatching across the fingers would have given a more pleasing effect. Hard to describe, will try post an explaining drawing later.

I have noticed that everyone has been speaking to the actual physical cycle of laying medium, however we also have to consider the emotional peril that comes with being an artist. An artist has to develop a thick skin rather early on in their career, or they will never last. There are too many critics out there that are quick to judge a work based upon their own observations (which in some cases, is non-existant). As artists, we all have to understand that all work produced is based on OUR OWN PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN LIFE.
Remember the movie City Slickers?? When they were talking on horseback about the best and worst day of their lives?? My best day was when my art teacher in HS told me how I was drawing was incorrect and I needed to change my perspectives, however to me they looked correct. That day I understood that all art work, no matter how good or bad, is SUBJECTIVE to the seer. I could have easily picked on what I didnt like concerning his work. It was the best thing that ever happened to my art in the long run.
Oh yea, and my worst day?? The same day, cuz I didnt pick up a pen or pencil to draw for the next 5 years.
Therefore one of the worst mistakes a beginner can make is believing everything they hear from critics. PLEASE REMEMBER, that some critics may have never had any life experiences that effect how they see art. Or they just enjoy being overly critical of others. Whatever the case, take all criticisms with salt, pepper, and lots of hot sauce. It is YOUR life experiences, feelings, attitudes, and understandings that flow thru your hands onto your mediums. That is why, as one gets older, their art seems to grow with them. And even if they havent touched it in a while, they still have had more life experiences to affect their art. Keep it that way, and you should never feel bad at what the finale looks like.

Of course, your statements are correct, horsewhisperer. Art is what you can get away with. If it seems like art to you, it must be art.


BUT. (did you see that coming?)


There are two distinct spheres of thought in art (spheres because we dont like to talk about boxes). One sphere is primarily about rendering a realistic representation of something from life. This is where all the technical skills are found, with cross hatching, circulism, proportions etc.

The other sphere is the philisophical/psycological side of art. What is art? Why am I an artist? Why do I do what I do? Why does toast always land butterside down? It is the questioning part of art, and is ultimately the most subjective, personal part. It can only be seen from YOUR point of view, because you are your only viewpoint. (that might not make sense on paper).

Back to the first sphere, cultures form thier own rules on what is realistic representation. Compare Western art with Eastern. The difference is incredible. This is due to differing beliefs as to what "real" is. In general terms, Eastern cultures by and large were concerned with atmosphere. That the "experience" was what made a picture real. Western art however, concentrated on the solid objects, representing them to thier utmost detail, recording the fall of light only to illuminate the object they were rendering.

How does this fit in here? The tips and techniques we give in this thread, indeed this entire site, is pointed toward making more realistic Western art. Using the conventions and rules set before us by generations of artists (such as perspective, lighting, and proportions), we can learn to make an artwork seem more real to a Western perspective. I believe most people here would like to learn how to draw 'realistically' (western), as the control that is gained from that discipline allows the artist to freely convey his thoughts and emotions in other artistic ways.

SO.

Technical vs. Philisophical. Its up to the artist where they draw the line (excuse the pun).

It's In the Can. Ok I get a portrait done and grab for the clear coat. Nope, that's not the clear coat! That's the can of pea green paint I was painting my rat cage with. Ugh! Rinse, repeat.

I agree that art is very subjective. What is very objective however is the technical side or theory of drawing. No matter what you final outcome, you do still need to know the elements of drawing and how to make marks on paper or you simply cannot create effectively.

Yes, you can create, but it will not be to the level that is possible. I have seem too many 'painters' who dive straight into watercolour, oils or acrylics believing that they can render effective work without knowing the basics of their mediums or the basics of drawing.

I don't believe I would ever comment on the subject of someone's drawing or painting, simply on the technical side. What someone chooses to draw is very subjective and all are 'right' in their own respect. In this forum, many are beginners who want to learn to draw and to draw realistically. Experimentation, colour theory, painting, expression come later.

artists we are not photographers we are artists that want to creative something that OUR SELF WILL BE HAPPY WITH
We are allowed to express our self though art we can do what we want
we are all different we all have different ways of expressing our selves as artists we can be Free
some people have Disability's and cant get to realism even if they try so hard they cant as its to do with an illness they have really i think that if u want to a picture that it real then just take a Photo of it and be a photographer lol


horsewhisperer I Agree with you!!

No doubt. Art is what you can get away with. It is yours, not someone else's.
I'm just taken aback by your comments about photographers. There is a reason photography has a place in a Fine art degree, it is an artform, just a different medium. Skilled photographers can have complete control over how thier photos turn out, and often it isnt realism they are aiming for.

yes we need photos in order to show case our work and photography is a art form

one of my worst mistakes is pressing to hard with my pencil, therefore making it very hard to erase.

Mine was ...before I came here .. outlining everything first too hard ...then when I wanted so soft you can hardly see it was hard to get that effect ....so now i go so soft and work the hair first and move down the paper ...I have a problem going to dark .. cause i hate to erase.
hope that helps .
Kim