Hello everyone! So as you can tell, I'm new to this forum. I actually just stumbled on it by chance just surfing on the internet, so Lord only knows how I ended up on here

I'm totally new to this whole drawing thing. I mean I have drawn before; in school and when I'm bored. It's just all of the technical things that I'm new to. Just recently (about two weeks ago) I found out that I LOVE to draw, and that I don't just want to draw when I'm bored, I actually want to do it as a serious hobby and maybe something more (over time, who knows).

Over the past two weeks I have bought watercolored pencils, soft pastel sticks (a set of only 15 because that was all that was available ) and some oil pastels. I don't like oil pastels, watercolor pencils don't appeal to me, but I love the soft pastels. I also love colored pencils; I have been using an old set I had in my room.

What I have been doing so far is just experimenting with different mediums using the things I have learned from my research. So I haven't really started a project yet. I have about half of a sketch book (and many other types of papers) filled with random colorings and shapes. I have tried out shading techniques and I'm still working on depth, which I seem to have a problem with, but hey, practice makes perfect right . It really was to practice. But now I actually want to start a project.

I would like to do projects in either colored pencil or soft pastels. I'm going to go to Michael's sometime this week to get a better set of colored pencils and/or a better set of soft pastels (and maybe some hard, but I have to see, what do you think? hard, soft, pencil pastels, all?)

So do any of you have any ideas on a project that I could do? A picture reference would be ideal since I am very good at sketching out the general details. Keep in mind, I'm a beginner to serious art!! I'm not picky at all, but I'm very partial to anything nature, churches, and still life.

Also, do any of you have any tips for buying the products? I swear everytime I go to the craft store, I look at the 15 different brands, each with 15 different items, in 15 different types and wonder "which one is better?".

So if you have an idea for me GREAT! Just let me know the medium (colored pencil or pastel) and if there is anything else that I would have to get (blending sticks, paper, etc.). It just occured to me that it might sound odd that someone is asking for total direction on artwork, but my creative mind is very slow. I need to be pushed. After the whole pushing thing, I can go on my own easily (I'll be one artistic son of a gun!!)!!

Thanks for all of your help! I'm really glad that I found this place!!

Well, there are the obvious lessons you can do, but pretty much whatever you draw helps.

P.S. The more the merrier, welcome to drawspace!!!

Check out the challenges for lots of inspiration and pictures to do.

Hey welcome to drawspace! I recently descovered that I like pastels too. If I were you I would bye soft pastels becuse they blend beautyfully and If you make a mistake just smear it out or cover it with a different color! This is one of my recent tryes with soft pastels:
Good luck with drawspace and your art!

Hey! and welcome! Sounds like you're on the right track - try lots of different mediums, you'll find that you will have a preference for one or some - or discover that you LOVE the one you thought you would have absolutely no interest in. As for inspiration and projects, look around you - I'll bet you'll find some of the most fascinating subjects right in your back yard!

Hi and welcome to Drawspace, if ya want tips let me say what materials i work with: Paper:not just any paper will work,i use Pigma drawing paper cuz its high quality and suports every tipe of material. Color: I use only tempera cuz i like the thiknes of it. And i use 2HB,6B and 2H pencils(the best i say). Hope i helped you out. Best of luck. and remember...Draw,draw and draw