[lmayfield]

How do you guys practice? Im asking for a extremely exhaustive answer. Im hoping this might help me focus a little on structuring my progression.

(For example (just to give an idea of structure): I draw X hours a day. I choose one target to draw (hands, lips, feet, etc) then I digitally paint for X hours , X days of the week. I start by doing X. Then play with doing X, etc. I look at inspirations X,Y,Z and try to replicate then, I read Book X and practice X over and over. )

[Blindrat]

I usually set aside an hour or more a day to draw for the sake of drawing. Sometimes I'll have a certain thing I want to practice other times it's just drawing for the sake of drawing...

If I'm really not sure how draw or paint something ill grab a bunch of reference or go outside with a book and do studies of them until i think im at a satisfactory point of understanding and then do "creative" unreferenced studies of that same subject to see how well i understood it.


I tend not to treat traditional and digital media differently(other then how make special effects or certain cropping/masks) so ill alternate one day doing traditional paintings/drawing and then the next ill do digital. Some days I'll do a mix of the two or do a process where i go from one to the other...

As for books, while I have a few "how to draw the figure" type books laying around from earlier personally I find buying art books of artists I like and or who do things well to be more helpful. espcially if they have process work in it or sketches.

[happyfish]

I think the most important thing is to make clear goal and make effective work plan .

In the usual work, strict with himself. And notice a dull boy, the entertainment at the same time, looking for inspiration in the work.

[aaron_Lamzilla]

Surround yourself with visually interesting books and start building a reference library of thing that interest you if you haven't got one. Drawing is not only a physical thing, but majority of the time, its really a mental thing. Most importantly, you have to be consistent and persistent. Being consistent is about practice everyday and persistent is about not giving up when it get tough.

[megazordprime]

Originally Posted by aaron_Lamzilla

Surround yourself with visually interesting books and start building a reference library of thing that interest you if you haven't got one. Drawing is not only a physical thing, but majority of the time, its really a mental thing. Most importantly, you have to be consistent and persistent. Being consistent is about practice everyday and persistent is about not giving up when it get tough.

Any books do you recommend? I'm new to all of this and I'm having trouble starting.

[kovah]

There is no one set method or time table for practicing or learning to draw because everyone is different. Certainly the more someone does draw and practice the improvement rate is better but you risk burning out if says you set yourself 15 hours a day of working.

I tend to find that doing 2-3 hours then having a none drawing/none computer break for 10-40 minutes works for me. I go do some chores, walk the dog, have lunch then go back to work. And cycle this roughly between 8am - 5:30pm in a week day, evenings and weekends are free unless i want to draw something for me or have deadlines.

It also doesn't particularly matter what you draw for practice as you will learn with every piece, but if you know you are not great at something its best to have a go at that.

[aaron_Lamzilla]

Originally Posted by megazordprime

Any books do you recommend? I'm new to all of this and I'm having trouble starting.

http://parkablogs.com/

That's a great site to review concept art books before you buy them. Everyone have interest in different subject matter, it's best to spend some time to explore the site.