Message Board
| Message Board > Art and Graphics > Learning to draw |
| October 7, 2006, 13:37 | |
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OScoder
None 1338 posts |
Hi, I'm fed up of not being able to draw my own graphics for games - so I've decided to try and learn! Can anyone tell me where to start, what to read, etc? I've read a few pixel art tutorials, and have a trial copy of pro-motion (free graphics software). What kind of styles of drawing, etc work best in games? Thanks, OScoder ____________ om |
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| October 7, 2006, 14:54 | |
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Tovi
I love you! 75 posts 
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I think good drawing is something you need experience in, you won't really get it out of a tutorial. Just take your time with pixelart. Save your work regularly, and try out new things (move around a few pixels, add some shading), and if it's not an improvement, take back a step and try again. Really, I wouldn't expect you can get it done in a matter of minutes. Just take your time for each drawing. Don't stop until you are really happy with the results. Also, don't quit because you're getting impatient. Be prepared that graphics might just take up the most of your time while making a game. And the more you draw, the better you get at it, and the faster you'll be able to make pixel art. [Edited on October 7, 2006 by Tovi] ____________ Zombie Robot Ninja Pirate Battlefield Extreme!!! |
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| October 8, 2006, 09:13 | |
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toco123
Banned 240 posts 
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First think of what you want to draw and sketch it on a sheet. If you can't think of anything, draw light scribbles and lines.Then draw an outline around the most intresting shapes and you could form a zombie, beast , snake , rabbit etc. Its what i do. Take all your good pictures and make a pile. Now pick your simplest picture and take your time drawing it. Try something like a zombie for practise so it can be out of proportion. If you can only do an arm in 10 minutes so be it. Also if your taking a front view it is recomended to start with eyes, but with pixel art it is up to you. Save all your files, you never now what games will need a cup a zombie and umbrella. Take your time and make sure you use a good mouse not a rubbish laptop touch mouse or the ball mice. They'll only get stuck or not respond and your picture will not be the work of art you hope it to be. I sometimes use an easy to draw style which is basically like a lego head for the head and then draw a stickman out of it to get proper proportions and then just draw clothes and hands Pixel Art is hard, very hard so have a drink with you and take your time ____________ Kamasutra: The new Massively Multiplayer Foreplaying Game |
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| October 8, 2006, 14:23 | |
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PEader
お前はもう死んでいる 1486 posts 
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OScoder your solution is to draw crap and not worry about it. Just make sure you label everything clearly. ;-) I mean it's not like artists write good code now is it? ____________ I see 57,005 people. |
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| October 8, 2006, 18:05 | |
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toco123
Banned 240 posts
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Peter, stop making excuses for yourself
____________ Kamasutra: The new Massively Multiplayer Foreplaying Game |
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| October 11, 2006, 20:01 | |
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TheMI3
Starving Artist 520 posts 
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I think the best way to learn to draw is to copy other people. Look at other artists and try to emulate exactly what they do. No interpretation! And you have to learn that everything is made up of shapes. I think that later on I'll compile a list of links to online tutorials/books that have helped me. ____________ This is my Blog. There are many like it, but this one is mine! (Now actual posts on it) http://www.chiefillustrator.com |
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| October 11, 2006, 21:41 | |
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toco123
Banned 240 posts
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Quoting TheMI3: I think the best way to learn to draw is to copy other people. yep ____________ Kamasutra: The new Massively Multiplayer Foreplaying Game |
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| November 6, 2006, 10:39 | |
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Dennis
どこかにいる 2097 posts 
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depends who you copy, no? If you copy Chuck Norris your computer will crash.
____________ Kwakkel |
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| November 6, 2006, 11:36 | |
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Ariel Yust
Bloodcoughted Yozik 291 posts 
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look at things at draw that allways help...if you want to learn how to draw women, my advice is : you find a girlfriend and belive me you will learn much better how they look... drawing is copying reality but it can be the opposite as well... JUST DRAW you'll improve in the end no book's help is needed - maybe if you try drawing manga you should get a help in that... everything else is just draw I never set and read a book! thats just boring - just draw when u have the time and let others give you tips to improve your drawing , try learning from others that helps especialy friends who know to draw well they can show you how they do it  and you both can give tips each othershortly good luck on your quest... ____________ Get bitten by a vampire or at least at my own character muhahahaha! http://s7.bitefight.org/c.php?uid=159944 |
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| November 6, 2006, 16:56 | |
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Dennis
どこかにいる 2097 posts
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I can draw pretty well on paper. It just sucks when I use pixels. :p Also, that color replacer in Graphicsgale is always pixel per pixel??? in DIV you could use colour mask which was soooooooooooo useful!! [Edited on November 6, 2006 by Dennis] ____________ Kwakkel |
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| November 6, 2006, 20:43 | |
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PEader
お前はもう死んでいる 1486 posts
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If you're going to practice drawing I'd suggest always to draw using something as reference. It will take a lot of practice before you can draw from your imagination. Ariel Yust: saying books are no good is all well and good when you have people to give you tips but where is he going to get tips from if he knows no drawers? Also it depends on the book some books are dull some are not just like pictures. ____________ I see 57,005 people. |
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| November 7, 2006, 10:26 | |
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Dennis
どこかにいる 2097 posts
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Depends if there is a good reference to do it >> I can make nice FF6 characters out of the original characters 
____________ Kwakkel |
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| November 12, 2006, 10:13 | |
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toco123
Banned 240 posts
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Quoting Dennis: Also, that color replacer in Graphicsgale is always pixel per pixel??? in DIV you could use colour mask which was soooooooooooo useful!! Yeah is there any software very similar to Div???? ____________ Kamasutra: The new Massively Multiplayer Foreplaying Game |
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| November 13, 2006, 13:04 | |
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Ariel Yust
Bloodcoughted Yozik 291 posts
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I can say that from my expiriance I didnt learn from drawing books that show you how to draw line from line... hmm when I think of it I had one when I was 5 it helped me draw dinosaurs was so crazy on those when was young well thats it. the only time try just sketching with the mouse the basic form of the character it helps then go into details just like drawing on paper  you can allways sketch your character on paper and then draw em on the screen  or just scan ur characters and use em in your games what ever helps mate ^.^ "Time is the best teacher there is" ____________ Get bitten by a vampire or at least at my own character muhahahaha! http://s7.bitefight.org/c.php?uid=159944 |
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| December 13, 2006, 13:25 | |
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Dennis
どこかにいる 2097 posts
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Quoting toco123: Quoting Dennis: Also, that color replacer in Graphicsgale is always pixel per pixel??? in DIV you could use colour mask which was soooooooooooo useful!! Yeah is there any software very similar to Div???? If you think this should not have been posted because the date of the last reply is too old then go masturbate. ____________ Kwakkel |
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| December 18, 2006, 16:47 | |
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Nikki
Whiskered 15 posts |
I am a shitty wanabee-programmer, and a full educated artist, If you want to learn to draw i would advise you to shut down your computer, get a blank book (dummy) and a ballpoint or pencil and start. Try to copy the things around you, draw the stuff in your room or whatever, and maybe some family. Do this daily. And then you draw. ____________ |
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| December 18, 2006, 18:10 | |
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TheMI3
Starving Artist 520 posts
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Nikki speaks the truth. Back when I was a newbie artist (and by all accounts I still am, but back when I was so newbie it makes me wince) I used to just draw Spider-Man. Like literally, all the time. There wasnt a page in a text book unafflicted by Spider-Man. In the letters pages of one issue the editorial said to another aspiring artist, 'if you want to learn to draw, learn to draw everything, and from life. Especially people. People are extremely hard to draw. So basically dont solely draw super heroes.' And I tried that and kept at it i guess. I still like drawing Spider-man every now and then though. For old times sake. And sonic. ____________ This is my Blog. There are many like it, but this one is mine! (Now actual posts on it) http://www.chiefillustrator.com |
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| December 19, 2006, 03:32 | |
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Sandman
F3n!x0r 1194 posts 
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Show me your awesome drawings of Sonic. He pwns.
____________ BennuWiki Yes, my avatar has grey borders in IE (so get a decent browser) ROOFLEZ ROOFLEZ |
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| December 19, 2006, 08:49 | |
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yonni
None 420 posts |
When I wanted to learn to draw people properly, I'd sit in boring lessons (normally English) and draw the people around me. My poetry text book now has more pencil sketches than my Art sketch book. A lot of art (including pixel art, and to some extent pencil) is all about layering. You start with a line drawing of the outlines, just to get the basic shape at first and then you redo each bit untill you're happy (a rubber is more important than a pencil here). Then (if desired) add a base colour to each surface, this colour should be near enough the colour of the real thing without shadows or highlights. Then (if desired you add shading), I wont go into than now, because it depends on what materials you're using, what effect you want to give, if you're using colour, what you're drawing. Highlights should also be added at this stage. Finally, it is sometimes a good idea to soften the original lines, again, wheater and how this is done can depend on so many things there's no point in me telling you ways of doing this. The above is just a basic outline of a method that I have come to find useful, but basically it's all about the end product and the effect you want it to have. Just don't be afraid to rub things out (many times) or layer colours/shading (especially when using paint, as in the liquidy stuff, not the MS "graphics editor"). Hope that helps. ____________ |
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Message Board > Art and Graphics > Learning to draw