10 Most Commented:
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Accept the fact that when you copy a sketch or transfer it, the copy will never look as good as the original, or be exact in every detail. It's evil, but true. But it's still a good idea to copy sketches for final drawings, because if you happen to screw up you can always go back to the original sketch and make another copy.
Use rubber cement. It won't warp the paper like Elmer's glue, and you can also remove the drawings if you are careful. Cut out things that inspire you and paste them in the scrapbook. If it's a face in a magazine or a picture of a painting of a horse - whatever. Save it. You might use it later.
Be careful not to post your unfinished artwork in direct sunlight. The sunlight will effect the paper and graphite and when you go back to complete the piece you may have trouble getting the new sections to match the old.
It's not a bad idea to invest in some good books with lots of pictures if you are interested in perfecting details or drawing accurate depictions. A sense of realism is important in art, even fantasy art. If you are interested in drawing wolves (which most people aren't likely to get a chance to study in real life), get a book on wolves. Learn about what you are drawing. In my collection I have books on armor, medieval life, castles, cathedrals, animals, forests - whatever happens to strike my fancy that I want to learn about. I just make sure I get books with good pictures, so I can also use them for art. I love Barnes & Noble because they have a selection of reduced books on a variety of subjects - I can usually find at least one that would be useful. Magazines like National Geographic or Smithsonian can also be excellent for reference. If you see a good picture of something, try to get a copy to save. Also a good source of reference: the web. You can assemble a nice collection of various images - just be careful to record where they came from, or keep a bookmark file. It's important to realize that there's a difference between using something for reference and copying. Copying straight from another artist's work or a photo can be great practice, but don't try to pass off someone else's work as your own, even under the blanket term 'fanfic' or 'fanart'! Someone, somewhere will point out that the piece is not original, and it will have an impact on your credibility as an artist. People will wonder if other drawings are original, or if your only artistic talent lies in passing off someone else's work as your own. Always, always tell people specifically what you used for a reference, and if you copied or modified it. People don't like to be tricked. Avoid 'stealing' poses, details, or drawing styles that can be linked back to another artist, and always give credit if you do. Personally, I don't understand why someone would waste their time and effort copying another artist's work. What sort of challenge is it to draw something that is right underneath your nose? Of course, I had the same attitude to drawing from life or photo, so don't take me too seriously. I copied Disney animation cells when I was 12-14 and it was helpful, but I did them for the learning value only, I never attempted to pass them off as my own work, and I wasn't all that proud of the result because I copied instead of drawing from my own imagination. Of course, the whole idea of fanfic is based on stealing. There's nothing wrong with drawing Disney's Gargoyles, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Elfquest, etc., but be sure to make the distinction between an original drawing of a character in a distinctive style, and a copy of another artist's rendering. Yes, there is a big difference. Give credit where credit is due, and be honest. I'm mentioning this not only because it's a personal pet peeve, but because it can have legal ramifications as well. You can get sued for copying someone's work and passing it off as your own.
Drawing Human Anatomy by Giovanni Civardi
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Now, in reality, the world have paid too great a compliment to critics, and have imagined them to be men of much greater profundity then they really are. -Henry Fielding
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