The Art Basics

~LittleAngel1 Jan 5, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

People are always saying you can't be a proper artist without the basics, but they never seem to specify exactly what they are, and how to go about learning them.

I'd like to improve as an artist, so any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated

Thank you!

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Devious Comments

~Glori305 Jan 5, 2013

Geometric shapes.
Perspective.
Color theroy, including light/shadow.
Anatomy.

Geometric shapes, best way to learn them, draw them, can combine very nicely with 1,2 and 3 point perspetive work.

Then work on color (there are some great books on color theory out there, hit your library)

Then start working on live things. Don't just do people, do animals too, and learn the skeleton's shapes at the least, some artists learn the muscle groups and how they move as well.

~LittleAngel1 Jan 5, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Thank you for all your comments!

I've started to look at tutorials of the things you've suggested

*EldingaGunman Jan 5, 2013

What the others said - to summarize, it is "necessary" to study not only the theory behind things such as anatomy(as in studying the layers below the skin as well), perspective(such as point perspective), composition(like the golden rule), and color(color wheel, complementary colors, ect.).

You should also draw from life, because that is what will tie the theory together with practice and make learning more effective.

~mikesblender Jan 5, 2013

Good points above, but the basics also include composition (the position of the objects on your canvas), positive and negative space (is your work balanced or too crowded/emtpy looking), and visual flow (how the eye travels through your work, ie, the eye should be drawn to the most important aspects first, then move on to the second most important, and so on).

~mikesblender Jan 5, 2013

'good points above' became 'good points below' ha.

~lo-lo259 Jan 5, 2013 Hobbyist General Artist

What Dewolfie said. You learn those so you can exaggerate them into anything, but still have them look good.

~WindHydra Jan 5, 2013 Hobbyist Digital Artist

Probably the ability to observe and draw from life. And some idea about perspective.

~DeWolfie Jan 5, 2013 Hobbyist Traditional Artist

Well, there are some thing every artists has to know about and that is basicly what you should learn during art-class in school.
To specify they are:
Anatomy: How humans are built, and their propotions
Form: Knowing that every object can be broken down into three basic shapes: The sphere, the rectangle and the triangel. Knowing these will give you an unlimited ability to draw whatever you want.
Shading: Knowing how shadow falls on objects and people, the logic behind highlights and so on.
And coloring: Knowing one or more way to colour your art is just as important.

Those are according to me; the basics. But you should allways be willing to test different things like scoulpting.

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