Omigosh...I need help

[correlate.]

No, this is not about me going emo or AWOL or anything like that.

What's really bugging me is that I think I use too many references to draw. I can barely draw without them, unless I can memorize it. How do I break this: Get better or forget drawing completely?

And also, which is better to be good at: Traditional drawing or computer drawing?

[Seasonal]

Hmm... for the reference thing, try not to use the reference for the entire drawing. For example, if you're drawing a cat, use the reference to see the distance from the nose to the eyes. You'll really want to learn about your topic so that you can draw free-hand; I'm trying to learn how to draw cats, so I now know that they have almond-shaped eyes and that their fur radiates away from their face. I'm not saying that I'm good at drawing or anything, but it helps me take my drawings from stick-figures to circles and ovals.

I think that it is better to be good at traditional. If you ever want to find a career that involves art, the chances of drawing it on the computer are quite slim, unless you are making it for a graphic. Computer-drawing is quite hard, though; if you are good at it, you will probably be better at traditional.

[correlate.]

Thank you. I do try to change the art a little; I am mostly making my characters...

[eliethewolf]

I would disagree and say that most professional artists these days do digital work.


I would try to slowly wean yourself off references. Try to think about how something looks and then draw it from that. match it up with a reference pic after you draw it and see if you were close.

[Selcouth]

Try drawing from memory alone. :3
Do a few sketches purely from memory- nothing fancy, just the basic idea of what you want- then look at one or two references, and see what you can add/subtract/edit.
In other words, what Elie said. ^^

As for digital vs. traditional... Personally, I love traditional art, and I have a great respect for the traditional artists. {There's no undo button for paint or ink. .-.;;} However, there are more opportunities now-days for digital artists. It's so much easier to find work as a digital artist, considering that you can just send the works straight from your program to your client or website. Not to mention, you have thousands of copies at your fingertips in case someone looses the original.

Even so- I still prefer traditional art to digital, if only for the look of it. ^^

[correlate.]

Thanks, Ellie and Hoshiko! I try to sketch from memory, but it usually turns out...Gross. Most of the doodles I draw in notebooks look nowhere near as good as when i have a reference. *sigh* Thank you both...Again ^^ I will try waning off from refs...AGAIN.

Why I asked about which art is better to have good skills at is because I really want to draw well on my tablet, just like some of the stuff I draw/sketch traditionally. I don't have a scanner, that's why I can't show anyone what I really can do! *sigh...again*

[Larkspurr]

I'm better at drawing tradiotionally, but its up to you. I'm happy for drawing to stay a hobby.
About the reference, what I do for many things, I try to memorize the pic as best I can, learn about the topic, and if you can just visualize it in your head and keep it there clearly, try to draw it from how it looks in your head. I drew many things that I just memorized how it looks when profs. do it.
Also, try drawing in different styles and poses. Chibi types are good for keeping the topic but making it less proportional, and etc.
Hope it helps :3 (And you wont have to draw from too much from a ref)

[Nyhne]

Mmmm, well, as my art teacher always says, the best way to make something look accurate is if you are either looking at it directly or looking at a referance. But I can definitely understand your concern. I'm often worried that I reference too much, but I haven't been drawing as much lately. ^^' Like someone said, try to gently ease you way off of references...like maybe keep drawing a certain pose but each time change something little...the position of the tail, maybe a leg stretching back more, ect. ^^

I'm a traditional-media artist myself (with my awesome skills at digital art with a mouse, I'm limited to simple spaceart at most), and I like to support others who still stick with the traditional medias. Sure, digital art may be more convenient, but traditional medias is where the great artists like M. C. Escher and Claude Monet came from.

[iheartdogs0611]

lol

[WolfWhisperer]

Everyone has used ref's before. Even the best of artists out there have used millions of refs of other drawings and pictures. It's a normal habit. Plus you shouldn't stop the artwork! You'll get better in time. And when you are satisfied with your work then you wont need refs anymore.