- Use guidelines when drawing. Use basic shapes and lines to help you plan out where things should be! I use circles for the head, chest, and hips. Then I just use lines for things like arms, legs, tails, and the neck!
I overlayed what my guides looked like over top my finished image! I know it might seem challenging or scary to do this (I know it was for me years ago), but the more you do it, the more of a habit it becomes! You'll wonder why you didn't always use guides. xD - If you're drawing a dog, look at pictures of dogs! Referencing photos is not cheating. You can learn how to draw something by figuring out how to translate the real thing into lines and color! The more you do it, the more second nature it becomes! Even I still have to use references from time to time and I make a living drawing art. (Tracing photos and heavily referencing other art is different and not really a good idea, though. It can actually stunt you as an artist in most cases!)
- OTHER TIPS:
..... Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort-zone! Drawing poses/species you haven't done before can be both challenging AND rewarding!
..... Don't be afraid to start over. If you keep working and reworking something, and it's doesn't look right no matter what you do.. erase it. A blank slate can really help!
..... Stay positive! I know it's really easy to down yourself and say that you'll never improve but believe me, you improve every time you draw! I look back on the art I did 5 years ago, and I just say "wow, look at how much I've improved", and I take comfort in knowing that, in another 5 years, my art will be even better. If you're a young artist, you'll get to do that one day as well! (Just make sure you're practicing as much as you can!)
I hope I helped at least a little bit! Thank you for letting us do this. <3
