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A Tip for Freehanding
🕑 Added 2021-03-31 21:26:56 +0000 UTCI can attest much of my growth on instagram to my freehand drawing ability. With instagram, videos garner a wider audience. I dislike this fact, but it's the case and we gotta figure out how to use it to our advantage. I used to think I was good at freehand drawing when I was actually not, and now that I think I'm ok at it, I have undoubtedly improved.
When fans would ask me how they too can improve their freehands, I'd tell them to do their studies using the freehand method. Boy, now I think that was the wrong thing to tell up and coming artists. I could see from all the art I was tagged in that I had given pretty crappy advice. Proportions were out of shape, there were random hatching on unusual places, and lines were wonky and unstable. If you're one of those artists I gave that advice to, I'm sorry.
For the past 5 years or so, I'd find myself having 2-4 week long freehanding spurts where I'd practice drawing without a rough underdrawing. Then I'd take a 2 or 3 month hiatus before getting back to it again. I now see what helped me the most. It wasn't the freehanding that made me better at freehanding. I mean, it definitely helped, but there was much more to it. It was actually the times where I was drawing my comic using clean, crisp lines, a very detailed underdrawing, and pulling up reference anytime I had a question that helped me become a better freehand artist.
The more time I spent drawing consciously; drawing with intent to learn and memorize rather than drawing for the sake of drawing and creating; the more I developed my photographic memory. As a kid, I was told I had photographic memory by my art teachers. I don't think I did because I was actually a very dumb kid. I did have a very observant eye however. If I drew a tiger when I was in elementary school, I kid you not, I'd count how many whiskers there were. I'd count each strand of fur visible to my eyes and aim to match the image I was copying. One could say it was OCD, and you wouldn't be wrong, but it was that sort of thinking that allowed me to draw many animals from memory at a young age.
I think you can build a photographic memory. You don't have to be born with it. When I was drawing the Hookstag piece above, I was thinking about every muscle when I drew it. Where are the insertion points? Is it flexed or relaxed? I ask myself hundreds of questions and I make sure to answer each and every one. If I can't, I pull up reference and find the answer and try to memorize it so I don't redo the same mistake again.
I've seen so many artbooks showing us how to draw. Honestly, I don't think they're that useful. I'm more interested in learning what to think as an artist. When I learned the thought process of Kim Jung Gi, I advanced further than by viewing his how to draw lectures. Similarly, my best art teachers didn't necessarily show me to how draw, but how to think like an artist.
TLDR; just freehanding doesn't make you a better freehand artist. Drawing conciously using reference, underdrawing, and crisp linework will help you more than you think at becoming a competent freehand artist.
Stay safe art monkeys.
-Roosh
Comments
TheArtmiral
Thank you!
Kryat Lore
Found it! https://youtu.be/aoqu5SEFqRI There is a part 2 as well. He goes into a lot more detail in this one: https://youtu.be/DmqFbgKWoao
YonYonYon
What's Kim Jung Gi's thought process tho? 👀
How to draw vs What to think when drawing....hmm? Makes complete sense. I need to explore this more. 🤔
Manu Diez Arranz
Very inspiring Roosh 🖍️✨
You're welcome!
Jordan Weston
Great advice man :). Thanks for the read
Stay woke
This woke me from my nap. Worth it 🙌🏾Thank you for all these tips. You’re doing the lords work
