Cat WIP

[PogArtTi]

What an interesting topic!
I did enjoy reading these suggestions, there's a lot of crucial knowledge regarding 3D shaping of the figures we working on.
It's great, that you put attention to it Daniel, well done!
Skills will come to you, but most importantly you are aware of the structure of your cat, that it's not flat, but it has curves, shapes, etc. - to follow
Best regards!

[Mike Sibley]

Updated kitty drawing. I see many of my mistakes, just not sure how to correct them or not make them at all.

...and that's just how it should be. Seriously, you're trying to do too much too soon.

There are two main aspects to drawing:

1 - Learning and practising the basic techniques (there aren't many)until you no longer have to think about them

2 - Drawing your interpretation of the reference, rather than trying to copy it.

Your problem is that you can't do 2 without knowing 1. BUT, you learn to do 1 by drawing. So, switch your focus from "trying to look like a cat" to "does it look like hair?". Or "is my shading smoothly applied?". Or "are my lines tapered at the ends", because in almost all situations, they should be.

And you learn the Basics - at your stage - by copying a reference. Because the reference will tell you how well you're doing. But put your focus on learning the basics, not on producing perfect drawings.

Oh - and never throw anything away. You'll need to look back at earlier drawings to judge your progress.

I hope that all makes sense.... although I'm doubtful

And thanks for letting us see your reference. I'll get back to that tomorrow.

[DanielG]

What an interesting topic!
I did enjoy reading these suggestions, there's a lot of crucial knowledge regarding 3D shaping of the figures we working on.
It's great, that you put attention to it Daniel, well done!
Skills will come to you, but most importantly you are aware of the structure of your cat, that it's not flat, but it has curves, shapes, etc. - to follow
Best regards!

Thank you
Dan

[Mike Sibley]

...and that's just how it should be. Seriously, you're trying to do too much too soon.

Yes, this made perfect sense. I agree on biting off more than I can chew. I do need to learn to do 1. Correctly first. I think I got a little a head of myself. I’ll slow down and get the basics down.
Thank you for your honest comments, they are greatly appreciated.

Dan

[Mike Sibley]

First, I must explain that I suffer from Cluster Headaches (like severe migraine). I had three yesterday, which is why I couldn't reply. So, if I go missing, you know why

Looking at your reference, I'm reminded of something else I meant to mention. An artist learns to see. That means, they can look through what they expect to see and see what is really there. That will happen to you, but it takes time and practice - and will occur after the basic techniques are second nature.

For example, you've developed a hair-like line that you're happy to use for your cat. For me, that only really applies to the short hair on top of the nose. Above that - the bridge that was giving you problems - the hair changes quality. Here, I'm looking at dark V-shaped depths between slightly longer hairs. I'd want to use those dark V-shapes to show the viewers what sort of hair I was describing.

Then above that - over the forehead - the hair becomes softer and longer. And it has obvious layers that run horizontally through the hair. You noticed those at the left, so that's a step in the right direction.

Now, at your stage, I suggest you use the cat - it's a perfectly usable subject - but concentrate on two things:
-- Look at an area of the reference and try to work out exactly what it looks like. That's both texture and three-dimensional form. Imagine running your fingers over and through it.
-- Try to perfectly copy the reference, small area by small area. Small, so you can properly concentrate on it. You can use the reference to judge your own work.

Finally, don't let any of this stuff I'm writing dishearten you. By all means, ignore me. As long as you keep drawing, you'll eventually get to where you want to be.

[Mike Sibley]

Dan, I've just posted an answer on Quora.com, and I'll repost it here, because I think it might explain the journey you're currently on.

You start by learning the basic techniques. There aren't many, but you need to practise until they become second nature - then you can begin to draw. That said, you can draw whatever you want as means of practising - but put the emphasis on PRACTICE and not on MASTERPIECE

In my experience (my own and from teaching others) there are distinct stages that will take you to your goal.

1: Learning the techniques - such as linear, contour, and gradated shading; tapered lines; layering, burnishing, indenting; eraser uses... and so on.

2: Use those to copy references. Yes, at this stage copy what you see, because you can compare the reference to your drawing and gauge your skill and progress.

3: Along the way, you'll learn something of major importance: you'll learn to see. You'll be able to see through what you expect to see, and understand exactly what you are seeing.

4: Also on the way, you'll begin to amass a mental store of information. Now (coupled with 3 above), when you draw a tree from your imagination, you'll no longer think "candyfloss on a stick".

First-Steps.jpg

You'll know the tree is three-dimensional, that it's formed from masses of foliage that each possess their own three-dimensional shadows and highlights. That you can see through the tree, and probably see silhouettes of the internal structure of boughs. And so on...

5: Around that time, you'll begin to want to say something. You might be an expert at copying a reference, but now you want to tell everyone how you FEEL about it. That leads to interpretation. And now you're very close to achieving your goal.

You no longer have to think about HOW to draw anything. You see it in your mind and transfer it to paper. You know how to adapt what you see in ways that emphasise what is important to you - to tell your own story. And drawing actually revolves around story telling.

So practice and practice. Keep all your old work so you can look back at the progress you've made.

If videos are useful to you, look for me on YouTube: #DrawWithMike, and I can help you go from this to this:

Boxer time line.jpg

And this:

Overlooked.jpg

And then you can run with it from there.

[Originally posted at: QUORA.com]

[Laurene]

You’re doing well Daniel. Mike can guide you better than I can, but a suggestion I can give is to concentrate on any areas that you may find more difficult.

For example When I started I would draw cat eyes (not the whole cat, just the eye) and dog eyes and deer eyes etc…. This way I learned the different shapes of pupils in different animals and I also started understanding how light enters and exits the eye creating natural highlights.

Keep going and continually compare one area to another. Is it lighter or darker or similar in value? That helps quite a bit to keep us on the right road.

EDIT: I hadn’t seen Mike’s post above. This is wonderful advice Daniel! Just keep drawing and it will become increasingly clearer in your mind.

[LindasPencils]

Dan, I do like how you are progressing in your drawing journey. And although you feel as though you have 'bitten off more than you can chew' with this work, it is great to see you challenging yourself and your skills. We learn from these challenges. Keep this drawing and look at it again in a few months after you have done some more drawings - you will be pleased to see how far you have progressed and will also be able to see where you could improve on this first attempt. I hope you draw this cat again in the future!

[JayS]

Dan you are on an adventure that only gets better with effort over time. I admire how you are learning and developing. Keep it up.

[DanielG]

lindaspencils and JayS thank you fr your kind words. It gets frustrating sometimes cause I seem like I am not learning anything and making the same mistakes over and over again. I will continue on this journey and see where it will take me.