The girl Rada asks me how to find out if you have a fantasy, if it can be developed somehow, and if so, how.

Hello Natalie!
... I am learning to draw, I want to become an artist, and in connection with this, I had a question that I have little idea of ​​how to solve.

How can you understand if you have fantasy, imagination? Can it be developed, and if so, how?
I'm pretty good at drawing from nature (for my level), doing different things, but I think it's purely technical. It is difficult for me to give more fantasy tasks, mainly related to arts and crafts.

Have you ever had similar problems, or someone you know?
Thanks in advance. Glad.

One of my favorite questions :-) It seems to me that problems with fantasy live only in our heads. I love it, fantasy, compared with muscles. We all know that we have them, but we begin to “feel” them only when we get a serious or unusual physical activity for us. And they become noticeable (visually) only when daily training becomes the norm. In other words, absolutely everyone has a fantasy, like muscles.





Fantasy is not something abstract and intangible. Against. She needs to set a direction, make it flow along some one path. Those. you just need complex exercises aimed at developing specific "muscles".

1. Faces around us.
This is the most fun and easy exercise. Look for faces around you! The habit of associative thinking can be developed, brought to the level of a reflex. Then fantasy will be in full swing! Have you ever thought that each facade of the house has its own face? Have you already looked at your USB cable, what an unhappy face he has? Did you notice the stapler's face?



2. Take a bunch of photos of clouds and circle in Photoshop or on a real, printed photo, all the shapes that you can recognize. Follow the call of Leonardo da Vinci to see images even in the cracks on the wall. Do the same as with the clouds, with photos:
- shadows
- cracks
- hand skin
- tree structures
- structures of marble or stone




3. Create monotypes and draw them to finished shapes!

http://www.monotypy.ru/

4. Make a pack of sheets with blots: draw them up to some shapes or circle those that you can isolate from the total mass.



Works by Portuguese artist L Filipe dos Santos:http://www.corcoise.blogspot.com/

5. Collect different items: by color or shape, and put them into groups, compositions, installations:http://art-expiration.livejournal.com/1 11953.html


Copyright Camilla Engman



Copyright Pam Garrison

6. Take any item from household utensils and come up with something new with it: animated or mechanical. I wrote a whole tutorial on this topic:http://art-expiration.livejournal.com/1 24853.html






7. Pick up any simple object and think about how it can be adapted for some other purpose. (Google the word bionik - it is also useful to see what a person has already managed to peep from nature.)

Photo from here http://www.technik-welten.de

8. Imagine how a familiar scene (street, subway, apartment) will look from a different angle: through the eyes of an animal, an insect, a bird in the sky, a neighbor, a fork on the table - put Andersen in you!

Photo from herehttp://www.dobersberger.com/fotos-bixip ic/2010/fotomarathon-wien/

9. Take any object in your hands and try to describe it in at least 5 ways: geometric, in association with wildlife or any other phenomenon. I wrote a tutorial on this topic here:http://conjure.livejournal.com/274401.html


10. Draw from nature and draw parts of the body of animals to people or objects: the paws of beetles, the wings of dragonflies or butterflies, the body of bees, the tentacles of an octopus.

Boris Vallejo

11. Make collages or just cover the paper space with clippings by color or content.






12. Draw in artbooks

• Pencil. The simplest and most understandable drawing tool you will need in any case. Even if you want to learn how to draw with paints, you will need a simple pencil to create a sketch. Not all pencils are the same. Some are designed for drawings, others for drawing, others for everyday tasks. Too hard pencils (3H, 4H and more) are better not to choose: they are easy to scratch and tear the paper.

• Watercolor. Water-based paint is known for its lightness, transparency and a wide palette of shades. However, painting with watercolor is quite difficult: you need to learn how to use its properties and have a good idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow the paint will behave on paper. On the other hand, if you put in enough effort, you will learn to draw in one of the most impressive techniques.

• Gouache. This is a dense matte paint that is diluted with water. It is perfect for the first steps in drawing. Due to the dense texture of gouache, dark tones can be easily covered with darker ones. This is very important, because then all the flaws and shortcomings can be corrected. Another good news: gouache is inexpensive.

• Pastel (dry). These crayons are used to create drawings in soft colors. Due to its texture, the pastel is very easy to blend, which allows you to create beautiful transitions between shades. You should immediately prepare for the fact that your fingers and the table (at least) will be stained with dust and pastel crumbs. The finished pastel drawing is easy to smear, so the pigments on paper will need to be fixed with varnish or a fixative.

• Markers ("copies"). We asked illustrator and teacher Anna Rastorguyeva to tell us about this relatively unknown instrument. Because she draws with the help of markers and does it superbly. We are not talking about highlighters and not about simple felt-tip pens, but about alcohol markers, which, due to their basis, do not deform the paper and allow you to achieve smooth transitions between shades.

There are many manufacturers of such instruments, including Japanese, German, Chinese, Korean, and Russian brands. The price also varies - from 160 to 600 rubles apiece, so even a novice author can pick up a small kit to start.

The palettes of this type of markers are unusually wide, 300 colors on average, so in order not to get confused, you can buy a ready-made set, usually selected for a specific topic: architecture, nature, manga.

What if I don't know what to draw?

If you don't know what to draw, but really want to - copy, draw and repeat after others. There is nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, it is a normal process. Take a picture that you like, put it in front of you and start.

Video instructions are helpful. Unlike advice in the style of "draw a circle, draw sticks, add details - you get a great canvas," these posts do not lie. You will see exactly how the drawing is created.

Remember: creativity is an international thing. Don't be afraid to check out the YouTube channels of English-speaking bloggers, even if you don't understand what they're saying.

Try starting with these channels:

• Proko. An absolute must-have for anyone who wants to learn how to draw. The artist clearly, simply, clearly explains the most difficult thing - how to draw a person. This is the base and the foundation, so the channel will certainly live in your bookmarks.

• Mark Crilley. The artist works in a cartoon style, so those who want to learn how to draw cute, cute drawings will find everything they need here. The artist shows different techniques and in detail, frame by frame, demonstrates the simplest techniques for creating a spectacular drawing.

• Sycra. The channel will appeal to everyone who loves Japanese cartoons and wants to learn how to draw anime. Video lessons reveal the topic inside and out: body structure, facial features, costumes and everything.

• Bob Ross. Bob Ross is an American television legend. Perhaps the most inspiring program in the world was created by this man, who spent 11 years teaching people to create miracles on canvas. You may not understand what Bob is saying in a soft voice, but you can not resist the talent of the artist penetrating into you right from the screen.

In general, the choice of topic is the second fundamental issue after the choice of material. And here it is not at all necessary to be limited to traditional genres: portrait, still life or landscape. Nowadays, everyday household sketches are gaining more and more popularity. Like Instagram photos, artists quickly capture exciting topics in their notebooks, post them on social networks, study and communicate together. Absolutely any object can become a subject of interest - from macro sketches of insects to detailed travel diaries.

Anna Rastorgueva, illustrator, teacher

"You can paint in 30 days" by Mark Kistler. One of the most famous drawing books. As long-term observations show, after reading it and, importantly, following the instructions, everyone learned to draw.

"Discover the artist in you" by Betty Edwards. Those who doubt can immediately be informed: about 2 million of those who considered themselves "armless" have already learned to draw from this book. To those who do not believe in their own strength at all and think that all artists know some secret of beautiful paintings, we say: yes, there is a secret. It is hidden in this book.

"A sketchbook that will teach you how to draw!", Robin Landa. As a teacher himself, Robin knows that students draw best on the pages of textbooks. This is where fantasy comes into play! So he created a book in which you can (and should) draw. And learn along the way.

I want to draw, but I don't have the time or extra money

The first step can be taken without much investment and effort. Download creative apps and get started now.

Tayasui Sketches. One of the most beautiful and simple applications with numerous tools will teach you how to draw in different techniques.

Bamboo paper. Drawing tablet company Wacom has developed an app for artists. Sketches, sketches and full-fledged drawings - this program will be needed at every stage of learning.

Zen brush. This application will not help in learning, but will set you in the right creative way. With a brush, you can draw characteristic strokes, and the finished drawing looks like a work of art from some distant eastern country.

We figured out the materials, the sources of inspiration too, the books were studied, and there are applications for the laziest. Your move - it's time to get down to business.

The main thing is to find what you really like. Dare!

Anna Rastorgueva, illustrator, teacher

Do you often have a question - "What to draw"?
Let's think about why this problem occurs. Well, firstly, it happens that you decide to draw something, but you don’t know how to do it. Either you do not remember the details of the subject, or you simply do not have enough knowledge and skills to implement your plan. In this case, we do this. If we do not remember the details of the object, we find it. Is it logical? Yes, but if I decide to paint, for example, the Louvre, I will not go to France just to capture all its details. In this case, we have a great helper - the Internet. After spending just a couple of minutes, I find photographs of the Louvre.

By the same principle, you can find everything else.
This problem is solvable. Do you agree? Now about the lack of knowledge and skills. Of course, you have to work here. Draw, draw and draw again. Sometimes, in order to draw an object, you need to create sketches and sketches. Here are a couple of sketches.

Let's move on to the second solution to the question "What to draw?". We take pictures of everything we like. Or we carry a small one with us, so that at the right moment we can make a sketch.

The third solution to the problem. We go on the Internet and look for the work of other masters. After looking at a couple of works, you will immediately have a desire to draw either the same picture, or you will be inspired to create your own. It is very useful to watch, they can not only tell you what to draw, but also how to do it.
Remember, sitting idly by with only one thought “I don’t know what to draw” you will not succeed. Search, work on the drawing technique, view more drawings, and you will never have such a question!!!
I wish you all good luck and inspiration.

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Artist Jimmy Liao wrote: "I listen to the sound of color, to the aroma of form, I taste light and darkness." This is exactly what is happening to me right now. I continue to learn to draw.

“Everyone is born a creator: everyone is given a box of colored pencils in kindergarten. Then when you become a teenager, they take away your pencils and put dry, boring books on algebra, history and other things in their place. When you suddenly, years later, get hit by a "creative bug," you just hear a little voice inside you say, "Give me back my pencils. Please…".

My "creative bug" is increasingly asking: "Let's paint with watercolors, pzhaaalusta?". I really like to paint with watercolors. She is like alive. In the next couple of weeks I will study the techniques of drawing with different colors, different brushes. For now, here's what happens:

Gouache is bright and textured:

Sunset Anatomy

To the question of the beauty of nature, which I described at the beginning. Recently flew by plane from Moscow to Perm at sunset. How does nature get such a beautiful gradient from dark blue to orange?

If you paint with watercolor, mixing blue and orange at the border where the transition occurs, you get green. But there is no such thing in nature. There is only orange and only blue. Smooth transition. Understand the anatomy of dawn... Here's what I got in the first and second attempts:

I love

Drawing is a powerful switch from stress to relaxation, from problems to dreams, from difficulty to ease. When you draw, there is no time, no thoughts, no problems. There is only pure creativity and enjoyment of it. There is a feeling of the edges of a pencil in the fingers. There is a stroke length and direction. There is color and saturation of the paint passing from the tip of the brush to the paper. Before the project, I did not know if I liked to draw. Now the answer is obvious - yes, I love to draw.

Drawing Resources

Another portion of drawing resources:

1. Tatyana Zadorozhnaya "Draw history".
2. The book of the Italian artist Giovanni Civardi "Drawing. The Complete Guide".
3. Interviews with artists at 240grid.com.
4. A resource with drawings by Deviantart artists and illustrators.
5. Useful VKontakte group

Idea generator for the artist suggests drawing this:

big hobgoblin
making repairs in the gingerbread house

"Can you give more details?" Yes Easy:

angry big hobgoblin, writhing,
makes repairs in the gingerbread house late at night

“What about flowers, which ones to choose?” Perhaps these:

Too lazy to draw right now?
Then read selected issues of the No Jam Today comic:

The idea generator for the artist selects plots for drawing on fairy tale, fantasy and sci-fi themes in a completely random way. Any resemblance to real people and events, or a complete lack of common sense, is purely coincidental. The drawing idea generator is not responsible for moral injury or mental disorder resulting from the use (or non-use) of this script.
And no, we are not Virink - we are better! :)

Remember: an idea generator can help an artist,
who does not know what to draw and is looking for inspiration,
but it will not replace a real living human fantasy!
The best plots for illustrations and the most beautiful art
are obtained when the idea of ​​the artist is close to the author,
and the viewer, and therefore finds a response in their souls.