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Art Survival Guide - Beginner
Published: 2011-01-09 03:58:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 79168; Favourites: 4678; Downloads: 1924
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Description
This was supposed to be much longer, much more detailed, and full of pictures. But I ran out of room. I almost didn't fit my name on the bottom. It's a DA Survival Guide for Amateur Artists - just covering a few "If you want to improve...." points, social interactions, commissions, style.. etc. It was done off the top of my head XD meant for the newest DA beginners that have no idea where to start.Related content
Comments: 2670
Sadly I have read that post only yesterday. If I have read it two years ago...
I think, that it is a really nice tutorial for beginners. I recall my first steps in art some time before and I have to acknowledge the truth of your statements, especially about work ethics, thinking of goals of your art. And even now I found these clues helpful for me, like your passage about socialisation. Also very useful is a tip not to throw works way: some times it really helped me to find new forces to continue drawing. But in my opinion, one aspect was not clarified enough.
I am talking about art basics that you mentioned in a paragraph "What is an amateur...". I think, it is very important to tell people more about learning basics, namely basics of the academician art: real human proportions, body anatomy, perspective etc. They give perfection that was managed by hundreds years of practise and without them an amateur will not be able to move farther than just copying and drawing some cute and worthless pictures.
Exactly I mean that. When one knows well shading, he can shade very realistically and also he can use stylised shading that does not lack such important things like tones, mid-tones, usage of proper lighting etc. If he does not, he would just draw some black areas in zones that do not really need shading at all. The greatest modern artists learned that things before they wrote their masterpieces. You can watch some early pictures by Malevich before his "Suprematic Square", Picasso before his "Guernica" and Dali.Β But many people (you can see it just by the number of searching results and views) think that art is "How to draw Naruto" or "How to draw a man in a pose X". Another part thinks that just by using references they can learn to draw (it is actually true, but reinventing a wheel is an extremely inefficient activity).
In conclusion I want to say, that it would be a nice addition for the guide to tell people that theory will help in practice a lot. Nobody is actually solving differential equations without knowing what limits and derivatives are! Or using medicine before reading instructions...
It is my personal opinion. But I am very sorry if I understood your mind incorrectly in this point. And I want again to thank you for such a useful tutorial.
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This is really amazing for beginners like me to start. THANKS FOR INSPIRED ME TO DRAW MORE!!
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Thank you very much for this guide! I learned so much, and I hope my art journey will flourish. Im newbie in digital art, and I hope that I improve constantly and hit my goals to become a concept artist!
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Thank you so much for this! Really needed this, i barely launched this account and i needed a guide through deviant art! All i need is more people to follo- i mean "watch" lol
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Amazing advices ! <3 It helps me so much, thanks a lot <3
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This was incredibly helpful! Thank you so much for this!
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Thanks for this, I needed it now that I just started doing art again
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Ah, I found it again ^^
This beginners guide really helped me as I started to draw, thank you really much for it!
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I found this just now. I read it. I liked a lot what you said. But I don't agree on one thing in particular. Art block exists.
Art block is not when you don't want to draw so you don't do it for month. It also happens, of course.
But art block is when you actually want to draw/write something. You may have the idea, or not, you may look in your "inspiration" folder but you just can't. You stare at a blank piece of paper (or a computer screen) with your pencil in hand. Your mind is racing but your hand just can't do anything. And it has nothing to do with procrastination or laziness.
I experienced them both. Art block is way worse.
Please, don't make people guilty for having an art block. It's actually terrible when it happens. (In French, we call that "syndrome de la page blanche".)
Sorry my English. If I made a mistake, feel free to correct me.
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Pfft, I don't draw on classwork and tests. *dumps every piece of paper from school in trash* *lights it on fire* *scatters ashes into your bed*
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Really helpful, thank you!! I loved yourΒ optimism.
I'll use your advices for sure ~β₯
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THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH YOU JUST SAVED MY DAY!!!!
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Thank you so much. This just made me realise a lot of things I never took notice of...
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I am sure that all of this stuff applies to more than just art survival...
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Thank you for the tips! I just joined in yesterday and was a bit lost but I found this post really useful!
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Thank you so much I'mΒ just a beginner and I found this very confidence boosting
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This is pretty much the most helpful thing on the entire internet.
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I found this very informative. Thanks for posting this. It's really inspired me to crack down on myself and work harder. Keep up the good work! ^.^
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As a beginner I feel great from these words of advice thank you
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Hey, i thought that was some terrific advice.Β Thank you for posting it, it really clarified a lot of questions or concerns I had!
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Thank you for this wonderful advice.Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
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oh nu... i ONLY know how to do fanart X3 but you know what, im getting there. ive been trying to create some characters lately
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Thanks for this! I'm a super beginner artist (seriously just bought the sketchbook yesterday) and this was amazingly helpful!Β
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I read this in 2013. TO THIS DAY i have an inspiration folder stored in my computer and TO THIS DAY, im still perfecting my art styles with your techniques. Thank you for that.
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aww T_T what a nice thing to say. I'm glad you found it helpful all those years ago
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Definitely. Thank you for making my art what it is today c:
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thank you!
this is really helpful and it helped me to learn more about art
but it really reminded me of things i should be doing and stuff i can doΒ
thanks!!Β
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Some gret advice and motivation for beginners like myself. Thank you very much!
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This information was quite helpful. Ah-thankyou. Quite inspiring!
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oh my god.. thank you so much!Β I've been searching for this kind of guide and I finally found it!! Β
This is really helpful and inspirational for me ''as a beginner''Β Β Thanks again haha ...Β It is a long and hard road but we'll do it!Β Β
I'll give my best to become a wonderful artist!Β
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Thank you VERY much for your help. This got my fire going again. :3
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Thank You for the great article. You had addressed many points that I had issues with. Specially using reference and cutting corners.Β
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Thank you for this! Real inspiring information here.
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Well this is a nice little guide.
Though it would be nice to find out how to categorize all these art tutorials, guides, references, anatomy and what not so I am not confounded into confusion. Would be nice to find a system to organize all this into neat sections.
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This has some really good advice in here
The tips on socialising especially are really helpful
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Thank you! I don't feel as clueless as I was before 
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thank you for this, now i know on what i will try to work on in the future :3
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Thanks for creating this! I've just started my own art journey literally just a few hours ago and really appreciate the advice you've provided here. Thank you for your time ^-^
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Thank you! I'm a beginner & this helps a lot. I appreciate your suggestion on how to find my own style, it's really helpful.
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This was just what I needed. Β A sprinkle of dust across an invisible bridge. Β Thank you!
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Although these are all simple advices, they are fantastic and reminded me of a lot of things I shouldn't have forgotten! Thank you
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This was amazing. Thanks for this tutorial, it's super. But maybe you can do a little dictionnary for DA (if haven't already done it). Because we don't all know what is a deviation and I think it takes time and as you said it will simplify thing for beginners like me.Β
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Wow,this is has helped me quite a bit.Thank you.
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As a beginner, this is what I need. Thank you!
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I like the part about socializing most, nice tips and real effort
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