#art basics

[thirdchildart]

half hour photo studies!

Photos on the left, paintings on the right! This exercise is about really simplifying the process down and focusing on painting what I see! For me the rules are one layer, one brush (CSP default gouache) and no eyedropper tool on the reference image (I use it on my own painting once I've got the colors down)

[cyberm0sh]

skull assignment from my human anatomy drawing class 👍 took like 2 hours (excluding breaks). in charcoal, 18inch ruler on the right 4 scale

[mosquitobible]

CALLING ALL TUMBLR ARTISTS!!

I have decided I want to start learning how to draw again but I have no idea where to start! Not only am I many years out of practice but I was a sculptor in high school/college and did very little in the 2d and when I did, I did landscape. I would like to work on portrait/figure but idk why I can understand within the 3d but when it comes to 2d drawings I just don't even know where to begin. Any advice would be soooo appreciated. Where is a good place to start? I feel like I need to start like absolute beginner basics all over again.

[mysterious-merchant-of-ink]

⏳ Ever wish you could rewind time? Just a little bit?

Yeah… me too.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the years I studied art and animation — school, college, uni — and how many golden opportunities I let slip by.

I had some amazing teachers. People who genuinely cared. They explained things clearly, guided me with patience, gave their time and effort to help me grow. And what did I do?

…I winged it.

I thought “It’ll all work out.”

Spoiler: it didn’t.

I coasted through, relying on raw interest instead of real discipline. I skipped the fundamentals, didn’t put in the hours, and worst of all — I ignored the help that was right there in front of me. When you look back and realise you were the one who didn’t listen, that hits hard.

You can’t change the past no matter how much you wish you could. Sometimes you have to step back to move forward — focus on the basics, practice with purpose, and build something real.

🎨 I’ve gone back to the basics — straight lines, circles, ovals, shapes, form — and I’m rebuilding everything from the ground up.

✍️ Not just to someday turn this into a career — designing characters, building a webtoon, maybe even animating a series…

But because I owe it to myself to finally give this my full effort.

And you know what? It feels good.

It feels real.

💭 Ever wish you could’ve taken things more seriously back then?

👥 Was there someone who tried to help — but you just weren’t ready to hear it?

Let me know. I’d love to hear your story too.

Especially if you’re learning art the long way, the honest way — one line at a time.

[whalechief]

if anyone's thinking about getting into painting but don't know where to start, i have an answer for you.

you only need to buy 5 paint colors and you are done. don't buy any others, you already have them. you will need only: blue, red, yellow, black, white. as pure to the basic colors as possible (no turquoise, just average blue)

photo ref of body paints, but this is literally the same concept, roll with me here

next step (this is just 2 steps btw), watch some videos and do a little surface level research on color theory.

the tools: paint the skill: color theory = color mixing

you're done, go be free into the wild, paint with all the colors of the rainbow. y not, u have them already!

[hakoda-art]

An old building

[tenderandmild]

Sonic after doing an April Fools prank on Knuckles

[lume-ish]

might start doing really simple character/enviroment studies again

back to basics

watercolours here i come

[kirby-the-gorb]

[almondpiglet]

ppl were drawing mikus from all over so heres habesha miku and her lil twin sibs rin and len!!

[stardella]

You know damn well that babys a runner

[pouletpourri]

what if aika had a superform

[mysterious-merchant-of-ink]

📝 One of My Favourite Drawing Exercises So Far

During this Week's Practice of the Basics and while working through Brent Eviston’s The Art & Science of Drawing on Skillshare, one exercise really stood out and honestly, it’s changed the way I look at curves and organic shapes.

It starts simply:

→ You draw a curve or organic shape.

→ Then, you break it down into its basic angles, the invisible structure behind the form.

→ Finally, you use those angles as a guide to redraw the curve more accurately and with more intention.

What I love about this is how it trains your eye to see more clearly, not just draw what you think you see. It’s a reminder that behind every complex shape is a series of simple angles and decisions.

This drill helps build both accuracy and confidence especially for someone like me, who’s going back to fundamentals and trying to build a solid foundation from the ground up.

If you’re an artist (beginner or experienced) looking to strengthen your understanding of form, I highly recommend checking out Brent Eviston’s courses on Skillshare. This one clicked with me in a way few exercises have, and I’ll definitely be carrying it into next week’s practice.

🎨 Curious what’s one exercise or concept that helped you improve your drawing the most?