Just Starting

Hey, i know there is a post "Important: AF Sketching and Drawing FAQ" but I'm looking for something easier to find, with out searching all those pages. I'm looking to start out either 3-D Cartoon Drawing or Realalistic drawing. I was wondering if anybody has some pointers they can throw out. I have one picture but its like 40% drawn and 60% traced haha it came out great, but cuz it was traced :crying:

Ive done a lot o tracings lol and they do come out great, i Just want to move on from that and say its actually my work. I would take actual pictures from the net and magazines and work from there. My first was of the Steeda Mustang, its got a front, angle, and the Steeda symbol on the page.

Any help would be quite welcomed!

Oh, if anybody wants to see the pics, just tell me how to post them lol

First, upload the pictures onto your computer via digicam, scanner, etc. Then, save it in a folder. Go to www.imageshack.us. click on browse, and open the folder that the picture is saved in. click on the picture's file. Next, click Host it. copy the link that says ... and paste it in your post.

Well. first you have to upload you pictures onto the internet. Go to your gallery and select 'upload picture'. The picture mustn't be bigger than 80kb. when it is uploaded, post a reply. You'll find a picture icon, click on that and enter the link to your pic (you get the link by right clicking your picture, goin into the properties, then copy the link). Then hit ok. and your done.

Hope you understood that.

:)

Looks like Mshkttck beat me to it, lol.

We have to see your drawings to give you pointers...check out the Tutorial thread up top otherwise.

Don't go to the FAQ go to the tutorial page.

Also what body kit is that on the Stang in your avatar?

Thx

al

yah, you gotta go to the tutorials.

there you'll learn elipses, shading,grid method,and othr stuff you need to know...it's very informative

and yes.you gotta post your drawings, i wanna see

Looks like Mshkttck beat me to it, lol.

haha... I suggest you try www.imageshack.us. It has a whopping 850kb file size limit!

IM workin on the pic gettin it uploaded and what not

my avatar is of a Roush 380R, the real Roush not the body kit :evillol: im a big mustang guy

Ugh, its too big, i tried to upload on walagata.com but it says its corrupt or something. every pic from my digi camera hasnt worked on walagata. anybody with some ideas? :banghead:

Ugh, its too big, i tried to upload on walagata.com but it says its corrupt or something. every pic from my digi camera hasnt worked on walagata. anybody with some ideas? :banghead:

did you try www.imageshack.us ? Make your picture smaller using whatever photo editing software you have, and it should work there.

Open your pics on microsoft paint, then save them as bitmap files, this should decrease the size.

:)

A way that i found was good, which avoided tracing, was to make a grid. I'm pretty sure that there is a tutorial on gridding. It works well, and your drawings will come out nice. Try gridding out your first few drawings, it helped me out a lot.

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

The image you attempted to upload is 1483 kb. Please resize the image so that it is less than 850 kb.

GAMsALeh, don't you mean JPEG? Reduces file size by about 70%, its the only one you should use for web images.

One thing I don't get about most of you guys, is that you think tracing is something for a cheater, and then you go and draw a grid which is basically exactly the same as tracing, but takes longer :screwy:. For me you either draw with aids; tracing, or none ; freehand. If you want to use a grid, you may as well trace IMO. If you want to draw something thats in front of you, you wouldn't be able to do a grid on that.

Do what i told you to do and see if the size gets smaller (rightclick the file then click properties to see the size). if you need to, resize the image on paint to make it smaller. I can't say it simpler than that.

:)

alrighty i finally got it, thanx for the help :iceslolan

keep in mind this was like a 15 min job so i didnt put as much effort in it :eek: its not good lol

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/4022/IMG_247.jpg

CONVERT IT TO JPEG!!!! Open in paint, save as JPEG. Now your image will be about 280k.

One thing I don't get about most of you guys, is that you think tracing is something for a cheater, and then you go and draw a grid which is basically exactly the same as tracing, but takes longer . For me you either draw with aids; tracing, or none ; freehand. If you want to use a grid, you may as well trace IMO. If you want to draw something thats in front of you, you wouldn't be able to do a grid on that.
^^thats what i want to do

i can get individual shots of each if needed

The picture is too small! From what i can see it looks excellent but we need it bigger so we can see it more clearly. The wheels look awsome.

:)

You just told him to make it smaller!!! Get the pic original size, and follow imstructions on post #19, PLEASE???

CobraR2000, what do you mean thats what I want to do? Use a grid, or be able to draw freehand? Please explain.

Dude, resize it. Any basic Picture program can do this. The one that came with your digicam should do the job. Paint does it, but I don't know exactly how. I think "Attributes"??? PS is still the best way. Make the dimensions 800x600.

EDIT: Oops. I didn't see page 2!

One thing I don't get about most of you guys, is that you think tracing is something for a cheater, and then you go and draw a grid which is basically exactly the same as tracing, but takes longer :screwy:. For me you either draw with aids; tracing, or none ; freehand. If you want to use a grid, you may as well trace IMO. If you want to draw something thats in front of you, you wouldn't be able to do a grid on that.

I understand where you're coming from, but I dont see how making a grid is like tracing. Tracing would be putting down every line exactly as it is on the ref. image, but a grid is just a tool to help guide you. Its not like the grid is showing you where every line goes, it just gives more points on your ref. pic to refer to when you are trying to draw the car. You're right about drawing something in front of you, you wouldnt be able to grid that, but when you can grid.. why not?

One thing I don't get about most of you guys, is that you think tracing is something for a cheater, and then you go and draw a grid which is basically exactly the same as tracing, but takes longer . For me you either draw with aids; tracing, or none ; freehand. If you want to use a grid, you may as well trace IMO. If you want to draw something thats in front of you, you wouldn't be able to do a grid on that.
^^thats what i want to do

i can get individual shots of each if needed

Tracing is copying every single line exactly like the picture. Grid is using the picture, with the grid as an aid. I have seen people trace and the drawing look fine, then they use the grid and it looks like shit. Gridding requires more skill than tracing.

Heres a way to think of it. Tracing is like plagiarism, copying something line for line, word for word. Gridding is like highlighting research, and using the highlighting as an aid to right your paper.

Grids are a complicated, inderect form of tracing. I am not saying that grids are "cheating", because it still requires skill. Yes, grids are tools, but IMO they take away the perspectives part of drawing. That is why I don't use them. The most important part of drawing freehand realism is the angles and perspectives. In both tracing and gridding, you have it all planned out, making the two almost identacle is the overall picture, although grids require much more skill than directly tracing.

The quote is saying that I want to draw it freehand. Like you said, tracing is basically stealing the other persons car or drawing. I use actualy pictures but in the end its the same.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3483/front10.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6905/angle3.jpg

dont be gettin pissy cuz im new at this remember

sorry about the white crap, i had to crop the picture and post the new part on a new doc. thus creating the white :disappoin

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2723/IMG_0246.jpg

still a bit rough lookin from stretchin it out...but you get the idea

www.pichold .com 1000K file limit, that way you wont have to make the pic so small, or so granular.

ugh i give up with the picture lol

can anybody just give like basic tips, tools, types to draw: like if its easier to do 3D cartoon or realalistic. How to shade right and put in proper detailing. Things like that

advice:

just practice...there is no magic secret.

trace or grid....matters a damn. If you can draw a really cool car using paste, food coloring and your feet that's fine.

Ultimately you can't grid or trace well if you don't have the polished drawing skills. (fact)

Just practice...everyday....ALL THE TIME...practice.

It's the ONLY way.

-Lemorris

well if i could draw with my feet id have a job :iceslolan

anyway lol, thanks for the advice and anybody else with more please send. I usually sketch and trace with either pen or pencil. Im probably going to try another pic and ill show the progress tomarrow, its either a porsche, enzo, or the mercedes mclaren. the choices the choices

enzo...pretty crappy if i might add :disappoin

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7331/IMG_0249.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5941/IMG_0250.jpg

Looks a little twisted.

yeah the passenger bumper screwed me up :(

omg, now that everyone done bitching...damn...this entire thread has been people telling him where to put the pics, and crap...the very first pic he posted was good enough. jeez

the mustang looks pretty cool...the front view is good, the corner view needs some work...just the wheels and other minor stuff. like lemorris said, keep practicing

the enzo is a little off...the right side of it is like melting...

and are you really satisfied with the lines you drew...,,, look at the three bottom grill/vent parts...look at how you drew those line. the right one looks like it has a tumor, the left one look twisted. and the middle one is going off at a totally different angle of the bumper. it should be parallel

im just saying that you should try when you draw cars, cuz right now, you aren't trying very hard if theres lines like that...use a ruler :smokin:

and no more of that "it's pretty crappy" bullsh!t

its not, stop telling yourself that. It's much better than other drawings i have seen

:iagree: That's good work. The only thing in your way is yourself, so stop thinking that your not good, because you are!

PS, I kinda like the way the enzo's a little off, it gives it a nice effect, like it's cornering and one side is lifting up.

Wow lol, when i just looked at the grill it looks really slanted. i think tho its because of the angle of the car thats making the grill slant a bit. in the real pic its hard to see the grill

Are you trying to make sketches or drawings? If your drawing, take time to look at each individual line and copy it close as possible. Dont stop drawing until everything looks as close to perfect as possible. It can take hours, but the result can be well worth it.

well im goin on vaca saturday through monday...to lancaster (not much there lol no offense to anybody) so i will try and draw a picture. it'll be my first drawing, cuz the ones i do are sketch things that are like 10 minute jobs then i make lines darker.

By the way im gettin my 96 Cobra this Friday :evillol:

ugh i give up with the picture lol

can anybody just give like basic tips, tools, types to draw: like if its easier to do 3D cartoon or realalistic. How to shade right and put in proper detailing. Things like that

Hi CobraR2000

The tutorial sticky up top has some good info. There is not too much to sift through there.


http://www.sibleyfineart.com/index.htm?tipsndx.htm
go to "s" for shading

http://homepages.tesco.net/%7Ep.wilkinson/index.html
Drawing smooth skin and Captain Picard's bald head is very similar to cars. :iceslolan

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t104303.html
Here is one I did to augment the ones above. I know it is sloppy and I need to redo it.

Pls don't let the fact that most tutorials do not show shading cars exactly, read w/ the goal of learning and seeing how you can apply the teachings to cars.

al

Hey thanks a lot, the sites look pretty informative

also.(sry to go back a few posts).. grids are a great way to draw your first 3 or 4 cars.. it's gets u familiar with the lines and angles on cars.. then u can go freehand.. gridding helps in the beginning