How to Learn Good Digital Drawing

How to Learn Good Digital Drawing

We received the following message from Amber, who asked "how to implement the methods used in drawing things realistically and plan things out, so I have more control over how I draw things". Here's what Amber says:

Hello. I have always been passionate about art, and I have always wanted to make something out of it. I want to get into digital art and animation. I am also into computer science. I have seen a few videos on your channel, and I like the fact that rigor is emphasized because I genuinely want to be good at it. I can't seem to get a lot of advice on it, leaving me at a bit of a dead-end on where to go with it. My current goal is to do the hard thing I have been putting off for far too long: figure out how to implement the methods used in drawing things realistically and plan things out, so I have more control over how I draw things. I have noticed there are courses on drawing and painting, is there one specifically for digital drawings? What do you guys recommend?

Feedback from Vladimir London, Life Drawing Academy tutor

Dear Amber,

Thank you for your question. Regarding "digital drawing", digital is just the medium, like graphite, sanguine or charcoal, only done not on paper but on a screen. 34 constructive drawing principles, rules of perspective, 15 elements of composition, golden proportions, anatomy for artists, classical canons of proportions, anatomy and proportions of a human body, etc. will be exactly the same regardless of whether you draw on paper, use a digital tablet, or sketch with your finger on sand.

You are probably a bit confused regarding digital drawing techniques and fundamental principles of drawing. Techniques are the ways of applying what you know on the drawing surface. If the knowledge is missing, then learning digital drawing techniques won't help. Learning to draw digitally is straightforward; you read the instructions or watch the "how-to" videos, practice certain shortcuts, play with settings, layers and tools. With time and practice, you will get a good grip on the drawing application you use.

I think what you are missing is not "how to draw digitally", but how to draw skillfully.

Drawing is a language of non-verbal communication. To communicate fluently, you need to know vocabulary and grammar. Then, it doesn't matter which medium you use for writing your story - some pen and paper or a stylus and screen. Vocabulary and grammar will be the same.

"The methods used in drawing things realistically" is called "constructive drawing" and the "plan things out" is called "composition". The rules of constructive drawing and composition are the same whichever medium you use.

From your message, I guess that you are a complete beginner. If you want to self-assess your current level of drawing skills, you are welcome to check this video - How to self assess your drawing skills

If you are serious about getting the advanced level of drawing skills, here's the course to take: https://lifedrawing.academy/correspondence-course

This is one of the best drawing courses available today on the Internet. Nowhere else you would have a custom-designed personal drawing curriculum that will be tailored to your level of skills and artistic goals. In this course, you will get unlimited personal one-to-one drawing tutoring at a fraction of what it really costs. For a one-time low fee, you will have a lifetime tutoring for as long as it takes you to get to the advanced level of drawing skills. We will teach you professional drawing step-by-step, task by task. There will be 100 drawing tasks. Every task will be explained and demonstrated in depth, so you will know exactly what and how to do it. Within each task, we will provide you constructive critique of your artworks and tell which mistakes you make and how to fix them. Your drawing education will follow the classical system that is no longer taught at contemporary art colleges. You simply won't get the same tutoring anywhere else. You are guaranteed to reach the advanced level of drawing skills as long as you follow our guidance and complete all 100 drawing tasks. Such skills will enable you to draw whatever you see or imagine in any medium you like, including digital drawing.

I hope this answers your question.

Kind regards,

Vladimir London
Art tutor

To learn good drawing techniques, enroll in the Life Drawing Academy course: