5 Tips Illustration for Beginners
If you're thinking about picking up a new hobby this year, why not try your hand at illustration?
It's a fun and creative way to express yourself, and it's a skill that you can develop over time.
If you're a beginner, don't worry! There are plenty of resources out there to help you get started. You can find books, online tutorials, and even classes to take. And once you get started, you'll be surprised at how quickly you improve.
To get you going, here are my 5 bests tips for you in the world of illustration.
Start with a Pencil
Whether you want to be a digital or traditional illustrator, a good place to start is with a pencil and paper. This will train your wrist and arm muscles how to draw and create more stability in your line work.
The easiest place to start is with simple shapes.
Find your People
As an illustrator it can be lonely and solitary, a way to combat that is to join a community of other illustrators or artists that you can talk to and bounce ideas off of.
It might seem scary to join a new community, but it is worth seeking out one that you feel comfortable in.
Most illustrators and artists are quite friendly and will help you out if you have questions or get stuck. They can provide you with feedback on your work that you can learn and grow from and they can inspire you to create more in times when you may be facing burnout.
Draw from Life
It is okay to use real life as a reference to draw. You won't learn very fast from memory alone.
Pick up objects around your house or from your garden and draw them to start building that ever-important visual memory. You can use this as your practice and warm-up sketches too but, more on that later.
Focus on your own Grass
The saying goes "the grass is always greener on the other side" but it is greener anywhere you water it. Focusing on others' work more than your own will not help you grow.
There will be times when you might feel a bit overwhelmed and discouraged that you are not at the level you wanted to be. This is the normal progression of an illustrator and it provides a good opportunity to learn.
Remember to be kind and remind yourself that you are still learning and that you are on your way to getting to the level you want. It just takes time and practice and that is ok.
Practice and Warm-Ups
Nothing becomes better without practice and illustration is no exception. You don't need to practice all the time but set aside a little bit of time to just practice, play and experiment. We learn best when we are having fun.
A few ways you can practice your drawing skills are as follows:
Draw from references and photos.
Follow along with tutorials but let yourself expand on them for personal use.
Sketch from imagination - mistakes and odds things included.
Draw parts of work you like for personal use only - art is copyrighted to the artist that made them.
Mash-up two or more animals and see what you come up with
Bonus tip: Make Mistakes, Make them Often
A mistake is a lesson in disguise and something you can learn a great deal from. Keep your drawings both the good and the bad as you'll be able to expand on them and improve over time.
So what are you waiting for? give illustration a try today!
Have a beautiful day!
Charmaine x
