Hello, I am 16 years old as of 2 days ago. I was wondering... how long have you guys been drawing for? I used to be really big into drawing but I gave that up about a year ago. I am very interested in making games and have been doing a lot of programming lately. I was wondering if it is too late for me to begin drawing again? How old are you and how long have you been seriously drawing for? I don''t want to become a super artist or anything. I really love programming, but I would love to be able to draw a little bit. Also, where are some good places I can go (on the internet) to get some drawing info (tutorials,etc) Okay thanks. Here is a picture I did like 2 years ago before I stopped drawing. http://www.geocities.com/winter_paladin Thanks a lot for your input

When I was in school I took art class. You''re 16, it''s not too late for you to start doing anything. If I wanted to start something new I''d start reading about it and learning it, and I''m more than twice your age!
The sketch is good. You''ve got the artistic ability, if you want to draw better you need to draw more (like anything else, practice makes perfect).

"A man can''t just sit around." ''Lawn Chair'' Larry Walters (1982)

I became good at drawing by doodling in school, and having the desire to accurately illustrate scenes for D&D dungeons I wrote for my players.

You're never too old to take an interest in something and get good at it. How good and fluent you become depends, as said, on how much and the variety of what you draw.

I've never read any books on drawing, and took an art class back in 8th grade, but I'm sure I would be a better artist today had I exposed myself to some tried and true instruction.


[edited by - Waverider on July 6, 2002 5:43:02 PM]

There''s lots of books. I took art every year in school. One art teacher I had had us turn in a sketch book each week with five sketches. I could do whatever I wanted but at least two of the sketches had to be what I call "boring stuff" (like a bowl of fruit or something I saw; portrait,house,tree,etc.). Of course to be good thats the kind of stuff you need to learn.
Formal instruction is always good.

"A man can''t just sit around." ''Lawn Chair'' Larry Walters (1982)

16? you''re just a pup... you''ve got TONS of time left to decide what you want to do... you''ve still got what? 2 years of high school left?

Take some classes in art, and get a feel of your style, and what you like to do... expand from there.

Jackson Pollack, and Monet (i think it was monet) didn''t start painting until their late 30''s... in Monet''s day.. that was late life.

i will make a statement that may seem discouraging, but must be made. dont let it bother you too much.

first, when you sketch now do the sketches/doodles seem at least somewhat good. for instance can you draw a straight line, abox or circle? can you notice things when observing subjects? things like shadows, coloring, etc. can you imagine things clearly when you close your eyes? can you see the geometric shapes that make up objects?

if you answer no to most of the questions, you will have TONS of work to get good. you will have to practice everyday for at least one hour. the more the better. you will have to practice basics stuff first. NEVER trace anything. you can go over the image with yoru pencil, then draw it. just dont use tracing paper and place the paper over the image you are copying. while you can learn to draw the lines slightly quicker, you may beocme dependent on having the image in front of you on the paper all the time.

also practice drawing tons of different things. draw somewhat realisticly, then work on exgeratted stuff. while it seems easier to draw in a cartoonish fashion, its actually more difficult since you need to train yourself to know the important detail lines as well as realistic proportions so you can exgeratte things correctly.

some ppl are simply more talented then others. its a simple fact. some ppl will never be able to get good at drawing even with tons of practice. others will be able to draw well after much practice, but perhaps not as quickly.

fortunatly most ppl fall into the "get good at drawing after much practice, but probably cant draw very fast" catagory. so keep practicing and always keep all your art no matter how bad. you will then be able to see your progress, which will give you confindence.

heck, play pictionary if you want to practice quick drawing of objects that are recognizable by others. it may seem wierd, but you will be surprised how much it may help (and not to mention be fun).

EDIT:
heh missed the part about the pic on the website. after looking at it i am surprised you even posted. you are farther along compared to many ppl. you will have no problem picking up drawing again and getting better if you enjoy drawing (the key).

[edited by - a person on July 7, 2002 1:21:27 AM]

Is it good practice to COPY other artists work? (NOT tracing, copying)

yes, if you use it only as a reference and stick to your own style. moderation is important.

Many artists swear by copying the great artists to improve their own skills.

Copying the masters will help you learn new techniques that you may not have thought of yourself.

I did not start drawing untill i was 15. in fact, before that, i only had a passing interest in it.
It wasnt untill i was 18 that i started to draw at a semi professional level. You can improve no matter what people say.