Hello! I've recently started taking some of the classes here at SVSLearn, as part of my self-education resources and goals. I've been drawing since junior high but have a problem with practicing consistently. My lack of practice and not really stretching has left me at a technical and creative plateau. You can see my stuff at my Tumblr.

My goal is to learn and practice as much as I can through focused study over the next year (and continued practice over beyond). My interests lie in storytelling, so you'll probably see sequential art and illustrations with a focus on telling a story.

I just finished watching Jake Parker's How to Ink course, and am working on the exercises. I'm figuring out my next course.

I look forward to posting stuff here, sharing and getting feedback, and getting better.

I generally thumbnail or plan multiple pieces at a time, but when I shift into working on a piece, I then focus on that one piece until it is finished. I don't get too many pieces to the focused stages all that often, unfortunately. I think I can get away with the one piece because I currently work pretty small and don't have pieces with much complexity or detail.

I generally thumbnail or plan multiple pieces at a time, but when I shift into working on a piece, I then focus on that one piece until it is finished. I don't get too many pieces to the focused stages all that often, unfortunately. I think I can get away with the one piece because I currently work pretty small and don't have pieces with much complexity or detail.

You have mentioned a lot of books that I would list. So, these are bit more focused on comics, but some of what's in them would apply to art in general.

If you're interested in making comics, check out Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and Making Comics. The first is good for understanding the general history of sequential art, the theory behind it, and a little on the story telling elements. Making Comics is good for creating comics, not just in the mechanics but it also touches on elements such as facial expressions and body gesture, perspective, and pacing.

Another good one is Framed Ink by Marocs Mateu-Mestre, and he focuses on visual storytelling. This is a good one if you're interested in composition and story telling through your images, whether through a single image or a series of images, such as in a comic or animation or live action.

One good general art book would be James Gurney's other book, Imaginative Realism, which helps make the transition from drawing what you see into drawing imaginary scenarios. The core idea is if you want to sell your fantastic image, base it on the real world, and this book shows you how.

I've seen this kind of discussion come up in other forums I've been to, and I think it usually boils down to drawing from life is the best option if you can get it, but drawing from photographs is a good second; there are trade offs for both.

Drawing from life gives you the chance to draw, well, from life, and get all the information that comes from it. You are seeing things as they are in three dimensions, which makes for better learning: you're learning how to adapt what is in front of you in 3D onto the 2D plane of your paper. And if you have live models, you can move around and can have the model move or pose. The challenge is that your model can't stay in the pose forever, but that makes you learn to get the essentials quickly, which is a good skill.

Photographs give you more flexibility in how you work, and can get you access to reference that you couldn't have in person, especially thanks to the Internet and other resources. You can even take photos of the model you're working with in person for later work. The downsides tend to be working from a source that is already in a 2D format (flattened and some slight distortion based on the lens type and aperture) and the risk of losing details based on photo settings (such as losing details due to light balance; i.e. shadows being too dark or light areas being washed out).

I think many artists use both forms of reference in their works, and you shouldn't limit yourself to one or the other.

I really enjoy the renderings of the room and the pumpkin patch.

@shinjifujioka: I agree. I've drawn a lot, but haven't really considered how to take advantage of the inking medium. I forgot how many textures you can achieve.

Here's my opinion on going forward.

1. Play around with fonts to get something legible and fits the tone of the work. Plainer fonts are fine and are usually easier to read; cursive-type fonts such as the one used are not always easy to read. And legibility extends to color, so maybe go with black.
2. Feel free to share thumbnails and planning sketches. I'm sure others can help with figuring out the best composition for each page, and that way you'll have a good foundation to work off of.

My last two cents: maybe try purple in the shadows?

Welcome, Nightseye. It sounds like you've got a good attitude and are excited to get started. You're very lucky to be a beginner and to start off with such good resources and opportunities. And as Naroth said, don't be afraid to jump in.

Here's to your growth!

Thank you for the warm greetings! I'll do my best to be active and helpful.

Hello! I've recently started taking some of the classes here at SVSLearn, as part of my self-education resources and goals. I've been drawing since junior high but have a problem with practicing consistently. My lack of practice and not really stretching has left me at a technical and creative plateau. You can see my stuff at my Tumblr.

My goal is to learn and practice as much as I can through focused study over the next year (and continued practice over beyond). My interests lie in storytelling, so you'll probably see sequential art and illustrations with a focus on telling a story.

I just finished watching Jake Parker's How to Ink course, and am working on the exercises. I'm figuring out my next course.

I look forward to posting stuff here, sharing and getting feedback, and getting better.