Where should I start to improve my art skills?

1. Trace a simple black and white picture a few times then try to draw it without tracing.

2. Select a picture, turn it upside down and draw what you see; you will be amazed at how good you are!

3. Search for pencil drawings by established artists. Redraw what you find.

4,Your local library will have several “how to draw” books and, maybe, videos. Ask your librarian to help you find what you need. Do this Monday at lunch.

5. If you want to find something specific, type into your search engine, “How to ________ step-by-step” without the quotes. For instance:

How to draw the illusion of a glass bottle step-by-step

How to draw noses step-by-step

6. Don't draw mouths and noses. Draw the small shapes and values (lights and darks) that together create mouths and nose

7. Please take a drawing class or any art class.

10 LINKS FOR DRAWING TUTORIALS:

1. Drawspace .com (I recommend you start here.)

http://www.drawspace.com/lessons/free

2. American Artist Magazine

http://www.artistdaily.com/

3. ArtShow .com

http://www.artshow.com/resources/drawing.html

4. Creative Spotlight

http://www.creativespotlite.com/

5 Art Instruction Blog

http://www.artinstructionblog.com/

6. Drawing for Dummies

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentia...

7. About.com

http://drawsketch.about.com/

8. Mike Sibley Fine Art

http://www.sibleyfineart.com/index.htm

9. J.D. Hillberry

http://www.jdhillberry.com/index.htm

10. Art Instruction Blog

http://www.artistsnetwork.com/?s=how+to+draw

There are a lot of tutorials at the above-listed sites. Don't overwhelm yourself, just choose one simple exercise and do it, now.

Artist and Designer, U.S.

Don't be discouraged.

Look at the simplicity of drawings by Patrick McDonnell of the Mutts cartoons. Suggestion spurs the imagination, use it.

Take a drawing class at the JC.

Look at texture, line quality. Fill a whole page with the tiny corner of an edge of a book or a leaf (whatever); blow it up, really look closely.

1.Look at a scene or complex object in your room. Draw it without looking at your hand.

2.Draw several objects without lifting the pencil off the page.

3, Combine 1 & 2

Experiment, really see an object, feel it, smell it, etc.

Study anatomy (that's what libraries are for)

Most of all keep drawing, always have a pencil & paper with you and

LOOK

.

Every artist I've ever seen give advice on how to improve one's art skills has always said, "practice, practice, practice." Draw as much as you can whenever you can. Also, study the artwork of other artists to see how they use lines, shading, color, and shadow to achieve a particular look or effect or anatomical shape, and then implement those techniques into your own art. As you improve your abilities to make your artwork look more the way you want it, those skills should translate over into digital artwork pretty well; there will just be a little bit of a learning curve as you transition from brush and pencil to stylus and touchpad.

The best type of art to improve your art skills is whatever is of interest to you. There are many different kinds of mediums and the more you work with the different types the easier it will be able for you to find what works best for you. Most of the great masters studied those that came before them. Trying to reproduce art that is already in existence can help you to understand their methods. Other than that I would say practice. Anyone can get the technical aspects of the art world with practice.