drawing aid...

[bssage]

My boy 8 loves to draw. He is doing pretty well imitating comics. I was wondering if there is any good books that could help him master some of the drawing basics.

Remember he is 8. I am not sure about talent (I think his drawings are great). But I am sure he is very focused and driven about getting good at this. I have given him templates and stencils from when I was an engineer. I am looking more for a basic, fun type of instruction on some of the fundamentels.

Bryan

 

[Xero]

You should try Amazon.com. I saw a book called "My first tracing book" and I'm sure there's other good titles.

 

[NinJaBob]

This may be a little old for him but there is absolutely no better drawing book than <U>Drawing On the Right Side of The Brain</U> by Betty Edwards. At Amazon you can check out the chapters and see for yourself but the techniques are going to take you from a beginner to an expert. It's that good. Not sure if she has done any books for kids but I would check out her collection.

<AMAZON id="0874774195" url="http://www.amazon.com/New-Drawing-Right-Side-Brain/dp/0874774195/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1225941949&amp;sr=8-2">http://www.amazon.com/New-Drawing-Right-Side-Brain/dp/0874774195/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1225941949&amp;sr=8-2</AMAZON>


-Phil

 

[bssage]

checkin into both thanks

 

[Trina]

My son has had a knack for drawing since he was very little. We have bought him several different books that he refers to, but he has benefitted the most from taking classes at a local Cartoonist Academy. Look into drawing classes in your area.

 

[Nikita]

I think for something like art, practice is the key. The more he draws the better he will get. If he like copying comics this is a great start. I used to do this as a kid and I actually started to become a decent artist. Let him pick out comics and books he wants to draw. Get him pencils and sketch paper and do as you are, encourage him to draw and he will be great at it soon.

 

[NinJaBob]

I think that it's important to also get him to forget about drawing a hand for instance and try to get him to see the shapes that make up the hand. To be a good artist you have to loose the logical part of your brain and use the emotional side. That book I mentioned will give you a basis for how to do that complete with exercises.

No I don't work for Betty Edwards I just really believe in her methods.

 

[bssage]

I'm looking into it now. Alot of the reviews for that book seem to be from library people. So I am going to see if there is already a copy at either the public or school library before I purchase.

Kinda funny you mentioned hands. I told him a long time ago that hands were pretty hard and said to pay attention to cartoons in the paper and his books. most use only three fingers ect.

Cole is bound and determined to prove me wrong. He can now draw an excelent hand by itself. but it still is out of proportion when he draws one on a figure. Score 1 Dad!. But he is still trying. I have a lot of hand pictures.
thanks
Bryan

I am currently trying to get him to make story boards for his comics so he can tell the story better or clearer. Really I just love seeing him this intrested in something productive.

 

[NinJaBob]

Really I just love seeing him this intrested in something productive.

That's great Bryan!!

 

[Xero]

Yeah that is awesome! I very much love to draw and I consider myself pretty darn good at it, and I have never used the shape method. I always hated it when people tried to make me do that, and it only messed me up. My brain could never work around it, all it did was create extra unneccesary steps that ultimately messed my picture up. So if he doesn't want to do that, I wouldn't make him. But that's just me, who knows.

 

[NinJaBob]

I have never used the shape method. I always hated it when people tried to make me do that, and it only messed me up.

You probably don't need to do that but a lot of people can't get past their own idea of what a hand should look like and so they draw what to them is a symbol of a hand instead of the actual shape of the hand. If he is having proportion problems then this may be why. Then again I am no art teacher. I only play one on TV.

-Phil

 

[Xero]

Yeah, proportion is hard.