HEY THIS IS IMPORTANT whats your favorite place to find drawing references?
so far we’ve got
senshi stock
croquis cafe
line-of-action.com
quickposes.com
posemaniacs
clip studio paint models
pexels.com
sketchdaily
eggazyoutatsu atarichan drawer
designdoll
if you have any more please reply!
Unsplash: All photos published on Unsplash can be used for free. You can use them for commercial and noncommercial purposes. You do not need to ask permission from or provide credit to the photographer or Unsplash, although it is appreciated when possible. More precisely, Unsplash grants you an irrevocable, nonexclusive copyright license to download, copy, modify, distribute, perform, and use photos from Unsplash for free, including for commercial purposes, without permission from or attributing the photographer or Unsplash. This license does not include the right to compile photos from Unsplash to replicate a similar or competing service.
Freeimages: You can use the images in digital format on websites, blog posts, social media, advertisements, film and television productions, web and mobile applications. In printed materials such as magazines, newspapers, books, brochures, flyers, product packaging for decorative use in your home, office or any public place or personal use. The rights granted to you by FreeImages.com are: Perpetual, meaning there is no expiration or end date on your rights to use the content. Non-exclusive, meaning that you do not have exclusive rights to use the content. FreeImages.com can license the same content to other customers. Unlimited, meaning you can use the content in an unlimited number of projects and in any media. For purposes of this agreement, “use” means to copy, reproduce, modify, edit, synchronize, perform, display, broadcast, publish, or otherwise make use of.
Stocksnap: Every single image on StockSnap are governed exclusively by the generous terms of the Creative Commons CC0 license. Specifically, that license means you can do any and all of the following: Download the image file.Publish, revise, copy, alter, and share that image. Use the image (as-is or as you’ve altered it), in both personal and commercial contexts. Moreover, you can put StockSnap CC0 images to any of these usages without buying the right to do it, acquiring written permission from the image’s creator, or attributing the work to the image creator. In other words, there’s no fee to download or use these StockSnap images in accordance with the CC0 license. They’re free to download, free to edit, and free to use – even in a commercial project! You don’t even need to attribute the image to the creator, the way you do with other CC or traditional copyright licensing schemes. (However, even though it’s not required, we here at StockSnap do encourage you to include an appropriate attribution. It’s a nice thing to do.)
Burst.Shopify: Burst is a free stock photo platform that is powered by Shopify. Their image library includes thousands of high-resolution, royalty-free images that were shot by their global community of photographers. You can use their pictures for just about anything — your website, blog or online store, school projects, Instagram ads, facebook posts, desktop backgrounds, client work and more. All of their photos are free for commercial use with no attribution required.
Pixabay: Images and Videos on Pixabay are released under Creative Commons CC0. To the extent possible under law, uploaders of Pixabay have waived their copyright and related or neighboring rights to these Images and Videos. You are free to adapt and use them for commercial purposes without attributing the original author or source. Although not required, a link back to Pixabay is appreciated.
Viintage: All images hosted by Viintage.com are considered to be public domain images, each image is presumed to be in the public domain. It may be distributed or copied as permitted by applicable law. Viintage.com assumes no ownership of the images and they may be downloaded and can be used free of charge for any purpose. They may be downloaded and used for commercial and personal use. Understand “public domain” as the permission to freely use an image without asking permission from the photographer or the illustrator. Thus, the creator of the work will not sue you for violating his/her copyrights. It is your responsibility to make sure, displaying the image does not violate any other law. Viintage.com assumes no responsibility for how or where you use the images found on the site.
Gratisography: You may use Gratisography pictures as you please for both personal and commercial projects. You can adapt and modify the images and get paid for work that incorporates the pictures. This includes advertising campaigns, adding your logo or text to an image, printed in any size print runs (e.g., book covers, magazines, posters, etc.), on your website, blog, or other digital mediums, and on merchandise as long as the picture itself is not the merchandise.
“Iterative Drawing – The Fastest Way to Improve” by Sycra
People always say to practice art to get better (practice practice practice– and they’re right!!!), but they never explain how, and they certainly don’t explain how to get the most out of the practice that you do– this video explains exactly that (among many other valuable things)
I also REALLY liked his explanation of how he uses references.
if you’re struggling for AU ideas take a look-see at this list i wrote for my friend who dubbed it “better than the 10 commandments"
1) Coffee shop AU
i)
Barista and person who has a ridiculous coffee
order
ii)
I’m worried about your coffee dependency
iii)
you accidentally poured boiling hot coffee over
me so you’re responsible for taking me to A&E
iv)
you give me a different fake name every time you
come into starbucks and I just want to know your real name bc ur cute but here
I am scrawling “batman” onto your stupid cappuccino
2)
Flower shop AU
i)
You buy a weird amount of flowers and I’m
concerned as to why
ii)
I’m allergic to flowers but I work in a flower
shop – you’re a customer who’s very confused as to why I’d do that
iii)
(this is also a good way to incorporate flower
meanings eg, buying certain colours/types for person to represent feelings etc.)
3)
Library AU
i)
You’re overdue on this book and I want it so I’m
tracking u the fuck down
ii)
I work in the library and I’m a little concerned
for your health bc you never stop studying
iii)
The library’s pretty empty save for you and me
and OH that couple making out loudly in the shelves somewhere
4)
Awful first time meeting
i)
I accidentally punched you in the face when I
was too overexcited about something
ii)
I thought you were my friend who’s just done
something awful to me (read: cut my hair while I slept, dyed all of my clothes
pink, etc. etc.) because you look similar from behind so I stormed up to you
and shoved you from behind while calling you an asshole
iii)
You get the gist to this one
iv)
Oooh when you told me your name I thought you
were joking because it’s fucking awful and I made a joke about it and things
got awkward real fucking fast (perfect for a Hannibal au just saying)
5)
Weird places to meet/awkward meetings in general
i)
We live in the same block of flats but haven’t
ever talked and Sunday morning we were both doing the walk of shame and had to
stand in the lift together
ii)
“okay I know that being in the woods at 2am is a
weird thing to be doing but my friend called me and- wait, why are you in the woods at 2am, fuck I’m going
to die aren’t I?”
iii)
A personal favourite of mine – first day at a
new job and oh fuck my boss is the person I drunkenly hooked up with last
weekend/night
iv)
We keep accidentally running into each other I’m
not a stalker I swear
v)
You live across from me in our apartments and we
smile when we see each other but we don’t really know each other and oh you’re
the stripper at my friend’s stag do/hen night fuck this is really uncomfortable
vi)
“My shower’s broken but I’ve got a date tonight
could I possibly use your shower please?” “Oh sure (neighbour that I’ve been crushing on for the past six months) of course you can use my shower to get ready for your date (fuck fuck fuck)”
6)
Friends to romance – pining and all that
wonderful shit
i)
You’ve got a date tonight and you asked for
advice on what to wear but I’m so in love with you and damn you look good in the outfit I picked out for you
ii)
I really like you but you’re my best friend’s ex
iii)
You’ve liked me for ages and were really obvious
about it and I didn’t like all the attention but now you’re over me I really
miss it and fuck I think I like you too?
iv)
Somewhere along the way of getting into bar
fights together, staying up all night with movie marathons, other friendship
things, I’ve fallen in love with you but oh my god this could ruin EVERYTHING
v)
Friends with benefits oh wait I like you
7)
FAKE DATING HOLY SHIT I LIVE FOR THIS
i)
It’s my highschool reunion and I need a hot date
so I can rub it in the faces of the people who hated me
ii)
My homophobic parents are coming to visit will
you pretend to date me as an extra “fuck you”?
iii)
There’s a person who won’t stop bugging me will
you pretend to be my partner so that they’ll fuck off?
iv)
I told my sister I have a boyfriend so she’d
stop trying to set me up with people but now she’s coming to visit and I’m in
too deep I need a fake boyf ASAP
8)
Soulmate aus
i)
The first words your true love(s) will say to
you are tattooed on you and why the fuck are their first words something really
ridiculous like ‘I’ll pay you a tenner to punch me in the face’ or ‘quick
what’s your favourite animal’ or ‘fucking shit hell holy fuck wow oh my god
jesus h Christ fuck me’ etc. or even worse a really ridiculous song lyric like the opening lines of uptown funk or a high
school musical song or smthing did you have to serenade me the first time you
saw me asshole?
ii)
You get an ‘impression’ of your soulmate when
you turn 18 or something but all I got was a strong smell of bananas or an
overwhelming feeling that Thatcher was a good prime minister or an image in my
mind of a fucking unicorn
iii)
The more ridiculous the better actually
iv)
Something like whenever your soulmate sings a
duet you can’t help but join in and my fucking soulmate is in a goddamn band
but I can’t sing for shit
v)
Or maybe something like soulmates always sneeze
at the same time and I cant be sure but me and this kid in my French class just
sneezed at the same time are we soulmates or was it a coincidence (proceed w
character trying to make themselves sneeze around said person to see what’s
what)
9)
Alternate universes for real
i)
Mermaids
ii)
Siren and asexual pirate who doesn’t understand
why all his crew are losing their shit that person has a nice voice sure but
what the fuck is happening
iii)
Hogwarts
iv)
We live in a world where the greek gods are real
and you went and got yourself cursed and now I have to go on a fucking quest to
sort this shit out why do I love you again?
v)
Pacific rim au (either they’re drift compatible
or one of them is a ranger and the other stresses constantly bc what if they
die yes I have read a fic like this no I didn’t come up with this one but it’s
fucking good) (also if you haven’t seen that film go watch it now)
vi)
Literally any movie or book universe you like
tbh just go for it
10)
Other aus that I like
i)
I wanted to go on the ferris wheel but there has
to be two people to a cart come on random person let’s go oh wait are we stuck
at the top? Fuck
ii)
We work in the same office and you have a
goddamn squeaky chair and you wONT FUCKING STOP SQUEAKING IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW
IT ANNOYS ME
iii)
Our mutual friend set us up on a blind date and
I thought I’d hate it but you’re actually… kind of funny? But because I expected to hate it in no way am I going to let you change my mind just because you’re gorgeous and funny and intelligent oh no my friend is not winning this
iv)
It started to snow and I’m the only one of our
friends who would go outside with you – I soon found out why none of the others
would go out in the snow with you (this works best if they’re new friends who
don’t know each other all that well) when you shoved a handful of snow down my
back and declared snow war
v)
It’s nowhere near Christmas it’s literally still
November would you calm down about Christmas wait no why are you getting the
tree out no stop please stop (if you do this pre-relationship you can have the
grouchy one secretly finding the other’s excitement endearing and falling in
love with them actually that works for established relationship too)
vi)
Current partner got a new job in America (or
other country far away) and we’re getting by on skype calls and emails but it’s
not easy and then I met someone new (can be poly or can be finding the OTP person)
vii)
You want us both to get in shape and I hate
working out/running but your ass looks really good in shorts oh the things I do
for my friends and their nice asses
viii) Carrying
on from 10.vii. you’ve caught me checking you out in what I thought was a
subtle way too many times and now you’re calling me out on it what do I do???
ix)
You’re an actor/other famous person that I
really admire and I just saw you in the street and as I was debating whether or
not to say hi you came up to me and
started flirting what do I do??
x)
You were waving at your friend behind me but I
got confused and waved back at you and now I’m dying of embarrassment but you
think it’s cute
xi)
I sat down in the wrong class and I’m panicking
but don’t want to get up and leave because the class has started and you think
it’s hilarious and shut up you dumb fuck you don’t know me aahhh
xii)
I’m a waiter at this wedding and you’re a drunk
guest who will not stop hitting on me please I’m trying to work no I can’t
dance with you omg let me find you some water
xiii) Our
best friends are that awful ‘cute’ couple that make-out in public and call each
other “sweetie” and “sugar” and “babe” and god they’re awful let’s talk about
how awful they are – develops into “shit we’re the awful couple now”
xiv) You
pissed me off in class so I threw a book at your head and now I’m in detention
and jesus fuck I hate you so much and the teacher made me apologise and wait
you’re cuter up close and the way you talk is kind of nice actually oh fuck no
Okay I could go on forever but this is over 1,500 words of
auing already I have too many ideas christ
So you wanna do a comic and you have the passion and determination to do it and you have read thousands of comics, but when you deal with a blank page you are kinda lost… You already have your script and more or less have an idea of what to do, but how to construct it? are there rules? nobody talks about this… maybe I should just start and assume it will be fine….
WAIT THERE!
LET ME HELP YOU.
There are several “rules” that nobody say, mostly because professional artists are not really that talkative and they’re a bit jealous of these “secrets”, they are no secrets but basic steps to follow. So let’s review the most important ones.
Comic pages are 11’ x 17’ vertical with a bleed margin of something like 1’ and 1.5’ for the top margin depending on how you wanna work (this is for printed works web comics are flexible)
Pages in a regular comic contain from 4-8 panels in it, depending, but this is the average number. Must of your pages must be in between these numbers otherwise you’re showing too little or overwhelming the readers.
ALL pages must have in at least ONE panel the main character in full body view, once he/she/it has been introduced. this is to remind the reader of how they look.
When the characters are talking in a panel, even when they’re more than two, they must follow a visual line, as the line gets more vertical this makes the panel more dynamic
Now that you know that play with the visual lines don’t repeat them in the same page.
Always show the character from different angles in the same page.
Panels with zoom in images must be very detailed, and you must be able to tell what the zoom in object is, unless it is your intention not to to uncover it until later in the story.
On EACH PAGE there must be a visual sense of environment, meaning draw a background for each page AND ground the characters to it.
There must ALWAYS be one panel that is the focal point of the page, that panel you are drawn to immediately when you first see the page.
ALWAYS draw and structure your panels with the idea that the readers are the MOST STUPID PEOPLE EVER (sounds mean but it’s true). Everything must be 10000000% clear, for when they read the page EVERYTHING will be understandable. In this part comes the speech bubbles. Force the reader to make them read the way you want them to, try not to confuse them.
Use a clear font to read… BUT PLEASE DON’T USE COMIC SANS! I will come for you at night and pull your feet if you do!
Always leave space for speech bubbles in your panels,or be ready to crop some of the drawing.
Some artist can manage panels magnificently, even artistically, but if this is not you, don’t be afraid to use simple squares all the time! This is Jimmy Cheung, one of Marvel’s best and he always uses simple paneling so don’t be afraid
For panels with dynamic actions do everything with an inclination
…
I think that’s the basics of paneling. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask.
This is one of the most interesting requests I’ve ever gotten, so thank you for that!
Before I start, let me state the obvious;
Technically, there is no ‘anatomically correct’ when it comes to people with four arms – since it is not possible for humans to have it the way we represent it in art. But! That doesn’t mean there are ways to make it look anatomically believable. And this is what I will try to do.
1. We’ll start of with a simple picture of a bare back with stretched arms – as it is here you will place the four extra arms. (If you meant to only have one pair of extra arms, don’t worry, this tutorial would still be the same. As would it be with six extra arms as well.) The first tip I will give you is to draw the ‘normal’ arms first! Have them ready before you you draw the extras.
Now, let’s study how the ‘anatomy’ should work…
2. Notice how the ‘motion’ fo the back is. Those orange arrows show what direction the extra arms should be facing. This way, it’ll look more natural. Note that the shoulders, shoulder-blades and hip area are off limits to extra arms. If you place them here, it will look incredibly unnatural.
3. The best idea is to place the arms as close as possible in a similar ‘pattern’. This example shows the best areas for four extra arms. Now, if you only want two, I recommend you place them under the shoulder-blades. If it’s six, place the extras between the shoulder blades. If it’s eight, place the extras on the lower back. This way it will be the most believable. Realistically, of course, this wouldn’t work – but there are ways to trick your eyes.
4. Add the arms and… bam! There you have it; arms on the back. If you need help on how to draw arms, here’s a tutorial I’ve made on them.
5. Do some practices. My tip is is to draw each arm differently; make sure they’re all in motion. Of course, realistically, the arms would get tired after a while – but let’s not over-think it, shall we? It’s very important to draw each arm differently as it will say a lot about the character and give more life to them. If you simply copy/paste identical arms you’ll notice how much more stiff and artificial it will look. I’ll show Usui as an example;
Here you can see the arms have been copy/pasted. It doesn’t really look natural, does it? In this case this is a good thing; for Usui is not human and we can tell by the arms alone that it looks unnatural. So – both methods can be used. Just be careful with how you use them.
6. One thing you can never forget, however, is the silhouette. Make sure it all looks visually appealing as one shape, or else it will look like a confusing mess. One way to check this is to zoom out or to fill it all in black to see how it looks as a bundle.
7. Be aware of a mess when you draw several arms. It will look terribly confusing at first, but give it a chance. I suggest you be as messy as you possibly can and think of the silhouette first, then the anatomy. Don’t worry about how cleans it looks, because…
8. It will be OK in the end. ❤ If you draw traditionally, make sure to sketch your arm with a gentle grip. If digitally, remember; there’s always another layer.
And that’s what I have to say about that! Hope it helped.
The villain wants love and validation, and believes others owe it to them. They’ll frequently get enraged and violent when the objects of their affection deny them.
Examples: Tighten from Megamind, Severus Snape from Harry Potter, Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ross from Friends.
The hero will do whatever it takes to protect their family, while abiding by a code of underlying morals that they will not violate.
Examples: Dean Winchester from Supernatural, Joyce Byers from Stranger Things, Marlon from Finding Nemo, the man and the boy from The Road.
The villain:
The villain will do whatever it takes to protect their family, including taking away their freedom, abusing them, or hurting and killing other innocent families.
The hero was raised in an abusive, violent environment. They’ll do whatever it takes to never have to experience that again, and to make sure others never have to suffer in the same way.
Examples: Finn and Rey from Star Wars, Katniss from Hunger Games.
The villain was raised in an abusive, violent environment. They’ll do whatever it takes to never experience that again, including doing the exact same thing to other people.
Examples: That one dude from A Series of Unfortunate Events, Severus Snape (again.)
The villain wants a remedy for injustice, and goes about it by hurting innocents to get an audience or power.
Examples: Killmonger from Black Panther, Magneto from X-Men.
The realization that evil or destructive people are human, and, essentially, want the same things as good people, is a realization that makes them easier to write in an identifiable way.
Ginger's Art n Junk 