Drawing

T

Twr777

New Member
Hey

Im 14 and an aspiring Graphic designer. I enjoy Computer design but lack Physical Drawing skills. I Think this will be a Big set Back But I really like using photoshop and Am currently learning Illustrator. Is there Any way to overcome The lack of drawing skills or do i need to re think a career choice?
 
Lack of artistic ability is a handicap but never did Tracey Emin any harm. At least at 14 you have time to learn, just feel sorry for the rest of us. Better Fix that Caps lock Button though :icon_smile:
There are many different jobs in the graphics industry, not just for great artists.
 
You'd be amazed at the number of Designers who cant draw for s**t these days!... The unfortunate truth is that a reasonable ability to draw is fairly important in this business. At the end of the day, you're no flipping good if you can think of a great picture but can't paint the damn thing! The good news is that drawing id something that can be worked on! buy a sketch pad and spend hours and hours drawing stuff! To start with it all looks pretty much the same but over quite a short space of time you'll get to feel how your pencil is working and things will fall into place.

If its of any use, next time I'm at my parents, I'll dig out my GCSE and A level art stuff and take a couple of pics for you to compare the change in sketching over a 12 month period.
 
I would point out that the ability to draw and an eye for design are not NECESSARILY the same thing. :icon_wink:
 
I think as long as you can get down on paper how you visualise something you will be fine. Like Dave said you will learn along the way. My drawing skills have improved a hell of a lot since I started university, I think you would be knackered if you wanted to go into something like Illustration and couldn't draw.

Keep at it, My tutor is an amazing graphic designer and he can't draw for Sh*t.
 
Practice builds confidence, and its the confidence thats the important bit.
As long as you can develop a style that is 'yours' your half way there.
 
Everyone can draw. Just look how successful Jon Burgerman is, I wouldn't say his illustration style showed great ability in drawing (not technically anyway), but he's got a great use of colour and imagination to create little characters many people know and love.

The above advice to keep on practicing is great, I did life drawing etc. at college and it helped me on heaps with my eye for depth and proportion. I still wouldn't say I'm great at drawing, but I can do enough to get by. It certainly never held me back at uni and it hasn't stopped me getting a job in graphic design.
 
I think as long as you can visualise what's in your head then you can proceed.
Unless your an illustrator, I guess that's in the name though.
 
I recently had a visit from a friend of my tutor's who was described as a 'professional visualiser'.

Basically someone describes an idea to him and he draws up the idea on paper for them in about 10 seconds. He was there to basically show us some techniques for quickly working up drafts and improve time management.

He said that it's the idea that's important at that stage. So long as you can show the placement of objects (quick lines for text for example) that's all people are worried about, since the drafts that aren't chosen tend to be binned, so why spend hours drawing everything perfectly just to have it thrown away?

TL:DR Don't fret, if you can draw lines and basic shapes then you're sorted.
 
When it comes to drawing ('sketching' might be a better word), don't get bogged down in full-blown concepts of draughtsmanship or realism; I think the sort of sketching you're likely to require as a designer working in electronic media is about arranging basic shapes within a space to give an impression rather than producing anything with proper artistic credibility.
 
Same - I Would Agree

I remember a lot of designers that couldn't draw.

You can still compensate with software skills.

I would recommend developing your 'sketching' skills though. This will help communicate ideas to bosses clients in brainstorms etc.

Cheers!

:)
 
This is an example of the type of drawing I'm required to do. (I won't insert them into a post because I haven't resized them)

Initial Thumbnail Ideas created at a pretty small size...

http://www.paulmurraydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/S7003377.jpg
http://www.paulmurraydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/S7003378.jpg

Refined Design at about A5 size...

http://www.paulmurraydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/S7003379.jpg

Pretty quick and basic but you still get an idea what's going on.
 
Paul Murray said:
This is an example of the type of drawing I'm required to do. (I won't insert them into a post because I haven't resized them)

Initial Thumbnail Ideas created at a pretty small size...

http://www.paulmurraydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/S7003377.jpg
http://www.paulmurraydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/S7003378.jpg

Refined Design at about A5 size...

http://www.paulmurraydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/S7003379.jpg

Pretty quick and basic but you still get an idea what's going on.
Click to expand...


They're some really good examples, I think the OP would find them really useful to have a browse through, thanks for sharing!
 
A strong foundation in drawing will help you get noticed over other designer with weak drawing skills. My best advice is to start taking life drawing classes, the human form is the hardest thing to draw convincingly.

One of the key aspects of the craft of design is the ability to be able to transfer your thoughts and ideas onto paper/screen. This can often happen in front of clients as well!

Software skills do not replace a lack of drawing skill, practice your drawing, always take a sketch pad with you and you'll see your work improve as a direct result. It will also give you a distinct advantage when you start applying for jobs, there a numerous junior designers with good software skills, very few with good drawing skills.

Martin
 
Agree, a good Art/Design Foundation course is what you need, but generally this is a post A-level course before applying for design college courses.
I did mine at Wimbledon School of Art and it was fantastic 9 months immersion in all forms of art and media.

Paul Cartwright
 
Decide what you want to be...

Do you want to be a graphic designer, if so absolute technique in hand drawing skills are mostly not what is required with day to day life as a designer. What you need is some ability to visualise an idea, but layout and presentation of designs good typography is as important.

Photography is a bonus to graphic designers if they cannot draw, it their is millions upon millions of stock photo's that they can use. So to finish decide what it is that you are because most graphic designers I have worked for really couldn't draw or paint traditionally this is where I came in being a illustrator they did the layout and asked me to draw what they needed

If like me you want to do both great, graphic design and illustration remember you get paid for both jobs and everyone's a critic.
 
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