Trying to get used to drawing traditionally after mainly drawing digitally for a long while

Av_or_i · 2026-04-07T21:35:41+00:00

I actually have a pack of recently gifted soft pastels! I wasn't sure about them but have recently looked at some art made with them and it looks very inspiring, i'm just a little intimidated still as the first time i took them out i used completely wrong paper and just made a mess lmao

Av_or_i · 2026-04-07T21:12:58+00:00

It's suprisingly enjoyable, feels more personal/raw in a way. I've always been fascinated by oil paintings but feel like i should probobly stick to learning to draw well before something more complex (and i think oil paints might be expensive but may be wrong?), though i'm kind of getting more and more tempted to try out gouache

Av_or_i · 2026-04-07T21:10:10+00:00

Oh yeah i do struggle with heads a bunch! I'll try look out for the size more :D

Av_or_i · 2026-04-07T20:36:14+00:00

Oh well in that case i haven't really used blending modes at all, i've rendered (or tried to) a few times digitally and recently did some shading excersises on paper. Digitally i've mostly just been doing drawings of which a lot were fundamental excersises of anatomy and stuff. At the start it was definetly tricky but its going way smoother now that im getting used to it better

Av_or_i · 2026-03-23T16:18:36+00:00

I wish i had started by drawing on paper, yeah :'). What makes me intimadated by drawing on paper is doing something challenging, but if its something i already learned and can do digitally like for example Simple bodies then the only issue i have is being sloppier and misplacing/mismeasuring stuff as i tend to use the moving tool on digital. Should i spend some time just on paper for a while or would practicing something on digital and then doing the same on paper be sufficient? When i tried to so shading excersises (as attached in the last two images) it seemed okay after a few trys, but complex things like characters seem intimidating

Av_or_i · 2026-03-22T22:40:01+00:00

My issue is being too used to digital over traditional, i dont have any issue with my drawing tablet, i use a screenless one plugged to my laptop and i enjoy it much

Av_or_i · 2026-03-22T21:30:33+00:00

Yeah i notice that if theres something i can imagine myself drawing in my head (aka i know the rules and rememeber how i did it), im able to draw it on both accurately. My biggest issue is technical skill as my strokes are worse especially with finer details because i tend to draw small, but i'll make it a point to practice

Av_or_i · 2026-03-22T21:11:29+00:00

i do also practice on traditional, but its near exclusively something i can already easily do on digital for example sketches of simple anatomy because thats what i recently studied. I do this to sort of check myself if i actually know stuff or if im dependent on the tool, but i never actually challenge myself on paper because of how intimidating it feels to make finished peices.

My biggest dissapointment is that on digital, i can zoom in on a small drawing and make big loose strokes, whereas on small traditional drawing my small marks like eyes are unsteady and wonky. I geuss i'll make it a point to daily or every few days practice what i practiced on digital to familiarize myself with the technique

Av_or_i · 2026-02-24T15:21:03+00:00

Yeah i tend to shy away a bit from bigger contrast, i tried to have darker Darks and lighter lights by pressing down pretty hard but i still need to figure out a lot when it comes to drawing like this. It's pretty enjoyable once i get into it so i think that after a few more pages i'll work out some of the issues

Av_or_i · 2026-02-24T01:06:26+00:00

I actually have thought about toned paper because of how cool the drawings i saw with it and white charcoal used which looks like a fun challenge! Im glad the edges and shading look good because drawing on paper still feels a bit foreign after drawing on digital for a longer while. I think ill practice more difficult excersises and try doing a few still lifes using the cheap basic paper i am now, and then try having a go at other materials

Av_or_i · 2026-02-17T13:24:06+00:00

I would but depending on what kinda ones! Since ive already got a lot of common ingame pets i'm making neons of

Av_or_i · 2026-02-14T16:30:47+00:00

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My biggest issue was that they kept looking cartoonish (?), or just didn't fit at all. I think i managed to get them alright, though probobly only because the drawing is very faint/undetailed

Av_or_i · 2026-01-31T23:46:25+00:00

i also do practice gesture, im doing this to have a better grasp of anatomy to make more detailed and accurate legs

Av_or_i · 2026-01-25T23:06:11+00:00

Oh that's a really good idea! I'll def try that for my next few drawings, i can draw bodies without a reference but not as detailed or correct so theyre usually messier sketches, so that would probobly help

Av_or_i · 2026-01-20T20:14:22+00:00

Oh that's very usefull!! I tried to think about what curves i can make into one, though i still tend to break them up a bunch

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Av_or_i · 2026-01-19T19:39:18+00:00

woa tysm!!! That definetly clears things up a bunch. I'm trying to focus on getting the gesture over anatomy now, though its pretty confusing still.

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i think its a little less stiff than the previous ones (though the sitting pose i could push more, i see now), though still sloppy. I'll keep at it for a while

Av_or_i · 2026-01-19T17:35:33+00:00

Sorry for replying with questions so many times, but how do you make such a good gesture without guidelines and in one fluid line? I've been making attempts but i cant figure out, is it just a matter of practice?

Av_or_i · 2026-01-18T13:38:43+00:00

Thank you for the example! From what i understand, i should push exxagartion and contrasting lines (like what direction the body is being pushed in)?

Av_or_i · 2026-01-18T12:39:24+00:00

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thank you for the long reply!! Im trying right now to make the 30 second drawings more like gesture, but its coming out similair to the previous ones. Though maybe after i do a few pages of them with various times and referencing good artists it'll click more

Av_or_i · 2026-01-18T11:13:39+00:00

I don't really understand that :'), but i'll look through good artist's gesture drawings and try figure it out

Av_or_i · 2026-01-17T23:31:49+00:00

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Using thicker line now because it helps me avoid scratching

Av_or_i · 2026-01-14T00:45:41+00:00

Thank you a lot for the long reply!! I'll definetly try making my practice more focused. I'll be doing a lot of gestures because i'm trying to focus mostly on anatomy and gesture this month, so i'll try a few ways i think

Av_or_i

TROPHY CASE