Medium advice?

[Soltarianknight]

Part of my reason for joining here is to get a better grasp on the different mediums and terms used in art. My school has a wonderful art program but i am majoring in Agrisciences and have no room for the class. Im a fish and exotics keeper to tell the truth :p. So, when on the betta forum im a part of decided to have monthly betta art exchange i jumped in. I was originally intending to make some 3D bettas for whom ever i was assigned(we had to offer up pics of one of our bettas for an assigned person to work with). I even made a new design for the 3D origami betta however i got lucky, i got assigned the Wild Betta posted by one of the members, unfortunately, its a complete different shape and wouldnt look good as a origami piece. SO. Heres a picture of what the species looks like
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1045/5571 ... z.jpg?zz=1
http://www.aquaterraria.com/images/atla ... ostoma.jpg

These are not pictures of the actual fish i was given, but the same shape and color and such. Betta macrostoma, quite the fish.

Im not trained in much of the ways of "art" i dont know simple terms or anything of the such, i can learn, and fast. I was contemplating either a shaded profile of the fish or a color pencil piece, i wanted to know everyone opinions.

[Singular]

Hi Sam,

There are a lot of things you can do with fish for art. Colored pencil or marker is always a good choice. Pen and ink is good, but requires a bit more skill because it is not as forgiving. You would probably need to start with a light pencil drawing and then use that as your model when you add ink. 3D carving would be cool. Get a flat piece of wood, maybe a couple inches thick and the carve the profile into the wood. You would need wood carving knives and could probably get a set for a decent price.



Here is a digital painting done by an artist here, that might give you a little inspiration if you decide to go the colored pencil route.


Detail: http://www.asingularcreation.com/Galler ... ?pid=23100

all the best,
Joe

[Soltarianknight]

That looks amazing, i got a few sketches done(ok like 5-6) to just help me perfect getting the shape and detail i want. I did 2 shades, which i like on the rough, i will need to actually get out a better shading pencil, did most of them free hand at school. Ill see if i cant get 1 or 2 pics posted here(times like this i wish the scanner wasnt broken.)

[LakeofGlass]

For beginners, colored pencil would be a better choice. They aren't easily erasable, just in case you believe you can erase it.

In spite of you being a fast learner, drawing still takes quite a lot of time to learn. The first way to start out is by learning gesture drawing. It helps you draw what you see, not what you believe is there. When I was in high school, the art teacher actually started us out with drawing toilet paper. Why? It was a simple cylinder that would have a random extra piece that would crinkle and fold, much like fabric.

Start with simple objects, and challenge yourself to do at least 1 complete drawing a day. Find a small box for a cube, maybe a potpourri cone for a cone shape, a stress ball for a sphere, and any can for a cylinder. Toy around with lighting by using a desk lamp and setting your object closer and further away. Try to pay attention to perspective by examining vanishing points. You don't need to become an expert, but doing theme days for each one will help you progress faster. Try a simple object first, then apply that to the fish.

For practice, try to use a 3B or 4B graphite pencil. Draw from your elbow, not your wrist. Investing in a table easel will benefit you. If you don't buy that, get a drawing board and lean it on the back of another chair. Having your drawings elevated allow you more freedom to work, and you will see your subject easier as you draw. It might seem like you can just lean your hand on the paper and draw well, but when you learn gesture drawing better, you'll find that it moves things along much faster. The finer details are done similar to normal writing.

Also, don't listen to the right-brain/left-brain junk. There is no such thing. My father, who is getting his doctorate in psychology, mentioned to me that discussing right-brained/left-brained things were actually a common joke among them. So saying something like, "Oh, I'm creative, I must be very right-brained," would be very tongue-in-cheek. Anyone with half a brain on either side can learn to draw, as long as there is an interest. The ones who "master" it are probably just more visual thinking than others. Those who think in pictures tend to communicate better that way.