Suit yourself. The method I described worked for me. I was terrible at drawing before, and I was awesome at it after. If it helps the OP great, if not, maybe your way would work.

I’m a bit surprised at the perceived hostility here. When it comes to making things, since when was there only one way to do anything?

There are different kinds of drawing, the person that replied to you refers to 'academic' realist drawing traditon which has a certain very specific way of training.

an example - https://www.pinterest.ru/pin/442760207118409728/ Generally such result is achieved through very specific rigorous steps to which that downvoted comment referred.

The training that you suggest is also nice but I understand why someone classically trained would object to it.

I don't know why its hostile to say something is bad. No personal animosity intended.

The problem is that your method is an easy way to get great results and probably good enough for hobbyists. But if you really want to seriously learn how to draw, I implore you to explore the formal way of learning how to draw. It's hard and long haul task, takes years but it is damn satisfying.

Saying “ This is the worst way to learn how to draw.” feels, to me at least, like a microinvalidation. If that’s not your intent then I’m happy to move past it.

That exercise I outlined was the first project that gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a fine art education up to an undergraduate level. I didn’t get to that point without learning anything more, but I honestly don’t feel I made a critical error here.

And with respect to the OP, it kind of does look like he aims to only be hobbyist levels of good.

I commend your passion for the subject. I just can’t support the idea that there is a right and wrong way to learn how to draw.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Another take if “microinvalidation” sounds handwavy or political:

If someone puts forth a view, and you say what he consciously chose as his recommendation is the worst option to choose, literally any other choice would have been better[1], you are basically implying that the criteria of that person is actively harmful to the world and he would have best shut up. That he is an idiot, basically.

[1] Yes it is clearly an exaggeration but it is what you wrote. Kind of drawing what you see instead of what you think there is there :)

I didn’t downvote but I object to this part, especially for beginner learners:

> The litmus test for someone who knows truly how to draw is to ask them to redraw whatever object they drew but from a different angle or perspective. Most people to learned by measuring and training their eye won't be able to do it.

How many of us, when we encounter a piece of artwork we appreciate, really care if the artist is able to redraw the object from another angle?

There are some limited circumstances where I can see this skill being relevant: for example, if you want to publish a series (a visually elaborate webcomic or such), or you want to be hired to work to spec doing e.g. animation or storyboarding. That aside, just being able to draw something others appreciate—even if that involves shortcuts and working around own limitations—sounds like an important stepping stone and a source of dopamine that can motivate further learning, which could eventually get you to mentally seeing things in three dimensions and being able to draw an object from any angle.

A parallel I can draw from personal experience is with music. We don’t make students learn notation and music theory first; we start with actually playing, practicing the motions, stretching fingers, learning to hit the right keys/buttons/strings, etc. If you get to being able to just play cool tunes, that’s good. If you don’t advance past that, some would consider that unfortunate and I won’t argue with that, but invalidating this stage outright sounds like unnecessary gatekeeping.

I also object to the part you object to:

> ask them to redraw whatever object they drew but from a different angle or perspective.

since the context presented in the original article is the question of how to learn to draw.

It is asking too much to expect a student to redraw an object from a different perspective before they have even learned how to render anything.

Learning takes place in steps. Roberthahn was being far more constructive with his comment that offered the exercise of copying a black and white drawing in order to learn how to see light vs shade. That's the first two steps in learning how to draw - learning how to see light vs shade, and translating that perception into your fingers.

Nicely put. I’d stress the importance of the (allegedly, I’m yet to try it myself) faster payoff from the copy technique. You have to start somewhere, and without basic practice of visual perception/fine motor skill coordination the insurmountable upfront investment of drawing uninteresting objects from different angles over and over again looks like a great way to kill own motivation and declare yourself lacking some inborn talent.

In my view, the only valid critique of the copy method (or any other way of learning) could be if it doesn’t work, otherwise I see no reason to declare that method of learning as unequivocally “bad” except to heighten the barrier to entry.

I think its underrated - being able to draw whatever you want without a reference except an object you have in the mind in any angle, any perspective distortion and have light falling on it from any vantage point.

It is so powerful! You can draw comic strips to serious fine art almost effortlessly after understanding the construction of the form.

I just think that it is the only way to learn how to draw because it is a superset of everything else.

I imagine it’s a fantastic skill, but I also believe I’m not alone in foreseeing such a massive grind to get there from scratch that I write myself off in advance, not having the persistence and intrinsic motivation as an adult—considering even as a child I failed at it (it worked with music but not visual art; I blame the differences in how those were taught to me).

On the other hand, presuming I had some basic ability going (which is what the copy method appears to promise), having proven to myself I can draw at all, I can see myself advancing to this skill eventually.

But op didn't ask for the ultimate drawing test, asked for starting practice.

Parent advice is spot on: the initial exercises need to focus on arranging lines and spaces maintaining arbitrary proportions, and copying existing things is great for that. The other foundational stkill is shading, but that's easy enough to learn by doing.

Then you move into figure study, and maybe begin to develop your own style, but it's not really needed at this phase. You know shapes by now, so drawing cats, animals, persons outlines works great in putting harmony into shapes.

Once one can reliably put down shapes and proportions and shading, it's time to move up to scenes. Object interactions, shadows, relative positioning are the skill to master here, perspective lines can help at the beginning, copying architecture and placing figures on it a great exercise.

Once this skillset is built then you've the tools to test yourself, and the litmus test is not drawing figures, that is foundational. The litmus test is to draw a figure out a scene in various styles so that it's clear in each different production both that the character and which style does it fit.

You are being downvoted because you may have come a bit crass in your point.

But I do agree. The best thing I did to improve my drawing skills (which are still shit) was to move from thinking in 2D to think in 3D. This small (but mentally big) change improved my drawing skills 10 fold.

It is actually frustrating how often it is repeated. Every time I come across any advice on drawing, it is leading masses of people the wrong way. What's worse on top of not learning how to draw well, is that a false sense of accomplishment. People who learn how to draw this way think they've learned and climbed the mountain of creative achievement but the truth would come out the moment you ask them to redraw with a different perspective.

This is my pet peeve.

Do you have any recommendations on courses/books/whatever? I don't remember what it was, I think maybe a udemy course that made me 'shift' from 2d->3d but I don't remember the name, but always interested in knowing more. (specially as I am actually working on a drawing application, so the more the better ;)

I wouldn't call it the worst way to draw -- these studies are excellent at training the eye to understand things as they truly look (rather than the shorthand symbols we are accustomed to), but would agree that one will find their ability to draw from imagination extremely lacking if studies from reference are the only exercise used. An understanding of construction in 3D space is fundamental to the creative aspect of drawing.

No, it's actually detrimental to learn by "seeing" because it sticks with you forever and hard to break the habit.

There are similar things in learning instruments. Bad habits stick.

There is an exercise in "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" where you turn a photo upside down and try to replicate it. Turning it upside down is specifically to prevent you from knowing what you "should see" so that you can better focus on what you actually see.

When I observe people who quickly paint portraits, they usually first fill the paper with big dark areas (where the major shadows will be), and only afterwards add shapes and details. So it's a bit like iteratively loading JPEG: first the entire picture in low resolution, then gradually increasing resolution.

Would you call both these approaches "learning bad habits"?

Many people draw very well by using models. Even some of the best known artist used models to make their master pieces. I understand what you are pointing out but keep in mind that there are many styles of learning to draw. It all comes down to what works for you.

What he is saying is literally the basics/first week in "Art 101" and addresses the OP who was asking about "learning".