People always say, "This has been done before!" or, "This story has been told a million times!" but that's the way with art, there's no new or bad ideas, there are only horrible or amazing executions. The last point really stuck well with me in that regard.
Dario Wirtha even if it was free it ain’t free it’d be taxed to hell, so I agree let’s start a petition to get diplomas from RU-vid tutorials and turning in our homework to show what we learned, call it RU-vid university! I mean it could either be a joke or one of those great ideas that I’m kinda brushing off again, I’ve done that before lol
I think I missed some but: Create the kind of thing you yourself would enjoy. Everything should be a choice not something done automatically. Specifics are more interesting than generalities. Be aware of how accessible your work is. Less is more.(Or it can be) There are very few rules: everyone finds his or her own way of doing things. Content dictates form. You don't need a brilliant idea. It's just as good to take a simple idea, and execute it brilliantly.
For the people who think this will be a one way ticket to drawing good, please don't think that way. Being a good artist takes practice and determination and there's no easy button to it. The best way to get better is to just draw, even if you think you're not good enough or if you think you're too good, just draw and finish your drawings, there's always room to improve and different styles to try out.
Ya know, right before I put this comment up, I wondered how many people would comment that I used the word determination with Asriel as my prof.pic, I never expected it to happen almost immediately. Now I'm trying not to laugh while at work, thanks guys
Okay, I'm 8 minutes into the video. I like to draw, I like to write, and I've been working hard on a couple projects. I look up a lot of tips, and I begin to hear a lot of repetition. It gets annoying after a while as people regurgitate the same thing. In some cases, it's a matter of all these "creative" people who have almost put themselves into an autopilot-state where they allow their so-called individualism take over. The funny thing about that is the more different everybody tries to be, the more striking similarities rise to the surface. Kind of like hipsters... But I digress. I paused the video at the 8 minute mark. I think only 3 tips have gone by, and I had to stop watching and just hit the subscribe button before I became engrossed. Honestly. Great content, man. This is the first video of yours I watched, and it won't be the last. I can already tell that I will be able to incorporate your insights and wisdom into my creative processes.
same here... im on my fifth tonight... i found him by accident he popped up in my recommended... and I totally dig this guy.... like i said above... hes an artist's Artist...
im 13 and my realistic drawings dont up to par with reality as I want it to, and I progressed ALOT watching your videos and I wanna say that your my inspiration and thank you for making this videos.
Hello Kitty 5lol you are 13 tbh you are still learning how to draw I can assure you, you have a long road to go. Think of yourself when you are 23 looking back. Never stop learning !! Get the basics right. Don't bother about rendering everything perfect. It's ok you'll get where you want to get soon if you keep working on it.
If you're 13 the it should be no problem your mind can still take new ideas me I'm 29, I realize that if I am ever going to learn to draw properly I have about 6 years to do it before it'll become next to impossible.
@Petercross I don't know it's 3 years since I wrote that and I actually changed my mind I cna still learn stuff fine. It may take some more work but an active mind, one that keeps learning will not lose it's plasticity.
Dear mark crilley, I started out drawing terribly, I was inspired by the girl who used to sit next to me, her drawings were amazing. I have a brother who likes to draw and has autism, so when I showed him a drawing I was proud of, he'd say that it was terrible. So I started watching your videos, slowly, I started improving, more and more, now I'm better than him. And I wonder, why did I care? Any way, the point was, your videos are amazing and helped me a lot, with my art, and my confidence.
I will remember these advices for sure. But can we stop for a moment to appreciate how good this artwork is? She is so cute, totally feels like a wife material. :D
Stormy -BlackNoiseStudios- That's interesting question because You're kinda right. I don't exactly know myself why. It feels like she could have a personality I'm attracted to. But, it's just a drawing anyway so. :D
Your words in this video (and practically all of your videos) are full of wisdom. Thank you so much for being a RU-vidr. I've watched your videos since I was in 5th grade (now I'm in my 5th semester in college), and while I'm not studying art as a major, I constantly find myself coming back to your videos for more of your pieces of advice for not only my hobby, but also life. I specially liked the last advice about brilliant execution. Anyway, keep on being yourself, Mark! You are amazing!
I have been finding these videos REALLY helpful and knowledgable. I don't have a lot of interest in creating a graphic novel but, I have been taking notes on what I do and don't like in books, movies, music, etcetera. 1. I hate drama. I hate it with a passion. I have seen too many TV shows where the girl is like "We made love! I thought that meant something" and the guy was like "It was my job. That night we spent together was purely business" and I'm just sitting there like I... DON'T... CARE! I don't care who slept with who. I don't care who's been seeing someone behind their backs. I don't care that one guy looked at you funny and now your whole day is ruined. I just don't care. 2. Framing in action scenes is key: You can have the most interestingly choreographed action sequence but if the cameraman looks like he got 5 pints drunks before shooting the scene, it's going to look like crap. We need to know who is doing what and where everyone important is. 3. Natural dialogue is more interesting than millions of details about a distant planet noone knows about. This is why I love star trek. They make everything sound so natural and easy to understand. As opposed to other sci fi movies where it's like "Dragnoth is inhabited by a billion zarthnods who eat planktofs for breakfast every morning" "planktofs? What are they some sort of zinethbrods?" "they are the 5th starlight.." Just... I don't care. I feel Pulp Fiction has some of the best natural dialogue. I think the director did that on purpose because the characters and scenes are anything but normal but they talk just like normal everyday people. 4. Subtle connection. I LOVE subtle connections between what characters say or do early on in the movie, and how that same thing takes on a new meaning towards the end of the movie. Stuff like in How to train your Dragon when Hiccup is looking down on the captured toothless, and regretfully says "I did this" before untying him. Hiccup says that later when he thinks Hiccup is dead and he leans over the downed toothless saying "I did this." Both characters are feeling lose but they meaning of the phrase takes on a slightly different meaning. I LOVE that. 5. This more applies to lyrics but I hate songs that are too personal or talk about "I" too much. Songs need to be relatable so that anyone listening to that song can glean something from it. Some of the worst lyrics I ever heard come from the album The Astonishing by Dream Theater. I don't know what happened but oh my goodness the lyrics are god aweful and go against everything I learned in writing class. 6. Characters need to have personalities. Some characters are conceived purely for the plot of the story. Other characters make the story happen. A good example is comparing the characters from the original Star Wars to the characters in the prequel star wars. The characters felt natural and that the world was building around them because of their flaws and personalities. The characters in the prequels are there purely for the story's benefit and serve no better function. They are completely unrelatable. Those are just some things I noticed when watching things.
To mark. When I turned 13, I bought your book mastering the art of manga. Although I was taking an art class in school, your book helped me with my own art style and taught me basic drawing techniques. I want to say thank you. I've improved in my art work and this video will help me with a few creative stories I'm planning on writing. +1 subscriber, you deserve it.
Hi, Mark! Just wanted to say that finding your channel and watching you draw has really brought back fond memories. :) As a kid, manga was the thing that really got me into drawing, and I have a very vivid memory of you coming to visit my local library and doing a talk about being a successful artist. Hearing you speak, and knowing that I'd read your stuff, it was basically my first chance to meet an idol! Getting to meet and talk to you as a kid really encouraged me to keep going, and now, well, I'm halfway through getting my degree in sequential art to become a professional comic book artist someday. So thank you, and please continue teaching and inspiring young artists to do what they love (and do it well)!
I found my style litterly on the street... When I was driving I saw this super cool graffiti of a black guy wearing a dark red beani and a green hoodie. I had great difficulties drawing people because I always tried to do it perfectly... so in trying myself at realistic looking people I actually created more alien characters than anything else. But with that one glance at that graffiti it changed the way I drew people: Instead of very stiff the lines became more and more round like in a comic book. The hands, feet and faces became bigger and more expressive. So my advice for all guys who now admire my style and ask me how they can find theirs is: "Maybe your style is trying to find you..." Most of the time i get this face then: -__-* Then I tell them this story and they will know the true meanings of my words :) Thank you for reading this and thank you guy or gal who made that graffiti
Love your videos. You have such a great approach to the creative arts. I bought the super realism challenge book. Read it cover to cover and loved it. Thank-you for sharing with the world.
I don't think I would be where I am with my art now if I never found your one video way back in the day 5 years ago, I have to thank you Mark. I have both your mastering manga books (from when I drew a lot of straight manga) and I'm going to be buying your other books. Thank you so much for making your videos, you are one of the major events that got me into art!
Omg, when I talk while drawing, my line ends up going into a FULL ON SENTENCE FROM A LINE TO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I have no Idea what I'm thinking while drawing and going into a sentence, but I don't think I should talk while drawing just yet. Your videos are so inspirational, Mark, thank you.
I've been watching your videos for at least a year. when I get frustrated trying to figure out something to make my drawings better. I'll watch your videos and it inspires me to continue working. I really love your work. Thank you for posting your process of making your art.
1. Create the kind of thing that you yourself would enjoy. 1:12 2. Everything should be a choice: not something done automatically out of habit. 3:00 3. Specifics are more interesting than generalities. 4:28 4. Be aware of how accessible your work is. 6:05 5. Less is more. (Or it can be, anyway.) 8:14 6. You don't need to obsess about finding your own "style." 10:00 7. There are very, very few rules: Everyone finds his or her own way of doing things. 12:09 8. Content dictates form. 14:02 9. You don't have to do the thing you love professionally. 16:53 10. You don't need a brilliant idea. It's just as good to take a simple idea, and execute it brilliantly. 19:28
In reference to the Toy Story plot not being the most original story, I'm reminded of Jim Henson's The Christmas Toy which was done in the mid-late 1980's and has LOTS of the same scenarios and characters.
This may be weird but, I've visited your video's not to learn (well i do, do that) but to calm down and just think, something about your videos are really calming, and, that's not something I can say about most non-music channels, so thank-you...
I started drawing manga style about 4 years ago and I still don't have anything like an own "style". No two of my original(!) drawings look the same and honestly, I like it that way. I love experimenting with shapes and I can't imagine drawing a character the way I do only because "I always do it like that". Maybe one day my drawings will have something like a style (means that they will be recognizable as MY work) but until then I'll just have some fun ^^
I was creating my own characters and therefore always got everything wrong. I'm not a beginner, but I'm not exactly an expert either. I got to the point when I wanted to give up so badly, but then I went on RU-vid and found your inspiring videos. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME SO MUCH MOTIVATION TO CARRY ON.
six is so true.... How I found my style: at first I just drew a cat, and then always when I watched cats drawn by other people if I saw something amazing about their style I just picked some details ad now my style is pretty much unique.
Mark i've been watching your videos since i was in middle school and i'm in university now, when you used relevant examples, like john lennon's song or baymax it seriously helped to clarify everything you'd said please do that more often
I think I really needed to see this video. Honestly, I've always wanted to do some form of artsy thing as a career. Whether it be making a comic, writing a novel, making music, or animation, I've always wanted something. I still do, but lately I've been fretting a lot about my style, and how to get where I want to be with my art. Not knowing where to go or how to start is terrifying, but it always good to just watch someone else draw, and explain some tips that I know I will take into consideration for my own art. I guess, what I'm trying to say is thank you for your videos. I feel like I still have a lot to learn, and I always feel enlightened after watching your videos.
You're pretty much the only person on this website I actually enjoy listening to talk. I listen to your advice and your kind of commentary while I'm drawing my manga characters for my story and your words help me with the designs and with the creation of my characters. And your content constantly teaches me new ways if doing things and helps me to figure out my own way, wether its noticeable or not. thanks for the great videos
Thank you so much for your wisdom. I am 26 and still currently in that phase of thinking that I have to be good at all of this but you helped me a lot with this! I love your style. I'm ashamed I haven't purchased your books yet. I will make an effort to soon! I need to work on realism for sure.
Good video Mark, as per usual. I can attest to #9. I myself studied to become an electrician instead of studying art (the opposite of what most people expected, I believe) because now, no matter what happens, I have a job and a skill that is never going to stop being needed in society, no matter how bad things turn out, and that is peace of mind. So even though art and creative work are my absolute passion, I am happy that I do not need to rely upon that to stay alive, because having that become a potential source of stress and toil would really just suck the enjoyment right out, I feel.
My younger self did the opposite of most of your advice XD My characters were mary sues and rainbow colored One of them was so edgy he had scars IN HIS EYEZZZ!
I always listen to these kinds of videos while drawing,and I was just worrying about finding my own style,and then you said don't stress about it :O I guess it's some kind of sign ;)
I like how when ur going over your pencil marks u dont worry about whether or not its perfect.... u worry about the essence of what ur drawing and dont stress ( cause it will reflect in your work.. the struggle to stay on a line exactly) i subscribed because as ive listened to like 5 of your videos... u are an artists artist... u do great work.. consistant... clean and u know what ur talking about ... and i dont get the arrgance feeling from you.. ur humble and ur good... So... im here and im now a fan of your creation and you personally... thank u for what u do ... u do it out of love of your craft and i think its great that u are passing along ur wisdom for the rest of us. Thank u so much...
Addressing #10: actually I find that ideas are like wine and cheese: older is better to a certain extent. Multiple people have worked on the idea, refined it, clarified it etc. It's the difference between working with raw mud that you scooped from the river bank, and working with manufactured clay. If you have an original idea, great! but recognize your finished product might be a little cruder than normal. Somebody has to be the brave soul who does it first though, and you might be inspired to try the idea again and get it a little more refined this time. If you don't have an original idea, then use an idea that you simply like. There is no shame in standing on the shoulders of giants and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. There is so much focus on originality these days, that people often lose sight of the fact that this is not really very important in terms of the value of a piece of art. An interesting new way of doing something familiar can be just as compelling and just as valuable as doing something entirely new.
heh...so this is the youtube channel I am going to be watching 12/7 for my summer vacation to get better at drawing(and drawing)...well that's good to know, now I can tick that one on my to-do list.
The best sound advice I've ever heard. Especially the style one. In art school the teachers were all "you have to develop your own style" - how anyone can develop a marketable industry standard style in just 2 years was ridiculous. Then "the industry professionals" who came to talk to us always contradicted this; saying to not pidgeon hole yourself and that you need to be flixible. Trends come and go and you will limit your opportunities if you stick with one style. I have since developed what I refer to as my "lazy style" which to me has it's successes and sells well and I can churn it out quickly if there is fast deadlines, but it is a stick in the mud sometimes and I like to continue developing and exploring other things.
i had stopped drawing for a few weeks and then suddenly i found myself not being able to draw properly anymore then i watched ur videos again and its sooooo helpful u hav +1 sub keep up the good work!
I Just found your channel a a few days ago and have already watched quite a few videos, honestly it's hard to make myself stop. I think all your advice is awesome especially for people still trying to figure out the whole designing/conception part of their stories or whatever artsy things they may be working on. I've been working on a story for a graphic novel for over 5 years now. And everything I've learned you have in video form! All the points you've made seem so obvious when we hear it but for so many people (like me) it takes forever before you really notice/realize so much of this. But seriously though great advice. Keep being awesome
This was really reminiscent of myself in my early middle school years. I had wrote a couple horror gore stories in my day, and everyone loved it, so I thought that's what everyone expected of me, and I always just wrote the bloodiest and scariest thing with a weak plot. When, in actuality, I enjoyed writing SciFi and the occasional romance!
Just curious, what did you end up using this drawing for? Sometimes you're working on drawings that are amazing and I want them, but you never specify what it will be put in. This girl is really cute, and I'd love to see the finished drawing.
I just bought both of your mastering manga books. I was having a lot of trouble with drawing guidelines for heads, but your method for guidelines is great! Thank you so much!
I just bought Mastering Manga 1 and 2 (soon to purchase no.3) and in the space of just a few weeks i have learned so much and can see a real improvement. It is so rewarding to realise that the stuff you're doing now that you couldn't do the month before just feels awesome. The books give a fantastic grounding and foundation to build on new skills - the advice is no-nonsense and straightforward and at each point and chapter there are loads of valuable footnotes about each phase of the creative process. Best investment I've made in ages and like i said - can't wait to get vol. 3. Do yourself a huge favour and get the books - you won't regret it.
Looking into an artist, that is right handed, when I am left handed, is a tad uncomfortable experience for me. Really interesting. I am quite fascinated by why I am so distressed while watching this. Very odd.
yeah, I agree, nobody is drawing the same way, so everybody is doing it their way, in their style. style don't mean you have to draw crazy stuff to stand up, this is just stupid to think that way
Thank you very much Mr. Crilley for another amazing video. I have been struggling with creative ideas and trying to get them published so years now, but your videos have always helped immensely. There isn't a day where I draw that I haven't referred back to your Mastering Manga books. Thank you again.
I always draw towards myself. Watching you ink with this away from your body motion made me sooooo uncomfortable, haha! Anyways, liked the dos and don'ts and totally admire how you draw and speak at the same time :)
+Evie grim Well, one thing's for sure: It's way easier to solve the problem of lacking a pencil sharpener than to solve the problem of lacking creativity. :)
+Reedster A lot of people get hung up on things that stop them from progressing effectively. Having basic guidelines to remind yourself of what's important is always useful.
Came in thinking this would only apply to visual art. Came away with brilliant philosophies and guidelines of public speaking for heaven sake. This is just too awesome.
I do admire how you guys can ink traditionally and not make mistakes. When I tried it I made mistakes and the ink pen ran out real quick. So I just stuck to pencil and darken it digitally to look somewhat like ink.
