A summer break from school can be a great opportunity to re-focus and recharge. You can also use this time to sharpen your drawing skills. If you’re eager to get back into creating art, don’t let the summer months go to waste. Designing your concept boards can be self-taught even if you are not a born artist.
The most important thing is to make it a priority and schedule your time for art making. It’s easy to get distracted by the kids at home or by other things that need to be done around the house, but try to make room for at least an hour each day. Even if you only manage a half hour, that’s better than nothing.
To keep your skills honed during the summer break, keep up with your sketching every day and also spend some time learning basic drawing skills like perspective drawing and how to draw objects like furniture and household items in different views (front, side and three-quarter view). Also practice composition by taking photos of interesting subjects that show off interesting shapes or forms.
Are you a student who wishes there was a summer art camp for adults? Are you an adult who could use some refresher drawing classes? Wish no more because your dreams have come true.
Here are some suggestions to keep your drawing skills sharp this summer:
Join an art class or workshop. These are available all summer long at community centers, parks, and schools. Sign up at the beginning of the summer so you can lock in your spot.All-day workshops are amazing opportunities to learn new skills over one full day with little distraction. On the other hand, an evening class is perfect for those of us trying to juggle work schedules with our creative passions. Many larger cities offer free outdoor painting classes like plein air painting (painting en plein air), which is usually held during the late morning or early afternoon on weekdays. Check out recreation department websites or local paper websites to find these offerings.
Take advantage of your commute time. If you drive to work, listen to podcasts about art techniques like perspective, shading, composition, and color theory. Take public transit and read books like ” Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain” or browse articles on digital artists communities like deviantART.com to continue learning about art techniques.
If you enjoy drawing and find it relaxing, there’s no reason to stop in the summer. With a little bit of creativity, you can keep your hand in a variety of art forms.
Here are a few ideas for ways you can keep your drawing skills sharp in the summer when there are no classes:
Visit your local art museum. Many museums offer free admission during the summer months. If you don’t live near an art museum, ask friends or family if they can get tickets for free or at a discount. The more time you spend observing other artists’ styles, the better artist you’ll become.
Find an online art tutorial on Youtube, like this one on how to draw anime eyes or this one on how to draw manga eyes . These tutorials will help you learn new styles that you can apply to your own drawings.
Take photos of people you know and practice drawing their faces from memory. If they’re willing, ask them to pose with different expressions for you to draw later.
Work on your sculptures out of clay instead of drawing them on paper. You’ll be able to create three-dimensional forms instead of two-dimensional ones with this method.
If you’re just starting out as an artist, it’s important to keep your skills honed during those months when your art classes aren’t in session. Having a strong foundation of skills will benefit you as an artist throughout the year.
There are plenty of online courses for aspiring artists, but there also plenty of free tutorials and resources available on the internet for aspiring artists.
Summer break is a great time to practice your drawing skills with these tips:
- Find a subject – Before you can learn how to draw, you have to know what it is that you want to draw. Look for something that interests you. It could be a person, landscape or anything else that draws your attention.
- Observe – Once you’ve found your subject of choice, take some time to study it from different angles. You’ll want to try seeing things from different perspectives that will help give you a better understanding of the subject and allow you to see things from a three dimensional perspective.