Tools I Used In The Videos:

Japanese Brush Pen, Brand: "Zebra" Model FD-303
Here's some pictures of the brush pens
Zig Millenium 0.5 Pen
Zig Pens Online
Liquitex Acrylic + Water ("Acrylic Wash")
Good Cheap Paint Set
Great Acrylic Paint Tips (Don't let the paint dry on your brush!)
The pastel pad I use
Dixon Photomarker White Pencil
Standford Col-Erase Pencils, (Blue, Carmine Red, Black)
Col-Erase Pencils For Sale At DickBlick

Basic Drawing Advice/Personal Opinions:

I'm not pretending to be an authority on drawing and there are plenty better than me-- I'm just sharing what I've learned/opinions in the hopes that some may find it useful.

Careers/How Much Will I Make Drawing?
That's a impossible to correctly answer, but in general your not going to become rich drawing. (Unless you own the ip, or intelluectual property rights to a character that becomes popular on merchandise.) The most lucrative jobs are currently in 3D (video games, films.) You usually wouldn't be drawing on the job that much but a 3D artist's skill almost always emerge from 2D drawing abilities. However there is ALOT of competition also trying to get into video games and film, so you'll have to work hard to get the skills employers want. Btw, do research on the jobs you'd like to have. How hard is it to get in? What skills are required? Etc. Don't spend 4+ years "getting a degree" only to find you didn't develop/learn what you needed to learn in order to get the job you wanted.

You don't have to have natural talent to become skilled at drawing.
Drawing never came natural for me. What I do know I've had to learn consciously, through study and practice. For every field there are people who are naturals, people who can pick up the skills quickly and easily. Most people aren't naturals at what they love to do--maybe it's because things that come easily aren't as interesting. Your skills are only limited by you and how much time/attention/effort your willing to invest. You don't have to become skilled at drawing to enjoy it.

It really doesn't matter if your not the best there is. There is always someone better. All that matters is that you enjoy doing it. However If you wish to become employed in the commercial arts, (movies, games, comics, illustration) you should expect to work hard to gain the skills that employees are looking for. And because there is ALOT of competition in certain fields, your going to have to 'measure up' to the standards around you. Do not think the employer is terribly concerned with your degree. It's not the degree they are concerned with but the skills you've aquired while attaining a degree. (I am NOT saying avoid getting a degree.) Alot of game companies require one, because there are so many with a degree. But the thing that will get you hired in the end is the quality of your portfolio (and your professional personality.)

You don't have to spend a fortune to aquire the skills you'd like to have.
You can learn all you need to know through a combination of the internet, books, and time. This is the greatest time for those who wish to educate themselves. If you don't believe you can do it through practice and study, your reality will reflect that and you'll spend all you time looking for some magic key to drawing ability, outside yourself.

Your library probably has well rounded selection of art instructional books. Check most of them out and at least skim them for good tips and opinions. It's hard to get a well rounded education from only one person's perspective.

Be willing to invest time/money in yourself. Maybe it's just our culture, but people seem very willing to spend alot on a new car that is fancier than they need while denying money for books, supplies and software that would bring them closer to reaching their dream (when applied with practice.) Also, if you wish to have a professional artist job and your not willing to invest several hours a day practicing your craft, it will probably difficult to develop the skills required

Be Willing To Try New Things If your looking for a job in the comic industry don't spend all your time just drawing muscled arms because your good at it. The only way you can become good at drawing an entire scene is by doing it alot. It may not look as good as you like, but do it anyway, notice you weaknesses (or ask for constructive critiques if you don't see any) and continue to get better.

BIG TIP ALERT: Probably the greatest new source of knowledge are internet forums where you can read the opinions and tips of those employed in the field that interest you. You can also post your art and get it critiqued. Don't abuse this priviledge by posting tons of art and expecting people to critique every peice. And please respect others time by searching the forum posting for the answers to your questions. It's probably been asked and answered before.

Drawing Advice:

There is no best way to draw. But don't be afraid to entertain/master certain drawing rules as then you can more sucessfuly bend/break them!

Learn the different types of drawing. There are times of study when you are not concerned about making a pretty drawing. Are there are times when it's good to practice making a polish, finished peice. There are times to invent, and stylize what you see, to excerise your creativity, And there times to strictly observe and try to reproduce what you see. When you know what basic type of drawing you wish to do, there's less confused pressuse/tension while your drawing. (Of course you don't HAVE to follow any rules, and feel free to improvise with what's happening in your drawing..)

Learn how to break objects down into basic shapes. Animators and comic book artists are able to draw object from so many angles because they can simplify the world into various combinations of cylinders, spheres, and boxes that serve as the foundational shapes for the drawings. ("Drawing comics the marvel" way explains this, as well as the "how to draw manga" book series.)

Throw away your eraser. When doing study drawing, don't use an eraser, just draw a better line over the old. You'll learn to start with the better line more often.

Have Confidence and Self Respect. If you mope around, and say "I can't do this!" the results will almost always agree with you until you relax and change your attitude. Detach your self-worth/self-respect from your drawing ability/lack of drawing ability and you'll make better progress (and more importantly, just be happier..) You have to believe you can do whatever it is your trying to do, as well as practice constructively. One of the most succesful comic artists of time, Todd McFarlane, received over 700 rejection letters before landing his first comic book artist job.


Hope this helps in some way. I hope to add more. Again, I'm no authority. Just speakin my opinions!