Starting out

[Rikimaru]

hey

I'm interested in drawin' furries, but I don't know where to start. I've noticed that most artists make themselves a certain type of furry but i dont know how the hell to choose. and i have no idea how to draw them. '>  i'm interested in patrick racoons style (not the yiff side of it even tho i am gay) and any help at all will be greatly appreciated.

thanx 2 any1 who responds

[Kada-Ru]

Welcome to our forums, Rikimaru!

For drawing furries, everyone has their own ideas. I know when I first started drawing them several years ago I started out sketching my cats with human attributes as to what I thought their personalities would be like if they were a furry. It was hard at first but from practicing on them, I began to develop my own way of drawing furries. If you have a cat/dog/bird/etc., try using them first. I know starting out that way helped me alot. I am still learning new things!

And now, for my usual speal to new comers:

Welcome to our little home away from home, Rikimaru!

Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the area. There is a lot to see here besides the forums.

I'm sure if you have any questions, there are many here that may have the answer.

Don't be shy. You may post to any of the current or past topics or if you don't see anything that you are interested in you may start your own topic. There are many here that can show you how if you don't already know. (Which you already seem comfortable with, giggles.)

I am Kada-Ru, the pegasus and mated to the whiteshepherd that had a dream of creating this lovely place for furs to gather and enjoy themselves. WhiteShepherd and I created Furtopia over a year ago and it has expanded beyond our dreams and has become the 'home' to many a furson! Furtopia was created for all of you, whether that be as an artist (artwork, writing, or music) or for those that just pop into the forums now and then and make this their 'home'.

So, take a 'walk' around the sites and the many forum topics and enjoy your visit and hope you stay!

Also, Rikimaru, we have a knowledgeable staff if you have particular questions about Furtopia or it's forums.

To contact the staff, you can click here and you will see the staff page with all staff members listed and their particular specialties. Click on the persons name to send them an email.

If you have any ideas you are welcome to drop by the "Suggestion Box" and post your ideas to the staff.

Again, enjoy your stay.

[Benjamin]

I'm not sure if I'm familiar with Patrick Raccoon's style or not.
 
Firstly, it's important to try and work out your own style, but while you start out, it's permissable to try and emulate other arists while you figure things out for yourself.
 
Me, I'm very much into doing realistic furs, so I started out with drawing animals. Using photo references from books is a great idea if you don't have a pet to draw, or if your pet won't sit still for long. Still, drawing from life is a great exercise and helps you learn to draw quickly. Even professional models can't sit still for too long, unless you have them in a very comfortable position.
 
Don't try to do everything at once. Do little excercises to try and get various aspects of your artwork down, like drawing hands, basic body motions, the figure, animals... and such like that. Learning to draw can be a very long process, but if you keep at it and manage to cultivate your skill at a healthy rate, it could be worthwhile. Then again, it's alright to give up if you find that you just can't get a grasp on it. Just don't expect yourself to get amazing results real soon. The thought processes involved with doing creative work can be intense and emotional, since artwork's such a personal thing. If you expect too much of yourself too soon, you'll get disappointed. Be patient with your work and yourself, and you could eventually amaze yourself and your friends.
 
Keep in mind that a lot of the serious artists you meet have been drawing since they were quite young, so they've had a lot of time to grow into (and with) their work. If you really haven't been drawing all that much before in your life, be prepared to have your artwork come out to something comparable to a five year old's. However, you can likely build your skills a fair bit more quickly now, since you can probably comprehend the art concepts a lot more easily at your age, and so on and so forth.
 
I'll say more later... when I have more time to sit back and write.... so I'll cut this babbling short for now. '>
  
Benjamin

[Kada-Ru]

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Keep in mind that a lot of the serious artists you meet have been drawing since they were quite young, so they've had a lot of time to grow into (and with) their work.

I have been drawing since real young but didn't really get involved with improving my abilities till Feb 1999. I'm still growing into mine and learning so many exciting things along the way!

As we talked about on IM today, Rikimaru, you will improve, just as Benjamin stated and I have been learning for myself as long as you practice. I hope you can manage to get some of your work scanned that you were talking about so that you can show everyone.

Quote

Just don't expect yourself to get amazing results real soon. *snip* Be patient with your work and yourself, and you could eventually amaze yourself and your friends.

I can attest to being patient and amazing MYSELF with how much I have improved over the past year. You will see it too. The most important thing to remember though is if you want to improve you have to keep drawing. '>

Oh, and as Benjamin stated, some times one just has to step away from drawing for a spell especially if you are having some problems. I do that too. Some times it is only a day or at other times it is a month or so. You will know when the time is right to get back to your art creativity.

So, remember these simple suggestions, lots of practice, practice and oh, did I mention practice? '>

[Rikimaru]

thanx u guys uve been a real help. u both made very good points and i'll let u no wen i get a scanner and ill try and make a website... even tho i suk at it!!  '>

[WhiteShepherd]

Ah, once you get started you'll be suprised how fast you improve! '>

[Kada-Ru]

WhiteShepherd has added a function to Furtopia for those that don't know html that will allow you to still create your website. It is very basic but it will still let others see your work. I know I am interested in seeing it! I can't draw anime but I still enjoy seeing how others draw them.

[Patrick Rangerwolf]

Quote (Rikimaru @ May 13 2003, 12:42 pm)

hey I'm interested in drawin' furries, but I don't know where to start. I've noticed that most artists make themselves a certain type of furry but i dont know how the hell to choose. and i have no idea how to draw them. '>  i'm interested in patrick racoons style (not the yiff side of it even tho i am gay) and any help at all will be greatly appreciated. thanx 2 any1 who responds

You have the desire.  There you have won half of the battle.

I've been drawing since I was four, and I've been a professional artist since 1990.  It's hard but worth all of the pain and suffering.

As for getting into drawing furries, I like wolves, so I keep a steady supply of reference photos around.  Find the animal you most identify with.  My style is between a realistic human look and a cartoon look, but find what works for you.  A great book to get your paws on is "Disney Animation, The Illusion of Life".  I consider it the bible of furry art, even if Disney won't admit to it.  If you have some characters in mind, examine them, learn about them, analyze their emotional and psychological make-up until you fall in love with them.  They will flow out of your pencil like a melted milk shake.

I would have to say, have fun, be imaginative, and don't give up.  I can assure you that you won't get it right the first time, but just keep practicing.  As WS said, your jaw will drop when you see how quickly you improve if you just keep at it.  Furry art is what you contribute to it.

I can't wait to see your work.  Please contact me personally if you want to talk about your work.  I'm not an artistic genius, but I've been around the profession for a long time.  I'd be happy to help out, anytime. '>