Learning to Make Your Character Drawings Solid | Fundamentals - Loomis - Comics - Manga

Line and Color Quick Start Guide: www.thedrawingcodex.com/quick...
In this video I give some simple tactics for keeping your characters in proportion when drawing them from different angles.
Making sure that your drawings are solid or feel dimensional... especially when you are drawing them from strange angles is one of the biggest challenges.
There are a huge range of foundational concepts that will help you draw and maintain proportion in three dimensions! However studying them all is a long game... what I do in this video is discuss the key takeaways and top concepts that will help you apply those foundational principals right now.
The more you study the fundamentals the better your overall drawing will get obviously. But there are three key ideas that you can apply even if your perspective knowledge is still building:
1 - The first is the idea of the centre line... especially for figures and anything symmetrical. This is where we imagine and often draw in a line down the centre of our forms. This helps with the second idea -
2 - Which is Symmetry or Mirroring... Often the things we draw (like the figure) are symmetrical. and one of the main tasks you learn is to make sure that features and limbs feel like they are symmetrical in perspective... There are some simple ideas covered in this video which you can apply to better understand how to mirror or keep symmetry across forms which are in perspective or rotated away from us.
3 - The third is the simple idea of lining things up. Often the nature of symmetry means features such as eyes and ears are running along invisible lines that can be used to link them up. The same goes for features on opposite sides of the body... shoulders... hips... everything lines up in perspective and often the simple act of putting in guide lines will help you immensely to keep things solid.
These are aimed to be a quick guide or a simple version of fully understanding perspective. But often it's these simple tricks that you will use every day. And you can start using them right now to help your drawing feel solid.
Good Luck!
With most types of stylised types of art - There is often a mix of structure and perspective and technical drawing.... combined with symbols and abstract features.
Once you get good at blocking in proportion and posing with the Loomis Method you can use it to suit your own style.
It's just a tool you can use to help you draw cool stuff!
Happy Drawing!
Tim Mcburnie
Learn Drawing and Illustration from me: www.thedrawingcodex.com
Portfolio: www.timmcburnie.com
www.artstation.com/tim-mcburnie
timmcburnie
timmcburnie

[@timduncan5343]

It still amazes me how anything in this channel is free lol

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Haha thanks :)

[@rascunhosketch4295]

👍

[@sirboulderrock7564]

I appreciate the videos tim pls dont stop making them

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks! That's the plan :))

[@bedivere2217]

Why does this guy still not have a million subs? His videos looks premium af.

[@utsuro1165]

People have really short attention spans nowadays sadly if it's not a 5 minute video they don't want it Which is why most artists on youtube now give out "tips and tricks" rather than actual teachings

[@TheDrawingCodex]

@@utsuro1165 Yes that does seem to be the case :) One of the things I want to really get across is how long art takes to make. Seeing the pace is important as I think it helps people to slow down a bit in their own work. And also seeing some mistakes along the way helps I think (As opposed to slick edited videos where everything is perfect). That's how I prefer to see people work. And it's also the way a real workshop or live demo would be. A bit more relaxed!

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Bedi - All in good time :)

[@PiseyHean]

YOU RECIEVE MORE WHEN YOU GIVE That is how the universe works. Thank you for amazing work @Tim

[@rascunhosketch4295]

👍

[@TobiasSteiner]

I really love how effectively you've reduced these concepts to be very functional. Great teaching style. I'll be checking out the other videos. Subscribed!

[@jbkhan1135]

This video is by far the most helpful drawing video I've ever watched. I've learned so much from this. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and making this content! Really awesome stuff!

[@TheDrawingCodex]

No worries! Thanks!

[@nonyabizness956]

I can't believe I just found this channel. All the years of watching drawing videos on KZbin and I never stumbled across you before? It's a crime. Immediately subscribed 🙏 your content is exactly what I needed

[@mrCetus]

i recently found your channel and its inspiring because you do your tutorials very good and easy to understand (not shorthanded), your videos are so very compact with knowledge and it helped me a lot lot so far... glad I found your channel man, thankyou so so much for being an inspiration.

[@lurkerprivilages]

this video has done more for me than any class or tutorial out there, thank you so much for existing

[@alienlofivibesandbeats7337]

Man your stuff is great, I’m glad I found your channel. Can’t wait to check out your works next.

[@Benmemon]

Camera quality better than my eyesight

[@alexinkcorporated3523]

Your channel is awesome! You deserve way more views my friend . Thank you for these lessons!

[@kikolektrique1737]

glad to have come across this channel!

[@vikrant555]

I just wanted to let you know sir You are doing really great work making all the tutorials and thank you very much for that 🙏🏻 I can neither afford a art school nor there is any art school near I live. Your channel is really helpful and I can use your tutorials alongside tutorials of Marc Leone's the Drawing Database. Thank you very much 🙏🏻

[@lorrislegal2500]

So little comment for such a good amount of value... Thank you a lot for sharing this with the internet, it was really useful. It helps to understand how to think while drawing and also helps in practicing manipulating simple shapes in 3 dimensions.

[@Lorenzo-pw7dp]

Your channel is a hidden gem

[@guillermoal1667]

Thnak you so much for all that you teach and share with us Tim!!! May God bless you for this! You are helping me a lot! I even started writing a story and drawing again thanks to your videos that inspire me! Have a wonderfull and Blessed week! My wife also loves your work! I send you a hug, and again, thank you so much for everything, your youtube channel is a treasure! God bless you!

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks so much! I'm glad these are helping you out!

[@TheNampapapa]

This channel is the gem!!!!!!❤❤❤❤

[@aroset]

Just got here and I'm a sponge for all your vids. THANK YOU 🙏

[@aishwarya3089]

really helpful !! thanks for the tips !!

[@gacajampol]

newly discovered channel!!!! amazing thank you for this sir!

[@ilyassilyass4469]

The fact that all of this is free is actually mind-blowing I just have one question about an activity i've been doing regularly lately, do you think mass-drawing simplified 1-2 min sketchy figures (not really gestures and not stickmen or shapes in space) is a good way for giving u that "intuition" for proportions and that ability to guess where body parts should be positioned in space or is it just a waste of time if u don't have the basics of forshortoning, drawing in prespective and anatomy down beforehand ?!

[@rascunhosketch4295]

👍

[@bedivere2217]

It will train your eye and hands to work together. It will also give you visual materials in you head that you can use or just remember when you're drawing so I think that's a good practice. I'm also doing something similar and it helps a lot. You'll be able to just simplify an idea quickly with all the necessary information for you to understand what's happening which is a great skill to have in making illustrations and concept art

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Ilyass - Yeah I think massing in or kind of just scribbling around to find the shape and feeling of the figure is a great way to start. Everyone has their own way of finding figures and feeling the pose. If you practice that way in the beginning and then slowly study more and more of the technical drawing stuff (foreshortening perspective etc etc) your sketchy figures in the beginning will get better and better. It's iterative process of improvement. The more you do it the better it will get. As long as you combine the technical drawing with your more intuitive processes... you will get better and better at the initial guessing :) If you only do sketchy figures and no technical study you will still get better over time... but perhaps a lot slower, and you will find it hard to get your drawing to be really solid and dimensional (if that makes sense). The key is to do it a lot and experiment. Mistakes and errors in your proportion early on will teach you where you need to be more careful. I'm glad you are enjoying the channel! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!!

[@ilyassilyass4469]

@@TheDrawingCodex oh thanks!! this was really insightful, i'll definitely try inserting some real studying in the time i leave for art. I was kinda trying to delay getting into the technical stuff as much as i can (being lazy ikr) and trying to do more of the "fun stuff" that'll keep me from quitting (at least at the start) cuz of being overwhelmed or whatever, cuz i know it's a lot more than it seems i've started seeing some progress from back then (although tiny, well i mean u can't really do much in 9 days, but it really made me happy) Anyways thank u, i was kinda lost but this really showed me that i'm on the right track or at least i'm not completely wasting my time.

[@Hello-qg9dp]

)j8ngk

[@panagiotisaggelopoulos8852]

You help me a lot now i see more clear... Thank you

[@NavajoNinja]

Ur explanations add to ur art. Great job

[@8livi8]

thanks for the info! helped a lot!

[@ninjainart]

Thanks for the interesting lesson!

[@slateportraichu5416]

Instant sub. This stuff is free and it is truly generous=)

[@OctoberSaint500]

Hey Tim, just wana say you've been a real inspiritation for me.

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks!!

[@iluvyunie]

this is actually great

[@strawdoll]

Came here from reccomends - this is a great explanation! Thankyou!

[@anthonywyndham]

Great to see this channel gaining momentum mate!!!!

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks man! Yeah it's picking up :)

[@anthonywyndham]

@@TheDrawingCodex Was only a matter of time!

[@freddydon6120]

I appreciate your explanations it very interesting 👍🏼 😊

[@madzaki]

This video helped me a lot but not the way I thought it would help me. Drawing started for me as an easy hobby to stressed out from work but after I saw how hard can be this hobby if you get into depth, I realised this is not really meant to me. This is not the hobby I had on mind. So I think will stuck at perspective, drawing buildings and inanimate objects and things I see around, "easier" stuff than human and living beings form in general. That's looks harder and not so relaxed than I thought at first. Very educational video tho. Keep it up!

[@lefthandstory1280]

Beautiful work nice 😃

[@jackstories2585]

I like this guy!

[@vladick2088]

thanks to u, i can develop in my hobby thanks a lot

[@TaeduinLover]

This is so good thanks :D!

[@tuyet9972]

Subscribed, keep up the good work

[@legokat7256]

Thank you so much Sir!

[@ipyongchua]

Good to see the rise in views, very well deserved

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks!! :)

[@OfficialDylanCole]

Thank you for this video sir

[@omeed9015]

incredibly helpful as always

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Glad to hear it!

[@gh0stpixelART]

I'm almost slightly annoyed that the YT algorithm is just now recommending this channel to me. Thanks so much for sharing this information. 🙏

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@EasyRecipesChannel.]

Thank you for this video sir 👍👌👏😍

[@jeffersonmiranda7452]

This and composition goes hand by hand

[@samhg3658]

KZbin really have blessed me with this recommendation 👍 I'm still watching but I can't thank you enough, love your explanations!

[@TheDrawingCodex]

No worries! Glad these are helping out!

[@anselmecf]

amazing!!

[@anselmecf]

finally your videos are getting the views it deserves

[@YuppiePsycho]

CAn you do a sketchbook tour! would be awesome

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Yeah that's a great idea! I'll add it to my list :)

[@LouisWhitworth]

Just found your channel, love your videos and teaching style! Do you have any plans for a video and/or resources for designing simple environments for character-focused illustrations? Thanks!

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Yeah that's a great idea. I can do some videos on that soon. Thanks!

[@MPCVINYL]

Uuhh 1 hour about 3D drawing

[@TheDrawingCodex]

:)

[@UnderTheMoon3]

Love your videos so much

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks!!

[@brunogavloski]

THANKS

[@breeze5459]

I say this every time to my friends ‘Realism is easier than stylized’

[@marrqi7wini54]

16:07 For all of you looking for the thumbnail.

[@Zozco2]

This video is good asmr lol, I'm not into drawing but this was dope

[@user-wi6hg3zo7z]

amazing,i still wish you can teach how to draw technique,

[@rickysantana2136]

Yesssss brodi

[@ki-ss9mm]

very helpful video

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Glad you think so!

[@parisjamson927]

Thank you master Obi Wan

[@syltmackaalexandus4998]

should I try to do this other poses before moving on another video of yourse

[@AmazinGraceXOXO1]

New subscriber here. Thank you so much for the great video! I’m also curious about the item you showed at the beginning, of a man’s body? I ve been looking for something like that to help me with human anatomy but I only seem to find either skeletons or wooden people, and they don’t really show the muscles and the contours of the body. Where can I find something similar to yours? Thanks in advance,

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Yeah they are artists anatomy reference from Anatomy Tools ( anatomytools.com ) They are kinda expensive but really nice quality. You can try searching for the term "écorché" too, (Flayed in French) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89corch%C3%A9 As that is often related to the idea of an artistic model showing the anatomy (you might find some images that help that way) Thanks!!

[@AmazinGraceXOXO1]

@@TheDrawingCodex thank you!!! And yes I saw they are a pretty penny. But it's also nice to know there are things like that available for people like us. And the work is phenomenal!

[@anilalcinart]

Hi, Tim! Thank you so much for this insightful video! Cheers! I have a question about what you said at exactly 13:01 where you mention setting/sitting the life drawing model up on a DEUS/DAYAS [?] or stand or something and I can't figure out what that word is..?!? Many thanks in advance and have a great one..! :)

[@BNik92]

The word shpuld be "dais" which is used to measure weight. I think.

[@anilalcinart]

@@BNik92 Thank you! :)

[@TheDrawingCodex]

@@anilalcinart Yeah I was thinking of: dais a low platform for a lectern or throne. (I probably read too many fantasy books as a kid :( )

[@TheDrawingCodex]

All I meant is a raised platform. Which the Life Model is often on so everyone can see.

[@anilalcinart]

@@TheDrawingCodex Thank you, Tim! :)

[@603.W0E]

subtle as fuck bro

[@andrewdodd1918]

I noticed the skeleton in the background and it's the perfect size for a desk. Where did you buy yours?

[@TheDrawingCodex]

They are from Anatomy Tools ( anatomytools.com ) They are kinda expensive but really nice quality.

[@cesarcarlos75]

Where can I get those muscle and skeleton figures?

[@kayodecantdraw]

The “3” is off center line 33:30

[@paulonogueira4813]

( english is not my first language) quick question : im currently trying to increase my drawing experience on the phone, can continue on the phone or a should swap to the notebook ?

[@cosmic733]

What was the capcon book called

[@user-wi6hg3zo7z]

can you make a series how to draw book by scoot robertson,cover everything in this book,if u cannot ,it doesnt matter,but i think you can explain every stuff very well.

[@TheDrawingCodex]

I can try a similar approach with how to draw. Scott has a youtube channel where he explains a lot of that stuff nicely from How to Draw. I do find that people have real trouble understanding how the material in that book will help them draw though :) It's super technical. I would really like to find a way to make it digestible and relatable to artists who are not pursuing a technical industrial design path. I spent a lot of time teaching the same type of material in bootcamp classes, so I have a good understanding of it. I'll see what I can do!

[@user-wi6hg3zo7z]

@@TheDrawingCodex thank you，you can explain every stuff very well，i admit that mr Robertson is a great master,teacher and designer,but i can not digest his videos very well.almost passed over three years from i purchased his book,i still can not draw things well....maybe i do not have drawing talent.

[@Hello-qg9dp]

Bello

[@Bane520]

Does anyone have any tips on how to morb your drawings?

[@TheDrawingCodex]

I have no idea! :)

[@Visigoth_]

🤔 at 2x speed this was kind of interesting. 👍

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Lol

[@RichardX22]

Great video thank you FYI, the word you’re looking for is solidity not solidarity

[@keananjacobs9133]

10:00

[@nic5833]

Wow! This really help me, thanks a lot!

[@cityman-mv6st]

I don't know why this was recommended to me , I already know how to draw .

[@SkreltNL]

Your course aint free, not selling my personal information.

[@s_k_a_r_t]

To be honest, I do not understand the admiration of the commentators under this video. I would like to express my opinion as a person who has reviewed a lot of educational materials on fine arts, video editing, design, working with audio and 3D programs. This material does not stand up to competition, there is negligibly little information in such a huge period of time, almost the entire video is empty chatter. This presentation of the material is suitable for conversations in the kitchen in your free time, and not for teaching: the video lacks structure, the author performs random actions and is constantly distracted. This video is very boring, and if you structure all the information and throw out repetitions, it would be a small paragraph of text, and for me watching this material was a disappointment, because I expected more than 60 minutes of useful knowledge, but received a couple of general suggestions about shape and proportions and viewing random pages from a comic book, a square prism (which for some reason was called a cube) and an anatomical figurine from different angles.

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks for your thoughts! :)

[@eugenerabang6396]

i recently found your channel and its inspiring because you do your tutorials very good and easy to understand (not shorthanded), your videos are so very compact with knowledge and it helped me a lot lot so far... glad I found your channel man, thankyou so so much for being an inspiration.

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Awesome! I'm happy the format of these tutorials is helping! glad you found the channel