Character drawing

[handrawn]

I usually start with stick figures - there is a video here as a demonstration of flipbook [an animators tool] that you may like to watch:

http://www.flipbookpro.com/movies/ma...demoSTRMED.mov

the point is that all drawings start out rough whether for animation or not.

And even for a static drawing, to get the dynamics of the pose right you need to work out the line[s] of action so as to pose the body correctly

You do not need to use flipbook of course, I have roughed out this sort of thing in xtreme using the layers both for animation and for static drawings

For animation each layer is a frame - but for static you do need to worry about this and you can simply do several roughs, each on separate layers, each one more detailed, and building the image up, with the final drawing on the top layer...

then when you get better you can start using more than one layer per rough/final [ that's when layer grouping would become really useful....]

[MarkMyWords]

If you want to draw fairly realistic figures this kind of program can supply good reference; http://www.daz3d.com/ (it's free).

[a4hire]

yep daz makes some nice stuff. I usually use photos from the internet for reference. I will use them like a model something that has the basic look or pose that I want , then I make my drawing from that. And sometimes I just draw it completely freehand with no reference at all.

[David Hewitt]

hi ,im not an expert xara user,
but i would say that you should not expect any program to help your drawing...but rather only to extend what ever drawing skills you already possess.
Sleger's ellipse cat is impressive--but i would think alot easier to sketch on a piece of paper and scan and use as art than to try to do directly on to the screen in xara whilst looking at a picture...

whist this second method is not a bad one it is not one i would personally try to do for a process that i could not do with a pencil and paper.

dont get me wrong xara is an impressive tool...but i think it is smarter to be the most creative where expression is easiest (on paper) then when you have art - this is where Xara comes into its own....

no doubt many others will disagree and probably do things differently...

but i only say this because it is something i have been working on for myself...and this is my way......not the only way just my way....

i would say that to be good at cartooning or drawing characters study the human form... that means reading those art books that discuss the proportions and structure of human anatomy and doing alot of life drawing....

That is something i have been doing myself.....
precisely to improve and develop the most sort after ability to draw the human form effectively and quickly....
good luck in what ever path you try....


thats my perspective....