DRAWING TIPS by Aaron Riddle

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• Instead of drawing characters by themselves, try writing a story and then illustrating it! This way, it will help you draw characters in different settings and activities. It's just like illustrating a book, only you get to come up with the story yourself!
  
• When making a final drawing, draw it lightly in pencil first...then go over it in a black ink pen. This way, if you make a mistake when drawing the initial sketch, you can erase it. Once you have the pencil drawing done, all you have to do is go over it in black ink and it will look really, really nice!
  
• There is nothing wrong with drawing stick figures! It's a good way to relax, and most of all, have fun! Draw stick figures playing a sport, or attending a stick figure animal zoo. It's a good way to get creative ideas flowing!
  
• Feeling fresh out of drawing ideas? Surf the web! There are great places all over the web that have great drawing ideas, tips, and contests. And don't forget, the library has plenty of how-to drawing books!
  
• A good shading techinque that can be used when drawing is known as "cross-hatch". This involves making criss-cross type lines in the area you want to shade. The more lines you make...the darker the area is! Many artist use this technique to create a rough type of shading for their drawings.
  
• Don't be afriad to tell people you like to draw! When I was young, I was embarassed to tell people that I liked to draw cartoons. But when I started telling them, I found out how good I was. So don't hesitate to show someone your drawing if they are interested! And remember, you can only get better no matter what their comments!
  
• If drawing with a pencil, be sure to keep your point sharp! This gives you a wide variety of lines that you can draw, and helps your drawings have a cleaner look to them too.
  
• A good way to help you relax when drawing is to play some of your favorite music! Hearing music that you are favorable to helps your body relax and can put you more in a drawing mood.So put on some music you like and draw away!
  
• Try drawing with a variety of different materials. If you draw in pencil all the time, try drawing in pen or crayon. You will be surprised at all the different effects you can achieve with different mediums. Be creative with it too...try drawing with finger paint, markers, charcoal, or food. It can only help you grow as an artist!
  
• Be confident about your drawings. Don't be afraid to show them to people, and let them know you are interested in drawing. It is also a good way to get feedback and comments from others...and that can only help you grow to be more talented in the field of art!
  
• Don't be afraid to copy a drawing. The best way to learn is by finding a cartoon or comic book character that you really like, and try drawing him/her/it by tracing or looking from an already done drawing in a book or magazine. This will help you better your own drawing skills and eventuall let you discover your own style.
  
• Here is a neat drawing exercise. Scribble anything you want on a piece of paper (a wavy line, circles, shapes) and then try and make that scribble into an actual drawing. Who knows...your scribble could be the basic shape for the head of a person, a frame of a car, or a body of a dog. Just remember, use your imagination!
  
• When drawing a person, animal or any type of creature, facial expressions are key to showing whether they are happy, sad, angry or whatever. The way the eyes and mouth are drawn is the most important aspect of showing emotion in any type of character. Take a look at the daily comic strips, or read a few AFORD strips, and pay attention to the way the mouth and eyes are drawn.
  
• Practice! Practice! Practice! The best advice that can be given about drawing is to practice everyday. Whether it's doodling, tracing, or sketching your pet dog...the more you practice, the better you will get!

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