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How NOT to Draw Like a 3-Year-Old

lifehackery.com — Ugly drawings by adults don ’t deserve to exist. You may not have the skill and vision of someone great like Leonardo Da Vinci but you’re not a three-year old boy as well. You can draw something that’s decent and nice to look at — just follow these simple tips.

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  • Louis11, on 07/02/2008, -2/+76. . . Life Hackery?
    • neodorian, on 07/03/2008, -3/+18Sounds like some other more established site that's out there...
    • gracias, on 07/03/2008, -0/+1From their About Us page, WTF?
      "When you visit our websites, we hope you will find answers to the questions you are seeking answers or information for."
    • JKAL, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1I was looking for the "How NOT to register Domain names like a 3-Year-Old" article.
  • SolidEnder, on 07/02/2008, -7/+57Stopped reading once I read, "This exercise is similar to the 'wax in, wax out' move in the movie 'The Karate Kid.'"
    • Shamrock13, on 07/03/2008, -1/+12Wax in, Wax out.

      Seriously? I didn't even click the link because I read this.
    • RetlawST, on 07/03/2008, -12/+1Unfortunately you're getting dugg because the explanation wasn't philosophical, it was practical. It's about muscle memory (as was "wax in, wax out") and it's very important when drawing.

      If you can keep a steady hand when drawing curves and straight lines you have a good start in drawing.
      • tradwolley, on 07/03/2008, -0/+13Actually he is getting dugg because you should wax ON, wax OFF; not in and out.
      • KnightWhoSaysNi, on 07/03/2008, -0/+9The point is that it's "Wax on, wax off" not "Wax in, wax out".
    • Mandegar0, on 07/03/2008, -0/+9Stopped reading after the website's name
    • diggdat, on 07/03/2008, -0/+4I had trouble getting past the draw strait and curvy lines for a hour a day...
    • thumperings, on 07/03/2008, -0/+5where is the ***** article? All I get is a login to comment.
  • artish, on 07/02/2008, -8/+3Also,
    Practice, Practice, Practice!
  • bixby1, on 07/03/2008, -1/+39"People are not as big as houses, and houses are not as big as dinosaurs." I've been saying that for years.

    • KnightWhoSaysNi, on 07/03/2008, -2/+11Actually, most houses ARE bigger than dinosaurs.
      • logic, on 07/03/2008, -2/+2Maybe where you live :(
      • bjfewell, on 07/03/2008, -0/+10*Most* houses are bigger than *some* dinosaurs, and *some* dinosaurs are bigger than *all* people, but not every person is not on fire.
    • MOJIRA, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1Show me proof.
  • TVKin, on 07/03/2008, -8/+0I can write this article:

    How Not To Draw Like a 3-Year-Old: PUT THE FREAKING PEN DOWN.

    Otherwise, I know a few actual 'professional' artists that could seeeeriously use to read this. :P
  • bosssmiley, on 07/03/2008, -1/+46"Pick a really simple subject, say a rose."
    Yes, because the curving layers of nested petals are sooooooo easy to get right.

    Get your drawing dos-and-don't pointers from artists, not 'life hacks'.
  • skewl, on 07/03/2008, -8/+1Genius child .......................???????????????????????????????????
  • webwiz1986, on 07/03/2008, -1/+8Just read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Dr.Betty Edwards. Most good public librarys should have it. Now your set to begin the great adventure of drawing.
  • tradwolley, on 07/03/2008, -1/+6I have three year old twin boys. The secret is DON'T SCRIBBLE. They can turn an whole page (insert crayon color here) in under a minute.
    • Philbert, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2Over last summer my sister and family came to visit for a week. My 5 year old niece saw me using my Wacom tablet and wanted to try. So I handed it over and opened up Sketchbook Pro for her. After a brief explanation of changing brush size, picking a color, and erasing, she was drawing away with ease. Then for some reason she got tired of drawing real pictures and just started filling the screen with one color, then filling with another color, etc. lol
  • Rizmaster, on 07/03/2008, -12/+7***** stupid ***** doesn't know how to quote The Karate Kid.
  • thebrinkman, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2As with any art it's all about seeing or hearing the very image or sound you are trying to create.
  • elithebest, on 07/03/2008, -0/+8I cant draw to save my life, it's like my hands aren't connected to my brain.
    • jtbandes, on 07/03/2008, -1/+2I cant punctuate to save my life :(
    • Privil3g3, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2How would you ever need to draw to save your life?

      "quick - that nuclear bomb is going to detonate in 3 minutes! here's a Sharpie and a notepad - get to work"

      -When terrorists get creative
      • Memnochxx, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2Maybe you need to communicate something but can't do so verbally.
  • aladrin, on 07/03/2008, -3/+1I think #2 is the only good tip in there. Learning to make your hands move properly, quickly, is essential. (It's where I fail badly.)

    'Draw it realistically' is the dumbest ***** thing on there, though. You can't just all of a sudden start drawing every little detail of things. It's like saying don't bother with lineart, just shade it all in 1 go. No, start simple and add complexity as you improve.
    • Philbert, on 07/03/2008, -0/+1Depend on your paper size I think. For 18x24" paper it's pretty much required to move your whole arm. When I wasn't in school I've always just used a 8.5x11" sketch pad and just moving my wrist was fine. (aside from risking carpel tunnel issues)
  • Amadeus2490, on 07/03/2008, -4/+9Or, just watch videos like this and learn how it's done:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=BqE1Vct6Ln4

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=Um7Z03TePc4&feature=use ...

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=Um7Z03TePc4&feature=use ...

    Very talented guy, so I thought i'd share.
    • artish, on 07/03/2008, -3/+3Copying somebodys stuff isn't talent.
      Also he isn't really steady with the fineliner...
  • zadadka, on 07/03/2008, -0/+7Apparently, we UNlearn stuff like being ABLE to draw in a decent manner as we grow older.
    Or is it we lose the creativity as we get older...sorry, I forget now.

    At the end of the day, cram as much real life as you can into your kids...they're sponges, they just soak it up ...they file it away, and, hopefully, learn better than we did. :)




  • twinklyJesus, on 07/03/2008, -0/+12Watch out Picasso! Here I come, I read a Lifehackery article!
  • rhapsodisiac, on 07/03/2008, -9/+8FINAL TIP: Never say "I can only draw stick people," ever, *****, again. It's the most irritating thing I hear as an artist, when someone looks at my work, and it's made all the worse by how often I hear it. Shut up, people. You can do better than that. I'm not saying that to be encouraging - I'm pointing out that unless you've got a psychological diagnosis, you have no excuse to act like a retard.

    And if you're deliberately exaggerating, find something more creative, because we all already hear "stick people" in about 85% of comments.
    • diggdat, on 07/03/2008, -0/+9On the piano all I can play is chopsticks :P
    • syntrix, on 07/03/2008, -0/+15All I want to draw is stick people.
    • jjohnstn, on 07/03/2008, -0/+20All I can draw is sticks. I haven't yet mastered how to arrange them into "people" form.


      | | | |
      | |

      ^^^ sticks
    • thezanman, on 07/03/2008, -1/+11Seems to work well for xkcd...
    • menwuur, on 07/03/2008, -1/+8Your an artist? Damn, I can only draw stick people.
    • lpcustom, on 07/03/2008, -1/+9Artists are so emotional...
    • nepidae, on 07/04/2008, -2/+0Ever think how irritating it is to be patronized?

      It's like an electrical engineer who can't understand how some people don't understand simple things like diodes work, then calls anyone who admits that a retard.
      • rhapsodisiac, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1You're likening engineering to sketching? I'm flattered. :)
      • rhapsodisiac, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1.. and besides, now that I think of it, there's quite a difference between "can't" and "don't." It's called the capacity to learn, and denying that you have it - especially concerning simple matters like what-a-diode-does and how-to-draw-two-dimensionally - makes you retardedly self-limiting.

        Figurative "you," of course.
    • Memnochxx, on 07/04/2008, -1/+1Next time you're looking over my multivariable calculus work then I don't want to hear you say all you can do is algebra. Don't be such a retard.
      • rhapsodisiac, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1You're right. There probably are as many mathematical prodigies as there are casual cartoonists in the world, and for the general popularion, cartooning is no easier a task than multivariable calculus.
      • Memnochxx, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1Just because /you/ can't do something doesn't mean you have to be a prodigy to do it. I'm better at math than you, you're better at art than me. I think math /is/ easier than cartooning. So shut the ***** up.
      • rhapsodisiac, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1As I already stated, I'm talking about the general population, rather than just myself: more people are likely to find it easier to draw something other than a stick person, than to do multivariable calculus, or even algebra.

        Enough with the rampant relativism. The world is an objective place, in which more people are able to draw two-dimensional shapes than are able to implement "BEDMAS." (not to say that what you do is as easy as this)
  • songfire, on 07/03/2008, -0/+18Objects have details? A house is not a triangle on top of a square? Mind=Blown.
  • diggonit, on 07/03/2008, -0/+6I like anandtechy and facebooky.
  • diggdat, on 07/03/2008, -0/+3“Are the eyeballs of that person really as big as his mouth and nose?” If the answer is no, erase those elements and draw them again."

    Snort
  • Buddhaismybuddy, on 07/03/2008, -0/+40WTF? All I get is the title of the article and no article. Just a comment box. What the hell is going on.
    • KingGorilla, on 07/03/2008, -3/+9It means you have no talent and suck at drawing and there's no hope in you getting any better. Well that's how I felt after clicking on the same link.
  • midejitsu, on 07/03/2008, -0/+32Please help me, I’m doing it wrong. I’m not talking about drawing—although I am properly ***** at that—I’m talking about reading the article. When I follow the link to “lifehackery.com” all I get is the headline. I know that I must be missing something really obvious, but what? http://i31.tinypic.com/6sct93.png is what it looks like for me. I know I’m stupid, but not usually quite that thick.
  • toasterweasel, on 07/03/2008, -1/+15How and the hell did this get so many diggs?
  • lordewoks, on 07/03/2008, -0/+38How NOT to run a server like a 3-Year-Old
  • filmbandit, on 07/03/2008, -0/+13WTFA?
  • Barackalypse, on 07/03/2008, -5/+3My crappy drawings are a source of pride. It shows I can't be bothered to waste my time producing anything better and that I'm far too manly to care that it isn't pretty.
    • midejitsu, on 07/03/2008, -0/+4Thumb up? Thumb down? Why isn’t there a thumb sideways option to properly react to a comment like yours?
  • rootsm3, on 07/03/2008, -1/+3wtf mate?

    ***** off to jive-ass links
  • joeleslie, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2Umm... Can I actually have the article plz?
    • Philbert, on 07/03/2008, -0/+1I saw this too and was thinking WTF? then I saw other people commenting and figured it must be there, so I clicked the link again and this time it showed up.
  • ryber3, on 07/03/2008, -0/+0Screw lifehackery....Commander Mark FTW!

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=jrnwNFmdxvM&feature=rel ...
  • thedinomeister, on 07/03/2008, -2/+2check out my portfolio! http://www.kdtdesign.com

    (whatever you do, DO NOT CLICK ON THE ADS ON MY WEBSITE)
    • serenityflexed, on 07/04/2008, -0/+0"DO NOT CLICK ON THE ADS ON MY WEBSITE" -- real nice subtlety there. Real nice.
  • dualboy24, on 07/03/2008, -0/+1How not to scale images on a webpage.
  • choppa1890, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2Inaccurate Da Vinci had what we would call today ADD. There are lots of projects of his, that he never finished.
  • awakenall, on 07/03/2008, -0/+1The method I like using to make a good drawing is to pretend I'm a famous artist that can do no wrong, then I draw like I just don't care.
  • nepidae, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1As a programmer I'll tell you "How NOT to Code Like a 60 Year Old".

    1) Learn how to see past the code
    2) Learn how to plan a project
    3) Combine your brain and your hands
    4) A bit is not as large as a byte, a byte is not as large as a word
    5) Code from real life
    6) Finish a project you started
  • patm1987, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2#7 Don't become an engineer or enter any related fields. Everyone knows that artistic ability is inversely proportional to engineering/programming ability. Here's a hint, programmer art is not meant to be used as a compliment.
  • ChristianMagic, on 07/04/2008, -0/+3Seems like the tips are good, but the author is a total pretentious douchebag.
    "If following these guidelines don’t improve your drawing skills within a year, you can always dabble in naïve art. That’s art for children, by the way."
  • edwinjose, on 07/04/2008, -0/+1XKCD might find this article useful.
  • tharau, on 07/04/2008, -0/+0I am Tamil Cinema Director Tharani.I am a homosexual.My films you know Thill,Thool,Killi,Kuruvi.My telephone no is 9144426213. Call me.O.K|?
  • thingsarecool, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Ugh. I hate that picture with the two children and the woman with the glasses. I can just imagine her saying, "Now, you see this man? His eyes are as large as his nose. Is that true? And why is this dinosaur so small? You are horrible, horrible three year olds. Mommy doesn't love you."

    She is totally critiquing those kids.
  • dbrowsed, on 07/25/2008, -0/+0Interesting tips for artists, I guess, but art is not like writing. Maybe you can learn to write, but with art, either you have it or you don't. If you don't have it, don't waste your time, go find your true talent.
  •  

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