how I practice drawing anatomy | figure studies ⋆˚₊

Summary

In this video, the artist shares their journey to enhance anatomy drawing skills using Milanote, a digital tool for organizing ideas and references. They discuss the struggles with traditional methods like Pinterest and Photoshop, and how Milanote's customizable workspace, checklist features, and real-time collaboration have streamlined their creative process. The artist also offers insights into various exercises for improving figure drawing, from basic shapes to dynamic action poses, emphasizing the importance of anatomy as a foundation for creativity and stylization.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The video is about the process of improving anatomy drawing skills and the use of Milanote for organizing references and ideas.
• 📚 Milanote is a digital tool that helps in organizing ideas, projects, and references, which is particularly useful for artists.
• 🌐 The creator uses Pinterest for inspiration but finds it cumbersome during the actual drawing process due to the need to scroll through many images.
• 🔄 Discovering Milanote solved the issue of flexibility and efficiency when arranging references for drawing, as opposed to using Photoshop.
• 📒 Milanote offers a digital sketchbook-like experience where one can organize references, add notes, tags, and even doodle directly onto the workspace.
• 🆓 Milanote is available for free with no time limits, which is recommended for artists to maintain a structured routine and enhance their art studies.
• 🎨 The video showcases how Milanote can be used for various art studies including anatomy practices, figure studies, color studies, hairstyles, clothing, and digital art techniques.
• 📅 Milanote's checklist feature allows users to set due dates and stay on track with projects and tasks, enhancing productivity.
• 👥 The platform enables collaboration with other artists or clients in real-time, making it easier to share ideas and give feedback.
• 📐 Milanote provides over 100 built-in templates for creating moodboards, storyboards, roadmaps, etc., catering to various needs.
• 🖌️ The tool supports drag and drop functionality, making it convenient to add elements from different tabs or sites without downloading images.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to share the process the speaker is using to improve their anatomy drawing skills, including the tools and exercises they use to enhance their art.

What digital tool does the speaker use to organize their art references?

The speaker uses Milanote, a digital tool that helps them organize their ideas and projects, making it easier to reference images during the creation process.

How does the speaker describe their experience with Pinterest for art references?

The speaker finds using Pinterest for art references to be a hassle due to the need to scroll through many boards and images, which can be time-consuming and lead to a cluttered gallery.

What was the speaker's previous method for arranging references before drawing?

The speaker used to use Photoshop to arrange their references before drawing, but they found it lacked the flexibility and efficiency they desired.

What features of Milanote does the speaker find most beneficial for their art process?

The speaker finds Milanote's ability to organize references, add notes and tags, and doodle directly onto the workspace particularly beneficial. They also appreciate its ease of access, customization, and the checklist feature for project management.

How does the speaker use Milanote to maintain a structured routine for drawing sessions?

The speaker uses Milanote to organize their drawing exercises and studies into boards, which helps them establish a consistent practice habit and enhances their art studies.

What is the speaker's opinion on the user-friendliness of Milanote?

The speaker finds Milanote to be very user-friendly with a sleek and minimalist interface, focusing on essential features that make it easy for artists to stay organized.

How does the speaker use Milanote to study anatomy?

The speaker uses Milanote to create boards for different anatomy studies, such as facial studies, hand poses, and body proportions. They also use it to sketch directly onto the page or on top of elements to study proportions and angles.

What is the speaker's approach to gesture drawing practice?

The speaker practices gesture drawing by setting a timer for 30 seconds and focusing on capturing the movement and energy of the pose rather than the small details. They gradually increase the time as they become more comfortable.

How does the speaker use references from action-packed media to improve their drawing skills?

The speaker uses characters from action-packed media as references to practice drawing dynamic action poses. They find these references helpful in capturing emotions like power and determination.

What advice does the speaker give for artists looking to stylize their subjects?

The speaker advises artists to not skip out on anatomy practice even when going for a stylized look. They emphasize that a solid foundation in anatomy allows for more intentional strokes and a more enjoyable creative process.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 'Digital Organization with Milanote'

The speaker introduces Milanote, a digital tool used to organize ideas and projects, which has significantly streamlined their art creation process. They used to struggle with using Pinterest for reference images, finding it cumbersome to scroll through and organize. Photoshop was also used but lacked the desired flexibility. Milanote offers a customizable digital workspace where one can arrange references, add notes, and even sketch directly. It's praised for its ease of access, organization, and free use with no time limits. The speaker highly recommends it for artists to maintain a structured routine and enhance their art studies. The video also gives a tour of the speaker's Milanote board, showcasing sections for anatomy practices, figure studies, sketch practices, and digital art techniques, emphasizing the tool's visual appeal and functionality.

05:02

🏋️‍♂️ 'Anatomy Practice and Gesture Drawing'

The speaker discusses their approach to improving anatomy skills, starting with basic shapes to understand the human form and practicing sketching these shapes for spatial visualization. They mention a favorite exercise of breaking down real subjects into simple shapes across different planes to build a solid foundation for figure drawing. Gesture drawing is highlighted as capturing the essence of a pose's movement and energy, with a preferred practice of quick 30-second sketches to develop an understanding of figure movement. The speaker also talks about muscle isolation, studying muscles as they wrap around bones and change with movement, and practicing dynamic action poses using references from action-packed media. Additionally, they suggest learning from other artists' work by studying their techniques and approaches to anatomy.

10:03

🚀 'Mastering Anatomy and Creative Stylization'

The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding anatomy as a foundation for drawing skills but also encourages artists not to let it limit their creativity. They advocate for experimenting with stylization and pushing the boundaries of proportions for a dynamic look. The speaker shares that having a solid grasp of anatomy allows for more intentional strokes and a more enjoyable creation process, leading to believable and cool artwork. They conclude by encouraging artists to find the method that works best for them, to keep practicing, stay curious, and most importantly, to enjoy the learning and creation process, reminding everyone that every great artist started somewhere.

Keywords

💡Anatomy Skills

Anatomy skills refer to the ability to accurately depict the structure and proportions of the human body in art. In the video, the speaker is focused on improving these skills through various exercises, emphasizing the importance of understanding the human form for better figure drawing. The script mentions practicing facial studies, hand poses, and body proportions as part of enhancing anatomy skills.

💡Milanote

Milanote is a digital organization tool that the speaker uses to manage references and ideas for their art projects. It is described as a game-changer for the creative process, allowing the artist to organize references, add notes, and even doodle directly onto the workspace. The speaker highly recommends Milanote for artists looking to streamline their workflow and maintain a structured routine for drawing sessions.

💡References

In the context of the video, references are images or sources that the artist uses for inspiration and guidance while creating art. The speaker discusses the challenge of using Pinterest boards as references during the drawing process due to the inconvenience of scrolling through numerous images. Milanote helps overcome this by allowing the artist to organize these references more efficiently.

💡Digital Sketchbook

A digital sketchbook, as mentioned in the script, is a virtual space where an artist can arrange, organize, and work on their art. The speaker likens Milanote to a digital sketchbook, highlighting its features that allow for easy access, customization, and the addition of notes and doodles, making it an essential tool for their art practice.

💡Gesture Drawing

Gesture drawing is a technique used to capture the movement, flow, and energy of a pose rather than focusing on fine details. The video script describes a practice where the artist sets a timer for quick sketches to understand how the figure moves, emphasizing the importance of this technique in developing an intuitive sense of anatomy and motion.

💡Muscle Isolation

Muscle isolation is a method of studying the human body where individual muscles are examined separately to understand their form, location, and how they change with movement. The script describes using reference photos to visualize muscles as 'sausages or balloons' wrapped around bones, helping the artist to capture muscle form accurately in their drawings.

💡Dynamic Action

Dynamic action refers to poses that convey movement, energy, and a sense of action. The speaker discusses using characters from action-packed media as references to practice drawing these poses, which helps in learning to convey emotions like power and determination through art.

💡Stylization

Stylization in art is the process of modifying the representation of subjects to fit a particular artistic style or to create a more dynamic look. The video emphasizes the importance of having a solid foundation in anatomy before stylizing subjects, allowing the artist to make intentional and believable creative choices.

💡Foreshortening

Foreshortening is an artistic technique used to create an illusion of depth, making an object appear shorter than it actually is when viewed from a certain angle. The script mentions breaking down the figure into shapes to understand proportions and angles, which is crucial for learning about foreshortening.

💡Muscle Memory

Muscle memory is the concept where the muscles in the body learn and remember certain movements or actions, making them easier to perform over time. In the context of the video, the artist describes how repeated gesture drawing practice helps to develop muscle memory, leading to more confident and intuitive figure drawing.

💡Creative Process

The creative process involves the steps and activities through which an artist develops their ideas and produces art. The video script discusses the use of Milanote to declutter and smoothen the creative process, making it more enjoyable and efficient by keeping track of ideas and projects in a digital space.

Highlights

Introduction to using Milanote, a digital tool for organizing references and ideas for art projects.

Milanote helps in decluttering the creative process by organizing references and notes in a central location.

The frustration of using Pinterest for art references due to the need for constant scrolling and the clutter it creates.

Milanote's flexibility and efficiency compared to Photoshop for arranging art references.

Milanote's features for organizing references, adding notes, tags, and doodling directly onto the workspace.

Milanote's free use with no time limits, making it accessible for all artists.

The aesthetic appeal and visual stunning interface of Milanote.

How Milanote helps in maintaining a structured routine for drawing sessions and enhancing art studies.

Use of Milanote's checklist feature to set due dates and stay on track with projects and tasks.

Real-time collaboration on Milanote boards with other artists or clients for easier idea sharing and feedback.

Over 100 built-in templates in Milanote for creating moodboards, storyboards, and more.

Milanote's user-friendly interface and customization options for a personalized workspace.

The convenience of dragging and dropping elements from different tabs or sites into Milanote.

The use of Milanote for drawing and studying anatomy by sketching directly onto the page.

Milanote's impact on improving the workflow and organization of ideas and projects for artists.

Anatomy practice techniques, such as breaking down the human body into simple 3D shapes for better visualization.

Gesture drawing exercises for capturing the movement and energy of a pose, focusing on the big picture.

Muscle isolation practice to understand the form and location of muscles on the body.

Studying dynamic action poses from action-packed media to convey emotions and energy.

Learning anatomy by studying other artists' work and understanding their approach to drawing figures.

The importance of a solid foundation in anatomy for stylizing subjects and pushing the limits of proportions.

Encouragement to find the best method for learning anatomy and enjoying the creative process.

Transcripts

hey friends

welcome and welcome back to my channel

hope you're all well

today is really an exciting video

because I'll be walking you through the process

on how I'm working on improving my anatomy skills

I'll show you some of the exercises I use

to get better at drawing faces and figures

but before that I wanna share the tool that

I’ve been using to organize my references

and it’s called milanote

Milanote is a digital tool  that I use to organize my ideas

and projects and it really me helped a lot

So, you know that i use references from pinterest

a lot, and I have a ton of boards going on there

Well, I use those boards as inspiration  for my art, but it can be a real hassle

to reference those images during  the actual creation process,

because I have to scroll a lot  especially when I’m switching

back and forth with different photos

It's the same thing when I download them

I still have to swipe and scroll down,  and it makes my gallery more cluttered,

and it’s frustrating trying to find  that one specific image among the chaos.

In the past, I'd use Photoshop to  arrange my references before drawing,

but it lacked the flexibility  and efficiency I desired

That's when I discovered Milanote  and it's really been a game-changer

it's like having a digital sketchbook  where I can organize my references,

add notes, tags, and even doodle  directly onto the workspace.

It's so easy to access and customize  everything in one central location

I think everyone should give it  a try, and if you are an artist,

I definitely recommend using Milanote,

you can use it to maintain a structured  routine for your drawing sessions,

establish a consistent practice habit,

and enhance your art studies

and the best part

you can start using Milanote  for free with no time limits!

So, if you want to make your creative  process smoother and more fun,

check out the link in the description  below to sign up for Milanote today!

and don't forget to share your  experiences in the comments below

let’s go explore more about  the features of milanote

I'm super excited to share  my favorite features with you

Right now, I have a board all  about art ideas and studies,

and it's giving me all the feels.

The soft, warm pastel vibes are just so aesthetic

I really adore how visually stunning Milanote is

So, let me give you a quick tour of my board.

First off, we have the main study section,

where I'm working on anatomy practices,

here’s the facial studies, eyes nose, lips,

hand poses and also the head positions,

face structures or expressions  and body proportions.

Then, there's the figure studies,  where I'm practicing gesture,

perspective, light and shadow.

And, of course, I have some sketch practices here

below that I really liked

Here’s the board for color studies ,

hairstyle and clothing, and some painting method,

this one is like more on digital art techniques.

here’s more reference and here  whenever I get a new idea,

I just create a new board and dump all the images

and notes into it.

Now, let me show you my  favorite digital art pieces.

I'm a beginner to digital art, but  I've been getting into it lately

and I’m having so much fun, I love collecting

and admiring the works of other digital artists.

I'm trying to learn from their techniques

and figure out what makes their art stand out

Milanote has checklist feature as well,

you can set due dates and stay on track

with your projects and tasks.

if you’re working with other  artists or even clients,

you can also invite them to your boards

and work together in real-time.

It's so much easier to share ideas, give feedback,

and keep everyone on the same page.

And they have a collection of beautifully

designed template here

With over 100 built-in templates,

you can create moodboards,  storyboards, roadmaps, and more

perfect for school, work, or just for fun

-But if you want to create  from scratch, no worries

You can literally navigate  everything here so easily,

without having to spend hours trying to

figure out how to use every tool.

It's not overwhelming with a  ton of features you'll never use

instead, it focuses on the essentials,

making it easy for artists  like us to stay organized

what I also love about this is  I can drag and drop elements

from different tabs or sites, it’s so useful

like here I don’t have to  download the image from pinterest,

I just have to move the  element, it’s really convenient

I'm totally obsessed with  this app, it's so cute and fun

The interface is sleek and minimalist,

and it's super user-friendly

As an artist, I know it  can be tough to find a tool

that fits your unique style and workflow,

but Milanote totally gets it right.

I love how versatile and customizable it is

you can add all sorts of features to your board

and make it work just for you.

That's what sets it apart from other apps for me

Like I said earlier, you can definitely draw here,

personally I find this very helpful

because it’s way easier to study  anatomy and add quick notes,

I can just sketch directly onto the page

or on top of any element, like here,

I’m breaking down the figure  into different shapes,

By doing this, I can get a feel  for the proportions and angles,

and it’s super helpful for learning  about foreshortening as well.

I've been using Milanote for a month now,

and it's seriously improved my workflow.

It helps me keep track of my ideas  and projects in one tidy digital space

Milanote is really a breath of fresh air

for those of us who struggle with organization.

So, if you're looking for a way to  declutter your creative process,

give Milanote a try you won't regret it

So sign up for free today, link in the description

So I start by drawing basic shapes of a figure

I think of the human body as a  collection of simple 3D shapes

spheres or cube for the head  and torso, cylinders for limbs,

I usually practice sketching these shapes

to get comfortable with visualizing form in space

One of my fave exercises is  to reference a real subject

and break it down into basic  shapes in different planes of form

It's like solving a puzzle, and it helps me

construct a solid foundation for drawing figures

So gesture drawing is all about  capturing the life of a pose,

its movement and energy, not  sweating the tiny details.

We're going for the big picture here.

My favorite way to practice gesture drawing is

also a great warmup.

I set a timer for 30 seconds, grab a fineliner,

and just go for it.

It's fast, there's no pressure to be perfect,

and all I have to focus on is the  flow and direction of my lines.

The goal is to understand how the figure moves.

I repeat this with different poses, gradually  giving myself more time as I get more comfortable.

The more I do this, the more my  hand seems to know what to do.

It's like muscle memory.

All that repetition helps  me internalize proportions

and the subtle details of anatomy,

which in turn makes me way more confident

when drawing figures in general.

In this, my lines might be a bit more defined

than ideal for pure gesture drawing.

But that's okay

As long as I'm focusing on building that

muscle memory and capturing that movement

Aside from the practices earlier,

this is also an important one.

Which is about muscle isolation

I think about them as sausages or balloons

wrapped around the bones.

I use reference photos to help me visualize

their form and location on the body.

Then I isolate the arm and  legs in different positions

and just focus on capturing the muscle form

and how it changes with movement.

I pay attention to how all the shapes connect

and how the muscle moves,

and I also draw them from different angles

to really solidify my understanding.

now we focus on dynamic action,

These are poses that capture movement, energy,

and or course action.

To practice drawing them, I often use characters  from action-packed media as references.

This includes shonen manga, sports manga,

action manhwa, and also from anime.

These are already simplified

which is what I really prefer in learning anatomy.

The reason I find this method so interesting

is that these references depict characters

in the midst of action, perfectly conveying  emotions like power and determination.

Which is like something I really wanna learn.

Also, it makes consuming  entertainment more productive

Whenever I come across a particularly  striking pose in an anime or manga,

I can simply pause or stop  and capture it in a sketch.

This not only keeps things interesting

but also ensures I'm constantly  filling my sketchbook

with new ideas.

so this is another method  that I think most artist do

and if you’re looking for a shortcut,

this might work for you.

this is simply learning by  studying how other artist do it.

instead of starting from scratch, we can  peek at how other artists draw anatomy.

This is more about grabbing an artwork you admire

and really studying it,

see how the artist uses simple  shapes to build the figure,

and how they approach faces and poses

Look at different artworks and art styles,

because the more you actively observe

how artists use shapes the better your hand

gets at remembering them.

But it's not just about copying  it's about understanding

why things look the way they do,

like why a muscle is drawn a certain way,

or how the face fits into the pose.

This is actually something  I’ve been doing for ages

without even realizing it.

And also, the only method that has

significantly improved my skills,

literally like my improvement really jumped

forward for a short period of time.

I really believe this method  is a super effective way

to learn anatomy quickly,

Also, there's a ton to learn  from what other artists create.

you simply gain from their experience

and accelerate your own learning

now this is the real thing,  and also very exciting,

cuz this is where all those  anatomy exercises come into play

We'll now put that knowledge and skill

to use by simplifying and drawing faces

and figures in our own way.

anatomy is like the foundation  of your drawing skills,

but it's not meant to be a cage that limits your creativity

As you become more confident,

you can experiment with stylization

and push the limits of proportions

for a more dynamic look.

The more you practice stylizing your subject,

the more comfortable you'll become

with manipulating anatomy for your desired effect.

Stylization is all about  having fun and being creative.

But it can be very frustrating  if you don’t know basics.

Anatomy makes it all work, so even if you’re going

for a super stylized look,

don’t skip out on anatomy practice.

When you have solid foundation of the subject,

your strokes become more intentional,

and its way more fun to create something

that looks cool and believable

because you know what you’re doing

Just find what method works best for you,

keep those pencils moving,

stay curious,

and most importantly,

enjoy the process.

Every great artist started somewhere,

so don't worry too much.