I spotted the link to this list on Twitter. Its so good, its worth posting again:
• You learn to draw by drawing. • People that are better than you are just better than you because they’ve had more practice. • Draw VERBS, not nouns. – Walt Stanchfield • Turn everything you paint to greyscale (digitally). If it looks like a grey soup, you f*cked up. • If you’re not sure what good values look like, look at screen stills from B/W movies, like Citizen Kane. • You learn to draw by drawing. • 50 bad illustrations might yield one good one. You learn to draw by drawing. • Sometimes you gotta draw it 6 or 7 times. • Use sharp edges for only important things, practice hierarchy and contrast. Have a focal point. • If you’re going to give someone a jewel, don’t surround it with shiny things. – Paul Hudson • Saturate your eyes and brain with work that is better than what you can do. Then put it all away and start working. • Progress, not Perfection. • Schedule time to utterly fail. – Iain McCaig • Take reference, it’s easier that way. Don’t make stuff up if you don’t have to. If it doesn’t exist, figure out how to take a picture of it anyway. Use cardboard, clay, macaroni… doesn’t matter. • Doubt can only be removed by ACTION. – Goethe • Use the best materials you can possibly afford. You’re already fighting a battle. Don’t fight the materials. Find pencils/brushes/paper that feel good. • Does it work in greyscale? Does it work at postage-stamp size? Does it work reversed? Upside down? • Do what you love, other people will love it too. – Z
Good stuff, right?
The list, (and the gorgeous illustration!) is from the, obviously very talented, Brooklyn "illustration duo" Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon's blog, Teetering Bulb. Thanks for posting it!