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PascalCampion — A question I get a lot.
Published: 2014-01-08 17:21:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 50905; Favourites: 452; Downloads: 0
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I get this question a lot. ( six times in the past two days)
How can I draw like you?
This is my point of you on this question.
Once again.. this is just MY opinion, and not everybody will agree with it.. but.. here it is


I'd probably not recommend you try to emulate my style or my way or working.
What I would recommend though is that you try to go outside and sketch, sketch people in the street, people walking, sitting, getting up, taking off their clothes or putting them back on, people hugging, people fighting, people in conversation in a group, people on the bus, swimming, dancing, eating, ( lot's of eating as it is pretty hard to convey exactly the feeling of eating), sleeping, people thinking... If you want to tell stories, most of  your images should have people thinking.. that's what is going to make your images come alive.
Use a tablet if you have one, a sharpie, a pastel, a rock dipped in ink..anything that can make a mark.
The tool is cool, but secondary.. first.. you need to train your eye and your brain to "see"..and by this, not just scan the world around you to pick up what is different... but really to look at what as always been around you and that you just never paid attention to, things like how does your girlfriend's hair REALLY fall, or does it fall at all... how is she dressing today? How do the layers of clothes work together, how are people dressed in the street TODAY...how does the light in the sky affect the way you see the buildings around you.. how does the cold of the air make you feel and how does it affect the way you perceive the people around you.. how do dogs walk, and how does a car stop at a red light... do kids really hold hands when they cross the street, how do YOU look when you read these lines?.. do you know how your chair really looks like? With your weight on it?
Things like that... try and look at these things, try to capture them on paper..quick sketches.a few seconds, up to 30 seconds..don't try to do beautiful sketches, it's doesn't matter. At this stage, you are trying to see the world and capture it. Don't try to draw what you know, just draw what you see.. it will help you let go of all the artistic influences you have and that stop you from growing as an artist.
Do this...for the rest of your life.

Once you've been doing this for a few weeks, few months, then start drawing images, creating stories that you have seen, stories that you have experienced.. like your first kiss or your first break up, the first time you saw the ocean, or the first time you ate a chocolate croissant.. things that only YOU have experienced.. try to create images that relate not just the action, but also the emotion.

Once you get to a point when you can do this,  you won't need to know how to draw like me, because by then you will have your own voice and that voice will keep evolving as long as you stay honest with yourself and keep looking , observing.
Don't be afraid to let your art wander into areas you are not familiar with, this is how you are going to learn.
At different stages in your life, you will be interested in different things and your art will change accordingly. Don't try to stiffle your vision by "sticking" to what has always worked for you... it might make you a "popular" artist, but it might not fullfill your creative need.

Last thing.
Start...NOW!

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Comments: 102

bealivefr [2015-01-15 07:38:45 +0000 UTC]

ممنون. عالی بود

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PascalCampion In reply to bealivefr [2015-01-15 17:27:49 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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liilly1504 [2014-07-30 01:09:01 +0000 UTC]

I totally agree. I've always wanted my own particular style. This will really help me grow, thank you

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PascalCampion In reply to liilly1504 [2015-01-15 17:27:52 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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KindCritic [2014-04-27 08:03:11 +0000 UTC]

Amazing advice, and iiiinto the favorites it goes.

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PascalCampion In reply to KindCritic [2015-01-15 17:27:57 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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SoftBlueClouds [2014-03-15 22:08:41 +0000 UTC]

once again, an inspiring opinion from you ~ ^^
And you're right . when we focus on the popularity rather than one self experienced.
The art will look beautiful to the others but not to your own emotions.
Surroundings and outside world  are important to develope into our own style and how we exspress them.

Thank you soo much ~ 
   

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Avoice [2014-03-08 07:51:57 +0000 UTC]

I think this is a very important message to all young/starting out artist. 

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PascalCampion In reply to Avoice [2015-01-15 17:28:02 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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icyyyyy [2014-03-02 18:53:47 +0000 UTC]

Great advice. Thanks! 

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PascalCampion In reply to icyyyyy [2015-01-15 17:28:06 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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saki-guzman [2014-03-02 14:52:00 +0000 UTC]

One of the best journal entries I've read

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PascalCampion In reply to saki-guzman [2015-01-15 17:28:09 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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sketchditto [2014-02-26 09:01:26 +0000 UTC]

I have bought your book 2-3 years ago and love your colors, stories that are captured in your images, style. I didn't know you had a dA account! Thank you for the wonderful advice! Quite inspiring!

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IllustratorErik [2014-02-24 02:44:56 +0000 UTC]

Actually when it comes to learning about the techniques of other artists, I like to find out who inspired them to try and trace the influences back to the source. 


Do you have any particular artists you especially admire? 

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YakultSmoothie [2014-02-23 06:26:03 +0000 UTC]

Thank you it is realy useful

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Larpa-art [2014-02-01 03:34:01 +0000 UTC]

Absolutely great advice. I agree with everything you said specially this "The tool is cool, but secondary.. first.. you need to train your eye and your brain to "see"".



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kuabci [2014-01-16 19:41:03 +0000 UTC]

Lots of great advice.  I love your style, but I don't necessarily want to draw exactly like it.  Observe life and draw what you see!

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deli73123 [2014-01-15 16:17:01 +0000 UTC]

So true. The best thing you can do as an artist is to find your own, unique style.

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Jasoniswizard [2014-01-15 12:55:02 +0000 UTC]

"This is my point of you on this question."   Point of view.  VIEW! Not you. View.  Thank you.  

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WolfPaw45 [2014-01-15 06:39:48 +0000 UTC]

you inspired me even more to draw everything i see

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HatsuneRinLukaTeto [2014-01-15 04:29:12 +0000 UTC]

0.0 (speechless at your amazing persuasive writing)

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Tim1776 [2014-01-15 01:19:27 +0000 UTC]

You write very convincingly.

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Kanakyu [2014-01-14 17:06:18 +0000 UTC]

oh my gosh o.o i came here accidentally but you inspired me even more to draw everything i see *-* thank you very much! ^-^

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Zephyreu-s [2014-01-14 05:18:35 +0000 UTC]

This actually helped me a little bit with perception. I actually understand just how things 'look' and it's a real eye opener that's for sure. C: thank you,,

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Letmebecowgirl [2014-01-12 19:15:56 +0000 UTC]

Gorgeous. This journal gave me goosebumps. 

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youalexi [2014-01-12 17:11:09 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for that

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xXEm-033Xx [2014-01-11 22:15:39 +0000 UTC]

thankyou

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Topas2012 [2014-01-11 21:22:58 +0000 UTC]

Superb wise words well done dear friend

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Pells-art [2014-01-11 17:09:23 +0000 UTC]

Beautifully put!

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Yewrezz [2014-01-11 11:37:18 +0000 UTC]

Normally I don't fave journals, but this... Thank you! Everyone should read this. 

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rapounzelle [2014-01-11 04:53:48 +0000 UTC]

haha! You made me realise how zombie I was looking while reading your journal. It made me laugh... It was a good speech you did there, made me realise how lazy I've become about drawing lately. Cheers!

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Maha089 [2014-01-10 22:29:23 +0000 UTC]

thank you for great advice.

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Wolfcat501 [2014-01-10 06:07:39 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. 

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KIRKparrish [2014-01-09 21:00:02 +0000 UTC]

I rarely favorite journals, but here goes... Thanks for the great advice Pascal.

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sir-rudolph [2014-01-09 20:25:53 +0000 UTC]

That last paragraph really resonated with me. I often feel I look at my old pieces and think how did I do this so I can get a similar style instead of just creating what I feel in the moment. It's important to allow your art to change as you do.

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Transferred59831 [2014-01-09 17:24:25 +0000 UTC]

Poignant and sweet. n_n

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mkchirp [2014-01-09 17:15:26 +0000 UTC]

PREACH! 

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FireheartTheInferno [2014-01-09 16:59:43 +0000 UTC]

Amen to that. Well said. You put it excellently. Part of being an artist is truly an observant mind and it certainly helps to have a sharp pair of eyes as well. I really need to try harder to stop myself from being such a perfectionist and find time to sketch something, anything, as much as I can.

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DARGON1 [2014-01-09 16:38:18 +0000 UTC]

Great advice!! I shall keep this in mind.

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AntaraNN [2014-01-09 14:49:13 +0000 UTC]

I was just thinking the other day, while looking at your gallery, that you capture emotion, and - even more uncommon, - happiness, better than any artist I've seen. And with this approach to training, it's hardly a surprise, although I do think that it takes more than just artistic skills and constant practice to notice the intricacies of human happiness that way you do. I really hope that the happiness in your images comes from your own life and experience.

I think the closest example I know of in art history for a similar consistent precision of human emotion depiction would be Norman Rockwell, although his paintings are sometimes more exaggerated/staged. Did you get inspired by some artists who were great at drawing emotion? And if you did, who are they? Or did the inspiration come from the rarity of true emotion in art (as opposed to true emotion in the real world)?

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danketsujin [2014-01-09 13:37:30 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!!!

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Zabbah [2014-01-09 12:54:10 +0000 UTC]

Very eloquent and so true.

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Arahiriel [2014-01-09 10:17:34 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for this great „reminder“!!! It is always good to read such things to get aware again of the important things in being creative/drawing.

You need to study and learn and put energy into it. Nothing will come from alone. But: Learning to draw/pushing your boundries is always a fun thing. We should never forget that.

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mondspeer [2014-01-09 10:03:25 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I love the way, you put this into words.


Thank you for sharing. 

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TifaCrimsonWings [2014-01-09 08:59:39 +0000 UTC]

Wow that was put beautifully!

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WadeFurlong [2014-01-09 06:16:00 +0000 UTC]

Good stuff man.  Always great to hear process.  For an artist to make their own unique successfully pleasurable style for self and viewers, we the artists must take "influence" from our inspirations and splice our learning's into our own touch.  We are not and shan't be cookie cutters.  

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Cnerd11 [2014-01-09 05:29:48 +0000 UTC]

Amazing write up. Very inspiring and has a lot of wisdom in it. Thank you very much for this, this is what I needed! And I hope it helps many others as well to follow their own artistic vision in their own life!

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Loyane [2014-01-09 03:51:18 +0000 UTC]

Wow, it was so inspiring Thank you, it makes me want to draw even more !

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Rovanna [2014-01-09 03:28:40 +0000 UTC]

This is really wonderful advice and very inspiring! After reading it this morning, I went out and tried it today.

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