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I was just wondering, since I recently remembered something... While thinking about Spirit, I remembered how in the DVD, there's a special feature where they teach you how to draw Spirit. I used to watch that a lot when I was little. In fact, I used to watch the movie every night. Anyways, my point is, that little tutorial affected my art a lot.

Because of that, I started using 'skeletons' before drawing the actual lines. And then I started learning more and more after that. So my question for you guys is... Where do you think your art truly 'began'? We all know that the majority of us drew pictures here and there when we were little, but what do you think affected you the most? So much so that you began to truly draw?

This, the special feature from Spirit, is what affected me the most:
Part 1 / Part 2

Honestly? A close, close friend. I used to suck so bad when she first introduced me into drawing wolves and other canines. But I started looking at her paper as she drew, noticing how she used guide-lines, and the anatomy of her drawings. Then I started learning ways to improve. She was the one who got me started, and who has helped me thus far.

When I first started drawing I think it was because of this special feature thing that was at the end of the Bambi VHS. It was where they demonstrated how they colored and animated things in the movie. I think that's what did it because even as a little kid I loved watching that and most of my art started soon after Bambi (most were just scribbles because I was little). Though my canine art didn't start until I'd seen Balto and gotten a dog of my own.

Ever since I picked up a pencil, watched lots of cartoons in my childhood. Self-taught on most part, taught at school and college new techniques in how to use certain traditional media. I drew a lot, like an obsessed madman, pretty much turned into a burning passion and not just some random hobby.

That's all.

Actually, I started drawing when I got here! Beauty_Jenna's art is what got me drawing, I think I drew one of her characters and just continued from there!

When I was little I used to be obsessed with the 101 Dalmatians and any other type of dogs. Soon my aunt got me Balto and I love it so much and wanted to draw like it. When I found Balto Source I fell in love with the art on this website. Like Lone said Beauty_Jenna's art really got me into drawing wolves and dogs too, along with Cathwhohas14tail's art.

Drawling Volcanoes!

I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil xD

I didnt start drawing wolves/canine stuff until I watched the movie Balto, found this site, and saw Beauty_Jenna's art. She was my first real inspiration and a real idol for me xD She will always be my most favorite artist on this site <3

If I remember right, I started actually drawing after seeing The Lion King, which was the very first Disney movie I've seen xD I kept on practising, with my cousin's BizarreLilCreature's help, who seemed to learn faster than I did xD Then, after a while from that, I saw Bambi, and then moved on to drawing stags and such stuff xD Then finally I saw Balto, and...And Animation Source (which was only BS and TLKS back then xD)...So yeah...That's about it xD

It was when I first started watching Disney movies xD I want to draw like the animators did (not that I knew about animators at the time) but it really inspired me to keep drawing.

I think my art started ever since learning anatomy, which was when I first read this:/board/how-to-draw-a-dog-s-head-turotial-with-visual-t30787.html
Then, I just practiced anatomy, and I've been improving alot faster than I used to.

I'd been drawing horses since I was old enough to know that the pencil-point belonged on the paper and not up my nose. Needless to say, my art sucked majorly. Though I was thoroughly mesmerized by Disney animations and I wanted to draw like that someday.

When I turned 13, my mom told me "if you're going to spend all your time drawing, at least be good at it!" I thought she was just being mean at first, but now I know how right she was! She, though not an artist herself, has a great eye for detail, and told me the main thing my art was missing was SHADING. So, she got me a whole bunch of How-To-Draw books, all of them for horse anatomy since that was my strong point, and I took it from there.

Once I hit 16 and was comfortable enough drawing horses, I started drawing anime, canines, felines, and eventually, Disney-style; my goal from day one!

I've been drawing seriously for 11 years now, and am now a professional artist.

All it takes is LOTS of practice, patience and a little talent to start out with.

And I never went to art school. I took an art class once in high school when I was 16, but my teacher despised me because I'm a pencil artist and she wanted me to be a sculptor. I like pencils. I hope to try my hand at painting someday as well.

For what I can remember, I've always been drawing. My uncle is an architect so, even if not cartoony or realistic, he draws. My father used to build helicopters so, he had to draw. My mother sometimes liked to doodle up random things, mostly women's faces, realistic. I guess I've inherited their passion. I've been always drawing animals, mostly random dogs, dragons and sometimes horses but before joining AS or DA, I remember that I had started to draw some fan arts, like the dragons from Dragon Ball GT or Mushu from Mulan, even Buck the horse from Open Range.
When my mom bought me Spirit's DVD, like Moki, I enjoyed drawing horses, I used to watch a lot the "How to draw Spirit" special feature, it helped me a lot! Then, five almost six years ago I've discovered BS. The ones that inspired me the most were Kaynight (sadly, she's not here anymore) and Kelev. I think I've memorized Kelev's tutorial to make balto's head, I totally loved it, like I loved her whole gallery!
I've started to focus more on canines and later on on dragons. Sometimes I still draw horses, maybe with a real pic as reference since I'm not that good. I remember that my first drawings were all free handed. Now I draw with a base, a kind of skeleton for the structure. I doubt my drawings would be good looking without it! xD

That 'how to draw' on Spirit was actually a huge stepping stone for me too. At least in learning to draw and improving. My real start though was probably... around seventh or eighth grade best I can remember. Before then I drew a lot too sure (mostly wolves), but it wasn't until middle school that I started taking my drawings more seriously. That's when I got more into the internet and found artists that were so flamazing that I felt I HAD to start taking my art seriously if I was to ever get anywhere near that good (I'm still far from, but I digress). So I started printing off TONS of refs and inspiration. Inspiration was mostly, Goldenwolfen, Jamie Sidor, Huskie, Sidian, Kyoht, Dark Natasha, and a few others, many of them on BS. I copied a lot of other people's art, but that was just to develop 'style', and I NEVER posted any of it online. Eventually I started getting the knack of it and worked on my own stuff. ...That's about it for the start. I still have all those binders of pictures. Reason why my dad refers to my room as 'fire starter'.

Mainly replying to this because I have to say, MW Roach, WOW. I almost jaw dropped in seeing your horse sketch. It's so realistic and gorgeous looking. That must have taken a lot of practice to get that good! I've YET to get that good myself!

I suppose my drawing started around the same time as my writing, at age 9. My first story ever was horrible. Really, it was, but the illustrations I did were okay.

I think my drawing improved faster than my writing, which is weird because I write a lot more than I do artsy things! O.o Huh. Maybe that explains a bit as to why I'm such a visual person when it comes not only my writing but my music making too. Although I have trouble keeping myself motivated and inspired to keep drawing in particular.

If I start to constantly tell myself to keep drawing, then maybe, just maybe, over half of my drawings will come out as well as I can picture them in my head.