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Sep 2018

when i seem some artist draw, notice they never seem to use shapes or sketchy 3d dimensional shapes to build form. they just draw it out like it's nothing. when i attempt to do the same my art looks like crap as a result (no wonder i don't sell sketches). As an artist, is there a way to stop relying on them so much? feel like it make my drawings really despite the fact it helps with consistency?

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    Sep '18
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    May '19
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Woah woah woahhhhh, hold on there my friend!

I assure you that I do exactly that. In fact I sometimes draw them in different colors to double check my anatomy. Lemme provide some examples because I don't want you to drop an insanely useful tool just because some people don't use it.

and on this one you can even see where i left the sketch layer merged in with the coloring if you look close enough to give it a more grungy look

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now that being said... I still use that method to this day to make stuff like this:

So don't give up friend. If it's a method that works for you, keep at it!

Uh... no? Construction lines are great? People who don't use them, if they're skilled at all, probably still use them sometimes. If they skip them and the art still looks good it's probably because they've been drawing long enough that they can visualize where the guidelines should be.
If a technique or tool makes you art better then you should use it as much as you like. There's no such thing as cheating in art.

Construction lines are good for drawing diverse things. It's actually WAY harder to draw without them imo - and relying on muscle memory sometimes results in drawing stale, repetitive things.
If you want to draw an object, it's mostly likely going to be made out of simple shapes/3d shapes. By using construction lines to build the object you're trying to draw, you can stay true to the object but still have your own interpretation of it. They also help with proportioning so your art doesn't look wonky and off.
Also, sometimes it's just more intimidating when you're trying to draw something directly onto a blank piece of paper/canvas. Sketching things out before you start on the finished product almost always helps.

I'm 98% sure that only Certified Super Badass Expert artists can skip construction lines and just draw complex things like human anatomy from nothing. Until you reach that level (probably after at least several years of practice), it's best to use them. It may seem like an annoying extra step but construction is incredibly helpful and saves time in the long run.

Construction lines are important. It'll give you a more stable way to draw stuff.

I did see that some professional—and I mean, really professional artist that's been in the industry for so long and they mostly have the understanding of how to draw the characters and buildings alike because of how used they are when drawing them, so they can do it without much construction lines.

But if you're still in the learning stages (well, even if one already a pro they're still will be in the learning stages XD ), construction lines are important if you want to make a good proportional body and buildings with a better perspective.

Try to do some basic construction lines if you can't do the more complex (but surely more better and helpful) lines. When some pro artist still use them because it's good to have it. Me myself only use the basic and non complex lines, and its still out of proportion sometimes. XD

And if you keep on growing, one day you'll be able to comprehend your own drawing styles and might be able to draw your stuff without any helping lines.

Yeah, someone who draws without using construction lines is someone who's drawn That Exact Thing So Many Times that they've memorised the lines of That Specific Thing, like if a famous cartoonist has been asked to draw the character they're known for 50 billion times? They probably don't use construction lines anymore.

Or something like a caricature artist, where they're only drawing one specific thing (a face) and they've learned to gauge proportions of That Specific Thing so that they can go straight to inks.

Or sometimes artists will forego construction lines when doodling, and their doodles are just really good because they're drawing something they're extremely comfortable with.

But most pros use construction lines for actual finished work, and I don't consider it a goal to use them less. I'd rather focus on making my art better and better. You can maybe get a lighter touch with your construction lines, so that they're easier to erase on sketches, (a lot of people see my sketches and think that I don't use construction but actually, I just erase a lot), if having clean sketches is a goal. I don't really think there's much value in getting rid of them, though.

If you get to the point of the folks who don't use them, it's probably going to come naturally. It won't be that you've carefully weaned yourself off of using construction lines -- it'll be that you've used construction lines so much and so consistently that you know them by heart.

think it's all been said above .... but if it makes you feel better i have been drawing for over 30 years and i still use guide shapes and lines. and to be honest some of these so called artists on you tube are doing the same only they have layers turned off when filming.

Unless drawing from life it's pretty common to use construction lines and you shouldn't stop just because you saw somebody else not using them! Even if you watch somebody drawing on TV apparently straight onto the page you'll often spot a very faint guideline if you look closely enough.

Perhaps what you really need is better ways of removing them after the fact. If you use traditional media then sketch your construction out as lightly as possible (with a hard-lead pencil). After you've inked the construction should be easy to remove with an eraser/rubber (just give the ink time to dry properly first!) If you're a digital artist then put your construction in a different layer.

construction lines are not a crutch, theyre not something artists grow out of as they improve.in fact, theyre really important to making work with good gesture and form.

i personally use them to a minimum, but thats because i sketch entirely in gel pen and taught myself to visualize where the guides should be to keep things less messy, if its a more complex pose though i definitely still use them. if im sketching digitally ill draw them onto another layer and delete it to keep it looking clean.

I don't think that whether or not you use construction lines is anything to do with how good your drawings are... It's perfectly normal to use them to improve.
You can't really "stop relying on them" until you no longer need them. I don't use construction lines often anymore because I've been drawing seriously for about 10 years. I use them when I'm drawing an unfamiliar subject matter / angle though.
Construction lines aren't a weakness and they don't make your art worse by any stretch. They're just a way of sketching. If your construction lines aren't helping you just need to learn to use them more effectively, maybe by studying more references or doing more anatomy practice. That way you can put down construction sketches that are more and more effective.

That is so weird...my experience is the exact opposite, I'm pretty much the only artist I know who DOESN'T use construction lines. I thought that's what everyone did!

As for whether you should use them or not, I think that's up to you. There's nothing wrong with using them or needing them; they're not a crutch. They're just a tool that helps you figure out where things are. Even someone like me uses an action line or a circle every now and then.

I've also been drawing for over 10 years and I find myself not using them for things I draw often, but as soon something looks wonky I draw a few lines to align things properly. I've went to 2 different art schools and several courses and they all teach you to use them, even old veterans who've worked professionally for years!
It's just basics for art, no matter the skill level, and its nothing you should feel ashamed of. Trying to avoid it just to look "professional" could only slow down your development, so please don't be afraid of using tools and references, heck, most of us even started by tracing, and that's cool too, because it helps you learn.

In my experience it's situational.
Construction lines are great for building the characters form accurately. Especially if they are in a pose/position that is really obscure. I find myself often using them way more when I'm trying to convey a complex motion. But even with a static standing poses, I use them to "check my work" in a sense. I felt the same way about seeing other artists draw easily without construction lines but I just chalked it up to a difference in skill or understanding of form. I don't think this point is attained quickly but only though lots of practice to the point where you can imagine and see the construction lines without them actually being there. Bah rambling.

Point is, construction lines are great. Use them til you feel no need.

After reading this topic and realizing construction lines are a thing and their use.....

I should give construction lines a try.......

When I was younger(as an artist, and chronologically), I decided that I was good 'nuff to not use construction lines. Eventually, I started using them again because it kept things in proportions (my art from back in the day... it is warped lol)

My two cents.

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On a more serious note, I do and don't use them. On women's bodies - yes and no. I'm familiar with the overall anatomy however I still use it to put down gesture lines, line of gravity/center, and especially for the head because I work out the overall perspective from 3D shapes and guiding lines with it. I used to not use it for hands and feet, but then I found a very good artist who broke them down in a much better way that actually simplified the bones and muscles (not just making vague hand-esque shapes) and since using his technique my ability to draw hands and feet improved significantly. For anything I don't understand, it's really the only way to break it down and build it up. I might miss the mark using construction vs eyeballing, but at least my construction drawings are a lot tighter and proportional, I find.

I think a lot of people don't use them when starting out because... I don't think most guides are taught very well. They need to actually simplify what's there - the underlying structure and then also demonstrate how these random shapes relate to it. Most methods just teach how to vaguely represent a humanish figure.