Saturday, February 27, 2010

Backgrounds...

I've noticed when I draw...I can draw the characters out, no problem. But I NEVER know what to do as a background....ever. I just kind of make it up most of the time ("Uhhh....maybe some mountains annndd....a tree....yeah..."). I never know how to decide and no one's ever really taught me anything about backgrounds. I was wondering what everyone else thinks/does? Thanks!

-Ace

5 comments:

Alexa said...

Backgrounds are a big issue for me too. :|

One thing you might consider is the setting...like, for instance, we're doing shakespeare this time, so maybe gathering some reference on classic english architecture? That's what I plan on doing anyway :P

Danielle said...

Yeah I struggle with backgrounds a lot too. I've been trying to ge better at them, but what I do is get some references like Alexa said, and I start very simple, and then see how much I can add in until it looks right.

Kali Ciesemier said...

The trick with backgrounds for me was figuring out what made them enjoyable for me to draw/look at. I like interesting vintage interiors and forest/foliage type scenes, so oftentimes I try to incorporate that into my work. Photo reference is your BEST friend. Gettyone.com is a great photography site where you can do pretty detailed searches. Apartmenttherapy.com has a lot of hip/modern photos of interior design and rooms. Shorpy.com is a HUGE repository of old photos, from the Civil War to the 60's/70's. Also, sometimes looking at what you like in other people's work can help you figure out what you might want to try in yours!

Kelsey Sunday said...

Yep, backgrounds give me trouble as well. Along with what everyone else said, drawing in your sketchbook helps a lot! Do stuff like the assignment we had a couple weeks ago... figures in space.

aprice said...

Awesome guys! Thanks so much!!