Bro this makes me laugh now. It’s unfinished tho. How should I improve it?
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Are we talking about Photoshop skill, or drawing skill?
By 100% beginner, you are referring to 100% proficient Photoshop user, or 100% brand new?
I meant Photoshop skills - how to improve my illustrations on Photoshop.
My skills are are still quite basic and I’ll need to use Photoshop a lot in my course. I’d like to learn how to use it the proper way for illustrations, rather than relying on the self-taught approach I used with the image I shared.
If you want to improve your Photoshop skills, watch some tutorials on YouTube and begin to practice those skills in your own images, or take some images and modify them using Photoshop different tools. One very important thing about Photoshop is how to use and work with layers that is a very important key of Photoshop.
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Ditch Photoshop.
Grab yourself a sketchbook and some pencils.
Get yourself a copy of the book titled:
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards.
Do ALL of the exercises, in order, no matter how stupid you think they are. You will see improvement in your ‘seeing’ skills and could up your game. Takes practice. Once you have basics of ‘seeing’ then translate into Photoshop.
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Quite right. Photoshop, like everything else, is nothing more than a tool. A hammer, a screwdriver.
If you don’t know what you want, Photoshop is not going to help you.
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Thanks, I can do all these things.
I would say what Print Driver said make senses improve your drawing skills before using photoshop, that what he said is really helpful.
I used to do a lot of hand drawn pen and ink. About 5 years ago I switch over to doing it in Photoshop.
What helped a bit was watching other artists who had Twitch channels at the time. Sadly, they are currently offline (and have been for a while, it was during Covid I saw them so they are probably working for real again now.) Also, how you use Photoshop for Art depends on your style. Mine is more comic book, “inking” black lines over a red-line sketch layer, then applying color by area selection. That’s a different techinique from say, a fully rendered oil painting like thing. Sometimes Photoshop isn’t even the right tool. A number of my clients use Blender or similar 3D softwares to do their fully rendered realistic artwork.
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Do you use a digital tablet for drawing? Maybe that explains why you’re expecting me to learn to draw first.
I don’t have a digital tablet yet. I know it makes drawing easier. I’ll probably be getting one soon - right now I’m working on that drawing book you recommended by Betty Edwards.
That weird image I drew was done using the mouse of a computer. So, it isn’t so good.
Input tool is up to you.
I can do it with a mouse. Takes a bit longer.
For work retouching and for hobby drawing, I do use a Wacom.
Saves billable time and makes hobby more enjoyable.
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Because these are the steps for graphic designers, drawing helps you to become more creative and artist of your own creation. Making drawings in a piece of paper with a pencil makes you an idea what the customer wants to do. Then you go for the mockup and finally the idea how the design is going to be for the client. You are free well what ever you want to do, but if you follow your own path you will find stones on the road. And after that you will come back and being again.
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I can’t draw. Not even a matchstick man, last time I tried it caught on fire.
I’m not illiterate when it comes to drawing, or art, or shapes, or shadows. I know how, I’m just very lazy and I have zero patience. And often have no idea what I want to do when I do get to do something like a drawing or painting. @Just-B showed some great examples of his sketches, mighty impressive, I’d never get anywhere near that. I’d have to concentrate and that would drive me demented. I’m more a lack of will power to get it to the page.
I used to do mockups on paper, but nowadays I don’t need that step, should I, probably, but I can visualise without that step now, and more importantly I can execute it. But that’s 2 very different things, sketching, portraits, landscapes, to design layout and functionality, one is about capturing or imagining the world on a page, the other is about translating ideas into something functional and usable. I can execute, but the “play” part, the sketches, the experiments, the messy trial and error, is where I stall. I admire people who can dive in and let the pencil wander, because that freedom is alien to me. I need a purpose, a goal, a plan, and even then it’s a battle to get it down on paper.
That said, you don’t have to be a master artist to be good at graphic design. Being able to draw helps, of course, but design is often about solving problems, arranging elements, and communicating ideas effectively skills that are distinct from fine art. Many people combine some artistic ability with design thinking, but the two aren’t the same, and you can be highly effective in design without being a skilled sketch artist. What I’m describing the struggle to start, the lack of patience for sketching is normal, and it doesn’t prevent someone from executing strong, creative design work once they focus on the goal.
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So you can’t even sketch thumbnails?
I can draw, perhaps, but not lifelike stuff. Maybe something similar to cartoons. But I can’t take my time - something like drawing I’m just rushing to finish. Yeh so, good to know you don’t have to be a master at drawing - I’ve been drawing all these years and haven’t got further than a stickman . . . which always seem to resemble the Powerpuff Girls.
Many professional designers, myself included, chose to study visual arts in university programs due to some basic drawing talent. However, many of us transitioned from painting, drawing, and illustration to a focus on graphic design, primarily because of better employment opportunities.
This is probably even more true today than when I was in art school. Cheap stock photos, the ubiquity of phone cameras, and now AI-drawn illustrations and photo imagery threaten what remains of a viable career that relies on drawing skills. For me, drawing is still a hobby that I like to do (I’m working on something right now, below), but that’s about it.
As for drawing skills being needed for design, they certainly don’t hurt, but they don’t help much either. As already mentioned, graphic design relies on creative ability, critical thinking, tenacity, problem identification and solving, strategic thinking, focus, and reasonably good people skills.
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I understand.
I’m just quite concerned about the rise of AI. What if clients begin using AI to create everything they need - and designers end up no longer being needed?
That pear illustration is beautiful. Great job. Have you ever thought about setting up an Etsy shop or something similar with note cards, thank you cards, mugs?
I have one client that uses me for illustration work. It’s black and white line drawings for instruction manuals. I find it a rather enjoyable change of pace. Kick back, put on some music, forget about the email for a bit, and draw.
That day is already here. 
Then we budding designers are doomed . . . 