cocos2d for iPhone

A fast, easy to use, free, and community supported 2D game engine

1. 

   eJayStudios
   Member

   Hi,

   Artists can learn coding, well, everyone can learn coding if you are keen enough.

   My question is, can coder learn drawing? Learn good enough to make art for your own games and not be laughed at?

   I keep this idea in the back of my head how cool would be to draw your own stuff and use it in your game.

   When I was at school I liked drawing and did it almost daily, but I'm not naturally gifted, so my drawings really suck.

   Long story short, do you think it is possible? If yes, should I get art lessons (I saw local ad about teaching adults to draw).

   Also, if this is achievable, how long could it take to become half decent? 10 years? 5 years?

   Thanks in advance, especially if you an artist and know your trade. :D

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. 

   Techy
   Member

   @eJayStudios almost anything is possible to learn if you have the motivation to do it... Just practice daily... I dropped drawing for a few years, I used to be really good and look at some of my old drawings and I wish I could still draw that good... So, you can get books, there are tons.. And you can watch tutorials... Most of all just practice... It may take a couple years, most graphics designers that get serious about graphics design get software like photoshop and illustrator and a wacom tablet... Most professionals use the wacom cintiq...

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. 

   Omegas7
   Member

   I am always drawing something. Early in school I sucked at drawing, but now I'm pretty good, probably because I kept practicing (not serious practice, more like doodling actually) almost every day =D. I don't really think it takes someone so many years to be half-decent... I believe a few months are pretty much enough, but only if you really enjoy it >_> ;)

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. 

   robodude666
   Member

   No, sort of...

   It's a rule of thumb that programmers are terrible at art and design. Ask Google's Engineers :P.
   It's also a rule that designers are terrible programmers.

   However, there are exceptions... Some people are gifted with the logic processing required for programming and creative vision required for drawing or vise versa. Those people are lucky. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.

   Now, yes actually.. You can learn to draw. However, it's two different things to be able to draw and have a creative vision.

   For example, I know Photoshop somewhat well.. I can do most things. I can follow tutorials and remember techniques; however, when it comes to being creative and making something unique from a vision I have in my head I end up staring at grid of white and grey pixels. Got nada.

   It definitely is possible for anyone to learn to draw. People who are "meant" for it will accelerate at a much faster pace with a greater creative vision than those who weren't. Same goes for programmers. People who are "meant" to be a developer will grab things much quicker.

   -robodude666

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. 

   araker
   Moderator

   As a programmer (and noteworthy terrible at drawing) I gave up on drawing a long time ago. I rather spend my time on improving the skills I'm good at into something really good, instead of trying to improve something bad into mediocre at best. For the things I have no talent for, I search for people who are gifted in that area and work together with them.

   So my advice would be, forget about learning to draw, just concentrate on your programming skills and look out for a good designer.

   Ow, if you're aiming for doodle kind of graphics, practice and some courses will get you there.

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. 

   Tone
   Member

   You can do both. You can learn. The things that probably stop you at becoming really good are the parts of you that compare your skills to those you admire. Drawing has everything to do with how you see. I would suggest getting the book "Drawing on the right side of the brain." That book will help you learn how to see. The reason most people can't draw is because of the way we internalize objects in our head. People don't typically draw what they see they draw what they think.

   Next I would recommend getting Illustrator (because it is great for games) and using this awesome book to learn: "The Adobe Illustrator CS4 Wow! Book". Using Illustrator and drawing are too different things. Vector drawing to me is not really drawing. You really have to have an eye to make good stuff though. Also I draw almost everything first and then use Illustrator and Photoshop to finish it.

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. 

   eJayStudios
   Member

   Thanks guys, lots of good suggestions and advise here!

   I always wanted to learn how to draw so I think at least I can try. I'm planning of getting few lessons first (more if required) and will go from there. If I fail, no big deal, I can still learn few things which my come handy when designing my games.

   Tbone28 thanks for the links, will check them out.

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. 

   ddeaco
   Member

   Hi, as an artist that's programming. I truly believe that its not really about if you can draw or not. It is more about if you can tell the difference between something that looks good or not. I wouldn't say I was great at drawing by hand but using photoshop/flash with the undo button things get a lot easier.

   I used to work at a major game studio and there was always a running 'programmer art' joke. I'm quite critical of programmer art and you see a lot of it on the iPhone platform, i think this is what has driven the doodle/stick style. My main complaint about programmer art is almost the lack of effort. Not to sound rude but it takes about 5 minutes to find a photoshop tutorial on how to make some nice button graphics. I'm actually a 3D so doing some 2D work is still quite different from my everyday work, but if I make something that looks crap, I try and break it down to work out why it looks crap. I try and research the best looking games out there and again break it down into the elements, it usually turns out that its not really that complicated.

   The first thing your app will be judged on is the few screenshot of your game, so if it looks like you have put no effort into the artwork they wont buy and find out how well your app was programed/designed.

   my 2cent

   David

   Posted 1 year ago #

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