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Video Transcript
Hello. My name is Naoki Saito.
The theme of today's video is "How to improve your illustration skills without making mistakes."
I have received questions like these.
It's a bit long but I'll read it as is.
This is a question from a teenager named SAKU.
"Nice to meet you, Naoki Saito."
"I finished my university entrance exam the other day."
"I will be a university student from April and my name is SAKU."
congratulations.
"I started drawing illustrations three years ago when I was a freshman in high school."
"Until I was in my second year of high school, I enjoyed illustrating as a hobby."
"When I was a senior in high school, I had to study for entrance exams."
"During my senior year of high school, I didn't have much time to draw illustrations."
"Now that I've finished studying for the entrance exams, I have some free time."
"I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to practice my illustrations."
"Specifically, I will practice using the methods included in the book you mentioned, 'How to Improve Your Illustration in 3 Months.'"
"1. Draw an illustration."
"2. Compare your work with the model and identify your weaknesses."
"3. Practice the areas you need to work on."
"Go back to step 4 and draw the illustration."
"I plan to practice steps 1 to 4 repeatedly."
"I have a question related to these 3."
"That's why I applied to be in the Q&A corner this time."
Thank you for your detailed explanation.
"Before I ask your questions, I'll write a little bit about myself here."
"I am applying to KYU TEIKOKU University."
"I started studying for the entrance exams gradually from the summer of my first year of high school."
"However, my mock exam scores did not improve at all until the winter of my second year of high school."
"I finally realized why my academic ability score hadn't improved for a year and a half."
"The reason was that I didn't know how to study in a way that would help me improve."
"By improving my study methods, my academic ability score improved rapidly."
"And I was successfully accepted into KYU TEIKOKU University."
"I will write about how I studied English when my score wasn't improving and how I studied when my score improved."
"When my academic ability wasn't improving, I would repeatedly solve long English reading passages with great enthusiasm."
"When my academic ability improved, I would search for good study methods on the Internet and absorb the knowledge I gained from them before solving long English reading passages."
"The difference between these two periods is whether I had good study knowledge or not."
"This is why knowledge of how to study is important."
"And I think that applies not only to studying, but also to illustration and many other things."
"When it comes to illustration, for example, when and why does drawing need to be done?"
When is it most effective to copy?
"Illustration correction services do exist."
"Many illustrators, including Naoki Saito, are now teaching how to draw on YouTube."
"I can see a variety of illustrations on Pixiv."
"I believe all of the above is necessary and useful knowledge to improve your illustration skills."
"Needless to say, there will be a difference in the rate at which people who have this knowledge will improve in Step 3 compared to those who don't."
Step 3 is practicing the assignment.
This means that the difference will come when you improve on your weak points.
"However, many beginner and intermediate illustrators, including myself, do not have sufficient knowledge of this."
"Such people need this knowledge."
"On the Internet we can acquire knowledge through sites like YOUTUBE."
"But there's too much of that knowledge on the Internet."
"So I, and many others, am unable to prioritize knowledge."
"Regarding prioritizing knowledge, let's say someone who has never drawn illustrations before is trying to learn everything from "How to Improve Your Illustration Skills in 3 Months" to knowledge on how to best manage an X account at the same time."
"In this example, I understand that acquiring knowledge of 'How to Improve Your Illustration Skills in 3 Months' is a higher priority than learning how to manage X."
"But in practice, I think many people are unable to prioritize this knowledge."
"I'm sorry my question is so long, but I would like to know how I can acquire knowledge from now on."
"As a professional illustrator, I would like to ask you to tell me what you think is necessary to know to improve your illustration skills."
"I would be happy if they could teach people knowledge appropriate to their situation, whether that be for beginners or intermediate students."
That concludes SAKU's questions.
SAKU, thank you for asking me a question.
For SAKU, in order to raise his deviation score, it was important to first input knowledge about how to study.
That's why SAKU thought the same could be said about improving your illustration skills.
SAKU said he wanted me to teach him in advance the prerequisite knowledge he needs to improve.
I understand what you're saying too.
And I agree.
So I'm going to split today's video into beginner, intermediate and advanced sections.
From my previous videos, I will introduce some that I believe will help people at that stage to improve more smoothly and avoid failure if they are aware of this information.
I will tell you the order in which you should watch my videos.
Before I get into the main topic, I would like to add one point.
This is about the video mentioned in the question.
It's called the "3-Month Illustration Improvement Method" and is the fastest way to improve your illustration skills.
I believe that the ideas in this video are the most important benchmark for improving not only illustration but anything at all.
"I want to improve as much as possible, but could you please show me one video so I can have the basic knowledge?"
"I'm looking for a video that will help me improve just by watching this one video."
When someone says that to me, I first refer them to just this.
This is the hard way.
Whether they can do this as is is another matter.
"What does it mean to improve?"
"How should you go about practicing?"
This is a video that will teach you the foundation for improvement.
So if you want to know the first video that will help you improve, just watch this one.
I will post a playlist of the videos I will introduce today, divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, in the Japanese description.
Watch them.
Now I will begin my improvement course to help you avoid failure.
This is something every beginner should have.
I would like to introduce a video that talks about the knowledge that beginners should know first.
I recommend that anyone just starting to draw watch this video first.
The message is, "Improve immediately. The reason you can't draw well is because you don't do this."
I think people who start drawing don't have the art supplies or the digital environment.
This method of improvement can be done without any equipment, just paper and pencil.
Why does your drawing look bad?
What is the cause of this?
How can you avoid that and make your drawings look good?
This video conveys these concepts efficiently with only minimal knowledge.
This is about how to use kneaded erasers, which are frequently used by elementary school students.
Finally, I also teach you how to take your painting to the next level and improve the impression it leaves on people who see it.
First off, watch this.
This is the next video I would recommend beginners to watch:
That is, "I will teach you how to draw line art reliably and well."
You learned the steps to drawing in the first video.
In this video I use that process, but I also incorporate shading.
And I'm going to show you how to complete an illustration using only line art.
The previous lesson only covered illustrations of girls.
The point of this video is that it also shows you how to draw a boy.
If you try to draw a good picture from the beginning, you are likely to fail.
In this video, I start with a rough sketch.
And I teach you how to gradually improve the quality of your drawings.
This is quite important.
Many people who start drawing believe that they have to be able to draw a good picture in one go.
That's a misunderstanding.
By gradually refining the shapes and getting closer to your ideal, your illustration skills will improve.
Learn the knowledge and methods needed to do so in this video.
Next video.
In fact, correct knowledge is not the only thing that is essential to improving your drawing skills.
Misinformation is also an essential part of this.
In particular, you need to know that there is a practice method that, no matter how much you repeat it, will not lead to improvement.
If you don't know this, you may end up repeating the same bad practice methods over and over again, and your practice will not lead to any improvement.
This is the third video I would recommend beginners to watch.
It's something that beginners tend to do. Avoid these practice methods that won't help you improve no matter how much you draw.
This is especially common among elementary and middle school students.
Many people practice by simply drawing a simple illustration in about five minutes, and then simply increasing the number of pages in their notebooks.
Such people draw lots of simple pictures and then boast, "I've practiced this much. Look at the amount of notes I have."
There are quite a lot of people like that.
But unfortunately, this is hardly practiced.
Why doesn't that lead to improvement?
How can I improve?
This video explains it in an easy-to-understand way by using the example of making ramen.
I will also introduce this.
This is a bad practice that may make you a worse artist.
This is another practice method that doesn't lead to much improvement.
In this video I talk about bad practice methods in a broader sense than in the previous video.
Please check this out as well.
If you watch this, you'll get a general idea of what it means to not improve.
And I think you can effectively avoid behaviors that don't lead to improvement.
This is the last video recommended for beginners.
The question is, "Are you drawing lines poorly?"
This is a video where I teach you how to draw lines.
If the previous video showed how to draw lines for a rough sketch, this video shows how to draw lines for a final draft.
What's interesting about this video is that it introduces drawing techniques that will make your drawing look poorly done.
So if you do the opposite, you can draw better, right?
With that in mind, in this video I'm showing you the right and wrong way to do it on set.
By the end of this video, you will have changed from a beginner.
I think that if you combine the knowledge you gained in this video with the method you learned at the beginning to refine your drawings, it will have a synergistic effect and you will quickly become an intermediate artist.
Knowledge that intermediate learners should have.
The beginner's version focuses on line drawing knowledge, and the video is structured to make it easier for participants to feel their improvement.
The intermediate level goes a step further from there.
Your goal is to become more technically conscious and gain control over the painting.
This is the first video I recommend intermediate students watch.
This is the complete guide on how to draw poses well.
Intermediate artists can become more expressive by increasing the variety of pictures they draw compared to beginners.
When it comes to characters, if you can freely control their poses, you will be able to draw lively character illustrations.
In this tutorial I'll show you step by step how to take a simple stick figure and flesh it out into a great looking character.
Although I said it's for intermediate users, even beginners will find this an effective method.
Intermediate students should watch this first.
As you draw various character poses, I think that what you end up wanting to draw are original characters.
The fan art is good too.
But there's something different and fun about drawing an original character that you created, isn't there?
This is the next video I would recommend for intermediate learners to watch.
This is "Tips for Character Design".
As the name suggests, this video will show you the steps and methods to create a better looking character.
The idea is to "write yourself a character design order."
The method is to design the mini characters first.
And how to create more impressive characters by being conscious of their silhouettes. This video explains these methods.
And the third video I would like intermediate players to watch is one I will introduce at a good pace.
After pose and design, the next thing that intermediate learners should pay attention to is composition.
To improve your composition, you should watch this video and gain some knowledge.
It's not good that you don't know the negative shape.
"Are the poses and compositions different?"
Some people may be confused by the differences between them.
They are completely different.
First of all, if you can improve your composition skills, you will find that creating illustrations is surprisingly easy.
This shows how composition is an extremely powerful weapon in illustration.
The knowledge needed to master this ultra-powerful weapon is also in the title.
It's the idea of negative and positive shapes.
Understanding this concept will instantly transform your illustrations from beginner to intermediate level.
Furthermore, I believe that if you understand the knowledge in this video, you will be able to quickly level up from intermediate to advanced.
This is a must watch video for intermediate level players.
I want you to watch this video over and over again.
After composition I'll talk about color.
Color is also important.
The next video is this.
It's ``Here are 5 super easy tips for choosing colors.''
Color is important in illustrations.
Black and white illustrations lack impact, don't they?
Coloring is a very important element in increasing the power of an illustration.
But at first, you may not know how to choose a good color.
You have no idea what's good and what's not, right?
I don't think you'll understand where that comes from.
Of course, using a lot of colors will naturally improve your coloring skills.
But it would be good to have some knowledge to help you get started, right?
If that happens, watch this video.
In this video, I clearly explain analogous color schemes that are recommended for beginner illustrators, as well as complementary color schemes for more advanced illustrators.
This is the last video of the intermediate level.
This is a "final boss of the intermediate level" type of video.
It's "A complete explanation: master the use of perspective in illustrations and you'll be a pro."
You've all heard of perspective, right?
Illustrations so realistic they seem to come right at you.
A magnificent and spacious backdrop.
You cannot draw such illustrations well unless you understand the concept of perspective.
Perspective seems difficult at first glance, doesn't it?
But that's okay.
In this video, I explain in detail everything from one-point perspective to applied three-point perspective for understanding perspective.
At the end, I also show how perspective can be practically applied to illustrations.
Watch this video and master perspective.
Knowledge that an advanced user should have.
In my advanced courses I will teach you advanced techniques such as paying attention to how people perceive your illustrations and how you want them to perceive them.
Illustrations convey information.
Rather than being a means of transmitting information, it might be better to say that it is an emotional communication tool that allows you to convey your feelings to others.
If you can convey your feelings to others exactly as you are feeling them, the people watching will be able to receive your feelings exactly as they are.
It should move their hearts and make them think, "This illustration is wonderful."
If you can do this, you are no longer a beginner or intermediate in illustration creation.
I think you can proudly call yourself an advanced player.
I will show you a video that will give you the knowledge to do so.
This is the first video in the advanced level.
It's titled "Complete Explanation! The idea behind creating highly acclaimed illustrations is 'to take the viewer to XX'".
I'm going to say some very advanced things in this video.
I think this is something that you probably won't understand just by looking at it once.
This is a video for the most advanced of advanced users.
However, if your illustrations don't get high ratings or no one understands them, it means that you are not empathizing with the feelings of the people your illustrations are meant to reach.
This video explains how to improve it.
The basis for this should be the idea of "taking the person who looks at your illustration from point A to point B."
If you want to communicate more emotions through art, watch this video first.
I'm sure you will gain some useful knowledge.
The second video I recommend advanced players watch is this one:
It's "A must-see for beginners! Did you know there are three ways to simplify illustrations?"
Although the title says "Beginner", this is for advanced users.
I think Japanese people in particular naturally draw simplified illustrations.
However, Japanese people are already accustomed to deforming and simplifying illustrations.
"Why would you simplify it like that?"
"How does your simplification of the illustration convey itself to people?"
I think very few people think that far.
So you watch this video.
Through this video, I believe that by being more conscious of simplification, you will be able to add your own originality to your illustrations.
It is very important to take a fresh look at your own methods of simplification.
This is the third advanced video.
This you cannot avoid.
This is "Caution, 3 types of illustrations being criticized on social media."
This is a topic that really hinges on how people perceive your illustrations.
I think that in this day and age, being popular and being criticized are inseparably linked.
I think it's inevitable that you'll be criticized if you become popular.
If you cannot avoid it, I think it would be better for you to learn in advance why you will be criticized and how you can reduce the possibility of criticism as much as possible, as that knowledge will be useful to you when the time comes.
I believe this video is essential in terms of risk management as well.
This is the last video for advanced users.
This is the full version: How to win an illustration contest.
I think that an illustration contest is something you should try when you have worked hard on an illustration and want someone to recognize it.
Here too, it is very important to be conscious of what you want your viewers to think.
It is no exaggeration to say that knowing this will make your work ten times more likely to win an award.
Here is a video that goes into more detail on that point.
Finally, please check out this video as well.
What did you think of this video?
This time I talked about "how to improve without making mistakes."
I have divided the videos into "Beginner", "Intermediate", and "Advanced" and have told you the order in which you should watch them.
The URL for the playlist containing the videos introduced this time can be found in the Japanese description.
Be sure to check it out.
And this is a detailed summary of very effective ways to improve your game, aimed at beginners and intermediate players.
This is a 15 plus 1 bonus video course.
"How to improve your drawing skills in one month" is also available on VIMEO.
These videos are longer and slower than the YouTube videos, and explain things in more detail.
I would recommend this to anyone who is determined to improve and want to fully master the knowledge.
This supports not only the Japanese version, but also subtitles in multiple languages, including English.
Be sure to check this out too.
See you in the next video.
Goodbye.
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