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What resources can I use to help me start improving my art and coding skills? I'm currently taking Art 1 and AP Computer Science Principles in school. I'm having trouble understanding the basics of art like shading and drawing portraits and for computer science, I am having trouble learning the basics of coding.
What resources can I use to help me start improving my art and coding skills? I'm currently taking Art 1 and AP Computer Science Principles in school. I'm having trouble understanding the basics of art like shading and drawing portraits and for computer science, I am having trouble learning the basics of coding.
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Jack’s Answer
Learning the basics of Computer Science is difficult but there's a lot of resources out there. I suggest looking for introductory courses online (for example, YouTube) and find different presenters who can explain the basic concepts in different ways. I find it helps to have new concepts described by different people from new perspectives.
Another thing that a lot of beginner programmers do is find a personal project that is meaningful to them. For example, if you enjoy video games then you can look for ways to program to build your own game or modify the settings of an existing game you enjoy. If your passion is art, you can build a website to showcase your portfolio or research how you can use programming to create generative art.
Another thing that a lot of beginner programmers do is find a personal project that is meaningful to them. For example, if you enjoy video games then you can look for ways to program to build your own game or modify the settings of an existing game you enjoy. If your passion is art, you can build a website to showcase your portfolio or research how you can use programming to create generative art.
Thanks for the advice! I will try to design a game in makecode. I don't know have any experience in building a website and I heard that maintaining a website cost a lot per month so I probably won't build a website to showcase my art journey but maybe I can do something else.
Ziming
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Robbie’s Answer
Hello Ziming,
Much like our friend Jack pointed out, having a personal project to work on can be a great help when it comes to coding. I've recently rekindled my interest in coding, diving headfirst into learning a new programming language after a decade-long hiatus. I found it incredibly helpful to start with basic projects I discovered on Youtube, following along with the step-by-step tutorials.
Once I've completed these, I try to apply what I've learned to a personal practice project. It's during these times when I encounter exceptions that I find using AI can be a real lifesaver. It's an efficient way to pinpoint where the error has occurred. I know all too well how frustrating it can be to spend hours searching for a single misplaced character. So, I thought this might be a useful tip for you too.
Much like our friend Jack pointed out, having a personal project to work on can be a great help when it comes to coding. I've recently rekindled my interest in coding, diving headfirst into learning a new programming language after a decade-long hiatus. I found it incredibly helpful to start with basic projects I discovered on Youtube, following along with the step-by-step tutorials.
Once I've completed these, I try to apply what I've learned to a personal practice project. It's during these times when I encounter exceptions that I find using AI can be a real lifesaver. It's an efficient way to pinpoint where the error has occurred. I know all too well how frustrating it can be to spend hours searching for a single misplaced character. So, I thought this might be a useful tip for you too.
Thanks for the Tip! I'm currently learning the concepts of javascript and when I create a project and the code doesn't work I use AI to find out where my code is not working.
Ziming
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi, Ziming!
There are all sorts of resources out there--it just depends on what kind of resource works best for you. There are books, such as Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards, which will help you learn how to see. I know it sounds funny, but a critical part of learning how to draw is learning how to really observe. Our brains like to help us by filling in information so we can think faster, but when drawing from life, we need to learn how to draw what we actually see, and the exercises in this book help you do just that. Betty Edwards also has a website, drawright (dot-com), with examples and lessons and video links. You'll get the technical information you want as well as the conceptual understanding that will help you grow your skills faster. And one final thought: if you can, get out and see as much original art (meaning not reproduced on a screen or in a book) as you can--there's nothing like it. Look at the kind of drawings you want to draw, and analyze how the forms are put together, arranged on a piece of paper, and how the light and shadow are rendered.
As for your other question about coding, I'll have to leave that to the programmers. I use CMSes like WordPress and other tools that have a code view and a design view, and that's how I learned what little html I know.
One of my drawing and illustration teachers, the late Felix Ampah, used to tell us that we have to do 10,000 drawings to get one good one. I try not to think about that too much but find the joy in the experience. Have fun and keep at it; your skills will improve with practice.
There are all sorts of resources out there--it just depends on what kind of resource works best for you. There are books, such as Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards, which will help you learn how to see. I know it sounds funny, but a critical part of learning how to draw is learning how to really observe. Our brains like to help us by filling in information so we can think faster, but when drawing from life, we need to learn how to draw what we actually see, and the exercises in this book help you do just that. Betty Edwards also has a website, drawright (dot-com), with examples and lessons and video links. You'll get the technical information you want as well as the conceptual understanding that will help you grow your skills faster. And one final thought: if you can, get out and see as much original art (meaning not reproduced on a screen or in a book) as you can--there's nothing like it. Look at the kind of drawings you want to draw, and analyze how the forms are put together, arranged on a piece of paper, and how the light and shadow are rendered.
As for your other question about coding, I'll have to leave that to the programmers. I use CMSes like WordPress and other tools that have a code view and a design view, and that's how I learned what little html I know.
One of my drawing and illustration teachers, the late Felix Ampah, used to tell us that we have to do 10,000 drawings to get one good one. I try not to think about that too much but find the joy in the experience. Have fun and keep at it; your skills will improve with practice.
Thank you for the advice! I will check out drawright.com and watch the videos there. I'm more of a visual learner and don't like reading that much, but I'm sure the YouTube videos will help improve my art.
Ziming
You're so welcome! I hope you check in and let us know what you think of those resources. Maybe they'll help other people too.
Kim Matthews