line vs form

When I first started drawing, my Mother got me a few 'how to draw' books. (she is always so extremely supportive of me, love you Mom! ^_^)

those books were wonderful, they fed my growing appetite for art, and helped me to start translating my thoughts onto the page.

but I'm starting to realise that, for the past couple of weeks, I have been fighting against most of the things I've learned in those how-to-draw books.

you see, they were teaching me to see and think in lines. contours. just the edges. recently I've begun painting, and when you paint you really need to think more in form, and values. the shapes and insides, not so much the edges. If I don't include the lining step, I struggle for the entire painting. especially with 'edge control', which is one of the big things I'm trying to work through.

I'm not saying that how-to-draw books aren't worth it, or that they messed me up. they were just the only learning source I had for a very long time (until Youtube was invented) so they trained me to think only in one way. that way is great for when I'm drawing characters or cartoons, not so much when I'm attempting realism, or even abstract.

I always thought that, since I wanted to be a cartoonist, I wouldn't need to learn the way of the Realistic painter. I was so very wrong.

you see, I didn't realize this until quite recently but,
Every Art benefits from every other Art.

I just caught myself watching an interior design class tutorial video on wall painting on youtube, and I learned a ton about getting different textures from your paints. things I would not have thought to try before, because I never thought to look to interior design.

I guess what I am trying to say in this long rambling rant is that, if you're an aspiring artist, learn everything you can about every art you can. it can only help your favorite field of art, and help you develop skills you would not have otherwise had by just studying a single field.