Choplogic's thread: Help me get better with my tablet

Chop Logic

My old thread got deleted, so heres the pictures I've done so far over the summer (I've only been doing this for a week or so) from oldest to newest:
























Some of these are from the same day. I've also had 'Dynamic Anatomy' and 'Drawing the Human Head' by Brune Hogarth for a while. They're kind of difficult to use though, at least with Drawing the Human head. He just kinds of jumps into everything so I just did a few sketches trying to place the features correctly on the head, and then I copied this out of the book:





It was just an illustration to show the different planes on the face. I also have a printed copy of 'The Human Figure' (or something) by Loomis and I'm going to start using that one too.

Thanks for any comments.

NakedZergling

haven't you posted these before?

Chop Logic

Yeah, but my daily drawing thread got deleted when the mods merged them all together so I had to start a new one.

Chop Logic

So today I just worked a lot out of the Drawing the Human Head book by Brune Hogarth. Here's what I ended up with mostly. First drawn to last drawn, all from today.



















I thought they were smaller, I'll make sure next time, sorry.

So yeah, thats what I have so far. In a few pictures I actually drew in the guideline that each picture was featuring (these are all copied out of the book). I'm going to be doing a lot of work out of the book every day hopefully so if theres anything you can see thats really just horribly wrong or something, please point it out. Otherwise, any comments welcome. Thanks.

Chop Logic

I've been meaning to try and do some street art stuff with pastels for a while and today I finally got around to it. This was just a test so I used soft pastels that I got for free from school. I realize this won't be too permanent but I didn't want to waste the oil pastels I got, which would be more permanent. This was just kind of a test, I just printed out a picture of a koi and rode my bike down there. Next time I do something outside it'll be more fleshed out and full.

I'm also did some studies from 'Drawing the Human Head' but I'll post those later.

Thanks.

Chop Logic

Just some oil pastel doodles before bed. It's hard to get clean stuff when working so small with them. I might do something with the trumpet.





I'm really just trying to experiment and try a lot of stuff. Thanks for any comments.

JWashke

That Koi fish is rad. You should totally do more street art.

I was just working out of that Hogarth book too, its cool to see some studies by someone else (better than me) doing the same studies.

I like the trumpet alot too, but why is it green? I wish I had a green trumpet back when I played.

Chop Logic

Jwash - Thanks, I plan on doing more street work. I made the trumpet green because I'm really limited by what colors I have. These are just some oil pastels I took from school a long time ago so I dont have most colors, like orange, silver, brown. I also thought it'd be cool in green, and it was convienent because I had yellow, green and dark green. I might do one in blue soon.



Oil pastels. Thats my messenger bag on the side so you can see how big it is. It's bigger than it looks.

I'll post up some actual drawings later. Thanks for any comments.

Edit: I just went back to check it out again and now that the suns on it and its not in shadow anymore its a LOT brighter. I'll get different pictures soon.

Chop Logic

Edit: Won't let me edit my previous post, so I'll just post it. I'm going to Boston for a few days so I'll update when I get back. If I could get some feedback on the oil pastel stuff that'd be cool. I'm going to be doing a lot more stuff like that. Thanks.

anable

I think that fish is pretty awesome. It looks like it was in a place that was a pain to draw at, but it came out really well. Good sense of depth and gesture (as much as a fish can make that is).

Chop Logic

Thanks, I'm actually working on a 'canvas' right now, I'll post it up unfinished before I leave tonight, I've never really tried to do a full piece on a canvas before (it's really a big piece of cardboard) so this is all new to me.

Chop Logic

Did this today, still not finished with it. I might finish it when I get back, I'm not sure. Originally I was going to do the bottom fish in soft pastels but they didnt really look good on the paint so I had to paint him. I'm really horrible with paints. Sorry the pic's so big, I'll fix it later.



I'm going to add some stuff to the fish when I get back.

Chop Logic

Update from last night and today. I went to the art store today and got some supplies, tomorow I'm going to try most of them out. Today I just tried out some oil pastels.

The first is a picture I drew from a
magazine:



Then my girlfreind say and I tried to draw her:



And these are just two doodles from last night. The last horn is pink because I had used up all my pastels save for red, pink and black.




I really want to get good at pastels, and I also really like doing them on the street. Today I doodled with some cans I had in my garage and I realized I like using oil pastels a lot more, so it looks like they're going to be my primary way of working on the street. I also picked up some oilbars today so I'll try those out tomorow.

Thanks for any comments.

Brolo

Are you laying down a basic sketch to get your proportions correct before you start using pastels for those faces? You can put down light pencil guidelines to help you visualize what kind of pose and expression you want for your portraits before you start laying down pastels. It's a lot more forgiving that way. Right now your faces are looking abstract (cartoonish) because they're so flat, which also makes them seemed skewed because the perspective is off.

Adding in greater tone variation by smudging your dark colours up into your midtones, and using white to create highlights is something you're going to have to work on if you want more realistic portraits. I haven't used pastels much, but you can't rely on their base colours if you want to get decent tones out of them, they have to be blended.

earthwormadam

Cool stuff. So can you just openly run around drawing on walls with that stuff? It seems like you shouldn't get in trouble if it washes off.

I bet some dick cop around here would still try to bust me for that.

Chop Logic

Rolo - Yeah, just a very basic sketch. I realized the girls face is way too wide though, it was hard to draw because she was looking off to the side. I'll try and work on that, having a bigger contrast in my colors. Thanks a lot for the advice.

Adam - Thats the plan. I actually went out the afternoon adn did some stuff downtown, pictures later.

Chop Logic

Though it may not look like it, these are both in VERY public places, and I did them right in the afternoon.

Thanks. I'm going to draw some faces when I get back (with pencil) and do some more pencil sketches, I'm at my girlfriend's house now.

Chop Logic

Stuff from the last few days:

These are from the Hogarth book:









Tried drawing two people from photos, the first one was kind of just a sketch, the second one I really tried on but it came out like crap, I'll get a better picture tomorow so you guys can see it better, I'm not sure what went wrong, maybe I rushed it. I'll try again tomorow.



Refrence for the next one: http://www.billions.com/artists/joannanew/images/newsome_highrez.jpg



Random doodles/whatnot:





So yeah. I'm doing a lot of sketches from the "Drawing the Human Head" book, and it's helped a lot, I think the picture I tried to do the portrait of was just a bad refrence. I'll try another portrait again tomorow. Also with the last picture, I was just trying something new. I'm going to be doing some wheatpastes soon so I wanted to try and do some stuff that would work in black and white. I'm going to try the bird again tomorow because that just started as a doodle, and my lack of planning kind of shows (the wing, heh).

Thanks for any comments, I'll get some better pictures tomorow, my camera takes horrible pictures by lamplight.

Greatnation

"too much space" is what that says in the lower left corner.

Chop Logic

Thanks a lot for the draw over. I've noticed I do usually put too much space there, I'm not sure why. Also, do you mean the eyes were too big or too high? And abou the head size, I've just been doing the two ovals method, but I don't know how to put it in perspective. The ovals are only supposed to be the same size if you're doing a straight profile. If you guys don't know what I mean I can draw a picture to show you.

Just an idea from this morning. I'm going to be doing some wheatpastes soon.



After GIMP:




I didn't know which backround color was better. I've never really used GIMP to change my pictures before, I'll get the hang of it though.

Tonkka

Try using different background colors and different colors for the trumpet/flugelhorn/brassy thingymajigger. Like Warhol, just don't be pretentious about it. I think a big wall of those all in 3-5 different colors would be super-neat.

Chop Logic

Thanks. Yeah, I wasn't really planning on doing anything with the colored ones (at least not yet) but thats a good idea.

Just a quick sticker:

BenGPT

Joanna Newsom, huh? Cannot STAND her music, but she's pretty.

It seems like you're getting exposed a lot to the planes of the face in Drawing the Head, but you have trouble putting it into practice with the photo. Your portrait seems really flat, due to lack of shading. I know the reference photo seems like it doesn't have much variation, but sometimes you have to emphasize the subtleties of photos when you do a drawing--especially when you're translating from color to black and white--to add interest as a piece of drawn art. Also, her nose is not that pointy.

Chop Logic

Been doing a lot of exersizes out of the Hogarth book, I'll post those later though. These are some random doodles. The trumpet from a few posts up and this harp I wheatpasted up at a train station, I'll get pics of that later.







I'll probobly do some still lives soon, haven't done one in a while.

Chop Logic

So, any advice you guys have would be great.

I'm going to be a senior in the fall, and when I apply to colleges, I want to double major in English and Art. I'm not too worried about getting into schools for English (100 on my states regents exam, 5 on the AP this year, etc.) but when I apply for art, I'm going to have to submit a portfolio.

I don't really know what to do. I feel like I have potential, but I don't really think my stuff is good enough to really stand out in a pool of a thousand or ten thousand applicants. It's already too late to get into any summer courses, and the courses I've found for the fall all span the entire year, are really expensive, or are at ridiculous times. For example, the program at Parsons (ideally one of the places I'd be applying, I can take English at Eugene Lang and art at Parsons) its around 900 dollars for 11 classes, and in the fall the classes run Monday to Friday, 10 pm to 1 am (What the fuck?). Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. I can easily get to New York City for classes, its only about a forty-five minute train ride.

So basically I just don't know what to do. I feel like I've reached a point where I'm not getting any better teaching myself, but I don't know how to go about seeking outside instruction, especially if I have to have a portfolio ready to apply to schools.

Fuck what am I going to do guys.

lilchingch0ng

dude, just grab some brochures from all the art schools you are interested in, look at their portfolio requirements and make the portfolio. getting into artschool is not as hard as you think it is, stop stressing!

whats your thinking about is getting a free ride because your just that pimp. just submit and cross your fingers, you'll be fine, okay?

erisian pope

I can't draw. Not really. So I hesitate to comment on drawings here. But I did play trombone and I wanted to offer a crit of your trombone picture. The way you drew it, the slide (the front part that goes in and out) and the bell (the back part) both look vertical. But the slide should be "flat" while the bell is vertical. they are on 2 different planes at 90-degrees to each other. Does this make sense?

What I suggest for that image would be to make the closer piece of the slide (the part that is the bottom tube in your pic) larger than the back piece, to give it a sense of depth. Here's what I mean. Please keep in mind that I am utterly devoid of drawing ability. Also, I really can't draw with a mouse.



Does that really crappy sketch at least convey the depth I was trying to describe?

Grifter

Perhaps a photo would better help.

erisian pope

Yeah, that's a better idea.

That picture clearly illustrates how the slide and the bell are on perpendicular planes. Thanks, Grifter.

Chop Logic

Thanks a lot. When I first drew it I thought it looked okay but now that I look at it again it would be a lot better if I did that.

I used to play trombone also, in middle school. I quit but I wish I hand't. I think brass instruments are so cool now.

Also, I just went back to look at my paste ups and they already got taken down. Oh well. They only pictures I have of them they're still wet in so they look bad. Once wheatpaste drys it just looks like paper glued up. I know it looks like its on a door, but its at a train station near the platform.





This was the harp when it still wasn't finished, came out pretty good I thought.


Bump for BOTP, kind of worried about having a portfolio:

Chop Logic wrote:

So, any advice you guys have would be great.

I'm going to be a senior in the fall, and when I apply to colleges, I want to double major in English and Art. I'm not too worried about getting into schools for English (100 on my states regents exam, 5 on the AP this year, etc.) but when I apply for art, I'm going to have to submit a portfolio.

I don't really know what to do. I feel like I have potential, but I don't really think my stuff is good enough to really stand out in a pool of a thousand or ten thousand applicants. It's already too late to get into any summer courses, and the courses I've found for the fall all span the entire year, are really expensive, or are at ridiculous times. For example, the program at Parsons (ideally one of the places I'd be applying, I can take English at Eugene Lang and art at Parsons) its around 900 dollars for 11 classes, and in the fall the classes run Monday to Friday, 10 pm to 1 am (What the fuck?). Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. I can easily get to New York City for classes, its only about a forty-five minute train ride.

So basically I just don't know what to do. I feel like I've reached a point where I'm not getting any better teaching myself, but I don't know how to go about seeking outside instruction, especially if I have to have a portfolio ready to apply to schools.

Fuck what am I going to do guys.

Greatnation

getting into art schools isnt as competative as it seems. Most of them are more interested in your grades, they dont expect you to be an art prodigy. Now a bangin portfolio will get you some scholarship money, but other than that just make sure your portfolio is dense with a range of work. Include your most recent stuff, and definelty have a good bulk of work from life.

Do a self portrait, draw your hand, draw a still life, and draw your friend/parent/sibling sitting in a chair. You may have some done already, but Id encourage you to make sure they are getting your most recent attempts.

All those, in addition to what your working on in your freetime now, plus a random assortment of class assignments will be fine.



Now, if your shooting for scholarship money, id suggest taking a figure drawing class at a local community college- they eat that shit up. Also, giant overley rendered acrylic paintings tend to be enjoyed also, and if you have 8 hours to kill copying a photo onto a huge canvas, aparantly you will deserve scholarship money also.

NakedElf

Well, I don't know from applying to art school, but I think if I were doing admissions work at one, your instrument pastels and street art would definitely catch my eye. Things like fruit and figures not so much just because everyone does them (though of course you should still demonstrate competency in those areas.) I figure if you have 'style' and stand out and don't have a portfolio full of anime-knock offs, you'll be doing pretty well for yourself.

(I like the flattened style of your instruments.)

lilchingch0ng

lilchingch0ng wrote: »

dude, just grab some brochures from all the art schools you are interested in, look at their portfolio requirements and make the portfolio. getting into artschool is not as hard as you think it is, stop stressing!

whats your thinking about is getting a free ride because your just that pimp. just submit and cross your fingers, you'll be fine, okay?

:x

Greatnation

:rotate:

Chop Logic

I didnt just want to hear what one person had to say, lil, thanks though. Thanks Nation and Elf.

From the last two days: First, a skate:



I'm not done with it yet, I just don't know what to do with it now.

It's me!



This was hard. I think i kind of rished it though, I only spent about thirty minutes on it, I did it by looking in a mirror.

Any comments or criticism is really appreciated. Thanks a lot guys.

NakedElf

Great skate, though I'm a little concerned about the size of the leg coming out of it...

Ye've got no eyelashes, man!

The portrait isn't bad but it'd be interesting to see it in more of the same style as the skate. I dunno, maybe that'd suck, but I think the skate's really strong, stylistically...

Greatnation

if he wants to put the portrait in his portfolio, it would probably be in his best interest to have it more representational than stylized.


That said, Id try and do like 4-5 more, and start adding tone. Tone will help make the bone landmarks recognizable, which will help with likeness- and its easier to stay in proportion when your talking about tonal masses then just lines floating in space.

NakedElf

Like I said, I know nothing about the art school application process, so my opinion is worth approximately shit as far as that's concerned. ^_^

erisian pope

That's not a leg coming out of the skate (although I thought so at first, too). It's a strap on the back of the skate, I assume to assist in putting the skate on.

r-jasper

the very back wheel on the skate looks a little wonky.

micke

The first wheel could use some unwonking also, besides that it's a great pic