i think its good too because when you're cleaning your sketches in photoshop (or photocopying) for inking, you can adjust the levels to loose the blue lines, but still keep the pencil marks. I think lots of comic artists do that.
I've got to say, your heads are improving greatly, especially in that first picture of sketches; the noses are still sometimes a bit off (the guy with the eyepatch, for instance, has got a straight-on nose, but a slightly turned face), but I suspect that's something that will go away in the next few pages.
That said, I would try turning some attention at some point to other parts of the body, like the shoulders or the arms. Not to say that either of them are particularly bad in your drawings, but I notice that with the full-figure sketches, for instance, that you're only drawing their outline, without much attention to the structures that make them up. The forearm, or the elbow, or the upper arm or shoulder have as much structure and form as the face; figuring out how the scapula and clavicle relate and connect to the humerus, for instance, or how the radius and ulna meet it on the other side, those will inform your drawings greatly, since those are connections that make themselves shown on the outside. It doesn't have to be quite so complicated, of course, at least not in the beginning, but it is worth starting to pay closer attention to.
I can recognize those figures from anywhere pretty good study of Burne hogarth. I never like to study old masters myself personally because there bad habits tend to become your bad habits, I forgot who but when some people study a specific old master there hips when they draw would be ABSURDLY HUGE.
Aye. Ive been doing Hogarths studies the last few days, and i find his method much easier to understand. Old teachings are still relevent to today, but a lot of the new masters have taken studies like loomis, and seem to have perfected them.
Cheers dude! did about 6 hours of drawing today. Most of it have been studies of anatomy books. Just doing a few fun celebrity drawings now before bed, just to keep my sanity.
MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited January 2009
Yup, I think it's safe to say you're getting better and better WCK. I'd like to see your line work losen up a bit though, it still looks like you're trying to drive the pencil through the other side of the page.
Earthwormadam, after all this drawing, i think i'm over my arse fetish.
Just some sketches done today. Nothing good, so cropped them down really small. Many missed here, horrible proportions and lines. Not a very productive day. Also, thought id post in some thumbnails i did during my concept art workshop tonight.
Just thought id post up a pic of the latest painting im doing. since ive been doing a lot of traditional work for the last month, ive decided to go back to digital to see if my skills have improved. i forgot a lot of techniques and settings in photoshop, but ive been able to apply skills ive learnt in anatomy and line/tone work to this painting far greater than i have previous ones. loads of problems, but hopefully as i work on it, i'll correct them. i love photoshop!
BTW, based off reference pic. Almost identical, but i altered it a little cos the reference pic was from a photoshoot, making her look very flat (in the face)
As I said in the doodle thread, darkness can both add depth, and Flatness depending how you used it. Because you used a dark outline to show everything, the image became flat.
Gone back to acrylics for a while. Starting a new painting. Just blocking in the colours. Im starting to loose the shape around the eyes and chin, so need to work on that more.
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MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
You'd think with all this technology they would've created acrylics with a multiply mode and ctrl+z by now.
Lousy science.
The worst thing about acrylics, is that it dries too fast. i left my pallet (just a glass sheet) for about 20 mins, and by the time i got back, the paint was clumpy and almost dry.
Oh well, heres an update... Not much of one, but its getting there.
Final update for tonight. Looking incrediably out at the moment. tried to stay as close to the original sketch as possible. Kinda failed that. oh well, tomorrow i'll get out the pencil and draw in some new guides over the paint.
Acrylics are weird. Anywho not a crit really but when I paint I usually concentrate on having everything on the canvas on the same level of 'finished' before (or if ever) I go in to details on specific areas. Makes life much easier.
Oh and I really like your Conan piece.
Just keep at it you're making good progress. Have you tried painting in greyscale? For me it helped alot back in the days.
Update of progress. Probably another 2-3 hours of work. Trying to keep to the form of my sketch, while adding values. Im finding it pretty difficult to watch over all areas at the same time. Plus im pissed cos its really hot and my acrylics keep drying out, even though i layed the colours out on wet paper towel. Oh well. It'll be winter soon enough. It's taken with my phone. Next update illl take it with a better camera.
That's weird, my tutor said having them on wet paper towel keeps them moist so they last longer. hmmm. I'll have to try the spray bottle method. At the moment ive gone through way too much paint, and hardly any of it has even made its way on the canvas.
this is how i have my pallet. I just use a sheet of glass so that the acrylics dont stick as much. Normally i'd put a sheet of grey card underneath, but atm im just using the woodgrain of my desk as a guide to seeing the colours. If that makes sense
I also use glass! It's great. Haven't tried a wet paper towel though. It's a cool idea to saturate the surface of the palette with water. Then the water going out from the paint and making it dry gets replenished. Don't know of pigments though but it would make sense that it would follow the concentration gradient into the towel, unless they're very tightly bound. The pigment loss is probably marginal though. Blah blah blah
Doesn't the wood grain make the colors appear a bit warmer though?
Glass for the win! But you should definitely put something more neutral underneath it, because it affects your color mixing, like popfish said.
And the pigment loss may seem to be marginal now. But the further you go with painting, and the more you know about light and color, it will soon make a big difference. So just get in the right habits now about it, and you wont have problems later.
Very true about the white. But the camera does wash out a few of the subtle toned in the skin. ill try to use less white, and add more dark tones i think.
Update of Leno. Decided to get rid of the grey background. Got a little frustrated so painted straight white over the top. I still needa work on the eyes (damn footballs!!!) but anyone got any ideas for a nice background colour i can do? Or should i just do a gradient type dark at the bottom, going to white/grey at top?
In my design/illustration studio class at uni, we do 3 free-choice assignments. where we need to write up a project brief (as if its from a client) and present it to the tutor for approval. This is good because it allows indiciduals to do work related to which direction they wish to go after uni (concept artists, fine art, editorial or book illustration). I've chosen this year to work mainly in concept art. for my first free choice project, i'll be designing backgrounds for a 2d adventure game. here's what i've come up with so far.
just process from thumbnail stage, to a more refined look...
And a rough dodgy interface, of how my finals may be layed out. just to see if it is going to work.
BTW: Leno and Link have been put on hold. sorry to dissapoint you all
May as well post my latest update... havnt started using references yet. Since i have a basic layout placed down, i think its safe to start referencing images, without influencing my decisions too much. I find if i use references too early, i cant help but copy the composition of the photos.
Trying to brighten up those black areas
i'll aim to finish by tonight 9:00pm tonight (12 hours). But probably wont happen!
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That said, I would try turning some attention at some point to other parts of the body, like the shoulders or the arms. Not to say that either of them are particularly bad in your drawings, but I notice that with the full-figure sketches, for instance, that you're only drawing their outline, without much attention to the structures that make them up. The forearm, or the elbow, or the upper arm or shoulder have as much structure and form as the face; figuring out how the scapula and clavicle relate and connect to the humerus, for instance, or how the radius and ulna meet it on the other side, those will inform your drawings greatly, since those are connections that make themselves shown on the outside. It doesn't have to be quite so complicated, of course, at least not in the beginning, but it is worth starting to pay closer attention to.
great article. I will bookmark this
What you on about?
Not so much the third, clean that shit up!
EDIT: Just realised, one boob is higher than the other:oops:
And thought i may as well post this shitty one up
Pic of Rolo
INSTAGRAM
Earthwormadam, after all this drawing, i think i'm over my arse fetish.
Just some sketches done today. Nothing good, so cropped them down really small. Many missed here, horrible proportions and lines. Not a very productive day. Also, thought id post in some thumbnails i did during my concept art workshop tonight.
BTW, based off reference pic. Almost identical, but i altered it a little cos the reference pic was from a photoshoot, making her look very flat (in the face)
and a few WIP shots if anyone is interested...
edit: just for a future reminder
Loom: I'll try to remove those dark outlines as i go
Lousy science.
Oh well, heres an update... Not much of one, but its getting there.
Oh and I really like your Conan piece.
Just keep at it you're making good progress. Have you tried painting in greyscale? For me it helped alot back in the days.
Update of progress. Probably another 2-3 hours of work. Trying to keep to the form of my sketch, while adding values. Im finding it pretty difficult to watch over all areas at the same time. Plus im pissed cos its really hot and my acrylics keep drying out, even though i layed the colours out on wet paper towel. Oh well. It'll be winter soon enough. It's taken with my phone. Next update illl take it with a better camera.
I think i'll widen the eyes. he's meant to be squinting his eyes, but he just ends up looking asian.
Ive hears (yet to use one myself) that if you get a spray bottle and spray them every once and a while, they last longer.
But seriously, dont use any sort of absorbent material for a palette.
this is how i have my pallet. I just use a sheet of glass so that the acrylics dont stick as much. Normally i'd put a sheet of grey card underneath, but atm im just using the woodgrain of my desk as a guide to seeing the colours. If that makes sense
I also use glass! It's great. Haven't tried a wet paper towel though. It's a cool idea to saturate the surface of the palette with water. Then the water going out from the paint and making it dry gets replenished. Don't know of pigments though but it would make sense that it would follow the concentration gradient into the towel, unless they're very tightly bound. The pigment loss is probably marginal though. Blah blah blah
Doesn't the wood grain make the colors appear a bit warmer though?
And the pigment loss may seem to be marginal now. But the further you go with painting, and the more you know about light and color, it will soon make a big difference. So just get in the right habits now about it, and you wont have problems later.
Update of Leno. Decided to get rid of the grey background. Got a little frustrated so painted straight white over the top. I still needa work on the eyes (damn footballs!!!) but anyone got any ideas for a nice background colour i can do? Or should i just do a gradient type dark at the bottom, going to white/grey at top?
Ideas welcome!
just process from thumbnail stage, to a more refined look...
And a rough dodgy interface, of how my finals may be layed out. just to see if it is going to work.
BTW: Leno and Link have been put on hold. sorry to dissapoint you all
'COCK - tails'
May as well post my latest update... havnt started using references yet. Since i have a basic layout placed down, i think its safe to start referencing images, without influencing my decisions too much. I find if i use references too early, i cant help but copy the composition of the photos.
Trying to brighten up those black areas
i'll aim to finish by tonight 9:00pm tonight (12 hours). But probably wont happen!