Sketches/poorly colored-in sketches. *New*

AgelessDrifter

This is pretty much my portfolio, as it stands. Any thoughts at all are appreciated.



This is a pal of mine who begged me to draw her and got me drawing for the first time in a long time.





The above are pals from another forum. I took requests for portraits for a while to brush up on my sketching. Before anyone mentions it, the guy standing next to Yoda is sticking his tongue out to make his lips look bigger.



My (failed?) experiment with monochrome on OpenCanvas.

Original characters.

The colored version.

This one scanned funny for some reason.

I put a little more effort into coloring this one, and was more pleased with the results, but I still think it could be better. Thoughts?


My most recent portrait in b&w and color. I'm almost scared to get any more vivid with the color. Color really isn't my strongpoint.


I used my own hand as a model. I like the way it came out.

MagicToaster

I like your real faces more than your anime faces. It's also kinda hard to pencil render an anime face seeing as they have no contour.

Edit:

How old are you?

Creambun 007

Your portraits are nice, but the eyes need alot of work. You're kind of just looking at where the eyes go, and placing what you "think" eyes look like in those positions. Google some images of eye closeups and actually draw what you see. There's alot of structure in the eye that a squashed lemon shaped eye just doesn't cover for.

Prospicience

I agree with Toaster about the faces, also maybe a little more contrast in your work would spice it up a little.

mattharvest

Good start. I firmly agree that you need to start employing some contrast, at least to bring out certain features. As another issue, the peices of the face - e.g. the smile - seem to be detatched from the other components. I'd suggest doing a light sketch of the skeletal structure in there, just to help you see where the mouth/eyes/etc. should be.

AgelessDrifter

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Just out of curiousity - is there anything in particular about the anime faces that isn't copasetic?

Also, is there anything in particular that really stands out as far as details lacking in the eyes?

melting_doll

you've certainly got potential!

just work on darker darks, and don't stop drawing the portraits, even if you continue to draw anime-influenced stuff. it helps more than you think. (:

Creambun 007

Ok, here goes. You tend to draw your eyes like this:



It looks like a football with a basketball inside. There's no structure.

With practice, you could be drawing your eyes like this:



Ironically, the first picture was taken from a website describing how to draw eyes properly, it being the end result.

Notice the structures. eyelids, tearducts. Notice how the top one almost overlaps the bottom near the outer corners of the eye.

Keep up the good work, but remember, draw what you see, don't draw what you THINK you see. Don't draw an eye or nose or ear, draw lines and shapes that when viewed as a whole represent an eye or nose or ear. It's hard to explain exactly. Read "drawing from the right side of the brain" It will open your eyes.

Seriously, no pun intended.

AgelessDrifter

I know what you mean. One of the few things that really stuck with me from the one art class I had in high school was the instructor telling us to try drawing things upside down. I actually think she had read the same book you mentioned. I'll keep working on it. Thanks a lot, guys.

Tweaked_Bat_

draw lines and shapes that when viewed as a whole represent an eye or nose or ear.

Oh so true... that's one thing I myself have started to finally get a grasp on.

And yeah, drawing something upside-down is a good exercise because it makes the brain see thing as shapes, lines and forms rather than an "eye", or an "ear" or a "mouth", just like creambun said.

Ape2001

I like how you coloured your "City-Guy"-sketch

Don't really have to add some more critism except for: be more brave and draw darker lines, don't run away from doing something wrong! You'll learn from that...I also tend to draw to bright, so this is going to me, too ^^'

AgelessDrifter

New picture. Still working on it. For some reason it seems like the whole verticle axis gets stretched when I scan. I dunno if it's just me or if it's something my computer's doing. Anyone else had this problem?

TheBog

Looks good, dude. But you really need to get in there with darks and contrast it. But it's looking good. His nose seems to be really small.

AgelessDrifter

On paper, it looks more like the one on the left (it's the same width, but not quite as tall.), unless I'm just delusional. Which one looks better to you guys?

I filled out the nose a bit, but I can't help but feel like there's still something fundamentally wrong with the facial structure, and the darker I shade, the less likely I am to be able to fix it when I finally spot it. Does anything really stick out?

hunterb

they look exactly the same? you should really stop being afraid to go dark. youre not really at the level where you should worry about making super nice finished pieces. get loose with your lines and just work gesturally. sometimes the "happy accidents" that happen when you work loose turns out better than anything you would have done if you were more careful. even if not, youre not really learning as much if you just try to copy a photo exactly the way it looks. think more about structure. dont be afraid to change proportions and such to get the effect you want with the drawing.

AgelessDrifter

This is like trying to bail out the Titanic with a pale. Onto the next picture. Here's the end result. I guess it could still be darker, but that's as dark as I've ever shaded anything. The eyes are too close together. Anyway:

flyingmonkey

That last one, I applaud. Don't be scared to use the full range of black->white to describe features and shadows. A big thing to keep in mind is that often what we percieve as being a line isn't actually a line, it's the result of light and shadow. Use contrast to define your people's features, not just lines.

If that makes any sense...

squeefish

You could try using charcoal if you want more contrast...that's what I did when I first started doing portraits (and I've never turned back! heh.)

I like your life drawings a bajillion times more than the anime ones, especially that last one. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll improve very quickly; I can see you've got lots of potential.

suggs93

Nice sketches. I like the ones that you didn't add color to. I also like the real people ones more than the anime. Your pretty good. Youl could use a little touching up here and there on some but over all they are great.

Creambun 007

I upped the contrast of it, and it looked better. Then i went ahead and put 'poster edges' filter on it, and now it looks AWESOME!

AgelessDrifter

Maybe I'll try ink for the next one. I just can't seem to get it all that dark with no 2 pencil.

Just curious: is there something in particular that's wrong with the anime drawings? No one seems to like them :?

Death of Rats

AgelessDrifter wrote:

Maybe I'll try ink for the next one. I just can't seem to get it all that dark with no 2 pencil.

Just curious: is there something in particular that's wrong with the anime drawings? No one seems to like them :?

You'r not to a point where you can do the anime stuff well. Work more on the traditional drawing, and you'll sooner or later be able to do more stylized works.

As for the not being able to get dark with a number 2, get some other pencils. If you go to a walmart or something similar, by a pack of pencils with varying softness/harness. It will help a ton.

suggs93

There's nothing really wrong with anime, I just don't like it that much and thar might have made my reply a bit baised. I also agree with Death Of Rats. Other types of pencils, pens, inks, whatever you want can make the picture come out darker. As an example search for Jack Hamm on Google and see if you can find anything by him. He's an artist from the 50's so you may not like his stuff as much but he also has great books to teach you how to draw people, lanscape, etc.

NightDragon

Are you using an HB lead? It really doesn't look like you're pressing hard enough to get a full range of value...unless you're using laminated/no-grain/no-weight/really smooth paper.

Don't be afraid to make DARK darks. You said that's the darkest you've ever shaded anything, but it's still not dark, it's a darker midtone gray. Try taking a "practice sheet" of paper, and making a gradient...where there's the paper, then you're barely touching the paper with your pencil, to harder, harder, harder, to the hardest on the other end...and see how dark you can go. If It IS indeed an issue with your lead or paper, you'll want to pick up a heavier weight (more grain to the paper), or a pencil with B lead (softer lead, darker line).

Death of Rats wrote:

You're not to a point where you can do the anime stuff well. Work more on the traditional drawing, and you'll sooner or later be able to do more stylized works.

:^: ...the "problem" most people have with anime drawings is that for some people, that's how they start drawing...they go directly into a stylized art, and try learning how to draw, in general, from there. It usually never works, unless the person branches out and tries realistic art instead, and then learns from that. Furthermore, anime art is kind of clichéd...and it should not be a part of a "portfolio", if it's a serious one. Yeah, it can be part of your online gallery or whatever, but if this portfolio is meant to be a serious one, it shouldn't really have a place there. Don't get me wrong, I mean, I used to draw like that all the time and enjoy it, but I didn't really get to a point where I was doing it well, until I had learned how to draw things well other than anime.



Color-wise, your colors look completely out-of-the-tube and unrealistic. They're too vibrant, or too bland, or just incorrect. Try looking at a real picture of the sky, or skintone, or something, and place it NEXT to your drawing, and compare. Sunset colors tend to be a lot more subtle than you'd think, half the time...and caucasian skintones are way more gray than you'd think.

AgelessDrifter

As far as the shading issue - it must be the materials. My arm was sore, and I had to resharpen the pencil twice for the hair on the left (his left) side of the head alone.

That being said, I'd like to say again that I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond, and thanks for all the advice.

Believe

Try charcoal pencils for darkness. I used a stick of charcoal today at my friend's lifedrawing class, and that stuff goes very dark usually. You just gotta be a bit careful with using it, though.

TimTheSloth

AgelessDrifter wrote:

As far as the shading issue - it must be the materials. My arm was sore, and I had to resharpen the pencil twice for the hair on the left (his left) side of the head alone.

That being said, I'd like to say again that I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond, and thanks for all the advice.

Get some drawing pencils. Get one of those cool kneaded erasers and a proper sharpener while youre at it.

AgelessDrifter

I'm not sure what you mean by kneaded eraser or proper sharpener. I think I've got the sharpener down, though, unless there's something I don't know about pencil-sharpening (I wouldn't be surprized).

Fantasyrogue

A kneaded eraser is one of those grey (I think they can be white too) things that are a bit like a lump of stiff clay. They're very good erasers, and you can knead them into small points and stuff to erase only little bits. Art supply stores should carry them.

For pencil sharpeners, I've always picked up those metal things from art supply stores, the very simple ones. Often come with 2 holes (one for coloured pencils, one for graphite pencils). But I'm no sharpener-expert. I think TimTheSloth just means to not use those sharpeners you get at toystores and stuff, the little colorful plastic ones or other types of sharpeners that tear up the pencil, instead of sharpening it properly.

Rye

Kneaded erasers are good because, when kneaded (stretched and worked with the hands), they have a porous surface. Unlike slick erasers that can completely smear-fuck a good peice of art, kneaded erasers pick up graphite and don't flake or shed.

It doesn't dig into the paper, so you should use it in conjunction with a harder eraser.

NightDragon

Kneaded eraser:



and the Best Goddamn Eraser in the World:


Staedtler "Mars Plastic"

StudioZEL

I agree with NightDragon, kneaded erasers are your friends! ^^ I've never used Mars plastic though. o.o

NeoRedXIII

I find the Staedtler eraser to be far more superior than most any eraser.

NightDragon

StudioZEL wrote:

I agree with NightDragon, kneaded erasers are your friends! ^^ I've never used Mars plastic though. o.o

Actually, I hate kneaded erasers...although in a few cases, they've been useful to me (making specific things lighter...being able to "knead" it into a point and detail-erase like a mofo)

NeoRedXIII wrote:

I find the Staedtler eraser to be far more superior than most any eraser.

Isn't it, though?




PROTIP: never ever freakin' use the pink eraser that comes on the tops of pencils. Never use it. Ever.

Or pink erasers in general, for that matter.

Fantasyrogue

NightDragon wrote:

PROTIP: never ever freakin' use the pink eraser that comes on the tops of pencils. Never use it. Ever.

Or pink erasers in general, for that matter.

I used one of those once when I couldn't find any other eraser and all it did was smudge up my lines like crazy and leave really ugly streaks all over what I had drawn.

I find the kneaded eraser very useful for watercolours. It's very good at making all the lines lighter (without removing them completely or damaging the paper). That said, how strong are those staedtlers? I recently got transfer paper (graphite based) to get sketches onto watercolour paper and the lines I get from those are very very black and nearly impossible to erase completely. I may just be pressing too hard while transferring the sketch though.

bombardier

Kneaded erasers are good for making butterflies, throwing them up in the air, catching them, then smashing them against a wall.

AgelessDrifter

At the risk of dating myself:

I noticed that some of you AC-ers attend or have attended Ringling. I have aspirations to go there myself, but I don't really have any background pertinent to art, and I'm terrified that that will preclude my admission.

I realize this is a bit of a tangent, but I didn't want to start another thread without any art, or derail the chat thread.

Anyway, do you think I could get in, based on what you've seen? Any advice or thoughts on the matter of any kind?

NightDragon

bombardier wrote:

Kneaded erasers are good for making butterflies, throwing them up in the air, catching them, then smashing them against a wall.

Yes.

AgelessDrifter wrote:

At the risk of dating myself:

I noticed that some of you AC-ers attend or have attended Ringling. I have aspirations to go there myself, but I don't really have any background pertinent to art, and I'm terrified that that will preclude my admission.

I realize this is a bit of a tangent, but I didn't want to start another thread without any art, or derail the chat thread.

Anyway, do you think I could get in, based on what you've seen? Any advice or thoughts on the matter of any kind?

No.

Click on "Portfolio"
http://www.ringling.edu/IL.33.0.html

Now, given, those are probably upperclassmen or alumni. Still. That school is extremely hard to get into, and I honestly don't think your skill level is up to that yet.

hunterb

NightDragon wrote:

Now, given, those are probably upperclassmen or alumni. Still. That school is extremely hard to get into, and I honestly don't think your skill level is up to that yet.

of course they want to make it seem that way. however, ringling is still a fairly young school,. they arent that well known outside of the industry, so they dont get a huge amount of incredible portfolios.

it doesnt take all that much to get in. just draw a lot from life and if they see enough potential, theyll let you in. just ask yourself before you apply. is it really worth spending 32k/year to learn stuff youre not ready for? coming in with a certain level of skill has its advantages. while some students work their ass off to get better and catch up to people coming in with experience, others just kinda float along in the program and dont really get better (see: studioZEL)

right now its questionable if you would get in. take a year off before applying and take drawing classes at a community college, or even better, from a private studio.

edit: if you want to go here, drop the anime style NOW. youll get ripped to shreds in the illustration program.

AgelessDrifter

Duely noted and appreciated.

wakkawa

Meh, there really aren't that many good freshman here. Probably just a handful of people that actually know what they are doing.

But by the end of the four years, anyone that applies themselves will probably be really good.