NotACrook draws with all sides of his brain

NotASenator

Ok.

Fine.


I've bitched and moaned, but I like drawing and I would like to get better at it. So I downloaded Loomis, I bought Right Side of the Brain, and I pulled out my empty sketchbook to do some drawing everyday.

Here's day #1, I drew a little shuttle that I have on my desk, and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain suggests starting off by sitting in front of a mirror and drawing a self portrait, so I did that too.





I am completely open to whatever you guys want me to try, or any advice you have for me.

S_O

That space dick could use some work.

Keep at it though, and soon you will be dazzling us with your dicks.

NotASenator

no, man, that's a self-portrait.

Kendeathwalker

Do some tonal studies. That portrait is just one flat grey tone.

The classic - Get a white egg, Place it against a white background. Render the egg and try to include at least 10-15 different values.


Most basic- render a simple Bar, ranging from white to black and try to make the gradation as smooth as possible.

Godfather

I second the tonal studies.

In fact, just pick up a sketchbook and fill it with just that. You shouldn't spend more than fifteen minutes on these, and try to keep them small, somewhere around a quarter of a page in size.

It's a good idea to print out your reference images and put them side by side to the pieces so you can compare, but that'll usually burn through your ink cartridge in a hurry so it's up to you.

Kendeathwalker

The tonal study of the egg will definitely take longer than 15 minutes.

It is meant to be challenging and frustrating.

Godfather

No no, i'm talking masterworks here. The ones I do are very basic, and help you simplify the compositional elements.

Spending a few hours on an egg is great, but you need to do these quicker ones as well. It helps you find the compositional elements of the piece and will train you to simplify your drawing tones before taking them further.

I've done an extended tonal study, and it is indeed time consuming and frustrating, mainly because you aren't allowed to blend any of the values, and have to train your hand to add/remove the right amount of pressure to get said values. It also trains your eye like a motherfucker.

NotASenator

I'm probably going to be able to swing about half an hour for drawing in my sketchbook a day.

Advice on exercises I should do should keep that in mind.

mully

NotACrook wrote: »

no, man, that's a self-portrait.

golf-clap

Mustang

Get yourself a 5f and draw out some light perspective lines before drawing space dicks, it'll help keep your perspective in check.