@Tidus53: you can make your own thread for this kind of thing! The questions thread is more for general art-questions...but if you have a specific piece you want feedback on (like this one), starting a new thread would be your best bet.
@Tidus53: you can make your own thread for this kind of thing! The questions thread is more for general art-questions...but if you have a specific piece you want feedback on (like this one), starting a new thread would be your best bet.
I think the general consensus is that there are much more instructive ways of copying than direct tracing. If you want something that is a very precise copy, i know some people like to put down a grid over the reference and over the paper you are working on and copy box by box. Even that will help train your eye and hand much more than simply tracing something.
Using reference (in one way or another) is essential for most artists, and copying can be very instructive- but it's generally a lot more useful for someone who already knows a lot about drawing from life (having a decent knowledge and experience in shading, construction, anatomy, etc.), than someone trying to learn how to draw by copying reference, which can be a very dangerous habit.
The reason for this is, the person with a lot of experience knows what the photograph isn't telling you (forms getting obscured or values being crushed at the light and dark ends), what has to be changed from the photograph in order to produce a successful drawing (moving a light here or there, exaggerating or simplifying for effect, etc.) and what makes for a successful drawing in general (good composition, light/dark balance, line weight variation, shading around forms, etc, etc.)
The beginner, not being aware of how inadequate photography is at giving them all the information they need to have at their disposal in order to produce a successful drawing (since they don't have the necessary life drawing experience to compare it to), may copy the reference as best they can- but will almost certainly come up with a much weaker drawing than they had hoped for, as a result of not knowing where and how to question what the ref is telling them. They are also likely not to learn all that much in the process; not knowing how the photo will let them down, and having faith that just being accurate to the photo will yield a good drawing, they are less inclined to use the drawing as an opportunity to practice and study their construction, gesture, anatomy skills- so when they go to draw something out of their head, or if they need to change something for any kind of artistic reason, they won't have developed those skills to the point where they can pull those things off successfully. So someone who starts off just copying photographs has a good chance of becoming someone who only knows how to copy photographs, since with their current, stagnant base of knowledge, it becomes seemingly the only way they can get a halfway decent drawing.
But pros use ref all the time, so what do they do that the beginner doesn't? What makes using ref successful? Where a beginner may blindly copy a hard to decipher area assuming that it'll work out in the end, the professional will pull out their anatomy books, take their own photos, pull in other ref or have a friend strike the same pose as their ref and examine it from different angles, until they can understand what is going on in their ref, and how to design their drawing to make that area work. The basic drawing skills they learned from life can be used to figure out where the ref is steering them wrong, and can then investigate to come up with a good solution- which is something that the beginner can't really do because they can't actually see the problems the photo presents, without that base of experience to draw on. Now if they had a more experienced tutor to lend their own experience on the matter to help out (hey that's what the AC is for), they might actually learn a lot from using ref- but left to their own devices, they may flounder about without much sense of why they're not making much headway.
This is why using ref can be both a severe, debilitating crutch- but can also be a very useful learning tool, depending on how it is used. This being the case, making a blanket statement one way or another about the value of ref in general wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.
Does anyone know if I can build an HTML message for Outlook using Divs or do I need to use tables?
I do this daily at work. Tables are the only way to go AND you need to check the message in different out outlook clients since it can possible mess up horizontal alignments in some cells. HTML email is a bag of hurt.
Edit: I just checked my notes here:
Sometimes symbols and accents are a problem for international clients, so i usually replace them with their HTML sign (&blabla;)
i cannot use line height and achieve consistent results. Padding & Margin is also to be avoided (1px transparant gif and a seperate cell to achieve the desired effect).
Also, in complex slicing layouts, i sometimes have to add style="display:block" and "valign:top" to avoid weird spaces in some clients.
Hey could someone give me some help on object design or construct design? Whatever the proper phrasing is for how to make an object look like it's designed for a specific purpose.
I'm trying to build sets of fantasy armor that looks like modern-updated versions of old, say D&D armor. But the thing is I'm also trying to make it look like athletic protection, like shoulder pads on a football player.
So does anyone have any tips of athletic futuristic and fantasy inspired "sports armor"?
Where can I find the specific guidelines for fantasy races? I know that there are certain things you have to keep in mind for drawing ethnicities (Asians have almond eyes, black people have flat wide noses, etc.) but what are the specifics for fantasy races, specifically in the face. Anyone know where I can find that?
I'm pretty sure there are no specifics. You're talking about species that have been reinterpreted countless of times, there is no standard really. Do dragons have two or four legs?
I'm pretty sure there are no specifics. You're talking about species that have been reinterpreted countless of times, there is no standard really. Do dragons have two or four legs?
You've posted in here before looking for sort of intangible reference, like you want some source to tell you how to approach these problems. You may not want to hear it, but you probably need something like this:
That will help you think more about the process of solving these problems, and not something for each of these individual problems.
These should be questions you are asking yourself internally, and deciding how you want to tackle them as an artist, and for what reason. Do you want your elves to have sort of european features? Maybe they are reminiscent of Asian cultures? What does that say about your universe? What artists have delt with this issue in different and unique ways?
This is a combination of creativity and critical thinking that you need to employ. If you need "guidelines" build a reference folder for every fantasy race you can think of. Gather images from lots of sources, read wiki articles and books. If you look up elves, you will find a lot of information on how different cultures, authors, and painters have handled the same subject. None of them will give you a concrete guideline on how you should interpret it for your own personal creation.
hey guys, quick question.
i just ordered set A of copic's 72 sketch set. i bought it with poker winnings to reduce the guilt of buying something i dont know how to use. and thats what i would like to talk about.
of course i will cartooon and post my findings, but i want to use these markers for "fine art". so i need some texture tutes, and some basic layering tutes. (tutes=tutorial)
i tried to google, but commerce killed that search engine. any idea's guys? links?
thanks so much in advance!
Question: can I start a thread without any art in it, initially? I want to dedicate a thread to my senior capstone, and show the process of the whole thing, ideally. From brainstorming to sketches to mockups and the final product. The start of the thread would just be brainstorming and inspiration links until I eventually got to the sketching stage, when I could post stuff.
A mod could give you a more definitive answer, but I'd guess no. Starting a thread is generally for getting critiques on your work. Maybe just save all that stuff for an initial post, when you can get some useful input. If you want to bounce ideas off people, maybe ask a specific question in this thread, or in the chat thread.
But, again, not my call. Good luck with your project.
Mastery is the result of ceaseless error, combined with ruthless self-appraisal.
I would start the thread at the sketching phase, or even just make some little quick studies of your inspiration to post with the initial thoughts. If you want to document before hand, maybe just make a draft and update it until you get some sketches done, then post when ready.
honestly though, some 5 minute doodles to go with your notes wouldn't be hard.
In this particular case I might lobby for an exception. Sieg and I will both be starting capstones next week, and I think there are people here who have plenty of valuable insight on the stages of design that happen before there's any art to post. While I can (and do) doodle things on my notes to remind me of what ridiculous tangent I went off on, the doodles themselves aren't the subject of critique, the ideas in the notes are.
Before posting the question I did make a huge draft post detailing the project and some of my current ideas, but Moly is right, a lot of what I could use critique on is the ideas themselves.
But if I need to have a doodle per idea to loophole my way into starting the thread, I may as well do it.
Having anything to look at is better than a page of text. Even if the ideas are what's really up for discussion, I think asking for some tiny visual isn't too much. Usually with pitches skectches help your viewer bettter understand what you are getting at, so it may help you get slightly more effective advice.
Hi Everyone! So I have a question regarding Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. I'm just getting into drawing comics digitally and have Photoshop elements. My question is is Photoshop Elements a good enough tool to work with when trying to draw webcomics or would I be better off using Adobe Photoshop itself? Thanks for your help everyone!
I would say stick with what you have for now. Photoshop is a big investment, make sure it will be worthwhile. After you've drawn a couple hundred pages, you can decide if your tools are holding you back.
Alternatively, try a demo version of PS, and maybe Manga Studio and a few others. You can see if they have what you're after.
Early on it's easy to get hung up on tools, digital or analog. But the only thing that's going to make the difference is effort over time. And that's true whether you are using Elements, GIMP, or drawing on printer paper with a ballpoint pen. Good luck.
Mastery is the result of ceaseless error, combined with ruthless self-appraisal.
I need to get a new printer. I know I want one that can scan at A3 size and can connect with ink tanks, so as to save on printing costs. I have no idea what the best brands are though. Any thoughts?
I need to get a new printer. I know I want one that can scan at A3 size and can connect with ink tanks, so as to save on printing costs. I have no idea what the best brands are though. Any thoughts?
Get a Cannon that suits your budget. Stay away from Epson; the machines are junk, the ink is overpriced, and the image quality isn’t worth the headaches.
If I come across a random Tumblr post or a website offering free font downloads, how do I tell if it's kosher? Like how do I tell if I have a license to use it if they don't say.
Does anyone have a link to something good about how to use vine charcoal? We're using it in my figure drawing class and I'm having a hard time controlling it.
Does anyone have a link to something good about how to use vine charcoal? We're using it in my figure drawing class and I'm having a hard time controlling it.
As your professor if your charcoal is too dry. They make it and then treat it to a certain humidity, and if it sits around too long before you buy it the stuff dries out and it’s a bitch to use.
Also, vine charcoal is generally shit for anything but roughing stuff out. After that you jump to the better charcoals and paper towels.
Posts
The reason for this is, the person with a lot of experience knows what the photograph isn't telling you (forms getting obscured or values being crushed at the light and dark ends), what has to be changed from the photograph in order to produce a successful drawing (moving a light here or there, exaggerating or simplifying for effect, etc.) and what makes for a successful drawing in general (good composition, light/dark balance, line weight variation, shading around forms, etc, etc.)
The beginner, not being aware of how inadequate photography is at giving them all the information they need to have at their disposal in order to produce a successful drawing (since they don't have the necessary life drawing experience to compare it to), may copy the reference as best they can- but will almost certainly come up with a much weaker drawing than they had hoped for, as a result of not knowing where and how to question what the ref is telling them. They are also likely not to learn all that much in the process; not knowing how the photo will let them down, and having faith that just being accurate to the photo will yield a good drawing, they are less inclined to use the drawing as an opportunity to practice and study their construction, gesture, anatomy skills- so when they go to draw something out of their head, or if they need to change something for any kind of artistic reason, they won't have developed those skills to the point where they can pull those things off successfully. So someone who starts off just copying photographs has a good chance of becoming someone who only knows how to copy photographs, since with their current, stagnant base of knowledge, it becomes seemingly the only way they can get a halfway decent drawing.
But pros use ref all the time, so what do they do that the beginner doesn't? What makes using ref successful? Where a beginner may blindly copy a hard to decipher area assuming that it'll work out in the end, the professional will pull out their anatomy books, take their own photos, pull in other ref or have a friend strike the same pose as their ref and examine it from different angles, until they can understand what is going on in their ref, and how to design their drawing to make that area work. The basic drawing skills they learned from life can be used to figure out where the ref is steering them wrong, and can then investigate to come up with a good solution- which is something that the beginner can't really do because they can't actually see the problems the photo presents, without that base of experience to draw on. Now if they had a more experienced tutor to lend their own experience on the matter to help out (hey that's what the AC is for), they might actually learn a lot from using ref- but left to their own devices, they may flounder about without much sense of why they're not making much headway.
This is why using ref can be both a severe, debilitating crutch- but can also be a very useful learning tool, depending on how it is used. This being the case, making a blanket statement one way or another about the value of ref in general wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.
Greg Manchess has a pretty good post on this:
http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2012/07/10-things-i-rememberabout-tracing.html
Twitter
Wisdom all over my face. Off to re-examine my life.
The bolded line is an excellent tip.
That doesn't really change anything as far as my point goes.
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I'm trying to build sets of fantasy armor that looks like modern-updated versions of old, say D&D armor. But the thing is I'm also trying to make it look like athletic protection, like shoulder pads on a football player.
So does anyone have any tips of athletic futuristic and fantasy inspired "sports armor"?
Study armor. Study athletic gear. Draw guys in armor that looks like athletic gear.
http://www.amazon.com/Imaginative-Realism-Paint-Doesnt-Exist/dp/0740785508
That will help you think more about the process of solving these problems, and not something for each of these individual problems.
These should be questions you are asking yourself internally, and deciding how you want to tackle them as an artist, and for what reason. Do you want your elves to have sort of european features? Maybe they are reminiscent of Asian cultures? What does that say about your universe? What artists have delt with this issue in different and unique ways?
This is a combination of creativity and critical thinking that you need to employ. If you need "guidelines" build a reference folder for every fantasy race you can think of. Gather images from lots of sources, read wiki articles and books. If you look up elves, you will find a lot of information on how different cultures, authors, and painters have handled the same subject. None of them will give you a concrete guideline on how you should interpret it for your own personal creation.
i just ordered set A of copic's 72 sketch set. i bought it with poker winnings to reduce the guilt of buying something i dont know how to use. and thats what i would like to talk about.
of course i will cartooon and post my findings, but i want to use these markers for "fine art". so i need some texture tutes, and some basic layering tutes. (tutes=tutorial)
i tried to google, but commerce killed that search engine. any idea's guys? links?
thanks so much in advance!
http://art-anecdotally.blogspot.com/2011/01/kevin-oneill-part-2-simplifying-and.html
http://art-anecdotally.blogspot.com/2010/12/kevin-oneill-part-1-painting-and-light.html
http://art-anecdotally.blogspot.com/2010/11/controlling-photoshop-color-picker-part.html
Dec '10 - angel of bacon - landscape palet
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/17664886/#Comment_17664886
July '11
Chicoblue - dramatic value and contrast
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/19843167/#Comment_19843167
May 11 - scosglen - value range
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/19251537/#Comment_19251537
May 11 - angel of bacon - contrast
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/19354801/#Comment_19354801
May '11 Angel of bacon - values on the face
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/19234625/#Comment_19234625
Aug 11 - angel of bacon - value composition
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/20079990/#Comment_20079990
August 11 - angel of bacon - hair lighting
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/20248464/#Comment_20248464
Aug 11 - angel of bacon - composition
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/20038219/#Comment_20038219
Oct' 11 angel of bacon - anatomy and shading
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/20993639/#Comment_20993639
Oct 11- angel of bacon - female anatomy
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/20783246/#Comment_20783246
Oct 11 - radar6590, scosglen - landscape colors
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/20652554/#Comment_20652554
Jan 12 - squidbunny - contrast
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/21936528/#Comment_21936528
Jan 12 - angel of bacon - panel composition
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/21898182/#Comment_21898182
Feb 12 - angel of bacon - contrast
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/22211386/#Comment_22211386
March 12 angel of bacon - color variation
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/22370995/#Comment_22370995
April '12 - scosglen - value composition
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/22927208/#Comment_22927208
June '12 angel of bacon - picking accurate colors
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/23287269/#Comment_23287269
July ' 12 wassermelone - portrait shadows
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/23817261/#Comment_23817261
July '12 squidbunny - value range
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/23843815/#Comment_23843815
August '12 scosglen - value composition
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/24048737/#Comment_24048737
Sept '12 nightdragon - color contrast and detail
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/24420813/#Comment_24420813
Oct '12 - chicoblue - lighting and focal point
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/24674798/#Comment_24674798
Nov '12 angel of bacon - repetition and contrast
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/24989874/#Comment_24989874
nov' 12 Angel of bacon - value, hue, saturation transitions
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/25015199/#Comment_25015199
Dec '12
Angel of Bacon - lighting a volume
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/25143192/#Comment_25143192
Dec '12 Scosglen - lighting a volume
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/25144136/#Comment_25144136
Dec '12 angel of bacon, iruka - character silhouette, dramatic lighting
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/25201124/#Comment_25201124
http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2013/01/appy-new-year.html
Twitter
But, again, not my call. Good luck with your project.
honestly though, some 5 minute doodles to go with your notes wouldn't be hard.
3DS: 0447-9966-6178
But if I need to have a doodle per idea to loophole my way into starting the thread, I may as well do it.
The servers are being absolutely reamed right now though
Alternatively, try a demo version of PS, and maybe Manga Studio and a few others. You can see if they have what you're after.
Early on it's easy to get hung up on tools, digital or analog. But the only thing that's going to make the difference is effort over time. And that's true whether you are using Elements, GIMP, or drawing on printer paper with a ballpoint pen. Good luck.
tumblrrr
deviantart
Get a Cannon that suits your budget. Stay away from Epson; the machines are junk, the ink is overpriced, and the image quality isn’t worth the headaches.
tumblrrr
deviantart
As your professor if your charcoal is too dry. They make it and then treat it to a certain humidity, and if it sits around too long before you buy it the stuff dries out and it’s a bitch to use.
Also, vine charcoal is generally shit for anything but roughing stuff out. After that you jump to the better charcoals and paper towels.