It's a 32x36 charcoal/conte pencil self portrait i'm doing for my portfolio. The lips are all kinds of screwed up, but i'll eventually get to that. Obviously i'm still working on it, so C&C would be pretty awesome.
The eyebrows seem to be in slightly the wrong position (like they should be further out from the centre maybe?) but maybe if they were rendered with softer edges it would look right. Looks great so far, looking forward to updates.
I'm doing it from a mirror. My teacher won't let us do it any other way.
I'll be working on this more tomorrow in class, so i'll have updates every day.
I'm doing it from a mirror. My teacher won't let us do it any other way.
I'll be working on this more tomorrow in class, so i'll have updates every day.
hahaha, christ...working from a mirror in a weird position sucks...I've done that only twice that I can think of and all my facial muscles hurt (and sometimes my eye muscles, when I was staring up for one of the portraits). I hope that doesn't happen to you! Try to notice if you get "in the zone"...because sometimes I'll forget and hold my position for like a straight two hours, and suddenly my neck is on fire.
I'm doing it from a mirror. My teacher won't let us do it any other way.
I'll be working on this more tomorrow in class, so i'll have updates every day.
hahaha, christ...working from a mirror in a weird position sucks...I've done that only twice that I can think of and all my facial muscles hurt (and sometimes my eye muscles, when I was staring up for one of the portraits). I hope that doesn't happen to you! Try to notice if you get "in the zone"...because sometimes I'll forget and hold my position for like a straight two hours, and suddenly my neck is on fire.
fun times!
Oh man, yes. My neck and eyes end up hurting when the period is over because i'm looking up slightly while my eyes are looking down, and it's just a really awkward position for my face, neck and eyes. And since I only get to work on it for about an hour a day, the lighting changes everyday, so I'm afraid that the shadows won't be consistant.
It's basically going to be a bitch and a half. But it's going to get done, because I haven't finished anything in a long time. :x
Grab some reeeeeeally soft charcoal (compressed if you have it) and tone the canvas if you still can. The conte should still show up (it's a bit waxxier and would show through the compressed charcoal).
You should do this because working in one direction makes it hard to backpedal. If all you ever do is make the canvas darker, your value balance will suffer for it. You need to work in both directions - from grey to white and from grey to black.
If you cant's bring yourself to do that, then at least go in with a large chunk of charcoal and block in the big pieces of value. Make all the light parts one value, all the dark parts another vlaue and then work from there. In most lighting situations, the bulk of your values will reside in the 40-60% grey, reserving the extreme lights and darks for shadows and highlights. Imagine how much time you'll save if you start on 50% grey as opposed to white.
One thing, I know the nose seperates from the face in some ways, but should you really have that strong outline for the nose? I unno if it might get in the way. Should be fine in the end.
And since I only get to work on it for about an hour a day, the lighting changes everyday, so I'm afraid that the shadows won't be consistant.
I *haaaaated* that aspect about art class. The only way I was able to cope was by leaving the shading to the very last, and doing rough "block shading", and then the last class I evened it out and made it look nice.
I was only able to work in it for 10 minutes because I had a bunch of other pieces I had to work on. I tried to fix the eye.
It looks way smudgy though around the lids and on the cheeks, but that's going to be fixed once I get the time to really work on it.
I'm having trouble with it though, because it's painted board, and the painbrush left crevices, so it's mighty difficult to get the charcoal, and conte pencil to spread inbetween.
I'm going to fix the area under the eyebrow and between the eyelid as it's atill a bit messed. And I'm also going to lighten everything up so it doesn't look so dark/dirty.
My glasses don't have a strong perscription at all, and I checked before I started the drawing. My glasses don't magnify my eyes one bit. Thanks for the comment though. I just went back and checked in the mirror to see if I was wrong
Are you planning on defining the right edge of the face with hair? If that contour that currently exists is supposed to be your cheekbone then I would have a closer look at your reference. As it stands it looks like you're storing nuts for the winter.
Yeah, the white space to the sides of the face is where the hair is going to go, but I'm doing that last (as well as the glasses) since they go over the face itself.
And i've recently learned that working with only mirrors is fucking tedious, and difficult.
Asspat first, it is coming along nicely and will surely be a cool piece!
Now crits: The shape of the nose seems off to me, not just the nostrils. It's all very rounded ...
Also the cheeks look like they are pressed against a pane of glass with the way they are coloured. The whole colouring seems way too red to me. This may of course be a conscious decision on your part. Also the shadows look like you've just added black to the colours, as opposed to changing hues.
The eye also needs more colour variation in it. It's not just reflecting skin colours but would have hints of the room as well, blues, greens etc. It is also covered in liquid so would look glossier i think.
That was all being hypercritical because i think it is coming along nicely. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing how you render the glass in the glasses!
Asspat first, it is coming along nicely and will surely be a cool piece!
Now crits: The shape of the nose seems off to me, not just the nostrils. It's all very rounded ...
Also the cheeks look like they are pressed against a pane of glass with the way they are coloured. The whole colouring seems way too red to me. This may of course be a conscious decision on your part. Also the shadows look like you've just added black to the colours, as opposed to changing hues.
The eye also needs more colour variation in it. It's not just reflecting skin colours but would have hints of the room as well, blues, greens etc. It is also covered in liquid so would look glossier i think.
That was all being hypercritical because i think it is coming along nicely. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing how you render the glass in the glasses!
Thanks for the crits, I appreciate it!
Nose- My nose is natrually very round. LOL PKEWPKEW But I see what you're saying. I'll try to fix that, a bit.
cheeks- Yeah, I'm having a rough time with them.
Color- I'm limited to use Rust, black, yellow, and white in this particular project so it's a little difficult to get different hues. I have to mix black the rust to get a decent shadow, which is a pain in the ass. But I'll see if I can ask my teacher if he'd let me use different colors. It is my portfolio project after all.
Again, thanks! I'll take all your comments into consideration
Other than the rather excessive glow on the skin (nose and cheek, seems like oily skin) its looking good so far, I take it you have a medium leght nose with a round ball for a tip, because mine loks the same viewed from downwards.
Posts
edit: because i can't type
I'll be working on this more tomorrow in class, so i'll have updates every day.
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
I'm sure it will be easier to critique once I have more things added.
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
hahaha, christ...working from a mirror in a weird position sucks...I've done that only twice that I can think of and all my facial muscles hurt (and sometimes my eye muscles, when I was staring up for one of the portraits). I hope that doesn't happen to you! Try to notice if you get "in the zone"...because sometimes I'll forget and hold my position for like a straight two hours, and suddenly my neck is on fire.
fun times!
Oh man, yes. My neck and eyes end up hurting when the period is over because i'm looking up slightly while my eyes are looking down, and it's just a really awkward position for my face, neck and eyes. And since I only get to work on it for about an hour a day, the lighting changes everyday, so I'm afraid that the shadows won't be consistant.
It's basically going to be a bitch and a half. But it's going to get done, because I haven't finished anything in a long time. :x
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
You should do this because working in one direction makes it hard to backpedal. If all you ever do is make the canvas darker, your value balance will suffer for it. You need to work in both directions - from grey to white and from grey to black.
If you cant's bring yourself to do that, then at least go in with a large chunk of charcoal and block in the big pieces of value. Make all the light parts one value, all the dark parts another vlaue and then work from there. In most lighting situations, the bulk of your values will reside in the 40-60% grey, reserving the extreme lights and darks for shadows and highlights. Imagine how much time you'll save if you start on 50% grey as opposed to white.
One thing, I know the nose seperates from the face in some ways, but should you really have that strong outline for the nose? I unno if it might get in the way. Should be fine in the end.
:rawk on:
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I *haaaaated* that aspect about art class. The only way I was able to cope was by leaving the shading to the very last, and doing rough "block shading", and then the last class I evened it out and made it look nice.
I was only able to work in it for 10 minutes because I had a bunch of other pieces I had to work on. I tried to fix the eye.
It looks way smudgy though around the lids and on the cheeks, but that's going to be fixed once I get the time to really work on it.
I'm having trouble with it though, because it's painted board, and the painbrush left crevices, so it's mighty difficult to get the charcoal, and conte pencil to spread inbetween.
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
I'm going to fix the area under the eyebrow and between the eyelid as it's atill a bit messed. And I'm also going to lighten everything up so it doesn't look so dark/dirty.
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
Did you consider the magnifying of the glasses? I think this is important to simulate some realistic ones.
- great animation focused website http://www.catsuka.com
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
And i've recently learned that working with only mirrors is fucking tedious, and difficult.
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
- great animation focused website http://www.catsuka.com
Edit: Nostrils are still off. Going to fix them on monday.
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
Now crits: The shape of the nose seems off to me, not just the nostrils. It's all very rounded ...
Also the cheeks look like they are pressed against a pane of glass with the way they are coloured. The whole colouring seems way too red to me. This may of course be a conscious decision on your part. Also the shadows look like you've just added black to the colours, as opposed to changing hues.
The eye also needs more colour variation in it. It's not just reflecting skin colours but would have hints of the room as well, blues, greens etc. It is also covered in liquid so would look glossier i think.
That was all being hypercritical because i think it is coming along nicely. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing how you render the glass in the glasses!
Thanks for the crits, I appreciate it!
Nose- My nose is natrually very round. LOL PKEWPKEW But I see what you're saying. I'll try to fix that, a bit.
cheeks- Yeah, I'm having a rough time with them.
Color- I'm limited to use Rust, black, yellow, and white in this particular project so it's a little difficult to get different hues. I have to mix black the rust to get a decent shadow, which is a pain in the ass. But I'll see if I can ask my teacher if he'd let me use different colors. It is my portfolio project after all.
Again, thanks! I'll take all your comments into consideration
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
PS I don't like the weird muddiness, but the rendering with pastels looks good.
ps- ass
Check out my art! Buy some prints!
My digital art! http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=8168
My pen and paper art! http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=7462
Oh god, the nose doctor is in.