Trying to get good at this, Please help. x

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Hi everyone!! Thanks for having a look at my thread. I am hoping that an online sketchbook will give me the inspiration and motivation to draw all of the time. I am halfway through an HND graphic design and illustration but it is distance learning/ self taught thing so I feel like I am struggling a little without any peers.

I really want to get good at this and I want, nay need criticism. Be as brutal as you want. Plus, I know that I don't have a "style" yet, so the plan is to experiment a little more as I pick things up. Suggestions welcomed!

Plenty more to come

[Soul Karl]

hi nice start to a sketchbook you got here. First off let me say that you're going about this correctly for getting a style - it's a really bad idea to force a style and as long as you keep practicing the way you are one will develop eventually on its own. This will likely be a unique style whereas if you force it odds are its gonna be a lot like the rest.

with that said these figure studies are looking pretty awesome :] just keep at em and you will definitely improve. the second to the last ones shoulders are way too broad - you may want to look back on that one - also the shading on it doesn't seem to be on par with the rest of the drawings. This doesn't seem to be a reccuring issue however so I wouldn't be too concerned over it -- just be weary. With these figure studies though I notice you're doing mostly the entire form in each picture, though I do see one of just a foot. i would suggest that you do more studies on more individual parts of the body, and draw them a LOT. This is probably the best way I know of to kick your anatomy up another notch. then once you feel you really have each piece down you can start throwing down mostly full body renders. When you notice a specific mistake within those full renders (say the hands arent up to par) you just go back and work on just hands for a while.

anyways keep it up :] this is look good - and i hope something i said was helpful

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Wow, that was quick! Thanks, I appreciate it. I am trying to focus on body parts atm, especially hands and feet as I am quite aware that I brush over them too quickly. I'm going to try and put more stuff up tomorrow (a back-log of stuff) xx

[Stoat]

Well, you're absolutely going about it the right way, figure drawing from the masters and life. And doing a very competent job of it, too -- you have a nice sense of line, especially outline. Keep doing this -- lots of this -- and you can't help but get better (and Karl's right; style will take care of itself).

[Cup_of_Tea?]

I liked the idea of carrying my sketchbook around with me and capturing people whenever I had some spare time, but I know that before this will work, I will have o be more confident in my anatomy. Still, it is fun trying to draw people without getting caught. (not all of these are from life, quite obvious which ones are from paper source)

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Trying to brush up a bit. This is the bit I need to focus on most.....


I know that I have made the torso too long on the 1st one




feet next.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

[Wade h]

You have lovely lines, i really like the sketch of the lady on the sofa in heels...

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Thanks Wade!

Here is my first attempt to paint on photoshop. I would like to start posting on CHOW. I feel like I need the inspiration. Plus I work much better when I have some kind of deadline. So any way... I know that this is pretty rubbish. I should have spent more time on the drawing, but I was keen to get started on the painting. How on earth do you paint hair?? Please please please give me advice.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

oh, sorry, technically that wasn't my first ever photoshop painting. I had an attempt at the squirrel mage CHOW. This one I spent a lot longer on it..... how long should I be spending doing these? Well, obviously I am pretty slow at it now... but how long do the good guys spend on it?

[ajvenema]

yo man! nice work u have, how long have u been drawing?
i love the naked girls^^ are they from a photo or real life?

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Hi there, sorry it has taken so long for me to post some more.


my mum seconds before she fell asleep. hee


and some more studies

[Niva.]

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...illa/nude1.jpg - This is excellent, the only weak areas are the feet and perhaps the forearm/wrist. I love how you left out the light reflection around her spine, hot lady. Very misleading title of the SB and a first post - shame on you I almost didn't click!

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...muminchair.jpg - This is also very good - only thing I can spot is that perhaps her head is too small. The others in the last post look too bony. In general you're struggling with the joints and these look like they came out of a drawing book. They draw them with the big joints there to show you what the joint should look like but it's rare to see someone's knees pop out that much irl and they're healthy and not in severe pain at the same time.

Also please use the image attachment option here, you must make full replies but it helps keep everything on the website. Photobucket suxrs!

[Clodioz]

hey cup of tea? you are not a novice! your drawings are very gooD! like a couple of them most,, including these feet http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...illa/torso.jpg

are really cool!

I wish to see some sketches from mind

keep posting
cheers!

[Cup_of_Tea?]

n1va - thanks, I appreciate the comments.. you are right about the joints, although I felt that it was maybe good to exaggerate these things so that I really learn about the shapes, I can never remember these things when i am trying to do it from memory... and yeah, my sb title is rubbish! ha ha, maybe i should change it

clodioz! thanks, i am building up to trying stuff from my head, but it is definitely my weakness.... soon, promise.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

OK, I cropped my Jenny Saville, hopefully photobucket can handle the nudity

and I am trying to get back into the sketching after a short break (new house, new job etc etc etc)

My Jenny Saville pic


A few sketches of people in trains and airports






and one fashion inspired...


As always criticism welcomed. I would appreciate any suggestions of things you would like to see...

thnx

[Naastika]

Well for a novice you learn quickly. Your lines and rendering are very confident, something that I'm trying to work on myself. I love the renderings of the old masters. Don't worry about a style right now. Get the basics. Your "style" will come in time.

As for Photoshop, I would probably focus most of my energy into pencil and paper and leave some PS time on the side. PS skills will also come in time. Just like drawing, you have to spend a crap-ton of time drawing in there to get anywhere. I did a lot of tutorials and was in there more than I probably should have been. If you're more into makin' people, this chick knows her stuff and I've learned a lot from her:
http://www.furiae.com/
Also this guy is good:
http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials/14030

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Just a couple more nudes. I have been going to a life drawing class.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Oh and another thing from college



quite proud of this one. I would like to smooth it up later when I have a little more time. I think I might need help with colour theory. Is digital painting the same as working in paints? I was thinking about taking some lessons in oil painting. I guess this would help

[Shard]

nice start, really good studies..keep it up!!

[UCT]

sweet pencil rendering. post more. (Y)

[Eon]

I really like your line! You already have a drawing style developing while your painting is on an excellent track! I like these two best:

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...illa/nude5.jpg
Very loose and really captures the pose.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...muminchair.jpg
Love how you depict the folds in the clothing and the shading really works.

Last thing, use the attachment manager when you are posting. That way all your pictures will always show regardless of content!

[Jussi Tarvainen]

Hey Cup_of_Tea,

What an awesome sketchbook. I really like your shading and it's great to see you're also doing anatomy studies.

Very nice life drawing nudes. I like how you only used so few lines. I would encourage to put emphasis on line weight/contour depending on the light if you know what I mean.

Great Hogarth studies too.

From what I can see if I were you I'd tackle anatomy, perspective and life drawing full force. That's a combination which will take you far in your studies and will pay off at the end big time.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

[Justin Roesner]

You have some really great studies going on in your sketch book. You mentioned that drawing from your mind is one of your weak points, it's one of my weak points as well. I would recommend idenifying basic shapes in nature and then attempting to recreate what you saw earlyer in the day in your sketch book. I wouldn't worry about creating a style because your own style will manifest out of just daily practice. You will drift twards certain ways to draw or paint things.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Shardana - thanks for the motivation
UCT - here is some more, thanks
YuZa - I started working in the anatomy department at the uni, so my plan is to get drawing those skeletons. or maybe sneaking through to the cadavers (altho, maybe that is taking it too far)
Justin, thanks, hopefully i will get there.

Here is some more stuff.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

and some more

[Foofea]

Your figure and line work is beautiful - inspirational!

Your attempts, which are fabulous and I am jealous that your first attempts are so good!

keep it up

and yes tea - 2 sugars and milk please

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Foofea, thanks. It is a learning process....

So, I finally got my 1st CHOW done. It wasn't great, but I learnt a lot! It was a great way to get same-time criticism. I am definitely going to do more, but I am overloaded with college at the moment.
On the sketching front, here is a few more. Nothing too adventurous, but I am starting to do 100 hands. I have only done 10 so far, and already I can see an improvement.

My scans aren't as nice as I'd like, but I am using the ancient work scanner and have no photoshop. Still, you get the idea.

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Getting back into the swing of this after a long absence...

[p sage]

Since October? Yeah... 10 months is a long absence. The hands you've done show improvement from the previous post for sure.

I'm not sure what else to say or help with at this point. Just some encouragement. Keep posting