TArthurSmith - Sketches & Projects (nudity) UPDATE Friday Jan 13, 2012

[TASmith]

INTRODUCTION:

I'm an artist and educator, currently living in Slovakia, and teaching English language learners. In my free time I draw and paint to keep up my skills and to make a little extra money. I've been meaning to make a sketchbook here for some time, but I didn't have time to re-size images, upload them to photobucket, and then copy the url's here. Now that I can upload directly, it should be easier.

SKILLS & GOALS:

As an artist my main strength is observational drawing and painting. I'm good with color, although I wouldn't yet call myself a professional. I have no real training in photography, digital art, or sculpture. I think I could be a professional if I devoted more time to it. I teach English in two different schools now, and I have a 4 year-old son to take care of. My dream is to teach art full time. I'm considering opening a school/artist residency here in Slovakia, and it would be very helpful if you could answer my poll questions - select all features that interest you.

SKETCHBOOK SUBMISSIONS:

I've selected one finished work that I feel is my best, just to show that I do have some skills. It's an oil pastel of a waterfall in New Hampshire, Arethusa Falls. I've promised myself that I'll only post recent and new sketches, as I have many older ones, but how would that show my progress? You can view any older work at my deviantart account (link in my sig). My recent projects are some anatomy studies (all from photos, unfortunately), some Slovak landscapes to sell, and some portrait commissions I'm struggling with.

CRITIQUE:

Please give me as many detailed critiques as you can, especially on anatomy, but also composition, and anything else you feel important. It's all appreciated.

All the photos are from excellent artists on deviantart, including:

David L. Le Beck (photoscot) http://photoscot.deviantart.com
Francois Benveniste (fb101) http://fb101.deviantart.com
André Brito (ABrito) http://abrito.deviantart.com
Sita Mae Edwards (sitamae) http://sitamae.deviantart.com
Gerhardt http://gerhardt.deviantart.com
Dave Hare (flash750) http://flash750.deviantart.com
Sascha Huettenhain http://saschahuettenhain.deviantart.com
Jose Manchado http://josemanchado.deviantart.com
John Peri http://johnperi.deviantart.com
Peter (mopas) http://mopas.deviantart.com
Marcus J Ranum (mjranum) http://mjranum.deviantart.com
Pascal Renoux http://renoux.deviantart.com
Rich (Samiguy101) http://samiguy101.deviantart.com
mic-ardant http://mic-ardent.deviantart.com
http://eelmikashigaru.deviantart.com
Richard Rasner (uniquenudes) http://uniquenudes.deviantart.com
Markus Weiler (mweiler) http://mweiler.deviantart.com

[TASmith]

Here are some digital works, all drawn in Photoshop with a mouse...

I really need good advice on what software/brushes to find, and also a good tablet for drawing - something that's professinoal quality.

So the first is a WIP of a simple figure sketch, focusing on leather. I drew it as a study for a comic character concept.

It's from a photo by http://lochai.deviantart.com/art/Relaxing-13245301

Next comes a simple landscape which should one day have a dragon in it... The third is a sketch of some friends of mine. I know, it's blurry, but I liked it.
They're both from my own photos

[TASmith]

I just finished this portrait commission. It's a father and daughter in a park, somewhere in Slovakia. It's drawn from a small 4x6 photo given by the client.

[OldJake666]

I just finished this portrait commission. It's a father and daughter in a park, somewhere in Slovakia.

Dude! Is that Martin Lopez???

[TASmith]

Here are some "speed paintings" I sketched up in photoshop. They're from photos, done with my touchpad. I was messing with brushes.

The photos are by:

http://theflinger.deviantart.com
http://venea.deviantart.com
http://robertmekis.deviantart.com

[TASmith]

Here are some recent arm studies, from photos I took of my wife. Here, I have some elevations of the inside and outside views of the arm, plus a foreshortened perspective.

Each sketch maps the progression of movement of the arm. Note how the shoulder and upper arm twist throughout the process.

[FinalKnight]

First of all, I'd like to say you have amazing 3-dimensional anatomy studies! Keep drawing like that and you'll be able draw from your imagination without any problems at all.

One thing you haven't shown much of are works focused on value. Based on the few drawings you have posted that are rendered, you should definitely try to work on getting those values down correctly. The same with your colours, they could use some improvement, a bit too saturated I think, and they're also suffering from lack of accurate value.

Also, why draw from photos when your wife is willing to pose.

Love the way you are describing form in your drawings, keep it up!

[Novbert]

Totally agree with FinalKnight, those pose drawings and 3d anathomy studies are stunning, but I'd really like to see some finished pieces (like the girl in the latex cloth). And do some face studies as well 'cause that portrait of the father and daughter ... well, those faces could be better (but smiling faces are hard to draw - I know it).
Anyway I also suggest that you shouldn't really play with colors before learning how to refine those values
Keep up the good work, man!

[TASmith]

Thank you both very much! I'm not sure just how I'll be able to keep up drawing with work, but I definately want to. My next step would be to study shoulders and the back. I need to take more photos from her. Then, I need to really start memorizing muscles.

"why draw from photos when your wife is willing to pose."

Lol, she isn't. It took months to convince her to let me do the arms, and she still wouldn't do all the poses - arm bending and folding, then bearing weight. She's impatient.

I need a real model... sigh. Anyway, I think I'll try and sketch for the next few days. Then I have to really start writing grammar exercises for my students so they can pass state exams in March. If they don't, I have to work with them over the summer for the same exam, which would really suck.

You're right, I should try a finished figure. I think I'll really get into that when I understand anatomy better and I'll devote it to a character concept of mine.

[TASmith]

These next sketches are all copies from a book I got on Anatomy. It's actaully a rather frustrating book, being hard to understand and missing crucial sketches. The name of it is Anatomy Drawing School, by Andras Szunyoghy and Gyorgy Feher. It could be better organized as well.. Ah well, I did this to learn more anatomy.

Oh, and one comment on the lightsource suggestions. In all these sketches, I've been deliberately ignoring light, instead trying to emphasize volumes and shapes. At some point, when I start a real character design, I'll get back into shadows as such.

[Carbono]

God, i love the way you render your anatomy. The ribcages looks amazing, with a carved feeling. Really really nice stuff.

Can't wait to see more man, keep it up!

[TASmith]

thanks! I can't wait to figure out anatomy and finally post some good, explanative drawings.

This here is a touch up of that last portrait commission. I worked on the eyes a tad, and made his nose a bit more flattering. I forget what else I did to it.

[hmanafi]

here is my suggestions
when you are studying anatomy,draw very accurately,because you are learning one of the most important sections of figure drawing.
i think it's not necessary to learn muscle/bone names but you have to learn how to put them together,how they interact with each other,etc.it's only my opinion.
and if your wife doesn't pose for you,you can hire a model(if it's possible for you ) or draw yourself in front of a mirror.life drawing is one of the best practices to improve very well and quickly

and i think this sketchbook can be helpful for you : MindCandyMan's sketchbook

at all,these are only my suggestions and you can refuse them
good luck and keep it up.

[TASmith]

Here's something I drew based on the help I've been getting here on anatomy. It's a rotation of the arm/shoulder with all the smaller muscles that are normally hidden by the bigger ones. I'm going to do a series of rotations as a way to best understand/display the human anatomy. I'm not an expert at all, on this, so please point out any mistakes you see.

[TASmith]

Okay, so I've been sketching some more. I drew some more anatomy studies, based on books and references off the internet. I've drawn some more studies from photos. And, I've started some life sketches. Yesterday we had some family come over and I drew the whole time. I also started some anatomy studies from looking in a mirror, at the end. The baby's my son, Andrew. The one woman chewing on some klobasa is my wife, Ifa. She was really happy about that one, and would be even happier if she knew I were posting it here.

Here it all is:

[TASmith]

more sketches. Some are family members from life, drawn with a pen, or charcoal pencil. Some are anatomy studies, with what I learned gathered from books and the internet. Some are anatomy studies, drawn from KChen, here on DA - definately worth seeing, everyone! And, there's one arm drawing copied from some images Briggs linked me to.

[TASmith]

some more sketches I just got to cropping/leveling.

[TASmith]

I haven't been drawing much lately, but I managed this during a long meeting.

[TASmith]

Here are some more quick sketches. Lately, the only time I've had for artmaking is while giving tests to students. So here they are, trying to pass my tests:

[TASmith]

I continue to post to myself here... These sketches are from my two week trip to the US, March 2008.

[Atastrophea]

Thank you for visiting my sketch book

I like your dynamic life drawing style.

~^-^~

[TASmith]

I can't believe all these images fit on one page. I guess that's what happens when no one else comments. For those that have, thanks for the compliments and advice. Let's see, here are some recent thingies...

So I've been working on some dragon concepts. They suck now, but ah well, I'm a total beginner to them. The first couple sketches are from imagination so they suck. there are some studies from Spectrum 14 (if they don't totally suck it's because they're copies). Then there are some sketches based on animal photos I've gathered on my hardrive:

http://kevlewis.deviantart.com and some others.

Then there's some digital stuff - I started a chameleon drake that desperately needs work, and I put together a photo for a website that's in progress.

[TASmith]

Here's that digital chameleon drake

[TASmith]

Here's a photo for a website I'm building. There are two I took seperately, and then the final superimposed image.

[Lotet]

wow thats alot of studies, ur one hardworking dude haha^^
thanks for dropping by at my SB.

[TASmith]

Here's an update.

[TASmith]

Here are some sketches from when I was in the hospital - hernia. I wish I'd done more. My hand's been hurting from drawing recently. It's very frustrating. The cave image is from a painting by cicinimo. The others are all from photos. The woman and child are my wife and son.

photos by:
http://ernieleo.deviantart.com
http://pendragon006.deviantart.com

There was one other but, for the life of me, I can't find who.

[Jabo]

Hey man, great studies, really patient. Your values work very well I think, maybe you need to loosen your linework a little in order to make them look more alive.

[TASmith]

He does have a familiar looking face, doesn't he?

[TASmith]

Here's my latest sketches. Some from a meeting where I didn't understand a bit of the Slovak spoken. Some from some tests I gave my students. It's been my only chance to draw during the week, lately. More tests coming up, too. I need to do more work on weekends, I spend it all either on a website, or looking at superior art on the web. and getting depressed, lately.