Swampdigger's Sketchbook

[Swampdigger]

Minderbender: Thanks for the compliments. I'm pretty sure that the torso is the correct length vertically, but I just realized it might be because the entire thing is too thin. I dunno.

Just finished up this color study, I could just keep on working and working on this thing, but I was getting a little tired and decided to move on. I definitely learned a bunch from this, I'd never realized just how much colors were affected by the colors and values around them. Gotta do more.



Gah, I need to do a finished illustration. I need to start applying these things I'm studying.

[Mindbendermind]

Nice study. Yep - definitely waiting for your next "finished" piece. One good way of actually finishing is to join one of the online art challenges. Then you can find a proper deadline (from 1 to 30 days) and learn a lot as you discuss your and others WiPs along the way.

I have found that a one month deadline suits me best at the moment. Always start out ambitiously, then leaves the piece for days - and (usually) get back to ambition right before the deadline runs out. :-)

[pennington]

Stuff's looking great man! I envy the color study good strong placement of colors and bold brushstrokes. as for the soccer guy, I think the arms are too small specially his left. Keep up with the studies tho man you're getting way good.

[Swampdigger]

Mindbender: Yeah, an art challenge would be a good way to get me going, I'm just kind off waiting for one that really interests me. Heh.

Pennington: Oh, wow, thanks for pointing that out, I completely missed it, now that I look again, it's glaringly bad. Haha, and I was trying really hard on that one for accuracy.

Alrighty, tonight's studies, not really happy with these, especially with the bigger one. Anyone feel like it's harder to identify the colors when working from life rather then a photo? I guess I should work from life more.

[Mindbendermind]

Yep I most definitely do. Working from a photo I just use the "color picker" to get the same colors :-D

[MeticoloR']

Hey Swampdigger - thanks for stopping by my SB and for your advices I will definitely do.
your face study are great! ur #91 is very good too the color are fine but I think It need a bit of blending within them. About your fruit study yeah it's definitely hard to recognize color on still life drawing but it's worth when you start to understand how it works. If you haven't seen "the peer project" and "Digital painting in PS #2" under the photoshop sub-forum you should have a look they talk a lot about painting still life "The Peer project is the one that teach you to recognize color. Keep it up mate!!

[Swampdigger]

Mindbendermind: ... You should know better. Take the time to try figuring things out without color picker. If you're set on color picking, at least color pick something and try to see it in the picture, then mess the sliders around and find it again with your new observational knowledge.

MeticoloR': Thanks for stopping by and for the advice. I appreciate it.

Alright, another study from life. It's a tennis ball cut open and flipped inside out. Yeah, I need to do more.

[Mindbendermind]

Looking good. Have ceased "color picking" by the way - learn much more trying to reproduce the "master's palette".

[Swampdigger]

Mindbendermind: Yeah, speaking of master's palettes, I should really do a master copy sometime soon.

Man, I feel like digital isn't quite working for me right now. Need more practice.

[Swampdigger]

Gah, need more practice.

I'm having a lot of trouble finding the right color in the "whites."

[Mindbendermind]

Don't be too hard on yourself, I like these.

Can truly recommend Hale's Drawing lessons from the great masters by the way - 100 great drawings from old masters to copydraw from. All being analyzed in a very instructive way. Probably the best book on drawing I've come across. Just love it.

[Swampdigger]

Yeah I've heard that's a good book. I'll have to get it sometime. There are so many books to get.

Two more digitals, one from life and one from photo. The bookend is pretty old and I just recently finished it. The other was just a photo study, I did get a little lazy on the sailboats, but decided to move on anyways.

[Swampdigger]

Rough anatomy and hand/foot studies.

[Swampdigger]

More.

[Swampdigger]

Another digital.

[Mindbendermind]

Hi again,
enjoy those studies and following your digital practice. Improving all the time, just keep going!

My first two Bridgman books arrived yesterday! Also uploaded a bunch of images to my "Figure" thread. Probably will be more active in that one than the SB so do drop by if nothing happens in my regular one.

Keep 'em coming...

[Swampdigger]

Two more digitals. Both from photos. I got the second one from a sweet website dedicated to taking pictures/exploring abandoned places. Link Some great reference photos on their forums.

[DeJakhalz]

Looking good man. I love the use of colors on most of these digital drawings. The anatomy sketches are really good too, I especially like those.

I would suggest you take more time on one single digital drawing though. This way you learn more aspects in one drawing. One small advice: you should practise more in blending colors in your digital work in my opinion. And perhaps use some more different brushes, it looks like you are now only using the 100% sharp round brush on most of these drawings.

Cheers

[Swampdigger]

Thanks for the advice Dejakhalz, yeah, you're right, I should be doing more finished stuff. It's something I keep reminding myself to do and something I keep failing to do. Hopefully I'll get some out soon.

Using a few more brushes now too. I have been using the sharp round exclusively so I wouldn't get lazy and just blend everything together, I would actually have to look for and pick transition colors. I'll probably do some more of those, I think they were helpful, but you're right. I ended spending too much time try to do texture with the the sharp round and it ends up taking up tons of time.

I'm doing an hour long digital to start of the day now, while listening to Dave Rapoza's (aka MrDelicious) livestream study group called the Crimson Daggers. It's helped me stay motivated at least. Plus it's interesting to place a time limit on it and see how much you can get done in that time.

This morning's study and another random study.

[Swampdigger]

Time to dump more stuff. My recent studies.

[Swampdigger]

A wip I've been working on.

[Swampdigger]

This morning's study.

[pennington]

Lookin good man. love the anatomy studies. It could be your monitor but the digital paints seem to be washed out. push the values more on those.

[Swampdigger]

Hey Pennington, thanks for stopping by. I think you're right about the values in these paintings. I've been trying to make sure I don't place my lights as white and my darks as black, and I think in the process I've forgotten to place the finishing dark and light "highlights." I'll definitely work harder on making them pop.

Decided to really start doing imagination work.




Portrait of a family member.



Annndd, more studies.

[Benjaminba]

Thanks for leaving a comment in my sketchbook, Swampdigger!

I looked at the last page and skimmed the rest of your sketchbook, and I want to ask you, are you teaching yourself drawing? or are you in school? I'll be thoroughly impressed by your dedication if you're doing this on your own. That'll take you places.

Your colour studies are looking better and better. A small thing about your otherwise very fine hand/feet studies - I think you might try paying more attention to the joint connecting hand/wrist and also the connection between foot and ankle. Fine in some of the studies, not as good in others. Might just be how your arms look in real life, though. ;P

Your life drawings of people in public are splendid. I find them much harder to do with a mechanical pencil/pen than with a soft pencil - great work.

[pennington]

WOOOT yeah for beautiful colors! machinery and crimson both have much better values. And I love the dude with the briefcase. oh and about the ankle/wrist thing, I think you're just putting a bit too much mass in them. like the ankle is hanging over the foot. haha cankles.

[MattGamer]

yay the last studies are very improved from the rest. whatever you did you did it right.

studies of anatomy will only come the more you draw and observe the human form. it's one of those things that clicks in your mind and you get it... in 3d... and can understand it in 3d. i'm still trying to make it click every time i draw, but mainly having fun with it because if i get bored then i don't want to do it.

also if you think your monitor is wacked out on values and colors, check out the LCD test in my sig (bottom right). it's a helpful site to calibrate your screen to view true colors and i use it on the 3 pcs i use.

keep a joyful arting heart, you're gettin there! ;]

[JJacks]

You're certainly on the right track with your studies. The composition of some of your studies is quite impressive. However, the contrast in some of your paintings seem to be a bit weak. Copying master paintings would be a good idea for you because they sometimes use unconventional colors for shading and such. You would learn a great deal.

[Swampdigger]

Thanks for the comments guys! It's really encouraging to have people stopping by.

Benjaminba: Nope, no schooling. Right now I'm just living with my parents and working on art. The perfect low-cost mix.

Pennington: Haha, well, all those studies are me, so maybe I have cankles. But yeah, I think I'm just exaggerating them a little too much.

MattGamer: Thanks for the words of advice. The link to screen calibration should be handy too, just have to find time to do it.

JJacks: Master Paintings. Gah, I'm actually working on one right now, but it's so discouraging cause it's not coming out so good. Maybe I should just finish it and move on to another one. Can't really take credit for compositions on a lot of these studies, most of the ones from photos are me just copying the photo. It would be cool to bring my own composition into them, but I'm having enough trouble right now with those dang colors.

Alright, another batch of digitals. I'm still having trouble with a low contrast, unless I focus on it I tend to let them get washed out.

[OfflineOnline]

Hey there, thanks for stopping by my sketch book ^_^
I decided to come stop by yours, and the stuff you're doing looks great Especially like the red box with the keys :3

Sorry I'm not very good at giving advice on anything, but you're defienently improving with your digital painting, keep up the great work :3