A Man on a Mission.

[MattLloyd]

Hello everybody.

I am rather new here, my names Matt and Im a student of Graphic communication. I have recently decided that I really want to start looking at concept art as a serious career path and as such have decided I need to start pushing my drawing skills again with some serious studying!

Hopefully this should be a pretty cool place for me to progress as I get some crits and grow.

Anywho, thats probably enough rambling for now, heres day one, piece one, Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley:

Thanks for your time everybody

[JPC]

Hi! Welcome and glad you have started on the path to improving your art. I am on the same journey as you are. Here's hoping we all survive! lol!

Anyway, i like the emotion that you captured with this sketch and I love her face..my only comment would be that theres something about her feet/legs that doesn't feel right. But its still a wonderfully evocative sketch!

[MattLloyd]

Thankyou very much, this forum sees a lot more traffic and seems to be a lot faster paced than anywhere Ive frequented before which presumably says something about the concept art industry.

I agree about the feet/legs, you can see where Ive erased them a few times trying to get it right but I still dont think its there, I'll get there though!

Thanks again for the welcome and praise

[MattLloyd]

Heres my second image (I technically drew Jenny yesterday)

Its Iron man! With small hands! Yey!

[MattLloyd]

Had a go at some really loose colours, not exactly finished, not my speciality and done with a mouse

[JPC]

Man..those hands look really...cute! lol! Just joking right?
anyway, I probably should get started on some new sketches...
like what your'e doing. Keep it up man!

[MattLloyd]

Haha yeah, its a long and tedious story which essentially boils down to how funny me and a buddy thought this could look. Definitely get some more out, i feel so invigorated to be drawing again!

Thanks again dude

[ceriously]

You're right about this part of the forum being very fast-moving, but if you keep up this dailyness and go around to visit other people's sketchbooks (something of a give and you shall recieve concept here I think), more visitors will come eventually.

Unfortunately, I can't give you that much help in the crits department, but I like the first image a lot. Try to fit some life drawing into this regime even if it means taking your sketchbook on the bus with you or etc. Good luck and keep posting!

[MattLloyd]

Thanks nolarc, and dont worry, Im not fussed about how many comments I get or anything, its just good to know that if someone does have something constructive to tell me about my work they now have the chance to

Heres todays piece, again colours are very quick and a long way from perfect but Im just playing with colour at the moment:

Thanks

[Clodioz]

hey, welcome to CA!

Nice start for a sb,,, I would like to see #5 finished

keep showing us your work

cheers

[MattLloyd]

Thanks for the welcome! Id like to finish it, we'll see if I ever get the time

[MattLloyd]

Heres todays sketch, face hands and feet are obviously still very weak but i think im starting to get a grasp on form:

[MattLloyd]

Quick colours, I really need to get a tablet

[Blue Star]

Nice work on the latest picture. The pose is really good.

[smuli]

Nice start! I like the line shadings on the elephant mutant and the poses of the two first ones have nice attitude. On the last one though, I think his shoulder looks disjointed that far from the back and the further upper arm seems shorter. Cast shadows would also help convince the viewer the feet set right in perspective. I don't know if you've read some Loomis or Bridgman already but those would always help get more solid proportions and construction on the figures.

Looking forward to this book getting filled.

[loveandasandwich]

thanks for the comment in my sb!
wow, much kudos to you for coloring with a mouse!
i used to attempt to draw with a mouse, then get frustrated and kick something.
i actually like your very first drawing the most. I like the messy lines and the expression of her face.

[MattLloyd]

Thanks guys.

28chelseaslater: Yeah I know, its so frustrating, I think Im gonna get one soon though, going to san francisco in month so I might try and pic one up there

smuli: Thankyou for the kind words, your right about that whole shoulder/arm area being off, I so hadnt noticed that but it definately is! Thanks for the advice on the feet aswell, Im gonna use that ps Im also looking forward to getting it filled because hopefully then I will have improved a tiny bit

Heres todays, just a random study of the female form, the foremost leg seems very flat for some reason, not sure if anyone can help me out there? is it just not enough shading? I think Im starting to rush these which cant be good

Thanks again

[hmanafi]

i like your first post.practice everyday.
hey,your paint with mouse is very nice.
keep it up.

[stignr]

i`m no expert on shadow, but it looks like the shadow is a little wrong. The foremost leg looks little strange.

Keep up the good work.

[MattLloyd]

Thanks stignr, yeah that legs definately wrong, I think where I didnt put enough definition on the underside its not got enough volume? also i didnt shade the back leg behind the front knee which looks odd..

Heres another from yesterday, its still flawed but I think Im improving, should be doing something for today soon

Thanks!

[naomiful]

Great feel of line in your first post

You go to school for graphic communication, does your school have life drawing sessions? Those work well, when I had my first academic life drawing sessions I would also bring an anatomy book with me to explain some parts I was confused about, or ask the instructor

Also drawing from life, around malls, with friends, coffeeshops etc is a great way to train the eye quickly, you have to make decisions fast (like gesture and body movement) before they walk away hehe

Shading can be tricky, but you have to see the whole body as blocks of shape, maybe squinting to see basic 2-tones, then breaking down from there - don't be timid get some darks in the body, you can only learn from doing

So this all ties together eventually to become comfortable with drawing life, and nearly anything - academic book stuff, training the eye, and intuition of your own hand and mind for style and feel

Deep huh! hahaha - keep it up!

[iceman478]

Love your pencil work...especially your poses ..Your characters show big promise

[MattLloyd]

Thankyou both

Naomiful: Yeah there is life drawing, I did a block about a year ago but Ive been so busy and a bit naughty. Im definately gonna start hitting it every week though, its there and its going to be useful so Ive got to use it. I definately need to get out more and draw, like you say it should help my build up my skills in capturing gestures, also in my new piece Ive tried to get some darker tones in there, love to know what you think

So heres todays, I struggled with it and Im not entirely happy but there are elements Im pleased with, critics definately welcome:



Thanks!

[JPC]

i like the way you did her torso and buttocks, but the legs and arms seem a bit short, but definitely can see some improvement over the first posts.

[lefran]

Hey, thanks for stopping by my SB, theres some nice studies in here, arf colouring with a mouse cannot be easy!
Your a Uker right? said in my sketchbook youd not come across any, well heres a link to some more!
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...united+kingdom
regular meets and stuff are discussed there
Fran

[strybjorn]

you've got some good graphical lines to your work here, specifically the figure studies - i can certainly tell that you're studying graphic communication - the rendering on your last piece is really good and the way your dealing with light and shade is accomplished. theres some anatomy issues, but that will easily be ironed out the more life drawing and studying you do...

oh yeah, and seeing as you're a student - draw your arse off now! coz you'll have even less time when you're working...i wish i had drawn more at uni and it would be the biggest thing i would recommend to anyone...

a good start here, ill keep checking in...

[Matsign]

Hi Matt, nice start up here. Yep, do that live drawing. Plus an hour at a public place drawing regular people In the mean time, while drawing from the imagination, Use like shapes and forms and repeat them in your character design.

[MattLloyd]

Hello everyone, sorry Ive been pretty slack the past week or so, moving back to uni and Ive not been in the best health.

JPC Thankyou, I really feel like its helping

lefran I know, I know its a pain, I should be geating a wacom really soon though which is undoubtable awesome sauce

strybjorn Thankyou, Im definately gonna start taking the drawing as seriously as possible, it can be tough with essays and projects and deadline but Im sure its gonna be a lot harder when im done!

Matsign Thankyou, Im going lifedrawing tomorrow and hopefully will be doing a lot more from life rather than just photos aswel

Here my newest offering, Im quite fond of some of the mark-making even though its pretty poor anatomically, Lifedrawing tomorrow so should have a bit of a dump soon, also Im gonna get some hand studies on the go asap.



Thanks again everyone.

[The Crazy Dude SRD]

Very nice start here man; I think that you would improve by leaps and bounds solely by drawing more rather than rendering the image. If you have a chance, check out some of the old masters drawings; If you look really closely, they really woried on how the structure was more so than the rendering of the object. This is because they have really paid attention to the form and structure of the drawing and then with using only a few well placed tones in the right places to show light and dark on the form. at the most I've seen, you can pretty well get away with using two or three tones (excluding absolute white and absolute dark) to get the point across. I'd also like to ask... what sort of books do you have in your collection for art? Virtual or real don't matter.

[Smarty]

those last few female figures are really something, the weight falls pretty good and they seem planted. I cant see the same of the earlier male figures though, so maybe have another crack at them?

Where are you studying graphic communication ?

also, welcome