Chronicles of Jussi Tarvainen [Updated April 10th]

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 24th, 2008, 04:17 PM

Okay here's a bone... in the arm, can't remember what it's called in english. That's the next step

Now I just draw it from different angles. Life size skeleton used as reference. Need to work on my crosshatching skills.

Also daily portrait at:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...20#post1852520

**Vigilandus** · July 24th, 2008, 04:30 PM

Humerus bone. Anatomy! Good!
Keep practising the construction methods for the figure.

"Need to work on my crosshatching skills."

Nahh you'll get there, go study more form and construction, crosshatching is part of style (IMO) and you'll develope it by time.

What hardness pencil are you using? HB gives you full range of grays.

Good luck you.

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 25th, 2008, 12:35 AM

And there we go, you said it Vigilandus. Humerus bone, nice.
Will do!

I've been using 2b or HB

need to check. I think I need to set my self up for at least few different... HB, H B2 maybe.

Thanks Vigilantus

**Dannelf** · July 25th, 2008, 05:43 AM

Great! It's shown that you can control the edge of the pencil with your rendering! Don't worry!
Keep the studies coming, and be productive!
I will be watching you!

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 25th, 2008, 09:39 AM

Hey Dan, thanks for the nice words! I will for sure

**~Faust~** · July 25th, 2008, 04:48 PM

Great shading on those bones! I say, keep on pushing and drawing everything and everybody (Damn there's not much to say abuot what you should do, since you're SO on the right track right no!)

Whatever, when drawing, do some more measuring, pinpoint proportions. Use tools if you must, but remember that the most important tool is your guts. If something doesn't feel right, think and think and think and revise until it gets better. It's really about your own observation. The measring exercises help you seeing more things. And the construction exercises help you to feel your drawings.

Great work!

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 26th, 2008, 12:28 AM

Faust,

Man, thanks so so much! I really appreciate this coming from you

It's nice to hear that you think that. I think it took me a while to figure out what to study and how and I feel like now I have the right recourses and that I'm on the right track.

*Taking my "the things to remember when drawing" TODO list and adding another thing to remember*

Thanks for this one Faust. That's something I should do more in these stages still. I'll work on that.

**Quasi-almost** · July 26th, 2008, 12:41 AM

Looks like you have crosshatching down man, The bone looks nice, and a comment from Faust man ! Your looking up, keep it going ! Don't quit ! Good Idea about the list too, I'm stealing it.

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 26th, 2008, 12:53 AM

Totally, do it! I write list from every feedback I get and read it few times a day when I'm drawing so I could absorb all the feedback and learn as much from it as possible!

**humanNature6115** · July 26th, 2008, 02:04 AM

I see you are getting away from using symbolisim in you drawings.
Good job.

=================================

Sketchbook

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=120761

**purb36** · July 26th, 2008, 06:05 PM

yoooousa.

thx for stopping by my thread.

that is some nice shading on the bone. keep sending your drawings our way, and we'll do our best to help you out. by the way, that bone in english: humerous. take care dude!

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 27th, 2008, 06:57 AM

Yes sir, Loomis time. Spent my birthday at the zoo and trying to cope with the heat. Couldn't get any drawing done but I did read a bunch. Spent all yesterday drawing the head planes from Loomis book and hours today as well. Damned it was frustrating. Just could NOT figure out how the planes of the head work and I was concentrating too much what Loomis had drawn instead of trying to figure out how the planes on the head look. Well I kept pushing through the frustration and telling my self if I'm frustrated that just means if I push a bit further then I will learn something new and be that much closer to my dream. Today I still wasn't really getting it so I took some random magazine and placed the tracing paper on top of human heads and started to draw the planes on the heads. After a while it clicked for me and MAN WHAT A RELIEF after

for several hours

So what did I learn. Learn to love frustration and get exited when you get frustrated because that's a sign that you've hit the wall and if you keep pushing it, trying to climb over, dig under, go around, do what ever to get through that obstacle it means you've learned something new.

Oh and I also figured out how the planes on the head works

I'm a bit behind on my anatomy studies and daily portraits because of this but now I can go draw a few portraits because I have more info and tools to work with.

Cheers Loomis!

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 27th, 2008, 07:50 AM

Humannature6115: thanks man, slow progress but every step is closer to becoming a better artist right

purb36: You betcha. Thanks buddy, yes, please, critique is MORE than welcome

**Brun** · July 27th, 2008, 08:29 AM

Its really great to see u do so many sketches and studies they will help u allot in the end

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 27th, 2008, 04:14 PM

Brun, thanks a lot mate. Plan is to go step by step and build solid foundation. I think I've finally found the right things to study so now all I gotto do is execute it

Those Loomis studies are really helping I think. Now I see the face a totally different way. 2 new selfportraits at my daily self portrait thread at:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131692

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 28th, 2008, 02:54 PM

More Loomis studies today, a portrait study from life and a lot of reading and trying to figure out what Loomis is saying. Sooooo much to learn but trying to keep things compressed so I don't wander around too much in different areas and slow down the learning process.

Also daily self portrait at:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131692

**Kurjuus** · July 28th, 2008, 06:36 PM

Man, there's some great improvement in your lines and heads look very nice!
Keep on going like

**Quasi-almost** · July 29th, 2008, 09:47 AM

Yousa ! Your faces are getting awesome, you've been working really hard and it's showing ! Don't stop !

**Sedig** · July 29th, 2008, 09:39 PM

Well sir, you have a fantastic attitude. Inspiring, really.

In reading through your sketchbook I saw a few places where you wrote that you had trouble spending a long time on a piece. I don't know if you still struggle with this, but it is something that we all battle at one time or another. Your "never say die" attitude can and will get you through it. I find that the most important thing for me when working on a long study is not rushing. I try to remember that I have all the time in the world--even if I have to leave the piece alone for a while because of work/family/date/whatever, I can still come back to it later. I try to remember that there isn't any reason to hurry, and that the more I put into the piece, the more I will get out of it.

Continuing the thought- You do a lot of really great studies, and you have no trouble putting your nose to the grindstone. I'm suggesting some REALLY long studies. Five, ten hours, or even more. Not all at once (unless you want to), but maybe over the course of a week or two. Set up a still life, and take as much time as it takes to make it look as good as you can possibly make it, or maybe take an extra long time on a self-portrait. Take a drawing as far as you can. Test what you know, and then go further.

Good luck. I hope to more.

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 30th, 2008, 03:13 AM

Kurjuus, thanks mate! Slowly but surely.

Talkingjello, thanks for the nice words. Yes work hard and it'll pay off need to get back onto drawing board

Sedig, thanks mate!

I'll post some more stuff as soon as the CA.org file attachment thing is working again for me.

I think I got way better at it but what you are suggesting is a great idea. I've never pent probably more than 90 minutes no a drawing so it would be good idea to see where are my limits and push them. Really appreciate your advice!! Awesome, I'll start one today!!! Cheers mate!

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 30th, 2008, 07:39 AM

Okay so here's yesterday's work.

**Jussi Tarvainen** · July 31st, 2008, 03:50 AM

Loomis studies. Yep still going at it. Bone studies coming when I get that far in the Loomis book.

Daily self portrait:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...=131692&page=2

**minjarr** · July 31st, 2008, 12:15 PM

Yousa, your words are kind. Thank you.

you asked for a critique, I don't really critique people. I don't think that it can really ever be positive for the other person. I do though suggest studies that may help.

For me and many others, drawing from life is difficult, but at least there is some reference. Life is the teacher that we all need to take advantage of instead of looking to an individual for a "quick fix). All that I suggest for you is to buy a tiny cube at a store and carry it around everywhere. Know it, study it, light it, draw it, paint it. Make it different colors and then take it outside and paint it at different times of the day.

A cube is something that is equal lengths all around thus making it the only true measurement of life. If you can truly understand a block than you can truly understand, form, subtlety in gradation, perspective, color and many other things.

DO NOT think that this is an exercise for the new beginner. Many artists studied blocks their whole life trying to understand it completely. ex.Davinci, Monet etc.

It doesn't matter what you draw or paint as long as the concepts are learned. That's why a block is so useful, because it tends to simplify all that we as people complicate in our heads.

Doing the block will help with everything, like heads, and the human form. Bridgeman taught faces and bodies with only blocks first then moved on to the fancy parts.

Anway, sorry for such a long response, I haven't really told anyone this info as of late. Mostly, because nobody would believe me that a block is so important. But, it's what I do.

I hope that helped, if not just a little

good luck on your studies!!

**Jussi Tarvainen** · August 1st, 2008, 12:39 AM

Minjarr, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your advice. I had no idea that artists like Monet and Davinci had done this type studies but I can imagine it. Definitely made me realize I need to read more art history because there is so much to learn from it. After putting some thought to it, it started making so much sense. I will definitely get a cube and do some studies of it everyday. Thank you really for telling me this and explaining why it is so.

**Sedig** · August 1st, 2008, 04:16 PM

Keep on studying, my friend, and try to internalize what you can. Spend some time working from memory after you study--see what you know, and then fill the holes.

Also, great advice from minjarr. Something for me to try, I think.

**remmy** · August 2nd, 2008, 01:54 AM

Great studies here, it really shows in your self portrait thread. You should try some more free studies like animals and architecture or just draw random crap from your head. Just have more fun, allot of really good studies here though. Keep at it.

**Kurjuus** · August 2nd, 2008, 12:39 PM

A tip for taking photos of your drawings btw: either do them with daylight or two ligthsources, one left and one rigth from the drawing, at a quite flat angle towards the image surface. That should kill the highlights on your photos. They're pretty bugging for the viewer.

**thinairart** · August 2nd, 2008, 01:06 PM

Thanks for stopping by my sketchbook YuZa! I think you will learn a ton from Jon @ COA. No matter what our skill levels there is always something we can learn. I thought I was ready for painting until Jon critiqued my latest cast drawing and I realized there were a couple really important lessons I needed to learn first. You've been very active posting in your sketchbook, something I need to do more of myself, keep it up!... Can't wait to see your Bargue work start showing up in this thread, your going to start growing rapidly over the next few months.

**Sybo** · August 5th, 2008, 05:42 AM

Yuza,
Lots of sweat soaking these pages. I see you have found Lumis quite helpful, as I did. He is fantastic for foundational teachings of drawing, isn't he. So many artists swear by him it amazes me. I went through through a lot of what you are doing.

But be careful to focous on developing you style as well as building those foundations. Do some loose, fun stuff too (I'm sure what you are doing is fun, but just go crazy a bit and forget about other people's judgments for a few hours).

Good work Mate

**Jussi Tarvainen** · August 5th, 2008, 07:55 AM

Sedig: Thanks a lot for the advice, that's definitely what I need to do.

Remmy: I hear ya. Because I'm so bad at drawing still and want to learn the basics before drawing anything of my head that I feel reluctant to do it. Though every time I draw something off my head it seems to come out okay, so I definitely should do it more. Thanks for your comment!

Kurjuus: I know man. I have the worst photos. The lighting in my appartment is horrible and so is the lighting. Need to get another desk lamp for sure. THanks for your tips and for bringing this up I definitely need to address it now.

Reidaj: My pleasure. Yeah man Jon is the man! I've learned soooo much already. So glad I started it!
I'll start posting those soon

Can't wait to see your progress as well

Sybo: Totally agreed. I need to go back to more basics though still and get back to Loomis in a bit but he's stuff is amazing. Can't figure why he's books are sold in so few numbers nowadays?!?! Not so into reading from computer screen or the prints but what ever makes you learn right

Alrighty so here's some news why I haven't been posting in a bit. I've learned a ton how and what I should be doing. I'm so out of clue about the basic knowledge of drawing and I need to get a solid foundation which I can start to build upon. But first I need that foundation.

So I've started and online art atelier style school www.classicalartonline.com. The teacher is the MindCandyMan from CA.org and you should check out he's journey here. Anyways I will learn different tradition mediums with traditional ways to study and learn how to see things like an artist should etc. So far it has been amazing and I've learned a ton in just a few days!

So on the side of studying with him I am also learning perspective and human anatomy. First I am tackling perspective full on. I have a great book called Creative Perspective for artists and illustrators by Ernest Watson. And also got DVD's from draw123.com. I will be using those for quite some time until I've learned perspective in and out. Reason why I'm starting with perspective is because it applies into everything. You will understand mass and form a lot better and understand how to draw bones, muscles etc. from different views and sizes etc. So perspective will make anatomy easier for me.

Those are the things I'm concentrating probably for the next few years depending on how long it takes to learn everything.
So it means less updates here. At least for the little while. I am creating a new thread for the Online atelier studies but perspective stuff will be too boring for you guys to look at and I can use the time to draw more.

So this thread will be revived again after I get back to anatomy etc.

Thanks for all the feedback and critique, it has helped me IMMENSELY and I appreciate it so much!

See you around!