beginning of a long way... (mild nudity)

[shiNIN]

Celebrating the new page (well the 37th isn't such a big deal and it doesn't matter anyway... whatever), here's a rare thing, I grabbed an old wip and worked on it. Yay. The colors are hard as almost always when I draw a colored portrait...
Rembrandt Peal: Thomas Jefferson.
I messed it up in February, now I fixed a few things. Thanks to Tegaki E, I was able to use fixed opacity brushes almost all the time but this face could use some fancy one as well... But I don't worry about it now.
Just a little work today, so it's still quite rough.

[Lightship69]

"wow lookit pretty colours!!"

See how easy it is to make me happy!? I like the guy it sort of looks like George washington to me but I could be wrong so any Americans looking in I'm just sorry ok!? but it does look like him to me (bear in mind I have previous convictions for being a bit thick!).
The faces are ok and have a good solid believable quality to them, but I am not a good person to ask about anime characters. I Love Manga films and that kind of stuff but it seems like a step back for someone as good as you.

Keep grinding those skills matey and all the very best to you and yours!

P.S. Happy Easter!

[shiNIN]

Lightship:

If I remember correctly, this Jefferson portrait is way different than other Jefferson portraits, well I don't care, I just liked the face

Step back? Don't worry, I'm not that into anime faces - I like anime but not the faces, well yeah, they can be nice but the eye position and the no curving face annoys me. I prefer normal, real heads Cartoony features are okay as well but there are limits, I like when eyes are where eyes should be, one eye gap between them and so on.
But. I'm unskilled and there are fun factor when I need heavy stylization... I try to draw Meuko normally but I didn't desinged her yet and even so, it's zillion times quicke and easier to draw her in the way I did till now. I do my best to change things, include sholders, using thinner lines, I like to use shading, I did that in my old Tegaki days as well (especially when my linework was too ugly ), maybe I will try to draw without lines... I definitely will change this and that, perspective, whatnot... I want to improve now. Not just fooling around. I always took my Tegaki drawings quite seriously. I RPd using 30-45 minutes on a post... And I posted more than 10000, well the faces were quicker... usually... Hands and poses were hard... Mmmm.

I feel reborn, have some lack of sleep and... somehow... I still don't draw. But I keep fighting so I will win.

Thanks, Happy Easter to you too even if it's passed already

No pic, sorry, next time.

[shiNIN]

My spirit was great today. I was away but I came back before evening feeling great, perfect this far.
Self discipline aka how many hours I actually draw when I sit down to draw: the usual low level.
Looking at the WHOLE picture and notice proportion problems early: the usual very low level.
Fighting with brushes: I didn't really fight, I focused on more important things but I had problems in the end. It was cool in the beginning, I used pressure sensitive brushes and still it wasn't too soft. I play with opacity now, even for a pressure sensitive brush.

Lighting is confusing, light comes at least from 2 directions, I think there's a subtle third one, probably just some reflected light... A single light source would be hard enough, I didn't even try to think too much about it

I didn't see the eyes well in that resolution and it shows.
It's hard when the reference is in color and its size are way different than my drawing. I do that a lot.

I'll draw it again, in a sketchy way, from memory, I'm not too confident but my memory is better now even if I don't memorize in an oh so very conscious way.

I like to think, analyze, consciously understand. Sometimes I just do strokes and it's fine but it's uncomfortable too. I want to understand everything I do. Is it a problem? I always felt my mind that's good for programming, is a problem when I draw. Sometimes no, sometimes definitely.

Wip I guess but I wanna draw several refd heads, not one once in a while. I'm impatient I know. I keep drawing ~

[ashess]

Hey shin. yep i totally understand what tou are saying. its hard to give feedback without thte original there. maybe even add a greyscale thumb? i'd also like to see this mystic 'level you wanna be at' do you have any examples of work you'd wish you'd done yourself?

[Nemome]

Oh dear
You ARE doing fine. Just be patient and keep concentrating on understanding.
Beautiful paintings will come along with better skill.

What helped myself was to do a few blending exercises with different settings. Just too see with what setting I get the most smooth transition and stuff like that.
As a result I found out that Opacity to Pen pressure AND lowering the opacity manually gives me the most smooth transition.

So just try things out and have fun.

Sil

[shiNIN]

ashess: It's totally mystic, I can't pick examples.. But a near pro level portrait, my inner critic would be pleased with that As for me, any level up. A big level up. Whatever it is. My best photo refd stuff drawn by myself would be a lil too much... Though... maybe... some parts would be better with understanding than copying... I unavoidably put my knowledge into my refd stuff though...
But it's not so important what I would be happy with. I wanna DO it, quickly.
I included my ref this time. Refs. They ruin everything in the end. Sometimes I did some not too bad painting but when I put my ref next to it, the differences jump to me. I don't mind differences and I sometimes inentionally change things but when I want to grasp the exact same expression...

Oh weh! Oh weh! Oh weh! {Die Zauberflöte quote. I love that opera.}



Silwynar: I feel like a lil kid, the same enthuasm and patience
I don't want smooth things, there are much more basic things and I love the sketchy, few strokes sketches anyway (I so don't have skills for that yet, my stuff is kinda ugly in the first half an hour at least). Nice blending will be important later. And fancy skin texture brushes. And things I don't want to think about.

I know so nothing compared to what I need and want and wish.
I feel tiny and so am I. I know I should start seriously sooner but I couldn't.
But it's nice to feel I was a lil idiot. I missed that feeling. It's a good sign. I always had these lucidum intervalla... When I perfectly see how wrong I am. But it tends to pass before I could take action. Or the action proves it's not enough to see well.

[LtPlissken]

The beer destroyed me so hard yesterday, that I forgot
why did I came here. Some old spirits and saints appeared
in the corner of my room. I was talking to them, but they acted
unreasonably. Mindboggling is the word, cause it is one of your
favorite words. I hope that you have rided hard. Your motorcycle today.
I like what I see you know, your values and face renders became
much much better than earlier. You are the top prong of
this futuristic time machine. Take care my dear.

[PeterPrime]

Nicsak, egy másik magyar! Nem gondoltam volna, hogy találok ezen az oldalon.

Gratulálok a kitartáshoz és fejlődéshez! Egyre jobb és jobb képek születnek. Csak így tovább!

(Oh another hungarian! Never thought I'd meet one on this site. Congratulations on your determination and improvements! You're drawing better and better pictures. Keep it up!)

[Lav]

Love the portraits!

[L4xord]

You've improved SOOOOO much from the page #1!!

[shiNIN]

Plissken: Not quite that day, but the one after it. I rode it about 200 kms, in light rain and in Budapest, well I'd prefer heavy rain with strong wind over our capital... I can handle normal towns but that crazy hectic traffic isn't for me.
Mindboggling is nice but I like "male bonding" better. I always say it whenever my boyfriend is petting our part time tomcat.
It's really great to share all this information with you.

PeterPrime: Vagyunk páran Itt van pl. Macska, aki nem is rejtegeti túlzottan

Lav: Thanks.

L4xord: One reason I wonder if I should make a new sketchbook when I will start drawing seriously is avoiding such comments (they don't annoy me, just they are so obvious). My first page is quite a few years old (I don't remember how many), I hope I improved... I know I did but I don't see it so much. Back then, I did DSGs... I stopped doing own things since and it's bad. I learned a lot but I didn't really use my knowledge yet. And my knowledge is soooo limited anyway, of course.

I was busy/tired/unwell/lazy in the last days (did gardening too), I was on an anime con yesterday. I dyed my hair, it looks eggplant colored now. I usually go with very deep red (a brighter one would be impossible for my dark hair anyway). I planned a self portrait after dying my hair... Oh my. I need some good lighting...

As I planned, I drew that man from memory. It was a very quick stuff and I merely used my short term memory, lighting and face structure was too unusual to me, I wouldn't be able to figure it out by myself.


Lazy thing, I actually did to try to figure out things, so I wasn't in "copying mode". I could do it better but I want to learn instead. Why is that so hard I wonder.


A quick photo refd enviro, I drew this before. I felt it will be so weak, there are details and things I want to do with some fancy brush, I search for one and fail anyway... So it wasn't _that_ quick. In the end, I just grabbed my usual brush and played with it for a few minutes or even less. I hope my next one will happen soon and will be better, but it's practice even if my patience was tiny.


Maybe I can draw later, now some more gardening.

[Lightship69]

Hi matey
I really like the quick paint of the stream thats rather nice is that my dear!! I get a good sense of form and depth too so well done with that

thats all going away again now, love to you and BF and all the best as usual.

[A-May]

Hey shiNIN, I finally turned up here (: Your work is so inspiring! You have beautiful studies and your finished pieces are really awesome and well executed, I'm really grateful for the feedback you've been giving me, I feel honored to have a fantastic artist like you helping me! Anyways, please don't feel unmotivated, if you can't keep going for yourself, or for a deadline, how about us fans? P: Anyways I'm gunna keep popping back in here cause it's doing a lot for my motivation too, I'm hoping I can get good like you (:

[LtPlissken]

You know how to do sweet things sweeter.
Steve Roberts reminds me on Brad Pickett or on Johnny Depp.
But more on Johnny Depp. Actually I made a bet
that it's Johnny Depp, but looks like I lost it.

[Black Spot]

You got the nose better in the memory one, so don't knock it. Also the form of the head was better. Both the ref'ed and the memory make it a bit short and square - he's got a long face. Do more of the same.

[shiNIN]

I rarely feel this close to Nihil. I rarely draw this little. It was a very scary crisis (well one can't get scared in Nihil, it's the worst of the whole thing. You just watch as your life is eating away... *shudder*). I think if I don't fly up now, I will run away from drawing and I have no idea what would happen with my life then.

Today was a bit better.
But I'm still very rusty.


Lightship: Thanks. Yes, I was able to salvage it in my final "I don't care just put some strokes here and there quickly" mode. When I can enter this mode, it's always cool, I'm quick, have fun and easily do better than other times. It's the complete opposite of the sweathy stiff struggle.

Plissken: It's Johnny Depp, the caricaturist is Steve Roberts. Sorry for confusing you The caricature is very good, mine doesn't resemble Depp that much.

A-May: My reaction (poor heads would deserve more care...):

Why would you think I'm better than you I wonder. I won't start to say my own opinion of myself but I don't think I'm an artist yet. If I get serious and actually practice, I will consider myself a beginner artist. Not yet.

Black Spot: I will ~




I tried to draw a face. By myself, kind of. I used some photos but very slightly, the result is very different and my brain behaved when I don't use a reference. I got tired.
I never felt better I lack at the very basics. I know zillion tiny things about details but drawing a head sketch from some imple angle... I'm really bad at that.



Today. I sucked epically.


Just now. I think I'm not that rusty as before but I'm not pleased, of course. Refd, Korean girl again.


Okay, now I shouldn't stop and I will reach my usual warmed-up state. I need to climb higher from that. I've fed up with falling again and again.

[Satu]

Man I feel like there are so many same things happening here that is in my sb. Meaning that you are struggling with the same things that I and just trying to desperately understand things. I laughed when I saw your enviro piece-thought about the brush since that's exactly what usually happens to me too. I want to try out new cool brushes but in the end I just end up playing with the one and the same. I like the colors in that piece by the way. I think you are very good at drawing faces from reference. The likeness is always good. Also I like how you did the same portrait from memory afterwards. That feels like a really good exercise in actually trying to understand things! I should try that too.

Please don't run away. It was bad enough that you didn't post in few days, it really gets lonely. I mean it feels better to do these things with someone instead of posting by myself every day. I mean I know there are people posting but I always just feel so inspired of your many studies and just feel cool kind of working together with you, in a sence. If you know what I'm saying (I don't even know what I'm trying to say). I wish it would be possible to skip those bad days but I guess they too are very important for learning. I love the expressions on these faces you posted. I'm really bad at those myself. I also feel your problem with drawing the face from head. I feel the same. I just haven't gotten there yet with the basic structure things. But I think we will get there sooner or later! Also I know I should do more faces from head too. I think yours looks pretty good. The values would need more attention (exactly the same problem that I have with my own works).

Anyways sorry about this long posting Just keep climbing back up every time you fall, and keep drawing. There's no other way to do it. Somehow we will make it there in the end I'm sure. And together the journey feels better too.

[LtPlissken]

A few nights ago, you appeared in my dreams.
That could mean that there are hard times ahead.

[shiNIN]

Satupeikko: The fancy brushes thing is true sometimes too but this time I had a hard time with colors and "how to approach this scene with zillion rocks and trees and whatnot". What to leave, what to draw, how to paint a sketch that isn't a mess... I'm not used to enviros very much and even if I draw one, I tend to choose a simple one...
That man face was the first one I drew from memory afterwards. I know very well I should do that but doing it another after I got bored with it and stopped the first one.. I'm not cut out for that. It's a big step I drew gesture sketches over and over again
I think I'd prefer to draw it not in copying mode the first time. I don't like my brain activity when I copy. I analyze and understand but if I look at the original a lot, my brain got lazy and my memory goes on holiday...
I don't think I need the inactive bad days Struggling but drawing is fine but I wanna draw and draw and draw! And feeling great all the time. Is it that much to ask?
When I'm warmed up, I feel good enough while drawing
How can I write infinite amounts here I don't know... I better stop now. Thank you for your post. Sweet posts are nice when I'm down but there are much better when I'm already well. I LOVE doing enjoyable things when I already feel good. I'm a hedonist, after all. And I need company. I like the personal sketchbooks and comments the best.

Plissken: Oh no, I had enough hard times! Or is it for you? What about being happy together and having our best art period ever both? I'd even share my Russkij Standard with you, it's my favourite vodka at the moment and I have a new bottle, I'm trying this out now ~

Hi people, I feel great! Did you know there is Oreo Milka? Omnomnom.
And I bought several new thin markers and brush pens It's time to draw something with them.

I started to draw another pink haired blurryness, this time it's a front view (tilted down), maybe I won't mess up this one. But I didn't see the nose this time either so I searched a bit. I found a better photo, the face was great there, too bad the colors were crazy yellow and orange, burned... I'm not good at doing the skin coloring by myself... And it isn't similar enough to the original :-/
Whatever, I upload it because I feel like it and I don't want my cute friend, Satupeikko to feel lonely


EDIT:
I worked another hour on it. I was desperate; I tried to use all my copying skills in zoomed in mode, I even looked at the whole and stuff. In the very end, using just a few minutes it got much better. Still nothing like the sweeeeeet original, mind you.


EDIT2:
I really should use my eyes to see... I drew something else (the same girl but I used other photos) then I made my longer study better. I hate move features. Why can't I see them well in the first place? I really try but I can't and rendering can make things worse because I don't focus on the whole thing that well.


Still oh so totally a wip. I don't accept such a result as final.

[Guardian G.I.]

Hmm, by the time I was absent, you've significantly improved your faces. That's badass. If only I had your dedication to improving...

(sorry if I sound strange, it 3 AM and I'm on the verge of collapsing from sleep deprivation)

[shiNIN]

Guardian G.I.:
Did I? I rarely look back but my inner critic has an idea about my level where I should be so he thinks I definitely suck.
My better faces look way too much time too.
I mess up proportions epically.
I need practice, a level up and after then we can talk about my face drawing skills
I dunno about my dedication either, maybe it shows I really want to improve - but I don't go with my all. It's a very awkward situation but I'm getting more serious (with occassional inactive waves in between, just to make my life less boring).
Aww, I'm sorry, it's what on my mind so I can't write a post without mixing it in...


I keep drawing Lee (the Korean singer). I'd unbelievably hard. Normally, I don't need to redraw face features this many times


Oh and I chose a not easy enviro for Tegaki where even colors are limited, not mentioning brushes. Sometimes I like challenges too much. It's awful at the moment but I will switch to PS for this piece. I expect my enviros to be bad for a while (it heavily depends on the ref, of course) but I can level up easily because I'm so unskilled at them. Enviros can make my life easier after tricky Korean eyes - and they are useful anyway.


I don't find my cloud photos I did a lot of though, well some of them is still in raw format on cards. And I can't shot new ones anyway, we have the same time clouds around here all the time. Still, I hate when things just disappear when I want to use them

[Black Spot]

What is too much time? This isn't a race. Get things right slowly at first and then speed will follow eventually. Get things wrong and no matter how many time you quickly sketch it, it's not going to improve that much. Draw smart, draw right.

[Guardian G.I.]

ShiNIN, where do you get the photos for your portrait studies?

[shiNIN]

Black Spot: It's true in general, it's not even a big deal that this koreal gal was much slower than my usual referenced faces. But it was a struggle and a hit and miss method. When spending 1 hour having a sketch that isn't an improvement compared to nothing and I need to completely redraw it, it's disappointing. Especialy after so much wasted time in the last years. Something changed, I'm in a mood when I desire to draw. No matter what the topic is. It's a blessed state, I'm not used to it. I need to hurry and draw a lot, maybe it can't fly away overnight then. I need to see much stuff I've just did too. I had too dark times when I barely drew. The next day my critic will say I totally must do something decent by myself and it will be just the beginning...
Maybe it's not so easy to be me but I feel kinda good now

Guarian G.I.: Mostly from the Net. I used old books before. For my pencil heads, newspapers... I'm not particularly choosy.

It was a nice day, I'm a bit unfocused, I want to do everything I did a lot of tiny sketches that aren't worthy to show, just side effects of studying.
I think I won't work on this girl anymore:


I wished to do something different. I used my favourite fractal pic as reference. I need to do it again.

[Ramalooke]

Who, it was a while since I was here last time xd. Good stuff lately, you working hard, that's for sure. I like how you convinced form on this one http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...gfx/emese2.jpg

Try to pay more attention to edges (hard vs soft) and keep pushing. Cheers

[Zporpnitteg]

Very inspirering to see where you started. and where you are today!

[Satu]

Hey girl, how are you doing? Are you feeling alright? Why no updates for almost a week? I did something shiny to cheer you up, blin bling

I like these Lee portraits you made. I'll be waiting for more cool stuff!

[shiNIN]

I lost my post. I'll be quick then. I wasn't very long anyway.

Ramalooke: Thanks. I've read about hard vs soft edges a few times, it interests me a lot but it always seemed so pro and distant, I don't know how to do it...

Zporpnitteg: It's because I started a long time ago and was stubborn since then. I really don't improve quickly.

Satupeikko: I'm sorry... The reason will follow.


I lost my will to drawing, like, completely, a few days ago.
I'm curious and ever and serious and somewhat patient so maybe I will do anatomy studies (I better do them... they are the easiest to do for me because anatomy is so interesting, if I start to study, I can't stop Looking is okay, drawing is another thing).
I don't know what will happen.

My sticker on Teresa, ugly numbers drawn with a little stick, only one paint was fit for the role, my beautiful marker numbers came off in an instant. Not like it's visible on this photo... Behind Teresa, my own bike, Ciliegia can be seen:


I had an arm anatomy day. It was good.

[LtPlissken]

Your motorcycle have just sang a new song;
it's time to ride again. And to draw.