Sketchy Cohen

**Cohen** · July 25th, 2008, 02:38 PM

Welcome. I'm really serious about becoming a better artist so please leave some feedback if you drop by. If you can't critique, at least let me know what you think I'm doing right.

**bluefruitbowl** · July 25th, 2008, 03:05 PM

Hello, great start.
check out posemaniacs.com, there's a 10-15-30-45-60 sec timer/ pose changing thingy that is great for doing gesture drawing, loosening up, understanding human figures. Also, anatomy/ figure drawing books - andrew loomis and george bridgeman are ones that i've liked.
Seems like you've got a decent eye for drawing what you see from photos. Try doing some self portraits with a mirror.

**chuck18mp** · July 25th, 2008, 03:54 PM

Nice start!

**photosynthesis** · July 25th, 2008, 03:56 PM

Nice work, you should go track down some volunteers to pose for you, drawing from life is much better practice than from photographs. Otherwise bluefruitbowl is right, self portraits in a mirror. Keep drawing.

**Cohen** · July 25th, 2008, 04:41 PM

Bluefruitbowl -- Thank you so much, I have been looking for something like that website for a while. I am pretty much addicted to it. I picked up a figure drawing book while I'm waiting for my town's ONE AND ONLY art store to order "Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist" by Peck. The first sketch is from one such book. I have to admit I have never thought of the mirror idea, I will give it a try. Thank you again.

Chuck -- Thank you.

Photosynthesis -- I am trying to get some volunteers. I have had little experience with drawing from life and I agree, it really beats the shit out of drawing from pictures.

**Cohen** · July 25th, 2008, 04:48 PM

I have a few questions I'd like to put out there to anyone who happens upon my sketchbook.

How do I go about getting models? I'm not talking about nude. Apart from the obvious answer of friends, what do I do if I'm at a park or a coffee shop and I see a situation I might want to draw. Is it horribly inappropriate to just start drawing? do I ask first? should I be slapped for even thinking I can just draw whoever I want?

any answers are appreciated.

**Soft_Hands** · July 25th, 2008, 05:16 PM

Get some sunglasses and a small sketchbook if you want to draw people in public. The closer they are, the higher the threat of them ripping up your pages.

**Cohen** · July 26th, 2008, 06:14 AM

Thanks to bluefruitbowl I have been addicted to a beautiful website called posemaniacs.com all day (using the 30 second drawing app). here are some of the results. I plan on putting up more results up after a week to review my progress. if you see mistakes just tear into it, let me have it. NO MERCY!

Oh and thank you soft hands for suggesting I go covert ops on some unwitting pedestrians. I will try your techniques soon.

**Cohen** · July 27th, 2008, 08:20 PM

change of plans. I'm going to seattle for the week and I won't have much time to do figure drawings. So I'm posting up my progress so far. please tell me how I'm doing and what I need to do to improve. sorry the pages are cut off, I'm using a really big sketchbook. Critiques please!

**Cohen** · August 4th, 2008, 07:42 PM

i am signing up in the mentor page and i thought i would just throw the piece i am using into my sketchbook too. yeah it's bad, that's why i need mentoring. so if you want to give me some much appreciated help, mentor me. oh and plain old critiques right here are appreciated too. more art coming soon for you to yell at.

**photosynthesis** · August 4th, 2008, 08:23 PM

Understanding you need a mentor is good, you will improve. However, saying your artwork sucks is a waste of time, make it better, or just let it suck and get over it! Don't put your self down, and don't fish for complements, ask questions, pay attention, and draw, you clearly have skills that shouldn't go to waste. This is an attitudinal critique. Keep on drawing, and posting, you will improve!

**Cohen** · August 4th, 2008, 08:35 PM

thank you again photosynthesis. you are right. i am not happy with my work right now but the only way to improve is to keep at it. and it is just a waste of time to put it down.

so following your advice, here's some of the sketches and studies i've been doing over the past week.

critiques and tips welcome as always.

**Cohen** · August 5th, 2008, 03:42 AM

it's my face. i'm in shock or something. haha.

**Gadbury** · August 5th, 2008, 05:49 AM

Thanks for stopping by my sketchbook, and for the comment - Good start with the anatomy studies. I noticed an improvement with post number 12, some nice shading on the hand, and the lines look more confident. Keep posting often

**Cohen** · August 5th, 2008, 03:52 PM

thank you, Mr. Gadbury. i've really been working at anatomy so it's good to hear i'm making some progress.

**Cohen** · August 5th, 2008, 03:55 PM

more poses from posemaniacs! it looks weird because my scanner doesn't handle my sketchbook very well and i have to turn the contrast up. but it's not like they're finished pieces, so no harm done.

**gmags** · August 5th, 2008, 11:55 PM

Hey Cohen, thanx for stopping by my SB!!! Now yours, really like the way you fill a page with those anatomy studies. If I could make a suggestion, it would really help your drawings if you go really dark. I did the same thing when I started out. Doing a scale from pitch black to white on the side would help you see the shades and then apply them it to your drawings. Try to use pencils from let's say 4H to an 8B would bring more contrast to your stuff. I hope this helps you abit bro. Keep uploading more of your stuff kid!!

**Cohen** · August 6th, 2008, 01:05 PM

thank you, gmags. good call. i just looked at my work and realized i could go much darker to give myself a wider range of shades. that's what i'll work on today.

in the meantime, here are two from-life drawings: my friends, Kellen and Hannah.

**Cohen** · August 7th, 2008, 04:27 AM

okay here's a few more from-life drawings.

subjects are the same as last time and the last one was done while watching a movie with the lights off so it's not so accurate.

**Cohen** · August 7th, 2008, 02:09 PM

Here's some Bridgman sketches.

i love how rolling and bubbly his lines are. they make his human forms look very organic. okay, any help or comments are welcome.

**Cohen** · August 8th, 2008, 05:03 AM

Here is another from life drawing as well as just what the doctor ordered: an image catered to my darker side.

thanks to gmags for the suggestion to get in touch with my darkest darks.

oh and one last thing; I have decided to do a digital painting of the art that pops up on my igoogle "art of the day" tab every day. This will hopefully help me figure out colors and composition and just the whole digital technique in general. So here is number one, Andrew, by Masaccio.

this is like my second or third digital painting btw so i'm obviously going to need some heavy critique-ing.

**Cohen** · August 9th, 2008, 02:53 AM

here was todays igoogle art of the day.

it's called "heads on the wall of..." something by holofernes.

i left off the left side of the painting which consisted of a horrible pink castle. haha

**Cohen** · August 10th, 2008, 12:18 AM

Rest in peace, Bernie.

**N A Johnson** · August 10th, 2008, 12:48 AM

Studies are looking good; keep on them.

One thing you might consider with your digitals is to color or tone your ground before you begin painting. When you are not painting on a bright white ground, it is easier to apply your values and could also make the image more interesting. I think the Bernie Mac portrait would especially benefit from a colored background.

Keep drawing and posting.

**Cohen** · August 10th, 2008, 08:20 PM

ex nihilo -- thanks. i've been told the same thing before. i agree that the bernie mac one could benefit from a colored background. the others are more like studies so i don't really care how they look as finished pieces, you know? but from now on i will throw down some color on the background.

**Cohen** · August 10th, 2008, 11:11 PM

this is just a quick piece from my mind I did because I felt like using a colored pencil.

not really that happy about it, but not every page in a sketchbook is perfect, right?

**.desk** · August 10th, 2008, 11:15 PM

Berrrrniiieeeee T_T

**Cohen** · August 11th, 2008, 03:54 AM

i drew this guy about one year ago.

**smuckers** · August 11th, 2008, 04:22 AM

Every sketch you don't like makes your triumph of progress all the more better when you look back..

**Radio24** · August 11th, 2008, 03:31 PM

keep up the sketches! the life drawings are going to help you tremendously.
looking at them, you should remember some things: always check the area you are drawing in comparison with the whole piece. Don't get so focused on an area that you can't see the whole picture. This will help with propoer positioning and proper proportions. Also, keep measuring those Angles! Check them a few times before making marks, and even make a line to follow. This is especially apparent on your faces, profiles in particular. Remember the underlying structure.
... I still haven't looked up posemaniacs... but everyone's drawing it! what to do... keep up the life drawing!
Good work, keep it up