I should know this stuff by now. . . .

[Laylo-Dred]

This is my first attempt to actively participate in the CA forums. I hope this is the correct way to start a sketchbook thread.

I have been drawing since I was in fifth grade so I guess that made me. . . nine years old. Before then I didn't even like to color. Ever since my first drawing of disney's sleeping beauty I have wanted to draw really well. I mean I want to be scary good.

Since I have been laid off, I am taking this time to finally get that good. I am not foolish enough to think that I can really make a living with my limited talent but a little pocket change someday will be just fine.

Anyway to get this thing started I am uploading a couple of recent sketchbook drawings and the digitally colored versions just to demonstrate my strengths and limitations after years of doodling.


The one at the top is the painted version. The one at the bottom is from my sketchbook. I except for the hands I didn't have a reference for this image which explains the wackyness but I tried.

[Laylo-Dred]

For this image I was trying to depict a character that would be great at telling stories of adventure to little fairy kids in fairy kindergarten. Stupid I know but that was what I was thinking when I drew it. I completed the color with a limited palette of warm earthy colors while trying to develop a style to mimic water color illustration.

[zou]

Hi and welcome to CA

Nice start, your painting are rich and pretty finished.
I like your traditional look you give to this last painting


"my limited talent"
sorry to be so rude for your first post, but this is the 'stu*****' thing i ever read. Talent is just a word used by non-artists to describe a finished and good quality art.There is no way to detect if a person has it or no. When you begin practicing art, you assume you have it and forget about it.Many people here start with zero level to perfection level.

check mindycandyman (who is now instructor)
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=870


This said: your rendering pretty good and with more work and studies it will be awesome.
just keep posting and do some anatomy/Life studies.

[jackpot_anjr90]

Nice stuff! I love the picture at the bottom And I have to agree with zou. It's not talent that measures your skill...it's your dedication and willingness to become better. Hard work gets you much farther than natural talent.
Keep it up!

[Laylo-Dred]

These are two pencil sketches i did in today. The one of the fake flowers in a vase was finished just a few minutes ago. I have not done a still life in so long I forgot how incredibly dull they are for me. So I did the lady with the gun. This is the first attempt to show any real perspective in my drawing. She will be colored in PS in a few days. I drew the lady with the gun while thinking about how much i hate my ghetto ass neighbors. I just want to bust a cap in their asses.


First I have to find out where to get a cap and then they had better watch out cause I bustin' it. That's it I'm finished.

[Laylo-Dred]

This is the colored sketch of the drawing inspired by my ghetto assed neighbors. I didn't intend to spend as much time painting this as I did.. I know that there are anatomy problems But I have a hard time with human anatomy which is why I started this sketchbook thread in the first place. I would like any tips on this piece. Foreshortening hates me.

This is not intended as a finished piece.

[Laylo-Dred]

Sargent's Lady Agnes.

My goal is to understand the color scheme and composition of this work. I have always been fascinated by Sargent's use of contrast regarding brush strokes as well as value. So I thought that I would give it a try.


This is after two hours of work.

[Laylo-Dred]

After another two hours

[Laylo-Dred]

Redefined the image size. And I began color correction. The skirt and hanging arm are giving me fits. I am not using the color picker or tracing the image directly from the original.

Here is another hour of my life.

[Demodeus]

Hi! Thanks for visiting my sketchbook ;D

The study you're doing already looks very nice, i would like to see how close you can bring it to the original, if you spent a little more time on it : )

[pauscorpi]

i like the expressions of your character and the mushroom fairy is so charming

[ahlacebai]

Hi there, and thanks again for stopping by my sb. Can see now what you were saying about the sides of the face. Somehow looks much more pronounced in the final rendering (#6), while I probably won't notice it all in the sketch.

[Laylo-Dred]

yet another hour of my life and still I am not close to finished. I am losing my confidence with this piece. Also included a male head sketch in PS as well.

[Laylo-Dred]

I am still working on my figure drawing. But I love to paint so here are my latest efforts of each. As you can see I have a thing for fairies. The title is Fall and this image represents the coming season and the fairy that ushers it in. She is shown just waking up and stretching in the morning sun.

[Laylo-Dred]

In the spirit of halloween I have been drawing the most icky things. This used to be my favorite holiday but since living in my current city I am so afraid all the time. Especially around halloween. the closer it gets the less I sleep and the angrier I get.

[Laylo-Dred]

There is nothing like good old pencils and paper to remind me that I have to work on breaking bad habits. These are quick sketches from a random magazine I had around the house. The light is not all that great for pencil work but that is not the problem. on paper I can't transform images and correct my habit of skewing everything to the right. But I learned a lot with these images.


I am not really confident with noses so I tried several types. Also I am not good with open mouths so I tried drawing them hanging open. What do you think? progress? or regress?

[Laylo-Dred]

Figure drawing continues to be my weakest area. Not that i have mastered any other areas.

Below you will find my attempts to understand the human torso and how it moves in space. I decided a while ago to focus on the torso and how it bends in space to describe the dynamics of an image. I figure it is easy to slap a head and some limbs on it to complete the pose.

The second is a long assed head for no reason other than I was too lazy to map out the features. I just wanted to get on with the rhythmic movement of the shading process.

[Laylo-Dred]

studies and figuring stuff out. I am trying to figure out proportions and how to get the eyes o sit back in the head. Help

[Laylo-Dred]

My computer was down for a while which forced me to go back to traditional. I had forgotten how much I enjoy getting my hands dirty.

The anatomy is still wack but it shows that I am learning.

[Laylo-Dred]

I got totally inspired by Avatar's blue skin. I love fairies and elves and colored pencil. I am not perfect yet but who needs to be. Comments are welcome.

[Laylo-Dred]

I have noticed that traditional in some ways forces me to make more thoughtful artistic decisions. The power of the undo button has caused me to develop the habit of going on visual tangents that i eventually abandon. The time wasted is enormous. In traditional medium an artist can't simply go back to some creative save point. Often one must start completely over. I particularly enjoy relatively unforgiving media like water color, ink or color pencils. Even with the slower application process the overall rendering is ultimately shortened and can be in some ways more efficient.

With all this talk one would think I were a master draftsman. Alas I am just a laid off art teacher with a dream. Here are a couple of small scale sketches (4 x 6 inches) Nothing fancy just color pencil and ink fun.

[Laylo-Dred]

With work and family I don't really have time for art these days. So i keep a small sketchbook by my bed with a set of markers and color pencils. over the course of a week I can have maybe one respectable doodle. here is the result of about two months of such bedside doodles.

Leave a comment if you wish.

[Sonia Leticia]

Great illustrations - I think the one in post #2 is the best one so far. Hope you can get back to doing some more soon.

[Laylo-Dred]

Pencil and marker form imagination. Another bedside doodle.

[T.CAT]

Thank you for reply me.

And Your works are very good~

[Obacmar]

For this image I was trying to depict a character that would be great at telling stories of adventure to little fairy kids in fairy kindergarten. Stupid I know but that was what I was thinking when I drew it. I completed the color with a limited palette of warm earthy colors while trying to develop a style to mimic water color illustration.

That is a solid character design and the rendering is very nice. Real, professional job