Head Drawings, Oil Sketches, and Quick Poses

[RaphaelMayer]

more informations would be great about your gallery! any website?

[pretentieuse]

Thanks for spoiling my eyes

[Dope Fiend]

Wow holy bananas!!

You should be making books already with this kind of work.Because if you were,i would be the first one to buy one for damn sure.Loving every single piece of art work in here from start to the end of this thread you my friend make me want to get better.

couldn't have said it better myself. this is great! i caught myself with my mouth wide open numerous times while scrolling through this thread

[oDaYWaLKeRo]

Your style of using light and shadow to determine plans is very good indeed.

[Ostroponis]

Gorgeous pencil works , awesome!

[Archduke]

So pro. I try to give constructive criticism instead of just compliments but aint really to criticize. Only pic I don't like that much is the guy in post number 5 his chin looks sorta weird and the way you outlined the shadow coming off the nose is confusing, but really that's only as compared to all your other sketches. Keep turning out that heat.

[caesar kakuru]

Here's the progress for the last drawing. I don't usually start on a toned surface, but I chose to do so for this drawing to try it out.

dude that shit's just the freshest. she looksalive

[F!END]

duuuuuuude

[keyu6215]

Your pencils and charcoals are great. If possible, i would like to see some of your older work, before you studied under Glen Orbik. I look forward to seeing more!

[bfowler]

This thread is fantastic. I wonder if you could talk a bit more about "shape construction/abstraction" and designing it. I understand the handouts and constructing the face like you talked about but how do you get the "style" or "abstraction" in your headshots and especially the facial features.

I've seen this similar block, full volume, angular style coming from people from Watts and artists (E.M. Gist, Lucas Graciano, Ron Lemon, you) who learned from the Reilly method but I don't understand the connection between this method and getting that particular consistent look.

How does everyone seem to "abstract" the eyes, mouth etc. in such a similar and consistent fashion?

[Benjy]

Wow. Such beautiful works, and with so many great insights as well, I've been busy reading through the whole thread. Thanks so much.

[Raileyh]

This thread is fantastic. I wonder if you could talk a bit more about "shape construction/abstraction" and designing it. I understand the handouts and constructing the face like you talked about but how do you get the "style" or "abstraction" in your headshots and especially the facial features.

I've seen this similar block, full volume, angular style coming from people from Watts and artists (E.M. Gist, Lucas Graciano, Ron Lemon, you) who learned from the Reilly method but I don't understand the connection between this method and getting that particular consistent look.

How does everyone seem to "abstract" the eyes, mouth etc. in such a similar and consistent fashion?

Hi Bfowler,

To answer your question. The difference in terms of abstracting and drawing something is "translating a shape (describing it)" vs. "copying something". It's true that the drawings have a similar look. This is mainly because the students are copying similar marks that their teacher is making - as well as a step by step process. They are still learning how to "translate" by copying what the teacher is translating. I hope this is all making sense - of course - we are all used to learning visually and not solely through words, so I hope you understand what I'm saying.

Abstracting a shape is part "translating the Form" (spelling it out for the viewer) and being able to "see" the light and dark patterns as abstract shapes and not an Eye - or at least not what your brain recognizes as an eye. The abstract shapes that make up an eye (or anything else for that matter) is truly an abstract thing.

Representational artists are truly the abstract artists of the art world. Some might not agree, but I think it's truly abstract to be able to translate a 3-dimensional object onto a 2 dimensional plane using mark making and shapes that have nothing to do with what our brains recognize as reality - but tricks our brains into making it into reality.

I'll post some examples of abstract shapes and how the artist has more control over the shapes than you might think.

-H

[Phight]

Do you feel, that using the abstractions of
the Reilly method are an effective practice to
eventually be able to draw figures from the mind?
Or is this method more geared particularly
towards referenced drawing?

Fantastic works, thanks much for sharing!

[Raileyh]

Hi Phight,

The Reilly method isn't a set method. It just means that the artist is finding simple ways to connect the figure together to create continuity in the forms and construction. Like finding the longest lines or drawing through the form. Some artists have their own unique way of simplifying out the figure. Sometimes this greatly affects their style or outcome of the drawing.

Some people's abstractions are unique to them - so when the model changes, the abstractions used change. It's what's fun about learning to design shapes - it gives the artist a lot of control - so you don't get dragged around by the model.

Memorizing the basic abstractions of the face and figure are great because we are all structured the same basically. It's a great way to learn how to draw with confidence from the mind. You don't want to 'have' to look at the model for the basic structure. It's better to understand the form then apply your knowledge to the model. When sitting for very long periods of time on a drawing or painting then I'll begin to focus more and more on the specifics of the model -- since the basic structure is correct -- it's quite easy to hone in on the specifics. It's like a polaroid coming into focus.

My advise is to memorize the basic construction, you can use a simplification method like the Reilly method, or any other means of simplifying construction and anatomy, make it up yourself. Then from there you can apply your knowledge to the figure and hone in on technical aspects of drawing or painting and furthering your knowledge of the figure in specific areas.

Hope this helps
-H

[Raileyh]

Here's a few drawings from Spring.

[kojot]

hey Raileyh
I look up here from time to time because i love this style of drawing. I can't learn this method and course in other country is for me too expensive thanks for share step by step. I'm really appreciative for this. If you had a some advice for newbie please share this how to start the journey i this beautiful method

cheers and upload more

[kevinwueste]

Dear Raileyh - I was looking for the 6 or 7 star option but there seem to be only 5. There is no justice! Love these new drawings!

[azth]

damn strong work!

[FabioGhibli]

Why drawing a lighted sphere besides the figure? It's a kind of mental reference for applying the appropriate tones to surfaces?

Thank you.

[bfowler]

Abstracting a shape is part "translating the Form" (spelling it out for the viewer) and being able to "see" the light and dark patterns as abstract shapes and not an Eye - or at least not what your brain recognizes as an eye. The abstract shapes that make up an eye (or anything else for that matter) is truly an abstract thing.


-H

Click. I just got it.

By using rules of proportion and rhythm lines your get the placement and size of features and parts pretty exact. Then you look to see the puzzle piece abstract shapes that make up whole and by designing that shape you get a unique artist representation of what you're drawing instead of just a copy.

Examples of abstract shapes could be the shadow on the side of a nose. The shape the eyelid makes when it catches the light and the rest of the eye is in darkness. Basically, any shape you "see". They're especially easy to see if you squint and try to separate everything into two tones, Light and Dark. Black and White.

Wow. I love this abstract thing. I know Richard Schmidt uses a somewhat similar technique in that he starts with the biggest simplest shapes and by comparing the next shape to the first one decides what adjacent shape to put down. He continues on in this connecting puzzle shapes way.

Sorry, I babbling now. Thank you for this thread.

PS. You should do a video. In fact, Manley should get the concept art film crew out to your place or the Watts school and do a basic figure drawing/reilly method video.

[Raileyh]

Why drawing a lighted sphere besides the figure? It's a kind of mental reference for applying the appropriate tones to surfaces?

Thank you.

Hi FabioGhibli,

The sphere beside the drawing is to show students how the head as a whole is a sphere first. So, the features at the bottom of her face are set on top of a form shadow. It's easy to lose the big picture when drawing a complicated shape. The paper represents a half tone. This is to show students where the half tones belong and where the light truly is.

-H

[Unlink40]

Hey Railey,
First off I would like to say I really enjoy your work. I do have a question though. While representational artists aim for accuracy with the subject in front of them, the fact that we aren't robots means that every artist has their own touch, to put in music terms, their own unique sound, even though they are playing the same song. I really enjoy the "sound" of your work. That being said, my question is, did you always have that quality to your work or did it develop through practice? I draw daily and while most of the time my lines are accurate, they simply don't have that artistic distinction I see in so many other artists. That, I fear, is something I will never learn.

Here's my self portrait thread if you want to see examples of what i'm talking about

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...37#post2711237

[zanpakatou]

You develop into your style my friend. We are both still heavily influenced by our teacher's work. Once we finalize the concept of drawing in our minds we will begin to find our unique voice. Ask the professor about some of Nelson Shank's early works.

Also
Thank you for this thread Raileyh. I have spent many hours looking through your work, and it has helped me stay on course.

[Raileyh]

Unlink40,

To answer you question. Everything is pretty much learned. I was always in the middle of my class when I went to art school. I made good grades and did what my teachers wanted, but I wasn't at the top in my work. Like many students, I didn't want to do the memorization work in regards to learning construction - and instead tried to copy my teachers marks. After graduating I then started putting in the work to memorize construction and shapes of the facial features under a light. Most of learning took place after college.

Beautiful lines, or marks are intentional most of the time and usually come with confidence in the drawing process. Once you know what you're looking at, then the artist can slow down and focus on other aspects of the drawing - more technical stuff.

One thing that really helped me is to really prepare my charcoal pencils. Make sure you can draw blood with them and when working on newsprint, I work on smooth to get buttery marks. It's those kind of things that can greatly affect 'how' your lines will look. Same goes for painting - it's all about what brushes you're using and what kind of surface your working on.

Hope this helps - keep plugging away!

-H

[Unlink40]

I was starting to enter a phase where I really doubted if I was talented or not, and your advice was much needed, thank you!

I'll keep plugging away for sure

[monsi]

wonderful stuff !

I'm so curious as to what the incredibly hard edge on the shadow under the sphere on the top right in this demo is for ? - http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1276468858

[l0stinth0ughts]

Damn, I got some serious competition, raise the stakes! DAmn the torpedos!

[prsnsweeney]

beautifull beautiful work as always that step by step is very helpfull thank you im amazed out how you draw the face and head how do you manage to simplify such complex features and shapes is it just superb observation or knowledge of the anatomy of the face ?

[ALEXANDRE da Vinci]

Beautiful studys, sensational!

[alffla]

oh my.. all the figure drawings here are so loose but so tight too haha. just really beautiful to look at. thanks for posting and all of your responses to peoples questions have been very educational