Meganite's Sketchbook

[meganite]

Yar. This be my first sketchbook post! I just like to draw, in general, and so I may be posting random creature designs, especially from doodling in class. I would especially love to hear feedback and ways I can improve.

My goal: improve my ability to portray figures and perhaps spaces in convincing 3-dimensionality. Especially in the "digital" medium. I haven't quite figured out how to utilize my tablet to the fullest, I think. Dragons are my favorite thing to draw, but another goal I have is to perfect my drawing skills of OTHER things than dragons

So, here are a first few sketches! These are some of my favorites from most recent times.
Rendering Sign:

PolarBear-zilla:

Mother Nature is Frazzled:

The tropical griffin:

Rhinocerosaurus Rex:

Super-stress dragon:

Just for fun... "It will never work between us":

[Psychotime]

Cool. I haven seen an ing in ages.

Your stuff looks great. Post some more.

[meganite]

Thanks for the comment, Psychotime! I'll try to post some more of my work... it's not all scanned yet.

Here's a process pic of a commission I'm doing for someone... I'll probably post the next phase in the crit forum to see how I can improve it from there. My client already noted a couple of changes she wanted, so that's my next step =)



I'm also working on this idea I had of a really strangely-proportioned mutant dragon... I think what I was going for subconsciously was a weredragon. I should post pics of that fairly soon. Like most of my ideas, it started as a doodle in class =)

[OTTA]

I just see this sketch, very very good in shape and design. I like your line stroke, It make your creature looked cool man! Great job!

[meganite]

Howdy. More sketches!! Please critique with uber-criticalness... I want to improve!

Some designs at the bottom of this page were for a COW entry: "Nectar Spender" Didn't use them exactly...


Some sketches from figure drawing class, and also flying buttresses.


I'm a super-fan of Metroid Prime 2 nowadays, so I had to get my Metroid fix...


Some creature designs for the lastest COW, "Strange Walker". I used the crablike design...


My actual entry for COW "Strange Walker" ... yeah the background kinda sucks. Please crit!!! I realize it was really too rushed for a finished pic. I would appreciate ideas/advice on how to finish it up, or whether it deserves finishing.


And finally, a creature design that I am currently working on, which I am 3D modeling using Maya. I realized it's basically a were-dragon after I drew it. I tried to draw it in its most extended and curled-up poses, so I could figure out where to start the neutral pose. Ideally, I'm going to rig it and everything!


I also have this idea that I'm going to try to do: look up creatures online and draw sketches of them, first anatomically analytical and then focusing on rendering.

[meganite]

More drawings, from yesterday.

I found this one, it's the original development sketches for my were-dragon idea.


And this is the one I SHOULD have done for the Strange Walker COW. Drew this in class yesterday. Also you can see my notes thinking about the next COW competition, which is a creature that takes a different form depending on the season.

[Bagg]

wow amazing start to your sketchbook, your doodles are amazing there so beautiful, my doodles look like well scribbles. love to see some more, keep up the great work

[meganite]

Mantis study, copied from a photo I got on Google image search (but not traced )

I'm gearing up for this month's COW (the seasonal shifter). I'll probably be taking my reference from dragonflies, moths, and mantises to create the "fairy" that I am designing. Mantises are such beautiful and strange creatures.

[Dannelf]

Some really interesting stuff is going on here for sure!
Like the latest one the most (probably because it's in colour).
Keep doing your thing!
I'll whatch you!

~Dan

[The_Macedonian]

Some preaty good stuff u got there

[shiNIN]

thank you for visiting my humble SB well, I've already saw your sb, I came when I read about your seriousness about the current COW, you want the shape changing to make sense. a concept artist should think this way, but not everyone does so, I liked your way of thinking. sorry for my English, it's very clumsy sometimes

you have nice sketches and it seems you are inexperienced with digital. but I didn't write anything surprising... I'm looking forward to your future works!

oh, about mantises... I have a few good photos about newborn mantises, they hatched under my windowsill! they were very gracious and cute

[meganite]

Thanks y'all! I really think the most fun part of creature design is coming up with how it would work in its environment, and how it interacts with other creatures.

Well, I guess I am a bit experienced at digital art... not as much as some people around here, but I've been working on my skills for a couple or 4 years.

Here's my latest work, also posted at COW 128:


And another VERY quick mantis study:


Enjoy!

[l0stinth0ughts]

ooooh damn. i love the first dragon. give it more action, love to see more dragons

[shiNIN]

okay, digital was a wrong word indeed... I was meant your sketches (lines, without colors - it's a very different style) are cuter than for example, your last COW entry. I like the colors and it's not bad, but the sketches are more impressive, not talking about the detailful non-sketches with lines... well, I love skilled sketches, this could be a reason too

but the new mantis is handsome the lighting is very good for its beautiful body.

[Lemmingwing]

Haha! Nice picture! love portals and Metroid prime

[meganite]

More random stuff. Haven't updated in so long! Thanks everyone for the comments. I'll just post all these with no description. You can figure them out





WIP pics of the commission I'm working on:




I am still not as facile at digital painting as I am at drawing with my good ol' bic pen. I think I still have to find good brushes. Something about the tablet and pressure or something... I prefer Gimp's default brush settings to those in Photoshop though. Something about it enables darker line drawing. Well, practice makes perfect. It's definitely my favorite medium for coloring though. No mess!

[Clockwork Bunny]

you can see consistant improvments here - your life drawing work looks similar to Maggie Hamblins style

[meganite]

Wow, many days later. Has it really been a year and a half? I should post something. I've been sketching a lot in the intervening time! Not much from life though.

If this file isn't too big.....well, I'll link it from elsewhere.


This sketchbook time covered several events and fascinations in my life:
- Aircraft, specifically military aircraft
- I got Spore over the summer, so lots of creature designs
- played Mirror's Edge
and finally
- TEAM FORTRESS!

[meganite]

~30 mins in Gimp
I tried a new technique: just using the brush and eraser tools on different settings. Brush for detailed crisp work and eraser for the semitransparent fill work. I probably need some better texture brushes. But I've known that for a while.

[Goog]

Moar studies! Your time drawing should be split 50% doing studies and 50% drawing from imagination. Keep up the hard work though.

[meganite]

I agree! I should do more studies! My main problem is that I usually draw in class, so all I have to study are the things in class. So, either 1) I have to get out more, or 2) learn to draw the people in class. I guess my main problem is I always like to draw something new and innovative. Oh well, it's good advice... I should take it. Thanks =)

[meganite]

I'm starting a project I'm calling Philogenetics, where I am drawing one of each "type" of creature... how I split that up is based mainly on inspiration, but at least one from each Order. Here's the first one I was inspired to do:

It's reffed from this: http://www.boldts.net/album/TZ-GreaterKudu.0.shtml

I also did some sketches of Oryxes but didn't save them in a format I can post here... and too lazy to get them out Well maybe I'll post them later.

[George Abraham]

Love your pens.

[meganite]

I'm starting a new project, in which I draw pics of all the types of animals. Check it out at http://www.meganbednarz.com/Philogenetics/

It still looks pretty ugly right now and is basically a checklist. Took me forever to compile, so I'll just hide the categories that aren't in use yet. Soon it will look better with some real CSS and stuff. Not my top priority at the moment, but a fun hobby.