Been a long time since I Rock n' Rolled (updated today)

**Natzuur-JK** · October 13th, 2008, 10:14 PM

Well I feel it's time I create a sketchbook, I'm 19, love art, and im unhappy with my current progress rate which seems to be at a stand still. So i'm going to try and do sketchs, alot of sketchs, and upload them here as often as I can.

Some of the sketchbooks on here amaze me and I love seeing the progress made, and on a few of them im astounded at the progress in such a short time!!

To start things off here is a 'lil creature sketchticul

Go to last page for new Works... duh?

Edit: sketch moved to 2nd page. Replacing thumbnail. =)

**Natzuur-JK** · October 14th, 2008, 04:47 AM

Ok enough of the anime crap, here is some anatomy/skeletal practice.

**Natzuur-JK** · October 15th, 2008, 02:54 AM

one for today, throwing around an idea for a fishing village.
Does anyone know where I can find a tutorial about greyscale sketching in photoshop?

**IanE** · October 15th, 2008, 03:03 AM

That little guy in your first post is just so damn adorable!

**Envisor** · October 15th, 2008, 03:11 AM

Welcome to CA bro! Fair start to your sketchbook, Id say the strongest piece in here so far is your anatomy studies. Go check out Bridgeman's Constructive Anatomy from your local library and draw from it, draw from photos, from life. Just keep drawing and you'll improve. Study perspective too, it's good to build up as much as possible and grow. As you said, enough of the anime crap. Thats right, stay way from anime if you want to draw more realistically. Im not saying that anime is bad, I love anime, watch it all the time, but I dont draw it anymore. Drawing anime, I think, is a phase that most of us go through at a certain point in our lives that's like a gateway drug to other styles of art and drawing. Keep posting, I'll try and give you the best advice and critiques I can when I can.

**Natzuur-JK** · October 15th, 2008, 08:19 PM

IanE: thanks, he's only adorable until he casts lv.1 magic on your with his tongue

i'll drop by your sketchbook soon.

Envisor: Thanks a ton, your very right I think, and now im more determined then ever to take anime skills and turn them into some real drawing skills. I actually found a sribd(online) version of that anatomy book this morning and tried a few very quick sketches of the hands.

Here is two sketches, sorry about quaility, paper is slightly too large for scanner. The hands were each done in about 30 seconds-4 mins for the larger ones, just trying to get a feel for the lines.

The other stuff took a bit longer, prob 30 mins to fill the whole page.

**Natzuur-JK** · October 16th, 2008, 07:49 PM

Working on photoshop skillz a bit today, trying some new techniques for Ice/reflections and messing with glowy magic.

This creature is actually a design for a game project with some friends that went nowhere, but he is pretty much an ice dwelling magic casting creature who uses its tongue to cast magic along with his trusty wand... he stole

**Natzuur-JK** · October 17th, 2008, 01:03 AM

Well I decided to finish the last guy, he's supposed to be shocking himself with his newfound wand haha.

**TheWishfulOne** · October 17th, 2008, 01:16 AM

hey thx for stopping by and critiquing my SB. Hum i can't offer and solid critique at this moment, but if you post more i be sure to drop by =D

**Natzuur-JK** · October 18th, 2008, 02:54 AM

Updating with some fish anatomy and concepts for a dragonlike sea serpent fish.... thing haha, and a weapon concept using google sketch-up.

In case you were wondering:

The weapon is attached to a persons forearm, and they have a grip they hold on the opposite side (I'll be doing some more angles tomorrow to show you and touching this one up a bit) and use it to stab/jolt at the same time.

**Peetaer** · October 18th, 2008, 03:24 AM

Hey dude. Welcome to CA. Nice progress going here. Keep bringin it dude.

**Jasper Flick** · October 18th, 2008, 05:53 AM

I see linework with lots of potential, and funny ideas (dead fish in its belly)!
About grayscale sketching: don't fear high contrast!

**Natzuur-JK** · October 19th, 2008, 12:18 AM

TheWishfulOne: Thanks for stopping in

Peetaer: Thanks man, will do ^.-

Jasper Flick: Glad you caught the dead fish haha, wasn't sure if it was noticeable enough, thanks for the encouraging words.

I was pretty busy today but i decided i really liked the idea of a underwater dragon, so i started to sketch one out digitally (not very exp in this yet)
he's gonna be gaurding a chest of glimmering gold down on the bottom of a deep reef, tell me what you think of the sketch so far.

**gogreen** · October 19th, 2008, 12:57 AM

that weapon is sweet, i love the perspective you have going on there -thums up-

**Natzuur-JK** · October 19th, 2008, 02:28 AM

gogreen: thanks!

Alright so ive run into a problem, i think i've got the sea serpent worked out and most of the foreground for this painting, but i have no idea how i should approach the background!!! ahh, i always get stuck with them. Anyway here is the update on the image.

If you have any suggestions as to how to approach the background let me know!!!

**Redfrog** · October 19th, 2008, 02:58 AM

Lots of potential here! Great stuff! Keep it up.

**Jasper Flick** · October 19th, 2008, 06:13 AM

Get some pictures of underwater reefs and go from there is all I can suggest. Try to get something to match the flow of the foreground.

But more interesting would be to incorporate the background already in the initial sketch. Then you can get some depth going on instead of a flat foreground in front of some distant scenery.

**TheWishfulOne** · October 19th, 2008, 12:18 PM

humm what i can suggest is that you try to put some of that red somewhere in that painting, maybe from the chest? or maybe put more yellow on the dragon because right now it dosn't look quite look like the dragon belongs there. Also you could darken the boarders (a gradation)of the picture, with a darker blue, to increase the attention on the dragon.

"Remember the object that you want to have the most attention to should have the highest contrast between light and dark"

**Pseudocognition** · October 19th, 2008, 12:28 PM

Oooh a brand new sketchbookie

You really seem to be trying a little bit of everything, enviros, critters, humans etc, and that's probably one of the best things you can do

Gotta agree with Jasper, finding references will definitely smooth the painting process and aid in the learning experience.

I imagine your treasure-chest-fish in an underwater cave, maybe in the deep sea. He could be bioluminescent, and be lighting up the cave with his own body. Deep sea fish are pretty dang evil looking by nature, too. But uh, that's just my imagination going crazy. By all means don't listen to it, lol. Dangerous things may happen o_o

Thank you for commenting on my SB!

**Natzuur-JK** · October 19th, 2008, 05:55 PM

Redfrog: Thanks for stopping by, will do!

Jasper Flick: Well I did just that, and it helped a boat load, coral-reefs are so varied its amazing, i'm usually so stubborn about ref images but i think they're helping a ton in this one. Thanks, i need to drop by your SB soon!

TheWishfulOne: It's funny you suggested that because I did just that (put some yellow on the dragon and red coral) last night before i went to sleep before you commented, looks like i made a good choice there. I added a bit of darker blue this morning too. Thanks for the insight!!

Pseudocognition I like the way you think, I'm def considering the bioluminescent idea for him, I tried to make him more sinister last night, hope i pulled it off. Thanks for stopping by

I want to thank you all for your comments, they really mean a lot to me!

Alright small update on dragon, maybe if i have time ill finish today.

**Natzuur-JK** · October 20th, 2008, 05:05 AM

meh, im done with this painting for now, cant dwell on this forever, new art to be made!!!

**ArtBoxGuy** · October 20th, 2008, 05:38 AM

The painting looks good to me, a bit smudgey in some areas, but very eye catching! and the dragonthing is sweet.

**Natzuur-JK** · October 20th, 2008, 06:51 AM

well I shouldnt even be posting right now, but sleeping, but damn here is a quickie i just did, bout 15 mins to fill page.

**kidult** · October 20th, 2008, 07:55 AM

Keep those studies coming! that's how you will progress fast!

**sinneart** · October 20th, 2008, 08:21 AM

Looks like you're progressing - good stuff.

I'd only suggest to do some studies of how to believably portray distance. Your last painting seems a little flat because the foreground and the background have sort of the same properties (i.e. no noticable tonal/saturation difference... perspective seems off)

Maybe do some environment studies from refernce - and really think about what's happening in your references to make it appear as though there is depth/distance.

But overall - great stuff! Keep goin... but do get some rest in between

**RhichardEchols** · October 20th, 2008, 08:33 AM

Great work!

-As a first sketchbookie, I can't really give proper critiques as I am inexperienced.
-As sinneart suggested, get plenty of sleep, one cannot create art on a sleep-deprived mind... at least i think...

**Natzuur-JK** · October 21st, 2008, 03:39 AM

ArtBoxGuy: Thanks.

kidult: Yeah, they seem to help a lot! I feel in the past week i've progressed some already. At least learned some new things.

sinneart: Yeah, I totally screwed up the tonal difference, i meant the back to be much more of a gradation from top to bottom, didn't quite pull it off, def gonna do some enviro studies, I live in a state with some of the craziest landscapes in the world. Shouldn't be hard... I hope

RhichardEchols: Thanks, I'll drop your SB soon. I think i have sleeping problems, runs in family haha.

Anyway, I decided that I'm gonna try and do this new COW with the four season, seems like a very cool challenge, and will def put my creativity to the test.

So I started some thumbnail drawings today, for the first time. Really fun, gets the creativity flowing and def helps determine if something is a good idea before going all out.

Sadly.... I like none of the designs so far. So I did some weapon thumbnails instead lol.

**l0stinth0ughts** · October 21st, 2008, 03:48 AM

hey man, nice colours, i like it. youve got some imagination with that serpent guarding the treasure chest. also, the cartoon character is great, feel like biting him haha, but work on the anatomy, and it will benefit your proportions on characters in the future. keep em comin

**Natzuur-JK** · October 23rd, 2008, 06:06 AM

l0stinth0ughts: Thanks, yeah I need to work out my proportions better for sure, but i keep on doing studies so i will get it soon I hope

Well I've been busy, but not with alot of art, here is some new enviro quickies tho, I like them, and I plan on doing more, and doing some more detailed ones soon once i get the hang of it.

**Natzuur-JK** · October 25th, 2008, 06:08 AM

Been busy again with life, but here is my newest WIP:

Started in google sketch-up, only have free version and no renderer =( Anyway about 25 mins in google sketch-up (only did basic building) and 6 hrs so far in photoshop. I'm really starting to like how its turning out.