Emil wants to learn how to draw & paint

[p sage]

You've shown some good control of value... especially in the renders of the metallic forms (helmets, etc). You need to work a bit more on measurement and proportion.

The greatest help in the world for you would be working from a simple white plaster cast (the antique...) properly lit.

Try to find a white plaster cast to draw from... think about the "notional space" that your drawing will take up (if you had to fit it in a rectangle, that's the notional space)

Measure the width of that into the height. It may be a fraction. Get a rough rectangle of that size on your paper. Now you're ready to find the proportions of the nose and eye (if you're doing the cast of a head) or the head (if you're doing a statue).

Everything is measured. Use a sighting stick, not a pencil.

And use a strip of paper to do your measurements!! This is critical, when you're starting out.

Find the height of the head from the chin to the top... vertically. Then use your strip of paper for that... and use the head measurement to locate all major locations on the figure.

After a while, you'll find that you're going to know the measurement before you get your strip of paper out. And that's when your eye will start to see things in proportion. Exciting, huh? It works, too. And a cast doesn't have to take breaks like a model.

[Pigeonkill]

You are lucky to have figure drawing with gestures. Right now I'm taking one but the instructor kind of banned them. He prefers poses that are longer than 10minutes for us. Meh but I'm just happen to practice and I can also gesture draw people in public.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1267349328

I like the concept my only suggestion is for the caged creature is maybe a wire cage vs a glass one. Glass tends to make it look more modernized. Just a though.

[Emil_J.]

@ Black Spot: cool thank - his stuff is great, i'd love to study it

@ Brushcommander: Thank you

@ zerdron: then go do it ;P

@ AlexTooth: uuh yea color ... colors are so hard, but i'll try.

@ Jasper_: thanks, i will!

@ kingkostas: thank you

@ p sage: woah great post man, thanks ! about the white plaster casts, im seriously considering buying some i have seen that Mr. Delicious has some links on his blog. hmm and the measurements - your right!, i actually don't measure at all and it shows .

@ Pigeonkill: This new place where im taking life drawing classes are really good becuase there is a good mix of short and long'ish poses.
About the glass cage: i wanted to show off the creature because that was what the competition was all about, but your right it does make it seem more modern.

----
So it has been two weeks since my last update because i didn't have the time to do art last weekend. I had to sacrifice alot of time in order to do an AI assignment. It was awful not having any time for art - so i'm never going to do that again, not if i can help it. Though i did do trainsketching and life drawing . And this weekend i have done some digital painting as well. So i distribute everything over 2 posts just to keep things organized. First, lifedrawing from the two last sessions. Second, trainsketches.

[Emil_J.]

trainsketches

[Black Spot]

I sort of prefer your train stuff to the life drawing as it is so immediate. Not that your life drawing is bad - I like the lines that define the shadow without doing the shadow - sometimes omission is stronger than doing it.

[Emil_J.]

@ Black Spot: yeah train sketching are quite different from lifedrawing. I mostly focus on the head in the trainsketches, maybe that why there feel more immediate. hmm i should try and get a little more life into my life drawings.

---
This weeks update. First a post with with digis, trainsketches and other stuff and a post with lifedrawings.

[Emil_J.]

life drawings

[Black Spot]

I love the still life, you caught it very well. The large guy below - there is real form to his belly.

[Seage]

Holy crap, thats a lot of work! You're improving fast, and how could you not be with all this work!
Keep goingg!!!!

[Abrodos]

Ho, the fat medieval man is gorgeous. If you finish the hand and the hat feather, and correct the feet perspective, it'll become a really good portfolio work. Also, these anatomy studies are doing well. Keep with them

[kingkostas]

hello mate.I love the simplified figure studies because they seem more accurate more natural and clean, speed always offers a less idealistic approach.
And i love very much the crusader!!! and the man with the blue hat.
Very nice.Keep up the quick gestures

[towy]

excellent work always Fumble for me

[JustinBeckett]

Thank you for dropping by my book. Nice progress from the beginning of your book. I like your enviro's around the middle of your SB. Your latest figures and update are nice...I think you should try and get a little bit looser with the figures, but stay consistent with them. Cheers.

[sarbro]

nice train sketches, they are very clean and accurate. Never tried to draw in train, but drawing in bus is really difficult because the hand always shaking, so great work!

[jackpot_anjr90]

Great work! I really enjoyed looking at your sketches. Keep up those life studies and work on that anatomy

[Lyno]

Hi man , I love the face of the girl above the drawing of the guy leaning on his knees. Sometimes the face is just right with some simple lines. Love it .

[LORD M]

Great life-studies, dude. Although I must remark on that in some of your lifedrawings your limbs are almost too thin. Like in this one: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1269165767 The other stuff like proportions and anatomy is good, it's just this that needs the most improving imho.

[Turbosnail]

Really nice updates man!! Especially like the still life in post# 426. Excellent rendering mate!! Keep up the good work my friend.

[Emil_J.]

@ Black Spot: Thanks

@ Seage: well i would love to do more time for art but i just don't i'm glad that you think i'm still improving though

@ Abrodos: thanks man, i hope i can find the time to finish him

@ kingkostas: thanks man yea i have noticed that i get quite alot more of the model drawn when i only have like 2 minutes, then the first 5 minutes if i have 15 min to draw the model. I really should try to bring the speed into the longer poses.

@ towy: Thank you

@ JustinBeckett: hehe yea environments i should do more of those.

@ sarbro: The train-network is pretty god where i live, so it dosent shake that much, it's quite nice

@ jackpot_anjr90: will do

@ Lyno: Hey Lyno, thanks man!

@ LORD M: Thanks for the crit now that you are pointing it out i actually see that i draw some of the limbs too thin, ill keep an eye out for it in the future.

@ Turbosnail: Thanks, i will

------
Update - so it's Easter holiday and i have dedicated 4 days for art (wish i could set more days aside, but school projects are demanding alot of time )

- Chick with some drapery from imagination
- Still life of a camera
- Metal study
- crap creature doodle.
- Life drawings

[Black Spot]

In your life drawing when you've identified the darkest areas, make sure they are dark - they should be darker than your outlines. This will give you more form from the off. At the moment you're working from light to dark, when it should be both at the same time.

[Legacy Flame]

Nice stuff you got going on here Fumble. Really like those digital renditions of the perfume bottle and the camera.

[thetylervo]

Wow, that new shading technique that you are applying your figures look phenomenal! It some of the best figure drawings you've ever posted. Awesome work!!!!

I've found that charcoal and conte are a great way to learn to draw better. Have you ever played with those mediums before?

[Giorge]

nice studies on the still nature , as for the pose you look like you need more independent study on the anatomy, and simplify the poses for a while, just to get the gesture of the body and proportions right

take care

[Emil_J.]

@ Black Spot: thanks, I'll keep that in mind at my next life drawing session.

@ Legacy Flame: Thank you

@ thetylervo: Thanks! - i have used charcoal for a bit, but i didn't really like it that much. I didn't feel in control of it at all. hmm maybe i just need a bit more practice.
I don't know what conte is, I'll have to look that up.

@ Giorge: You are right, i have been focusing more on lines and tones lately. I will also keep that in mind at my next lifedrawing session

---
Today's update:

- Skin tone study
- Dude with guns from imagination (i suck at color )
- Toilet roll man!!!.... a guy turning into a roll of toilet paper ...
- Lots of different drawings, some from imagination, some from ref, some train sketches, and the rest are drawings from last life drawing session.

[Black Spot]

That skin tone exercise is excellent. Maybe you think in colour as opposed to black and white with their varying shades of grey. Maybe bring in a Vienna red to your life drawing and see if that gives it a lift.

[kingkostas]

damn so many things
I really like all your imagination stuff both because you are doing more direct study there, and also because they are nice
keep up the good work mate,and damn those metals are great
I am still not satisfyied with the shadows of the life model studies but maybe thats just me
see ya

[LostFayth]

Hey, thanks a lot for your comment in my sketchbook!

Looking trough your life drawings I can understand what you meant because I see it in your work. Thanks for the advice

Speaking of which....man. Those are some killer life drawings man. I'll be checking back in here every once in a while

[Lyno]

Looks like you got a art boost are something . Skintone studie is super great. Really cool characters too. For the helmet studie you posted some time ago. The 'front part' of the face is too flat. Really nice studies though, really cool, and also cool to do .

[jskotte]

wow impressive sketchbook, you're so productive. Thanks for stopping by my SB and the info about life drawing.

[Pigeonkill]

That camera study looks nice