jigje 1st Attempts

[jigje]

Ive never really drawn before and I spent Easter break with a great "how to draw" book. I only just got a scanner so I thought Id start to put up some of the self portraits Ive done over the last month or so. Crits welcome. Be harsh, I can take it and Id really like to improve.

The first drawing is recent. I wanted to change the thread photo.

The 2nd is the embarrasing first SP.

[jigje]

This is also about a month ago, second attempt at a sp.

[jigje]

I know these are really still bad. I can see the bad proportions, etc but it's like each time you have a go at it you learn something new. Even just getting used to controling a pencil and especially learning to draw what I see and not revert to my age 7 symbols for eyes etc.

These ones are from around 2 weeks ago.

Im scanning more recent ones now and Ill post them in a day or two.

[jigje]

Hey. This is the first SP that I thought has a likeness (ugly, I know) and it felt like it is cleaner or something. Im starting to see the impact that shading has on the result.

Are shading and value the same thing?

I tried to get the shading right above all else and this felt like my best drawing so far.

[reme]

heya thanks for commenting on my thread, a few advice here.
get ur proportion right before you do shading, this is coming from someone who made this mistake in the past and draw in the neck and shoulders too

keep it up!

[jigje]

Krytos- Thanks for your advice. I really have listened to what you said. The drawings here were done a week ago so I was still in the bad habit of "no neck".

I had the flu (not swine) for a few days and this is a fair example of what I looked like at the end.

The 2nd one has weird eyes. I knew it wasn't quite right and I read somewhere on CA about the method of checking a drawing in a mirror and it was immediately obvious that an eye was too high. I still can't see what the problem is without the mirror. I find that amazing.

[jigje]

This was fun.

[mc2mc2]

Wow...HUGE improvement from your first! greeeat job

Rendering in one direction is a good way to go about it...keeps your drawing neat.
Try pushing your values more though to describe your forms....It's a little flat..

Nice work..and thanks for the visit! Keep it up

[SMILEFACE]

hey these are ROCK'N the last one is wwwaaaayyyyy cool

[danlambert]

Great start man, portraits are not an easy think to just jump into. You seem to be doing everything right. Maybe try learning the underlying structure of the head (the skull), that might help you understand what you are drawing a bit more. Maybe try some more adventurous lightsources and push the values a bit more. Other than that I think it's just a case of keep at it!
Peace!

[kikindaface]

wow really nice improvment since the first sp ! Nice proportions ( well i guess :p ) you should maybe more play with the values, try to avoid white areas, put more contrast ! look at your face in the mirror, and find the darkest areas of your face ! play with the light too ! Yeah, now show us more man !

[jigje]

Mc2mc2 – thanks for your advice. Ill do more with value in the next one. I want to try a ½ body like the one you did soon. Ill add “after mc2mc2” haha. I get so many ideas from you and Sketcheth

Grandmassa – when I first started checking out CA I decided that all I wanted was to get you to tell me I RRRROOOOOCCCCK. Hehe. Ill keep drawing till I get one! Thanks for your comment man.

Danlambert – Cool timing. I just got a medical school skull to start studies with days before your comment. I aim to draw the hell outa that thing. Next sp – different light source + push values for sure. Brother, I went to your sketchbook and its amazing. I really appreciate you commenting.

Walid D – Thanks for coming by and encouraging me. Everyone is saying value so Ill try that next. Where are some more animations from you?

[Karein]

Nice start to your SP's They all look pretty consistent, but as other people have previously stated, try pushing your values more, and watch your proportions It can be difficult sometimes, but if your having trouble checking if everything is right, Hold your drawing up to a mirror It will help you with problem spots. Also, Try using more than one tone of pencil for your works, using a stronger B grade pencil will help you bring out your shadows and detail areas more

Keep up the good work, and I will stop by again soon to have look at your work again

[jigje]

Karein - Thanks for looking and thanks for specific advice like that. I really, really feel like I'm making this up as I go along so to get tips from you and others that can obviously draw is super. Also thanks for your help via pm at the start with scanner issues.

Everyone has said "values" and I tried to push more this time. I swear there is more contrast in the original than in the scanned image. I guess I'll go even harder next time to get the scanner to pick it up better. I look at Kareins images for example and they're so clean and clear. http://http://www.conceptart.org/for...d.php?t=143457

Different mirror, different lighting, different result.

[kikindaface]

nice dud nice ! Like i said before more contrast ! the contrast of the nose are good, but you should add more darker values ( brows, hair ( exept if you're blond ) Try to do some features studies, from life or from ref
and see how much they are contrasted ! Anyay you're improving nicely, so keep it up !

[shamandalie]

Thanks for dropping by my sketchie! (i didn't know my jedi powers work. )

Now that's really fast improvement! You could make your darks even darker like what mc2mc2 said. Other than that, keep it going!

[jigje]

Walid D and Shamandalie - Thanks you guys. Contrast, values, yes I can.

I guess this one is a study. I want to break my bad habit of just heads and neck and this is a quick (for me) rough sketch - about 20-30 mins.
I love mc2mc2s 1/2 body scene and Id like to do a good one of those.

This time I really tried to make the darks darker and I used a different light source than all previous.

[JS Neo]

Thanks for dropping by my SB...Ur improvement is great.. Ur SP is doing u good... I think u realise that u need to push ur darks darker. Ur current value range is too short. Try putting those darkest dark ard the place of highest emphasis, to create the greatest contrast and draw the viewer's attention, which in the acse of portrait should be ard the eyes area. Keep working... doing great.

[jigje]

Mydrako - Thank you for your advice. Im doing a "lighting from below" for the next one and there will be darker darks for sure.


Had a go with *bows head* unerasable pen. Pretty bad, no likness. I had no idea how to shade it and the chin exploded into a superhero chin.

[amarryth]

love your persistence! keep with it, there's some definite growth here!

[danlambert]

Sweet stuff man. Your proportions seem to be getting better with every portrait, the likeness is consistent and you are clearly trying to push the values.
How long are you spending on each drawing? It seems like your rushing the rendering a little bit and it's coming across as quite scribbly in a lot of places. (if thats intentional then just tell me to shut up ha!). I reckon you should aim to really spend some time on a drawing, and push the values and rendering to get them as accurate and smooth as you can. Try to avoid leaving any of the paper showing through unless you have some very very light highlights.

With pen there are a couple of ways to render. You can literally just scribble; the more condensed the scribbles the darker the value. Or you can use cross hatching; which is lots of lines overlapping, the closer the interlocking lines, the darker the value (thats a pretty crappy explanation, probably better to just google it!).
But kudos for going for the pen, takes guts! I haven't found the stones to try it on a portrait yet. It's a good way to force you to think your marks through, as you can't get rid of them once they're down.

Yeah, uhh sorry for the little wall of text.
But yeah keep up the good work man.

Oh, how are the skull studies going? Where did you get yours from? Expensive?
Peace!

[Pixie Bergman]

Good stuff mate! I see progression already! Keep drawing!!

[Introspection]

I suck at any kind of advice, more than what you told me, keep doing it. Even on those days you cant seem to get even one line right. One day we will get there.

[SMILEFACE]

W0W THATS A WICKED TATTOO' an you RRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

[Karein]

Nice try on the last one It's good your playing with pen, moving around in different media always helps the process. You also seem to be pretty confident with your line, which is great. When trying to do a drawing strait in pen, try and consider and contemplate where you want to put the mark down first, It will honestly help you bring out some more solid work.

Keep at it though! I can see improvement.

[DKHutcheson]

You improve so fast! I'm jealous. You can see it with every new portrait. I really love the one in post #7. Nice tattoo. ; D

[jigje]

Amarryth – Thanks heaps for looking. I look at your self portraits often (but not in a creepy way ) and I reckon they’re really beautiful and a great source for beginners like me to see how it’s done - along with all your other work of course.

Dan – Crikey Dan. Once again you give marvellous advice. The scribbly, rushed rendering advice was a light bulb moment for me. I am rushing, I don’t know why. I guess it’s because I run a busy life and I have maybe 1.5 hours 4-5 nights a week to draw and try to improve. I see people doing pages and pages of sketches on CA and I guess I’m trying to get the output rate up. It’s slow down time now. Great mate, thanks for taking the time. It’s really appreciated. I’ll PM the skull details.

Pixie Bergman – Wow, you looked! Cool. I love your ‘book. Those pages and pages of studies made me realise what it takes to have the “gift” of being a good artist.

Incognito86 – This is fun hey? Good luck and keep dancing with your studies.

Grandmassa Mr. Spect – Haha. You are the biggest character on CA for sure and nobody RRROOOOCCCCKKKKSSS like you!!!!!!

Karein – Thanks for your support and advice yet again. I LOVE that last oil you did as a portrait. That “look” is how I imagine you now – super cooool.

DKHutcheson – Hey Daph. If you keep posting images like that I’ll learn to draw much faster. DanLambert pointed out my scratchy rendering and I reckon your SP is a perfect example of how to do it smooth and clean. I’m going to try and copy. Thanks for the kind words.

This one is lit from below and I tried to push the values more than I had before.

[DKHutcheson]

Most of my shading has to do with soft paper and being patient while shading repeatedly over certain areas to make them darker or smoother.

Your values are looking a bit better, though still not quite dark enough, in my opinion. It might help to make a value chart to the top or bottom of your paper, and refer to it while shading.

[jigje]

Thanks Daphne. I'm pushing it more each time. It doesn't feel natural but I'm getting used to it. Images like yours show me what a value range should be very clearly.

I took my time for this one. Slowed down thanks to DanLambert's good advice and smoothed out the shading a bit more than earlier.

ConceptArts is amazing. The help, advice and encouragement is unbelievable. If anyone thinks that these drawings are getting better it's because of this website for sure.

The most likeness yet and the first proper go at drapery.

[hala]

Hey man, your last one shows a really big leap of improvement! Keep at it man!