A Quest for Improvement, the Sketchbook

**morgalahan** · June 23rd, 2009, 07:34 PM

Hello there CA. I am a refugee from DA, looking for a bunch of people who DO NOT think anime is the epitome of all that is art. Don't get me wrong, I love watching anime, and the style is fun, but lately it's been getting me down how much people will prefer a picture simply because it of an anime persuasion.
Ironically enough, I started drawing more seriously by copying anime, and learning from it. A few years ago I started moving away from the style and now I strive for more realism than anything else.

Please take a look at my work and let me know what you think needs improving. I'm trying to be better every time I paint a new picture, so a lot of my stuff will be better the more recent it is, which is no surprise really.

I've uploaded a few of the images I've completed recently.

**morgalahan** · July 5th, 2009, 08:52 PM

Something like a speedpaint...or a quick painting. A character I made up based on KotOR's Revan

**Icedearth15876** · July 5th, 2009, 09:07 PM

Excellent works there, the last speedpaint is freakin awesome. Keep up the good work.

**morgalahan** · July 24th, 2009, 06:52 AM

Thanks icedearth, I should really visit this thread and update more often

This is a work in progress of a personal character. Vampire, same character as my avatar actually =P

**morgalahan** · August 17th, 2009, 10:44 AM

a work-in-progress.

If any kind soul wants to give me some advice on it, please feel free. For the moment I'm currently wondering if I should make his hair shorter along the sides.

**morgalahan** · August 19th, 2009, 06:20 AM

an update on the above picture

**ariel_medel** · August 19th, 2009, 12:53 PM

Hi, great work, one question, how do you achieve the skin texture on the male elve on top of this page? I'll really appreciate if you tell me

**morgalahan** · August 20th, 2009, 05:17 AM

I just used normal skin texture brushes in photoshop. Nothing special.

**davekang** · August 20th, 2009, 05:57 AM

Hello Morgalahan. You have some interesting stuff going on here.
I would love to see you progress on this SB.
If I may, I would like to suggest using more hard-edged brushes.
Airbrushing is a perfectly legit technique but it does give one's work a look of less confidence. Also think about using a hint of blue and green for your skin colors.
It might help! Keep it up!!

**morgalahan** · August 21st, 2009, 06:07 AM

Thanks for the comments and taking a look. As to hard edged brushes, I use them when I'm working in photoshop, but I suppose the natural blending properties of most of the Painter brushes I use make it seem like it's airbrushed. As it happens, I havent painted with the soft airbrush in years, since I learned how to use photoshop properly

I'll try the blue and green for the skin, thanks

an update