Study thread: drawings and paintings

[bkkm]

Here are a few studies of different skull types. I found this to be an excellent exercise to help understand the structure and the big shapes that contribute to likeness. I hope to do more soon.

[bkkm]

Here's a few more life drawings. Critiques are very welcome.

1 min. poses:


3 min. poses:


top row -30 secs poses; bottom - 10 min. part studies:


10 min. poses/part studies:

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Brenno I really like the head studies. Not intentional, I'm sure, but strange how zombie like they are without eyes and lips. I'm really impressed with the 30 sec poses you did. I think you capture the gesture well with these and I can see in the longer poses your use of the core shadow to help define the different planes. They all look to have good weight, form and movement to me and you seem to be progressing well. Which is good for me as I like to study your studies .

[bkkm]

Hi Marian! Yes, the eyeless faces do sometimes look like zombies! I suppose my teacher actually meant to say the same, without however using the word, when he said that he liked the drawings, but told me to "definitely drop the eye sockets in shadow!" I guess I was too worried about modeling the form to then lose it all under a flat, dark tone...



Here are a few more studies of skull types. This time I am working with four values, and a stronger, and often more dramatic, directional lighting. The only exceptions are the Cornwell studies on the last page, which I decided to do after his manner, sculpting the form with a softer light.

[bkkm]

Quick update:

A few studies after Pontormo as a warm-up just before life drawing session,

and a page from that session. 10-15 minutes studies of parts.

[knut-]

Whoaa nice studiew man. From where do you study the bodies? Nice lines really nad poses. Keep it up!

Oh, why not mouths?

[bkkm]

Knut-: The figure studies are done either from life (in classes or uninstructed workshops) or after master drawings/paintings/sculptures. I always try to note which is the case in my posts.
In these exercises we're supposed to focus on the larger structure (basically the skull and its major planes, plus the nose), with the underlying assumption that this should be enough to get a strong likeness before adding the features or minor details. That's why the mouth is not there: the idea is that more important than the mouth/lips for this sort of structural likeness is the larger shape of the tooth cylinder, the muzzle. Of course, that is not to say that features are not important in achieving a likeness. They play a very important role, especially in adding character, and personality, to the larger structural likeness. But, according to this reasoning, the features should be built upon a solid foundation. Hopefully this clarifies the thought process a bit. Thanks for visiting!


And here are two heads from life, this time with features. 10 mins. pose, each. I wish I'd had more time.

[Oruhito]

DAMN your figures have improved IMMENSELY. Seriously amazing progress. Your gesture and short poses (I'm guessing 1 and 5 minutes) are very good and you're grasping a lot quickly. Your longer poses are also very good. The only critique I would give you as of right now (and it's not a huge thing) is to remember what are informing your contours - form. It looks like you have a good grasping of what's going on structurally, but just as a fore warning, don't get caught up on the boundaries. Seriously amazing work and progress.

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Brenno your Pontormo warm ups look very nice and obviously proved to be a good warm up as the studies of parts are also very good. All the proportions looks very accurate and your lines and tones seem to express the form and they read really well. I also like what you achieved in the last head studies. I can see through the drawings that you understand the forms of what your drawing. I like the tones you've used to capture the hair on the right one and the face on the left is also very good especially as it was done in 10mins. You really are doing well and setting a great example for me to follow. Have you been doing any painting of late?

[JS Neo]

Immense improvement. Those head studies are done from imagination? You did really well in that 10 mins head drawing. 10 mins isnt very long and I think u did a really good job capturing the essence. I dont have to say how good your figure drawing has become. Keep it rocking !

[krel]

Great life drawings man.

[Sir Cam]

Thank you for stopping by my sketchbook.

Excellent life drawings, I definitely see Vilppu's influence in your work. I noticed in the beginning of the thread that you mentioned that you're self taught through books, so am I (though I also watch instructional videos). I feel like I've learned something by looking at your drawings. I know you want critiques but I'm not sure I could tell you anything you weren't already aware of, your work is very good. If I were to be excessively nit-picky just for the sake of criticism, I think you may be hanging on to the outline just a tad too much. Maybe indicate how the forms fit together with a little more clarity. However, as you mentioned in my sketchbook, perhaps you just place more emphasis on other things which is okay because it is clear to me that you know what you're doing.

Very nice drawings sir.

[bkkm]

Oruhito: Thanks! It means a lot coming from you. I think you're right regarding my overemphasis on the outline at moments. I will keep an eye on that.

Marian: Thanks again for the encouragement! I haven't painted much lately... I've decided to focus on drawing for the moment, since I believe it is the basis for any solid painting. Thanks for visiting!

JS Neo: The head studies were done from reference, but -- as I think is obvious -- I wasn't trying to copy the reference. Rather, the idea was to understand the underlying structure, and, in some cases (when the lighting on the reference was poor, for example), to push the drawing's strcutural solidity even beyond the reference. Thanks for dropping by!

Krel: Thanks!

Sir Cam: I agree completely with what you said. I've been trying to push clarity in my latest drawing (below). Still need to work more on that, though. Thanks for visiting and keep up the good work!


Here are a few drawings from life. As mentioned above, my main goal in most of them was to push clarity so as to make sure I understand what's going on with the form.

[bkkm]

some 10 minutes drawings from life and a few ballpoint studies.

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Brenno great drawings as always. I really like the top drawing with the legs coming right out of the page. Very dramatic and it feels very solid. The ballpoint pens are a different approach for you and look interesting. I always enjoy seeing what you've been doing. You make me want to achieve better drawings

[Tom Fenton]

the last timed studies are excellent and very lovely lines shows your hard work is paying off, have you tried doing spherical forms, like vilppu teaches?

[bkkm]

Marian and Tom, thank you for the words and for the visit!

I've been trying to experiment with different media. Here are a few recent studies. First page after Carmean, last after Hele.

[knut-]

I know they are studies but i really like the overall page with the frames and black shadows on the last update. Keep up.

[bkkm]

Knut-: Thanks! Everything here is studies... I am glad you like those


Large upload. Some better, some worse... Slowly and shyly feeling more comfortable to experiment a little bit. Trying to be more careful with my line quality: variety is the word. Poses range from 5's to 25's, all from life.

[bkkm]

Experimenting with a different technique... Red, black, and white pencils on toned paper.

[Coen]

Your works are beautiful man. There's been so much improvement since your first posts, especially in depth and structure. Keep posting!

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Brenno really enjoying looking at your last posts. Your shading just keeps getting better and better. It must feel great to have reached this stage where you can now experiment more. Well done you for working so hard.

[bkkm]

Coen: Thanks!

Marian: Yes, it feels rewarding and, in a sense, liberating, when you start to see that things begin to make sense. You look at drawings you had looked at many times before, and you realize that there are so many things there, in that very same drawing, that you had not even begun to notice just a moment ago. I think good drawings, like good poems, offer themselves to us in layers. We see in them what we put into them; they answer only the questions we are able to formulate. At the same time, when we come to realize this, we also realize -- now that we know a little more -- that we actually know so much less than we thought we did before; that the distance between where we are right now and our goals, even though it is a tad bit shorter than it was a moment ago, is in fact much, much larger than we imagined it to be when we first started. Learning is a very humbling experience.



Here is another exploration of the trois crayons technique. After Rubens.

[bkkm]

A few more studies from life, all ranging from five to fifteen minutes, and a quick (20-25') study after Ivor Hele.

[Raileyh]

Really wonderful work in here!! I'm excited for you! Keep up the great work. Your progress on this thread is quite amazing. Congratulations!

H

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Brenno your drawings are looking lovely. Good natural flow and weight to them. Thanks also for introducing me to Ivor Hele I really like your study. Is it intentional that the white highlights stand out so much? I tried to find the drawing you were studying from but with no success. As always you really inspire me to go grab a pencil.

[kevinwueste]

the 1 min and 10 min poses in post # 92 are just excellent - the rhythms, soft touch and sure-footed (ness) that comes across in them is great. Not that anyone asks much for opinions around here but if I were voting, I'd vote for doing more of what you were doing when those happened - good stuff all around but those are very nice. Remind me of Charles Hu's work. - kevin

[thinairart]

Love all these life studies your posting, inspiration to me to get off my butt and do some life drawing!

[vikramranu]

i dont think there is any critic for you.
its looks good to my eyes.
if someone follows u then i may critic him.
i like streatched strokes...for examples any depth u just filled it up with pencialthink stokes with out much emphasizing on extra depth and detailing.
its tells my mind that there is already an depth and detailling over there.

[the_allejo05]

been following your thread:im on the same path
hmm things to get you to improve...
go back to your geometric shapes, sphere,cone,cube and cilinder ,learn to shade those by heart that will help you on the figure
study anatomy,start with the bones,then origin and insertion points
drop the charcoal,and draw with pen to help more with line,and learning to hatch over the form ,Goltzius is great for that
work more on toned paper,to separate not only the shadow side,which i see you do well,but the light and midtone as well
pic a few master artists,and learn from them,the figure (michelangelo wins an expert on it)
i would like to see more perspective studies, also learn how to do ornament (that requires knowledge of constructive geometry and will help you on drawing and painting,step by step thinking, geometrical,something the old painter knew how to do well)
go to the museum and do long drawings of sculpture,your figures are great but lack the weight and sensitive to tone,when you master the sculpture it becomes easier to see tones on flesh.
do more details studies of the ABC on drawing, hands,feet,noses,ears,eyes,mouth,torso,and all the parts of the body
dont neglect your imaginative drawing...think about doing an ecorche,something i ought to do,practice doing grisailles with oil,black and white only...
KEEP IT UP!!!