Jelly Magic

[JasonHickey]

Hey everyone, I'm fresh off the boat and determined to prove that daily sketches CAN help you!

Crit me please!!!!

[JasonHickey]

OK here goes:

I'm just getting to grips with using the wacom tablet as a sketching tool rather than drawing in pencil first and scanning it in. So the first image is a hand I drew at the end of my lunch break.

The second is a portrait painted from a photograph. Note I painted from the printed photo rather than a scan or a digital.

I've learned not to rely too much on outline and to watch my attention to form. The last was more an experiment in working with different brushes and an attempt at speed painting.

Roll on the advice.

[JasonHickey]

This is my daily sketch from last night. It's from Bumskee's digital painting thread here at CA. Tonight I think I'll follow up with the onions.

[JasonHickey]

Hey i just saw Flaskpost's robot girl and it reminded me to post up a sihouette sketch I did on Thursday.

I'll put it up here tomorrow! (ed - today )

[bumskee]

Hey!
so you got a tablet recently then? I would actually advice that you draw constantly and as often as you can on paper as well. It's a skill that will serve you well!

apple looks great, i actually saw it earlier. I think you could lose some of the details and could help with some simplified strokes, but otherwise, nice!

keep it up!

cheers,

[JasonHickey]

Actually I've had the tablet a while but I rarely use it except for creating textures.

Good advice on the apple, I still haven't figured out how to use the "other" two brushes you supplied on your tutorial. Possibly when I experiment with them I'll get smoother blending and less fussy work over all.

In regards to sketching, I'm doing that every day too and once a week (Wednesday nights) I organise a life drawing class in work. I'll post up some paper sketches on Thursday I think.

Thanks for the crit.

[JasonHickey]

These are some life drawings from last month. I'll be posting sketches like these once a week.

On this evening I had forgotten my pencils so I had to resort to pen. it's a nice alternative as it forces you to be careful with your line choices and observe more effectively.

Crits welcome as usual.

[Cameli]

really nice life drawing keep posting

[JasonHickey]

Cameli: You're my first unprovoked comment. Congratulations and thanks! I'll keep everything coming as much as I can and I promise I'll give you a crit sometime tomorrow.

Ok in other news: I tried the daily sketch but I missed the deadline and although it was supposed to be a reptile I thought an amphibian would be more fun. It's still a work in progress but I'm too tired right now to finish it off. Expect an update during the week.

[witcrack]

Hi there Jason! Really nice start here. I like your digi-paints and this is beautiful!
Keep going, i 'm curious to see where you are heading

[Adam Nowak]

Some nice gestures, they've got some energy in them.

[Anthromancer]

Really lovely work. There's so much energy in your work. Going to take up your lead and try to draw something everyday. I know it's the only way to improve, and you've inspired me to go for it. Thankyou!

[TheButterBunny]

God I love your life drawings! Thats the kind of thing I'd love to be able to do some day; accurate studies but still with this amazing stylised energetic feel!

Go you! and Keep practicing!

Katie

[Sillirien]

so nice bus-reptilian!)
I will wait for final version
I like your sketches and black-and-white jobs!
in coloured works... maby you should try to add more softness in some pieces of work, in shadows and background? I think it will make your works more balanced
Sorry for my language it's hard to me to find words)
Good luck to you!

[LMK]

great frog dude, will look ace when it's tightened XD, like the Lifedrawing alot

[JasonHickey]

Sorry it's been a few days since I updated. No excuses will make the difference but instead I'll give you some life drawing to crit and hopefully tonight I will finish that frog!

witcrack: Thanks for the support. it's funny you like the portrait, I think it's a bit flat..

Gamerhomie: Thanks man, coming from you with your life drawing library I am flattered.

Anthromancer: yeah keep drawing! I didn't draw on Tuesday and I felt a bit weird because of it. I've got the habit now.

TheButterbunny: you want to see my life drawing when i started. I was one of the worst in the class. It was embarrassing but I think I'm getting there.

Sillirien: hey thanks, i hope when it's finished it will be better. I didn't really understand the softness tip you gave me.. Can you tell me an example of what you would do with one of my colour pieces to make it more balanced? All the help I can get would be much appreciated.

LMK: Cheers buddy!

[torstan]

Nice sketchbook - the lifedrawings are great. I agree about the pen - it's a fun change.

The apple looks real but I have an issue with the shadows. If the light source is as strong and directed as the highlight and cast shadow suggest then the right hand side of the apple should be a good bit darker than it is.

Lovely work!

[witcrack]

Loving the life drawings, that loose and curvy lines is working really well. Are those the kind of practice where you're restricted to look at the paper you draw on? Just curious

Oh and, where's the unfinished frog-bus-thing that you recently talked about? I don't see it here. (Adding one more curiosity here )

[Flaskpost]

nice start to your sketchbook, man! i really like your lines. keep the studies coming!

[JasonHickey]

Hey all, thanks for all the interest! It's a real productivity boost. You guys rock. Ok I'm under deadlines this week so I didn't get as much time on the frog as I wanted. But I did get to flesh out the background a bit. I'll keep working over the weekend but as I've got guests I'd say i won't finish this until Tuesday night.

This is WIP so all crits will have a chance to influence this piece. Please note the frog is really unfinished.

Sillirien: I tried the back ground what do you think?

torstan: Good point! I was so focused on the apple I forgot about the shadows. next drawing I'll get those right.

witcrack: Hey man. Those curvy lines are basically my style of drawing It's called point to point. When I started learning this technique it was kind of a straight line from elbow to knee to chest etc. Then I adapted it and moved the lines over the body instead of through space. That way I am constantly tracing the pen on the surface of the skin (in my head). It's nice because it's a very sensual way to draw and you get emotionally attached to the act of drawing...and here's the unfinished bus frog again.

Flaskpost: Thanks for the support. Stay tuned and every Wednesday night/ Thursday afternoon you'll get a dose of life drawing.

I'll get back to have at look at all your sketchbooks tomorrow during lunch.

Thanks again!

[witcrack]

I think i might try that method one day. Thanks for explaining it. And wow, the frog's lovely! Now i am as eager to see it finished as everyone else does here.
Keep going, please

[Sillirien]

I like these colours they are so silvery and makes background really distant!)
When I read your first answer I made this:

I think that using of smudge tool helps to make skin more solid and won't get it fall to pieces when you look closer (sorry, I'm not good artist, but you understand my thought )

[DiR3Kt]

Hi Jason,

This frog concept is sooo cool

Your figure drawing method is really interesting, the lines create some kind of unexplainable rythm. Like it!

[Ezidof]

Hey Jason, nice to see you posting on here!

great start here to your sketchkbook, the frog image is coming along, i like concept of it, be good to see it when its finished.
To help simplify your strokes try using larger brush sizes but carefully planning/thinking where each mark goes. You will end up really only painting what is needed and leave out unnecessary marks that distract away from the image.

mark

[JasonHickey]

I tried to post this last night but the site went down...??

DiR3Kt: Thanks man, I live for support and crits so keep em coming!

Ezidof: Thanks for the tip, I'll try that when I get back on to the frog.

But... the frog is on hold. I'll get back to it tomorrow with the aim of finishing it Thursday and if not then on the weekend. In the mean time I am trying out some illustrating for an rpg. Check out Cobweb games here if you're interested in the brief.

It's basically a kind of hybrid between "The Running Man" (the book) and "Manhunt" (The Game). So it's violent, gritty and modern.

Here's one of the illustrations: I'm not used to this inky style so I'm just learning but I had fun. Crits welcome as usual. Life drawing update in 2 days and counting!

[matty_mcmullen]

i love those life drawings, but in this last bw one the pose looks really uncomfortable his hips haven't shifted around enough with his shoulders. keep up the daily sketching.

[JasonHickey]

Yeah I kind of knew that but was too lazy and hoped it wasn't as bad as I thought. I'll fix it tonight.. thanks for the crit!

[JasonHickey]

Right the leg is somewhat fixed. Not sure it's right anymore. Agh. I wish I could transfer my observational skills into "create it straight form my head" skills. What does anyone else think?

[Royzy]

Love your sketchwork! Particularly these ones.

It'd be great to see even more poses . Keep it up.

[jamsession]

howdy, excellent sketches, i really like your freehand style its soo free and full of confidence keep up :D

I think that using of smudge tool helps to make skin more solid and won't get it fall to pieces when you look closer

erm.. sorry but i wouldn't agree with the smudge tool bit, especially if its used with round edged brush, it's helpful with custom brushes (those with dots dots etc.) but should be used very very rarely imo. i'd humbly recommend to use hard edged brush with various opacity and color tones for general blending and the soft edged brush at a lesser opacity for detail blending :)

i.e.