Need critique help for direction

**Pilgrim1099** · April 27th, 2010, 05:22 PM

Hello,

Damjan suggested, from another section, that I should move my old post to this one and so I've decided to do that. What I'm about to ask is a little bit unorthodox by focusing on my work in general rather than just one piece. The reason being is that I've just resigned to the fact that I need feedback and critique on where I should be heading direction-wise.

And because I live in a rural area where there's not a lot of like-minded illustrators who are in the same industry as CA is concerned, it's almost impossible to get local inspiration and feedback.

I'm kind of in a dry spell and have been for a long time despite the fact that I've been sketching a lot with my moleskine sketchbooks for a few years and you can see a huge stack of them with the photo attached. I've about two more that are'nt seen but on the other side of my apartment/studio.

So, henceforth, I have a website at this link and was hoping if anyone would be kind enough to look at it, to see if there is anything in my gallery page that needs work or the overall feel for the variety of portfolio needing some change. Even the website itself. Is it well represented? Is it enough to tell my story and what I do?

I have no intention of using Flash for my website but would like to try and figure out how in hell to use Lightbox to revamp my portfolio page to make things more streamlined because I sure am not a coder myself. EDIT: by the way, I do plan on changing the profile photo in my bio page in the near future as the image is old. Though, I'm still too attached to that castle background but I don't live in that area anymore :/.

I'm trying to get myself back on the right track career-wise and hopefully focus on illustration for RPG game companies such as Chaosium Games, Pathfinder, and what not. And perhaps storyboarding for the film industry. I want to get published again but also do better.

Please bear in mind that when I went homeless three years ago, it screwed everything up and pushed me back for a long time until now as I've managed to keep a new roof over my head for three years so far. Sometimes it's very hard to focus when living in such a sleepy town that I had no choice to move to out of forced circumstances and have to travel to the next town up once a week to hit the clubs and find inspiration, or socialize.

Thanks,

-A

**Vari** · April 27th, 2010, 09:02 PM

I would advice you to leave the site (your site i mean, not CA) for now and focus on your drawings. I'll be honest here, because you seem mature enough to not get offended. You are still not ready for doing art commercially. You really need to spend a lot more time with figure drawing, especially if you intend to make concept art or storyboards. They both require excellent knowledge of anatomy, gesture and most often must be produced "from imagination". And that will take some time. Your pencil drawings are way better than your digital work. Focus on them. Leave Photoshop for some time and practice figure drawing. You live in some remotely place, so i guess the best way is learning by yourself. Search this forum for book recommendations and start practicing.

But really, forget about your site. It doesn't matter how streamlined it is, or what is your photo. It is your drawings that you must worry about right now. Even if you hire the best web designer in the world, this won't change the fact that you need to work a lot more.

Right now your portfolio is poor. You have 15 pictures greatly varying in quality, medium and theme. Yes, it's a good idea that you show you can do 2 or 3 things, but right now your pictures don't have anything to do with each other. It's like they have been created by 15 different people. Your work does not have real progression when i compare pictures from 2004 and 2009. This is a huge period of time and it looks like you have not used it properly. It's like you haven't learned anything in 5 years which means you have not tried to learn.

Stop wasting time caring about your portfolio and even your photo. It appears you have wasted enough time already. This should be the last of you concerns. Yeah, you had some hard times, but now it's all past. Grab "Figure drawing for all it's worth" by Loomis and start again. From the beginning.

**Pilgrim1099** · April 27th, 2010, 09:53 PM

Vari,

Thanks for the feedback. But I'm a bit confused here. Are you talking about my graphite drawings that need to be expanded more than the digital images? In some of the images, I've used Painter but not always Photoshop, in certain cases. I've used Manga Studio and a bit of Sketchbook Pro. Both great applications.

The other thing in regards to figure drawing, I've been doing this for years and have gone to life drawing since then. Although, the local life drawing is so-so and the better one's 1 hour away from here, where I used to live a few years back. They break things down from gestures to 5 min drawings and then to a half hour or so. All of it is under 2 hours. Back then in art school, it used to be 9:30 am til 4:00pm. That was years ago.

Although, I do know of Andrew Loomis' work but I don't think they publish it in hard copy anymore, and are very expensive these days on Amazon. I use other life drawing books in my collection to rely on. In a way, I wished they had an Ateliers program here in this state, so the only way I can do that is using Aristides' Atelier book series, Richard Schmid's Alla Prima and so on, which I have in my possession. I have a HUGE library. It would've been nice if I had some access to CA's TAD program online but I can't because of my hearing disability.

In regards to storyboarding, I've done this in the past with the local Indie film-makers back home. Although, I want to jump back into it and develop it more. However, a part of me would'nt mind doing graphic novels. I'm still working out on the sense of direction.

I'm just confused because on the one hand you say I should focus on my drawings, and yet there's digital illustration. Are you talking about my 'mature'/erotic drawings or combined with other illustrations with graphite?

You do make valid points on that focus because graphite and ink are my strengths. Being able to show that I can do 2 or 3 things without making the impression that there are 15 people doing different things is what I'm trying to get away from.

I know that you suggested concentrating on life drawing and while I do local design work on the side, especially for my fencing club because it's my passion. But I do want to expand and master digital painting/illustration. Yes, there was a huge gap of time between 2004 and 2009, I admit. But in between that, I've had bouts of creative blocks throughout that time until now and I've had to struggle to eek out a few things here and there to show that I was still creating things, even while I was homeless at a shelter.

Thanks.

-A

**Max Pressman** · April 28th, 2010, 12:56 AM

All in all, I think Vari has made some really good points. I just want to add something that I think might be useful.

Study an artist that you really admire, someone that just inspires the hell out of you, and see if you can produce something that is as good or better than there work. It will help if it's someone that has done video tutorials, so you can really see how it's done. You probably won't nail it the first time, just as i didn't, but I think it will be a good way of seriously accelerating your innate talent. And yes, you have talent, but it requires some hard core guidance. Massiveblack.com has some great tutorials, totally worth checking out.

Also, websites can be a pain to maintain. Try tumblr, and focus on the art.

Side note, I would rethink the wording of "mature art" regarding your figure drawing section. Art based on the work of Nietzsche is mature. Hot nude chicks are not.

Also, Spirit of the Pose is another good figure drawing reference.

Hope this helps.

**arenhaus** · April 28th, 2010, 02:51 AM

Books by Loomis have been out of print for 40 years, but you can look at the contents at fineart.sk.

**Vari** · April 28th, 2010, 04:59 AM

Ok, Pilgrim, let's see.

Both your digital and pencil works need to be developed. Your traditional pictures are stronger so i suggest you spend a little bit more time on them. Just to finish them so to speak. But I see you got about 10 sketchbooks full with stuff and you say you got a lot of studies. Now, as i can't see what is inside it's up to you to decide if it's enough for you. If you feel comfortable with your figure drawing, switch to Photoshop or Painter. I've used both and they are both good, but Photoshop seems to be more popular choice.

If you really want digital, then focus on that. In your digital works you are missing the following things, forms, values and colors. To make it more clear, take the picture of Zui Suicide with the light saber. Your forms, in this case her body has anatomy errors. Values next - the colors are flat and there is some sort of gradient. Look at yourself in the mirror, when the light falls on the human body it does not behave like that. Colors - here you need to look at the color theory. The skin is not just one color + burn for the shadows and dodge for the highlights. These colors should be different.

It's up to you to decide how to improve these things. If you ask me, train the forms a bit more with pencil. Practice anatomy studies until you can make convincing people. Proportions, gesture, symmetry (left hand should be as long as the right and so on).

Then move to values. Leave the colors for a while and practice grayscale pictures. You can start with photoshop or painter for this part. Find good black and white photo and see how colors range from white to almost black. Take this as example http://th01.deviantart.net/fs17/300W...Pitulineta.jpg Look at how many gray colors there is.

Colors finally, search for info on the color theory and practice some speed painting from photos. Don't obsess over details, just block the colors and look at how they vary depending on the light, the color of the environment and just everything.

Here is an exercise for you. Download this photo http://characterdesigns.com/bandaid/...set_26_036.jpg (the site has good resources for studies). Try to draw it on paper using pencil. Focus on the proportions and the forms, don't make the shadows and highlights yet. Make something like lineart. Don't trace, but try to translate the body to your paper. When you have something like that http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs30/f/20...ytonBarton.jpg open the photo in Photoshop and make it grayscale. Scan your lines and looking at the gray photo, try to make it look the same. After that, open your lineart again and copy the photo, but this time in colors. Don't pick them from the photo, try to "guess" them.

Download and install this brush pack http://adonihs.deviantart.com/art/My...Pack-118954791 . Use the first one, "Standard brush". Just make few strokes with it and you will see how cool it is, kinda like pencil, the harder you press, the darker it comes out. For the moment use only this brush and draw on top of your lines. Correct them if necessary.

If you want, do this exercise 2 or even 3 times until you are satisfied. Upload all 3 pictures here, the "lines", the values and the colors for critics. Excuse me for my English by the way, i know it's horrible, but i hope you understood what i want you to do. I'd be happy to see if you try this exercise. Good luck

**Pilgrim1099** · April 28th, 2010, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by arenhaus

Books by Loomis have been out of print for 40 years, but you can look at the contents at fineart.sk.

That is correct. It's what I've heard and I believe they have PDF versions online somewhere. In fact, I just found the downloads that were on my hard drive. I totally forgot about them for the last few years now, titles ranging from Creative Illustration, Drawing Head and Hands, Eye of the Painter, Fun With a Pencil and Successful Drawing.

Clearly, I don't know if it's legal for me to actually have them printed at Kinko's, BUT I could probably do this at a local print shop even though it may cost me a bundle.

It's a shame the Loomis estate won't have them re-reprinted.

**Pilgrim1099** · April 28th, 2010, 10:06 AM

Max,

As for inspiring artists to follow, boy do I have a lot of them. But in particular, Katsuhiro Otomo was my god back in the 1980s and still is until I discovered more of Moebius' work that actually was Otomo's inspiration, supposedly. Then there's Yoshitaka Amano. I have reverence for the old school illustrators because I grew up in that era, especially the older anime/manga days.

Guy Davis, Mignola, and lately Taiyo Matsumoto (TekkonKinkreet) are also inspiring. To me, I value storytelling and the art of cinematography instead of squashing everything in one panel Marvel or DC style. I just don't find it practical in terms of pacing and character development. When I read AKIRA back in the 80s, published by EPIC at the time, it felt like I was watching an epic film. Each panel felt like a cinematic shot to such powerful effect.

Guy Davis' The Marquis is one of my most favorite books of all time because of my huge influence of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (that's another story) and gothic/baroque tone. The sequencing was pitch perfect and the way he lurks in the alleyways make Batman look like a pansy. EDIT: it's one reason why I started to learn fencing almost two years ago because of this character but also I took martial arts way back and stopped due to art school. So I found an outlet to exercise and learn how to fence in the same time. The great thing about fencing is you can't fake a sword fight in your illustrations and to depict it properly, unless exaggeration is needed for such effect.

I'm starting to like what Jeremy Keller and Shawn Barber has done with their paintings. Even Barber. I've always wanted to master classical drawing and painting 'atelier' style that in which Carravagio made an impression on me years ago and still does. And then there's Heinrich Kley, which I have a rare book on and love his loose ink style that I some times employ on my sketchbook. And then there's Henry Yan (figure drawing book) who impressed me with his graphite and charcoal drawings. Respect.

Egon Schiele, JW Waterhouse, Willy Pogany, Mucha, Alma-Tadema, Harry Clarke and a few others from the 19th Century impressed me big time.

As far as websites go, mine is pretty easy using GoDaddy to FTP and used GoLive CS for all of this. Tumblr is now connected to my site because I dropped one page that was like a news flash page so I used Tumblr as a short blogger in connection to it, plus I can use my blackberry to update it 'on the go' directly. I just started using it recently and posted my fencing arm patch design.

In relation to 'mature' art, so should I just phrase it as 'erotic' then?

Spirit of the Pose. I came so close to buying it on Amazon. I have Bridgeman, Nathan Beverly Hale, James McMullan (rare book), Peck, Nathan Goldstein (figure art book), and Ted Seth Jacobs. And of course, Harold Speed on the Science and Art of Drawing.

If I were to choose my artists to study and follow in the strictest sense of the word, it would probably be: Caravaggio, Mucha or Schiele, Edmund Dulac, and Sargent for their classicism and the contemporaries I'd follow would be: Otomo, Moebius, Bernie Wrightson (forgot to mention him) and Guy Davis. And for the fine art/atelier style, I'd follow: Shawn Barber, Jeremy Keller, Henry Yan, and Richard Schmid (ironically, he lives in the same state as I do and I do have his book, but have never touched oils in my life except for acrylic/water/gouache).

Like I said, my library is HUGE like the Aedificium (Name of the Rose reference). I do have photos of it to prove it.

So, Max, I do agree that I need to do some hard core guidance to get myself back on track. What I've learned in art school was good, but looking back at that time, they were teaching outdated techniques and concepts. I've nothing against my school and respect it immensely. But it does anger me in how outdated that Illustration department was and the way they structured their curriculum and assignments as almost unrealistic and not reflective of the real world experience.

And this is why I partially lost my way and need to somewhat start from scratch.

**Pilgrim1099** · April 28th, 2010, 10:37 AM

Vari,

Thanks for the suggestions. As for my sketchbooks, maybe when I have time I can scan some pages and upload them. If I can get around to that.

On the Zui Suicide's piece, I drew her in graphite on bristol board paper, scanned it in, and then colored over it in Photoshop. It's an old technique by an illustrator from Image Comics back then (Jay Anacleto) that I was experimenting with. I probably could have done something else with it, perhaps using watercolors or gouache.

I will download those brushes for sure. Are these for Photoshop or Painter? I'm using Photoshop CS1 and Painter 9.5 running on Mac OS X Tiger. I wish I could get a new Intel Snow Leopard iMac to upgrade to :/.

I can try that exercise you mentioned from that one link and see how that goes. Perhaps I'll upload it once I complete this. Although, I'm not on DevArt anymore and closed the account there but I do lurk there once in a rare while.

One thing that I did notice lately is my art suffered a tiny bit from distortion and I suspect it has to do with my astigmatism. My glasses are old and need replacing and I've yet to get around to that. If I can get new lens, then I can see a bit better from a distance. That might be why I suffered a bit on life drawing sessions. Unfortunately I don't have insurance to cover it and have to pay it out of pocket. A real pain, if you ask. I prefer not to have contact lenses because they freak me out and don't work for those who have astigmatism.

Thanks!