BluezAce's SB || Updated 3rd February 2011

[Jaunay]

Excellent life studies, especially the facial and constructional drawing. Epic skills. Just wondering where you get your references from? :d Also about how much time did you spend on each sketch they looks so detailed and so small.

[BluezAce]

@ladyknowles
Don't worry, sis! Thanks for your kind words

@Jaunay
Thank you, Jaunay!!

Well, maybe it's cliche, but I realize that once we open our mindset, almost anything can be used as reference in learning. From the pencil in front of you, photo in your desk, television, anything. But if what you mean is "the reference" on what to draw, usually I looked up in other ca members' SB, video from the pro, image in internet, master's artwork, etc etc

Usually the time I spend for each sketch is very varied, depending on what I feel about the drawing or my previous intention for the drawing. If it was meant for just a "sketch/quick study" usually around 30 min until one hour (well, sometimes it just 10-15 min for the really quick hehe). For that vehicle constructional drawing, I meant it as a test for my skill, so I keep in mind "I'll finish it no matter how long the time I have to put in it". Right now it already took around 12-15 hours from reference study until the inking. I think I'll put few more hours to render it in photoshop

But indeed, lately my love in drawing grow more stronger and I enjoy drawing more than before, so it's often I put my pencil in paper and not realizing that 5 hours had already passed just like that hehehe


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Finished drawing of the constructional. But it turned that I forgot to draw the tire, so I guess it hasn't finished yet actually... -.-



Simple discovery from this drawing: After the pencil sketch, I traced it again before I ink it. But I feel, no matter how accurate the trace, the line is so
"sterile". Like some cold, lifeless machine that draw it. Don't know why...
Maybe it's the difference between "just drawing/doing something" and "really drawing/doing it with passion"

[witcrack]

Graaaaate observasional skills mate! Keep it up! Btw, the grid you ask on my Sketchbook? That's just a background I chose in MyPaint (I have that unhealthy and irrational taste for trying out various painting software ) But I like MyPaint, in case you are wondering, coupled with GIMP it's just perfect . But again, I have to be honest, technically speaking, Phostoshop alone is more than sufficient (I did say I have unhealthy and irrational taste, didn't I? but did I say that I'm not a Rockefeller too? )

[BluezAce]

@witcrack
Hahahaha... I have to try that too sometimes!!

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Night stuff before go to bed. Itching to have the skill to create good painting...

[witcrack]

Your comment on why that tractor drawing you traced seems lifeless and cold made me think and wrote this. So I should thank you first and I hope this can be of help to you as it does to myself. It's not meant as an advise though, just my opinion in this matter. Here goes:

About that tractor machine you traced... it's cold accurate and lifeless, yes I agree with you on that, ... well "lifeless" may sounds too strong but I get what you mean. I'll tell you why it looks dead: A ruler and those even lines (little or no thick/thin variation). This method of drawings meant for technical purposes and never intended to make a drawing to have a "life" It's good as a practice though, as it can help you to understand forms and its relation in space. Those understandings will be useful to make a believable piece. But believability and realism isn't necessarily the key to a lively drawing and you cannot blame accuracy for a lifeless picture. What makes a drawing seems alive is, I think, expression. A meaningful strokes. Rhythm. Harmony. etc. Your pre-ink sketch is looking more alive because of two reasons. One, the thick and thin lines variation makes a good rhythm and two, those thin lines expresses (shows) how you think.

From what I just said there, I have an opinion that it is POSSIBLE to make a lively drawings that is terrifyingly accurate, using rulers and Rapido pens... on a gridded paper etc. You just have to figure out how

[BluezAce]

@witcrack
Well, actually what i meant for lifeless drawing was "the drawing as a resulf of tracing method" (I traced the initial sketch because I wanted to keep that "lively" drawing, then I inked the traced one) not "the tractor/constructional drawing" (I do love constructional approach because I feel it really challenge my left brain) hehehe

But indeed, your comment clicked in my mind, especially about even lines. It made me remember about what been said Harold Speed's The Practice and Science of Drawing. Drawing is kinda seeking the unity in what we create (rhytm, harmony, etc). But it could be no perfect unity, since perfect unity would bring death to artwork and make it plain boring. So the solution is adding some variety (line weight, expressive stroke, etc) to infuse the life back into our artwork...
Maybe my "drawing as a resulf of tracing method" feels so lifeless was because it was a perfect unity with no variety. Damn accurate straight lines, but have no expression and line weight...

Of course, the inked one (final version) is much better than the traced one, but the dirty initial sketch is still give me more pleasure when I see it hahaha

Thank you very much for sharing your thought, mate!!



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Night update. Playing around in digital painting again, not having time to scan my pen and pencil drawings

[BluezAce]

Doodles for next month's poster job...

[BluezAce]

Little fix on the tires...

[Catish]

i'm digging your comic book pages. very well composed. reminds me a little of persepolis.

[witcrack]

Ah... i see. We saw things differently, apparently. Heheh. Not a problem But I still meant what I wrote. I'm not degrading the importance of technical drawing though, no. It serves its purposes better than expressive one, for example architectural plans and some concept art for 3D. I wrote that because I was intrigued by the word "lifeless". That word had my mind thinking, "why does he (you) want life in a technical drawing"? I mean, that tractor drawing you did is good as a technical drawing

[Seraph Fawkes]

Lovely linework, but don't forget about anatomy studies and other stuff - wanna see a lot of great art from you mate.

[BluezAce]

@Catish
Thanks for stopping by, Catish! I haven't do any comic seriously like that one again in long time hehehe...
Heard about Persepolis before, but haven't really check it. I'll go and search it!!

@witcrack
Honestly, yes I did sound silly when I see it from your perspective hahaha

@Seraph Fawkes
Hey, mate! I do want to be able creating great artworks ASAP too!!!
And sure, I'll be a diligent kid and do more study than last year hehe


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Update. Still-life, spent around 8-9 hours painting only this hahaha...


Baby-step improvement for me: The courage to use more value range than before. In the previous paintings, I didn't dare to really go up and down in value and just roaming in middle tone. The result were the paintings become kind of "muted". On the contrary, it turned out that the painting would be more alive and "popped" if I dare to use wider range of value...

[witcrack]

But you're not being silly Ace! And what you said about daring the value range on your last post, that's it! That's the truth Just be careful of pure black and pure white, especially when you intend to colour your value work
You shows a lot of determination having spent 8 hrs on that ballpoint pen. That will pay, I am sure. You're doing good. Keep it up!

[Black Spot]

Nice still life of the pen and the technical drawing. I like the baby on the previous page as well. Keep drawing and keep improving.

[BluezAce]

Quick update. Some doodles, having fun with designing, and then poster thumb for work...

[skMOP]

The design stuff is looking really good. The gears give off a nice steampunk vibe.

A crit on your doodles, the values are looking kind of dull, I mean it's in a very limited range. I know they're just doodles but yeah.
Cheers.

[Jaunay]

Man im totally digging those robots, so technical and precise. I'd love to see one big and inked in. As for what skMOP said although they're a little grey they're okay just pump up the contrast using auto levels in photoshop. Sometimes photoshop over does it so i tend to fiddle with it by hand. P:

Post more dude!

[Novbert]

I dig those sketchbook pages - especially the industrial designs. Not too much to crit here, just keep 'em coming!

[Seraph Fawkes]

Looks to me. that organic is not your strongest, but the machinery is definetely your area. That's a lot of detailed mechanisms. Keep exploring that.

[knut-]

Yes, the mechanical sketches are awesome.
Also, great grayscale studies, just try to finish them!
Keep up man