The Persist Stance - TAD Student

[p sage]

Cool designs & silhouettes. They read really well.

[Mr.Pryminista]

SMILEFACE: Thank you!
dwilliams: Thank you! I am!
p sage: Thank you!

Here's a small update I have from some of the work I did for Figure Painting I w/ Jon Foster

Mr. Morse



Figure Study - Acrylic



Figure Study - Oil



Value Study



Velazquez Master Copy



Self-Portrait Comps - unfinished



"The Last Pickle" Comic



Single frame from "The Last Pickle"




Multiple Figures - unfinished

[Ninjac]

Great progress man, I'll subscribe and check back in often.

[Velocity Kendall]

Pete that cast drawing is stunning

[Mr.Pryminista]

Ninjac: Wow! Never had someone subscribe to my thread before. Thank you so much!
Velocity Kendall: Thanks! Took forever and it still isn't as finished as it could be, but hey...I ran outta time haha.

Here are some more updates from this past semester at the one and only TAD. These were from my Genre in Entertainment and Pop Culture class with Marshall Vandruff and Jaclyn Havlak. We had a blast.

Desert Island





Pop Icon

[Mr.Pryminista]

Some images from my Greenlight Production I & Entertainment Design classes w/ Jason Manley and Ron Lemen

Character Briefs





Assassin











Rock Monster

[SMILEFACE]

WICKED THUMBS an HAHA THE LAST PICKLE WIN!!! XDXDXD

[BludHund]

Whoa! Its like an explosion of work!

I definitely see a clear improvement in process and technique over time
with these projects. So much so that, I had some crits that came to mind that
I'm kind of hesitant about because it seems like you've already surpassed them...

I guess the only thing I was going to say is about how design is really very much
grounded and inspired by immersion in subject matter. You should always look
to nature and culture for the form language, rhythms, and specific details that
make a design seem dynamic and alive and 'real' no matter how abstract or
exotic it may be.

That cat-assassin is definitely the best so far. Especially the thumbnails, i like
some of them better than the final image. Definitely that project shows a the
most variety and 'design thinking'. The only part that seems a bit left out is
her tail: its just kind of there, like an after thought. Maybe at least reiterating
her stripey patterning from her face would have tied it in more.

Coupla points:

With very large abstract designs like a space ship, details are key.

Particularly in the sense of scale. In general a variety in the size of forms
is a crucial element to make an abstract design seem appealing and purposeful
and not toy-like. Lots of similarly-sized forms kind of suggest smallness and
simplicity. A few little flanges or vents or fins or whatever give the viewer the
subconscious sense of 'oh, ok THATS how big it is'

Really good example of what I mean by this is Kasimir Malevich's 'Architectons':

Pure abstraction of form, but somehow they insist scale and purpose.

With guns, or any kind of prop. One of the biggest problems I notice people struggle
with in prop design is that they just don't feel like they fit your hand. Envision
yourself handling the thing gripping it, using it. On that rifle you designed, one thing
that really popped out at be is that theres no real buttstock or padding at the shoulder...
just one of those things that if you imagine the feel of it, seems weird.

In general it really pays to put as much thought into the surface and texture treatments
of objects as the rest of the design. If they are painted, think about the cultural implications...
symbols, livery colors, decorative striping. Again these decisions should be grounded by
immersing yourself in real subjects: insect color patterns, tribal paints, heraldric symbols,
military and industrial symbology, fashion, all of that.

Think about the wear and tear and dirt and dust and oil streaking and rust stains. All these
things will scream real even for the most fanciful design.

Anyways man, you're awesome, keep it up!

[Revidescent]

Great SB, I love seeing all the development for that design work. Your silhouettes are great, and I really love your cast work. Some of your more finalized stuff has slightly iffy anatomy in places, and a tendency to lose the planes on the limbs, leaving them a bit too cylindrical (especially on the fashion icon) but the anatomy in your studies is pretty nice indeed. =)

[Mr.Pryminista]

SMILEFACE: haha, thanks dude!

BludHund: Great feedback and thanks for reminder about how to THINK about design. Thinking like a designer as opposed to thinking like an illustrator was my biggest challenge this semester and I got "scolded" for it by Ron Lemen a lot. When you mentioned some of my designs looked and felt toy-like, you were echoing the feedback I got from other students and instructors this semester. Those fundamentals about design that you've mentioned are what I need to repeat to myself over and over again. Thanks for the link! I haven't looked at it yet but I have it bookmarked.

Revidescent: Thanks for dropping by! Yes, you're right. There are some iffy things about my final work that need rectifying. Fundamentals! <- probably the biggest lesson I learned this semester.

Speaking of fundamentals, I'm going back to the basics this summer with my own foundations program. Here are 2 lighting and color studies I recently completed. NO COLOR PICKER USED.

Reference



Reference

[Mr.Pryminista]

More summer studies.

These are 10 min composition studies I made of some of my favourite compositions.

Cornwell


Desiderio


Feng Zhu


Frazetta


Frazetta


Jones


Kanevsky


Rembrandt


Unknown


Wyeth

[Mr.Pryminista]

I picked my favourite of the composition studies and took it to a higher finish.



Original

[Mr.Pryminista]

Environment studies. 15 mins on each. Some of the original images are by Frederick Turner and Albert Bierstadt.



Bierstadt study (WIP)

[Revidescent]

Nice studies! The little 15 minute environments are really nice. I think some of them (especially the 10 minute compositonal ones) could benefit from some more brush opacity; I know they're quick, but they lack a sort of solidity. The lower opacity is also shifting your colours a little when you put the colours down quickly. (The more-finished angel one is great.)

[miycko]

Dude! Thats an incredible body of work you've done, and all of it top notch i have no crits at the moment, all i can say is awesome work. you've greatly improved over these last few months and i look forward to seeing what you have in store for us

[ruuhkis]

Hey man, nice work. The bust study on the top is my favourite on this page. I also dig the assassin cat silhouettes, and the golems.

As I took a look at the latest landscape study, I immediately thought that perhaps you should not only paint the values and colors accurately, but also really feel your subject from the beginning (no matter what you're studying), and pay more attention to its composition and focus, and how these are achieved by use of contrasts (of sharp vs soft edges, etc.). Right now nothing really stands out, and everything in the picture seems to be equally important. Maybe this is partly what Revidescent is referring to in her latest reply, when she talked about "the lack of solidity". What I would have done is that, even though this is a very fast study, I would have forced myself to believe that painting the values, colors, shapes, and their correct arrangement is actually ridiculously easy, and to make painting the composition in a meaningful way the real challenge from the get-go. Instead of stressing the technical stuff, I would have tried to put most of my focus on understanding what the artist intended to say with that painting - in other words, what sort of meanings he gave to his subjects - while still getting the technical stuff right. Go deep. Practically I would have introduced more sharp edges in contrast to soft ones, and maybe opaque vs transparent brush strokes, and explored their relationship to one another.

I've noticed that I sometimes tend to think of the technical stuff as something challenging, when in fact if I just believe that it's a piece of cake, then it really becomes a piece of cake. I might think of the technical stuff as something difficult because sometimes I might really just be lazy, and thus might not genuinely want to commit to that painting 100% by aligning my thoughts. Sometimes I might also subconsciously believe that if the technical stuff was ridiculously easy, it would then somehow lose its significance. I go through a psychological fencing match with myself and my beliefs pretty much every time I paint, reminding myself that I can do way better paintings than I might momentarily think. The best pieces that I've done have all been the result of the fact that I have (in that moment) convinced myself to believe that perspective, values, color, etc. are absolutely easy to grasp, and that it would be ridiculous to let my mind wander to those things from composing a meaningful picture - because I believe that in art, composition and transmission of meaning and emotion is everything, and the technical stuff is only a means to this end. During times of ease you forget about the "how" (the tools and techniques), and so the "what" (the composition, meaning and feeling) gets to shine. Even though technical things are absolutely important to master to deliver our message clearly to the viewer, by themselves they are still are totally meaningless. So why should we give them any value in our minds in that regard, and make them difficult for ourselves? The belief that all the technical stuff is basically very easy hasn't been conditioned within me yet, but I have begun to believe in my abilities more and more as I've practiced and as time has gone by.

So what I want to say is... I feel that you have potential for even better work than what you have shown us so far. You can do better than this. Maybe you already have even mastered most of the basics, but maybe for some reason you subconsciously don't want to acknowledge and show that. Maybe what might be preventing you from learning even faster and creating absolutely mind-blowing pieces is just some sort of a belief barrier. Things would probably be a lot easier if you just believed that they're a piece of cake. Then again, maybe I'm not making sense at all... but I know that the mental side (mental alignment, removing limiting beliefs, standards, feeling good...) of mastering a craft is just as important, or maybe partly even more important, than the practical side (work ethic, studying fundamentals...) of it. And it's a must to be aware of it. This all makes sense to me because I'm becoming more and more aware of the thoughts that run through my mind deep down, and some of those thoughts are very limiting. But also, all this is pretty hypocritical for me to say, because I'm only momentarily mentally aligned toward a purpose... I'm getting there.

It seems that I'm just unable to type short comments. This was supposed to be just a couple of lines long, but whaddya know, it stretched into a million word essay...

"Keep going", as the saying goes. Looking good!

[Mr.Pryminista]

Revidescent: Thank you! Yes, I know what you mean by the lack of solidity, I think if gave myself an extra 5 mins I could've captured that. The lower opacity thing is a matter of experience I suppose, I might see the color more or less correctly but the value is lacking. Thanks for pointing these out!

miycko: Thanks dude! It's good hearing from you again.

ruuhkis: Wow man, you really nailed it on the head with me! It's interesting because I've been thinking about it lately myself. I could sense that there was something missing with the work that I have. Most of what I do is studies, and I kept asking myself "why am I not as passionate about my art?" I could feel it, but I didn't want to really address it for a while because it scared me to think that the one thing I'm good at is also something that I'm not entirely as passionate about as I know I could be. It's just the drive that was missing and it's those beliefs that you mention! I haven't given myself enough to be passionate about which is spending more time on making my own work!

It reminds me that its about how we THINK of reality that shapes it.

Thank you for taking the time to write that. I'm glad it turned into a "million word essay" haha. You are like a cosmic messenger sent to remind me of the simple truths! The most important truth being to WAKE THE FUCK UP haha. Thanks again!

Here's an older piece, a portrait of my father that I hadn't gotten around to uploading until now.

[wolfnooM]

Man this SB rocks, nice work, I would like to give critics but I just don´t have the level so keept it up, your work is awesome!

[kevin_]

the studies and traditional portrait look great, your designs are nice as well! keep practicing!

[BlackDelphin]

Really nice variation and all round practice, great! You're making me pick up the pencil right now and draw some more.
Really nice thumbnails you have, and the rock monster particularly captured my attention. Nice farm, decisive lines. Keep posting!

[BludHund]

'Most of what I do is studies, and I kept asking myself "why am I not as passionate about my art?"'

Yup, and it IS terrifying. God, how many times do we all go through that amirite ppl?

You absolutely have to take time periodically to remind yourself why you do what you do, and what it
is that you love about it. Take time to map out your desires and ambitions and immerse yourself in your
inspirations.

ruuhkis: "Right now nothing really stands out, and everything in the picture seems to be equally important."

Both are key points.

However I think the primary underlying concept you should consider is this:

The difference between an 'artist' and a designer is purpose. The designer creates an image with purpose.

ruuhkis: "it would be ridiculous to let my mind wander to those things from composing a meaningful picture -
because I believe that in art, composition and transmission of meaning and emotion is everything, and the
technical stuff is only a means to this end."

Exactly.

Of course however I would argue that no artist is a true artist unless he is also a designer. The artist
who creates an image 'with no purpose in mind' is really saying 'I have a purpose but I don't know what
it is'. We all have a purpose, subconscious, instinctive, for everything we do. Some purposes are mis-
guided or self-indulgent, but more to the point the question is 'what do I want and are the actions I'm
taking going to fulfill that desire?'

So. Studies have a purpose. Always a study should be about understanding and analysis, never repro-
duction. Each study has a specific purpose or series of purposes...for color, for composition, for gesture,
for storytelling, for expression, for texture...whatever. But the study must answer the question "what is it
about...the colors used in this image that make it successful?" Or, "what composition techniques were
used in this image to draw the eye and tell a story?"

By the same token if you find yourself shying away from creating personal images and just doing studies
there may be a number of factors, of fear and emotion. You you may think you will screw up an idea that
is important to you, or that you may be embarrassed or frustrated.

There are techniques to overcome these fears and hangups. However, this is beside the point if you
don't first arrive at a purpose.

The success of an image is not defined by its technical corectness but by how well it served its intended
purpose. If the purpose is purely self-indulgent ("just to have fun") well, OK, you can be the judge, so just
have fun The purpose of the work could also be 'just to finish something, anything' so OK, again, go right
ahead, but I can tell you that it will be painful going once you get halfway through and you can't decide what
to do next.

Just by way of example, aside from your specific personal artistic goals (which are essential to clarify in
your own mind) some more general examples:

The purpose of the image is Expressive: to cmmunicate emotion

the purpose of the image is Concenptual: to describe the nature, function,
or characteristics, of a person, place, or thing

the purpose of the image is Narrative: to tell a story, describe a series of
events that have happened, are happening, and or are about to happen.

the purpose of the image is Symbolic, Archetypical, or Communicative:
could be iconography, like a statue of Saint Michael, or more explicit, like
a stop sign or a warning label.

and so on, and in some combination or priority, but the bottom line is that the style, the technique, the
necessary technical skills, the process, and the mnindset required to create an image is going to be
defined by such purposes.

so anyway...

hehe, yeah.

I really like the portrait of your father, particularly because it clearly shows a sense of design, in choosing
and deploying lines and different edges, not just shapes and tones.

I tell you man: you do NOT need to work on technical fundamentals very much, except as in APPLICATION.
Your studies are always perfect. TOO PERFECT. You are not learning enough from them. You are going to
learn from analysis, and from application. Studies can be Ad Hoc (literally).

Also consider: the process of determining 'what should I create' and 'what should it communicate' is as much
a technical skill (no matter that it is also intensely personal) as any other aspect of art. It can be learned,
and employed.

Go get 'em, tiger

[p sage]

The difference between an 'artist' and a designer is purpose. The designer creates an image with purpose.

+artist

Of course however I would argue that no artist is a true artist unless he is also a designer.

Agreed. Art is pure design. It requires thought.

Always a study should be about understanding and analysis, never reproduction.

Yes! As Yoda would say "To Obi-Wan you listen!" (Blud Hund, you're Obi-Wan in this scenario )

I believe there's far too much focus on copying among learners. They need the analysis step, which gives understanding.

Analyzing most photographs is pointless (unless you're studying stuff like that of Cartier-Bresson). Analyzing most master works of art is priceless.

Internet photos offer little more than visual reference for an artist; but they're practically useless from a design standpoint.

Yeah, go get 'em tiger! And eat your Frosted Flakes!

(Nice portrait btw)

[miycko]

I learn so much from your thread man, it's crazy! fantastic work on the portrait of your father, kinda makes me wanna do some stuff in pencil keep them coming

[kingkostas]

Hello mate whats up?
The amount of studies here is awesome, that takes care of the first part, of being a hardworker.
Now what you have to do is to challenge yourself with personal pieces trying to put your knowledge in action. Yep the others said that. Now its time to make the next post being a personal imagination piece (and if you do it the hardcore way, dont use any ref). Why to do that? not only for you, but also for us to understand your weak and strong points and offer better help. So far i can only say that you are a great hardworker and that is surely a path to take you ahead, but dont forget to balance things.
I will not say that you dont have stuff from imagination but the ratio is not the ideal if i could say. Let yourself enjoy art some more. Your studies are so good that i think your personal work could be close to them in quality. Maybe for a start, focus only in one part in a study (for example a head of a frazzeta painting)[[ and dont try to copy, just to try to see what stuff/info comes up while you copy it : are the shadows very compact?, does he use big shapes of black? why? bla bla? blablabla?]] and immediately without even finishing the study try to do something in a personal piece. It doesnt have to be something specifit, even a random blob thing that can look like a head can be ideal for study reasons.
I will come back for critiques
keep up the good hardwork!!!

[Mr.Pryminista]

Hey everyone, this not an update post but just one to say thank you for all the amazing and honest feedback. The recent feedback I have gotten has had a deep impact on me and has really changed the way I look at myself and my art, and it has been a very good change indeed.

I will return with the few updates that I have and will respond to each one of you individually.

Thank you so much for your support!

[Mr.Pryminista]

Noomwolf: Thank you!
Kevin: Thank you!
BlackDelphin: Thank you!
BludHund: Wow, that post really got me thinking and reflecting. Excellent analysis and feedback as usual. I've read it a few times now. Thank you!
psage: Thank you!
miycko: Thank you!
KingKostas: Thank you so much for dropping by and dropping your words of wisdom! What you had to say essentially echoes what I've been getting from the community here which I interpret as a WAKE UP call from the universe.

Here's a sample of what I've been up to. I've mainly chosen to take a little step back and reflect on all the feedback I've gotten and reorient myself.

Clothed Figure Studies













Experimental Portraits

[Mr.Pryminista]

I can take this one further and I may just do that, but not any time soon. Glad to put to this one behind me for now. Too many other things I'd like to focus on right now.

Bierstadt Mastercopy

[BludHund]

Yeah!

The clothed figure studies are looking really solid...you can see the improvement from
one to the next. Was this over the course of a couple days, or one long session?

I'd like to see more portraits like these...good energy, good characterization. I feel
like you could really kick it up a notch...these are good, lets see MIND BLOWING, hehe.

'Too many other things I'd like to focus on right now' oh my God, I know...right
now I wish I could clone myself. Its so hard to balance between gradual improvement,
maintaining old skills, and striking out in new territory. I really don't know what the
answer is...maybe a rotation from day to day? But then you lose momentum.

Anyways, keep it up man!

[p sage]

As they say in merry ol Britain... good sh!te dude

You're killing it. I have no doubt you'll get where you want to go.

[Mr.Pryminista]

BludHund: As always, it's good hearing from you. Yeah, the clothed figure studies was done in one fairly long session. I feel you on the imaginative portraits, they're on their way! Doing a day to day rotation is a good idea. I have yet to execute that idea as it was intended to be done but a good idea nonetheless. At the end of the day it's all about finding a flow/rhythm that works for you.

psage: As they say here in the US, thanks buddy!

It's felt like AGES since I last posted. Here's some sketchbook material. Most of it is pretty recent but some of it is a few months old.

Sketchbook