AnthonyV's sketchbook

[AnthonyV]

Doodles and 1 loomis

[KT]

I can see your trying to apply your loomis studies which is good. I think you should pay a bit more attention to the side plane of the head even in that anime head drawing.

[Reutte]

It's really cool to see how your incorporating Loomis into your sketches, especially the heads side by side in different styles. Keep hitting the anatomy and perhaps think about adding a bit more to your neck widths. (I know that some parts are stylization)

[AnthonyV]

Loomis Heads
and some from imagination while I was on the bus to work...because I forgot my usually study materials... I'm never sketching on a bus again (maybe if I was on boat mf**)

Response to friends: Yea I swear anime head anatomy is so distorted it needs it's own anatomy section. Drawing an anime head based off loomis' construction lines comes off with that cheesy amerianime feel. My goal is to be able to draw a realistically constructed head and authentic anime head before making my own.

[tronrobot]

Loomis! hell yeah son!

[Asatira]

Loomis head structures are very good. Applying it to original heads from imagination can be tricky. The most off one is the one in the top right. The forehead/hairline on the far side is off line with the eyes and rest of the head. Try applying Loomis's guidelines to real heads, and then to imagination. Also, check out Loomis's advice later in the book (assuming it's "Heads and Hands") on shift the proportions around, which I think is a little of what you were attempting to get variety.

[AnthonyV]

Loomis, I don't know a good way to go about using anatomy book, but I guess I'll do some self portraits soon

[Reutte]

Well I think your new necks look a lot better now. But I totally get what you're saying. it's hard to find a good balance between style and realistic anatomy.

I really like your loomis exercises with the various planes, it will help with the lighting. I try to use an anatomy book for getting the base standard information of how the the parts of the body come together, so that when one gets to life drawings you can understand what you're looking at and see the variances that occur in real people.

[KT]

Yeah, anatomy can be kind of overwhelming. I would just start by copying the bones then move on to muscles, so you can see where they attach onto the bones. I haven't gotten through my anatomy book though. Good loomis studies by the way, but on one of the heads there seems to be something wrong with the jaw if I'm making any sense, the first head on the second image.

[AnthonyV]

Self portrait head studies from life based on Loomis' construction lines
Also animal studies from life
My eyes and neck hurts now....

[KT]

Wow, where do you live that you get to go to the zoo so much? I wanna know! Those are some great camel studies by the way. On the self portrait using the loomis planes, I'd pay a little more attention to your cranium and it's general shape, even under the hair.

[Black Spot]

It would really help doing some simple still lives to study form and make those heads really solid.

[hala]

AHhh you're getting so much better. Thanks for the kind note in my SB : )
Here's what I think so far: I think you're struggling with heads from imagination because you're not starting off simple enough. What loomis is doing, and that you're copying well, is breaking these down. However, when you translate what you study, to your personal work, you gotta simplify it further and create a process that works for you. What I see is that your imaginative heads don't have a good underlying structure, because you're not laying out basic, solid guidelines. Practice solidifying your underlying structure int he simplest form possible, before going all out on a face.

I know I suck at this as well so I probably shouldn't be giving examples, but I'm supplying a sample of what I'm talking about.

In the meantime, don't forget to practice putting the head on a body, or soon you will find yourself frustrated when your head drawing skills trump the rest of your figures.

ANYWAY I THINK YOU"RE DOING AWESOME. KEEP IT UP!!!

[AnthonyV]

Work today and until Tuesday ;_; ...so I'll leave this for today
@Hala I guess I tend to study the figure less because I can't draw it from life as readily as my own head and hands.
Yea, I do need to draw more heads from imagination, I hardly ever spend time on it and it shows

@Black Spot Ok, I'll try still life studies soon.

Thanks everyone

[Dwezz]

Keep going with the loomis studies, they're really useful.

[AnthonyV]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz reilly head copy-imagination-life hybrid thingy zzzzzzzzz

[hala]

That last self portrait (i think ti's a SP anyway) is showing some promising signs--good application of what you learned. And I agree with blackspot, still lives do amazing things for artists. Even if you don't pick up on everything at first, still lives have so many benefits.
In the meantime, don't let work stress you out and practice what you can

[KT]

Yeah still lives give you an opportunity to focus on basic shape, light and shadow etc., they can be really helpful. For the selfportrait, I think the eyes and mouth look a little flat, you could try making them follow or flow over the forms underneath, like making the lips curve withe the lower and upper jaws if that makes any sense.

[AnthonyV]

Self Portrait from life, I desperately need a haircut >.>

[tronrobot]

Great self portrait dude!

[KT]

Heh. I have big hair, a sort of curly afro. Don't cut your hair if you don't want to Anyway, the self portraits are coming along nicely. Just keep working on your placement of the facial features and pay attention to the skull underneath the skin.

[AnthonyV]

I don't have real studies today, just things I crammed in between more pressing obligations...gtg for today
Sketches done during teh good ol' lunch break
I was going to do a still life (2nd pic), but shifts happen

[GHudston]

I'm seeing a lot of improvement in almost every post, so you must be doing something right. Whatever it is, keep doing it!

[Asatira]

Very nice self portrait. Glad to see you started a still life. Pity you weren't able to get further.

I think your heads are getting better. The overall shape is good. It might just be me, but the features within the head need work. Like the eyes, IMO, seem small and the lips don't look like they curve around the face just yet. But definite improvement.

[Reutte]

I think your self portrait is really good. Even jamming stuff into weird time slots can be helpful. It can be really hard to find time to actually sit down and draw everyday.

[Black Spot]

SP is nice. Now push those tones in the still life.

[AnthonyV]

Stuffs, all from life zzzzzzzzzz

[AnthonyV]

Still life in graphite
I'm contemplating using a different medium next time

[Asatira]

Very nice! Good form, smooth application. Just got to work a little on the cup. The perspective of the top edge is off, and I know that it takes a while to do foreshortened circles.

[AnthonyV]

From photo-ish idk anymore zzzzzzzzzzzzzz........