Umbravita's Little Thread of Progress

[Umbravita]

Guess who got a scanner for their birthday? Oh hell yes. I just spent half an hour uploading a month's worth of stuff.

A lot of these aren't studies but mostly doodles in pen I did while playing video games. (Bad practice, I know, sorry.) Buuuut what the hell, putting them up anyway because I haven't been this productive in an age.

So these sketches have all been done since then. There's a lot more I did, but those were just so godawful I'm not putting those up.

So, prepare yourselves!

Time for the SKETCHDUMP OF DOOM.

Gonna upload these in several posts because I can.

Some references come from here ( http://fyeaharttips.tumblr.com/post/...rshyoftheblobs ) and here (http://jinx-star.deviantart.com/gallery/26710390 - Yes, the stuff here is in the stock images & resources section, so seems to be okay to use). Everything else is either Skyrim doodles, ME doodles or Posemaniacs.

(Er, and ignore the random angst.)

[Umbravita]

Looooooomis.

[Umbravita]

I think a few of my blind contour drawings are in here. Blind contours are a blast, but holy hell do they screw with my sense of proportion when I try to draw something decent afterwards.

[Umbravita]

Has a few landscape thumbs I did while playing Skyrim, to dip my toes into the landscape thingymajig.

Crappy doodles are not as intimidating as perspective and actually learning things properly.

In which I make Garrus look like a koala and turn Thane into an eldritch abomination.

[Umbravita]

This stuff is a patchwork of stuff I did over the last month. Generally speaking, the newer stuff is at the bottom but it's not necessarily in order.

[Umbravita]

Am now half an hour into my birthday. \o/

Forgot to upload these. I have another sketchbook, an A5 one, which I take into town with me and stalk people in the library with. And by stalk I mean draw. Really.

And a WIP of a value study, using an ME screenshot as reference. (I'm drawing ALL OF THE MASS EFFECT right now, in case you hadn't noticed.)

This is my Shepard, Lola. (Yes. Her name really is Lola.)

[Black Spot]

What everyone else has been saying - learn to draw simple forms from life before moving onto a complex thing like a face. The bottle was pretty complicated - try an egg or two. Set up a box, add more later. I think your doodles are more interesting than a lot of your digital stuff where you've over thinking the less important aspects of it. It's a lot easier to learn on paper and then translate it to the computer then the other way around.

[Umbravita]

Black Spot - It didn't occur to me until I was partway through these that you might not have meant digitally painting eggs, and that I could've done them on paper. Oops, sorry. I'll do some more on paper. Thanks for the comment! I'll look for a couple of small boxes to draw as well.

Some more Skyrim thumbs/doodles, and a couple of eggs. One's 30 mins, the other's an hour.

[Umbravita]

Have done some boxes and eggs on paper but since they're not particularly interesting I'm not uploading them. Or should I anyway? Hmm. Anyway I'm going to do more later, too, don't worry. There's always more to learn and you're never truly "done" with anything.

In any case, here's a bunch of salarians.

... Yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm going to be posting a bunch now. TOUCH WOOD TOUCH WOOD TOUCH WOOD.

[Ntropii]

Good advice from Black Spot, I'd stick along those lines. Don't worry if eggs 'n boxes don't seem interesting, upload them anyway.

Really work on getting control of boxes in 3d space and contours of round objects. Everything else more complex is built on those things.

Keep working at it!! Cheers :-)

[tronrobot]

the eggs r looking really good man

[JustinBeckett]

Thanks for stopping by my sketchbook I appreciate your comments! It's really impressive seeing the difference at the beginning of your sketchbook until now, you have improved which is good. You definitely need to improve more though, keep up what you are doing, but also try to do more studies, lots more, (they are more important for you at this stage of your learning) You need to build up your visual library before you can draw from imagination. Draw studies and from references and from life, as well as do some long observational studies. You will improve, keep at it! Study hard!

[shockowaffel]

Hi, thx4dropping by.
About my Avatar: No that's not a guar, I actually had to check what a guar is.
It's inspired by a little creature from a book by Shaun Tan.
The book is called "the arrival", I think.

On your Sketchbook:
Right now the only thing that comes to my mind is all the stuff, that's already been mentioned. Studies, repetition, and continuing practise.

[Umbravita]

Ntropii: Uploaded. They are... rather embarrassing. *Cough* But I'll keep uploading 'em!

Tronrobot: Thanks dude!

JustinBeckett: Thank you! Sometimes I'm confused as to what to do, so it's good to hear that studies are especially important at this stage. I'll keep it up.

Shockowaffel: Haha, I wasn't sure. It does look guarlike though! Love those li'l sods. And thanks!

----

A doodle of a salarian from a screenshot, which I then decided to paint. Well, try to paint. So there's a couple of WIPs there. Though the drawing itself is from reference, the colouring isn't.

Some quick sketches of people at the library when I went in today.

Aaaand, as requested, boxes! Draw my St John's Wort vitamin box. Over and over and over. That's four pages worth, which is how much I managed to do before I went "GOD I HATE BOXES" and stopped. I'll do some more tonight/tomorrow and share 'em.

[dierat]

I love how those eggs turned out in post #158; well done! I like the boxes too, but perhaps you could set up a spotlight and add quick values to the box planes and sketch in the cast shadows as well. It feels like you went through the boxes a tad quickly; it might be more educational if you slow down and a little and try to get each box "right" before moving on. Just my 2 cents; keep it up, you're doing great! ^^

[Umbravita]

Thanks Dierat. ^^ I'll see if I can find a lamp in the morning and clear some space. Ha, yes, rushing is bad, now I'm all embarrassed.

[Natalia Soleil]

wow, nice improvement compared to the first post! good job studying anatomy! keep it up!!

[Viconia]

Hello Umbravita, thank you for the feedback in my sketchbook.

First off, I would like to say that you have definitely improved since your first posts, so good job with that. I would
also like to say that those eggs you posted are just fantastic. I can sense that you were closely observing what
was going on in front of you. The 1 hour version is my favorite.

Now, as far as critiques go, I would have to agree with some others who have been urging you to focus on form.

Forgive me if I am mistaken, but I am getting the impression that you are doing a lot of fast sketches. I feel like
your drawings are begging for a certain level of finish that is currently missing from your SB. IMO, one 30 minute
observational drawing is far more useful than ten 3 minute ones. Working slower not only aids in retention, but I
think it will help you see and understand form a lot better.

Finally, while looking through your sketchbook I have noticed that a lot of your sketches seem to be lacking
construction lines. I find it quite useful to draw through forms when drawing pretty much anything as
it lends more solidity to the finished product.



Anyway, I do hope to see more from you, so keep drawing!

[Umbravita]

Natalia Soleil: Thanks!

Viconia: Hey, thank you. I'm being too impatient and need to slow down. So thanks for that reminder. And for sharing that example, I see what you mean. I tend to scribble/doodle way too quickly, the construction lines will help remind me to slow the heck down.

-

No boxes today. Got a bit sick of them. Did some blind contours yesterday and some moar Skyrim landscape thumbs today which I'm not putting up.

Something fun for tonight, though. Did a Skyrim (YES MOAR SKYRIM, sorry) screenshot study. At first I was going to go for 20 mins buuuut like Viconia said, I need to take more time on this stuff.

This one's an hour and a half, and it's unfinished. Going to finish it tomorrow and take it through to the end and not worry about a time limit.

Looked for a smaller desk lamp I could use to shine on that vitamin box of mine, couldn't find one. I should draw those boxes in pencil too, shouldn't I?

Might do a bit of basic perspective tomorrow before I get back to boxes from observation, because seeing how the lines weren't really parallel from a subjective viewpoint were messing with my head a little.

[Samszym]

Yo, thanks for the comment!

I'm being too impatient and need to slow down.

No boxes today. Got a bit sick of them.

Um. what? come on! Over half the boxes you draw are completely wrong, you need to practice this more. It seems like you noticed why, they aren't subjectively parallel. now work on it! I've been drawing almost nothing but straight lines and boxes for like 2 weeks now, you're not allowed to give up if I haven't. Matter of fact, boxes would make a good warm up to start every drawing day with.
Blackspot's advice is still good, you have to practice basic forms more. spheres, boxes, cylinders and cones. Your quick sketches don't have a base in knowledge of the foundations of form, so they look bad.
oh, and take Viconia's advice when doing them! draw the edge of the box you can't see. And maybe you should play less video games. What's the point of doing a study from a scene somebody created? That's outrageous, study from life or photos if you have to.
You're working hard and that's great! But you need to start working hard on the right things. Good luck!

[Duplicitious]

so many pages! what a kick in the ass for me
great job on all the pages and your rendering skills are great, the egg and the skyrim thingy both look fab

I find it really tricky to draw from life via digital right now, any tips?

I'm definitely agreeing with Viconia, your gestures could use some improving just by using forms and also anatomy studies as they're off in that respect

Other thing is that for you page of cube/boxes I'm not sure if it was your intention but most of them aren't in perspective/are distorted so yes, use a ruler if you have to with some points of perspective but getting forms right in space is the first basis to all the other complex drawings

keep it up!

[Umbravita]

Vertical: Hey, thanks, I really needed to hear that. If you can do it for two weeks I sure as hell can. I screwed up there, here's to doing things properly!

Duplicitious: Left a comment in your SB. Thanks.


Four pages of boxes. More will come tomorrow, I'll fit more on each page as well.

[Aaron_]

great stuff. Your improvement is awesome through the pages. But I definitely agree with the others that you should really do some longer drawings/paintings. Actually using all the knowledge you have you know.

The dwarven artifact scene is Skyrim is kick-ass BTW. I drooled over the way they actually moves.

[Izene]

Great studies!

And I would like to second what Aaron said, perhaps do some more longer paintings
Great job!Keep it up!

[Umbravita]

Aaron and Izene -- Thanks! I'll post some longer studies soon.

---

Didn't do as much productive stuff as I'd like over the last few days (was doing a lot of blind contours, which I find stupidly fun), but. Boxes!

I was going to share an updated WIP of the salarian that I've been tinkering with when I'm bored, buuuut photoshop has crapped out on me, wtf. So I can't convert it to a .png to share. Alas.

Hope to fix it soon 'cause I want to get some studies done.

[Umbravita]

Photoshop WTFery has resolved itself. This is my salarian WIP. Hated it a few days ago but now I look at it again it's not too bad, I s'pose.

[clanlord]

Hello Umbravita!

First, thanks for the comment in my SB! I will take the advice...

Second, really useful studies you have here. Why not trying to exercise on human muscles?

I think you will definitely get better and better if you keep up the good work...

Uhm... I can suggest you a book for drawing muscles and dynamic body gestures...
> Dynamic Anatomy (Practical Art Books) by Burne Hogarth
http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Anatom.../dp/0823015513

-G

[Umbravita]

Clanlord: Hey there! Thanks for the rec, I'll see if my library has it.

---

Doing a longer study. This one I'm going to attack until it's fully rendered out.

Ref: http://fav.me/d4tp4x4

Photo by: http://daniel-abreu.deviantart.com/

This is an hour in. I tried to block in colours but I kept getting proportions wrong, so I ended up going, "Fuck it", took off my glasses, kept going and... what the heck? It worked. O_o

Even if I can't see the goddamn pointer without my glasses.

And oh man, the eyestrain from going glassesless even for a short time is going to bite me later...

ETA: One eyestrain-induced headache later, I attacked it again for an hour (not shown below) and I just want to say the practice with the boxes in perspective really helped. I'm having trouble with her face and the position of the violin, sooooo looks like MORE BOXES FOR ME. HAHAHA. AHAHA. HA. Ohgod.

[Izene]

Ooh!This!This looks really promising!
Can't wait till we see how awesome its going to turn out!
G'luck!!

[Vritra]

Hey Umbravita, you've got good stuff going in this sketchbook. I agree with the aggregate of comments here in the sense that I feel a person needs to strike a balance between practice/studies and imaginative work. In that respect, I think you are on your way.

I'm liking the cube studies, although I must say, your propensity for just blocking in one plane with shadow is bothering me a little. I am now going to embark on an out of context semi-long-ish rant on planes, so if that bugs you, skip to the next paragraph. You see, ideally speaking, the whole point of planes is that light hits every plane differently. That is to speak, every plane will have a different degree of light that it reflects/absorbs. Simply speaking, the levels will shift for every shift in planes. It will either get brighter, or darker. A soft curve has a gradual value transition because it has a large number of small planes bunched up together. Think of a circle, it's three-sixty degrees, that's three hundred and sixty different degrees that a light source is hitting on it. This is the reason why you see a soft transition on, say, a column than a cube, where the planes are few, and sharply divided.

Overall, I think you're doing great. I see a lot of improvement over the pages, which is always a great thing to see. Keep working hard.