-Bluecardinal's path to improvement-

**BlueCardinal** · January 4th, 2011, 05:58 PM

Hi fellow concept artist's my name is Jesper. I have wanted to join this page a long time now. But my lack of passion have foiled my plans to rise up with my art skills. Them days are over I tell ye people!.

I am now here to post studies daily(Hopefully) in the beginning. Having two jobs right now gives me little time to do studies.

I will also post up tattoo concepts and tattoos. I work as a tattoo apprentice at True Love Hønefoss Tattoo studio in Norway.

As said, I am here to improve! So constructive critique is gold worth for me.

Starting now..

Here is a quick study from a MMA photography and some more stuff.

**Acki** · January 4th, 2011, 06:03 PM

Great paintings! I like the expression of the boxers. But spend more time on the hands in your pencils next time. Check out Hogarths "Drawing dynamic hands" Great stuff.

Cheers, Acki

**BlueCardinal** · January 4th, 2011, 06:09 PM

Thank's so muchiii for ze critique : ) I will take a look. Thanks for the tip!

Cheers!

**Mischeviouslittleelf** · January 4th, 2011, 06:10 PM

Yay! He is finally on here. I will so be hounding you for more and more updates

I love the day of the dead pieces. Keep rocking them

-E

**Fetsch** · January 4th, 2011, 06:14 PM

nice start man, the portraits look pretty cool and the snake tattoo is aaaawesome.

**qlotzan** · January 4th, 2011, 06:56 PM

strong start mate

i like the way of doing tattoos

keep it up

qlotzan

**Metal Fingers** · January 4th, 2011, 07:19 PM

very nice stuff man, definitely looking forward to more. cheers!

**BlueCardinal** · January 4th, 2011, 08:34 PM

Thanks to everyone : ) Find the critique and kind words boosting my moral! haha!

Figured that since I was already in good process today I would paint another one before going to bed!.

SO here ye have it!, a new MMA Quickstudy

**BlueCardinal** · January 5th, 2011, 09:01 AM

Started the morning with some more studies!

So much improvement is needed here. I feel that my brush style is to messy and transparent. Did not like where this painting was going so I stopped in hope to get some advice.

Advice and Critique please?

**Lyno** · January 5th, 2011, 12:36 PM

Maybe you could try to blend the colours more? Or use a base colour first, in some places you can still seethe white of the canvas.

**Tiodor** · January 5th, 2011, 12:38 PM

nice sketches...

**BlueCardinal** · January 5th, 2011, 04:50 PM

Lyno: Thank's Lyno you are probably right. I am slacking to much with the ground colors. I feel I maybe should start using hard base colors. And not use fade effect on my brushes in the beginning of the painting... It becomes so messy when you zoom in..

Tiodor: Thanks

**Mischeviouslittleelf** · January 5th, 2011, 05:44 PM

looking krel buddeh, try and vary up the brushes and don't stop 'til it looks like the ref

-E

**BlueCardinal** · January 5th, 2011, 09:21 PM

Ah, the joy of watching "Carl Sagan The cosmos" series and painting late at night

But now needing sleep I leave you with this little study

**Acki** · January 5th, 2011, 10:02 PM

I would put an extra layer over the paintings, to take a look of the muscle placement and draw the important muscles out.
Then I would correct the painting. Sometimes there is too much room of interpretation on a reference so you can mess up the anatomy.
I always keep it mind the words of Glenn Fabry: "If it looks right, it is right, if it looks wrong it is wrong, even if it makes sense"
So there is a very tiny place for cheating...but anyway

For example you last picture looks correct. Look at the placement of the latissimus and where you marked serratus (check it in a book, or google). Seems to be correct so far.
Now take a look at the paintig right before it.

The serratus have to be "interrupted" by the external oblique(google it if you have to

), but you pulled the serratus all the way down to the abs. Be careful with that.

Cheers, Acki

**BlueCardinal** · January 6th, 2011, 07:11 PM

Thank's very much Acki, got good use from that critique. My skills with knowing the human body is very slim. All I have learned is mostly from observation..Should not hurt to open up a anatomy book and check out the insides to understand the fundamental structure of the human body.

I found your critique very useful! Thanks!

**BlueCardinal** · January 6th, 2011, 08:49 PM

HUSK:

have always been fond of animation. This is an assignment me and my fellow friend Christopher Mentzen made for our last project at Einar Granum Artschool.

3 Weeks of hard work.

1 week was used on concept and plot of the short story.. Finding out if we wanted voices of just a track to follow. We came to the conclusion that we wanted to use an audio track taken from the old pc game "HOMEWORLD".

the next two weeks went to animating.

I did the background and shit etc. It was really fun to work with such a huge project and see it take form!.

I hope to maybe do more animation studies or films in the future! Anyone who maybe wants to join, MAY DO SO

ENJOY! Here is HUSK!.

**BlueCardinal** · January 7th, 2011, 09:28 PM

Hmmm, I find myself lacking a large amount of sleep... And still I paint.. Having now realized that that might not be good... cause I only pay half attention on what I am painting...

I did some quick sketches of hands and painted a 10-15 min sketch of a friend of mine....now having not really constructed her face so it will be more anatomic correct. I fall into that damn that girls nose is loooooooooooong.. which sucks, cause mainly I have painted without futher learning..

ANYWHO! A good night sleep is needed!.
Doing some chestpiece tattoo concept tomorrow! might put that up here!

Huzzah ! Night peeps!

Sorry the poor english by the way.

/jes

**DStraX** · January 8th, 2011, 07:12 PM

Nice colors dude! good to see you doing handstudies

I should probably do some of those myself^^

**Vedgtables** · January 8th, 2011, 07:23 PM

Really liking your traditional stuff; the tattoo with the snakes looks friggin awesome. As for your digital drawings, try experimenting with different, maybe softer brushes; I've been there too- it's a habit of mine to keep using the same kind of hard brush over and over but in the end it makes it look really digital. I'd also try to bring out the highlights and core shadows more because most of your art looks a bit flat and desaturated. But overall, good stuff, and keep it up!

**BlueCardinal** · January 8th, 2011, 07:52 PM

DSTRAX: Yup, did some hand studies, but downloaded a Hogarth book that teaches great ways to draw hands and understanding the anatomic behind it, so will come more seriouse sketches later..

Vegdtables: Yeah, I totally agree with you.. I always end up looking at my painting seeing it is to hard and strokes without defining meaning.. I belive I use hard brush just to make it look more like a normal painting..with strokes and so forth.. Bad choice

. And to the desaturated part I agree..I think i need to just grow some balls and take chances with more intense colors. Thanks for the great feedback!.

_____________________

On another subject, used most of the night drawing up the chest piece for tomorrow. I might upload then.

The cd I created cover art for came today and will be in stores in Norway soon. Here is a little teaser!.

Enjoy-
JES/

**DStraX** · January 8th, 2011, 08:20 PM

cool cd cover jesper

I shal look for it in a recordshop near me

**BlueCardinal** · January 15th, 2011, 01:37 PM

Dstrax: Thanks

I am not sure what store they are coming to yet though!.

Anywhooo it's good to paint some stuff again, been a few 5 days since I last posted. I figure that I better get myself a scanner soon so I can show some sketchwork stuff. But until then I will submit some studies.

Here are another more MMAStudy(GIF). Started painting it when my friend Even was visiting. Brushes: Soft circle ,Hardbrush and some texture brushies

/JES

**Malakuko** · January 15th, 2011, 02:39 PM

That album cover looks sweet man! I especially like the cd design with the high key lighting, I think maybe you could have darkened the areas that arent near the light source even a little more to really push the brightness of that main light source.
Diggin the MMA studies too

**BlueCardinal** · January 15th, 2011, 10:14 PM

Malakuko: Thank you so much for the comment !. Glad you liked it ^^

Night TAIM Sketchies:

I find myself in a time of life i enjoy very much, A place where I crave knowledge and really feel I am living an independent life. I enjoy more the company of friends!. I wish that I could travel back in time to visit myself and slap me silly and force me to be more productive and not so much a slowpoke at school!.

With that said, I have just enjoyed a day full of gaming and "studies". Watching loads of youtube and demotivationals ! Whopidoo! And btw I do declare I kickass on Battlefield Badcompany 2.

Tomorrow is sketch day! SO more to come tomorrow!.

I leave you with a 30 min sketch.

SELF CRITIC: I find myself now observing the color and trying to duplicate it, but as you will see here I am to attached to the color and struggle to define the form of the form with all the variations of hues.

Any TIPS?.

**NickyBeats** · January 15th, 2011, 10:22 PM

lots of awesome stuff so far man! great job on all the MMA studies. i think you have a good sense of color, and think your definately headed in the right direction, just keep pushing yourself forward!

also: i love those tattooed women portraits that you did up top!! very cool!

**BlueCardinal** · January 17th, 2011, 03:28 PM

Nickybeast: Thank you so much for the nice comment : )! Glad you liked my so far studies!.

Here you go peeps! another MMA 50% finished study!.

Enjoy

**BlueCardinal** · January 17th, 2011, 06:15 PM

RoboChick'ish

Well, I kinda felt for doing a NON ref painting. Doing some naivism painting just from my imagination, See how much I have possibly evolved in understanding of color and so forth. Here you have it

No refs were used here what so ever.

I see allot of anatomy fails and color! But I am pretty pleased with the this 45 min painting.