LM - Scratches in the dark

[Little-Maiden]

Hi, i'm an aspiring artist! duuh I guess we all are at some point or another if we post here.

I've only been drawing for almost 9 months now, and sketching really really REALLY sporadically for about a year before joining CA.

I'm very keen on improving and need all the help I can get.

I do plan on going professional and i'm already behind (i'm 23) and I feel like I have to rush to catch up because I want enough time to build a career on my art. So please, if you are reading this please don't just look and go, post a crit and I will do the same to your SB if you have one- if not your time is still very appreciated.

Thanks.

Latest stuff on the final page.

*Updated pic: 11/12/2011*

[Little-Maiden]

Also this is a study I did of an apple, I can't remember the thread I was reading here regarding it, but still here it is nonetheless (done a few weeks before the image above)

It was a quick study done in about, 30 mins with an intuos4 on Photoshop start to finish. Real Apple used as reference.

Mainly focusing on the color and light, I didn't really consider the shadows hence the crappy attempt with that part.

EDIT moved the first thing i ever did to this post.

[Sushy]

I would suggest using a background colour other than white for the apple. Other than that it looks nice. ^^

[Little-Maiden]

Yeah, i've been a bit lazy with applying a midtone to work i'm using for practice. Though admittedly the times i've done it has helped alot more than that vast horrifying emptiness white puts down.

[Little-Maiden]

Along with the learn to color thread, I did this over the course of a few days.

Basically, when I got tired of drawing something or with the tedious study of human anatomy (seriously how long before characters I draw look epic? )

So here it is!

Again apologies for huge size, guess the mistakes are more glaring at that size

EDIT resized

[Little-Maiden]

meh something i was doing while toying around

Took about 30 mins.

All comments and criticism welcome.

[Matrej]

hey, welcome to CA.
I think these images are good for start, only with that image of whiskey, look at that table. It doesn´t continue after bottle where it should. I like your work with materials, for begginer it is really nice, try to do more sharp edges.

If you have problem with hands (as I do) make a lot of studies from photo, or real life (if you are a right handed, draw your left hand in several positions).
I can recommend you some famous drawing books like Bridgeman, or Loomis.
And the most important, KEEP DRAWING!

[Little-Maiden]

hey, welcome to CA.
I think these images are good for start, only with that image of whiskey, look at that table. It doesn´t continue after bottle where it should. I like your work with materials, for begginer it is really nice, try to do more sharp edges.

If you have problem with hands (as I do) make a lot of studies from photo, or real life (if you are a right handed, draw your left hand in several positions).
I can recommend you some famous drawing books like Bridgeman, or Loomis.
And the most important, KEEP DRAWING!

Yeah edges are weird, I try to keep in mind some of the guidelines set out in one of the posts here. I have certainly been looking into picking up a copy of Loomis since it seems highly recommended by alot of artists, both by professionals and those still beginning.

Thanks btw for pointing out the table, I personally was so focused on getting the bottle and the book it was perched on I didn't really consider how out of place the background was.

Cheers for the reply.

[Little-Maiden]

Update

Colouring of a face, from scratch on photoshop, reference used.

I think the tone was handled better on this one, but once again, the eyes and their proportions proved tricky. I'm still not entirely convinced, and I believe working on the palette I used (skin tone is weird, still don't understand the range of colours i should be using despite the number of resources i've read on it.)

So here it is. 600x800 default size.

[Little-Maiden]

The joys of practice, tunnel vision and cringing at mistakes! Isn't the process of learning glorious?

But in all seriousness, I should flip my images more when working digitally, it takes so long though, especially when working with larger digital canvas sizes.

Still the mistakes are so much more visible.

The first is the original, second flipped.

I have to ask, does it ever eventually get easier for artists to stop leaning to one side when they draw? or is flipping your pictures the only way?

[Little-Maiden]

Just a quick study I did on some spheres, no reference.

The main focus really of all three was:

To practice blending in Photoshop- especially between two colours.

To try and be more hard on edges- I kinda did well on the top left sphere, and worse on the other two. Mainly cause I focused more on shadows and such.

The lightsources go:

Top left - Directly from front
Top Right - From Behind (advice here would be great I still am confused as to where to put tones.

Bottom Right - generic from the top left lightsource/general lighting.

[Little-Maiden]

Self Portrait, done in about 2 hours,

photoshop, reference used (my shitty webcam!)

Well i've read that self portraits must be done in every aspiring artists journey. So once again, to the first of many.

Oh and the bags around the eyes are totally there, my sleeping hours are screwed.

[Little-Maiden]

Some sketches from my personal sketchbook.

Its from the second one really, I basically burned through the first one with lots and lots of spheres.

First is a girl from observation of a picture I found, Second is some strange doodle I did, apparently its something my girlfriend has called a "Scrudel", whatever the case it turned out a but Iceageish

[Little-Maiden]

Some random poses.

round 2-5 mins per pose.

[Little-Maiden]

Portrait, purely from imagination, main focus was trying to take the time to hack at the problems without reference. Not sure if it helps to study like that, but its been enjoyable enough, to go over and over an image while figuring out mistakes slowly for yourself. Puts alot into perspective. Also this really hurt my arm lol, damn tablets, crappy chairs and high tables!

Anyhow, crits are welcome, and so forth.

I may finish it off (personally i think a few more highlights to bring out the face more (perhaps more tone variation even) and some effort to finish the neck/clothes.

[ToxicCalico]

Hmm. I think the right side of her mouth is a little high. If you compare the angles between the two eye brows, the eyes and the nose I think it stays pretty much consistent. However the mouth seems a little lopsided. Or maybe she's smiling, but in that case you should add some wrinkles around the are of the dimples.

I agree with you she could use some highlights, but make sure to establish what the mid tone of her skin is going to be so you can really separate the values. I know you drew it out of your head but if you glance at it real quick the values kind of blend in together. Understanding the logic of light will help you also bring out the eyes. When you look at an eye (so long as the light is coming from above) the lower eye-lid will have a nighlight, and the top eyelid will be casting a cast shadow on the eye.

[Little-Maiden]

@ToxicCalico Yeah I was going for a smiling, but thats cause I initially wanted to just go with a plain look, then decided might as well try to make her smile, people I draw can't all look pissed and depressed! You're right though more wrinkles near the dimples would demonstrate that more.

As for her eyes, yeah dead fish I certainly think they need alot more reflection and work, but I'm glad her face came out more or less ok in terms of overall proportion and placement, as well as the fact that shes not leaning off to one side like the majority of what I've done so far. So its visible improvement!

But thanks for the advice its always great to have fresh eyes on your work.


Update!
Just a quick study of a plot and plant. Was mucking about with colours really.

[Little-Maiden]

Study of an eye, took awhile, mainly cause I was following Linda Bergkvist's tutorial on CGSociety. While her own is clearly alot more refined, I find that some of the steps in it are kinda weird, especially the painting of the eyelashes under the eye- I tried with various brush settings and it didnt turn out well, I just got a tri-point brush in the end and softed the area a bit.

Anywho! the second is a bunch of faces i quickly sketched during lunch.

[Little-Maiden]

Just a partly done sketch of what im working on.

At the request of a friend to draw him a concept for a tattoo.

Anyhow just the start, working on the head, and will try to detail out the wings soon as well as the feet, steps and certainly give more attention to the sctyhe and face.

Ideas, Advice, anything are very welcome!

Anywho

[Little-Maiden]

Just a enviro light study thingy. Some more portraits coming later!

Coffee Cup! man do I hate cylinders, more than spheres actually, especially if the light is nearly the same colour as the object.

[Little-Maiden]

1st! Some60 second studies from Posemaniacs, I know alot of people suggest that it should only be used as warm ups, but then again theres others that suggest it is essential for good quick sketching and teaching you how to put down the correct line the first time around.

2nd! Bunch of faces, some are referenced from real life, some from imagination (think its clear which ) Sitting in a coffee shop being pretentious while being good at your drawings is bad, but sitting in a coffeeshop *looking* pretentious while your sketches are like this is worse XD

3rd! more drawings during lunch, copied some Bargues plates from my ipod namely the line poses.

Not sure, either way. Sketch barrage incoming!:

[Little-Maiden]

more 60seconds!

I honest to god do feel on some of them, that ive handled the form better, but then it just goes back to shit on others

[Little-Maiden]

working with tone from a screencap.

Argh it turned out crap (faces leaning again!! garrgh) pld:

[Little-Maiden]

Some studies of a skull, basically understanding the cheekbones in particular and the base structure.

[Little-Maiden]

Some more skull studies. I've noticed I have problems getting the jaw right- that and I draw teeth badly

I seem to think humans don't have chins or something- So they come out all weird.

Anywho:

[MasonJames]

Hey Little Maiden,

I love that your work seems like it's creating with digital lipstick, for want of a better phrase, there is this smooth saturated look to your work, are the paintings all digital, because that would explain it? Or do you use traditional mediums?

The bottle is amazing, forget the table for now, it does look like it's coming around the back of the bottle, as though the bottle is in a tray, though the bottle itself is great, the detail is superb.

The self portrait looks great to me. The portrait from imagination is impressive, despite the flaws, because it looks reasonably convincing, so eventually you'll turn out ones that look realistic.

I've been having problems with eyes in my drawings, so I can understand the problems with the eyes in the other portrait, not sure how to solve that one yet myself.

The skull studies look interesting, I haven't done any myself and tend to just practice drawing what I see without anatomy, though of course many people recommend it, i'm still sure that anatomy is not nearly as important as seeing, because if someone is drawn correctly then the anatomy will take care of itself surely? Anyway the study of anatomy can't hurt, and I found your drawing of the skull in a box insightful, I wonder what thought processes were going through your head at the time, because i'm sure knowing about cubes, and other three dimensional shapes is an important part of anatomical studies.

I haven't touched colour much myself, only learning to draw, so I don't have any pointers to give in regards to colour, you may want to pick up Betty Edwards book 'Drawing on the right side of the Brain', and her book 'Colour' or 'Color' if you are American, haha. In DRSB Edwards goes into detail about how to perceive and see things with a chapter on values, tones etc, that and the Colour book may have some useful tips for you. I haven't read Colour myself, though I will when I get round to using colour and having read some of the books i've already got piled up here in my room!

I don't know about you, though at times I find it easier to just flick through a book rather than getting lost in the forum tutorials and internet where it's so easy to get swamped with info, not all of which is good quality.

James

[Little-Maiden]

@MasonJames88

Yes all my coloured work is digital, I don't have the lifestyle for traditional mediums (been moving around alot between Asia and Europe for family and studies) So the next best thing is a laptop and a medium sized tablet.

I do have to take a moment to thank you for the positive feedback its more than encouraging to say the least . As for the portraits, yeah I'm hoping to turn out realistic ones in the end, or at least at a professional level. As for your own problem with eyes, I suggest having the centre line in your drawings, It's tremendously important, and you can see in my own drawings where I've been to hasty/silly and ignored it. Personally I suggest drawing flat eyes on squares and trying to get them to fit to perspective- At least thats what I've found most helpful so far in getting them even looking.

Which leads me to that thought process. As far as I can see the Square is the most simple way of "seeing" things and anatomy is important to go hand in hand with simple shapes. I found myself drawing squares and spheres for awhile and thought that while i'm no master at basic shapes, they are only a tool to more complicated ideas. If a skull fits in a box, than all the pieces that make up the face/skull must also fit in that box. So knowing anatomy is knowing what those specific shapes look like and where they specifically go- at least thats the intention of those studies.

As for books, totally, I agree with you, i've got more than a few textbooks to pick up when I return to the UK, Loomis especially since that seems to be highly lauded by many.

Once again, thanks for posting, if you have a sketchbook i'd be happy to look at it as well mate- as one budding learner to another .

----

Now more 60 second sketches, these are really actually showing some progress, I find myself getting their sizes correct more easily, though I personally prefer 60-90 secs to the 30 secs, more relaxing I guess. . The last are just some sketches from imagination in a Sheldon/Vilppu style I guess, at least thats what I was influenced by.

[mike butkus]

Great start! looking forward to seeing you become a terrific illustrator, good job!

[Little-Maiden]

More poses- 60-90 secs.
Last is a clip from my sketchbook- faces from imagination and other bits and ends.

Working on a still life so ill get that finished and put it up!

More studies in a bit

[MasonJames]

@MasonJames88


Which leads me to that thought process. As far as I can see the Square is the most simple way of "seeing" things and anatomy is important to go hand in hand with simple shapes. I found myself drawing squares and spheres for awhile and thought that while i'm no master at basic shapes, they are only a tool to more complicated ideas. If a skull fits in a box, than all the pieces that make up the face/skull must also fit in that box. So knowing anatomy is knowing what those specific shapes look like and where they specifically go- at least thats the intention of those studies.

As for books, totally, I agree with you, i've got more than a few textbooks to pick up when I return to the UK, Loomis especially since that seems to be highly lauded by many.

Once again, thanks for posting, if you have a sketchbook i'd be happy to look at it as well mate- as one budding learner to another .

So you are using the cube shape, or box, as a way of lining up parts of the skull? Yes I thought that's what you were doing, because as the sketches go further down (to where the box is), it looks as though they get tighter and more together, so perhaps having things in a box helps to see them better.

Yeah i've heard of Loomis, I'll be checking out his stuff once i've gotten through alot of these non art related books around my home.

I will be getting my sketchbook up soon, i've got some photos taken, I just have to sit down and see what the quality is like when they are uploaded to my computer.