Jesse learns to...

[Icecold]

He there!

Long time no see, you've certainly been busy, alot of images in this sketchbook are a proof. I like your gentleness in the pieces yous how us, but i've noticed that you are atracted to blurry soft/lost edges lately. Be careful as it's easy to veruse them. In the matter of fact controling soft edges is a very tough subject. Check on Leyndecker a famous american illustrator. He had soft/smoth transitions contrasting with crisp sharp shapes. In my opinion he was a true master in that field.

Cheers!

[JesseM]

Thanks all!
Still lifes are from life.
Yeah, still struggling to get a feel for hard/soft edges. I'm always too far one direction! -sigh- Thanks for recommending Leyendecker!

Sorry for the lack of updates - I just spent 3 weeks locked away at an oil painting class at MIAD. 7 hours of painting every day (plus after class painting) and 3 more hours of figure drawing! And lots of sketching outside that; I went through 6 100-page sketchbooks. So, it was a fantastic time. I learned a lot about oil paint, of course, but also a ton about composition and color gestalts.

Here's some of the work I did at MIAD--I'll be posting it slowly over the next week or two. I've also got a lot of digital paintings and stuff to catch you guys up on!

[jabbit]

Thanks for replying to my sketchbook jesse, it means a lot. Some good stuff in this thread, i have looked through it before actually and your progression is very inspiring.

[JesseM]

No problem, jabbit! --But if you're here, then make a post! I get lonely. D: Give me criitqueeeeee...

I forget what I have or haven't posted. Here's a wip/study dump.

[kevin_]

great sb! really like your studies, keep it up!

[F-inked]

JESUS CHRIST. Your perception of value is so fantastic, really really great studies man. I especially love your flesh tones.

[CR Faerber]

Well I have to say lookin through this SB has been a lot of fun.
I've laughed, I've cried, and everything betwixt.
But most importantly you've inspired me to do some portraiture

Looking forward to more of your work.

[JesseM]

Thanks all!
F-inked, I have an obsession with flesh tones. My favorite thing to paint by far.

Rather than update everyday/every other day with one or two things, I'm probably just gonna update twice a week with bigger posts. I feel the need to post this decision publicly so I stop guilting when I don't update everyday.

Photoshop portraits, comp studies in pencil, moar photoshop stuff.
Crits on the last picture would be much appreciated -- I like the palette, but I think the pose is just too awkward to condone. Maybe if I make her expression pained, it'll look like she's being forcefully contorted into that position and not only will that cover my bad posing but it'll add drama to the picture... hmm~... If you see a huge anatomy flaw you're welcome to point it out, but I'm still playing with composition and haven't really cared about the figurative mistakes, but I can see them, so in short you're kind of wasting your own time if you give a detailed crit on what's wrong with her face.

[Mr. Moore]

Nice work! Keep up the good work, it's paying off.
Come visit me at my Sketchbook, and comment or just take a look.
I love your pencil drawing the most.

[Chronic276]

Nice sketchbook, was a pleasure looking through it, - keep it up!

[Capt Surge]

I need to draw more or I'll be left in the dust, keep up the good work ^_^

[Xelar]

Since you asked for crits on the last one...
Her head does not match her body. The back of the neck/Trapezius has to be connected to the back of the head.
The wing is also pretty awkward because it shares the same outlines as the face.
What's happening with her right wing? was it cut off? where are her arms? is that hair or blood?
I'm also not a big fan of the design. It's a pretty woman with eyes that don't fit her skull and elf ears.
I'm just noticing I sound like a total ass so I'm just gonna leave this quick paint over if you don't mind^^

[ObieRaccoon]

Hi Jesse, my name is Alex. I really like your studies, especially the portraits and figures! I saw on the TAD forums that you've taken some of their classes. I've been preparing to apply for TAD next semester, but I still have to finish my portfolio. Would you mind taking a look at my sketchbook and giving some feedback? It would be very much appreciated!

[JesseM]

Hello everyone! I've been gone for quite a bit - with schoolwork, moving to a new state and the cA forum redesign, I postponed posting for a while. But now I'm back!
(by the way, I kept my tumblr updated throughout, so coughcough.. jessemartel.tumblr.com)

Thanks much to everyone who's commented! I've missed this community
Moore - thanks! good to know you like the pencils o:
Chronic - thanks, I'll try!!
Capt Surge - haha, I always feel that way, too. Go go go!
Xelar - ahh, thanks so much! I knew the head was off..your paintover makes so much sense, thank you! Ah, I probably should have specified, but that character isn't mine, so I can't really help the design. :P It's by keiiii, from her awesome webcomic Haru-Sari. She makes it work better than I. Thanks very much again!
Alex - sent you a message!

I've got too much work and too much similar stuff to post everything I've done, but here's the sum of it.
Lots of comp studies




Sketches



I've been doing some photography (ideation/awareness/comp practice)




and I want to draw from my head more, so here's Portrait From my Head 1. It's still a WIP but I think I'm bored with it. Lot of flaws...



And a portrait from photoref to contrast..

[Yemi775]

Wow beautiful work Jesse and the picture above this comment, just wow .

[Anthonycarey]

Beautiful work I'm totally digging all the figure stuff

[I.N.K.]

Thank you so much for your nice reply to my sketchbook and the advice you gave me! I looked through yours and your digital paintings are simply amazing, especially the last one you posted. You're really good at painting skin.
The oil still life you posted in #182 is very hard to read though. Everything kind of just blurs together. I think it needs a few hard edges.
That aside, you inspired me to do a few thumbnailes myself now.
Keep up the good work!

[Fuggedaboudit]

Must say I love your use of colors, skintones feel so alive!

Wish I could give you some feedback, but I dont have anything to advise you about...

Or... Perhaps try some caricatures? I think as a portrait artist you'll love to do it

[JesseM]

Yemi, Anthony, thanks for the props!
Ink, thanks for the review! I am so bad at edges it's not funny ;-; Thanks for using an example--I'll keep trying!
Fugged..haha, I tried caricatures a couple years ago, as I recall. They were so bad I never shared them online...hmm. I think it'd be a good exercise for me to practice pushing form, though. I'll try some from imagination. Thanks!


So portrait post today~!

From imagination..pretty freaking shitty. I really need to figure out edges. I guess that means doing more masterstudies?



Slightly better from imagination.



And now super-blotchy study from life. I think the lighting worked out pretty well, so I'm happy about that, if nothing else. I tried to use Rockwell's tiling technique (at least, my understanding of his tiling technique) which was completely new to me and really challenging, but I liked it. I'm gonna try to use it more.



And one more from life. One to a higher degree of finish than the other; I kinda liked the rough texture of the earlier stage. I think I broke my nose at some point without realizing it, so that's always fun to paint!

[viki oh]

loooooveee your conte crayon/pencil/pencil linework stuff, so awesome and gestural

[Icecold]

Yoy've been busy I see.

Love the composition study idea, I shall copycat you

[mundanity]

Amazingly inspiring work, especially your grasp of colour, texture and edges.

[Morningtea]

Love all your portraits~!

[JesseM]

Viki - thanks! I love working in pen and lines..so much fun!
Icecold - dooooooooo it!
mudanity - I don't think I'm there yet, but uh, thank you!
Tea - Thanks so much!

Alright, today...
Lunchtime portrait from life, letting it go a little caricaturey, some freehanded boxes (a pretty meditative exercise - not bad to do every now and then!), and then old pen sketches (all from life with the exception of the skater). I thought I uploaded them but I'm not sure, so uh, here they are again.

[DvrJeroen]

Lovely sketchbook!
your sense of color and value are great..and your portraits are just incredible! :p
I don't really have any crits, but I'd love to see some full-body character designs.
Looking forward to moar awesome stuff!

[Jmob]

good work so far and good progress! Keep working on those portrait from imagination, they could use some work as well as your portraits from life. But you are definitely progressing. gogogogogogogogogogoogooooooo!

[JesseM]

Jarkuzy - Thanks! Hm, that would be a good exercise for me...I don't want to be a concept artist so I tend to neglect work like that. A fullbody from imagination will be my challenge this weekend! Thanks! :)
Jmob - Haha, thanks! I feel bad but I literately just moved and am moving again in two months and do not know anybody where I am to model for me. Thus the self-portraits... Anyway, as soon as I can I will hunt down models. Thanks again!

Sargent studies (10min and a couple hours)...more comp studies than full-on forgeries, but enlightening as always.








Winslow Homer studies (10min)






Portraits from imagination (1-2 hours)

[gabyness]

Thank you so much for commenting on my sketchbook! You have such an awesome sketchbook here. I love all your portraits and digital work!

[RBeek]

frigging cool sketchbook.. u clearly are working hard.. keep that shit up !!

[~KJK~]

nice work missus! your stuff reminds me of mine, except its all so much more cuter