Ixallus's Sketchbook: A Scrub still trying, and maybe failing less now.

[LtPlissken]

Perspective can be an issue, try to work on it more, for
now, try to grind the one point perspective only and if
you have the will, try out some 3D software, it will
help you understand things much more clearer. But I like
how you are improving with your pencil figures and shading.
Rendering different materials with pencils can be tricky, so
it requires quite of a training. My favorite pose is that
female on the cross, I like her way too much. And you just
watch how you solved her left arm, tied to the cross, it's
fantastic, few lines and so much readability.
The digitally painted female is looking nice, however I think
that her body is a bit longer than it should be. I would advice
to work greyscale digitally for a while, so you could get a hang
of values. The book render in the end is very cool, I like the
old 'Bible' feeling within. So you are definitely a hard worker,
and success will come to those who work hard. Keep on
doing what you are doing and never give up.

[Black Spot]

Your edges are a lot better. It's so much easier in oils, and talking of oils, where's the stuff you said you would be doing in class? On that last one, her body has no form. You must think form all the time. Charcoals are coming on great.

[Ramalooke]

You are doing right stuff that's sure. Just stay focused on fundamentals. Conctruction, Value, Anatomy, Perspective. Keep applying your studies to your personal work. That way you will learn faster. And keep pushing. Cheers ;]

[Eternal Apprentice]

Your studies have been worth it.
Though I have to say that creating a figure is hard for me.
I can make an OK gesture but I cannot put a face on it.
What has helped you to put faces on your imaginary drawings?

[Ixallus]

@LtPlissken
Thats probably a good call, my values need a lot of work. Thanks for the advice LP

@Black Spot
They're beyond bad, usually i'm not reluctant to post stuff on my SB. I'm going to have to make a note to experiment with it outside of class a lot more. And i really want to explore traditional mediums outside of Pencil.

Thanks for the advice on forms, sometime i kind of let myself wander off. I need to find a happy place between flow and control.

@Ramalooke
Yep thats the plan!

@Eternal Apprentice
A face represents the characters, not to say the body isn't as important. But the face is where most of the character is, so before i start i usually think about who i'm drawing. It can be something as simple as a single word "Mean" "Nice". Whatever helps me characterize her/him more. Even if it's just a quick doodle or sketch i try to keep this in my head.

_____________________


A small page of anatomy, then a WIP for a personal still life composition i'm doing for my final charcoal turn in. I'm just doing the under drawing right now. Just finished setting up my still life in my room (original photo provided). The comp could probably be improved, The reading provided really helped me understand how to lay out my comp. Also doing still life has really helped out my ability to interpret an object in space and then put it onto paper, i remember a few months ago i couldn't even draw an apple from life xD

1. Never using the direct center of the page
2. Rule of Thirds
3. Don't have objects directly touching side by side, but overlap is good.
4. When you clutter objects close to eachother they mesh together into a single object almost.
5. Balance the Neg Vs Pos space

etc. etc.

[KT]

Hey Ixallus, your studies are looking good, especially those construction studies. I think you should pay a little bit more attention to proportions especially in the way that body parts relate to each other like in post #119. The charcoal preliminary drawing is looking good, I tend to rush this stage which is a bad thing. What class is the charcoal stuff for?

[LtPlissken]

I have experienced the hidden presence of
Nosferatu in the room, as you were doing
these still lives. What does it takes to get
a few more coffin nails.

[Ixallus]

@KT
yeah i need to get back to that, i have the information in my head. But it's like i just throw it all to the wind when i actually get to drawing. I need to go a little slower, for some reason i just have a tendency to want to speed draw like a maniac.

@LtPlissken
I C Whut you did thar, Lol
_________________

Finals week rolling up, trying to get as much drawing time as i can in. Just some random stuff, also i wanted to experiment with my charcoal a bit. I haven't tried to draw any figures with it yet so this has been a really interesting experience. Can't wait for spring break, ton of drawing time.

Participating in an art class, which has forced me to use mediums i never really thought of going into has made me realize a few things. For some reason i've been treating digital as something fundamentally different from Traditional. For future stuff i'm going to really try to approach digital as just another medium, no different from any traditional medium. And try to incorporate what knowledge i have from traditional into digital, because for some reason i haven't been doing that. I need to make a conscious effort to utilize information i gain from different mediums in tandem with one another.

[Ixallus]

Final stages of charcoal still life for a class i'm taking. Going to work on the folds tomorrow and touch up small details like the jewelry etc.

[Stephane Perez]

Good stuff nice contrast. I like the volume at which your making these gestures. For the charcoal piece try to use your darkest dark a little more sparingly for example the edge of the bottle is almost as dark as the cast shadow. Try working in passes and laying out your values and shadow shapes first then keep going darker/lighter in specific areas. good job keep it up!

[Ixallus]

@Steph
Thanks for the advice steph.

______________

Finals is still bogging me down, trying to doodle and sketch during breaks so my coordination doesn't degrade. Here's some doodle pages, also the Final for my charcoal still life, i'm still doing clean ups and perspective fixes before i turn it in tomorrow. I'm kind of unhappy with this, that's the one problem with Traditional. When you clean up and try to redo things over and over you end up with a lot of smudging :| But i learned a lot nonetheless, and in the future hopefully more skill will allow me to not fumble so badly.

I plan on doubling study time over spring break, gonna go crazy on my sketchbook and tablet before the beginning of the next quarter.

[LtPlissken]

WatDaEll! Your pencil figures are fantastic!
I like how you do the lines and the flow of them.
The multi limb stuff is looking very neat.
Just let us see more of these naked female figures.
Maybe the others do not care about them, but
I do care and I want to see more breasts and legs.

[Ixallus]

@LtPlissken
Of course, gotta keep drawing dem naked chicks.

_________________


Spring break, drawing mode initiate, this stuff is from yesterday. Skull study from the Atlas, a page of features and then a page of random.

[Whirly]

You're really improving mate .. keep it up!

[Stephane Perez]

Great job man way to use your range of tones in pencil i remember you said you were going to use darker tones and its working out really well. In terms of anatomy i know whirly and I agreed on this try studying some muscle/bone structure and when you do always tag the different parts with their respective names. by doing so you'll memorize the names and when you do youll remember to put them in as your drawing its really helpful. Keep it up man and i better see you in one of those little rectangles on top of the site some day.

[Ixallus]

@Whirly
Thanks Whirly

@Stephane Perez
Thanks for the advice Stephane.

________________________


Two things from yesterday, i'm being more mindful of the form as Black Spot suggested. I've been trying to think of line as nothing more then the under-drawing or the outline. Using value to define form. The last two studies i tried to really focus on the small changes in value on the photos. I found that the highlights are actually way smaller then i originally thought. The woman is from a Sargent painting, everything else is from photo. Then some Gestures/figures from imagination (Except for the one laying on the ground which is pose-maniacs).

[LtPlissken]

Like the way you shade.
Sometimes the torso go too wide.
Other than that you are a true star now.

[Ixallus]

@LP
Yeah i see that now, thanks for the critique LP.

_____________________

Got kind of lazy over spring break, did some gestures and photo studies yesterday to try and get back on track.

[LtPlissken]

They are good. These drawings are good.
And just because they are so good you
will have to do more of them. And after
you did some more, then you do a few more.

[KT]

Hey Ixallus. I think you're doing good, I got really lazy over spring break and didn't do anything Your shading is pretty good, but your figures tend to get a little around the midsection and pelvis. If you're studying anatomy now, focusing on the pelvis might help rectify that problem. By the way, do you go to school around here or are you teaching yourself?

[Black Spot]

More improvement and you're putting the models into space. Keep it up.

[Ixallus]

@LtPlissken
Always interesting posts from you LP.

@KT
Yeah i'm trying to refine my Peanut shapes more. I start with the typical peanut when i'm doing the initial gesture/shaping. But i don't move out of that gesture stage even when i start to go into rendering. I need to start working on anatomy and proportion.

@Black Spot
Thanks Mrs. Spot, i've been trying to add a bit more form to everything and trying to think about the space around my figures even if i'm just doing quick sketches.


_____________


Highlights from the past few days, my head has been dry as a desert so i just tried to burn time by doing studies. I picked up the Massive Black Art Book on Amazon so i'm hoping it'll give my brain a much needed inspiration injection.

[Star Eater]

You are doing great with those sketches buddy.
Keep it up!

[LtPlissken]

Your understanding of feet and hands
is growing just like mushrooms after the rain.

[Ixallus]

@Star Eater
Thanks for the encouragement Mike!

@LtPlissken
I do find feet incredibly sexy.


__________________


Stuff from a Traditional Art Class, some Pastel junk. We were asked to make a color chart going from light to dark. And then do a Paul Klee Master Copy. Also did a Fruit Still Life here.

[Ramalooke]

Your improving. Keep up the good work.

[Stephane Perez]

Hey i like the microphone and cup drawing. Your getting better at defining form with values alone. What i do when i'm using graphite is do my line art in a really light tone like 2h and then just go on using only values to define my form and its a very similar process to the way i do digital painting. Just some anecdotal advice

[Ixallus]

@Ramalooke
Thanks for the encouragement Rama

@Stephane Perez
Yeah i need to start using my hard leads more.



____________________


Really quick brainstorm sketches for a personal character i'm rendering. More studies later tonight too.

[Egg0]

Pretty awesome improve mate , you're really making it, thanks for all the support since my sb it's up, and keep studying!

[LtPlissken]

Nice and loose brainstorming and sketching, I like
it that way. Your traditionals are looking sharp as well.
We will wait for the later tonight for some more goodies.