Lyraina's Sketchbook

[Lyraina]

Lux_Aeterna: Thanks a lot

A bit more anatomy. I try to draw at least a few figures every day, so I won't forget how to do so again.

[Lyraina]

A few more

[feralkat]

I went through the entire thread. I noticed the spines in your figure studies are rather stiff. Try loosening up a bit. The torso twists and tilts, rarely is it straight. I have to say you're well on your way though. You inspire me to push harder!

[Jaik]

excellent leg studies as always, really impressed with the work you are putting in. its good to see!

[Lyraina]

feralkat: Thank you! You're right about the stiffness... maybe I should do more gestures? It's so hard to concentrate on everything at once, proportions, line quality, gesture, ...

Jaik: Thank you!

Anyway. Here are some environements I made, I'm really unhappy with them, but can't really say why. I gave up on the last one because I repainted some parts over 6 times, and still couldn't get it right. It was so beautiful in my head. No idea what's going on with me...

[zou]

hello there

your last landscapes have a very good quality: they tells how you tried to depict beauty in them. and you succeded !
perhaps you think they are not good coz they don't seems professional !
if u want to fix that:
take care of your composition: forces lines, balance, shapes, focus point
think 3D and solid: basic geometric forms even i nature (rocks and foliage)
use more perspective , draw the grid, each element is on perspective (not only architecture)
use some references

but keep the magic side of the picture

good luck

[Lyraina]

zou: Thank you! It's so hard to get everything you mention right at the same time...
but I'll practice, and hopefully I'll be able to take care of all those important factors Thanks for the advice!

I won't bother you with the ever-the-same sketches from last week, but here are two new digitals:

"what I wore" thing (well, not really)


Leyendecker study (steps on my blog)

[Lyraina]

Beware of anatomy sketchdump! Faces are a bit wonky, I used a pen, so no corrections possible and it shows...

[LtPlissken]

Who's the one who has been working so hard and diligently?
Who's the one who has golden hands?
Yes, its you, delivering miracles again. Three times studies,
and there is a miracle, then two times studies and miracle again,
your pace is amazing. Small mood light experiment from 26th August revealed
the warm feelings from your loving soul. It proved that your understanding of
light improved and that you should experiment even more, cause that's the
occasion when the world stops. With each and every experiment of yours,
you make a world for a short amount of time to stop. I felt that sensation,
and I knew that you are experimenting in the meanwhile. We should also discuss
how you improved with your skin and figure studies, your little smart head have
brought some things to a whole new era. I got excited when I saw the female
lingerie. And some naked breasts. I think you should work more on animal anatomy.
It's almost a complete different story than the human anatomy if you ask me.
As September passed by, your carapace strengthened and your knowledge
increased. You surprised us all big time. Let the chimes turn to chords now.
It's time to celebrate, cause you are arrived like a whole new and improved
surprise. Artwise and real life wise. And I should also add that the Leyedecker
study regenerated our whole beings from inside and has rewritten our religion
in some way. You are a true miracle by yourself, so please draw and update more.

[dimi]

nice keep it up dear

[Lyraina]

LtPlissken: Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! You never fail to lift my mood. I'm glad you mention improvements in skin painting; while I still struggle a lot and have difficulties getting results I'm happy with, I think it is getting better. At least compared with older work/experiments!
Animal anatomy, you're so right. That's something I've been shamefully neglecting! Time to leave my comfort zone, I guess!
Thanks as always for dropping in and sharing your thoughts

dimi: Thank you!

Here is some male anatomy for a change, can't say I didn't enjoy painting those! Referenced, of course.
Unfortunately I have to go read stuff about water bug genitals now instead of drawing...

[tj0ri]

great lines and paintings i suggest to you not only copy the poses but also try to exaggerate the poses from time to time if you don`t know what i mean you might wanna take a look at prestons blairs annimation books there are also german copies... they are not for naturalistic drawings but describe the point of exaggeration very very well! anyways keep up your great work

[LtPlissken]

Read things about water bug genitals? But why haha,
hey, your skin rendering got to another level, just as I said,
but you know that you are a talent, so there should be no surprises there.
Tony Jaa is looking awesome, ah those muscles, I feel so excited looking at them.
The figure4 got a small head issue, I think. His temple area is maybe a bit shorter
than it should be, but the other stuff, the colors and everything I like it, like it, like it.
Carry on with your daily motion and stay cool.

[Lyraina]

Thanks a lot tj0ri, it's funny that you mention exaggerating poses just now,
when I wanted to ask for help about exact that topic in my next post
Because I really feel like my figures are stiff, even when I start out with a pretty curvy gesture line and such.
I'll have a look at the books you suggested. Thanks

LtPlissken: Because dissecting their genitals seems to be the only way to identify
the water bug species for sure... oh well! Only one year and I can focus on my art (or not, we will see).
Tony Jaa... I didn't even know his name! Just grabbed the photo from some martial
art/boxing gallery because I liked his physique. You're right about the temple area -
I compared my version with the original again, I painted the hair too far into his face.
Thanks for everything


I think it is about time that I stop avoiding to develop my design skills for the sake of practicing pure technical stuff;
if I don't eventually start, I will never get good. So I'll try to do more design related things from now on,
please bear with me if my influences show too clearly or things just look stupid :p I'll give my best.

Something I gave up on, I don't know why, but so often I start hating my own ideas/designs so fast that I don't really want to finish them...
I hope this will become better with time, too.


WIP

[Amarok]

I think your studies are really paying off! The latest posts are looking great.

[LtPlissken]

The only way to identify the water bug specie or sex. Well, everyday I learn something
new, thank you for the info. I couldn't say hundred percent sure that it's Tony Jaa,
but mostly reminded me on him. Check it on google images, maybe it's truly him.
The first character, ready to give a beating with her whip is somekinda flat. You
portrayed cool the anger in her darkened eyes. She is really mad. But just because
she's in relation with Indiana Jones, we will forgive her. The queen of ice (the second painting), I suppose
she is, or she has to do something with frozen, cause her color and staff that she holds will
mesmerize everything and anything. I like her, but in my style she would have large
breasts, so she could hurt her lower back because of the weight. You are getting
better you know that, if I have to give advice, then it would be that to shade in
more these last characters, with that giving them some more depth and value.
Take care my dear, happy times awaits us in the near future.

[ja1307]

you are improving at light speed just been through your whole sketchbook and there is a lot in ot i could learn from i like your appraoch. Mix of life studies anatomy and imaginative work

your figures can look a bit stiff espc the way they hold their heads looks a bit unnatural at times. Must say i like the design of your last two characters the way you have repeated design elements through the costumes is good. The first one the arm holding the whip looks very unnatural the palm is rotated far too much to the front not a natural way to to hold something, also make the whip holding hand look very passive. Also watch how the fingers are interacting with the object at the mo they dont look like they are gripping the handle, same sort of thing on the second character. Maybe do some studies of ur own hands holding objects to practice drawing fingers gripping ect.

PS great hand studies and figure studies, are you using your own hands for those hands studies out of interest or ref?

you are flying and i am very far behind but just one or two things that jumped out at me keep up the hard work 11 pages in a year of multiple studies is impressive

[bbwolf]

i love those last characters and the loosnes of the last one especially

[Lyraina]

Amarok: Thanks a lot!

LtPlissken: Well, it depends on what species exist where you collect the water bugs. In some cases you could identify them by their color/pattern,
but unfortunately not with those I'm using, because they are too similar.
I see what you mean about the whip girl being flat. I was so focused on the details that I had no ressources left. Next will be better!
I actually was very tempted to give the ice lady bigger breasts, but I realized that I find it easier to paint them bigger,
and that I don't really know how to paint small breasts. So I'll have to practice that as well, eventually!
Thanks!

ja1307: Thank you! You're right about the stiffness, that is something I'm told quite often, I'm trying to change it at the moment (still not sure how).
Most of the hand studies are my own hands, sometimes I use some photos as well so I can get different angles. When you see a drawn left hand in my sketchbook,
there's a good change it's my own from life
Thanks a lot for your kind words!

bbwolf: Thank you! Glad you like them!


Here are some referenced bugs. I should draw and construct them instead of jumping right into painting, but I really, really couldn't resist just painting away...!


And here's a WIP of a painting I'm working on and off for the last months, to be honest I'm really lost! Just too much perspective, anatomy, materials, light sources..!
But I'll take this one to the end, because it's a request from my sister.

[ja1307]

people are have commented alot to me that my poses look stiff and have suggested lots of gesture drawing or starting out ur own imagined character with a gesture is a good way to go. I thin also standing in front of the mirror and hitting the poses urself is good, you can see what looks and feels most natural i guess it just subtle thing like arm angles and head placement ect.

Also I think depicting charters square on in a almost 2d format will really stiffen up the poses. Its what i do alot because its easiest to think in those terms but i guess adding in twists foreshortening ect can add more life to your characters. Also look at others peoples character work and see which poses are working and break down why, but i guess its just a process something that will develop over time like everything eles.

[tj0ri]

Very nice update like the bugs and the mood in your wip! i also i like you charakters alot
here is an idea for the first charakters pose hope you don`t mind

[zou]

hi
i'm glad you're updating so often

i know it can be overwhelming when you must think of so many things at the same time but you're doing good


seeing your last updates : think 3D ! draw cylinder of the arms (or anything else) then draw over them, this will make your drawing more solid

your colors are pretty nice keep up

[Lyraina]

ja1307: Yeah, posing in front of the mirror is definitely I plan on doing more often!
Foreshortening sounds like really good advice as well... I'm just still struggling to make it look good. But I'll keep trying!

tj0ri: Thank you! I like your redline (or blueline), it looks better than mine - especially how you lifted the hip area. Thanks for taking the time to show me

zou: I try to update daily, but often that's just not working, be it that I don't have much time to draw (like yesterday..or today), or that I don't produce anything I'm comfortable showing.
I'll try to think more in 3d, thank you for the reminder! Maybe I should put a note for this one on my desk as well


University eats all my time again, so only a small update...
Speed painting environment, played around with textures


And an update for the ice lady... I think her body is too long?


Thanks for looking!

[Lagarto]

the environment looks amazing! But the ice lady's torso is a bit too long. Her ribcage is a bit strange too, be careful with that. Anyway, good work with the design and the color

[tj0ri]

yeah yeah Great enviroment i also like the custom design of the ice lady alot

[Lyraina]

Lagarto: Thank you! I tried to fix the ribcage, still not 100% satisfied, but a bit better maybe...

tj0ri: Thanks a lot


Here's an unworthy update again, I wanted to do animals, design, weapons, gestures/animation influenced anatomy
and other non-comfort zone stuff, but I'm just so (mentally) exhausted by university work, that I can't really focus, I'm so worried
It's all going wrong with my research project, I'm not getting any data, I really hope next week will be better. (Otherwise I'm in serious trouble)

So, just some relaxing work this evening:

I'll call this one finished


And a simple portrait, an alternative, non-red-eyed-version on my blog: link

[zou]

hi there

i'm glad you still posting even with studies and daily routines

don't bother yourself about not posting daily, just post whenever you can.

focus on one thing at a time.

as a critic for your last update:

the figure proportions need some, you can easily fix the hip by widening it with liquify filter

her right hand seems inverted

here's a helper to get an idea of how think 3D
the asaro head make you think about the plane of the head

http://www.enliighten.com/guts/refer...o_head_ref.jpg


the portrait: nice color
it would be better if her her hair was higher (placement)
watch the symmetry here ( not very important issues)

congratulatio on rendering

hope it helps

keep up your good work

[bbwolf]

good update on the icey lady. The last environments are also pretty good looking. Relax a bit. All the Best for your university project. I hope it will go well for you.

[LtPlissken]

Let’s start with the referenced bugs, I think that they are painted
really well, and the happiness is visible on each of them. My favorite
is under number 2, maybe because you put the most details in it? However
I have a feeling that some of the shiny parts of these insects would require
a bit brighter white. Even if it’s not like that in reality, it would make them
look even more interesting. The request for your sister, where the two girls
sleep and sit on the couch is looking interesting, however a bit of a wrong
perspective feeling gave us how you painted the bricks on the walls. Too many
light sources and the strange tree kind of thing in the corner would give even
for the greatest masters a big task and challenge. So, I think that this painting
is too hard to accomplish at this stage. Maybe after some more study time
and experimentation would things go much easier, but for now it’s too mind
boggling. But the main thing is to enjoy your paintings, so if you are enjoying
painting this, than you just keep your head up high and keep on going with it.
It’s a real shame that the ice lady doesn’t have larger breasts, haha, just joking,
she looks still a bit stiff, and her body and gesture giving an influence, that
she’s not sure why is she here, and what her real purpose is. Her body could be
a bit wider if you ask me, just stretch it vertically but not too much of course.
I suppose that the university makes a big pressure on you, so do not take
art the same way, do not let to pressure you, rather let things go a bit, and
do only what makes you feel good and what let’s you to have fun.
For the end, your portrait38b is looking fantastic, I like it very much, your
real talents started to shine here, and your skills came to a surface.
I would add a small backlight, so the viewer could have some idea
about her hair shape, like this she is totally fading away in the dark,
but I think a very light rimlight around her head would make a big difference.
That is a max help what my poor head can provide at this moment.
Thank you for posting your work and for staying strong all the time.
Take care and be good till our next meeting.

[JiR]

you try to break out of you comfort zone. i wish I could do that too. ;(
love the details of the Beatles