Blue Skies Ahead

[blue skies]

Starting another sketchbook, this time for realsies. And dammit, there will be updates!

Oh! And I'm Kim. I'm a third year SCAD student majoring in Game Design and Minoring in Concept Art for Games.. and I need alot of practice. So let's do this!

[blue skies]

A piece I've been hammering hours into since I finally got an actual chair to sit at while I paint now.

Gunslinger concept. Also probably my most successful character painting to date. Hooray, improvement!

[fireblade]

Good start so far.

Just a thought on game concept art, characters are generally a small part of it. The main things being props and environments, so make sure you do a lot of those as well.

cheers.

[blue skies]

Yeah, I'm a bit worried about that, as I really have no idea how to go about environments really. I know I need to get practicing on them, but.. just.. guh! Don't know how! :/

[blue skies]

Alright... so... my first proper attempt at an environment, I guess ("I'm not going to start this until tomorrow" - famous last words).

I've suddenly found that environments require an entirely new set of brushes, and I'm flailing about a bit because I've no idea how to efficiently paint this kind of stuff (Tree leaves? Holy crap! How!)

Anyway.. this. Took probably like an hour. Used a reference picture I took last time I was home. Nice place, right?

[Rhubix]

Fun stuff so far. I think the best habit you can get in for anything (but especially concept art) is to just carry a sketchbook with you everywhere and draw everything!
Benches, doors, cars, trains, planes, trees, flowers, old people, hobos, hobos with dogs!
Just keep cramming information into your brain until it starts leaking- then tape it up and cram in some more!
If your shakey on a subject- like background design- go find some!
Art books are becoming a norm for the gaming industry (**joy**) So even the big box book stores will carry "the art of"... halo, Mass Effect, blah blah blah.
I'm more into animated films and the like but- Miyazaki has some sick books, The art of Avatar (airbender, not James Camerons) and the art of Oban Star racers have some amazing backgrounds.
Even if you can't find the books- just watch the movies- especially Oban that one rocks my skull!

Also- DA has a few gems hidden in there. Here's some BG inspiration:

Sigh... it's DA so one has to be Sonic.
Buildings - a little bit triplets of Bellville styles.
Elf-looking boat town... thing....
Interior- cafe - painterly
Creature box- Fish and ships - this isn't a background. but Creature box should be crammed into every brain ever.

Happy sketching

[blue skies]

Thank you for the advice! I'll be sure to check out those links when I get home.
Yeah, I love art books, and I've been meaning to get my hands on some, but school sucks up all my money. Still, I could be better about taking a sketchbook around with me. I'll be sure to work on that.

Meantime, I figured I was done with this last night, then I woke up this morning and fiddled with making some new brushes.

[L.A. KARKERA]

Your environment painting is coming nicely. You've got a great eye for composition and colors for the environment. Other than that, I only have one criticism for your character concept art: your colors are too light so you need to establish composition and contrast to make your colors stand out.

Otherwise, keep it up with work!

- LKA.

[blue skies]

@ L.A - Yeah, I do seem to have that problem. I used to always make everything way too high contrast- seems I've overcompensated. In any case, I was thinking of trying something different with shadows towards the end stages of that piece, so that's why I haven't messed with it yet.

Thanks everyone for being so helpful. I swear this is the nicest place on the internet.

Face and colour study! I've never painted a redhead before. Lots of fun colour-wise.

[bobtail]

Looks really good so far . I'm in the same boat as you in terms of practicing a lot of characters but never really dealing with environments. I've only just really started doing them, so I can't give a lot of advice other than what others have told me - practice, practice, practice! Good luck with it - can't wait to see more!!

[Clovie]

Nice colours.
I think the ear looks a bit small on the redhead(?)
Anyways, your sketchbook has reminded me that I should practice some environments too...

[blue skies]

Still in progress... but getting there. Everything from the waist down is being a huge pain for some reason.

My hand hurts.

[blue skies]

Some anatomy/lighting studies, and a self-portrait that I banged out real quick after work tonight. It looks surprisingly like me, considering I was using an old hard disk as a mirror. Must be getting better.

Thanks to everyone for all your comments.

[nichsweetd19]

Hey sweet sketchbook! I love the colors you use in your paintings!

PS I have a friend at SCAD maybe you know her? haha

[Clovie]

I like the values on those figures you did today...especially the one on the upper-left.
It's nice how you seem to always have that cold-warm contrast in the colour works...I'll keep that mind next time I do stuff in colour.

[blue skies]

A piece that I actually did a couple months ago for a class assignment, but which I've just finished (probably) reworking for submission to a competition at my school.


@nichsweetd19 - Hah, it's possible, though most likely if she happens to be in the Game Design department.

@Clovie - Thanks! I think my warm/cool colour schemes developed out of an intense affection for yellow/violet colour schemes.. love me some complementary colours.

[blue skies]

Hi!

Haven't really drawn or painted much of anything all weekend, as my boyfriend was really sick and I had to take care of him.

Back to it though! A piece from imagination, so I could play with colour.

[blue skies]

A couple of studies. I wanted to find some cooler drapery to paint, but it was late, and I was just trying to paint SOMETHING before I fell asleep.

[Theodor]

good ears! You are really good at drawing women. They are good looking but look real.

[cgaddict]

Nice work here. As for critiques, I'd say try to push your values a bit more. Keep it up.

[Black Sun S.]

Great studies....try more enviros and dead nature studies too!!
Keep it up!!

[blue skies]

Annnd done. I think. Unless someone else thinks I'm not done, I guess.

[Veneq]

I was going to comment and say to work on shifting your values across forms to combat flatness, but it looks like you're starting to do that. Definitely also do studies to reinforce your personal work. Take that last image for instance, I'd bet you could find a pretty good reference for that, even if it's just to look at the lighting scenario on a human face.

Keep it up!

[blue skies]

Trying to do some environments, but I've gotten a little stuck on this one. I have no idea how to do the buildings! Seems like proper concept artists just fling a bunch of crazy brushes around and then BAM! Realism. I can't quite figure out how to do that though.

Help!

[blue skies]

First proper attempt at painting a landscape from imagination. Seems okayish..

Thoughts?

I'm also working on figure drawing and anatomy daily, but I'll be scanning all of those in at once.

[blue skies]

More of Adva, a personal character I may be implementing in a project soon.

Continuing anatomy studies as well... just haven't gotten to a scanner yet.

[blue skies]

Just some concepts for a personal project.

[catukas]

Keep up the good work

[Pomadillo]

I am not an expert on environments by any means, but in my opinion it looks as if you have already improved. I like how you handled the sky especially, although the tree in the foreground looks a little weird. It looks as if the furthest left leaves are making a bit of tangent with the rock-face, and taking away some of the depth.

[blue skies]

Just some simple sketches.. trying to figure out an outfit for the girl in my previous post, and trying to get accustomed to blocking stuff out without line work. I'll probably do some more and then take three or so and work them up nicer later. If I can manage to find three I like.

Even after just a week or so of a few anatomy sketches every day, I already feel like I'm improving. Even with just a simple little pose sketch like this, I feel much more confident in my drawing. And my legs are noticeably less awful than usual.

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@Pomadillo - Hmm. That's supposed to be sort of a vine climbing up over the rock, but I do see what you mean.. I'll endeavour to find some better way of working that out. Thanks!