Phatbuddha's Sketchbook

[phatbuddha]

Hi, I'm Keith.

I'm just starting out here. This site is such a source of inspiration. I love looking at all of the great work. I hope that my contributions over time will show my development as an artist/designer just as many other sketchbooks I've seen here have demonstrated.

My goals (overtime):
1. Demonstrate a mastery of anatomy and application of tone
2. Demonstrate a strong understanding of composition
3. Develop dynamic sketching skills
4. Develop a critical eye for detail in the world around me
5. Develop my digital painting skills
6. Sketch as much as possible, in as many ways as possible, where ever possible...and then sketch some more.

I realize this might seem a bit ambitious, but I have pencils, pens, paper, a WACOM and plenty of time. Crits are always welcome! My goal is just to learn and improve (and have fun while doing it hopefully), so please don't hesitate to speak up if you think you can offer some friendly advice.

Well...here goes something...

[phatbuddha]

Here are a few images to start things off. Hopefully they will demonstrate some improvement as I continue to post things over time.

[Kerah]

Heya!
I can't offer much of advice but would like to give you at least some encouragement to continue the good fight of the pencil and the color (and other possible tools and approaches). Your stuff looks very promising and the studies you'll do with your time invested correctly in them will lift you up to higher grounds of ability.
Anyway, so I subbed to your SketchBook because I love seeing people improve over time (gives me even more motivation)!

Cheers,
Kerah

[phatbuddha]

Here is one I am currently working on. It's early stages but as you can see I am struggling with the composition a bit.

[phatbuddha]

Here is a leg study I did from "Anatomy for the Artist" by Jeno Barcsay. Still working on my hatching/crosshatching and turning the form.

[twilightmoon777]

Looking good so far, I really like the guy on the skateboard and the dude holding the fish bowl. I look forward to seeing more. Maybe a couple of still lives in the near future? :p I'll keep my eye on this sketchbook , I'm a beginner myself and feel like I can learn a lot from other fellow just beginning artists.

[phatbuddha]

@twilightmoon777 thanks for taking the time to look at my scribbles and post a comment. I'll definitely try some still life. I need to do a better job of making sure to draw something everyday. No more excuses!

[phatbuddha]

So here are multiple sketches I did over the past week. Some Bridgeman studies and some stuff from imagination.

You can see the first quick sketch I did of the action pose and how it ultimately turned out. I'm not that happy with the results, but I think that's because I did not really have a plan. No final picture in my beyond the pose.

Also my electric pencil sharpener where it's obvious that I need to work on my perspective drawings.

[phatbuddha]

I'll have a few more updates coming later this week.

[mawilson]

Hey, thanks for stopping by my sketchbook before and giving me some feedback. I think your Sketchbook is off to a good start here, I like the 'slow down' note to self on your face planes sketch. I think writing these notes is a good way to analyse your work and remind yourself of important points. Good luck and keep at it.

[phatbuddha]

@mawilson thanks for the feedback. It's been a while since I've added any new sketches but I'm trying to get going again. Here are a few somewhat recent pieces.

[twilightmoon777]

Prometheus! Such an awesome movie. Nice update. Are most of them charcoal?

[phatbuddha]

Thanks. Only the one with the guy turning his head is charcoal. The others are pencil or pen & ink. I've worked the charcoal one a bit more so I need to post an update. Also been practicing some loomis method heads. Been watching Stan Prokopenko's videos on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EPN...U&feature=plcp) so I've been trying to draw hundreds of them till i get it "right."

[phatbuddha]

I recently had the amazing opportunity to meet Francis Vallejo. A couple of months ago I sent him a tweet because I had no idea that he lived and worked in Austin. He was cool enough to invite me to come check out his studio located in the TAD studio here in town where he teaches. I finally took him up on it and let me just say that he was really great! Laid back and easy going. He answered all of my questions, offered great advice and was really encouraging. What an honor it was to get to meet him in person. And seeing some of his actual pieces up close was very cool.

If you've never seen his work you've gotta check it out!

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...light=fvallejo
http://francisvallejo.com/
http://www.francisvallejo.blogspot.com/

[phatbuddha]

A handful more stuff. A mixture of studies, reference and memory drawings. Need to work harder on drawing (AND posting) everyday.

[phatbuddha]

Trying my hand at sketching with Hi-Tec C pens (0.3 & 0.5) using a reference photo. I consciously slowed down and put some thought into each line before laying it down. I really struggled with knowing where to push and where to leave well enough alone. I know I could have pushed it a lot more in terms of turning the form and applying shading, but to be honest I was afraid I would mess it up. I also made an error that I make all the time...placement on the paper. I always forget to measure and plan it out properly before I start drawing. Guess I should have started with a rough head instead of an eye o_0. And then there are the asymmetrical eyes...

[akildee]

Stuff is looking good. I would advise that you use some of what you have learned about construction in your more finished pieces. It seems like you construct some of your sketches, but then when you get to a more finished drawing you tighten up, slow down, and this miss your marks because you have no construction guidelines. I would say construct it all. Even when you use pen. That doesn't mean that you should plot every point, just basic constructions so that the eye placement is right, and the shoulders are even etc. Its really important to try to do your best, but to have no fear. GL.

[phatbuddha]

Stuff is looking good. I would advise that you use some of what you have learned about construction in your more finished pieces. It seems like you construct some of your sketches, but then when you get to a more finished drawing you tighten up, slow down, and this miss your marks because you have no construction guidelines. I would say construct it all. Even when you use pen. That doesn't mean that you should plot every point, just basic constructions so that the eye placement is right, and the shoulders are even etc. Its really important to try to do your best, but to have no fear. GL.

@akildee thanks for the advice. You are right on about not using construction with my finished pieces. I'm definitely going to force myself to start doing that.

[phatbuddha]

A few arm studies...

[lionheartGFX]

Sweeeeeeeeet muscle studies and wires, correct me if im mistaken but are those latest studes from hamptons book figure drawing design and construction? remember when drawing studies what is most important is the method the steps toward the finished piece, what makes it work and what doesnt, also the underdrawing is something you could work with, you see when you have a solid underdrawing ALL of the fears of where stuff goues or where it connects pretty much go away and you can FOCUS on giving it your touch and refining your design, this whole thing takes a while to click, other than that your in the right track man just DONT give up! will check from time to time, if youd like to come by and comment my sb thatd be awesome well good luck and never surrender

[phatbuddha]

Hey lionheartGFX, thanks for the encouraging words. The arm studies are from reference photos I found on the interwebs. They work pretty well, but I know I need to draw more from life.

[BlackDelphin]

Taking into consideration your poll, yes, you're doing good what you're doing so far,but you need more studies and variation
(like all of us need and constant change. we always are learning in my opinion and we should regularly change subjects and
get better all around) Your studies look good so far. I want to take a moment and emphasize how studies are so important in
our understanding of what we see. Before starting a drawing try a rough construction, take a moment to visualize the figure
as cubes and spheres, and how those simple shapes are lit. I see some of your portraits are shaky, try constructing them more.

Another thing i found useful lately, is after doing a bunch of studies after masters, try applying them right away on other figures,
refed or from imagination, or both! It will help you think about construction and fix in your memory what you just learned.

Hope all my blabber can help you out a bit..If you want critique or my opinion on anything, let me know.

[kingkostas]

Very nice lines mate. Keep studying anatomy and improving your drawing and i think you are on the right track. With good drawing skills values will have a solid base to stand over. Keep up

[twilightmoon777]

Nice line work on those arm studies. Really enjoyed post 15. That woman is dope and I like the green bug and the little figures in different action posses you did. Was that reference? If so where did you get them from?

[kamikazel33t]

I really like your line work it's very solid. It looks like your work is very heavily influenced by a sort of comic style, what I can suggest is try to do your figure studies outside of the books and take the time to do those life drawings(especially if you can attend a local life drawing class) and put in some gestural drawings. Great job so far and just keep working!

[MrFrenik]

What will really add solidity to your figure drawings is a firm understanding of perspective and construction. Try some studies focusing on these things and I promise you'll see improvement.

[kevin_]

just keep practicing the basics, nothing else to it but practice! keep at it, cool sb!

[phatbuddha]

@twilightmoon777 the green bug is a tiger beetle from a picture I found online. I watched a couple of CGMA Workshop videos by Peter Han on YouTube and tried to mimic what I saw. I think they took the video down though.

@kingkostas, @kamikazel33t, @MrFrenik & @kevin_
Thank you all for the encouragement. I definitely need to do more life drawing. There are a few sessions offered on a regular weekly basis around town that I just need to make myself go to. Perspective always kicks my butt.

Works been kicking my butt the last couple of weeks so I don't have much to show for it. Been watching some Stan Prokopenko videos on YouTube as well. Here is an attempt to do a charcoal on newsprint using some of the techniques he outlined. This one is from a photo reference. The eyes are wonky and the chin is to small. Tonal range is not very good and shading is too flat so not a great job of turning the form. I'll keep at it though!

P.S. - My scanner had a smudge so the line across the teeth is from that.

[Robbinoks]

Hi! I like how fluid your lines are on the muscle anatomies and that you draw different types of people, what did you use on the Tiger Beetle? Copic markers? I like how the paper is textured makes it pop a lot.