Griffin's Sketchbook

[JackGriffin]

Edging my way into drawing poses from imagination with help from drawingtutorialsonline.com, looking a bit weird but 'repetition is the mother of skill'.. or so I hope it is.

The first three are my attempts, theres not much point in uploading the others, just a few pages of stick figures.

[JackGriffin]

Todays sketches

[JackGriffin]

YOU SWINE!

Drawings from yesterday, came across a gold mine for poses. Just search any sport to do with the olympics, especially fencing which is the best thing ever for poses. Heres some of my work from yesterday and I'll upload some more pages later once I've completed them from today.

Mainly 5-10 minutes each

[JackGriffin]

Todays work. Working on my gestures, I want some more motion in them, my sketchy lines don't help the flow of the pose.. still trying to get over that habit. Any websites or book suggestions will be very helpful. I've read most of Loomis' books but haven't drawn from them much which would be a good idea, something which a lot of people do here!

What is that guy on the 4th image.. why does he have to exist.

[JackGriffin]

Sargent study.

Been looking at this one for too long and is probably full of errors I'll probably see tomorrow or something. Here it is anyway!

[denzalan]

damn, your figure work looks really fluid. they are smooth and reliable, even though they are just sketches. keep up the good work =)

[JackGriffin]

Thanks very much, I really appreciate it

Got my first commission project the other day! I have to do 4 family portraits before christmas. Decided to start working on it a bit today and did some initial sketches, trying to understand the image completely before I start the final pieces.

(Edit: I had to remove my work, I'm not allowed to have the images on the internet which is unfortunate, I spent a good 30/ 40 hours on those portraits and would have loved to add them to my sketchbook).

[JackGriffin]

WIP for my girlfriends birthday. She wanted an A2 sheet like the smaller sketchbook pages on the previous page of animals as she wants to be a zoologist. Heres where I'm up to, going to add a few more animals in the top right and bottom left for some balance,

[JackGriffin]

Finished Back to doing those portraits and then back to plenty of updates! Made myself a little to do list which includes environments, perspective, in depth anatomy and actually getting some concept art done in competitions.

[PeteJ]

Great stuff! and your animal stuff looks superb.
I need to do more pen studies myself to build confidence.

[JackGriffin]

Thanks! Check this guy out for amazing pen studies, he's the guy who makes me want to draw so much in pen http://patperry.net/blog/

Keep up the hard work, your sketchbook is shaping up nicely with your recent perspective studies.

[JackGriffin]

Well, CA has been a bit weird for a while. I hope its sorted now!

I felt like I was dabbling in anatomy and not really studying it or any other area of art seriously enough. So I've been buying quite a few books lately and learning as much as I can from them. I got quite a few art books for birthday/ christmas and buying some myself from time to time, I would recommend every single one of the books below apart from the ImagineFX ones at the far left, they're.. ok.



This month im really studying anatomy from these books which are really good, Atlas of the Human Anatomy for the Artist is a bit difficult to read to begin with if you're like me and have no idea what most anatomical terms mean before you pick it up. In the last week I've finished studying the skeleton, next tuesday I will have finished the muscles which matter so there will be loads of notes and not much drawing here for a while but im going to upload it here because I like to make progress in my sketchbook!




Attachment 1679660

[JackGriffin]

What I've been up to the past week. Muscle studies - looking at the most important ones for art/ how they work. Still a lot more work to be done but its progress

Sorry about the potato camera quality

[JackGriffin]

Bit of a speed paint, playing around with some colour for a change. It became really difficult to read any more about anatomy today.

[EduM]

you're sure heading on the right direction with this sketches. Awesome work man.

[JackGriffin]

Thank you EduM

[JackGriffin]

Today and yesterdays work, I've finished my old sketchbook and started a new one, exciting!

Went to life drawing tonight, some of my work is mixed in amongst everything else.

[JackGriffin]

Trying to get my head around heads, I've been drawing them from imagination with not much success but I've learnt quite a bit from drawing them as its shown me where I need to brush with my understanding. Tried a few bodies too for a change in the middle of these head pages for a change to see if all my anatomy work has paid off.

[JackGriffin]

I am by no means able to teach anatomy but I took plenty of notes when reading the Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist, last night I spent quite a while collecting all of my notes about the skeleton into one easy to read document to sort of.. summarise what I studied in January. I haven't read through it yet so excuse the spelling mistakes and please correct me if I have completely misunderstood something. I thought I might aswel share what I've found out if it helps anyone!

Anatomy conclusion

Scapula/ shoulder blade - resembles a trowel
The scapula takes up around one quarter of the back width ways, it's height ranges from the 2nd ribcage from the top to the 7th or 8th rib or just above the half way make of the humorous. The scapula creates a landmark on the shoulder called the acromion process which is a small lump which appears where the clavicle terminates. From the side it is curved to fit around the thorax and surfaces on the lower medial edge and at the bottom which is a bit like a spike. The scapula sits between the clavicle and humorous.

The thorax/ ribcage
Consists of 12 ribs which spout from thoracic vertebrae, 2 of which are called floating ribs as they do not connect to the sternum immediately or through other ribs. 5 of the ribs including the 2 floating ribs are called false ribs as they do not connect to the sternum directly unlike 7 other ribs which do. On the seventh rib, 3 ribs branch off from the lowest of the true ribs.
The thorax is wider than it is deep, resembling a squashed egg (compressed from the front and back). The thoracic arch which is the arch at the bottom of the ribs and often comes to the surface has a 90degree angle in males and is 60degrees in females. The sternum where all the ribs are collected is around 6 to 8 inches tall which is around the height of the skull which is 8 and a half inches tall. The thorax as a whole is one third higher than the skull on average or the skull is two thirds the height of the thorax. The lower ribs take a sharp turn forward once they have left the sternum especially in males.

The skull
8 and a half inches tall on average, 7 and a half inches deep and 6 inches wide. Egg like shape, small end at the front. The eye sockets are called orbitals and the orbital rims are oblique which means slanted. The mental tubercles are the small protrusions on the chin which are most prominent in males. The jaw is called the mandible. The skull consists of 22 plate like bones, 8 of which encase the brain.

The arm
The arm consists of 3 bones all together . The humorous which is the bone of the upper arm (is level with the 10th rib) and the ulna and radius which are the two bones of the lower arm of the distal end of the limb (meaning it is far away from the point at which the limb joins the body as opposed to the proximal end which means it is close to the point of attachment. The humorous is 13 inches long or 1 and a half the length of the skull, it has two tubercles at the proximal end which are small projections from the bone. These two are called major and minor and they flank the head of the humorous. Minor faces behind the body and major faces outwards and is a large bony projection which gives attachment to the scapula muscles. The bones is S curved perhaps to make room for the tricep at the top behind the humorous and at the bottom of the bone for the bicep. The distal end is modified for the two forearm bones, the radius and ulna, most of all it is modified for the ulna as it is the largest at this point of connection.
The ulna is large at its proximal end and small at the distal end where as the radius is the opposite, small at the proximal and large and the distal. In supination and pronation the ulna is the stationary bone, the radius moves over the ulna. Supination requires the two bones in the forearm to be parallel - facing the body from the front, the palm of the hand will face the viewer. In pronation the radius twists over the ulna. An example of a probated arm would be when the hand is typing on a keyboard. The ulna grasps the humorous like a claw underneath (creating the olecranon/ elbow) and above. The radius sits on the capitalum (a ball and socket joint) which is on the lateral side of the humorous. The ulna rests on the trocheal which is at the centre of the humorous. The ulna notch in the radius is a groove in the bone which allows the ulna to move up and down and the radius twists over it. The olecranon or elbow drops in flexion. The medial epicondyle is a bony land mark on the inside of the arm which gives the inside of the arm shape where as muscle on the lateral side gives the outer arm shape. The distal end of the humorous is split into thirds, a ball laterally for the radius, a spool for the ulna and the medial epicondyle.

The leg
Basically the same as the arm in structure. Large bone at the top (the femur) which gives attachment to the lower two bones (the tibia and fibula)
The femur attaches to the acetabulum which is the socket in the pelvis created out of three bones, the pubis, ischium and ilium. The femur is 18 inches long and just more than twice the size of the head, it bends slightly forwards and leans inwards as a whole The femur is the heaviest and largest bone in the entire body and has two projections next to the head, the largest is called the great trochanter which can easily be felt at the surface of the upper leg, the great trochanter creates the widest part of the hips for the male where are the widest part for the opposite sex is just below this projection in a deposit of fat. The patella is the largest of several plate bones designed to protect areas of weakness, it is part of a group of bones called the sesamoid bones (seed shaped). It is shaped like a large guitar pick and is around the size of the hole made when the index fingertip is joined with the tip of the thumb. It is drawn downward when the leg is bent. The fibula is the lesser bone in the leg, it attaches not directly to the femur but to the tibia which is the shin bone. It attaches to the lateral side of tibia where it can be seen protruding from under the skin, this bone goes all the way down where it becomes the lateral malleolus (ankle) which is the lowest of the two ankles restricting the foot to move outwards. The tibia has an s shaped apex which is easily felt all the way down the shin, this s shape curves towards the fibula and then back towards its own ankle. The knee is the largest joint in the body, when the leg is bent, it is clearly muscular medically and bony laterally. The tibia is around 15 inches, 3 inches smaller than the femur and slightly larger than the fibula.

The clavicle
The highest bone in the shoulders, it curves outwards I the middle, connects to the sternum which creates the pit of the neck along with the stereo mastoid muscles. It terminates at the acromion process and is easily movable. The clavicle points upwards in males and downwards in females.

The spine/ vertebral column
Consists of 24 vertebrae, 7 cervicle, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar. The 7 cervicle vertebrae are located in the neck and are the most flexible of all vertebra, the 7th is the most prominent bone in the entire spine as it protrudes from the tendenous floor of the trapezius. The first vertebra is called Atlas as Atlas holds the world, this bone holds the skull. The 12 thoracic vertebrae are relatively mobile but are hugely restricted by the ribs which spout from them, this region is capable of all movements but only to a slight degree. The 5 lumbar vertebrae cannot twist and can only assist you I bending forwards or backwards. They are the largest of all as they need to take the weight of the body. The spine as a whole is curved in 4 places, it is almost straight in the neck, it is curved in the thoracic region, more curved in the lumbar and even more curved in the sacrum.

The sacrum
This bone is called the sacred bone, it connects between the two iliac bones of the pelvis and is a pedestal for the spine, am immovable foundation for the spine. This bone comes out further in men.

The hand and wrist
The hand and wrist together are 2 thirds the length of the forearm or just less than one head. The wrist consists of 8 irregular carpal bones, 14 phalanx bones (phalanx meaning line of soldiers). There are 5 metacarpals (meta meaning beyond and carpal which is a wrist bone, so the 5 immediate bones beyond the wrist) located in the palm which eventually extend beyond the palm with bones which extend the reach of there metacarpal bones which are a pair of 3 phalange bones for each finger, 2 for the thumb. They are convex dorsally which give rise to the knuckles. All fingers lean towards the middle finger which is the longest and straightest of all the fingers. We cannot make a fist which does not have an oblique slope because our fingers have formed around our thumbs, the index is the least flexible of all fingers at its base, the fingers become more flexible the further we progress down the rest of the fingers to the most flexible of all, the little finger. This finger has the most room to move as the tip of the finger is not obstructed by the thumb muscle. Fingers are labeled I to V, I being the thumb and V being the little finger. The thumb tip reaches the proximal phalanx of the intex finger. The proximal phalanges where rings are worn are the largest of the three, the median and distal phalanges are around the same length as the proximal . Each finger has a trochela at the end of each finger which is Latin for pull and the reason why we cannot move each individual bone in our fingers as they are moved as one. The index finger can move around 80degrees from its metacarpal origin, the middle can move around 90, the ring finger can move around 95 and the little can move around 105 (working from an imaginary line which projects straight from the metacarpal (following its straight path))

OS COXAE/ hip bone/ pelvis
Just slightly taller than one head at 8 and a half inches high. The pelvis is created out of 3 main bones called he Ishium, the Pubis and the Ilium which when formed, create the acetabulum which is the socket for the head of the femur. From the side the bone resembles a figure 8 that has been twisted in opposing horizontal directions (the anterior iliac spine twisted towards the viewer). The pelvis as a whole only reaches the surface at very few points. In females the pelvis is wider and tilts more forward than the male pelvis which is upright. In females the sacrum is wider,more flat, shorter and curves more inwards thus not making as large of a landmark as the male sacrum. The male pelvis is angular and has a small cavity where the females is more round and has a larger cavity for birth.

The foot
Almost identical in structure to the hand. From the sole of the foot to the base of the big toe is around 1 head, adding the big toe increases the length of the foot by 1/4. Moving the foot up and down is called Doris flexion, plantar flexion is pointing the foot. Ankle has 7 tarsal bones which are the heel bones, 5 metatarsal bones and 14 phalanges. Toes are labeled from I to V, I being the big toe. A tuberosity coming from metatarsal V is a huge landmark for the foot. The other four metatarsals climb upwards and upwards in a steady ascension to meet the rising tarsals in the heel. The big toe has the largest metatarsal arch, it slowly descends from there. This is called the metatarsal arch. The big toe turns to watch over its family of little toes and they all face the big toe in response. Each toe faces the big toe slightly more the further they're away.






The sculpture is also a final study to refine what I've learnt. I've been touching it up here and there as errors keep popping up, the legs are a bit stumpy but I think its getting there. I went to life drawing tonight and did a quick colour study of some irish guy on a horse, getting better with eyeing colours up thanks to reading Gurneys book on colour and light again.

[JackGriffin]

5 minute gesture drawings

[JackGriffin]

More gesture studies, trying to make my lines flow.

[JackGriffin]

A few more

[JackGriffin]

Fencing gestures - All in practice to get better with my tablet

[GrayPersona]

great thread man,really like how you apply yourself to studying anatomy.
a few tips about learning the figure which I learned in the past few months

1-when I started learning the figure I thought that by copying anatomy diagrames and muscles intersection i will make my figure drawing better-and it does in a way,
but what I learned is that anatomy diagrames mean nothing if you cannot build forms in 3d space and that 90 percent of what gives the figure the sense of reality
is basic structure and proportion so it is imprortant to study the manikin -by studying the basic manikin you have a model in your head of the proportion
and basic structure of the body then you can apply constructive anatomy and you visual library to develop things further.

2-your sargent study-when painting or drawing anything you want to watch for 4 things-values,edges,shape,color
the shapes and edges in your study are almost indistinguishable ,sargent is known for his strong brushwork
and defined form,focus your attention on the 2d shape of each plane you are drawing-you can practice doing bargue studies or simply copy 2d shapes
do the same with edges-some are crystal crisp and some are lost identify them and place them accordingly .

3-when doing any type of study-use long angular lines versus curve-they are easier to see and measure try limiting yourself and placing lines with purpose
you want to capture the most with the least amount of lines.

4-measure! make drawings based only on 2d copying it will train your eye and cultivate you patience.
heres a book you can download with some tips about measuring and drawing from life(free and legal)
its concise and the techniques are solid.

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...wing-From-Life

*I am sorry if my critique came as too instuctive i am by no means an expert,these are just suggestion that I found helped me improve
in the past couple months,take what you need and discard the rest.

[JackGriffin]

Thanks! Its nice to get so much feedback and I dont mind how instructive you were, I like it when people get to the point. I completely agree with all that you've said and I'll act on your advice especially with placing lines with purpose. What you said about my Sargent study is very true, its all over the place so I'll do another and see how that goes. Thanks for spending so much time helping me out.

Your greyscale Sargent study is awesome by the way, keep it up.

[JackGriffin]

Quick value study

[V3T]

All those studies are really coming together, good job!

[JackGriffin]

A few more value studies

[0000]

Man oyure on a good track, i see you focus a lot on edges, try some construction and volumetry too

[JackGriffin]

Hey thanks, I'll try it out

And another greyscale study, touching up on values, still a bit too scribbly