Kayshay's Sketchbook

[Kayshay]

Hi all! Scroll down for my sketches

[Kayshay]

Hi all my name is Kayla and I am looking to improve my drawing skills! I just recently switched my major to graphic design and want to pursue digital illustration as well and I know first and foremost comes drawing. I am taking a basic drawing class this upcoming semester so I will be posting stuff from there and just studies and other sketches.

CnC is welcome and needed so if you have any tips for me please don't hesitate I am open to new things and looking to improve. I can do well with copying things but when it comes to just drawing from my imagination I don't do well and I think thats because I haven't studied art long enough and don't have a good eye yet.

Here is some old and new stuff I will be updating again soon.

The owl drawing I drew a copy from http://harryett.deviantart.com/art/Owl-84812247

[Kayshay]

So I just got a wacom bamboo capture tablet for an early christmas present and I was messing around and outlined a sketch. Let me know what you think

[Nemome]

Hey Kayshay!
If somebody asks me that nice to visit her sketchbook then I do that ;D

I would strongly recommend you to start a lot more life drawing.
You still have a few problems with the process of seeing. Try to look more carefully, even if it takes much more time.
And to practice your three dimensional understanding beside that, I would suggest life drawings as mentioned above.
Try to set up a still life with things that are lying around you and then try to carefully copy what's in front of you. Get the exact proportions of the objects first and don't hurry, even if this step takes you over a few hours.
If you have done this, do more until you think that you can draw exactly what you're seeing.

~Nemome

(If you have any more questions feel free to ask via PM or Skype )

[RustyPulley]

You need to study perspective,and how to properly render basic forms like spheres, cylinders, cubes etc. For example, in the gazebo piece, the floor of the gazebo, the trolley and the steps look weird because there is no perspective. Also, like Nemome suggests, it'll be good to just keep drawing from life like crazy. Use a photograph if you have to, but dont trace---take a long look at it and study the lighting, shadows, forms. Pick up an anatomy book and learn how the body works...like how the face is not just a collection of lines and shades, but muscle and skin wrapping over the underlying bone, and how the bone gives it structure, etc. When you truly have the "sense of 3Dness" in your head you'll be able to draw buildings and objects with greater realism.

All this might seem like a lot of work (and it is), but basic foundations are needed to be a great artist. The most important thing is to keep at it, don't be afraid of failing, be open to learning. Keep it up!

[Kayshay]

Nemome - Thanks I will def start doing some of that. Should I lay off starting some anatomy because I just started with a michael hampton anatomy book.

RustyPulley - Ok thanks man Ill def get started with the basic foundations etc. Really appreciate your help.

Some basic doodles and lines. As well as studies from michael hampton figure drawing

[mike butkus]

Good start!

[Kayshay]

I did some still lifes from a reference to practice drawing what I see CnC welcome.

reference is included

[Kishire]

Keep it up! Your studies look better already get those basic shapes down and it'll help so much!

[keeptime]

Not a bad start at all! I like the pointillist hat. Try and find some box-like shapes in your house and draw them (computer monitor, couch, tv, speakers, etc etc etc). It's a bit more challenging but it'll help you more than copying someone else's drawings. Don't be afraid to use a ruler either.

Keep it up!

[Cojac]

I see a good start. Try drawing from life, still life teaches us a lot. Just choose some objects (fruits, dishes, couch, monitor, etc) observe and draw. I saw that keeptime told you that. I just want to stress it a little more. Go for it. You'll learn a bit each drawing you do.

[Kayshay]

ok thanks Cojac, keeptime, and kishire I will take you alls suggestions about drawing from life and get right to it!

[BenjaminJL92]

Hey cheers for checking out my SB, I can already see an improvement in your latest drawings/studies so keep at it!
Your line work and proportions are looking much better and you're beginning to understand values too from what I can see, keep pushing

[Kayshay]

Just some life drawings...the plum was really difficult for me and so was the paper towel with cookies on it. I didn't know how to accurately depict the crumbles in the cookie or the m&ms :/

[Cojac]

I see that you are drawing from life now. To do this it is easy if you put a light source near the object. Use one of those bed lights and cast shadows and draw the object the bright and the cast shadow on the table, like you are already doing, but more accurate. I think you are doing a great job. Keep drawing from life it is more chalenging but much more instructive.

[Kayshay]

Thanks Cojac i'll tweak and work with light source more so I can work on my tones and values.

Just did some anatomy studies hopefully i'll do a few still lives later.

[Kayshay]

Update: Did a still life it sucks because I have a problem with drawing a section then detail then realizing the perspecitve is off instead of getting the overall shape down first. I know what ill be practicing on later

[Kayshay]

Tried practicing perspective today struggled terribly :/

There are so many things i want to focus on and idk which i should dedicate more time to at the moment...anatomy or perspective

[ivan4oto]

It's very good that you're trying to learn how the human body can be shown as simple shapes, but before you do this it's good to learn how to draw basic shapes such as cubes, cylinders, spheres and how they are placed in perspective, how light affects them. And after that you can start to apply them in the human body. You should also focus on drawing the human body in front view, because it's the most basic position of the body and it's good to learn it first and then continue on other points of view and positions etc...
Learning how to draw the basic shapes may take up to 6 months so don't panic if you don't see yourself becoming very good in the first weeks.

[ivan4oto]

It's very good that you're trying to learn how the human body can be shown as simple shapes, but before you do this it's good to learn how to draw basic shapes such as cubes, cylinders, spheres and how they are placed in perspective, how light affects them. And after that you can start to apply them in the human body. You should also focus on drawing the human body in front view, because it's the most basic position of the body and it's good to learn it first and then continue on other points of view and positions etc...
Learning how to draw the basic shapes may take up to 6 months so don't panic if you don't see yourself becoming very good in the first weeks.

[Kayshay]

Ican4oto - Ahhhhh 6 months? its ok I can do it I can do it lol...but thank you I will go back to basic shapes and perspective and post my progress with those on here

[Rhubix]

Tried practicing perspective today struggled terribly :/

There are so many things i want to focus on and idk which i should dedicate more time to at the moment...anatomy or perspective

Right now I think perspective and basic forms are the way to go. Everyone around CA is always pushing anatomy studies, but it's really hard to draw a scapula if you don't have a solid understanding of perspective and simple forms.
The same goes for figure drawing. If you're doing a proportion study or anatomy study, slow down and really try to understand what forms you are drawing. Often 1 longer, more thoughtful study is worth a dozen quicker ones.


The last image of the house is the right idea, but you need to slow down a bit and really focus on getting the perspective of all the elements. I had a really good inbetweening teacher who said- do it correctly now, speed will come on it's own. My first inbetweens would take hours- sometimes 12 hours for a single drawing. It sucks, and it's frustrating but you'll get quicker as you start to move some of this teduis stuff into your subconscious. At first you have to be very aware of each line in perspective, over time you start to get a sense of it. You can visualize the construction in your head instead of having to draw it all.
It's the same reason a musician learns scales - eventually your brain connects the note and finger positions.
I did a few sketches to help visualize my suggestions - I hope it helps!

Happy sketching

[Kayshay]

Right now I think perspective and basic forms are the way to go. Everyone around CA is always pushing anatomy studies, but it's really hard to draw a scapula if you don't have a solid understanding of perspective and simple forms.
The same goes for figure drawing. If you're doing a proportion study or anatomy study, slow down and really try to understand what forms you are drawing. Often 1 longer, more thoughtful study is worth a dozen quicker ones.


The last image of the house is the right idea, but you need to slow down a bit and really focus on getting the perspective of all the elements. I had a really good inbetweening teacher who said- do it correctly now, speed will come on it's own. My first inbetweens would take hours- sometimes 12 hours for a single drawing. It sucks, and it's frustrating but you'll get quicker as you start to move some of this teduis stuff into your subconscious. At first you have to be very aware of each line in perspective, over time you start to get a sense of it. You can visualize the construction in your head instead of having to draw it all.
It's the same reason a musician learns scales - eventually your brain connects the note and finger positions.
I did a few sketches to help visualize my suggestions - I hope it helps!

Happy sketching

Ok Rhubix thank you so much I wil practice some more today, but I have a question if I should get perspective down first does that mean I should wait to do still life? or its ok to work on both?

[Rhubix]

do both - just make sure you're being aware of perspective while you're doing the still life. None of the drawing exercises are exclusive. they all connect together. You use perspective for figure drawing, and for lighting.
When you're practicing drawing cubes- it could just as easily be a torso, a tv, or a house

[Kayshay]

So I am designing cartoon characters of the seniors on my basketball team to put on a shirt for senior night. These are just rough sketches most of the work will be done in photoshop but just wanted to add it. I also did a still life last night the tissue box perspective got to me big time I almost didn't draw it lol.

Perspective drawings coming later tonight hopefully

[Kayshay]

The boxes were before the perspective studies(i clearly didn't understand yet lol)

The perspective studies are from Perspective made easy book.

[Kayshay]

So my bf took a picture while he was at work and tried to draw it then he wanted me to try so here is my attempt. The leg is horrible and i havenet learned how to do wrinkles and clothing yet but other than that I think my perspective is improving a smidge. So yay for improvement.

[Rhubix]

Good start with those studies so far - when working from a photo like your last image, start the same way -- by finding your horizon line and working out the big block shapes. The cubical and desk should all share a vanishing point - they're just big rectangles. With a figure you can start with very simple block shapes and refine the image from there.

Remember, you don't have to draw the image perfect the first time. You can start with a light blue- or hard pencil and work out the foundation of the drawing, than use a darker colour to refine your edges.
In traditional animation we use a light table so we can back light the paper and it's easy to trace your work on to a fresh piece of paper. You get as many tries as you want