rappdg's sketchbook

[rappdg]

Thanks Erikly! Your right about everything since I was away from drawing for atleast 10 years my hands are very shaky and that made my lines so bad. The worst part of it is I rarely even write since I'm a programmer and we just use the keyboard. I can't even draw the shapes I see in my head LOL.

[rappdg]

Jimi Hendrix:



I Think I should learn to shade properly...

[rottjers]

Just checked your updates, Rappdg. You are already improving!

[rappdg]

thanks rottjers! Coming from someone who does portrait drawings and paintings so well, its a big deal to me!

Lame imagination character:



Here are my loomis studies:





Can anyone tell me why I'm having a hard time drawing the legs?

[Lectriece]

I think you have a decent sense of proportions when it comes to portraiture. While I feel your newer portraits are more successful, overall I sense there is a lack of underlaying structure. Look into planes of the face studies and try to do a study of a human skull. Focus on structure before detail, a solid structure with few details looks unfinished while a weak structure with many details is just weak, you know?

For the legs, I would say you have the same root problem as with portraiture, although in this case your proportions are also a tad off. I would recommend doing some figurative studies of fullbodies with emphasis on legs (so be specific about what pose you use as reference, ask yourself what is the focus of this pose? What am I trying to accomplish with this study? ). Proportion & structure, practice, and do some studies of your own legs and feet if you can, or try to get someone to model for you. If you still are struggling, get a hold of a washable marker and draw some contours around your own leg forms- it may help you get a better sense of volume in legs. Cross contour drawings from life could also serve this purpose as part of your structure focus.

Also remember to take short breaks and stretch your hand, stability will come with time.

[rappdg]

I think you have a decent sense of proportions when it comes to portraiture. While I feel your newer portraits are more successful, overall I sense there is a lack of underlaying structure. Look into planes of the face studies and try to do a study of a human skull. Focus on structure before detail, a solid structure with few details looks unfinished while a weak structure with many details is just weak, you know?

For the legs, I would say you have the same root problem as with portraiture, although in this case your proportions are also a tad off. I would recommend doing some figurative studies of fullbodies with emphasis on legs (so be specific about what pose you use as reference, ask yourself what is the focus of this pose? What am I trying to accomplish with this study? ). Proportion & structure, practice, and do some studies of your own legs and feet if you can, or try to get someone to model for you. If you still are struggling, get a hold of a washable marker and draw some contours around your own leg forms- it may help you get a better sense of volume in legs. Cross contour drawings from life could also serve this purpose as part of your structure focus.

Also remember to take short breaks and stretch your hand, stability will come with time.

Thank you for your knowledge! Although I'm really not certain what you mean about structure. Is at the head shape? The shadows of the cheekbones?

[rappdg]

Uhmmm rocky??

[Max Ferro]

Really liking your arkham city artwork! I'm 15 and have an arkham drawing on my page if you wouldn't mind checking it out

[kikindaface]

yo dude, thanks for your reply, well, concerning anatomy, it's just tons of practice, i don't even count the thousands of hours learning anatomy and drawing from life !! I think what made me improve is to not think your canvas as a 2d surface, but as 3D, imagine depth !! when you draw a character, with, let's say, the arm going back, you must see, and believe, that it's really in 3D and show it with your pencil that the arm is really going in the back direction, this way, you'll think more in term of 3D, you'll better understand how foreshortenings happens, that's my construction tips, i know it might sound a bit weird at first, but with a bit of practice, you'll be aware of that and you'll improve as hell !! for anatomy, i suggest kevin chen ( http://analyticalfiguresp08.blogspot...max-results=11) as well as a lot of gesture drawing, you'll imrpove so much with that rather than doing hours of anatomy copies !! think in term of space and volumes, learn to abstract what you see ( dunno if this term is exact, but don't see a leg as a leg but as shapes, it's helping a lot !! ) Good luck dude !!

[rappdg]

This took about 3-4 hours... damn im slow. Original art from Felipe Massafera

[rappdg]

Perspective attempt

[rappdg]

car/buildings from my head

[rappdg]

How do you guys shade with the side of a pencil? Do I need a charcoal pencil? Should I sharpen my pencil with a razor?

[rappdg]

[rappdg]

torso studies

[rappdg]

This looks incomplete, can anyone help me finish this? This is a character from my imagination...

[Deceptive]

Nice progress, maybe some more contrast in pencils hardness would help your drawings, but, good work on the anatomy and studies! keep them up!

[rappdg]

Work in progress: (knight fom "Dark Souls" and the Dragon from "Skyrim")



Although I am not sure how to finish this...

[rappdg]

New sketch:

[rappdg]

Another Felipe Massefara reference:

[rappdg]

Justice League WIP (Original art by Alex Ross)

[peterrsergen]

I really like to see your sketches and I found that there are some popular names sketches surprise me. I seen here Dark soul, Two faces, X man, Superman or Wonder woman sketches. I would say that this sketches are outstanding and you are truly an amazing artist.

[rappdg]

thanks peterrsergen!

here is the finished version

[peterrsergen]

thanks peterrsergen!

here is the finished version

This finished version sounds like tremendous painting. I also like this one where Superman, Batman & Wonder woman stands together. One thing I must say that your painting skills are so nice and you did a fabulous job to draw some paintings.

[rappdg]

Thanks man, but take note that this is Alex Ross' painting and not mine. I just tried to copy it as a study but thanks since your comment is encouraging anyway haha.

[DMTcat]

Nice stuff, I definitely like the Superman and WonderWoman sketch. You capture likeness well, which is something that I fond hard for me to achieve. Keep it up. We are always learning and always growing

[Elderscroller]

Hi!

I think you´re doing great! Your studies show good quality. To push your drawings further, you could give them a bit more contrast by using more values (especially the dark tones). By that I mean, add some accentuated spots of darkness to areas where there would be very little light. For faces: Try to bring out the eyes with more darker tones as they are the most important things in facial drawings and should be a focal point.
To achieve that, start out drawing very lightly, adding more and more values in second and third passes, bearing in mind where to put the most darkest spots. I use mainly a 2B pencil as it gives the most valuerange in my opinion. You could also use an additional 4B pencil or even 6B for those extra dark spots (like eye sockets, shadow under the nose etc.)
Also try to include line weight in your drawings. When using line weight, you consider if a line would be in light or shadow, thereby making a lighter or darker stroke with the pencil. Here´s an entry in my blog, so you know what I mean:
http://elderscroller.blogspot.co.at/
I´m no master painter myself, but I know what you are struggling with at this point of your development. I hope this helps a little And keep up the studies! You learn most things by carefully observing and drawing them.

[Elderscroller]

Hi!

I think you´re doing great! Your studies show good quality. To push your drawings further, you could give them a bit more contrast by using more values (especially the dark tones). By that I mean, add some accentuated spots of darkness to areas where there would be very little light. For faces: Try to bring out the eyes with more darker tones as they are the most important things in facial drawings and should be a focal point.
To achieve that, start out drawing very lightly, adding more and more values in second and third passes, bearing in mind where to put the most darkest spots. I use mainly a 2B pencil as it gives the most valuerange in my opinion. You could also use an additional 4B pencil or even 6B for those extra dark spots (like eye sockets, shadow under the nose etc.)
Also try to include line weight in your drawings. When using line weight, you consider if a line would be in light or shadow, thereby making a lighter or darker stroke with the pencil. Here´s an entry in my blog, so you know what I mean:
http://elderscroller.blogspot.co.at/
I´m no master painter myself, but I know what you are struggling with at this point of your development. I hope this helps a little And keep up the studies! You learn most things by carefully observing and drawing them.

[rappdg]

Original art by Alex Ross:

[rappdg]

@Dmcat thanks! It takes me about 4-12 hours depending on complexity to finish these so maybe that is why my drawings are close to the reference sometimes.

@Elderscroller thanks man! I have read all your blog entries and its definitely helping me and thanks for the tips I seriously need more of those haha.