Dael Wolf's sketchbook (nudity)

[Dael Wolf]

I have been scribbling faces and figures on scrap paper for some time, but now I want to create attractive, realistic, fine art images of faces and of figures in environments. It is time to improve my skills. I have had a few courses at the local art association but otherwise I am self-taught.

Here is one I drew from life two years ago. He was the only one in the coffee shop who was still enough for me to draw.


Here are two pastels I did from life in a portraiture course. Both sessions ended before I could get far on the hair. Lesson: don't shilly-shally!



Two from imagination:



Here is one using a drawing by Joseph Sheppard as reference:


Two from photograph references:

[ApolloNuevo]

a good start. i recommend if possible you light your models not from the front or your angle, instead use something a little harsher at a different angle. right now you're trying to focus on little parts of your form, whereas w/ slightly harsher lighting, you can focus on form relationships and light/dark relationships together. helping you see the figure as a more comprehensive form.

keep posting!
-dan

[Dael Wolf]

Apollonuevo: to be honest, I wasn't even thinking in terms of forms and lighting until you mentioned it. I was only trying to get the proportions and and placement of features right. I will try what you suggest. Thanks so much for the idea.

The next two are from imagination, except that for the man's shading I referred to a drawing by Giovanni Civardi.

[Pesmerga]

I like the expression of the women in orange (second pastel). It's clear that you were able to capture her emotions. Keep it up, you're doing good so far

[Dael Wolf]

Pesmerga: Thanks.
Next is one from imagination. Sorry about the poor scan.

[Dael Wolf]

I decided on a training strategy for myself: (1) concentrate on following Loomis's instruction for drawing heads and figures, and (2) draw from life (statues, people in coffee shops, etc.) Here are some heads made from Loomis's ball and plane scheme.

I took some time to carefully observe Loomis's drawings and to try to understand what he is trying to teach. The next heads are the result. I think there is some improvement but I still have a long way to go.



In the next ones everybody looks so bloody grim. I need to get my people to lighten up!

[Dael Wolf]

[waronmars]

Looking good mate, keep working hard!

[Dael Wolf]

Here is a head developed using some techniques that I learned on this forum. The steps are (1) construct the head (I use the Loomis ball and plane method), make marks to place the features, and restate as many times as needed to find the desired shapes, (2) strengthen the lines I want to keep and sketch in the features, (3) use a kneaded eraser to get rid of the construction lines and unwanted marks, (4) make refinements all over the head; I did this part in PhotoShop. I think that in drawing faces of young women and children it is best to avoid making a lot of marks on the face. Since I plan to do a thousand heads this way I will be posting only a sample. I also plan to try this on figures.

[Dael Wolf]

[Dael Wolf]

[Dael Wolf]

[Dael Wolf]

In the first one, maybe the eye is too close to the nose? The second one is a copy of a Joseph Sheppard drawing that I drew freehand, except I substituted a face from my mind, and then tried to shade in my own way. Below Sheppard's drawing was an explanation of some of the anatomy, so I was learning some of that while drawing.

[Dael Wolf]

[Dael Wolf]

I haven't been loafing, but spent some time experimenting with gouache, watercolors, and ink, just making marks on paper. Ultimately I went back to my old regimen. The lady on the left is in graphite and the one on the right is black Prismacolor.

[Dael Wolf]

[Azeira]

i dig the girl with the hair, and the girl squatting, though i recommend that you look at her abdomen a bit. it seems like theres some shadow missing, if im reading your light source correctly. good work.

Woodruff

[Dael Wolf]

Azeira: Thanks for the visit. I'll look at her abdomen.

[Dael Wolf]

I am still experimenting with different media. This is the first I've tried with water-soluble graphite pencils. I plan to buy a new computer in a few months, so it won't take eons to scan and post.

[Dael Wolf]

[Dael Wolf]

[Dael Wolf]

[ivy'sgrandkid]

hey man keep at it better than me when i started lol dont give up

[Dael Wolf]

Ivy'sgrandkid: Thanks, kid. I will give up when pigs fly.

[Dael Wolf]

I have been working with PhotoShop, trying to figure out a workflow for coloring and rendering scanned line art. This example, using three colors, is set up so that I can change the colors very quickly. The next step is to add darks and highlights.

[Orozc0]

nice. keep it up!

[Dael Wolf]

These are both pencil, but for the one on the left I tried to use PhotoShop to simulate ink & wash.


The next one appeared before, but I used PhotoShop to fix her eyes, which were crossed.

[Dael Wolf]

This post is just to show quick PhotoShop color changes with an image having fill and adjustment layers. I am tired of the picture and am going to move on to something else.

[Dael Wolf]

I just bought a new PC, which is a big overstuffed pig with oodlebytes of memory and a superfast processor, and an upgrade to Photoshop CS2. I've had enough of extreme slowness. Maybe Photoshop is the right medium for me, because I always screw up every picture in pastels, acrylics, or any other medium. With Photoshop you can repair mistakes. Here is my first picture with the new machine.

[Dael Wolf]