My Art Problem

[falconerofthephoenix]

First, my real name is Aaron. Secondly this is actually my first serious post on the website. It took awhile. I've had sort of a block.
Since I can remember I've been drawing. Now I want to demand more from my artwork. The problem, I think, is that I've never really thought of art in terms of setting proffessional goals for myself.
Everyone complements my work. But there's my own doubt. I keep looking at my art relatively to other artists (younger ones alot of the time). The prospect of achieving proffessional standards is incredibly daunting.
Frankly I don't care. I just want to draw. This was the next logical step.
Maybe I'm overdramatic

I'd like to start with a picture I'm working on using cs4.



I've tried a couple of times to get it the way I want. I'll try to load them up, some technically difficulties I'm afraid. Either way I cant seem to clean it up without loosing the detail I like and taking away from the picture.
Maybe I should scan it with a higher resolution..

If anyone has some criticism for me I'd love to hear it

[falconerofthephoenix]

Here's a selection from my notebook. I use it primarily to right 'notes to self' and sketch on my breaks. Merchandising, not exactly up my alley.

Here you go

[falconerofthephoenix]

Here's one I drew today on request. I was asked for a tattoo concept over a year ago by a friend and everytime I approached it scared me off somehow. I at least got something down though. If theres anyone watching I'd love some opinions!

[Brightdreamer]

Hello! Nice start! Now more sketching!

If you haven't tried the "usual suspects" (Loomis, Bridgman, etc. - search around the site for links), you might want to look into them. I'd also suggest an animal anatomy book; imaginary critters always look more believable with some grounding in real-world anatomy. (Jack Hamm's How to Draw Animals is a good one for mammals.) As for the loss of detail when scanning, scan in your original at the highest resolution your computer can handle, and work at it at the highest resolution that won't fry your program. Downsizing means losing a lot of info, which you won't get back if you upsize it again later. So always keep a working copy at the largest size possible, in the best file format possible, and save off smaller copies for web posting/sharing/etc.

Just my humble undereduated 2 cents...

[falconerofthephoenix]

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my thread! Made my day, really.

Time to break out the anatomy books. I have "Animal Anatomy for artists" by Eliot Goldfinger which could use some attention. And a bunch of others that I need not mention.

Below is a doodled I managed to squeeze out between breaks from one of them. Not entirely too shabby.


Also, below this, is where I am on that tatoo concept that I was asked.

Not a bad progression if I may say.

[falconerofthephoenix]

UPDATE! But first some fun

I decided to draw my girlfriend as a webcomic character


Now for some gritty stuff



Shame on me for not drawing every day.

[falconerofthephoenix]

[Brightdreamer]

Hi, again! Saw you'd been by my sketchbook, and figured I ought to return the visit...

Nice start to the studies! Now keep going!

[falconerofthephoenix]

Gee it's been awhile. Here's some things, I've been workin on.





Stress to acheive does havoc to my drawing habits. Gotta keep it in check

[HAJiME]

Nice start.

With the first scan you did, that's a terribly dirty scan. Have you dried cleaning the glass on the scanner? It might be that it's set to a contrast that's making it very grainy or it might just be that the original picture is very smudgy.

Your recent images are very nice. Like the anime girl.

Try doing quick studies everyday if you can, just to keep yourself learning along with whatever other art you're doing. The point of drawing from a reference (preferably life) is that in drawing something you are forced to examine it.

Keep it up and post more often.

[falconerofthephoenix]

Aright, so another ridiculous amount of time between post's and more BS.

Gotta get my head screwed on right.

Anywho, Studies!

[falconerofthephoenix]

And some stuff I've been working on

Did this for an amateur novelist. He gave me $40 for it. I think I ripped him off.

[falconerofthephoenix]

more studies

[falconerofthephoenix]

[Rhubix]

I keep looking at my art relatively to other artists (younger ones alot of the time). The prospect of achieving professional standards is incredibly daunting.

I can really appreciate this comment. When I first got to college (I studied animation) I was amongst the worst there for basic drawing skills. Some of the others had gone through years of art college or had 20+ art credits from highschool, where as I learned to draw with my friend in his basement, pausing the VCR and trying to draw our favorite characters around the static lol.
All I could do is let that fuel my stubborn personality, and it made me work harder to try and catch up.
Now, I'm working, still learning, but I'm doing what I love.
Stubbornness can go a long, long way. You just have to direct it properly

Personally I found anatomy made my brain melt out of my eyes when I started it.
It's really hard to study the connections of the muscle masses when your still struggling to draw a simple pelvis.
I recommend perspective studies, gesture, and study the figure's proportions. I really like drawing box men because they combine gesture and proportions in a simple way. Explore the large masses of the body, the overall form of the ribcage, pelvis, limbs - Once you are feeling more confident with the basic forms - then go in and start refining your figure drawing using hardcore muscular anatomy studies.
Drawing is a lot like writing. You don't start with a novel. You learn the ABC's, then you write simple words, then sentences, then stories.

Whatever way you go about learning - just keep drawing. Carry a sketchbook with you and draw as often as you can.
Happy sketching!

edit* oh, btw, here is a boxman.