Redystra's need for greed.

[Redystra]

Hello CA, I've joined this community a few days ago, so I'm another new face in the community. My name is Rico and I'm a 3th year Game Artist who has a (sudden) high interest in digital painting and especially the study behind it.

I'll be trying to post as much sketchbook work in here as I can. I'll be expecting alot of direct criticism as to why people like certain elements in my work, or dislike it and give information on how to improve it. Suggestions are also more than welcome.

My current goal now is to improve my drawing capabilities related to anatomy on a daily basis, many of my drawings at this moment will include: nature, study's from George B. Bridgemans - Constructive Anatomy, watercoloring and sometimes other things wich you'll see for yourself eventually.

So that's the intro, I expect you guys to smack me like the angry mysterious teacher during anatomy lessons. Here I go.

[Redystra]

The first few sketches.

[Redystra]

Second wave.

The last one is a very quick watercolour drawing of a mate of mine, it's just for shits and giggles really.

[Redystra]

Ok, so I decided to do my first speedpainting today, the first thing that I have to say, is that I was quite confused for a while and didn't truly dare starting to speedpaint, I had read alot about various techniques and how to work, but I was simply doubting myself. So I decided to do a speedpaint of a photograph that I had saved once (photograph will be included, it's taken by Roman Johnston so all the credits of the photograph goes to him.)

The first few things which I immediately learned is:
- Work in layers, background, midground, foreground.
- Work in Photoshop layers instead of working in one layers (this seems to work quite well for me)
- Begin the painting by blocking out the basic shapes and work down everytime you're satisfied with the current image
- Use the thumbnail to see if you have a good beginning
- Start at around 1/3th zoomed out
- Don't blend the colours too much, it loses the digital painting feel and starts looking like a gradient
- The basic brushes RULE!

The speedpainting took ±30 minutes, I honestly don't know if that's too much or not.
Oh, and any comments, hints and tips would be greatly appreciated.

[Narrenzauber]

Well, it is not necessary to work on more than one layer, while making speedpaints and sketches, but it can be helpful, especially if you are satisfied with one work step and be afraid of destroying it, when go on. It is also good, that you tried to add different colours to the single areas, and not just taking different hues of one colour.
Did you pick the colours yourself or did you pick them out of the photo? While working with references, you should try to pick the colours yourself, to train your observation with colours. If it doesn't turn out correct, it doesn't matter. With time you will gain more experience and you will get closer to the original colours all by yourself. You also can pick colours from the photo, if you want to see, if the colour you picket before, was correct.
I have another question, because I am curious: Did you painted it from a sketch made out of lines or did you work with shapes from the beginning? Both is possible and I've seen both ways, that worked quite fine.

As for your other works: You should be more brave with colour. I mean that you can put different colours into one ares. In nature there isn't anything that has just one colour. Let's take a tree as an example: A trunk may be brown or grey brown, but there will be other colours, like green, if there is growing moss or different kinds of brown (a brown that tends more to red or yellow or green). While painting speedpaintings like your last one, you will realise it soon and you will be able to practise it.

Your anatomy practise looks quite fine. Keep it on! Stay as brave as you are now!

[Redystra]

Well, I honestly didn't pick the colours myself, but from now on I'll try to train my observation and pick the colours myself. And I didn't work it out from a sketch, I just opened a blank sheet and started blocking out where I wanted my tree to be. I think if you'd work with lines, then the image would be a alot tighter as in very sharp lines (that's what I assume atleast) I personally don't like that and am quite a fan of a little mess.

Now that I think about it though, I remember a teacher who once told me to use more than the base colour when you're attempting digital paintings, I'll certainly try to keep that in mind.

As for now I'm going to try another speedpainting but this time without copying an image "exactly". I'll upload it later today when I consider it done, and thanks for the information Narrenzauber.

[Demon Lizardman]

Try out that James Gurney color book, it should help you a lot about learning about colors.

[IntoTheVoid]

Working in multiple layers is certainly safer, but for speedpaintings it isn't a strict requirement. You can keep one layer for a makeshift color palette and paint everything on a second layer no problem. The one thing to keep in mind there is you'll want to flesh out the background before you start on the midground and foreground, because it isn't very fun to fix small mistakes in the background when you're perfectly satisfied with the foreground.

About the zoom, you're going to want to work zoomed in for details, but it's important to see the full piece zoomed out. You can open a second copy of your file (window > arrange > new window) so you don't have to keep zooming back and forth all the time.
Or alternatively you can use the navigator window if you have the room for it (window > navigator).

The hand studies are good. I'd like to see more of your landscapes and full body studies if you have any.
Keep it up

[Redystra]

Ok, so I've been trying to study anatomy as much as time allowed me, I did one concept drawing (this time picking the colours myself), tried to come up with an imagined environment scene and did a few perspective drawings when I was in the train.

What I have learned the past days?
- Have more patience in general
- Take your time observing the scene
- Try to figure out how certain things work
- Digital drawings are not done in 10 minutes, not even speedpaintings
- Sometimes it's not bad to draw body parts a bit out of proportion, no human body is the same, but atleast draw the proportions of the bones correctly
- Stop drawing/writing ontop of your drawings
- Go outside and draw environments more from observation, because this amount is skill is absolutely ridiculous

@Demon Lizardman: I added that book to my wishlist, I'll probably order it some time when studying colour truly comes into play.

@IntoTheVoid: Thanks for the Photoshop hint, I used that with the previous painting, it's quite handy as a thumbnail.

And yet again, hints/tips/trick/suggestions/recommendations(books and the sort alikes)/critics/disses/hatred and whatever you can imagine will be greatly appreciated.

Now it's time to study.