NicoRaven's Nest (Watch as I try to take flight)

[NicoRaven]

Welcome to The Raven's Nest

I've been drawing seriously since Nov. 08, 2006.

I've come to a hard conclusion today Dec. 30 2006. I've been behaving as a art fan rather than an artist. I've been going through the motions that beginners do. Updating often with sketch after sketch. Drawing or Referencing something one minute and growing bored the next. I dont feel well now, I feel sick inside. I dont feel that I've grown as much as I could have this past month. I've been attacking too many things and not truely leveling up on anything. What I have been doing as an artist is the equivalent of a gamer playing Tomb Raider with Level Skip cheat codes. You get to a jump or an obstacle that seems tough or impassible and you just skip the whole level to the next. Until finally you get to the end and feel cheated and sick of yourself. I dont feel any sense of completion with my drawings. All of them seem to be incomplete hatchings of what could have been. Its time I treat my sketchbook like a portfolio and not a doodle dump. I have a reputation for being critical and its high time I be critical in my own works.

I want to approach even my studies from an illustrators point of view always looking for my own style. I find that I dont attack my studies hard enough I study heads for an hour and move to the body. That's stupid. In Video games you have to master the basics before moving on to the intermediate levels. From now on Ill attack one subject , one thing until i have more than a fundamental understanding and can regurgitate it in my own drawing either by hand or in PS.

Update May 18 2006

Art is a process and not a race it seems. Skill isnt handed down at born nor is it stumbled upon by accident. No one can teach you diligence and no one will teach you patience, you learn all these on the way. I continuing to learn how to draw but this time how to draw correctly. I',m still along way off but I can only expect to get better as long as I'm diligent.

Now I start anew.
This Sketchbook will be my mirror, a reflection on my studies and progression as a selftaught illustrator.

[NicoRaven]

Test Load This is all Anatomy Studies. All credit goes to Christopher Hart author and illustrator of "How to Draw Cutting Edge Comics" also some pen work

Hope they show well

[ArtZealot]

It's good to see you're doin anatomy studies. The face in the upper left of the drawing you just posted looks a little anime-ish. Probably somethin you'd wanna stay away from. I'm not sure but it looks like you have one of Andrew Loomis' books, if not, google Andrew Loomis, he's a good place for getting into anatomy and i think there's a website where you can download the PDF's. I got into those books about a year ago and they've been helpin me out alot. welcome to the forums.

[NicoRaven]

Thanks for the warm welcome. No this is not Loomis or Bridgman it's a book called " How to draw Cutting Edge Comics " mostly by Christopher Hart. I definitely checkout your sketchbook. I've heard about Loomis while lurking here but never studied him ,well looks like i'll follow your suggestion ArtZealot. i need plenty of help.

Here is some more anatomy studies ( uped the sharpness to show better)

[NicoRaven]

For now I wont be posting too many blurred hand drawn sketches I'll post a digital work. I did a week or so ago. It is not a speed paint but my best effort so far playing with basic Paint.

[NicoRaven]

This is some of my earlier work (last month) with colored pencil.

apple sketch, bambi 2 ref/direct copy, bowling perspct, crecent image

[NicoRaven]

These are a few of the others I did last month. After lurking and reading in the forum I decide to take a vacation from colors for a while and work with pen and pencil only to try to get a better grasp of anatomy texture and just feel.

Anyway here are some more pencils and pens.

[NicoRaven]

Did you say more? No but here it is anyway. I hope your eyes forgive me. and if the proportions are wrong just pretend it's a demon and leave an ass pat K. No really be objective.

So far this is little more than a coloring book. Assorted little nicnacs.

[NicoRaven]

I got a real sketchbook from Walmart yesterday so no more poorly render images also means so more excuses. Also, I picked up a 72 pack of colored pencils yesterday. All the work thus far was with only about ten colors.

[MaeAshley]

Keep drawing! Especially from life. You'll improve tremendously if you draw from life and photo references.

[NicoRaven]

I think I'll FINALLY be able yo take that big dump I've been wanting to. I think it's going to feel great to get all OUT.

Here comes the schezit

first Anatomy uhhhhhuyyuhhuyhuuuuuuuhh!!!!!!!

[NicoRaven]

WAIT WAIT yeah there's mmuhhuhoOOoREEE............ Anatomy Male

[NicoRaven]

And a bit more............ Drawing Comics is an interesting profession but I wasn't thinking of becoming a comic book illustrator or editor/artist.

I want to know whether or not learning intially to draw comics will hurt my future drawing from life and in concept since concept art is all about natural "looking" unreal or innovative characther and enviroment designs.

What do you think? Will drawing comics intially hurt my development.

[NicoRaven]

Damn I suck!! I mean I scan thru like five sketchbooks and people five years younger are five year ahead of me. I hate it but I just have to draw more than them to catch up. 23 aint terrible. But since this is not a diary but a sketchbook here is my best and worst ACTUAL no reference drawing made from scratch.....

[NicoRaven]

Here some more from very recently. There very bad in my opinion some before I learned anatomy, perspective and such but bare with me. I'll try to reward your patience some day not soon but some day....

[NicoRaven]

Here is a small update from to today. I've discovered 3d Shapes!

[Miro]

for colouring, like in post #9, you can use coloured chalk that they use to write on blackboards at school and scrape it with something so you get powder
and you can use the colours on your drawing and rub 'em softly with your fingers so they'll spread out
try this on a piece of paper before using it on a real drawing
believe me, it's a lot quicker than using crayons

keep posting

[NicoRaven]

here is a Muscle Study I did Today really had to put time into it. Drawing and anatomy is a piecemeal one muscle at a time.

Edit: Here are some reference work I've been doing outside of Comic Book Anatomy

[NicoRaven]

Thanks Miro for commenting here I saw your sketchbook. I think you pretty cool at 16-17 to be drawing at that level.

This will most likely be the last update for today.

[NicoRaven]

Here are some more reference male anatomy work I'm quite proud of.

Ps. need help with making the link work to my sketchbooks. TY

[MaeAshley]

Keep up with the anatomy! I'm seeing improvement already.

For your sb link, replace the words "link" with "URL." That should make it work.

[Wake101]

Great to see ya started a sketchbook. For only a month you've already demonstrated exelent improvement and dedication. Most people draw here and there before they really get into it seriously. If you work hard everyday you'll get to where you want to be.

my suggestion is to try drawing some things from life. Just find random objects and sit there, and examine the object drawing it as closesly as you can. This will help you develope a better eye for how things look and will help you to truly understand all your studies that you do.

It also helps to buy alot of books on drawing. Try to avoid the simple "how to draw like a master" books and buy the books that really go deep and explain how drawing works, and the things you should understand. The online Loomis books are really good too. You can download them for free, and they really help. Just google Loomis for more info on them.

keep going dude, your going to be really good soon.

[NicoRaven]

Bad News: Small update sorry. Good News Writing a Comic Called "Spy Crisis"

First a reffed male profile then no ref pose study.

[NicoRaven]

I'm going to rework the basics Ron Lemon Style!

[sickelsick]

its a good thing u practice a lot of studies instead of jumping right into a big project. i see u keep saying "no ref" like its a badge of honor. i think its more honarable when u use a ref. because it helps WAY more than not using one. it might feel good to show how much u know without using a ref, but when u use a ref it shows how much you LEARNED. thats more interesting and honerable. u know?

since u just started drawing (u said that right?) u should use a LOT of refs. a good book to study anatomy is by Burne Hogarth called "dynamic anatomy" look for it. its what im using right now.

[NicoRaven]

I haven't been lazy drawing just posting

sickelsick thanks for gracing my uber boring sketchbook. Saying "no ref" was just that me internalizing a technique then using it. I was showing on paper My ~ for lack of a better word "glee". It's just the newbieness in me.

Special thanks to Wake101 for the encouragement I read it over and over.

Whatever, here is more of the same.............

[NicoRaven]

Here is the ref from that quicky. It is also my goal!

and more of the same...............

[NicoRaven]

Here is the last bit for tonight..........

Sorry for the barely justified "bumps" but they didn't fit.

[asoir]

Great ethic, keep at it baby!

[NicoRaven]

Here more of my female form studies. From Chris Hart Series

THanks bunches Asoire for the ass pat. I dont want to disaappoint