New SB, New Start

[costas]

Hi guys,
I'm 16 and I've just started drawing... I had an SB but didn't have much success... So as I bought a new sketchbook, I thought I could have a new SB here in CA and so here it is... these are some sketches I did the last 3 days... any critics or comments welcomed...

[Envisor]

Nice start to a new SB. All I can say is to take more time on your pieces. Try to use more confident strokes, or more flow into your lines. Keep it up.

[costas]

hey Envisor thnx for the comments... here's some other sketches I did yesterday...

[costas]

oh and here's a page of my sketchbook with some nonsense I did yesterday night.. they are really quick sketches...

[Noë]

Hey Costas,

I think what you should do with your drawings right now is just practice practice practice, get some nice references and draw them, watch proportions a LOT (for example, the eyes look like they're too high on the head), download Loomis books, there are nice tips and formulas about proportion in there.
Watch your lines, try more to make one singular line instead of a lot of small feathered ones. Also it's okay to use some more contrast, get some dark tones in the shadows, they can really help an image get further.

Well ofcourse there's a lot more to say, but since I didn't see so much from your sketchbook so far, I think I'll just leave it at this.
If you want to see lots of good criticism that has helped (and is still helping) me out through my process of improving and drawing alot, check out the crits I've been given in my sketchbook. I think some things that have been said on page one can really apply to your work as well.

Oh, one more ting, try to draw other things than heads as well. ^^
Good luck and keep updating!
Don't lose interest when people don't respond too often, just remember you're doing this for yourself

love,
Marleen

[costas]

hey Noe thanks for replying and thanks for your interest.... well I'll try to draw more... well as for the head-only thing... I like drawing heads... well here's some other sketches I've just finished (they're just some stickfigures)...

[costas]

two more stickfigures.... (just finished)

[Noë]

Heya I'm back ^^
Watch the proportions of the stick figures.. The legs are way too short (unless you tried to draw kids), and they look like they're bent very weirdly.
If you want to do more stick figures I advice you to use reference while drawing them.
I found a nice post of some images you can use for drawing stick figures, link.
When you draw from these images, try to get the main pose down, and then watch the proportions, measure for example how long a leg is compared to a head, or whatever, just what works for you

Oh and eh just a question: what do you want to do with drawing, because if you're drawing just for the fun of it and don't want to become like a pro or whatever, then nevermind what I said about drawing other things than heads, just draw what you want then, but if you want to improve and do something with drawing then you really need to draw a variety of objects and stuffs

Hope I helped.

Love
Marleen

[costas]

hey Marleen... thanks again for answering... well I'm drawing just for fun (remember I'm 16) and in the future I don't wanna do something with drawing other than ... you know have a hobby... BUT I do want to get better so I'm not gonna just draw heads... hey thanks again for answering... and thanks for the link....

[costas]

well here's my first character made starting from a stickfigure... it's a really quick sketch (I mean it only took me 10 to 20 minutes)... hope it's a good start in drawing characters from stickfigures... oh and by the way he's a kid....

[costas]

here's again the same character but a little bit changed (basically I only drew a basic head)....

[costas]

well here's another character started from a stickfigure.... hope it's better than the previous... it's not yet finished but I thought it would a good idea to post it...

[costas]

well I continued my 2nd character a little more.... here it is...... hope you like it... plz crit it... (oh and i'll try to get a better picture tomorrow...)

[costas]

here's the better picture I promised .... and please give me a crit... or comment...

[costas]

some shading practice....

[costas]

and two sketches with which I was trying to find out how to draw clothes... (oh these are made by using as reference two sketches of someone in this forum ... I don't remember who but i thank him)

[costas]

and another shade practicing sketch.....

[costas]

a bottle I made (also using as reference a sketch of someone in this forum)...

[costas]

well I've finished (almost) my 2nd character.... hope you like it...

[costas]

here's a better photo of this character....

[Noë]

hey you've done quite much these last few days ^^
First of all: I saw that you post like 4 post with one image in one day, maybe it's nicer to just wait and at the end of each day just update everthing in one post ^^.

Second: I saw your previous sketchthread didn't start a long time ago, so you've only been drawing for a very short while, I might've been too harsh on you with my criticism.. Please forgive me if that's the case

On these characters the legs are too short. I usually use the following rule for leg length: from head to crotch is the same length as from crotch to bottom of feet. So you just draw a line, divide it in half and then you start drawing. Upper half is upper body (from crotch) and lower half is legs and stuff.
Also I usually use: the length of the entire body is 8 heads; from chin to nipples one head, from nipples to navel one head, from navel to crotch one head too. Rest is for legs (knees are in between the 2nd and 3rd head from crotch.

About the characters themselves: proportions of shoulders and stuff looks quite okay, but watch those heads do some loomis head studies, I'm sure they will help a lot.

I really like the progress here, you've definately learned some stuff when looking at first post in previous sketchbook an last post here.
Maybe it's an idea to make some linedrawings from reference of humans, no need to shade everything, just try to get those proportions down right.

love
Marleen

[costas]

hey Marleen... thnx for answering once again... no, your critisism was just great... thnx for the crits and for your comments... i'll be posting some more the next few days...

[kingkostas]

Hey costas the sure thing is that you have upgrade your drawing skills
Now the next step you have to accomplish to upgrade your skills more, is to study anatomy (for example i will say about the last character) look his shoulders . See how your head is connected with your shoulders and you will understand where is the mistake. The character have a lot of anatomy problems, but that don't means that you can't fix it. Just study anatomy and hmmm well i saw a fold study you made there and i liked it . Try to use it when you draw clothings. In one of the first pictures i saw a bad open mouth, try to fix that a little

That was a critic to make you work harder. Just be sure that you go in the right way.

WORKKKKKKKKKKKKK=UPGRADEEEEEEEE!!!
keep up the good work & see ya

[costas]

hey kosta.... thanks for replying and for your comments.... i'll study anatomy... thnx for mentioning it... well i'll be posting some more... oh and do you have any tutorials or any book to suggest for human anatomy..... thnx again and see ya....

[Dile_]

hehe,, a tip is to actually use the critic you get! marleen did a great job
pointing stuff out!

You are doing the very right things to improve what i can see... Studies and experiments! I especially like the clothes drawing, nice!
Overall i suggest working on your anatomy! Get some anatomy book.. loomis / hogarth/ bridgman , those are pretty popular, and they cover the basics, and a lot of advanced stuff also
Except for that , just keep it up, but don't forget to listen
to tips/critique that is given to you!

-Dile

[costas]

hey Dile_, thnx for replying and for your comments... well here's some sketches i did today.... it's two really fast skecthes...they took me about 15 to 20 mins...

[costas]

here's two portraits i did today.... the first one is a portrait of a really ugly man (from my head - inspired by a character made by someone in this forum) and the second is a portrait of an elf (oh ignore the neck of this character - is awful I know - i'll fix it anyway)... it's more a sketch i did for learning how to draw hair..... so take a look and plz crit....

[Reika]

Hi there. I'm here to tell you some very important things, and ask you a very important question. Do you want to take art further? If you want to become one of them good artists, then draw draw and draw. I think you're very hard working, you have posted quite a big bunch here. Most of the studies you make are meant to help you understand why you trace this line and place that shadow and create this form and give it this flow. My advice, for your growth, is to draw from life a lot. Draw everything and anything, but leave the drawing from head for later, once you understand how everything fits in the scene and how everything works, then you can try applying those aspects to drawing from imagination.

Again, Life!
Looking forward to seeing your progress.
-the Reika

[costas]

hey Reika... thnx for your comments and interest... here's my answer... I certainly love to draw and that's why I'm drawing... BUT I'm not gonna to take art any further meaning that I'm not gonna become an artist... but I think it's obvious that I want to get better.... so I'll draw and draw as much as I can.... thnx again and have a nice day... oh and sorry for not posting today but it was a hard one... school is beginning again tomorrow (no more vacations )... so I had to do my h/w... see ya...

[GriNGo]

Hi costas, thanks for passing by my sketchbook Nice stuff, and as most people said, try practicing a lot. I just want to ask, where do you study? Are you in college yet?

later!
GriNGoLoCo