JJacks Sketchbook - 11.27.12

[JJacks]

Hello everyone. I've been lurking here for a while too afraid to post but temporarily I have the courage to do so.

I mainly just draw because I feel like it but I also make some cash here and there.

[JJacks]

Sketchbook pages






Reference from http://watchstock.deviantart.com/










Thank your for looking.

[JJacks]

I'm trying not to waste so much space in my sketchbook.
Sketchbook pages






An unfinished drawing. I thought the whole thing was too stale to finish but I liked some parts. Cropped.


A Photoshop doodle from my imagination. I didn't intend to not draw a hand and now that bugs me. Oh well.


A still life. Needs more contrast.

[Dan Valkar]

really interesting stuff....ur figures look good....keep it up!!

[Kalim]

Hi! Thanks for the comment in my sketchbook! You have some nice pieces... the faces look nice. My favourite drawing is the bird, thats awesome.

do you know Andrew Loomis's books? they helped me alot in my drawing of fgure and face. Try to google it there would me some results.

[JJacks]

Thank you both for stopping by. Kalim, I have looked at the Loomis books and I read them from time to time. I've been trying to read them more often in order to improve a bit.

I'm trying to update this weekly but I didn't do much last week. Hopefully this week will be more productive.

Random sketch


I completely gave up on these two drawings. This is why I need to sketch more. I don't even see the point of working on a portfolio right now when I draw so badly.

[Dahami]

I like your stuff more than Vincent Van Gogh's.

[JJacks]

Hah, thanks I guess. :b

My sketches have been really bad lately. So I don't have much to show. :0



Messing with ink.




A hasty and thus poor Bouguereau copy. BUT am proud of the colors because I am very bad at painting Caucasian people. :/


I might fix some nagging things and color this.

[vardoburrito]

"I might fix some nagging things and color this."
-Flip the canvas. I think her neck needs to be centred a bit more. Relative to the perspective of course.
-I love the paintings too. 050109 - could use a horizontal flip or use a mirror.

I envy the studies.

[JJacks]

Thank you. I didn't notice that about her neck even when I flipped it before so thanks for pointing that out.

[Eugie]

It's great that you're working in all these different mediums, I am not one to say this but lets see some more dudes.

[dierat]

Hey there, great sketchbook so far Your work tends to have a lot of movement for which I'm rather envious. I particularly like: your thread thumbnail, the 3rd image in post #2, and the 4th and 5th images in post #3.

For a crit, there are a few figures that you've posted that have some awkward proportions and I can't figure out if they are intentional or by accident. Particularly in the 2nd and 5th images in post #2, and the 1st and last images in post #8. So my suggestion is that you work more full-length figures from refs or anatomy books and place special attention on the length of the torso in comparison to the rest of the body.

Keep up the good work !

[Kagemusha22]

Beautiful work, the figure studies go between accurate to being slightly awkward. Though some illustrators use that awkwardness to their advantage. (Though that depends on what kind of illustrator you want to be, if it's to be a Conceptartist then it might be worth visiting this site)

BUT am proud of the colors because I am very bad at painting Caucasian people.

Well you've done a bloody good job of it in that study. Trick is to examine closely the variety of colours in the skin are placed on the face (slight reds around the nose and cheeks, blues and greens along with browns in the shades, etc), but why am I telling you this that painting shows that you know.

[JJacks]

Eugie - Hey, I draw guys haha.
dierate - Thanks for the in-depth comment and for the critique. I drew a lot of these figures from my imagination and that's why they look strange. Sometimes I intend for them to look strange but the last girl I posted was supposed to look pretty normal. I've been trying to work on constructing figures from imagination but I will go back to referencing them in my next round of sketches.
kagemusha22 - Thank you for the links. I am not sure what kind of artist I want to be actually. I like weird looking art but I admit I need more control through proper study.

I've been so busy with non-art stuff that I don't have a lot to show today. But I figured it was time for an update.


I am so bad at perspective but I try.



Painting is making me more ill than usual so I have to stop now.

WIP. Cross posted in the critique section.

[Reject-D]

keep workin! seein improvement, dont give up!

[DanielC]

oh hey ! another arizonian ! Cool stuff, keep up the studies... and yes, girls are fine !

[kelly x]

Hi JJacks! Just thought I would pop over an see you. Nice studies here, I think you need to focus on some more anatomy work also, you have a great mind and some very interesting works coming together here, your colors rock and just keep working, seems like your getting there very fast!! Good job and hi. I love the bird, master copy and the sketch of the kid punching... Nice!!

[dierat]

Hey again, great work on your latest still-life. I really enjoy the colors happening in your lemon. The values seem a bit stuck in the middle range to me though (aside from the white highlights and dark background). I think it would be beneficial to work in some monochromatic or greyscale studies into your work routine as well to keep up your tonal skills. Keep posting, I'll be waiting ^^

[kikindaface]

hey JJacks ! you have really good skills ! the only thing i can say is to keep it up ! take care !

[Bill]

I don't know the story on that bird but it looks very cool. Nice start here, keep goin'.

[JailHouseRock2]

Hay there beautiful

Really cool little book you have here, nice work!

Loads of life in your sketches, heaps of character Great work with the still life's too, I get bored and never finish mine, but yours look good.

And congrats on the Bouguereau study! You may not like it, but I think its great! Good work all round, your pretty good at drawing the figure, but some of your faces look a little off, maybe something to pratice?

keep it up,
matt

[JJacks]

Wow, I didn't think this thread had gotten so many replies. :0 You all are really sweet for stopping by and giving me encouragement.

Reject-D - Thank you. I don't plan on giving up any time soon.
DanielC - Thanks. btw, your PM box is full. :0
kelly x - Thank you. I'm trying to work a bit harder on my anatomy.
dierat - Yup, I agree with you. Thanks for the advice. I will work on value drawings as well.
Walid D - Thanks a lot for the encouragement.
Bill - There's no story. I just like playing around. Thank you.
JailHouseRock2 - *blushes* Hi. I used to really get bored with still lifes but these days, I need a break from drawing people once in a while. I'll keep working on my faces. Thanks.

From imagination. I know it must be really off but it is really representative of how I felt that day. So that's why I kinda like it.

Pencil sketch painted over in Photoshop. I gathered a number of references and tried to construct a unique face.

Practice. Need to photograph some nice hand shots so I can study them. Or have my boyfriend sit still.

More practice. The top left was drawn from memory to warm up.

I tried to take what I learned and apply it in a speedpaint. 20 minutes.


Hopefully I will have a decent environment to post next time. For now it's time to do the dishes.

[JohanneLight]

I tried to take what I learned and apply it in a speedpaint. 20 minutes.

I love this. I like the colors and the pose, it's so surreal and dramatic.

[dierat]

Noooooooo not the dishes!!1 >:0

Great update, I really like the softness of your last image. It feels almost watercolory. I also really appreciate that although the image is fairly soft, you have a good balance of hard edges to describe the form.

For your 2nd image, the portrait, I think the facial features themselves are looking really good but you may have made the face a little too large for her head (or the head too small for her face). On the left side of the face (our left, not hers) the space between her eye and the outer edge is really small but the other side looks about right, and the jawline could also be brought out just a smidge. The other thing I noticed is her pupils are both facing outward, as if she has a lazy eye.

Your anatomy sketches are looking great, I especially enjoy the hands Keep up the good work!

[JJacks]

Thank you. I knew something about her face was odd (other than the lazy eye haha). I will be careful with that in the future. Thanks for pointing it out.

[danlambert]

Great stuff, I love how much your experimenting with media and styles. That still life with the cup and apple is particularly great.
The stuff from memory is pretty damn impressive as well. Maybe you could try doing a few full scenes, or incorporating a few of your figures together or place them in an environment.
Keep at it.
Peace!

[Eugie]

Haha I was just busting your chops, besides I draw women way more than guys too. PS that speedy is awesome.

[Muscari]

in your latest update, in the fourth image, the figure you did from your mind has a dislocated shoulder xD

i rather like the redhead at the beggining, nice flow and face. the topless girl you did is also looking great, specially for a speedpaint. the bird's my favorite, though i wish the legs weren't so straight, since it messes with the flow that the rest of the imate has.

maybe you should do some more in-depth real life studies. they've helped quite a bit with proportions in general when i do things from the mind.

keep it up

[JJacks]

Hey guys, not so much to update with this time because I have to finish a commission and times are kinda crappy. I'm trying not to let life get my new-found inspiration in art down.

danlambert - Thank you for the advice. I'll do my best!

Eugie Ha, it's ok. Thank you.

Just one page from my sketchbook this time. Bad Jessica.


Sketch for a painting. There is more space at the bottom that the scanner ate. I'm painting it now. :0


Went back to quickly fix it. I didn't want to refine it, just try out the advice that dierat gave me. I think her nose is narrow though. Oh well. :b


Practice with profiles. Thanks to everyone who helped in the crit forums. Reference from Lockstock

[arttorney]

I like the van Gogh looking trees in post 8 and the horse is interesting. On the horse it is kind of like there are only two values, that of the front and that of the back legs, hooves, mane and tail. If you added in a couple of levels (one lighter and one darker) in that front part it would have helped you show the three dimensional shape of the muscles. The pattern of the striations is very interesting as it is though.