danlambert's sketches - 22nd August

[elgirafe]

Hey, great studies man, keep it up!

I think you could "let go" a little bit more, to bring more life and depth into your pencil pieces. Varying line weight and stroke speed, crosshatching, fading edges, you know, all that.

Yeah, I have def. seen robogabo's work and it just blows me away, very inspiring.

[Black Spot]

Nice update. The street people are looking good with life. Do your eye studies in pairs at all times, you'll get the distance and direction better.

[SMILEFACE]

WOW yer UNREAL GIVE ME YER MAGIC ALL YER MAGIC AN WHAT EVER MONEY YOU HAVE ER MAYBE ENOUGHF FER THE BUS ER JUST KEEP UPDATING MAOR!!!!!!

[SaintLConcept]

Sweeeeeetttttttt , nice sketches and paintings^^

[jigje]

Woah, sweet update dan, I reckon the drought has broken, thank goodness for your friends camera. Awesome faces as usual. If you post threats of violence in my thread again i"ll be contacting a moderator.

[danlambert]

elgirafe - Thanks, funnily enough I nearly always go into a drawing intending to do those things, it just never seems to end up that way. I shall try harder for sure!

Black Spot - I'm really enjoying the street drawing stuff, helps me loosen up a bit. Thanks for dropping the knowledge again, it really helps.

Art4All - Thanks man


Spect! - You have returned to us! I think the one with the magic is clearly you sir. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have no idea how you do what you do but it's fucking sweet!

jigje - There was never a drought, just no cups to hold the water. I'll post violence where ever I please thank you very much, if you tell on me I'll get my big brother on you!


Uni studio is open again, so I can get to the trusty A3 scanner again! Which means I should be able to do some more digital stuff (I hate drawing with a tablet so I haven't really done any illustration stuff recently).
Been kicking myself up the ass recently about figuring out what I want to be doing and where I want to be going, and I know for a fact that it will involve colour. So now I can get to a scanner again and with uni starting back up soon there should be a whole lot more of it in my work. I really want to get back in to chalk pastels and oils but I just can't afford them right now so it will be all digital for the time being.
Also still having a lot of trouble with faces, especially children and female faces, I always try to put too many lines in and it just doesn't work that way. Did a bit of soul and internet searching last night (thank god for 24hr libraries!) and came across a few people that have given me a bit of inspiration so I'm hoping I can get my head around it soon. BUt anyway, that's a whole lot of text so yeah, art stuff.

Mostly portraits this time, A few are self portraits (I'm the guy with the crooked nose) all of which are from LIFE! I've been working almost exclusively from life recently and I'm really enjoying it, especially for portraits. They are mostly unfinished, mostly because of time with the model, or failed likeness. One I had to stop because I'd been sat in the same position for 3 hours and my back was crying. But enough of the excuses. Other stuff is whatever I found on my desk at the time when I was leaving, and I warn you, it's not pretty.


Oh! and I'm currently frantically saving to go to the CA workshop in Belrin this year, so hopefully see some of you guys there.

Peace!

[Nicky S]

Hey man, nice update, I like the hand studies and your portraits a lot. Glad to hear you can finally start using color once again in your work, I'm looking forward to seeing it.

I'm hoping that the CA workshop in Berlin takes place in a period in which I can go to the workshop, 'cause my teachers won't be pleased if I don't show up in their classes.

Keep it up man!

[jigje]

Bloody hell Dan, its just getting better and better. That 2nd shot, the extending away hand and the last sp are standouts. Sounds like you're really putting in, not just drawing but researching and all. Go for it man, the results are showing.

[Black Spot]

You're really getting to grips with the shading and it's looking great.

[tdHendrix]

You're really good at rendering fur and hair and I like your figure drawings. Nothing to critique really. You seem to know what you're doing

[Sunseaker]

Gosh, those last portraits are swish, you seem to know what you are doing in regards to shading and working from life. Not much to critque I'm afraid! Oh, but btw, shoot me if I turn, ok? It is up to you! You can even borrow my rifle, just make it quick!

[pantless_wanderer]

Some amazing pencil rendering work in here, and the photoshop painting skills are really nice too. Only a few of your imagination figures seems to have some anatomy problems here and there (they're a little stiff sometimes), but for the most part this stuff ranges from good to amazing.

[Vatsel]

Great pencils!
I wish I could give you something more constructive that though...
Good to have you on board.

[Muz]

welcome to the ssg .

Man lots of really nice technical studies, and all are heading in the right direction. . Though i must say that there is a distinct lack of any creative work though! its all studies, there is nothing that shows off design and nothing that shows off character and personality.
Do some character designs, dont be afraid to do some stupid little doodles, ect.

Anyways man good to have you on board , perhaps you can help me with my never ending stuggle with faces.

[Izer]

Some very nice studies and tradish renders, have to agree with muz above me here that you should try to beak out a bit.

[JailHouseRock2]

Dan mate, awesome drawings! Great portraits man, your renderings gotten heaps better!

Cool stuff man, keep it up and thanks for stopping by my thread!
matt

[llex_paul]

those portraits are well rendered, i like that! to contrast i would work if i were you.

[R&F]

Thanks for visiting my sketchbook, I really appreciate when people with your skills show interest in my little book. The lines and rendering are really good. I think you should focus on drawing from imagination because your reference work is really solid, and what is more important it seems that you are able to achieve more or less the same effect when drawing form imagination so I think what's left is to let it run free, imagination that is

[danlambert]

Nicky S - Thanks man, I'm excited as well. I think the workshop is one of those things where it's worth taking the time off. My tutors won't like that I'm taking the time either but I'll be damned if I'm going on miss out just because of a few classes.

jigje - Flattery will get you everywhere my friend ha. But yeah I don't see the point in putting in all this work if I'm working towards anything other than just getting better. I certainly feel less lost now I've narrowed down where I want to be.

Black Spot - Thanks, I'm trying

tdHendrix - haha, I have no idea what I'm doing really. But thanks! and good to be on board, feel free to not pick anything and everything!

Sunseaker - Thanks, swish is such an awesome word, and not used nearly enough. I'll know if you get there when all of a sudden the hair over your characters faces becomes transparent and all your figures become gender neutral. Then I shall rain down like an angry god and smite thee! Or something along those lines

pantless wanderer - (awesome name by the way) tHERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF ISSUES WITH MY IMAGINATION STUFF (stupid caps lock), but I shall overcome them hopefully with time. Thanks a lot man

brewin - Thanks dude, good to be on board. Be as honest and nit picky as you can be, I'm ready for anything any everything, this is going to be an important year for me (final year at uni) so any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Muz - Howdy! Honestly there is a lot more imagination stuff than what I post in here, but I don't post it all because it looks like ass most of the time. Although I definitely do need to spend more time on it. Ha, I'm the last person you want help from with faces man, I'm usually pretty lost without some kind of ref. I'll try though

Izer - I'm on it!

JailHouseRock2 - Thanks man.

llex paul - Thanks man, I'll work on it for sure

R&F - Thanks, No problem at all man. Imagination work is something that I know I need to work on, keep saying I'm going to work on, then never really get around to doing as much as I should. It will be done though, if I don't I'm just going to stagnate!

Thanks again everyone


Right then, here's what I've been working on the last few days. I know and you know I need to work on stuff from my head more, and also with colour, so I've been working on an illustration based on a little doddle I did. I spent a long time getting the poses right and the faces as good as I could without using any references. More as a little test to see how much I'd learnt than anything else. I even made sure I drew the naked figured first before I clothed them. (what this did teach me was I need to work on drapery) I used a photo of a random girls face to adjust the placement of features on the girls face slighty, but there was NO copying.
With the colours I'm going for a night scene with a yellow/orange light coming from the open window on the balcony she was just lept/flown from. I'm pretty happy with the colours so far, my main issue is with her face (which is why the colour image is a close up). I've tried and tweaked all that I can but I need outsider help. The face just doesn't look right at all and it's really starting to bug me. So yeah, PLEASE HELP!!!

The shoulder/back area is flat as I havn't really worked on much else as I got sucked into her face (bad idea I know). Also I'm aware that his hand is too big.

I've actually already started working on my next illustration so expect more soon. I might have a go at Painter for than one.

END WALL OF TEXT


ps. HELP PLEASE! ha

Peace
Dan

[Peetaer]

The old man in post 173 is friggin stellar. You kept it simple and thats why it's so strong

[Vatsel]

Good stuff mate! face looks good and the hues are great.

Suggestions:
A brighter highlight in her eyes
experiment with some custom brushes (if you didnt already) this guy's brushes are a very good start


And thanks for the awesome comments in the sketchbooks, I've learned something from each one of em

[kikindaface]

Nice studies dude ! I would like to see the last illustration colored, not only the girl's face ! i like the little red hue on the nose ! Anyway, keep it up ;p

[Villa]

Definetly on the right track here. great studies. thnx for sharing.

[Ghostbrush]

yo Dan

on that girls face, the shadow underneath her right eye, the one extending from the socket to the nose, while it might be correctly placed, is waaaay to dark in value, lighten it up/make it very subtle, might help with the issue ur having with it.
Also try rendering out her ear and hair some more, they are still "flat" which is prob making it look odd cos her face reads well as a form ya know, cos its pretty sweet face man

looking good in here mate, keep those studies coming!

say hey to the stockport oldies for me haha

still gonna be a lil while tilll i post my stuff, but boy do i have an update!!

All the best mate

Alex

[SMILEFACE]

CANT WAIT FER THIS NEW ILLO an MAN YOU TRULY ARE ON SOME NEXT LEVEL PENCIL WORK NO JOKE THE WAY YOUR LINES ARE FREE AN ORGANIZED IS FREAK'N EPIC!!!!! I HOPE YOU DUN REALIZE HOW GOOD YOU ARE SO YOU KEEP PUSHING YOURSELF AS HARD AS YOU DO

[RBeek]

heya man.. i went trough the sketchbook..
And damn You really know how to keep yourself busy!
Awsome improvement and looks like ur not slowing down!
So please keep up this pace and keep sharing!

On the last piece id have to say that i like it very much.
The way you use alot of different colors in the face makes it look fantas/y/tic!
I love it!
So keep it up man!

[Nicky S]

Nice update, I'm looking forward to see you taking it further, one thing that might help is the way the boy is holding her, if he is pulling her up to fly away with her, his arm that is carrying her weight should be more vertical (or he has some really beefcake musclepower in his arms ) This way, it will be more convincing that he's carrying her, but there's also the possibility that she can fly aswell, if so, just ignore the ranting.

Keep it up!

[Sunseaker]

Ah, nice work! As for her face, lovely colours, I will try and help, but I'm no hot shot with people myself. But here goes! Her jawline looks rather long, as in, the neck should perhaps be a little softer? If that makes ANY sense, annnnd her iris look to be different colours, maybe lighten up the far eye? Thats the only possible things I can pick up on. Amazing stuff at any rate!

[FranciscoShreds]

awesome man... Love your faces they are top notch.

[danlambert]

Peetaer - Thanks, it's weird, I've gooten quite a few compliments on that sketch, and I probably spent less time on it than anything else in this sketchbook!?

brewin - Thanks man, There probably should be a brighter highlight on the eye, but those are touches to save till last, delaying the gratification makes it that must better at the end!

Walid D - Thanks dude, the rest is blocked in, but I posted up a close up as that was the area I had worked on the most, too much probably!

Villa - Your welcome!

Ghostbrush - Alex! We on the internet have missed you! Thanks a lot man, I'll definately tweak it, and your probably right about the ears and hair. The hair especially I suspect is a big part of the problem.
The oldies have a new young buck now, your old news ha.
I should think so. It really is rude to hoard all of your drawings, didn't your mother ever teach you to share?
Peace!

Spect - I really don't know what to say to that, probably the biggest compliment I've ever gotten. You know your the man Spect!

rogerb - Thanks, glad you like it man, and even more glad your seeing some progression. That's the main goal! I don't intend on slowing down, so yeah, watch this space I guess!

Nicky S - I was a bit worried about that, in my original sketch his arm was vertical, but I didn't like that it looked like he was pulling her. I wanted it to be more like she could fly because she was holding his hand (I'm aware of how corny/lame that may be aha, but I've come to terms with it!)

Sunseaker - muchos gracias, I'm not really sure what you mean about the jawline, but I'll noddle on it for a bit and hopefully fix what your seeing! I'll work on the eyes some more too, thanks!

FranciscoShreds - ha, I usually hate them so thanks, that really means a lot!


I have been focussing less on the studies, and more on the personal work last few days, and I have made some most wonderous discoveries!
Well...not really, but I have figured out that just sitting down and trying to draw something will end in failure 90% of the time for me. But, if I think for a bit, scribble out a little thumbnail or gesture, then draw from/develop that; it seems to work much better for me.
So yeah here's the updates. Not sure how the attatchment thing will arange them, but in no particular order we got:

-Rough linework/composition for my next illustration practise image thing. Idea came from a big spider that ran across my floor the other day. I spent today working on the face and refining stuff a bit more but forgot to save it so only the rough one for now.

- Next did a quick block in of colours to try and figure out where I want to go with it. I'm thinking bright, cool desaturated light, with deep warm shadows. I wanted to keep the boy in the shadows to emphasise that he is hiding. Tried to keep the brightest areas away from him so that you don't notice him initially/he's not the main focus; but used a red for his shirt so that your eye is drawn to him after the inital draw of the bright light behind the spider.
I'm thinking I need to reduce the yellowy greeness of the light a bit. hmmmm? Any thoughts? I'm also thinking of making the area that the boy is in even darker to really push him back, maybe have some more twig tree branch things in the extreme foreground as well?

-Quick update on the other illustration, refined the boy a bit more, but haven't gotten to working opaquely yet, have left her face for the last few days so I can come back to it with fresh when I've brought up the rest of the image.

So yeah, any ideas or crits or suggestions or even mindless ranting if you so wish will as always be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again guys,

Peace
Dan