Kode's Sketchbook

[Kode]

@Dayle Thanks alot! The whole face scares me at the moment... but I'll be having a go for sure.

Here's a few pages on noses. Next up is joining them all together.

[Kode]

Last few months have been pretty hectic, which explains the lack of updates. Hopefully I should be back on track again now. I started with some warm up sketches of the nose and mouth area, using the books as reference.

I then tried to pick up where I left off a few months back and draw my facial features all in one go, sadly it failed either because I'm slighty out of practice or I move way to much for me to draw!

In anger I grabbed two images off the web of some famous people and drawn them. I think the end results are okay, much better than any of my previous faces (even if they don't look exactly like the people they should ). I definitely stretched one of the faces by accident.

[Kode]

Watched the TAD Anatomy class over the weekend with Marshall Vandruff, probably the best art lesson I've ever had. During this he also went through a technique of drawing heads that isnt in my Bridgman books and I've really took a liking to it. (Having Marshall explain it helps a lot too)

These few pages are the results.

Learning the rest of the body should hopefully be quicker now too with the TAD class behind me!

[Kode]

Some of the lastest drawings I've done in my spare time, trying to pin down the likeness of the faces.

[Kode]

Began learning the torso too, not going to post everything I've done on it over the last few months but here are the latest.

[Kode]

Getting a bit more comfortable with drawing both the head and torso now, decided to render them out a bit more. Once I got into it I think the extra time I put into them really payed off.

[Kode]

Been studying the arm lately. At first I thought it would be fairly easy but the whole twisting of the forearm really made it difficult. Not going to post the studies as it is mostly just stuff from Loomis and Bridgman.

Also more faces!

[Kode]

Torsos now with arms! The hip areas look a little funky on some, luckily that's the next area I'm going to study. Also decided to dial back the heads to just construction, I really want to get that bit perfect before I move onto adding value etc.

C&C always welcome!

[Kode]

More of the same really. My torsos seem to be moving forward slowly, while my faces/heads seem stuck in limbo.

[Lulie]

No way man, your faces are improving a lot! I'm eager to see how you find the measuring technique with them. Avoid using it as a crutch if you can, but definitely use it to learn.

Given you've been drawing some expressions lately, and you're learning to draw the face in general, I recommend checking out the Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression by Gary Faigin. It goes into awesome detail about the eye (very subtle things can change the expression of the eye, but in a reliable way that's the same for everyone), obviously a lot on facial muscles and which are activated for which facial expression, and its own way of constructing heads (which I had a play with last year here, and found useful). Really I'm not sure why this book isn't recommended more often in these forums. It helps you actually understand exactly how much to cover the iris/pupil with the eyelids, why and when.

[Kode]

@ Lulie: I had a glance through the book on amazon and it seems pretty good. Looks like it goes into more detail over each of the facial features which is something I could do with. I've added it to my wishlist and will probably buy it on my next buying spree, cheers!

Taken the measurement idea on board for this batch of faces, trying to measure each feature off each other. I've also began to take my time with the entire image (bottom 2 pictures) instead of rushing to the end result. I'd say the extra time spent is worth the outcome.

[Kode]

Attended my first life drawing class last night. Never done it before but it was fantastic. Learned 2 good things from my first class though;

1. Use the whole page - For some reason I kept my drawing to about the size of A5, yet I had an A3 sheet.
2. It's harder than you think - Despite going through Bridgman/Loomis trying to memorize everything is a challenge. Might take a ref book with me next time.

Below is the end result, sadly I didn't get to finish it.

[Kode]

More heads and also this weeks life-drawing class. Used the entire A3 sheet so I can't scan it now, instead I have to use my awful camera.

[Kode]

Stitched the A3s together in photoshop. No idea why I didn't think of this before. Derp.

Another face, last weeks life-drawing scanned and this weeks life drawing too. C&C are more than welcome!

[Kode]

I was convinced to try charcoal for life drawing and I spent most of last week practicing. So far I've been enjoying it as it allows me to focus on form and value a lot more, instead of getting lost in the details like with pencils.

Bottom two images are the results from life drawing class!

[Kode]

Ups and downs this week. Done some studies that I think really showed some improvement, then when I tried to keep up the improvement it seemed like I went two steps back.

Life drawing also failed this week. Certain parts, like the chest and head I just could not get right and I also went a bit crazy with the blending stick I think. Bring on next weeks class to try and correct this!

Bottom two are from the class.

[Kode]

More of the same this week but with a little less work to show. Spent some of it reading and doing other stuff. (ME3 *cough*)

[Kode]

More of the same... figures, portraits and life drawing. Jumped back into Loomis too to pick up on the more advanced perspective.

Things I need to work on are nailing down the features on portraits, the lastest one I did showed me how much the slightest error in measuring can really mess up the end result. Other thing is to use an easel while doing the life drawing, skewed the image slightly and didn't notice until it was pointed out the end.

[Kode]

More studies, mostly the same. Added in some perspective this time, used photoshop for ease, plus the colour selection helps keep the lines clear.

Another model lying down this week, once again I struggled with it. I can't quite grasp the form of the torso lying down, and it ends up as a blob. Need to work on that fo' sure!

[Kode]

Update! Seeing slight improvement this week I think, hopefully I can keep it up! C&C always welcome!

[Kode]

Another perspective dump, plus some mor studies from photos. This weeks end result from life drawing I think is my best yet, although the hands are messed up. However my drawing process still needs some major improvement, I spent nearly an hour on the legs.

[Kode]

First image is my first ever self portrait! I've already noticed many problems with it but hopefully I'll iron these out as I do more of them. I plan on trying to do one every week atleast. More perspective work too, moving onto 2point, also used my new tablet a bit with them.

Bottom image is from my life drawing class. Again I struggled as the model was lying down, the very sublte foreshortening on everything really made it difficult.

[JerryActric]

Huge improvements ! keeps me motivated to keep learning ! well done

[Kode]

Did a quicker self-portrait than last week. I did a better job on the mouth area but after flipping the image I seemed to have skewed it or made a certain part too long. The eyes also look odd. Bring on my next attempt!

Plus more perspective grids and my life drawing image.

Cheers!

[Kode]

Couldn't go to life drawing this week due to work, and my attempt
at doing a self-portrait failed. The end result looked like I had gone
back in time 3 months. Instead of continuing on with full portraits I
did some studies of the eye, as that's the part I've been really
struggerling with in self-portraits.

Plus a figure drawing, more perspective and another sweep of the Bridgman book!

[Kode]

Couldn't go life drawing again... due to work. More Bridgman stuff and another
self portrait. Turned out better than the previous, but I've stretched the
nose area I think. More perspective too, with an attempt at adding values to
the final one.

[SolarSector]

Wow so much progress! I love seeing how your line quality has slowly changed. And great work with torsos (I am still so bad at getting it right). Keep it up!

[Kode]

@ SolarSector & JerryActric Thank you both for the compliments!

I've been carrying a small sketchbook with me so I can sketch people/things as
I travel to and from work, here's where I am so far. Also managed to get up
on the roof of my work and draw a local garage, I think it's my first real attempt at an environment.

Cheers!

[Kode]

Finally managed to get back to the life drawing classes, despite coming down
with the flu! Seems like missing two classes has thrown me off track a bit.
Also more self-portraits. I wasn't happy with the first one so I did another,
which I am much happier with.

Plus more perspective, studies and my first bit from Jack Hamm's Drawing
Scenery book. Looking forward to reading more of it.

[Kode]

This week I can see some slight improvement over the model lying down.
I need to find some way to practice this sort of thing outside of the class too,
using pictures is just not the same.