It's a trap!

[AllyAlbon]

Wow, great start, especially your portraits.

[Satu]

Mila: Thanks for dropping by yourself. I'm glad you like them!
Harma: Thanks! Always glad to have you visit here. It's good to hear that I'm learning something. Also I don't mind you "stealing" my challenge idea, though it's not even mine in the first place hehe. But it would actually be really cool if you started it too. It is really fun.
Alex Eh: Thanks I'm so glad to hear that! I will!
AllyAlbon: Thanks for your kind words!

Err.. sorry about one day break. Gonna have tomorrow break also but I'll be updating again on sunday.

Day 9: Someone you love.
It's mi husband whom I love very much. It's from photo ref.
I wanted to make it perfect but didn't really succeed in it (oh hey surprise!). The eyes look somewhat weird and I had also some difficulties with the hair..

[carakhan]

You're really coming along - love the cloud study on the last page. On your husband's portrait, for hair you want to start big and get smaller. Linda Bergkvist has a good tutorial on hair as well - you might want to spend some time making a hair brush.
http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/C...realistic_hair

The eyes look really good, but I think you rushed it all to the finish too fast. Keep the hair on a separate layer, and check the face values. The right (ours) side of his forehead goes flat, and there's areas of light that should probably be in shadow, but if everything is on one layer you have to paint edge to edge which gets annoying.
I also think a darker background will help it pop more Keep going!

[shiNIN]

I was so lazy I didn't even visited SBs I think and I'm subscribed to many.

Apple. It's better, more 3d than my onions I guess... I'm not the one who can criticize something regarding form and lighting But I kinda like it.
Buying art stuff is definitely not a bad habit I usually buy cheap but good pencils and pens and markers, I get so happy spending almost no money. I'm a child. The drawing is a bit odd because the refd legs and the clothes and face aren't on the same level if it's about being realistic. You're not bad at refd stuff and it shows; the folds aren't wrong but much more vague, rushed, whatever. And the face is stylized. I dig the small dragon.

Portrait. Not bad at all, the eyes are so lively... The hair was adressed by someone else, that's a definitely week point.
I don't mind the sketchy, unblended values on the face (the forehead isn't so nice though) but the mouth really should have got more care. The shoulders look small but I don't know the photo...

You're doing good I'm a bit more motivated than before.

[Satu]

Cara: Thanks for the comment and tutorial! I've been actually viewing all of Linda's tutorials but have never really studied them (don't know why though). I love Linda's art by the way, she's the main reason I started to draw digitally years back (unfortunately I started slacking at some point and had many years break in drawing). Hope she comes back some day!

But yes I should really learn to use diffrerent layers, I just usually use like erm.. two or something. And my values still suck I know, and I'm so hasty. But thanks for the encouragement!

ShiNIN: Thanks for your lovely words and encouragement once again!

So the 10th day's challenge became too impossible for me so I asked a new topic from my little bro. He gave me the topic "alien" (as in not the movie-alien, but just alien in general). So I made this alien-kind-of-creature ?? It's terrible I know..Blaah.. I'm so embarrassed to post it here -_- I just so suck at doing creatures from imagination. I wish I was better at it.. I didn't really know what I was doing with it's legs so just ended up messing something.

[Ville_S]

Woot! looking good! Your portaraiture is getting better and better I see.
And I do like the alien. It looks like something from the movie "thing".
Tip of the day: when drawing creatures gather good set of reference pics and set them up so that you can easily check them. References are often key to a good creature designs.

Keep it up!

[Satu]

Ville: Thanks for stopping by again! Glad you think that. I feel like my portraits are going nowhere really, lol. But I'm more than glad if they are. Thanks for the tip also. Man it would be cool if my computer screen was bigger, so I could easier put different kinds of ref pics and the actual painting side by side. Or if I could buy Cintiq. It would be awesome too.

Day 11: Something blue. Sorry for not updating yesterday, but wanted to paint another pic on the same topic also. Also they are not really that blue, meh.

Ref pics are from terragalleria.com
Hail for the messiness! Urbh.

[pearblossom]

Nice work! I especially like your self-portrait and the cloud studies.. the light in those has a soft and realistic feel.

I would say the thing it would help to work on is to do a little study on perpective--some of your environment pieces feel a little flat. The one other thing I would say is to push light and dark values more in the color studies. You do this very nicely in the self portrait but with the portrait of Arya, say, it feels like it could have had more contrast. It would also be nice to see some of these get to a more refined state, since they look like good beginnings.

[Satu]

Thanks pearblossom! I definitely agree with you that I should study more perspective. It's on my "things I should do but never (as if) don't have time".
Value studies and color studies are another thing that I should definitely do more. I'm not just sure what is the best way to start color studies. Well still-life studies are propably good way to start, I guess..

I feel like my weakest point is still the form and drawing/painting stuff in 3d. Most of my works look still really flat. I'm not really sure if doing these paintings to more refined state would help me at this point.
I mean I guess it would be good to see how far I can get, but then again I'm still so bad at basic stuff like values, forms, structures and that sort of things, that I think that doing more of these quicker studies for now is actually better. But stick along and you'll see some "finished" stuff someday too (I'm not trying to bribe you. Really. I'm not)! Thanks again!

Day 12: Sunset.
Pretty fast photostudies. Ref photos again from terragalleria.com.
Should..learn..to..use..more..brushes. Mroar.

By the way is there any way to somehow separate these images when using manage attachments? I mean so that you would have space between pics. I really don't like the way they're sticking to each other.. (No I haven't got any neurosis about that. Really. Not. ).

[KlineCreative]

Great work! I especially love the contrast of light and dark in the portrait. It really creates a wonderful structural feel to the head and face.

[shiNIN]

I understand your problem with the attachment manager Unfortunately, I don't know how to solve it.
Nice enviros. I think the second bunch is better The first one in your last update is very similar what I saw here a few days ago Colorful clouds reflected in the lake surrounded with hills. I live at a pretty place.

[Satu]

KlineCreative: Hey thanks! Glad you think so. And thanks for stopping by!
shiNIN: Yeah just gotta go with the attachment manager-stuff then -_-
And thanks! Glad you like those, I really like doing enviros. Gotta do them more to get better.

Day 13: Ant. (Yeah that wasn't originally the topic but decided to change it again). This time I actually used more than one layer (hurray!). Ant, (I really don't like those) was kind of fun to draw. Photo ref used.
Also some crappy studies from photos.

[dierat]

By the way is there any way to somehow separate these images when using manage attachments? I mean so that you would have space between pics.

Just insert them into your post. After uploading the images with the attachment manager, go into the text box where you're writing your post and click on the paperclip icon for a dropdown menu that will allow you to either insert all the image codes at once or add them one at a time.

Btw your painting studies are really lovely. I don't really have any advice or anything specific to say except keep up the good work!

[Satu]

dierat: Whaa, awesome, thanks! I'm such an idiot. So simple thing and yet I had no idea how to do it. And thanks my friend!

Day 14. Eyes.

I seriously had no idea what I was doing here. Just took some photo refs from google and started to scribble them down. I numbered my loong eye-learning process also so you can see my progress (lol). Number 1 is the first etc..
I actually like number 4 most. It is fastest and messier of them all but still somehow most realistic. I don't like two first ones, they are too detailed and look stupid really. I actually like the messier style more in everything. I mean when you don't scribble too much with details but still make things look real with larger and fewer brush strokes. I wish I could do that. And the eyelashes are still huge problem for me by the way. But I think I actually might have learned something here..



Also adding some quick screencap studies where I'm just trying to figure out how things work with values and forms.

[shiNIN]

I'm such an idiot.

I beg to differ. I'm the idiot. I even used the paperclip icon quite a few times. I totally forgot about it.

I'm always looking forward to your challenge paintings I quite neglect my zillion subscribed threads but yours is special to me.

The ant looks good but the edges should be more clean, those little smudges affects the painting badly, at least to me.

I see you tend to give your faces slightly oversized eyes just like me...
The eye paintings look good, especially the first one. Eyelashes, they are tricky, caused problems to me too. It's easy to make them messy.
Oh I see I disagree with you here. I understand you, I like when someone makes something that looks messy but realistic using a few strokes... I can do decent refd stuff using much time but I don't appreciate this skill of mine too much. I want to be able to do great artistically sketchy paintings...
But I like very realistic eyes. When you do a close up eye study with separate eyelashes, you don't have much option... A sketchy eye don't have zillion separate lashes.

[Satu]

shiNIN: Thank you darling! That was so sweet posting!
Your sb is very special to me too. I like it very much each time I visit there. Thanks for the crits also! Yarr also we'd be idiots together then, it doesn't matter. Oh and artistically sketchy paintings exactly are the ones that I would want to learn to do. The ones that look realistic but at the same time you know it's definitely a painting from it's beautiful brushstrokes..

Day 15. Silhouette. Just something simple this time. Not very pleased with them. The bottom one sucks most. But it was fun! This challenge thing is proving to be very useful indeed since it forces me to study stuff that I should study like gestures today, eyes yesterday etc..

[Mirix]

Wow, great amount of studies! You're doing quite a good work, I like your line and devotion to studies. I wish could I say something more helpful, actually your thread seems to be fill with informations, which can be useful for others (including me)! Just don't give up on what you're doing, if you have weaker moments remember: "Frustration is just your brain working hard to understand and improve on something difficult to learn" -Bobby Chiu

[Satu]

Mirix: Thanks for stopping by! Glad you like my studies. Yeah I mostly do studies because I suck at imaginary work (I know I should do it but I just keep avoiding it). Also I like studies. Wow I'm glad if my thread can be help to others. I've been thinking that I'm so weirdnuts that everything I post mostly doesn't make any sence. I also appreciate very much you encouragement! It is always nice to have people to push you forward every now and a then when you feel so clumsy to keep going alone.

Day 15. Long exposure. Well don't know if you can tell that it's a long exposure but it was a good photostudy nevertheless.



I got carried away and made another photo study too. Photos found in google. Just trying to see how much I know about them colors.. I know I should concentrate on studying values now but making everything b&w just makes me nuts (oh wait that I already am. More nuts?).

[Satu]

Been feeling kind of down today about my skills and other issues. Just one of those days I guess. I feel like my works are just so stiff and I don't like it at all. I guess me being shy has also some effect on my works and I just feel like I would really really really wan't to come out of the shell and just learn to loosen up and be more experimental. To be more bold to try new stuff and not be afraid of the failures. So today I watched this and did some loosening up exercises.

Also I had a break from challenge stuff and just did these quick photo studies where I'm not even trying to get to details and just trying to understand stuff I guess. Tried also, for the first time, to paint colors with opacity at 100% all the time. It was really hard.

[shiNIN]

I just read your comments and nodded. I'm the same. Except that I'm lazier.
Not bad studies but I can't say much about them, just keep doing these.
But I really wish to see something imaginary from you. Even I do such things now and then and I have the same problems with them than you and I'm a big coward at it - so it's awkward if you don't.

[Satu]

shiNIN: Waah I know I promise to make lots and lots of imaginary works next week! Today I didn't have time and tomorrow I won't be able to update again. But I really need to start doing imaginary works alongside my studies. Or else I will never learn anything.

Day 17. Technology. Noo I ruined R2-D2! Phoro ref used.

[shiNIN]

I just ask and you will do it? You spoil me, gal I'm looking forward to the promised stuff now ~
I must say R2D2 isn't your best this far... I'd draw its shiiiiiiny companion, that's sure. I'm no good with boring tech stuff But shiny wins over my heart.

[Satu]

shiNIN: Haha well I'm not that into shiny stuff myself. I like more rusted, timeworn, old stuff. Such as old places and old objects. I like to think about their history, about who has used them, who has walked there, the stories they had to tell if they knew how to tell them. Stuff like that. I'm kind of starting to regret my promise since imaginary works don't really come easy to me. But here's something at least, because promise is a promise! I try to keep doing them more over this week.

And daaamn sorry about so long break! I have excuses ready in my sleeve though, so behold:
On Saturday I was at my friends place celebrating. On Sunday I was trying to survive the celebrating. On Monday I just had to try Diablo III (I'm such a weakling). And Tuesday was bad and nothing worked. I sucked so badly. Felt like I'm never learning anything and didn't want to post anything.

Today I feel better. I mean I know I suck, but I know I will learn these stuff if I just keep doing this. And daymn I am going to keep doing this!

Day 18. Your shoes. I made like three different paintings and they all look horrible. Oh, mi beautiful shoes all so ruined. Oh and forgot to save one of them so here's just two. Life studies. I should really really do them more, I know.





Some reffed stuff.







These below are from imagination. I know not much, I'm so sorry ShiNIIIN! :/
I also finally realized that I should keep doing these imaginary stuff in hand to hand with studies I make to make the most out of them. I mean to each study I should do imaginary stuff from the same subject. Man, I'm so slow in realizing stuff. -_-

[Satu]

Day 19. Something orange.
Life study and quickish study from Sherlock Holmes. I love that movie. Both of them. I mean these new movies.

[Satu]

Day 20. Bokeh. First of all I had to google what the term "bokeh" means. After that I decided to kind of skip the topic again and do a little something for shiNIN. Cause I know how you like shiny stuff (Also it's ready to poke people with it's other hand so it's kind of derived from the term Bokeh) Also I wanted to draw 3CPO.

Well it's a photo study and it's a kind of sketchy and messy. The other arm looks too small and there are some other issues too. I guess I could had done it longer but meh. Oh hey and also I found the one shoe life-study I thought I didn't save! It's made in really dark lightning so it's kind of..dark.

[shiNIN]

Worn stuff is cool too!!! Before my crazy idea about learning to draw I visited a photo site. I always was a highly visual type hedonist, you know. There were awesome old stuff there, warm colors, great atmosphere... Aesthetically presented old stuff was almost the only not organic subject I liked.
(But nothing beats an old but shiny chain, for example )
But drawing them well, I'd need to know more about colors, use textures, fancy brushes... Drawing shiny is easier.

The refd pencil owl looks cool! I always get confused what to do with my strokes and things get messy anyway... But I always hoped I will learn to draw fine pencil drawings one day.

The imaginative enviro sketches are simple but not bad I'm sure I would did them worse though it means, like, nothing.
it's better if I don't include myself anymore.

The last faces in #264 looks much better than the "cleaner" ones. The first has a 3d look. I must admit I don't like your other faces. Faces are where my critic skills are the best So it's not easy to please me. I extremely rarely draw face I don't consider a fail.

About your shiny: the upper part is okay, the lower starts to get incorrect, smudgy... it's good the most important parts are better.

[Satu]

shiNIN: Thanks again.

Day 21. Faceless self-portrait.
Just some photo-reffed sketch. Also did some messy life-studies.

[Satu]

Wanted to have another break from da challenge (sry), and decided to do some fan art sort of stuff from Skyrim. It's drawn from a screencap I took while playing it. Didn't work out that well though, blah.

I wish I could draw dragons from imagination. Or even from ref. Just like them creatures very much.

[Satu]

Day 22. Hands. Refs were my own hands, that's why they look so small and clumsy lol. Might continue this topic tomorrow.

[Mila]

Haven't been here in a while. Improving rapidly I see!