My Sketchbook

[travis_capistrant]

My name's Travis. Im studying with the hopes of becoming a professional caliber animator one day. Ive been studying Life Drawing for almost 2 years now and animation for about a year. I still have a very long way to go with both. Im done with school and my plan is to really buckle down and develop my draftsmanship skills.

I was hoping to use this as a way to kind of track my progress and maybe get some feedback.

Heres a couple medium length poses I did today just to get things started Ill probably add some older work later to better introduce my art.

[Umbravita]

Welcome to CA! Congrats on starting a sketchbook, I hope you stick around so we can follow your progress.

That first pic is especially beautiful. Your lines are quite messy; have you tried doing gestures? Just to get you used to doing confident, sweeping lines. I'd also look at doing some anatomy studies; your anatomy's off in the second one (she looks quite blocky and narrow), but it's much better in the first. That first pic is gorgeous.

Do share some more soon. Perfection may not exist, but you'd be surprised how bloody close some people can get with enough dedication and practice. Hope to see you around!

[dierat]

Nice sketches so far, but don't be afraid to tackle the hands and feet! If you avoid them, they'll always be a weak spot for you. About the sketchy lines, try to plan your lines before you make them. You won't get them right the first time every time, but they'll be more accurate if you take the time to study the subject and think about the line you're going to make, then try to produce the line the way you imagined it. Each line requires more time this way, but it takes less time for you to get it right and your work will be cleaned and more graceful. Anyway, keep up the good work, and keep posting!

[JiR]

Wellcome to CA
nice scratches so fare ..waiting for some older artworks ;D

[travis_capistrant]

Thanks for all you warm welcomes! Im excited about being part of this page.

dierat you're spot on with what I really want to do. I need to be more conscious about my line use, and really have a strategy to the drawing. Every line should count for something!

Here is some older work that pretty much sums me up, its all made in the last year id say.

Ill probably most some animation stuff over in the other forum too.

Im still getting used to sizing images correctly for the upload so sorry if anything looks goofy.

[travis_capistrant]

Today I went to the museum and drew the Doryphoros! Drawing at the museum is a very enjoyable time.

Its great having little kids run up and look at your drawing.

Today an older man walked up and started giving me lots of advice. He was Italian and didnt speak to great of English but he really new what he was talking about. He helped alot!

[travis_capistrant]

Today I did a life Drawing Session. I like having structure to my studies because it tends to help keep me on task and it can also keep my spirits up. without structure i can feel lost and unsure of my capabilities.

So I try to break down my long term goals into daily drawing sessions the best i can. Right now I have a Life Drawing Session (figures), an Anatomy session, a Animation Session, and a Clothed figure/drapery Session. Im also going to try and make it to a Life Drawing Co-op with a live model once a week to give me that much needed 'drawing from life time'. And also Id like to make it to the museum 2-3 times a month to draw from the sculptures.

I also try to force myself to break the rigidity of this at times to experiment and just try and work my creativity. Its a real stuggle to switch back and forth but i think its necessary to be a strong artist.

Ill probably post a compelte session of each and then after that more scattered stuff.

Life Drawing Session
-observation drawing, objects
-gestures
-study Bridgman's life Drawing books/copies
-short poses and Constructions from memory
-a long pose (either a photo ref of a model or a sculpture)

P.S- this is my first attempt with watercolors(the first two drawings)! scary stuff lol. I hope to get better but for now im pretty much clueless with it.

I plan to finish the last two more fully. the first ones Michelangelo's David and the second is a Greek statue of the god Mercury.

[travis_capistrant]

Portraits

[travis_capistrant]

A few pages from a Comic I completed last summer.

[travis_capistrant]

This past fall I took two courses at a Classical Realism Atelier in Minneapolis.

These four drawings are the work that I completed (well none of them were completely finished).

It was a great experience and I learned a ton. It was really eye opening to see how much there is to learn about fundamental drawing, and you don't really realize it fully until you walk through a place like this or work with teachers that are essentially master draftsman.

It was a truly humbling experience and has changed me a ton. I hope to attend more of these courses throughout my life.