Sytrex's Sketchbook

[Lakai]

pretty dynamic lineart, love it!
Stick to it.

[eroquii]

Ah, not bad! Well, it's good you acknowledge that haha. I'm sure you'll develop more patience with time. =) And yeah dude, still hitting anatomy up. It seems like there's no end to it. @_@ I just want to get a better grasp of it so I can tackle life drawing better.

[sytrex]

Ahhh I lost the rhythm there. Heres what Im working on. Tips appreciated

.

[n1frit]

Your digital stuff is too clean. But may be it's just for me and my madness about textures.

[sytrex]

Your digital stuff is too clean. But may be it's just for me and my madness about textures.

Lol no youre right they are too clean!! Im colorblind so Im kinda scared to get too outa control. So far Ive just been painting in black/white and then overlay color on top. I would love to be able to utilize textures more!!

Edit: Thats kinda ironic considering how messy my traditional sketchbook is haha

[angieb.]

Hi, sytrex!

I love your live sketches! Have you ever worked with brush pens? They're sloppy and hard to control... but can be a lot of fun, too. I picked up a bunch of random colors before taking a trip in the fall, and found that they can be used for both separating out different elements, just by way of fill-in, and for lighting/shading. The ones I have actually have dual tips, and the brush ends seem ridiculously wet to me (Brand TOMBO ABT), so they work great when drawing fast, or covering large areas really quickly. It would be fun to see what you could do with them!

Keep posting though; I'd love to see more!

[sytrex]

Hi, sytrex!

I love your live sketches! Have you ever worked with brush pens? They're sloppy and hard to control... but can be a lot of fun, too. I picked up a bunch of random colors before taking a trip in the fall, and found that they can be used for both separating out different elements, just by way of fill-in, and for lighting/shading. The ones I have actually have dual tips, and the brush ends seem ridiculously wet to me (Brand TOMBO ABT), so they work great when drawing fast, or covering large areas really quickly. It would be fun to see what you could do with them!

Keep posting though; I'd love to see more!

Wow thank you so much!! Ive used black brush pens and yes they are hard to control! Its easy to turn a whole page into a big mess quickly! I think that was why I dropped it, but I never thought about getting a lighter color! I think that will be a lot of fun. I always wanted to keep like a water color or gauche sketchbook but its a little inconvenient to carry around, but I think different color brush pens is a brilliant idea! Maybe like a gray or some neutral color? Do you have a good brand youd recommend?

[diamandis]

Wow. This is totally random, but about an hour ago, I was trying to find a sketchbook thread I'd seen a while ago by this one dude who seemed to be really good at sketching faces and figures from life, and I was like, "dammit, how am I ever going to find it?"

And then, blam. Delivered on a platter. It's like I willed you to update. Subscribed.

[angieb.]

Hey Sytrex!
I'm no expert on markers, it's true. Some of these amazing Concept Artists on this site that work with them a lot may have more info, but I can share my limited experience...
Here's a little pict of what I've been using.... (is it okay to post a pict on someone else's thread?... I'm kinda' new to participating on a forum like this, and don't know the social protocols)



The colorful-capped ones are the "TOMBO ABT" dual-tipped ones that I'd mentioned. They're nice and wet - and an art store in the City had a display where you can buy then individually for, like, $2.50. Drawbacks: 1) they're not water proof 2) the standard tip is a little too big for me. I write and sketch in tandem often time, and these tips aren't nice to me for writing or fine detail.

The smaller markers are "FABER CASTELL PITT ARTIST PENS." I bought a 4 pack of black and a 4-pk of Sanguine-colored, which gives 4 different sizes. These are water proof. I remember back in the day using these types of brush-markers and finding that the tip of the brush would crap out and become ragged quickly (nothing compares to a nice Sable-Hair watercolor brush for inking), but I don't seem to be having that problem with these yet (I might not be using them as much). I remember ordering these sets on-line and finding them to be relatively inexpensive (like $9 or $14 for the pack). Having the standard-tip small and fine along with the brush tips, so that I can create finer lines or write with them if I feel like, is good for me, too.

The nice thing about these types of markers is that they are affordable, and I figure: if it ends up I don't like'em... well, it's not a huge loss. Have fun experimenting!

Hope this is helpful!

[ForScience]

I love your new updates! Also I got your email. I have been a bit busy but I will try to set up a sketch meetup asap.

[BickeringDog]

Wow you have some really cool stuff! I really like your pen sketches, especially the one with the robotic hand. I thought it was a really cool take on making drawing hands more interesting.

[Classmate]

Hey Sytrex. Really nice sketchbook and I like your line work. Keep it up!
About markers...there is a lot of options. I can recommend you Gel pen PILOT G-TEC with 0,25 mm and 0,4 mm for precise line work for perspective drawing. COPIC markers for shading and COPIC multiliners for line work. I'm using WIDE Copic markers- usually cool and warm gray tones (3,5,7). Or you even you just can combine these tones...cool gray for background and static objects and warm gray tones for characters, dynamic objects. I also recommend Letraset permanent markers and Sharpie fine markers

[Cojac]

Great line work. And I love your oil paintings. Keep posting.

[sytrex]

Woah! Lots of feedbacks !

Wow. This is totally random, but about an hour ago, I was trying to find a sketchbook thread I'd seen a while ago by this one dude who seemed to be really good at sketching faces and figures from life, and I was like, "dammit, how am I ever going to find it?"

And then, blam. Delivered on a platter. It's like I willed you to update. Subscribed.

Thats very flattering thanks

Hey Sytrex!
I'm no expert on markers, it's true. Some of these amazing Concept Artists on this site that work with them a lot may have more info, but I can share my limited experience...
Here's a little pict of what I've been using.... (is it okay to post a pict on someone else's thread?... I'm kinda' new to participating on a forum like this, and don't know the social protocols)

The colorful-capped ones are the "TOMBO ABT" dual-tipped ones that I'd mentioned. They're nice and wet - and an art store in the City had a display where you can buy then individually for, like, $2.50. Drawbacks: 1) they're not water proof 2) the standard tip is a little too big for me. I write and sketch in tandem often time, and these tips aren't nice to me for writing or fine detail.

The smaller markers are "FABER CASTELL PITT ARTIST PENS." I bought a 4 pack of black and a 4-pk of Sanguine-colored, which gives 4 different sizes. These are water proof. I remember back in the day using these types of brush-markers and finding that the tip of the brush would crap out and become ragged quickly (nothing compares to a nice Sable-Hair watercolor brush for inking), but I don't seem to be having that problem with these yet (I might not be using them as much). I remember ordering these sets on-line and finding them to be relatively inexpensive (like $9 or $14 for the pack). Having the standard-tip small and fine along with the brush tips, so that I can create finer lines or write with them if I feel like, is good for me, too.

The nice thing about these types of markers is that they are affordable, and I figure: if it ends up I don't like'em... well, it's not a huge loss. Have fun experimenting!

Hope this is helpful!

This is very helpful thank you I have a few Faber Castell and Micron pens but only in black. I will cop some other color when I get the chance!

I love your new updates! Also I got your email. I have been a bit busy but I will try to set up a sketch meetup asap.

No worries lol Im actually pretty busy as well

Wow you have some really cool stuff! I really like your pen sketches, especially the one with the robotic hand. I thought it was a really cool take on making drawing hands more interesting.

Thank you!

Hey Sytrex. Really nice sketchbook and I like your line work. Keep it up!
About markers...there is a lot of options. I can recommend you Gel pen PILOT G-TEC with 0,25 mm and 0,4 mm for precise line work for perspective drawing. COPIC markers for shading and COPIC multiliners for line work. I'm using WIDE Copic markers- usually cool and warm gray tones (3,5,7). Or you even you just can combine these tones...cool gray for background and static objects and warm gray tones for characters, dynamic objects. I also recommend Letraset permanent markers and Sharpie fine markers

Thanks for the recommendations! Ive used copic markers theyre pretty amazing but also pricey lol! Do you know any good brush pens that comes in different colors?

[sytrex]

Great line work. And I love your oil paintings. Keep posting.

Thank you!! )

Im finally done for the night! Here's what I ended with:

[Classmate]

Pretty good is a Pentel brush pen (only black). I know only about Copic sketch markers that comes in deferent colors. They have to tips- brush and wide.

[sytrex]

Anything in the grays? I went to look at Copics today the gray is really light I couldnt really find any other neutral colors. Theyre all really bright

[Classmate]

COPIC Sketch markers have all gray tones...from C1 to C10 (cool) and W1 to W10 (warm).

[sytrex]

COPIC Sketch markers have all gray tones...from C1 to C10 (cool) and W1 to W10 (warm).

Oh I didnt know that!! Thats good to know lol Im assuming thats what you use for your designs. Your sketchbook is awesome btw

[Classmate]

Thank you Mostly I'm using just C3,C5 and W3,W5. Because everytime when you hit paper with C3 first time you can wait a while when paper gets dry and then hit it again so it's become darker and darker.

[Rhubix]

you've got some pretty juicy stuff in here. I'm a sucker for location sketches ^_^.

I can't get in on the marker conversation - any time they let me near the art store I buy so many pens- it's ridiculous!! If I read that I'll want more pens- and I usually just end up going back to my cheap bic pen lol. must ...resist... art store.....

happy sketching!

[ForScience]

I think compared to your gestures your samurai seems really static, like you got focused on the details rather than on his dynamics. I would love to see you take another crack at him in more motion.

Good luck with the pens, I prefer a good ole calligraphy brush and an inkwell. And "Design" brand art markers... but I don't think they make those anymore... but holy crap were they good, you could get any kind of line out of one of those little bastards.

[sytrex]

Thanks guys!!

@ForScience - Im taking that note to heart! hahah I notice that in all my pieces so heres another go at the samurai. Its still work in progress:







I think Im getting into detail too early I havent even quite worked out all the lighting yet.
and Im kinda meh about the background lol.

Any tips???

edit: Oh ya and Im kinda trying out texture brushes too

[ForScience]

AWESOME! a fantastic rework. I think you are on the right track with a hard light coming from the upper left corner, it should hit his shoulder and his hand and his knee and will guide your eye really well. As far as the background goes, I like the idea of leaving it loose, it makes the figure fee like he is in motion, but that definitely is not the only way to go.

[sytrex]

annnnnd its done

[ForScience]

annnnnnd its awesome!

[sytrex]

Thanks man! Lol I still think its a little boring. I tried color but it wasnt working out too well.

[tsabu]

Man you got a lot of talent! No doubt about it.

Big fan of your sketches from previous page, you could be a great comics artist.

First samurai seems to be slightly boring, but the next one is much better. I am pretty sure that you will master digital medias in no time!

[Spudonkey]

man, great work loving the lose sketches!

[sytrex]

Thanks guys!

I need to practice on composition and background more.
Thought I should do IOW this week so heres what Im working on