LifeWontWait's Life Long Journey

[LifeWontWait]

Art Dump

Nick: I think what helped me on that one was that I drew one page of eyes, one page of noses, and one of lips all looking in the mirror right before I attempted the SP. I was really trying to get a likeness.

Mentler: Appreciate you stopping by, thanks!

Well... a couple days ago I drew some shitty pages:


So I decided that I need to draw more instead of post and browse CA.org... I am probably not going to be updating daily anymore. When i do that I spend all my time on my computer rather than drawing. I will still update every few days. Here is the stuff I have been working on the past couple days.











Some of these I used reference from a Bridgemen book and others I used his method to come up with my own figures. I think i am starting to be able to construct a figure without reference... Please let me know of any major flaws that I can fix.

[smuli]

I like the eye studies and first photo-refed portrait in post #142 a lot. Eyes look vivid and the portraits seem to have everything in place. The latest stuff is an impressive workload too and surely useful too. Just remember Vilppu's advice about analyzing the forms before you copy a drawing (or that's the way I've learned it indirectly). It should cut the amount of repetition you have to do to memorize a view.

Your necs seem to be often a bit short but that's about all I can say about the figures from imagination. Draw heaps of those, you're sure on the right path.

[Cup of Joe]

Looking great man! Loomis and Bridgman? Nice choices.
Those figures you made with Bridgeman influence are a good step.
Most of your vertical proportions look right, but you've got a few overly-wide people, especially in the ribcage area.
Later on, try to sketch in more specific muscles to pund them into your head. But body masses are good for now.

Good stuff, keep it up!

[LifeWontWait]

Been a lil while and I have been lazy. I did however get signed up to take some art classes at a community college starting the middle of January so I am excited for that!

Here are some more studies... some from bridgeman, some from head:






These are actually people here on conceptart.org from a thread in the lounge... I hope you guys don't mind, you probably can't tell who is who anyways.



Here is a study from one of Pierre-Paul Prud'hon works:



And my most recent self portrait... I got a little lazy with the shading but I feel like I am understanding plains of the face a bit better lately.

[LifeWontWait]

Oops forgot about the comments!

Thanks smuli! I will look out for drawing my necks to short, I appreciate the critique.

Cup-of-Joe, thanks for stopping by man! I completely know what you mean about the wide people, I tried to fix it in this last bunch of studies... hopefully I succeeded. I will start focusing more on actual muscles once I can place the masses correctly without much thought.

[LifeWontWait]

Been lazy with updating... here are a few pages. Most of this stuff was done really quickly so sorry about the sloppyness... I really need to learn to take more time on my drawings.

My dog and a non-refed guy.


Two actors using reference.


My girlfriend (no likeness), and a sketch of a sketch so.. this 2nd drawing is a COPY of an artist here on CA.org... I can't remember whose it was so if someone recognizes it I would appreciate it so I can give credit where needed (EDIT: I found it... Skureal is the artist, you rock man! Hope you dont mind). Please just let me know if you want it removed!


This is what I did after that copy... using a similar shading technique... non-refed.


Quick chick from ref and quick master copy.


From life.


Wierd thing partly refed, the ears don't work with it.... and a chickie from ref.

[Darkwebslinger]

you've had come a long way from the first page you have gotten better in anatomy studies. GOOD work keep em coming.

[smws]

Hey, sorry for never getting back to you... life getting in the way and all that. You're really improving, probably you know that. You're getting much better at constructing the figure and the face, esp. Bridgeman seems to be working with you... also your proportions continue to improve. I like the latest drawings from life, and one of those celebrities looks like Christopher Walken. Who kinda creeps me out.

It would be cool to see some more different media... not necessarily color, but maybe some conté crayon, charcoal, red crayon, pen, brush, any kind of exploration in that area. Even if you don't show the results here it will be useful to familiarize yourself with other media eventually. Also, do some more animals! From life if you can, like your dog there.

[Slash]

You drew me! Cool!

[LifeWontWait]

Thanks guys!

I havn't had internet for a little while now because i am in the process of moving. I still don't have it at home but I should be getting it within the next week.

I am starting some art classes at a community college on the 21st so I hope to have lots of life drawing soon.

smws: I used to draw in charcoal alot so maybe I will try doing that again... I really like using charcoal. I will draw my dog more too... also maybe I can find a zoo or something around here. I am in Sacramento now so there is alot more stuff that I can draw than in my town of 2000 people that I just left. EDIT: Oh yeah, and that is Chistopher Walken from a paused dvd... he is the man.

Slash: Haha, I am glad that you recognized yourself!

[LifeWontWait]

I have been slacking BIG time on updating! Yikes!

Well, I started class but I could only take two classes because I am poor. I am taking a 3D modeling class and just an introduction art class. I am not that pleased with the classes so far.... ah well.

Here are a few sketch pages (life, head, and photo ref) and an assignment for my drawing class. I was supposed to do a drawing with as many different pens as I could find around the house (I don't have that many) and it had to be an environment with man made and organic materials. We weren't allowed to cross-hatch. This is as far as I have gotten on it... I haven't used a pen much as you can see.

Critique would be awsome!

[Jason Rainville]

You're really doing what you need to be doing. My only advice would be to start worrying more about the placement of features than rendering them. Really measure with your eye and after completing a rough outline, ask yourself why it doesn't look quite right and really investigate why. Imagine a cross in your minds eye when looking at angles, it will help you see something at the angle it really is at, not the angle you assume it's at. Use negative space to trap areas you can measure with. Measure everything with your eyes.

[LifeWontWait]

Thanks for stopping by Jason and thanks for the advice. I tried to stay away from rendering and took some more time with placing the features on this page. I hope they are a bit better... I really have a hard time keeping away from just rushing into the render.

Anyone watching/reading: Please point out my mistakes I really need it!

practice practice practice....



Edit: Argh... i just can't see it anymore, i can tell they look off I just can't figure out what it is. I even flipped the page but still can't see it.... hmm...

[smws]

Whoa, relax. You're doing fine. What I see done *right* on the last post of 3 prortraits overwhelms the few mistakes.

Detailed crit: On the man with the hat, there are minute differences between the size and placement of the irises within the eye, which jump out because it's the single most focused feature in the human brain. Specifically the eye on the right is gazing farther over left than the other eye. On the top right portrait, the forehead seems a bit small, the eyes are very slightly different heights, and (most jarringly) the line of the eyes isn't at right angles to the line of the nose and mouth. On the last portrait, the highlights in her eyes are different sizes.

Basically it's just a matter of being really careful in the construction and alignment, then checking symmetry at the end. You're doing fine, though. Details details! I need to work on a lot of this stuff myself.

As far as other things, I like the grasshopper studies! I also really like the squigglies that you used for the trees in the ink sketch, cool. You could vary the character and density of that kind of squiggly mark and have a way of shading a whole pen drawing with a lot of character. Maybe emphasize whatever you want to be the center of interest with some darkness and contrast?

Good luck, keep it up!

[LifeWontWait]

smws: You da man, man! Thanks for the crit it helped SO much. I think that i don't pay attention alot of the time when I am putting in the irises and pupils... that is going to improve the believeability of my portraits so much. I fixed those other drawings and they look 10 times better. Thanks bud!

Here is some more stuff!

Couple self portraints... hah, they don't look like the same person. I think alot of that has to do with how my nose is angled in the first one. Man hair is hard to draw! So much information!


A couple quick master studies....


Some heads using the loomis method... I didn't use ref for the majority of these... i think i got a little better by this second page. (oops one is upside-down! Ah well, don't feel like fixing it.)


A couple still lifes... the one with the poker chips I did at home after doing the other still life in a class. I gave up on the one at home because I was too far off with my line work and got frustrated. The one at school we were supposed to focus on tone, my pic need way more contrast and I need to get away from the middle greys.


Just some feet (never drawn feet before... yikes!) and my pup from life.

[Slechtvalk]

You certainly are putting a lot of effort into your art and its showing!

Keep it going

[LifeWontWait]

Thanks alot slechtvalk, i really appreciate that encouragement! Please stop by in some time a see if I have gotten any better!!

[LifeWontWait]

If i eventually want to start drawing people from my imagination is drawing people from photo ref completely pointless or is that helpful? I have been doing lots of quick portrait drawings but don't know if I am wasting my time by doing them from photo ref.

[smws]

Your recent drawings are looking good. The portraits do look slightly different, but both very lively. Also, nice feet. MOAR!

If i eventually want to start drawing people from my imagination is drawing people from photo ref completely pointless or is that helpful? I have been doing lots of quick portrait drawings but don't know if I am wasting my time by doing them from photo ref.

Opinions on this vary. I personally think that drawing from photo ref is not only helpful, but almost crucial. Action poses and fleeting expressions are very difficult to get from life, and photo ref is also capable of showing you pictures of things and places you're unable to visit. The real question is if how much drawing from photo ref is excessive and will remove life from later drawings and instill bad habits. I would say, as long as you are able to loosen up and draw quickly sometimes, and as long as you do draw from life sometimes, you're fine and photo reference copy and inspiration can only help. Try adding things and changing things to see if you can vary things plausibly, to make sure you aren't a slave to the camera...

But again, this is only my opinion and there are plenty of artists, many better than me, who disagree. Ultimately it's up to you. Keep it loose, though!

[LifeWontWait]

Thanks smws, i appreciate the input. Yeah... i guess when it comes down to it, drawing from photo is always better than not drawing at all. I get a little tired of staring in the mirror sometimes but I will try and continue to do a self portrait every now and then as well.

Here is some more stuff! I am going to my first open life drawing session today so I am kind excited/nervous about that. I'll post updates again probably tomorrow or the next day with those.

This first one was from photo ref... I wasn't really trying that hard to be incredibly accurate with likeness etc... just values. Also, I only zoomed in to do the eyes.


A page of gestures, I am still trying to do a decent amount of these. I think I am getting a bit better with capturing the action... reading vilppu helped.


Just a skechpage


I had about 6 pages of faces... i picked out a few of the ones that I liked more-so than the others. These are them.


Here are some still lifes. The first was done a few weeks ago and obviously need lots more range in values. The second was done the week after (so last week) and I think is a bit better. I think the conte on grey paper helped a bit.


This one looks better in real life... well at least I like to think so.

[LifeWontWait]

Not a huge upload today...

I don't have anything to show from the life drawing session from last week because they were quick poses and I suck to much to get anything decent looking in that short of a time. Today it is longer poses... hopefully my drawings wont look like mud.

Haven't had too much time to draw lately because of financial reasons (AKA, im broke and trying to make money).

Here is a SP that is meh and a still life in Conte that I think turned out pretty good other than the skewed teapot.

[LifeWontWait]

I went to another life drawing session yesterday. It turned out a little better than the previous time. Also, I have started learning about color and light a little more and have been working on photoshop a bit. Nothing to really show yet but I am giong to be posting some colors here soon.

Feel free to comment!



I think this page actually turned out the best... hm...

[LifeWontWait]

Hey everyone,
Haven't updated in awhile... I just wanted to post my first bargue that I have ever done. I did it in Jon Hardesty's online workshop. He is a really great teacher and I have been learning tons from him.

I know there are still some errors in this bargue but it is the first one I have ever done so I am trying to not be too hard on myself. I also thought it would be fun to post the progression of the drawing. The first couple are inhanced in photoshop so that you can see the lines... they were really light.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and comments are really appreciated! Thanks!

Here is the final bargue:


And here is the progression:

[Blastsniper]

Damn, those are allot of studies. With this kind of practise you will be one of the pros on this site soon!

[the_allejo05]

nice progress..I would like to see some studies on perspective..it is a very important subject and you cannot draw properly without it..i think that is what is preventing you to go a bit forward..try drawing tons and tons of cubes..from life and from the mind..

[ShaunLey]

Hi I looked throught and you have improved well with the time you have put into drawing, I'll have to check my books on an artist you should check out.
one thing I learnd at school with copying pictures have an exp of the person but not the photo you copied no matter how good you are there will be flaws.
awesome stuff

[LifeWontWait]

Hey cool! I got some replies... thanks you guys! I was feeling a bit lonely in my thread here.

I have done some stuff with perspective... just haven't posted any of it. I will work some more on it though if you think that is one of my problems.

Here is my second bargue drawing. This one went ALOT faster than the last one. I didn't do it sight size (didn't draw it to the same size and measure across). Also, I didn't do the bargue in the same way I did the first one. Instead of bringing the whole thing up at once... I started in one area and worked my way out, focusing on relationships. This bargue was also easier than my last one... another reason why it took less time.

Here is my drawing and the original:


And here is the progression. There really was more to it than this because I had to fix things on each of these steps... but these are sorta the finished parts of each stage.

[MindCandyMan]

Fantastic job. These bargues are a testament to the hard work you put into the workshop. More importantly than these drawings...your way of thinking has changed and that is really what the goal was. Watch out for LifeWontWait everybody...I have a feeling in the next year he is going to be leaving us all in the dust.

[LifeWontWait]

Haha, thanks Jon!

Wasn't expecing you to be stopping by... feel free to stop in and give me crits and comments anytime...

[lvl0]

Amazing progress! Keep it up!