Swampdigger's Sketchbook

[Bill]

You get a good sense of balance in your compositions, your line work is good and will get better a you get practice and more and more confidence, and your proportions are pretty good as well. I wonder if it might be time to push a little and look to work on something more involved, and take it to a higher level of finish?

[Swampdigger]

Today's offerings:

Some oil painting practice, I'm starting to understand a bit better how they work, but just a little.



Self Portrait I did today. I don't like the background, need to see how other people have handled them.


Anatomy

[crashMMVII]

So as you saw, I got out and bought a Moleskine! I'm loving it so far, really convenient for just carrying around everywhere.

Good stuff in that last post, I really want to get into oils, looks like you've got the basics of it down quite well. And I think that SP is probably the best one in the thread, everything just looks well-proportioned and the high contrast in the face works well. The only thing that kind of distracts me about it, though, is that the shading is very consistent around the nose and lips, and the facial features in general; but something about the hair just doesn't feel right in comparison. Maybe the dark shadows on the face outweigh them by too much? I have no idea how to go about correcting it, other than maybe darkening the shading on the dark parts of the hair...I can't draw hair worth a damn, so take that with a grain of salt, but something worth noting I guess.

Keep 'em coming!

[Swampdigger]

Crash: Thanks, I'm pretty sure that portrait is one of my best, I think you're right though, the hair does look a little out of place, perhaps it's just that I drew it very angular, and not very hair-like.

Not much of note today, I was really lazy over the weekend, didn't draw at all. Not good.

[crashMMVII]

Where are you studying these arms and legs from? They're really nice, very thorough and medical-looking.

I'm pretty amazed at what you can do with the Posemaniac stuff too, I'm noticing that you say so much with so few strokes...I'm guessing that means you're doing it right. Keep it up!

[Mindbendermind]

Hi Swampdigger,
just joined the SSG and wanted to take a quick peek. Nice sketchbook, showing your progress. Agree with crash about the posemaniacs, you have really flowing lines, really making those gestures come alive (look at the ones I just uploaded since crash adviced me to for some really stiff, cramped ones - first day I go from 90 to 60 sec). Which time limit were they drawn at?

Anyways, looking forward to seeing more of your work and getting some honest constructive criticism on my own. Keep up the good one. :-)

~M

[DeJakhalz]

Really awesome work, no crits

just KEEP DRAWING

[Matsign]

You've been working hard. It is showing. I think now may be a good time to try some monochrome portraits in acrylic or oil if you have the resources to do so. Then move into color when you feel the urge. Painting color from life is better than... well anything.

[Swampdigger]

Crash: The anatomy stuff is a mixture of Bridgman, Artistic Anatomy by Paul Richer, and a cool site called Visible Body. The Artistic Anatomy stuff has some good illustrations in it, especially some illustrations of the muscles of the arm in different positions. The Visible Body stuff is nice because you can rotate around the body and remove muscles so you get a much better idea of the actually form of the muscles. Instead of a front, side and back view of them.

Mindbendermind: Hey, welcome to the SSG. Hopefully we can help each other improve. The Posemaniacs stuff is done at 15 seconds. That tends to be a little short for some of them, but the 30 seconds is to long for what I'm doing. I wish there was a 20 second option.

DeJakhalz: Hey, thanks man.

Matsign: Thanks for the advice, I've been thinking I need to move onto something else with my oils, I'm a little scared of moving to a full face. heh heh. I guess I'll just have to do it, hopefully I can get around to that soon.

Alright, here's a really lame update. Easter week/weekend is so busy, I've either had stuff to do or been really tired. I've got Monday off though, so hopefully I can get some serious art done.

[crashMMVII]

I really like those last couple sketches of the soldier guy, looks very guerilla-ish, and the gun is pretty top-notch for a sketch too.

Good update! Looking forward to seeing what you got done on your day off

[Mindbendermind]

Definitely some nice sketches. Good that you write down mistakes that you are aware of yourself. Guess that's what all our practice is about: Correcting more and more of the mistakes we make.

Anyways, trying to be picky there's just two things I thought about. First is the leg on the guy in the 2nd SB. Feeld awkward somehow, as if it's a little too high, or if it's the angle of it - something about it that doesn't feel 100%. Maybe the foreshortening.

The second is the outdoor sketch (that I really like). It feels like there's something wrong with the perspective of the house on the right. (Having spent the morning practicing drawing boxes from different perspectives this is something I'm extra sensitive about atm ;-)). Spent some time trying to figure out what it was (actually turned into a valuable study :-)) but I'm still not sure. What makes it tricky is that the house doesn't have the same vanishing point as the street - is that on purpose?

Anyways, really good-looking sketches. Keep 'em coming.

[RBeek]

I see some nice sketches in this thread!

I would like to see some more studies though..
And i mean more studies from observation and feeling, and not so much copying the illustration.
Copying the illustration helps alot to , i know but it will only get you so far.
To reach freedom in all poses you have to experiment yourself.
And ofcourse observe from life but i guess you are doing that already
Keep it up!

[Swampdigger]

Crash: Thanks man.

Mindbender: Thanks for the crits. The street is actually the back of a parking lot. So no, it's not supposed to be parallel, but I probably should have been a bit more careful of not giving the wrong impression. Doing some box studies in perspective actually sounds like a good idea, I've been slacking on perspective work lately.

Rogerb: Thanks for the crits and stopping by.

Alright, so somehow I've done an abysmal job of getting art done this week. I don't feel like I've been slacking that much, but I guess I have. These are just some sketches from life. I'm working on a mastercopy of part of Raphael's Study for the Transfiguration, so that's in the oven, but I probably won't be able to finish it for a while. I also attempted a SP in oils with terrible results, decided to scrub it out and re-do it. Learned a bit though, mainly about the value of patience.

[Mindbendermind]

Thanks for that thorough comment in my SB. Most of these look really nice. I like to see how you practice different kinds of "seed sketching" as well (those in the beginning are of negative space, aren't they?) alongside the more "finished" sketches.

Only thing that stood out is the leg of the boy on the fourth "page". It doesn't look quite natural. Maybe a little more foreshortening would have done the trick - as it is now it feels as if the leg is too long since it can be bent in such an angle.

Otherwise than that these sketches look fine to me. Looking forward to that Raphael study as well. Just keep drawing, you're definitely on the right track.

EDIT: Just happened to see your comment in crash's SB about your decision on career. That sounds really exciting! I am sure you have an excellent future ahead of you. It's all about the amount of ambition you'll have and how passionate you'll feel. You've already read all of Loomis? He writes much about those career issues otherwise, especially in the later books "Figure drawing...", "Successful drawing" and "Creative illustration". Maybe feel like joining the "Spartan training camp" (50 gestures + optional study a week) with me in a while then? ;-)

[Swampdigger]

Mindbender: For the sketches I was thinking about ways to be able to block in very simply but still have time to take it further. Usually I have about 2 to 3 minutes to do one of these before the people move. So lately I've just been blocking in major shapes and leaving it at that, maybe adding some quick value for clarity. I'm not happy leaving them there but I don't like just starting a drawing without any blocking in. (when I do it right it works, but it's just too easy to mess up proportions and stuff) So I was doing a big block in about 10 seconds then carving into it. Or I was looking at drawing a line from head to feet and then hanging everything off that. Just messing around, I think I may have started figuring a way out, I'll have to do some more sketching though.

Oh, about Loomis, I started working through his anatomy book (forgot the name) years ago, but I really prefer Bridgman's style and illustrations, although the Bridgman doesn't have all that good art advice. I dunno, maybe I'll look into it.

ARGH!! I just previewed my post, then thought I had actually posted it and then closed the window. Luckily I had control-c'd most of my text randomly. Now I just have to re-load all the drawings....

I really need to watch the proportions, so many of these are just bad without excuse.

[crashMMVII]

Loving those hand studies especially. The building sketch is really nicely done as well. Like you said, some minor proportion errors on those people from life, but nothing that my eyes caught at first glance. Good job

[Mindbendermind]

Beutiful studies and much clean, really nice linework in these. You've come a long way already.

[Swampdigger]

More drawings. It's weird how sometimes when I'm drawing, especially in public, some days it'll go great, and others I just can't seem to get it right. I dunno... Besides these I've got a couple paintings drying, I'm gonna fit a few more studies on next them before I post them though.

[DeJakhalz]

Wow... dont worry man, if you keep drawing like this, their is a bright future ahead of you.

Id say your linework is your strongest aspect.

[Swampdigger]

Not happy with the portrait, I need to learn to handle a pencil. I feel like for small things like the hands I can do alright. But with portraits there's so much space to cover that the same method doesn't work nearly as well. I like the nose, but the eyes bug me. It's time go study other's pencil portraits.

[Mindbendermind]

Hey, I know that guy! :-) - and I think you've done him really well. I believe that you could probably try to show those basic shapes building up the face a little more. Problem with the eyes could be that they don't feel "spherical" enough and that part of that sphere is supposed to "stick out" somewhat. The eyelids are then wrapped around that spherical shape positioned in the empty eye socket. A little more focus on conveying the "roundness" of the eyes would probably make them seem more realistic.

Nice leg studies that surely'll be useful.

[vardoburrito]

Simple, clean and detailed. How can that possibly be (I don't know)
Noice!

[Swamp, please fix up your signature. Specifically your sketchbook link]

[Swampdigger]

Mindbender: Thanks for the advice, I think you're right, I need to communicate the forms of the face better.

Dwardo: Thanks for the comment and pointing out my link was broken.

Alrighty, here's some stuff from the last couple of days. I've got another portrait drawing. But for some reason the attachment manager went crazy and wouldn't upload it. I guess I'll try again later.

[Swampdigger]

Art.

[Swampdigger]

Been busy lately, haven't got much done. I've really been itching to get into color lately. Here's an early attempt; there's a lot not to be happy with but I'm learning from it. And happy to be doing color.

[Mindbendermind]

Thanks for the comment, somehow I've managed to miss your latest updates. Sorry.

All posts look good. Portrait drawing must be tricky - haven't given it a try yet. Only thing I can find is that the left eye of the first portrait seems a little off. Hard to decide without ref, but it feels just a little too high and far to the left. Often get the advice to "flip the canvas". When I remember to I try to use it for not getting my eyes all over the place. Just a reminder in case you've forgotten that simple trick.

Other than that it looks great - that color practice as well. Nice to see those old familiar Star Wars faces. :-) You're doing great, just keep going.

[Swampdigger]

Wow, it's been a while, thanks for the comment Mindbender. Here's something I did after watching the Zhanglu video. Eventually I'll get around to scanning my non-digital stuff but for now this is it.

[Mindbendermind]

Beautiful. The forms of the face are expressed very well. What would happen if you made the neck shorter and the lips less straight, rounder and "softer"?

Keep 'em coming :-)

[Swampdigger]

Wow, has it really been 2 months since I've posted in here? I'll have to change that. Summer is such a crazy time, this fall I should really be able to lock into a routine and get some serious work done. I can't wait. Here's a bit of the digital I've been doing. Someday I'll get around to scanning some stuff from my sketchbooks, but not this time.

Alright, some old lip practice that I never posted and color studies that I've done in the last week.

EDIT: Well this is interesting, my color studies aren't showing up... Hmm.

[Mindbendermind]

Welcome back :-)

Beautiful lip studies. Really like that soccer player as well, but to me the torso seems a little long, which gives it a slightly "stretched out" appearence. Other than that: Great work. Just keep it coming.