A sketch A Day

**Genius_Malignus** · February 8th, 2009, 10:18 AM

Hey guys, I have been taken out the past few days, with a case of food poisoning, so I haven't had the energy to do anything but sleep and throw up.
Great to see you posting.
This is all I could be bothered with posting today, and I'm afraid I'm too tired to comment.

**munkes** · February 9th, 2009, 10:12 AM

I did this sketch yesterday. Another early concept sketch for our android game. It's not gonna end up looking like this either.
I'll probably post some sketches from today later and comment at the same time.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 9th, 2009, 10:52 AM

@ Munkes: not much has happended, conceptwise, since your silhouette thumb - I'm looking forwatd to seeing more. Also the choice of texture - 'old paper' is kind of an odd thing for a Sci-fi setting. Unless of course you want to create a kind of steampunk/future-in-the-past world - in which case I think the current design doesn't really fit.
The different types of legs are a good idea - also it would be fun if you could actually pick up that many at the same time =D reminded me of this

Today a very quick head. Still wiped out from the food poisoning.

**munkes** · February 10th, 2009, 08:31 AM

Greywoods: I like the new picture of the princess. Gothic with a twist. I think she looks a bit like Cher as a kid though, but WITH the plastic surgery, which isn't exactly a good thing. I mean, she's pretty but it's like her skin stretches too much in a weird way.
I also think you need to define the floor on her left side.

Genius Malignus: Food poisoning really sucks. I hope you get well soon!
Did you use a pencil or a ballpoint for the anatomy/proportions sketch? Your strokes don't seem as confident as they usually do, but I guess that's understandable given the condition you were in while drawing them.

I really like your head sketch. Nice colours and cool expression! He has some features in common with his creator. You obviously look a lot better than this guy, but especially the mouth is a lot like your own. You know what they say; if you don't really know what you're drawing, you often end up drawing yourself.

You were right about everything you said about my robot (actually Petruska gave some pretty good advise on my last android as well) and I really appreciate the help, especially since I'm really not very confident when it comes to drawing androids.
I just wanted to show you that I changed the background texture. I hope it's better now.

The rest are some life drawing sketches from yesterday. Notice how I actually managed to finish most of them

**munkes** · February 10th, 2009, 09:51 AM

Some thumbnails I've worked on today and yesterday. Just experimenting with how several legs can be attached to a "body".

**Genius_Malignus** · February 10th, 2009, 11:37 AM

@ Munkes: the change you made works a little better, but I was thinking something definitely more high tech, not just black and white.
Your croquis is improving (I keep saying that), and its nice to see you complete the poses. All in all very nice and clean. Looks light and effortless.
Can't really say much about the silhouettes, except ask if you checked the link in my last post ?

Todays is another head doodle.

edit:

You obviously look a lot better than this guy

Thank you.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 11th, 2009, 10:21 AM

Today a sketch using a photo of myself as ref. Used only standard round photoshop brush on 100% opacity. Did a mix of eyedropping from photo, to establish the initial colours, and then mostly choosing hues manually.
I should continue with this one.

**Petruska** · February 11th, 2009, 06:12 PM

@Munkes
- cool to see so many finished poses!! The two in the left bottom seem softer than usual...naughty he he!
- Your rbobot design is coming along very well, but i agree with GM...I would like to see you turn up for the details and maybe a little dirt

@Genius Malignus hope you are feeling better!
- creepy guy looks a bit like James Marsters...just a little...oh I miss Buffy! I really like the area arund his eyes and forehead. The wrinkles really gives him life and expression.
- nice piece...

The light works really well. I will look foreward to see how this will turn out.

Okay I don't have my computer and theese last couple of days I haven't even had my camera. The first sketch is a doodle I did during a meeting with my group. And Greywoods you are right about my sketches being skew...lack of method and the fact that I always turn my paper 40 degrees CW he he

The second and the third is a first brainstorm draft for our new game...and yes we are doing robots...again! But it's okay...I don't have any problems with that. I will upload something more specific tomorrow.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 12th, 2009, 09:15 AM

@ Petruska: oh I always hated Buffy. I have always loved vampires, but that show... Thanks anyway =)
your sketches are really loose, and I find it hard to say anything constructive about them. Its good that you are drawing at least.
I want to see more of your concepts for the DADIU game. (what you are making robots too? or are you and Stine working on the same game?).
Take my advice and get as much drawing done, as possible before march - the more the visual concept is ready, the easier a time you will have during production. You actually have time now to experiment - what a luxury!

Today I only had time for some figure doodles.

**Greywoods** · February 12th, 2009, 07:21 PM

GM: So gm have you sold my email to the e-merchants yet? ;P Where's my pdf you lazy bum?

Hmmm, I think that your latest paintings have been too dark. It's almost hard to see whats going on. Also the neck on that vampire dude looks a bit long. I dig his hair though, like the contrast it offers.

P: I really like the first sketch page you made! Especially that princess/queen. Did you use a reference?
I must admit I'm not super digging those robots. I understand the need to draw many and fast, but I think these lack method and (as you put it so well, im gonna use it from now on!) maybe even effort. But keep it up. I like your updates

Like the island, and the last of those little planet like characters.

GM and P: Vampires suck.

GM: That's a reallly good study.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 13th, 2009, 09:37 AM

@ Greywoods:

GM: So gm have you sold my email to the e-merchants yet?

No only to facebook.

Hmmm, I think that your latest paintings have been too dark.

I think that might be a matter of screen - they don't look particularly dark on mine.

GM and P: Vampires suck.

Ha.Ha.Ha.

And last but not least; thanks.

Your latest doodles somehow don't seem up to your usual standard. Almost half-hearted. I think the bald one to the middle-right, could have been very good, value and spatial-wise - if you had put in some more time and effort.
The guy on the bottom left, reminds me of 1950's devil illustrations, for some reason. Or a satyr.
I like that you are continuing with the fish, and at first glance I thought (or hoped?) that he was pulling her clothes off =) Show me more!

Mine is yet another update on my Nihinga painting - worked on it for about 6 hours today, and I'm afraid this is more or less what it's gonna lok like, when its on display, at the school exhibition, next week. Again please excuse the bad photgraphy. It looks slightly better in real life.

**Greywoods** · February 13th, 2009, 06:40 PM

Some of my sketches from today. Will edit/comment/post more tomorrow!

**munkes** · February 13th, 2009, 08:35 PM

Here's the latest version of our main character. It's probably still not the final one, but I honestly think this is some of the best concept art I've done to date. Well, maybe I just feel so uplifted because I finally have my laptop back in working condition!

I'll have to comment tomorrow (hope you forgive me); I'm too tired now.
BUT, Genius Malignus, I did check out that link you gave me

Cool stuff

**Petruska** · February 13th, 2009, 10:06 PM

too tired to comment right now...I will edit tomorrow.
Just played around with some watercolour.

**munkes** · February 14th, 2009, 08:02 PM

Genius Malignus: I like your vampire portrait. His face has character and the attitude suits it. For the most part it's very well painted, but I think you should have worked more on the ear and the back part of his jaw.

Your selfportrait looks good so far. I really like the highlight on your shoulders. Because you didn't paint the lower part of the legs it looks a bit like you're tilting to the left.

I agree with Greywoods on your skeleton figure doodles. It seems to have been a very good exercise.

About your nihonga painting I really like the colours, and it's good to see you managed to make the flowers stand out more. Are you giving it a nice frame to hang in for the exhibition?

Petruska: I still think the quality of your pencil doodles keep improving

Cool that you're also doing robots! I'm looking very much forward too see how they turn out!

I like your watercolour doodle. You've reached a high level of quality with seemingly little effort. The only thing missing is some highlights in the eyes. I know it's hard to achieve with watercolour, but white acrylic paint could do the trick.
Nice outfit

Greywoods: About your fishy painting, try looking at the scene from Spirited Away where the witch magically drags Chihiro into her office. Chihiro's pose in that scene is what, I think, you're looking for.

Your other sketches are good, but I think there are some problems with the cheek and chin of the girl looking upwards.
Cool robot, but the upper part of the arm holding the gun seems too short. About it's design I see inspiration from a mideaval knights armor, a cowboy's gun and two Jules-Verne-o-scopes. Enven though the overall look is pretty cool maybe you should try to keep the design a bit more coherent.

Here's what I had time to do today. My dadiu group can't decide on the amount of arms/legs on our android character, so I've started working on the environment instead. I know this concept looks extremely boring, but I'm gonna start making it more interesting tomorrow.

**Greywoods** · February 15th, 2009, 09:52 AM

GM: Are you gonne make a scan/photo of your painting once you finish? I looking forward to seeing it, cos atm it's kinda hard to comment/spot the progress.

M: Yeah I also think that this is one of your best pictures. The shoulder design is the best part in my opinion, did you steal it?

Where the neck meet the head i think you could have made it a bit more interesting.

P: M is right you are getting better with watercolor, but do your scans always have to have such a dull grayish tone?

M: Yeah im gonna change her pose entirly to make her look stronger, less scared and fighting back.
As for the robot, the problem isnt that his upper arm is to short (forshortening) it is that I drew the joint where it meets the lower arm wrong.
Also he is a combination of two thing WW1 tech and a Medieval knight, so cram it

**Genius_Malignus** · February 15th, 2009, 10:49 AM

@ Greywoods:
#1: good bg colour, combined with colours of chars. The knight-o-bot is an interesting design idea - keep pushing it. Theres a bit of steampunk over those two bottom chars.
#2: Scanning it is my plan. Your sketch could turn out as a cool poster design. It has simple, graphic quality to it. Make a nice logotype or something.

@ Munkes:
1#:I quite agree that that is some of your best work, so far. I am a bit worried, though, how you jumped from silhouettes to this design. Seems you didn't spend enough time trying out other options.
The lighting and surface is well rendered, though it leaves me in a bit of confusion, as to what materail the bot is made of. Also the shoulders seem slightly out of alignment. The transparent part is well rendered. The recessed areas, in the spacing between the armour plates would benefit from some stronger value contrast.
Also why did you decide to turn its back to the viewer?
2#: Yes you are right, that head needs more work. In the photo used in the other one, actually has me leaning against a door opening.
Loking forward to see more work on that environment.
Its all very I, Robot so far...

@ Petruska:
How long did you spend on that watercoloured sketch? I like the simple, subdued colour, but the right lower arm is too thick, and the left hand could have done with some more attention. Also her chest seems a little flat, for such a deep cleavage.

Missed yesterday, as I spend my time looking at beautiful girls, and socializing instead.
Heres a sunday char - not my best, but hey it's sunday night, and I'm out of time.

**Greywoods** · February 15th, 2009, 06:14 PM

willl edit

**Genius_Malignus** · February 16th, 2009, 09:55 AM

@ Greywoods: It's looking sligtly less like a poster, now that you've cropped it. It could still be a commercial for a really hip coffee shop (or teahouse).

Today some figure doodles.

**munkes** · February 16th, 2009, 05:26 PM

@ Greywoods: Thanks! I'm glad you like my robot concept. I didn't steal anything or use any refs. I just wanted to play with materials.

I like your "poster" pic. I think you should give the pinkness in her face another value. I like the brush you've been using, but I think you've over-used it on the jacket.

@ Genius Malignus: Thanks! I understand why you're worried. This design is what I wanted to do from the beginning. The thumbnails were more or less to please our director but of course also to experiment. My latest robot design started as a thumbnail, and I should probably have made a few more of those. But I've redesigned it as the painting progressed, and I'm gonna change the design even more.
It turns its back to the viewer because it's a 3rd person racing game, and the back is the most seen side of it. I'll make a drawing of it from the front later, of course.

Your creature concept is not that bad at all. It needs some work with values and symmetry though. And I'm not sure how it walks with those feet.

Again your figure doodles are pretty good. I'm looking forward to see you use the skills you acquire through these exercises in an actual painting.

Here's the (almost) finished tunnel concept. There's supposed to be some ventilators on the other side of the two grids, but I have a lot more to draw today, so I can't be bothered with it now.
The reason why it's all so polished is that I intent to use it for a screen test with the GUI on it.
The entire level is not going to look like this. This is the "nicest" it's gonna look.

**Greywoods** · February 16th, 2009, 06:43 PM

GM: I like your sunday char, looks like slaanesh raped some tyrnids (or the other way around).

GM: Good, studies again. : ))

Munkes: First I was like woah! then I was more like meh. :U sorry.
That red line is really good. The bars are kinda meh. Kinda outta place.
Anyways keep going.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 17th, 2009, 11:30 AM

@ Munkes:
Thanks.
Regarding the robot; remember that the more you go into detail, the harder it will be to make major changes. It will at the very least require much work (= time).
You are right about my creature.

I'm not sure how it walks with those feet.

Don't worry about it.

I'm looking forward to see you use the skills you acquire through these exercises in an actual painting.

So am I =)

I understand your motivations for polishing the environment concept, and I think it works well. But like mr. G, I think those grilles/bars look a bit out of place. The lights, though simple, work well as sorces of the cold flourescent light.
Lets see some more environment - something contrasting would be nice.

@ Greywoods:
Thanks.
There are some good faces on the first one - expressive., with very protruding chins. I'm not sure I get the comic sketch. Why is she stupid dreaming about that guy? Did she take too many happy pills? And did you use your own photo?

Heres the start of a painting. A girl from the school.

Edit: I just couldn't help myself =)

**munkes** · February 17th, 2009, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Genius_Malignus

I'm not sure I get the comic sketch. Why is she stupid dreaming about that guy? Did she take too many happy pills? And did you use your own photo?

Greywoods and Genius Malignus: Thanks for the crits on my environment. I fixed it now.

I wish

Not that Greywoods isn't hot, but this is Edward Cullens! I don't think I've ever heard of anyone sexier or more romantic than him. Of course he's fictional...
Greywoods is making fun of Petruska and I because we have the hots for Edward Cullens from Twilight aka Robert Pattinson (photo). And yeah, we´re way too old for Twilight, but we don't care

@ Greywoods: I agree with Genius Malignus, pretty high quality head sketches.

@ Genius Malignus: Your right about how it's not a good idea to go into detail too quickly. I'll have to work with that. Later this evening I hope to add some quick environment concepts to this post.

Here's the finished, polished environment for now.

EDIT: Lol @ the poster GM XD

**Greywoods** · February 17th, 2009, 06:28 PM

GM: Hey, dawg, no that's not me, I am in fact better looking that this smug piece of fuck. Adonis - that's me!

Yay, a portrait

I thought asians had small noses. Also I think you made the teeth a little scary. Kinda pointless crits for a wip, though. Hehe, the folds around the upper lip seem really deep.

Haha nice font on that "poster". Who the devil is this eponymous person? >:U

M: Hmm, thanks for explaining the -

I wish

- WHAT!?
I've already given you crits for that drawings irl.

**Tabu** · February 18th, 2009, 06:06 AM

Wagh... after a bit of a too long reak, I present to you.. drawings that would have never seen the light of day.. if it wasent for this thread

**Greywoods** · February 18th, 2009, 04:56 PM

will write some more latah.

All these are made with reference.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 19th, 2009, 07:10 AM

@ Munkes/Greywoods:
Twilight omg... read the first chapter when I was about 14, and had to throw the book away, because of overwhelming nausea... You girls should read Brian Lumley's Necroscope instead - now THATs a proper vampire novel!

Those fans are better than the bars, btw.

@ Greywoods: there are obviously many things that needs working on in my painting - the nose being a big one (haha).
Interesting sketch for the fish piece... is that panties on her head? Her right upper arm seems slightly to long...

@ Tabu: Its always nice to see you post - you should try to do it, with a bit more regularity. Keep working dude! Being consistent with your efforts WILL make you improve.
Did you make that GUI? I would have liked to see it a bit bigger - it looks really good! Totally pro dude... I'm a little afraid that the white, will have a tendency to blend in with the BG, in those clean, light areas.

@ Greywoods: Have you been reading the book?

Those look slightly more conventional, and slightly less Bengal than usual... Overall good proportions and adherence to a uniform style.

Heres from yesterday and today.

**munkes** · February 19th, 2009, 07:29 PM

@ Greywoods: 1) I think you should exaggerate the entangled woman's pose and emphasize that she's getting pulled by making her sway *a lot* more.

2) Good sketches. Somewhat clean and pretty confident.

@ Tabu: Good to have you back in the thread

I especially like your sea creatures. Is the portrait of the woman supposed to be Cate Blanchett? Her mouth looks very good.
Nice work with the GUI

@ Genius Malignus: Nice sketches (I'm getting tired of this sentence, but they ARE some nice sketches). Especially the two full-figure-girls.

Here's some of those sketches I've been working on the last couple of days. The two character sketches are from today (I haven't been nearly as productive today as I hoped I would). It's some concept ideas for some of the bad guys, but they're not gonna end up looking like any of these. The designs are just too weak. I'll nail them tomorrow instead.
Edit: The three top thumbnail environments (not including "?") are partly paintovers. I'd like to change those thumbnails when I have time.

**Genius_Malignus** · February 20th, 2009, 11:43 AM

@ Munkes: Thank you.
I think those environment thumbs are pretty good. Especially the paintovers. Good colours, values and lighting. Loose and fresh. Made me a bit envious actually!
And those robots are not half bad. I think they are pretty well proportioned. Good stance/pose. Obviously you need to work more on the design - but it's a good start.
You have been operating at a slightly higher level, lately, and that is a great motivator!

Today some sketches of characters, from one of my favourite 2d fighting games - Garou Mark of the Wolves. The other one is two semi-crappy environment thumbs I did, inspired by Munkes work.