Okazu. . .

[Chas]

O.K. well here goes nothing.
So I just registered here a few months ago and posted some stuff up in the crit centre where I got some very useful crits which helped me push myself further than was comfortable and the pieces I was working on turned into some of the best work I've done, so thanks C.A.
Other than that I've been scoping out the rest of the site and regularly picking my jaw up off the floor. You folks in here make me want to be better. I can't say enough about how inspiring it all is. Thank you all for putting yourselves out there so that I can learn form your work and experience.



Well enough talk on to the pics.
These are posted from earliest to most recent. ( Oh yeah as it is a hobby I don't get to draw as much as most folks on here so I may not update all that often.

ref'd from a photo mag. graphite on paper

some hand studdies

Portrait of my buddy Jim graphite and conte on Illustration board

Some ref'd figure studies trying to get away from using a smudge stick - teaching myself how to use the pencil to create tonal changes - So far to go!

non ref'd figure - did all the construction stuff but it got to messy so I had to trace from the outline - not good- line work is shite!


Portrait of my sister-in-law and her new husband graphite&conte on illustration board. (this one should come before the figure studies.

[FourTonMantis]

I love this stuff. Your use of subtractive highlighting is beautiful.

[Chas]

Thanks. It's the only way I know how to do highlights with graphite. Are there more? do tell.
After looking through some more of the work here I realize that I need to start working bigger - All of these pieces are 9"X12" - gotta go buy myself a big pad and maybe some charcoal pencils too.

[George Abraham]

What is "subtractive highlighting"

I like a man that has his priorities straight.

[Chas]

Well as I've stated I don't have a formal background in this stuff, but I assumed that subtractive highlighting refers to the technique of removing graphite from the image with a kneadable gum eraser thus creating a highlight .

[FourTonMantis]

Well as I've stated I don't have a formal background in this stuff, but I assumed that subtractive highlighting refers to the technique of removing graphite from the image with a kneadable gum eraser thus creating a highlight .

I don't have any real formal training either (I'm only a freshman in college mang) but it seemed like a good descriptive term to me.

[Chas]

Small update here. I got a new Moleskine from my wife. She wanted a notebook, but accidentally picked up a watercolour book by accident, so she asked if I wanted it as the paper was too toothy for her. I said yeah 'cus I've wanted a small portable sketchbook for a while now. I'm not sure though 'cus the paper is pretty coarse. Here's a elf portrait I'm almost done fiddling with what do you folks think? any ideas as to how to make the best of this paper for sketching?

[ccsears]

i like the pencil stuff you've got going on so far.

if you want to make use of the watercolor moleskine, why not change direction and do some watercolor sketches? i don't mean get a full palette or anything though. at first, just buy one tube of GOOD quality watercolor--something like venetian red, or burnt umber, or sepia. and then find a suitable tiny container-- altoids mint boxes work well, but they also tend to rust.--something that size with a lid would be perfect.

just squeeze out a small pile of the paint and let it dry and stick to the surface of the container. then all you need to do is do a line drawing and then do a couple of monochrome washes. i think it would help improve your drawing by giving you a chance to focus on line for a while instead of rendering full value with the pencil.

**GOOD quality is important for the watercolors. if you buy cheap stuff, they don't re-wet nicely after they;ve dried. believe me, i've wasted a lot of money fighting with them...

[Chas]

OH My GOD! It is so weird that you just posted in my sketchbook Chris. I spent a good 2 -3 hours last night reading through yours and fell asleep only to wake up this morning and continue where I left off. Now I'm going through you SB and your mentoring stuff.
(O.K. Sally Field voice on) " You like MY pencils? You really like my pencils?" (Sally Field voice off) Wow I'm totally flattered - Thanks.
As for the watercolour suggestion. I have been really hesitant to try painting as I don't know anything about it (any kind of painting - never done any - well outside of primary school that is) plus I don't really know anything about colour theory. So I've always been a little afraid of it.
That being said I found a pack of twelve Reeves watercolour tubes in the art supply closet here at the house (I think they belonged to my brother-in-law from when he was putting together his portfolio to get into architecture a couple of years ago) and decided to have a go. This is still at the under painting stage but I'm kind of liking it. It's from a photo I took when I was in living in Seoul S.Korea, it's the part of the royal palace complex Gyeongbokgung.
I like the idea of the washes too I'll have to try that out. I was thinking of starting to use my set of warm gray Prismacolour markers for tonal variations and a black conte pencil for the lines.

[Chas]

O.K. guess I should update this thing, although I haven;t actually finished all that much well anyway here we go.

A really bad nude I did trying out my prismacolor markers - used too many should have stuck with three


a couple of pages of some mediocre (sp?)
Hogarth studies


An unfinished portrait that probably won't get finished.

An update on that watercolour I posted earlier (probably as finished as it wil get.

Another attempt at using watercolour (probably won't be making another for a while - I'm sure you can see why)


Some friends from Seoul and tokyo ( think I'll do more of these I like 'em - even though I f'd up the faces)

[lexxx]

i really like your rendering with the pencil stuff. your watercolors seem a bit flat, though, which may be intentional. you may want to push some of the lights and darks though.

[sandeepbarot]

amazing!

[sevarenge]

nice man kip it upp! sorry for the englich


my sketchbook:http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=149972

[sevarenge]

nice and thanks i haw updeited my skechbook schekit!=)

[voxmortem]

im fan of pencils and i really like effects you create using them. lovely shadings very natural from noobs point of view

[sevarenge]

neuw updeit man seck it aout!

my sb:http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=149972

[jNeumann]

Hey Okatsu,
I really like your work man. Great light/dark contrast and good lines as well.
You should keep at the watercolor paintings, they look good...at least to me : P

[CTomlin]

Hey thanks for the critique on my sb, thought I'd stop by. Man, totally I thought there was something wrong but I could never pinpoint it, and it always felt like hit or miss, so thanks so much for stopping by the thread, time to study study!

On your stuff: I simply love the personality of the characters, you really nailed it.

[dierat]

Your figures are great; keep posting!

[LordLouis]

Oh my god, your stuff is good. I'm glad you found your way back to Ca.
Updates please!!!

[Chas]

Thanks s lot L.L. Sorry this took so long. Don't get much time to draw nowadays, but here is some recent stuff.
A portrait of Lefran from the Draw From What Does Everyone Look Like thread. A couple of unfinished Bougereaus, and a guy - also unfinished.

[ozark]

You've taken the use of line and tone to a whole another level. I demand moar.