X@v.'s Sketchbook. Environments...everyday.

[X@v.]

Hi everyone!

I am 24 years old and work in 3D architecture.

i have not drawing in a big while, i am ashamed of that.
So it is time to start over, and keep it coming this time!

That's why i chose to start a sketchbook here, to help myself to keep up with the motivation, everyday.

This will be an environment concept/illustration oriented sketchbook, even if i will draw some figures time to time i guess, because i am in LOVE with environment design and all these sweet things.

I intend to do the following, on a regular basis :
Composition doodles
Perspective routine
Color/lighting sketch studies
From life/photography studies
Copying some old and venerable dead (or not so dead) masters

I am shy about all this, cos i am not good or nothing in drawin, but i ll get over it, no better way to progress than getting critics from others.

So every idea/critic/comment will be more than welcome, do not hesitate to be harsh if you feel so, and drawing over my stuff is ok!

Let's get started...

Yesterday and today's doodling (some color things will come later):

[Farvus]

I dig the thumbnails and stuff on your website. Sketchbook part of the forum is not about showing how good you are. Progress is much more inspiring for people here . Maybe you didn't draw for longer time but it's clear that you already got eye for composition. That's essential for environments.

My main suggestion would be to tighten the hatching lines in your thumnbails beacause when they are very loose they don't read as flat tone anymore. Other way would be to buy some grayscale markers so that you can put big flat shapes without much rendering. Cheaper solution I found recently would be black watercolor pencil (+ waterproof ink for lines). Of course thumbnails are mainly for yourself but some clarity would also help you in the process.

Cheers.

[X@v.]

Thank you for such advices, i will sure do it, pencils, or markers, but make it more readable it s sure a good advice.

I was thinking about doodling digitally, but i feel that nothing is better for me to keep some real contact with the thing, perhaps i am wrong, that s just how i feel, so i guess it s ok to do it like that.

[LtPlissken]

Oh, enviromental designs. Cool, I have to try it for my self one day.

[Farvus]

I was thinking about doodling digitally, but i feel that nothing is better for me to keep some real contact with the thing, perhaps i am wrong, that s just how i feel, so i guess it s ok to do it like that.

It's completely fine. Besides you can take your sketchbook everywhere and do some thumbnails when you get some sudden inspiration .

[burialchamber]

COOL, what you're doing here with the enviro stuff is something I've been really interested in lately. I'm going to subscribe to this!

[X@v.]

Some Value studies, references found on google randomly,

NO color picking or that would be useless, when it s finished though ,sometime, i compare them by color picking to see where i was wrong and try to learn from it, but i don t change it.

I have found easier to start with value studies in gray, colors are too distributing sometime. but i have to do both.

PS:For those who are, like me, in the process of learning, i found very useful the fact of mid-closing your eyes when you try to catch shapes of different values,and connect as much shadow-areas as possible will make the stuff stronger. Now perhaps i am saying really wrong things, in such case i would like to be corrected by pros

(btw, sorry if my english is weird.)

[Khalo]

Your compositions are both wonderful and truly inspiring. I definitely hope to see more soon.

[X@v.]

2H sketch.

okay, spheres are not amazing designs lol, was focusing on composition, colors and lighting.

BTW, how can i select which picture will be my sketchbook thumbnail ?

[Demodeus]

The first thing you attach with the attachment manager to the first post in the thread is taken as the thumbnail.

[X@v.]

mhhh.too busy, didn t have the time for a color drawing, i will try to make two tomorrow, with research and all.

Anyway! Today's 1-2 minutes doodles. with markers as Farvus suggested me
(lot of fun these one, faber castel 6 pitt artist pen, shade of grey and for the line work prismacolor 08, tria paper...for those who cares.)

And some brush testing, still have a lot of problem painting rocks...

[X@v.]

hey, i don't really like the final...

i don t know why, i think it s too badly rendered to look clean, and in the mean time not loos enough to be enjoyable.

and it s kinda flat too.

ah...anyway, next one will do better! nah!

[X@v.]

45 minute speedie.

kind of a swamp, playing around with brushes.

[theories]

daaang! awesome environments, keep it up!

[X@v.]

@theoris : Thx mate!

[Two Listen]

This is a cool sketchbook. I can see a lot of my own ideas and tests here and there, I'll try to keep a watch over it.

What size are you painting these at initially, may I ask?

[X@v.]

@ Two Listen : Hey, thanks, 1000px wide for the speed painting.

and yeah, i guess we all start with the same kind of test, basic and archetypal most of the time, sadly... i believe after some practice, technical issues stop being a problem and we can get to real creativity. hope so.

[eparts]

your last cave sketch there looks great. your latest sketch with the dam there looks impressive, but feels a bit monochromatic - you could have used more of the colds to pop things out

[X@v.]

@ eparts : thanks, you are right it is too monochromatic, so i just did an other one taking good care of bringing different colors at the all start of the process, to avoid muted color range, hope it shows...

[X@v.]

I have been mixing some old sketches together with blending mode before starting the painting, funny. then just played around

(do not watch the messed up perspective, i didn't care )

[X@v.]

is it cold in there?

[artistcaleb]

Really great work man!

[shamandalie]

Wow, those speed paintings are really good. You captured the mood quite beautifully. Keep it going!

[theories]

still awesome! i love your colours schemes, and thanks again for checking out my sketchbook : D

[Jaytea]

gosh, I really adore the atmosphere of your enviros, especially the brushwork.
You have very pretty gorgeous works, looking forward to more! :]

[X@v.]

@artistcaleb : THX!

@Shamandalie : Thank you, i will, i will!

@Theories : Yeah, colors are really important, i try to work on that each time, thanks, and you re welcome

@Jaytea : thanks dude, i appreciate.

[X@v.]

1hr.

Pretty calm...

[Rolo]

DAMN. I LOVE YOUR STUFF. Instantly I fell in love. I love environments too!! Love them!! I'll most deff be watching you! I'm glad that I clicked on this sketchbook before deciding to go to sleep!!

Those environments are great!! I'd love to get into environments myself, I don't know where to start though,and how!!!

Keep them coming, when I decide to start me drawing again I'll most definitely love to learn from you, so keep em coming!

[X@v.]

@Rolo : thanks, actually you might want to take a look to better artists from whom you could learn a lot just by looking really closely their work. but as soon as i am learning myself you can keep following my stuff, it can help keeping motivation.

You should start drawing again, as soon as possible, you have to go through it, the first part hurt, then you start enjoying.

and check your private messages.

[X@v.]

1hr.

The ship is really not cool, i re worked it and it never get better