Menjah's plethora of crappy drawings :D

[menjah]

I know it's crap but it's something I've never really drawn before...

[menjah]

Oh gawd they are so bad but I feel like I have to upload them because this is my art journal XD

Um, 90 second sketches from posemaniacs, first attempts EVARRRR >.>
I can't look at them anymore

[p sage]

Good start! Now keep it going!

[menjah]

Thank you! I know they're really bad but I need to get drawing faster! I wind up spending way too long sketching intricate details in things whilst not looking at the big picture, and I like the way the sort of gestural lines direct my drawings, even if my anatomy is currently completely crap (in 90 seconds anyways XP) But these are the kind of things I could do pages and pages of and not get tired

[menjah]

I did these throughout the day yesterday, including one that I'm proud of but can't show you D:

[img]http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/268/2/3/Posemaniacs_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
[/img]




The only reason I uploaded this one is because it made me happy XD I was all makin sound effects in my head with EPIC SCUBA BATTLEEEEE and was like PSSSHHH BOOOM OHNO SEAL THE HATCHES LADDYYY ololololol feeling like a kid for five minutes was awesome

[menjah]

Posemaniacs warmup from this morning... I think I've kind of got a hang of the 90 second sketches now

[menjah]

Done also this morning... maybe, an hour? I wasn't really paying attention.
Basically did it cuz everyone else was, wanted a benchmark to see how much better I am in like a year when I do one again ^_^

[strange1900]

You certainly have impressive 'crap' XD the quick sketches look particularly good.

[Dethklaus]

Your imagination and attention to detail is awesome! The simplified, goofy facial expressions on the detailed sketches are pretty funny, too.
That, and I must say: if your work is "crap", then my work is something too hideous and horrible to name, haha.

[menjah]

strange1900 - hahaha, thank you XD
Dethklaus - I hope you're kidding, your stuff is incomparably better than mine D:

[menjah]

I did these from friday to monday

[menjah]

[mr-roi]

Hey hey, cool stuff.

However, looking at the new posemaniacs stuff, the heads look way too small, in proportion to the bodies. Also some of the woman look like total hourglasses XD It looks a bit wrong. Just use a more constant thickness, I guess.

Cool nudes, now just make clothed versions =P

Oh, and your stuff is still awesome.

[DefiledVisions]

I saw a sketchbook with a dragon and thought I'd check it out and what a surprise haha! Geting to be an inspiration is probably the greatest compliment in the world! thanks man.
I hope you keep pushing it.. you seem to be at the point where you'll improve most from just keeping on drawing without focusing on anything special. I suggest you give your lines some more consideration, try to use fewer when doing those posemaniacs, there's no need to rush things. I see you build curves with many smaller strokes, try to consider them more carefuly. Making that same curve with 1 or 2 strokes brings so much more flow and confidence to the piece

And also your crosshatching is looking great, just keep on shading that way and you'll get into it. Also there try to be more careful with them, the way you lay them gives the piece a flat look, like in the sea battle piece. The crosshatching in the waves could be done followin their shapes and give much more movement and feeling of space to the waves.
Keep working it man! cheers.

[The-Mentat]

Nice start. I remember myself drawing all the time when I was bored in high school as well (and that was often)). Keep doing those anatomy studies and keep drawing stuff from life, whenever and whatever you can. Your Posemaniacs drawings are looking much nicer than my first ones. Keep on going!

[menjah]

yes I know the mouth looks retarded

[liquidjack]

Nice studies. Your last pic looks good. Make sure you flesh out basic shapes before detail. Detail all you want but get the structure right.

[menjah]

@mr-roi: Hey buddy welcome to the site!

@DefiledVisions: OMFG ITS YOU
I really love the way you draw, even in your very first sketchbook I still love it XD Your strokes are so lively and perfect... I wish I could draw like that
Believe it or not I copied your particular method of drawing and it helped me get like a billion and one times better at drawing dragons in a day =D (Not that's saying too much though)
Also, thanks so much for the advice! I will try to do that more, but it is very difficult to me for some reason... I can never get it right the first time around, maybe I should try to think more of the stroke I want to do before doing it rather than just guessing and hope I get the right one.
To tell you the truth I think I'm in the habit of drawing like that because for the longest time I just drew those marvel-tutorial ball and stick figures, which were very static-looking, and I never really improved and got used to isometric perfect 3d shapes and lost the artistic flow that you seem to have. Even when your sketchbooks have faces and such that are disproportionate I still like them because it shows that you're having fun with it, something I would like to be able to do. art is not fun to me anymore because what I do is too structured and not just an outlet for imagination, but I hope to change that by trying new styles and finding one that rejuvenates my creativity. =)
As for me, one day I hope I could get as good as you, I just hope it's not an unrealistic goal... I have always had this fear of hitting a wall in my drawing ability and never being able to improve, because of a lack of talent or something... I hope not but oh well I will try anyways

[menjah]

@flameseeker: Thank you for the advice! I will make sure I keep at it and try to make my lines more succinct and flow-y

@liquidjack: Yes I agree, it is much easier to do it that way, but sometimes when I try and draw from life it is difficult to extract the simpler shapes from the more complex ones, so things can get disproportionate especially on things with fur

[p sage]

Hay mang that mouth looks reta--

yes I know the mouth looks retarded

Crap. Sorry.

[DefiledVisions]

@mr-roi: Hey buddy welcome to the site!

@DefiledVisions: OMFG ITS YOU
I really love the way you draw, even in your very first sketchbook I still love it XD Your strokes are so lively and perfect... I wish I could draw like that
Believe it or not I copied your particular method of drawing and it helped me get like a billion and one times better at drawing dragons in a day =D (Not that's saying too much though)
Also, thanks so much for the advice! I will try to do that more, but it is very difficult to me for some reason... I can never get it right the first time around, maybe I should try to think more of the stroke I want to do before doing it rather than just guessing and hope I get the right one.
To tell you the truth I think I'm in the habit of drawing like that because for the longest time I just drew those marvel-tutorial ball and stick figures, which were very static-looking, and I never really improved and got used to isometric perfect 3d shapes and lost the artistic flow that you seem to have. Even when your sketchbooks have faces and such that are disproportionate I still like them because it shows that you're having fun with it, something I would like to be able to do. art is not fun to me anymore because what I do is too structured and not just an outlet for imagination, but I hope to change that by trying new styles and finding one that rejuvenates my creativity. =)
As for me, one day I hope I could get as good as you, I just hope it's not an unrealistic goal... I have always had this fear of hitting a wall in my drawing ability and never being able to improve, because of a lack of talent or something... I hope not but oh well I will try anyways

now now..
Thanks a lot man! you have no idea how much it means.. I remember when I started my first SB and was like, holy shi.. look at all the pro's around here, damn I wish I was that good.. i'll never get that good - not that it'll stop me from trying. When looking back things really have changed.
You will definitely be able to draw like me.. hell I wish I'll be able to draw like DanielC, and guess what.. I copy his way of doing things too

You say it sounds unrealistic.. I say thats bullshit. There is no such thing as unreal. You would be very suprprised if you knew what a determined individual is capable of.
And it's sort of that fear you have for hitting the wall that holds you back. Let me rephrase it.. You are allways hiting the wall. When ever you lift up the pencil and think about doing something with it there's a huge wall flying towards your face welcome that wall and say ima climb ya! (or something lol). Every time you acomplish something is when the wall hit you and you rose back up.. thats the way I see it.

For the longest time I was afraid of failing and loosing creativity. And yes, loosing creativity is something we all fight with all the time. Some times one just needs a break.. the great thing about art is that it's a very subconscous process too. You might feel guilty for not drawing when you could, but within you there's really stuff going on. Once you have enough confidence to trust your intution you'll reach whole other levels. It won't happen if you stop walking the road though.. there is no such thing as a free ride to the end of the road, though there are many ways leading to the end and they all cross each other. Be happy that there are so many choices out there and.. holy shit this got really philosophic. I'm sorry.. I study philosophy now and lately my mind has really goten into the part of thinking
What I was saying is that a break is good now and then to let things sink in, and that you could go around for days and wait for "that special idea" to pop up... though that wouldn't do any good because intuition is allways there, it can't be forced. As long as you draw you give intuition a chance to show itself.. sitting around doing nothing makes it a lot harder.

Hope this made sense, it's all up to you - enjoy it! For now I'd just say keep on drawing! In the end we'll all be DanielC's

[menjah]

@P Sage: hahahaha I know rite??? I tried to redraw it like 4 times, got mad and decided to anger leave, I just want to erase it since the rest of it is good but the nose and mouth is like MUURRR I AM STUPID LOOKING PLEASE NOTICE ME MURRR

@DefiledVisions: Yay! That made me happy XD But um yeah I'm glad that you have those times too, cuz sometimes I'll be sitting my chair trying to draw something and everything I draw is crap... it's so annoying when that happens XD
It's not just me yayyy

[Ninjerina]

Hey just "flipped" through your sketchbook. I think you're being abit hard on yourself. Maybe you're not a prodigy but you're still pretty good and for only being 17 and having your ethic to work your ass off I think you'll be alright. Out of the digi sketches my fave was prob the portrait of the metal guy. The octopus one is really cool too, I'm going through this whole cephalopod phase myself.

[mr-roi]

Lol, thanks.

Yup, the snout is still wrong. I think you should've upped it a bit, and the angle... well, I dunno. Good job on getting the feel of fur, and the eyes are pretty awesome.

[menjah]

Thank you both...
Sorry I haven't posted anything in days D: I've been drawing but I keep erasing everything I do >.<

[menjah]

Last few days, sorry for not uploading more!

[menjah]

[menjah]

[menjah]

Trying the use-less-lines-idiot-liam trick that DV told me about... I think it's working kinda... >.> I did many many more than this but they looked wonky so I erased them to save paper XD

[menjah]

Colored in like 20-30 mins... Yes I know I'm not supposed to use black... It's just a bad habit I guess :/