Newbie scratchings

[Jay Dee]

Hi there!
I've been kicking around here for a couple of years and finally decided its time to share my scribblings.

I don't really have any skill, just a passion and have been drawing inconsistently since 2006.

Over my time here I've enjoyed watching the progress of several artists - so I've decided to start from the beginning for comparison, enjoy!

Jay

[Jay Dee]

First is 2008 going onto 2009 vintage, I really am erratic.

[Jay Dee]

Think these were done July last year, catching up.

[Jay Dee]

A splash of imagination - shame about the execution

[Falling Up]

It's a good start. I think you really need to watch how your linework is unfolding. It looks like you have a very firm grip on your pencil, or that you are trying to draw like you are writing. Have looser, more flowing lines. A tip there is to hold the pencil further back so that there is more distance from your hand to the tip. This will give more looser lines.

Your anatomy needs some work, but it's good you have started there. You must watch the porportions of each section of the body. Huge, round muscles wont look realistic without form.

[Jay Dee]

February this year, maybe March...

Some work from a book I got for christmas, 'Fantasy art for beginners' (does that count as cheating?) more studies and some WWII stuff, I think thats meant to be a Chruchill Tank.

[Jay Dee]

About a month ago - I had to stop drawing alot due to wrist injury but managed to do a bit.

[Jay Dee]

Up to date, yay!
I got bored of the mannikin and wanted to draw something with more substance. All are referenced from somewhere, I found the models on fineart.sk which was handy and the medusa is taken from one of my books 'Fantasy art workshop' by John Howe and is my favourite.

The Chun-li was referenced was another artist,who I give thanks to, I enjoyed doing it alot.

[Eric-Anthony]

good start. i like that you try to work on shadows/form and perspective. keep drawing and drawing ..

[fernandoart]

Great work on your studies..., but when you're working from imagination, I believe your forgetting to draw a basic skeleton, sketching the gesture and proportion of your characters... you could try to do that, it'll help you get better results when working from imagination...

Keep the hard work coming, and you'll get better in no time!

[Jay Dee]

Wow, thats great! I didn't expect any responses so soon so some thanks are in order.

Falling Up:It has been a problem not having any prior teaching and one that I didn't notice. I have checked what i'm doing when holding my pencil now and things seems to be better, be we'll see eh? Oh, and get yourself a SB

Eric-Anthony: Thanks man, it might be alot to take in at this stage but I find it immense fun! Ah, checked out your SB, some beautifull digital images happening there. You've got talent boy!

fernandoart: Cheers chap, its one of the things I took from my time looking around here was the loomis stuff. Your right, I don't draw a skeleton as its just a concept piece and I don't consider myself good enough for a wicked outcome I just whip it out and if I like it re-do it in the future, but I should give my characters some structure. Moseyed over to your SB earlier and you have a very interesting style - i'm sure i've seen someone with a similar style but I can't put my finger on where. Very cool.

[Jay Dee]

Quickish and first self portrait since primary school, it bears.....some resemblance.
Head looks too wide, bleh

[Sprech4]

Your linework's really improved since the start of the thread! You're starting to get a better grasp of anatomy in your studies, but it feels like it's falling short in your character sketches. That's when you really gotta build off of that underlying structure, because you don't have that life reference to help you along when you're drawing out of your head. You've got a great start, though. And if it counts for anything, I love your cat with the hat. (:

[Jay Dee]

Sprechy Thanks, that really means alot! They are missing a certain 'Joie de vivre'. I think judging on what people have said and my current work, studies is the way forward - my beloved Epson photo 700's just come out of surgery and i've managed to print off some of loomis's figure drawing so I'll work from that.
Oh and the cat, yeah he was a cool concept! maybe a little bit cheeky, little bit gangsta, I'll develop him later on and maybe give him a gang.

[Jay Dee]

More updates!

Unfinished character study to make way for loomis studies.

[Jay Dee]

A few imagination studies and a couple of portraits to keep things fresh

[Jay Dee]

Hey guys and girls, got another update for you.

First off I have to say thanks to everyone visiting this thread - hopefully one day I can give you something worth looking at.
Also sorry I havn't been more vocally active, I've been looking at peoples sketchbooks and then get distracted by even more! Plus the thread what does everyone look like has now kept me busy, that thing is almost older than time itself and full of classic banter. I'll post in that soon.
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...=2728&page=175

So, I've got a portrait with some dodgy proportions, I think her eyes are too small and slightly in the wrong place hmmm and maybe her nose is too small - she just wasn't meant to be.

A Spitfire! I think the wings are out plus the viepoint on the horizon isn't taken into account...hmm

Some studies, an outdoor drawing of my pumpkins (very tricky) that didn't come across too well and a bust study from loomis.

[LtPlissken]

You went through a nice study process above,
but why did you gave up on this sketchbook man?

[Jay Dee]

Hmmmmm.......

Turns out, updating is something you either stick to or not, and I apparently suck at it

Plissken Hey man, thanks for dropping by. Your always a very active member of this community and I applaud you for it.
Well I guess anatomy is the key and I learn from loomis and ref, mixed with whatever my interests are or I feel like drawing at the time, its all about having fun whilst learning, isn't it?

[Jay Dee]

So about last time we met, I stopped drawing until about this month....which was unfortunate.
But, i'm back again to show you where i am in my sketchbook:

[Jay Dee]

New sketchbook coming!

Been a few years since I drew Sonic and Tails, can't say I like the Sonic X style, i'm all about the old school baby!
Old school Master Chief (concept)
Bit of Batman, Keaton style

and apart from the taunting irregularities in my faces the flatcaped farmer can burn in hell, he had all kinds of wrong, my bad.

[cgaddict]

Lots of work here, great to see you're so motivated. I think you should just concentrate strictly on the basics for now, get comfortable with drawing simple shapes and thinking in three dimensions; This will make the anatomy studies much easier for you and you'll get much better results. Keep working hard!

[LtPlissken]

Yes man! A big collection of great studies, you
mixed in everything. You made my day, I am happy because of
this. I just cannot believe that you can do such a huge amount
of drawing in such a short time. Slow down a bit, cause you
will become awesome too quick.

[Jay Dee]

More for the slaughter.

I've been getting very frustrated lately, not so much with drawing or painting but just in general and in turn its affecting my output which is annoying me greatly. I've seen many people hit frustration but this is related to something else, ah well it'll work out I guess.

LtPlissken - Hey buddy I was just sitting down thinking I didn't write a reply, how damned rude of me. Ha, your enthusiasm always raises a smile. I'm just trying to keep up with you been dropping by now and then and full of crazy as usual.

cgaddict - Thanks Mr addict, 3d is a place I need to go I guess its something I have to work on, you still keeping up those crazy amount of studies? Now THATS dedication.

Anyway, onwards!

[Jay Dee]

Been doing portraits of people (minus the shading), I feel it gives me a good sense of a few things using lessons I've learnt from Loomis (hopefully!)

Was watching the Matrix and drew a Pokemon

Always been a watercolour man myself, but oils have interested me, I usually study the subject generally so I don't jump straight in without knowing whats going on but I just went for it to see what they were like.

[shiNIN]

Hey, what happened? Starting with the man from front view, your faces are WAY better. They have character, there are very well readable expressions on their faces and there aren't screaming flaws... Keep it up!
The studies are the right way to do as well... (erm forgive my English right now) Good

[Jay Dee]

shiNIN - Its the mathartical genius come to visit!
Yeah really trying to work in some expressions, its really hard with the eyes sometimes when the slightest line being out of place throwing off what the reference picture is showing but I have been spending more time on them which I think is better than whipping out a load of poorly done copies.

[golden_butterfly]

You're improving so much!^^ one suggestion i can make would be to shade in the lips a bit more instead of outlining them with. Keep practising!

[Jay Dee]

golden_butterfly - Thanks a lot, coming back to my sketchbook and reading your comment/looking at my work has me agreeing with you . I generally draw the outline of the features first and on the last drawing I shaded looks like I didn't quite get the tone right, and still have a way to go but hopefully I've improved upon that.


Sooo, looks like I haven't updated in a while, which is a shame but I guess I think maybe my work is just a bit crap to show? Who knows.
On a personal note, I have started to learn to drive which is great for me living in a rural place, and this mornings lesson felt like it was all coming together until you make a simple mistake then it all falls apart like an African mud hut.

Anyways, I'm rambling, onwards with the uploading!

[Naidy]

Hey mate, some really good stuff so far. On the last few portraits I think it'd be great if you revisited them and shaded them in. I always have a habit of making everything linear myself, but if you ever want to understand all the bumps and dents in a face you have to take that extra time to render it.

Other than that you're making good progress, keep up the good work.