Keimo's Sketchbook

[Keimo]

New to ConceptArt, but have been on DA a while. Don't particularly have a lot of time for art, but I do try, and I'd like to improve, so here's hoping that posting a sketchbook thread here will help. Don't expect frequent updates, but I'll start off with posting my latest digital. Hope I can get some decent critique please!

Thanks

About, maybe 6 hours on photoshop. Attempted a new painting technique with this in trying to rely less on blending with soft brushes. Not a polished work, but...

Comments muchly appreciated!

Also, if someone wouldn't mind giving me some much needed advice on ConceptArt...that would be great, cause I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. Never really posted on a forum before...>.>'

[abisheridee]

The work that you've done here is beautiful- do more! Don't be disheartened if no one replies to the thread... sometimes your thread will disappear off the page really quickly- this site is crowded at the best of times.

Your image is gorgeous- the colours are lovely and soft too... keep at it !!

[Keimo]

Thanks for that little boost of self-esteem. Haha. ;P

Honestly though, I just haven't had any time to do any art work recently. Been extremely busy doing other things (and getting dragged across the country on trains) to be able to manage any artwork, but as soon as I finish my most recent one, I'll stick that here.

[Keimo]

So, I managed to get this out despite having next to no time to do any art lately. However, just as I was getting into the mood again and finding more time to do art, BAM, Photoshop decides to DIE on me.

Tried everything from deleting preferences to restarting to repairing permissions to unclogging my harddrive but nothing seems to prevent Photoshop from not only being incredibly slow (and the drag is veeeryy annoying) but also, if I'm working on files big enough, it freezes, like clockwork, from anywhere between 30 seconds from opening it to about (if I'm lucky) 2 minutes.

If anyone has any idea what's wrong with my stupid MAC (OSX) or Photoshop (Elements 4.0) then please, I beg you, impart your wisdom upon my obviously thick head.

Either way, photoshop is the bane of my existence. Dratted thing.

Anyway, the last digital work I managed to get out (somewhat incomplete, but I kind of like the 'messy' feel parts of it have) which was inspired by a sodden trek down the dark, woody paths of Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo. (It was absolutely pissing down rain and neither my friend nor I had an umbrella, so it was like we'd taken a dip in a pool). My friend then invented a (spooky) story about how Yuki Onna was going to jump out from behind a tree in the dusk and eat us and then, naturally, we come across a figure in white sitting in the rain on a tree stump very, very still in the distance.

Naturally.

Of course, it was just some random woman sitting in the rain like it's completely normal...o_O?

Yeah, whatever.

So, here is my rather simple attempt at Yuki Onna.



As you can see, I kept switching painting techniques, between rough and smooth. I kind of like the rough effect, but I couldn't get the face right like that, so I defined it more. Any comments are welcome.

Although, before anyone states the obvious...yes, the lighting makes no sense! XD I plead artistic license and the obviously fantastical nature of the piece.

Er...yeah, no excuse, I know. But I couldn't be bothered to fix the lighting after I'd added in the little floating spirits, so....

I also plead a dead photoshop, so....not like I really had much chance to fix things (or add that embroidery onto her kimono like I wanted to...)

[Keimo]

I'm such a liar. No pics for a while my ass.

Actually, photoshop is being relatively decent at the moment. Still has some spazz moments (like just a few hours ago, which lost me an hour's work) but so long as the file isn't too big, it won't die on me (much).

So, wanted to do a quick something for halloween...especially considering I couldn't do anything this year. Not even dress up. First time in 15 years that hasn't happened. ;_;

So here's what I did in exchange.

hope you like (despite its utter crap-ness). Despite being a quick paint...comments on improvement would still very much be appreciated.

XD



Bout 5 hours on Photoshop (plus 1 hour of redo)

[Keimo]

After over a month of absolutely no art activity, the evening of my new found freedom from exam hell I went a bit crazy....I worked on several old works, did some sketching, and then started a completely new piece, attempting a slightly sketchier style and using a lot more chiaroscuro...

It's not done but I worked maybe 3~3.5 hours on it so far and I think it's coming along quite well.

Subject matter? A witch. Again. Sensing a recurring theme? Can't help it, always been fascinated by the concept of 'magic' and 'witches'. This witch is a little less whimsical though and far more...wiccan. More old-school and not so much Halloween commercialism.

Any comments would be welcome, especially on the pose. I'm never quite sure whether my body proportions are correct, because I do everything completely from my imagination and it's so hard to find a pose reference AFTER I've already settled on a made-up pose.

Maybe I should try working the other way around next time. Find a good pose and then use it. XD

[abisheridee]

Gorgeous stuff, really pure

[Keimo]

So I've been artistically dead for a while.

Well, that's not true. I've been painting traditionally, but never managed to finish what I was working on and didn't take any pictures before I got shipped off back to Japan. Now I just have my pencils, paper, and my Wacom tablet to entertain me.

I've got some stuff I've been working on, but I honestly don't have a terrible amount of inspiration at the moment. I'm currently more literary-inspired.

So I figured I'd post one of my older paintings here so you can see that I can actually paint traditionally. And that I am not a slave to the digital world.

Here's a photo I took of a birthday painting for my aunt. She loves wolves and I found out it was her 50th birthday only a few weeks beforehand, so I went out, bought a canvas, found some reference photos, and painted this in about...5 days. This was last spring. So fairly recent-ish.



When I can be bothered to format some of the photoshop stuff I'm working on that's not so terrible I want to hide my head in the sand, I'll put that up as well.

[Keimo]

Yup, I rediscovered Tegaki-e. It's like MS Paint but better because it can control opacity...and I own a Mac XD

Was feeling bored and thought: why not do a sketch? I would have done one in my sketchbook, but that is currently occupied with an ongoing project and I don't want to smudge it by turning the page. Heh.

So, tegaki-e it was.

Reference photo used for the jellyfish, but it was my own, taken at an aquarium. :]

Added random words to make it more blog-like, considering tegakie is kind of a blog...

Figured the colours were interesting though, so here's something to squint at for the time being, while I finish this damn pencil drawing for my friend's birthday....

[Keimo]

One of my WIPs that crashed. Managed to save an image of it, but I dunno when I'll get back to it... It's only half-way done. Or maybe only 1/3rd of the way.

Still, I wanted to try an ocean scene and also a mermaid. I've always loved mermaids so...

Not to mention I have a feeling my little sister will adore it, and she's the only person in my family I have never painted anything for specifically, so I felt it was about time. I know, I'm such a nice sister, right? Haha.

Anyway, here it is:



Used some references. One for the back and arms (which I keep tweaking and still needs some work), the picture of which I took myself of a willing friend who posed for me. Then I just looked at a lot of pictures of rocks and oceans, so no particular reference for those.

[Nibras]

Great work, glad you took the courage and posted here
I see some really great stuff coming out and a good technique.

Try out some studies to improve, just get a better knowledge of skin tones and all but you're doing great. Keep this up and you'll be improving like no one's business

Keep at it and take care

[Keimo]

I definitely have a lack of still-lifes and studies, that's for certain, although I do have some self-portraits, etc... in the works. Unfortunately, away for uni I only have my computer, my tablet, paper and pencil....and I really prefer oils and canvas. But alas it is not to be!

Erm. Anyway, love to take a life drawing class or two, and I know what you mean about skin tone! I've been wrestling with that for years, but I know there's been a definite improvement from my first few attempts *looks back and cringes*. At least they look human now and not like aliens from Pluto XD

Thanks for the encouragement

[Keimo]

Finally decided what the hell and managed to dig up some old pictures I took of my sketchbook from...erm...2007?

Yeah, pretty old. >.< But I'm terrible at taking pictures of things and actually getting them on my computer, and since I don't have a scanner it's the only option I have. Sorry about the poor quality.

So, a few sketches.

First one is of my friend. Sketched it on a plane trip to France and she was half-asleep and I, bored.

Second is my cousin's BB Gun which I held in one hand while I sketched with the other.

Third is just my hands (again) in weird positions. Attempted to improve my hand drawing. Which was all very well and good when it was just in black and white...but try to put it in colours? Oh gods...epic fail





Comments are appreciated, but also remember these sketches are from 2007. *shrugs* Wish I had more recent ones to put up, but my basic sketching technique hasn't much changed so I don't think there would be a marked difference in either style or...er, talent

[Keimo]

Found some new musical inspiration, Florence & The Machine. Absolutely brilliant artist.

3 hour speedpaint in photoshop. Ref. from Deviant Art stock, Dove-Stock.

Tried some new colour mixing strategies and some new painting techniques, let's see whether any of it sticks with me in the long run...

[Keimo]

I like designing clothes - especially fantasy-like clothes. But I can never bring myself to just leave it at a simple design so I always have to paint it in colour and then spend about as much time as I do on the clothes on the face....

This is more of a sketchy speedpaint though. Did a black-pen sketch then coloured over it in photoshop

Did this a month ago. Note to self: actually upload stuff as soon as completed.

[Keimo]

So I forgot about this other painting I did. A traditional one for once. Whee.
A watercolour I did on Halloween. I felt a little festive and childish so I dipped into the watercolours for the first time in...4/5 years? God, it's been ages. Didn't go so bad, all considered. Got a bit carried away with the masking fluid and I sort of failed to draw a proper circle (in my defence I had no compass)... I also used a stock image from Almudena-Stock on Deviant Art "Solitude 2" to help with the pose.

The photo quality is kinda crappy. THe colours are so much more vivid in real life.

[isokarhu]

Good stuff. Your painting is coming along very nicely. My favorite is post #5. I think the bottom of her hand should be shaded darker though, more like under her jaw and behind her ear.
This last watercolor is cool too.
Almost makes me want to pick up traditional paints...
almost

Keep at it

[migs3331]

nice sketchbook ^^ hope to see more..

[Keimo]

Thanks for the encouragements. It's been a while since I last posted, but I was quite busy writing my graduation dissertation and taking my final exams. That's over and done with now and I just need to wait to graduate, so I'm celebrating by trying to improve my art. Doing both traditional and digitial here. I've got a WIP in two steps so far, and I did a watercolour and an oil (though I don't have a pictures of those ones yet). Managed to get a picture of an older oil however, which I worked on over Christmas and I have a wip still-life oil which I worked on over Easter.





Wip Oil Painting: still-life set up at a local art club. I took pictures to continue working on it. Excuse the backdrop. I started off with acrylics and went over it with a thin coating of oils.



Completed (well, relatively) oil painting: used photo reference for the two figures. Invented the background...sort of worked... Colours are MUCH brighter IRL...




That's it for now! I'll try to get pictures of my watercolour and other oil when I can be arsed to do so...

[Keimo]

I'm thinking of doing some studies. Proper studies for once: I've got a French cottage, possible mountain landscape, an interesting outdoor portrait, and some shots of a old-fashioned town bordering a river, but I'm a little short on still-lifes...and animals. Should probably draw more animals too...I'm also thinking I need to work more on different lighting settings as well as reflective surfaces, because those are SUCH a bitch. And hands and feet. Fortunately, I've got a pair of those handy.

I'll post the images when I've got more than just colours and undefinable shapes splashed across a canvas XD

But if anyone pops by with any suggestions on what to 'study' i'd welcome the input. Thanks!

[Keimo]

you know, i swear to god I posted one of my studies but it never showed up. Weird. Anyway, I did another one. Not completely finished of course, but I got further along than the other one.

Anyway, trying to get a feel for outdoor lighting/colours here...that, and I really need to practice my architecture. Took my ages to get even that far on the cottage one, but only took me 2.5 hours to do the one of my sister and it's half-way done >_> Note to self: paint with more variety. Stop obsessing over faces. Oh well.

Study No.1: Cottage at Petit Trianon, Versailles. Reference photo taken by yours truly.

Study No.2: My younger sister several years ago. Again, reference photo taken by me.

[Keimo]

Well, I call this a 'study' because for all intents and purposes, it sort of IS a study...but it's also a gift for my friend. This is her favourite horse, North McQueen (you may or may not have heard of his sire if you follow Japanese racing)

Anyway, oils on canvas. It's taking me some time to get the colours right. I kept having to remix them, as mixing colours on a palette is very different than picking colours digitally...but I think I finally found the right combination of saturation (before it was far too saturated, like a bright orange). I used a surprising amount of white and black and...if you can believe it, BLUE to mix the reddish-brown fur colours. Still working on the nose...need to shift that over a notch, it's a bit off centre. Need to finish the neck and hair and background...and hopefully I will post the finished product sometime tomorrow morning. Maybe.

Apologies for the grainy image. Took the picture on my laptop for lack of an actual working camera at the moment (all packed away in boxes!) So not only is the lighting shit (hey, it's 2am!) but the image is backwards.

[bish0p2004]

Great stuff, I really like the old man and child as well as the girl with the pink hat. The watercolor painting is awesome too.

[Keimo]

Had a crappy internet connection for a while, couldn't upload images. Anyway, did some watercolour practice (didn't get to finish) of a Japanese White-Eye in an...interesting pose...shall we say. Pictures are blurry cause my camera is dead (I keep forgetting to charge it...too much hassle!) so I took them on my laptop again. To be honest the blurriness kind of makes it look better ^^;

Also did some ceramics painting which I didn't get to finish. A mug with little stylised fishies on it XD I'll get a picture of that eventually. Gonna try some more studies when I have the time. For now I've just got this:

[Keimo]

And still painting when I can.

Revamped an old piece and redid the face, etc...I'm pretty pleased with the skin tone...I think I got it a lot more accurate than some of my other attempts... Was going for an old-fashioned portrait style for this one. The body still needs work. Oh anatomy, why you so harrrddd?? Shoulder, neck, etc...fabric too. Hair needs finishing. Her face reminds me of someone, not sure who though. Nose is a little wonky, come to think of it. Well, this is why it's a WIP I guess. Ignore the bad embroidery. That will be replaced.

[Keimo]

Just a lineart sketch this time. Mostly for the sake of concept-design of characters/outfits.

[Keimo]

My journey from poor attempts at landscape/genre painting to semi-decent almost-there results. Sort of. A lot of trial and error in this as I clearly had no idea what I was doing. Worked from a picture but with a bit of creative licence thrown in. I WILL paint the figure...eventually...when I'm satisfied with the landscape.

What I've learned: I hate grass. I hate trees. I hate water.

Grass, close up, is...hard. Still trying to get it right. I may have finally found a good technique, but trying to make it look like grass and yet still keep the slightly rough feel of the painting is bloody driving me up the wall...blegh...Oh well, that's what practice is for...

Trees.... well...sometimes they turn out okay, sometimes they don't. I think I need more definition on some of the branches and leaf clusters and they might look a bit more decent.

Water: just...no. Every time I think I got it right, I look at it again and it's wrong. At least the strokes are easy. Up and down and right to left.

Anyway, the next time I post, it'll probably be with the finished painting.

Let's see, other details include: all done in oils on a 14X18' stretched canvas. I'd like to say I varied it up with the brushes, but as always seems to happen, I end up using just one brush and abusing the poor thing to death. A little, tiny square, flat edged thing that's seen better days. Oh well. If it works, leave well enough alone I say (even though I went out and bought a bunch of new brushes. HA. They're just sitting there, unused...)

Finally: apologise for the poor picture quality. I took them at various times of day on my phone and sometimes with very bad lighting. The most recent picture is probably the most true-to-life as far as colours are concerned, although I have changed up the colours several times throughout the process...

2012-03-21 20.53.43.jpg.zip
2012-04-04 16.51.47.jpg.zip
2012-04-19 14.24.48.jpg.zip
2012-04-27 18.11.20.jpg.zip
2012-05-22 18.55.09.jpg.zip
2012-05-31 13.19.33.jpg.zip

[Keimo]

An older watercolour study from Spring 2011, from a picture of an Iris I took in Les Jardins des Plantes, Paris. I really need a better camera...or maybe just some photography lessons!

[Keimo]

WIP of a screenshot study of The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Huntsman. Enjoying the colours on this one, there's lots of blues, purples and bright oranges and yellows. She's also got interesting eyes. I'll get to the left side of her face eventually. And the bg. Etc.

[Keimo]

and it's coming along...another 2hrs work: