The ever evolving pathway - sketches

[exdakly]

Been a long time lurker, first time engaging with this amazing community. Got my hands on a wacom tablet last week and have started trying my hand at digital painting

Im hoping that keeping this up to date will increase my skills and push me to create better works.

Hailing from NZ, studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Auckland University of Technology

Some uni work and other randoms. Crits welcome and appreciated.

[jramauri]

Great start! But would be better for us if you said what is your goal. If you're going for realism, I suggest you to start doing anatomy studies before going to artsy pieces. Faces and hands on your previous pieces are not as realistic as they should be.

But this depends on your goals, of course.

[Rikitango]

thats one crazy flesh face bro, no crits from me im still noob lol, keep posting.

[exdakly]

My goal is to improve on my digital painting skills and ability to create interesting and meaningful concepts.

[exdakly]

I need to sit down and just paint more.

[exdakly]

Slowly working it out.

Bah everything else I begin, I just lose confidence around the sketch/blocking colour stage and bail. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[exdakly]

Some of my sketchbook pages

[exdakly]

20min enviro practice before bed. Dam I fail at environments.

[Loathsome]

When I saw the first images, I thought for myself "he should do some anatomy and figures" and then when I scrolled down I saw that you were doing so. So that's great that you're seeing your own flaws and don't get complacent.

You should also be painting in black and white as much as you can because the values are the most important (after drawing). The color takes a surprisingly small part of the painting. If the values are off, the color won't help it. So do some value work from photos. You can also do still lifes.. which will be hard when you start off because you're working with direct color. But even then you could think of it in values rather than color.

[exdakly]

Cheers for the feedback and tips, yea I just need to practice practice practice....and then do some more haha.

Dunno whether to call this finished or not.

[exdakly]

Value study, more figures, horrible environment and movie still, and a pen doodle.

[exdakly]

quick WIPs, building on the earlier armoured dude and chow wip

[exdakly]

Painting for uni

[exdakly]

Screencap value study

[PanBo]

Bah everything else I begin, I just lose confidence around the sketch/blocking colour stage and bail.

u should give more loving to ur paper sketchbook and practice in traditional. just to warm up then tackle on to the tablet. hope this helps

[exdakly]

Quit my Visual Arts degree last week as I feel my artistic style and direction isnt compatible with the 'modern' art world. Gonna go into a 3d animation course in June in preparation for a Game Art Development degree. In the meantime, I need to work on MOAR ART

CHOW rough sketch and quick 45min screencap study

[exdakly]

WIP of another screencap.

Around 2 hours work, practicing working straight from colour.

Thanks for all the feedback, it really helps. Gotta do more anatomy studies etc.

[Jansi]

Hi there!

Whoa - the first two drawings are terrifying! And I love your digital stuff.. a week, you say? :-D I think you are progressing beautifully, please keep up the practice!

Best wishes,

Ana

[exdakly]

'finished' screencap study

Bah I can paint fine in photoshop when looking at references but when i come to painting from imagination it just goes wrong. >.<

I guess more studies and all that will help, I guess I just gotta build up my confidence to tackle imaginative pics.

[exdakly]

A few of my sketchbook pages. Sorry bout the horrible scan quality.

I applied for a job as concept artist for a small mobile games company today. Wish me luck

[exdakly]

Unusual still life for Teen Challenge

[exdakly]

Work in Progress

From imagination with reference used for the inside of the C47 and the paratrooper gear



Im happy with how my colour use has improved, especially from imagination. It does look a little desaturated, but Im planning on putting a harsh green light in

[exdakly]

Been a while since my last update, I've lost quite a bit of motivation recently. But I guess thats just the curse of Art. My expectations for what I should be producing is much higher then what I actually end up creating.

I should just stop being a lazy bum and draw a shit load more. Meh

A little bit of working, not so much enthusiasm for this piece anymore. I want to finish it though grr

[T_Marasà]

Impressive Comedian painting, my personal fav along with the three faced dude (some important dramatical character, I bet, I'm showing my ignorance here...) and the first space marine.
The knight wih the lance is one of the best sketches I'm seeing so far, really nice flow and gesture, I dig the somewhat nervous, sketchy pencils in that one. As a general rule, though, you should probably try drawing with fluider, longer pencil strokes and keep studying anatomy (this is valid for pratically everyone who draw but I guess), I'm seeing some really good stuff here so keep drawing!

[Hamsta]

Thanks for dropping by my sketchbook and commenting.

IMHO, the areas in which you should concentrate right now are anatomy and color.
For your anatomy, don't worry about rendering smooth colors, focus instead on figuring out how the light falls on the various planes, as if the body was constructed of basic shapes.

For your color, I think you are using too much black. As you paint, pay attention to the color of the light, and use it's compliment for the shadows. i.e. if the light is a warm yellow, make some cool purple or blue shadows.

[Choob]

Love the Comedian screencap. Get yo ass in the screencapbook now!

Other than that, stuff is looking good, in particular the unusual still life is awesome, and you've really got the paratrooper gear working well. The far side of his face and his neck area are looking a bit weird though, be careful on that.

Keep it up.

[exdakly]

I have been very bad recently, havent done any painting and only a minimum of drawing. My life is in transition at the momen... rents are moving overseas, I'm trying to find a somewhere to live and changing my degree completely. Its taken its toll on my creativity and motivation.

But I'm amping to get back into it once everything has settled down.

T_Marasà - Cheers man, yea I've gotta work on my confidence with laying down lines, I tend to fall back into that sketchy, haphazard style and everything just gets cluttered.

Hamsta - No problemo dude. Yea anatomy is a weak point of mine. I just picked up an awesome artistic anatomy book though and will definitely be studying the crap out of it. I definitely use black too much in shadowing, I'll make a concerted effort to keep away from it

Droid - Done! Didn't know that thread existed, it's awesome motivation to do more. Thanks for the comments

For now, a quick character sketch

[exdakly]

Long time between updates. Been moving and shit, gettin my life sorted, no time for digital paintings.

I have however started studying anatomy with purpose. I picked up an artistic anatomy book at a secondhand sale, its by some french guy Dr. Paul Richer. Really comprehensive, and the dude was a scientist as well as an artist, so it teaches all the technical mumbo jumbo. Learning it step by step, in high detail. Gonna take a while, but itll be so worth it once I'm done.

So yea, just some sketchbook pages for now. Going back to my pencils, rather then ink. Takes longer, but produces less rough and sketchy work. Sorry for shitty scan quality.

Mmm

[exdakly]

Today's produce.

Can't wait to finish the spine. Its so damn tedious, just two more drawings and onto the thorax woooo

[exdakly]

Some more pencils. Anatomy, imagination and a master study