From 0 onwards

[dracken]

Here are some more images, not much, but just a bit more, mostly fun stuff and some images for what I hope to be this weeks Spartan Camp.

I decided to really focus on learning how to draw the human figure. I constantly mess up proportions, I draw stuff with thick lines that look like crap and I don't have volume. I decided to slow down and draw at least 1 hour or more each day,every single day. Hopefully improvement will be visible.

Proportions are the first thing that needs to improve. Let's go!

[dracken]

Two posts a day keep the doctor away or something like that. More random stuff.

The first few pages are imagination stuff/ doodle's that I made while at work on the phone or what not. I don't really consider these good studies and I'll probably stop updating them here but for now here's an idea of the level of imagination doddle I can do in a few seconds.

Anyhow, the last two are figure studies from various images around the net. Focus on getting the lines clear and getting the anatomy correct. Proportions are still tough, but hopefully improvement will happen soon.

[shiNIN]

Fun figures! Spartan Camp #5 has very stranglely proportioned limbs, arms around the same length of legs...
But your figures are waaaaaaay more flowy and lively than a few months ago, your work pays off Keep it up

[dracken]

Some more figure studies, including some done from life.
The first two are from photos and once more the focus is on line quality and proportions. For the life of me I can't get the limbs to look right.

The last page is an example from tonight's life figure drawing. I am not nearly good enough to actually deal with life drawing, so I'll have to push photo studies
Sigh, some day I'll be good enough to capture likeness... someday.

[dracken]

Spending more time on these figures, trying to really understand the planes and relationships between different shapes. Not as good as they could be, but hopefully improving.

[dracken]

More sketches, more fun.

The last one is from imagination and looks like crap. Need to push myself even more. I have to learn the muscles and improve my ability to see planes. Must push harder, but I feel like I'm improving a bit and that motivates me more than anything.

Seeing positive comments on my work also helps a lot, thank you shiNIN

[shiNIN]

Much practice, that's good. But you need to watch your proportions more. Even when you measured it, they are off, because 1. you aren't precise at measuring 2. you don't follow your lil measured lines in the figure. Well, I personally don't like to depend on measurement too much (in simple standing cases), I just do what I feel good, my inner critic has a good eye, too bad I don't look at the figure as a whole more often. And I'm a great fan of drawing a simplified skeleton or something similar first. When I look at pro sketches, they may be extremely simple, the gesture and correct proportions are there. A good base is vital, correction is harder or impossible when we deal with complicated forms and details.

[dracken]

Did a bunch of gestures today (around 40, I won't post them here since they suck. But they'll be in the Spartan camp thread) and two lovely ladies (one of which is holding a mighty penis sword.)
Hopefully tomorrow will be even more epic.

[Ven S]

Your figures are getting better. Keep it up dracken

[Lightship69]

Hi matey

I followed your post on shiNIN's Sb and though that I would pay you a visit, I see some nice progress too, if I was to suggest anything it would be to try and capture the gesture of the pose a bit more, go for more body language and dynamism in the pose and try and sell the action to the viewer.

Try and find some samples of the walt stachfield lectures online he explains it better than me matey.

all the best to you and keep up the good work.

[jam.00]

DAamnn, you sketch a lot, ha ha. Awesome, though. You're constantly improving (:

[dracken]

Thank you everyone. Had a really bad week at work and seeing this encouragement helps a lot.

I finally got around to doing some longer studies form life along with my usual figure study. I want to get good enough that I can easily copy any photo (my measurement, understanding value skill should be top notch) Then I'll focus even more on life drawing. As always struggling to keep my lines clear and sharp. Good stuff.

Edit: I realized that so far in my life I've been mediocre at everything I attempted (average student, okay writer, not the best, not the worst. I am even mediocre at my job, sadly ) I want to be done with mediocrity. I want to be the best at something. I want to be awesome at art,I want people to look at my work and say, "damn this guy is good".

For the first time I think I realize how much work that means but fuck it I'll do whatever it takes. I gave up TV and Videogames, everything that sucks my time away is cut down. Nothing but art 3 times a day! Bring it on!!!

[Cyberman]

Wonderful studies.

[shiNIN]

You drew some nice figures till I last visited your SB. It seems you put more effort, time or enthusiasm into them than before, cool. There are some proportions issues sometimes though, too small head (31), too small legs (30), "the heck I know but something is odd and that shin she's holding is definitely too weak" (32).

[dracken]

Here are a few more studies. Spent some good times with Loomis over the weekend and really studies planes. I have to get used to seeing shapes in 3D.

Anyhow, here is a mix of stuff, first some more photo studies (I need to study feet), the Loomis studies I mentioned and finally I tried doing some stuff from imagination. I am really happy with the way those imagination studies turned out, considering how much I such at imagination study. Taking your time and carefully thinking about every muscle really pays off, eh?

[dracken]

Tried studying muscles in perspective and then drawing the same image flipped. It didn't work out very well, but I identified a ton of weak points on top of legs and hands. Will spend the next week studying muscles and limbs... should be epic!

[Jason Rainville]

Hey Dracken, thanks again for the post in the SB.

First off, you're doing great; you have no problem putting the work in and you're more focused about getting the basics than prettying the studies up. Keep this pace up (or improve it if you feel up to it) and you should do fine.

From where the pencil studies are at you seem to be about where I was just before I got the hang of studies and things seemed to really click. The two most important things I learned for that to happen was PLANES and MEASUREMENT.

It looks like you're hitting on planes a bit, but you need to emphasize them in every study to do; not necessarily draw out a wireframe over each model, but try to make the shadows conform to those planes.

Measurement on the other hand is something that you've not quite got the hang of yet, and in terms of getting the most out of studies it's more important. Basically, if you're recording incorrect information you're not absorbing what the study has to offer you. I finally felt like I was able to really progress when I started measuring constantly with my eyes.

My advice is to take the studies slower and to make preliminary strokes and shapes to try to get the sizes right first. Keep flicking your eyes from the subject to your drawing and try to notice the differences and fix them. Best of all is to relate sizes and shapes of things to the sizes and shapes of other things. how large is a head compared to the pec? How long does and arm feel compared to the leg? Create a mental "line" that extends from certain points vertically or horizontally (say, an elbow) and see where it intersects. Maybe you've actually drawn that elbow too far out, and a vertical line descending from it will tell you that it's actually much closer to the body than you've thought.

Anyhow that's pretty much the most important lessons I learned early on, I hope it helps

[Rhubix]

Great progress since I last dropped by- I certainly think you have the stubbornness to succeed and in my opinion it's one of the most important aspects for any kind of artist.

For looking at the figure in a planar way I really like brigeman- he literally cuts the body down into simple blocks and cylinders.
Also, don't feel confined to working with the body until you get it right- No matter how far along you get you'll always wish it was better, and find something you can improve.
I like your squid- and the flowers- Try branching out a little- just for fun.
Try different mediums and styles.
The different costumes are great. My fave i the cow-girl. Cowboy hats are one of the hardest things to draw well- they always kick my ass. They're fun to do though. Maybe you could find some inspiration from different movies or tv shows.

There's always the danger of burning out if you focus too much on the learning. Sometimes you forget that drawing's just damn fun.
Happy sketching.

[dracken]

Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement!

I really, really appreciate it and it pushed me even further

Today I started off with some studies of feet (since they are a huge weak point) and moved on to a 3 hour study on how to measure better. I started with a gesture, then slowly worked my way through the different muscle groups/ shapes. Unfortunately I realized that perspective kicks my ass and I need to work on bigger pieces of paper.

Far from finished, but if you ignore the man's left side it's more or less accurate to the source...more or less...

[dracken]

Didn't update recently because I was busy studying feet. Not much excitement there, just the standard routine of draw from reference then try to draw the same form using only memory and imagination.

Really trying to get a sense for the volume of the foot, where the arch goes and how the ankle twists. More or less fail all around, but getting better, hopefully.

Yesterday I also managed to get some more figure drawing in, again reffed from photos. I feel like my proportions are getting somewhat better. I'll have to try some more imagination stuff soon.

[dracken]

Spent the entire weekend trying to do stuff from my imagination and it all looks horrible. Proportions are off, lines look crappy and I have no ability to do details.

Here are the only two pages worth showing, both based on reference and both looking rather stupid. I'm feeling more disappointed than I did in quite a while. Sigh... not a good time for art... hopefully this week will be better.

[shiNIN]

Watch your proportion then. It's not that hard to draw a normal sized head and not a tiny one you do now and then...
The sitting girl in your last update suffers from it too but there's something crazy with her skeleton as well. Did you think about where her ribcage and spine are? She's falling apart around her shoulder area.
Even if you disappoint yourself, you practiced. It's something many people doesn't do often enough. I saw that a lot. You are improving even if it's not very visible at all times, you have bad days as well, it's natural. But if you grab your pencil and draw something (and it's not the usual simple lame thing some people does, it's quite tragical when someone avoids their weak points and repeat their silly ideas instead of using a reference - so not ALL practice is useful, I just wished to make clear this ), you deserve a pat on your shoulders You does the right thing, being persistent is important at drawing. I actually experienced that making a bunch of crappy stuff, I could do them better next time. So you might learn something even if it's invisible. Or sumthin'...
Keep it up

[Sycra]

I think if you start with a really basic stickman to describe your pose, it'll be easier to maintain your proportions. It seems right now you're getting lost in detail when you really need to be simplifying and seeing the bigger picture.

[dracken]

Didn't update this is a while, mostly because I've focused on boring stuff that is not that interesting visually. I started doing a bunch of very simple perspective studies and quick 1 min/ 30 sec proportion studies.

The idea is to increase my speed and my ability to measure accurately. In all these studies I actively tried to measure everything with my eyes. Some failed, some worked better. Anyhow, here is about 3 days of work. (about 3 hours every day.)

[dracken]

Did something bit different for a change. Spent about 3 hours doing a cartoon in Photoshop. I think it looks okay, not good, but okay. Could probably look much better If I spent more time on it... I should really study color. Anyhow, back to the regular pencil on paper studies.

[dracken]

Haven't posted in a while, been working on imagination stuff, trying to improve my anatomy and heads.

First two images are mostly imagination, after looking at Loomis. Study a page then try to draw from imagination. The last page is supposed to be one study from ref then the same pose from memory. Still getting used to working digitally. More work soon.

EDIT: wanted to add another piece in the same idea of do a copy then a memory piece. If I get good enough at these I'll start doing more imagination.

[dracken]

Started doing Bargue studies to improve my measuring ability. Made this way too wide, but will try to get better....

[ancientdrake]

Hey man, just went through your sketchbook quickly. I can only praise the commitment and cheer you on in your future endeavours.

[dracken]

Here are some more images from this week.

Tried drawing the same girl from post 132 above, as well as a Loomis study and a quick portrait. These are taking longer than usual because I try to spend more time on my measurements.

[Ferroh]

That quick portrait you have is really quite wonderful. Just a note on it, if you go back into it or on similar things in the future, bringing those darks you have to the other side of her face would really push it back spatially, and her irises should be darker too.