No direction but to follow what you know.

[MBK]

Sweet... page 3!

Naked Ninja - Thanks

palladium - Thank you for stopping by man, your work is looking damn good. Love those studies! Your right about pushing for further refinement in these studies, It's like the more of them I do, the more levels I become aware of. I'll be sure to push these further next time.

p sage - Thanks man, there probably were, but it was hard to spot at the time with how strong and close the light source from the lamp was. I'll try to see even further into the next one.

Naidy - Thanks

dan liimatta - Thank you for the kind words. I really admire your work! Your rendering and use of color are amazing. Thanks for dropping by

krysjez - I agree, I was so confused trying to produce a leg shape without reference! Sweet practice for showing what needs more studies

Mr.Pryminista - Pieter! What's up man
Thank you for taking the time to write that very thoughtful and informative post. That was just what I needed to read when I first saw it. Fired me up to get off the internet and go paint lol Thank you. Your work has been progressing by leaps and bounds man! Congrats on TAD! You seem to be putting in a lot of quality time and dedication these days and thats awesome to watch! Keep it up man! (as if you wouldn't)

In fact, in the spirit of getting out of the comfort zone, I tried oils for the first time in my life the other night! Man I love to paint. I have no idea how to control paint or color haha but man it's so much fun that I just don't want to stop! It's been a while since I discovered something like that about myself. I feel much more strongly drawn to the traditional mediums... go figure.

Here's a picture of the progress so far. (another SG study [Ari] from her set, Delicious Torment) I need to let it dry before messing with it again. I keep muddying up the colors and can't really predict how the paint behaves from lack of experience, but again, it's so incredibly satisfying and fun to do that I can't wait to get to the next one!

The picture is close but not quite the colors and brightness of the actual piece, anyone have tips on camera settings and lighting to get a god shot of a painting? I would be incredibly grateful for some advice on how to photograph a piece.

Thanks again for stopping by! More to come.

[dan liimatta]

~ thanks & nice update.
I would look a but closer on the shoulder and chest above the breast to the left - feels flat a bit distorted and empty (no real hint of the clavicle, deltoid, pec etc or cage).

I like the face & hair and pelvis/thigh region & general skin


& Can't help with the transition from oils to a digital representation at all since I'm far too bound to digital paints even for my own liking ~

[Bleo]

What really attracts me in this sketchbook are the application of strong colours earlier on the pages. I especially like your digital paintings. That's a good update there, lovely deep contrast. I think the minimal tattoos makes her body pure and clean

[Mr.Pryminista]

Hellz yeah man! Check your email for feedback.

As far as better quality shots, I think its best to shoot outside (natural light) with the White Balance set on Direct Sunlight and the ISO Sensitivity set on 200.

PS: Update your SIG ;D

[Mr.Pryminista]

Greg Manchess Process

[Kerah]

Hey, I enjoyed your animation. How long does it take to create something of such length? I saw that you wrote that it took about 4000 digital photographs to create this.
One thing that bothered me though was the base of the neck of the character (as it connects to the torso) moving out of its place rather strangely once or maybe twice, but it doesn't matter much.
You did manage to make me think there will be more coming, but it ended so abruptly!

Cheers! Your works are simply amazing

[MBK]

dan liimatta - Thanks for pointing that out man! The reference pic has a really strong light source coming from the camera so a lot of her forms are kind of washed out, admittedly, I was following the reference too much. I've tried to hint at the clavicle a bit but now that i'm looking at it again I think I need to push it further. Oils are a lot of fun but there are so many basics about color mixing and color as value that i'm realizing I haven't learned yet. Amazing how other mediums can bring issues like that into sharp focus!

Bleo - Thanks for stopping by! I've always admired strong color and contrast in paintings, attempting to recreate it has elevated my respect for other artists work about a thousand fold!

Mr.Pryminista - Thanks man! Those photography tips helped alot, this preview is much closer to what i'm looking at now! And thanks for the Gregory Manchess process link. His work is incredible. I love that Above the Timberline demonstration he did for Massive Black! If you haven't seen it yet get it now! Especially if its still on sale.

Kerah - Thank you for the kind words The actual animation took about 3 or so days (long days) And set construction was stretched out over the course of like 3 weeks. I agree about the puppet's neck, it actually broke and I had to rebuild and reshoot in the middle of the project! I didn't know much about stop motion puppets and as a result didn't use the most durable wire for the joints.... lesson learned lol Maybe I will revisit that one day...

As for now, here is an update on that oil painting. As far as using color as value...i'm not there yet, but I am starting to build an understanding of that concept more concretely than I ever had using digital only... so thats cool.

Anyways, tips, comments, crits... all are welcome! I'm always very grateful for your time. Thanks for stopping in!

EDIT:
Actually, now that i'm seeing it posted... the photograph has a more bluish purple tone overall than the actual painting. The real deal is a bit warmer, those yellows and light oranges are more pronounced in reality.

[Mr.Pryminista]

Dig the update man! Your use of color is more dynamic in this one. I can tell you're learning a lot...and fast!

I notice the tattoos are a bit smudgy. I've never done this but maybe you could try adding in the tattoo later, after the paint has dried, with a fine liner. Or, you could paint it in with a brush with a real fine tip. Well, these are just some ideas.

Eager to see what you're going to post next.

[Chips]

Hey man, great to see you're still kicking ass. I really enjoyed those pencil studies of the hands in particular. You've got a real clarity to your lines, beautiful stuff!

[Mr.Pryminista]

Check this post by Vanessa Lemen. The second image down is most useful.

[bish0p2004]

Awesome first attempt at using oils. I just got some over the weekend and I'm still hesitant to use them as I was crap with them the few times I tried.

[kdiegert]

Hell yes, oils. Looking good.

Perhaps you went too dark on the background and didn't use enough range in the figure?

I like to start by covering the canvas in a middle value in acrylic (quick to dry) then working out lighter and darker little by little. I try not to slam in any values, but to work out to them from the middle.

[MBK]

Mr.Pryminista - Thanks dude! Yeah i'm loving the oils... definitely don't understand them but fun regardless. You're right about the tattoo, it was just sort of quickly marked in as a place holder at that stage though, i'm intending on going back in there and sharpening things up. Thanks for the link too! Her work is badass!

Chips - Thanks man! Been a while. Good to see that your posting again!

bish0p2004 - Dude! Keep at it! I swear once a few things start to click they are incredibly addictive! Your latest updates are looking great man, thanks for stopping by!

kdiegert - You're right. That's straight black outta the tube! haha lesson learned! Thank you for that tip, i'm incorporating it into this next oil study and it has helped tremendously to keep that in mind. I've also learned not to darken colors down with black at all O_o it's so overpowering! Thanks for visiting

Here's some value practice where i was constantly reminding myself not to simply slavishly copy the reference. I really love black and white! Always have. I feel like i'm finally starting to grasp values much more than I ever have before. So thats cool. I'd say this is about 90% there. I still have some issues with the hair to sort out, and may push the values a little more before calling it good. Critiques/suggestions would be awesome!

Thanks for stopping by!

...oh and a quote to go along with the piece:


"I contemplate myself in that dim sphere,
Whose hollow center I am standing at,
With burning eyes intent to penetrate,
The black circumference,
and find out God." - A.C.

[Galeo]

Hey Matt,
I love the stuff you've got going on on this page. The values on that last one are especially nice. I just noticed that her bellybutton is a keyhole, too. that's awesome. I'd love to see some more traditional work from you, oil paintings and definitely pencil stuff.

Thanks for dropping by my SB!

[Naidy]

Love the last one, mate. The empty eyes are really interesting. Good stuff as usual, do keep them coming.

[ranunkel]

Very nice sketch book. I like the last one the values a very nice!

[psychoboy]

nice sketchbook; keep up the good work

[Kerah]

You don't post much my friend, and that's a shame. Your hard earned talent is a good showcase for myself, a struggling peasant trying to figure out what's what.
This last piece is simply incredible to me, and no, I haven't missed the bellybutton

Cheerios!

[Mr.Pryminista]

Awesome new update man! I like how you're adding your own touches here and there and not letting yourself be a slave to the reference. That's the way to go!

Real nice mark-making and excellent job on the rendering on her face!

And I'm going to more or less echo what Kerah said; you're too good to not to be posting more, aka producing more work. Crank out as much as you possibly can!

[MBK]

Galeo - Thanks dude I'll make sure to include some traditional stuff in the next post!

Naidy - Thanks

ranunkel - Thank you for stopping by

psychoboy - Cheers!

Kerah - Damn, thanks man. You're right. I'll do better about sharing! Love your recent work man, nice to see you exploring the digital world!

Mr.Pryminista - Thanks dude, and yeah, there's no excuse... thanks for the friendly kick in the ass! Keep on rockin' it at TAD!

What's up everyone

It's been a minute...

All sorts of craziness has been going on for me recently O_o

I find myself at a crossroads in my life right now.

I've been unable to find work for quite some time in the area i'm living in, so i've decided to go for my C.D.L. and climb into the cab of a truck for a little while. It's not something that I ever saw myself doing but these bills aren't gonna pay themselves and it seems like i'm running out of options.

Since I graduated in '09 i've only worked your garden variety 8-10 dollar an hour jobs and found that everything I had coming in was going right back out on living expenses with the ability to save money nowhere in sight. Well, work dried up. I found myself forced to move to another state with my family in search of a job, and haven't been able to find anything since the move.

It's brought a lot of things into focus for me. Primarily, i've had the time to sit down and sort out what my goals really are. For a while I was content to just work and live in the town I was in, having fun with my friends, and enjoying the local music scene. That got old. Mostly the realization that everything I earned was going right back out the door with no end in sight. I felt trapped. I saw myself drifting into my 30's without much direction and severely lacking in financial stability. And the last thing I want to do is fall back into that routine in this new town.

I had to sort everything out and figure out what it is that I really want to do. And regardless of what I end up doing with it, making art is, to this day, one of the only things I can do that consistently and reliably makes me feel good. It still manages to connect me to that part of myself that I have always been grateful to have. I love making images and want to make it my life.

So I want to develop that as far as I can. I'm planning to attend TAD in a couple of years and get some focused instruction to help me along the way. I know that school is not necessary for many to achieve their goals, but I am the type that thrives under that type of guidance and pressure.

The only way I see being able to afford not only tuition and supplies but living expenses for the time I am attending is to spend about two years on the road saving up as much as I can along the way. It'll be quite a lifestyle change but the end result will be the ability to put myself through school debt free and not have to worry about needing a full-time job while i'm in school.

It wasn't a decision made lightly, and the lifestyle shift isn't entirely foreign to me either. My dad has been a professional truck driver for as long as I can remember.

So that's what i'm gonna be shooting for. Just thought i'd share. And it'll be cool to look back at this post in the years to come as I gauge my progress.

Thanks to those of you who actually took the time to read that.



Here's a Frazetta Master copy working on my values.
(That guy was brilliant)

EDIT: Posted original beside the copy for comparison. (Tks Pieter)

Till next time.

[Mr.Pryminista]

Hell yeah man! Glad to hear that you're moving forward (even more glad that you're excited about it!) I think its the right thing. Its definitely not your comfort zone and thats a damn good thing. We grow more in our uncomfort zones. Just stick it out. Next thing you know you'll be doing TAD full time getting a kick butt art edumacation lol.

I think you did a kick ass job with this Frazetta copy. He's an excellent source to copy. The man was a beast of a painter.

I would recommend posting your copy alongside the original in the future so that we can give you more accurate technical feedback, highlight your strengths and point out your weaknesses/blindspots. But from what I can tell it looks you've controlled the shapes and values real well.

When it comes to copying from our favourite artists (digitally), something that some of the instructors at TAD suggest we do is: 1) zoom way out on both the original and your copy (25%-33%) and then 2) throw a gaussian blur filter (around 2.0-3.0 pixels or however much you want to blur) over the original and then start painting. That way your eye will not get distracted by all the small details and you can focus on nailing the basic structure of the piece (proportions, big shapes and values). Then, if you want to, you can remove the filter and then focus on the smaller details knowing that you've got the "big picture" handled.

Cool man. Eager to see more. Keep em coming!

[MBK]

Mr.Pryminista - What's up man! That zoom tip was golden. It's been helping a lot!

Here's what i've been up to this weekend:
Another SG study. Tarion, from her gorgeous set, "Kiss the Machine"

Beautiful weather, beautiful music, beautiful muse...
Perfect recipe for a perfect day.

My god I love October.

(If that size is just way too big let me know and i'll swap it with a smaller image. Hard to tell where to draw the line with this imac screen lol)

[Mr.Pryminista]

Holy schnikees man! This is an awesome piece. I think it's your best of the SG girls you've painted. It'd be way awesome if you added some colour over it, not even the whole piece, maybe just certain parts here and there and make it blend it nicely with the rest of the composition.

The rendering is tight, the best I've seen you do, and you have a good intuitive understanding of composing an image. I like how you've played with abstract shapes (or swipes) of various values that wrap around the figure, almost feels like a blanket around her. The hard edge ink splats are a nice touch too, works as a nice contrast to your broad swipes in the background. Another great success of this piece is that I can tell that you're relying less and less on the reference image as your guide to composing the image. You've interpreted the photo and made this image your own. Nice work man!

I'd been meaning to get back to you on your Frazetta copy but I had been too busy to do so. It's a great copy and you've got the values right for the most part. There are a few areas here and there where the values are a little lighter than in the original (the lower abdomens for instance). There's also the issue of mimicking texture from traditional paintings in a digital medium. The texture in his piece is a combination of the oils, brushes and canvas (though mainly canvas) which we do not have when we're making digital copies. However, we always have the freedom to create our own brushes that best mimics those textures. If you have the time to go back and make those slight changes, give that extra 5%, it'll make a surprisingly huge difference in your piece. Of course, this is only if you want to.

Good stuff man. Rock on!

[MBK]

Mr.Pryminista - Thanks man! I learned a lot working on this one, and the more of these I do the less worried I become about perfectly copying the ref. I'm feeling more confident about just laying in the shapes and proportions then going to town on the rendering. The biggest thing i'm seeing is just how far values need to be pushed to get a nice full range in a piece. And I still have sooo much to learn. I used to keep everything around the middle values and get frustrated wondering how to make an image look better. Its amazing how things you are blind to become clearer and clearer with each new piece you work on.

Thank you for the solid advice and critique on the Frazetta study as well man!


As a matter of fact...

Here's another Frazetta study i'm working on at the moment. From his "Fire Demon" piece. Working on values and studying the composition of the image.

Having a blast with this one

[Mr.Pryminista]

Hell yeah man. Looking good so far. Nice texture brushes. Are those custom?

Can't wait to see this one finished!

[MBK]

Mr.Pryminista - Thanks dude! Nah, those were obtained from Maxim Verehin's site and they are great for layering texture into things.

I've had a damn good time working on this study. After putting in however many hours i've put into this thing, I am completely in awe of Frazetta's mastery over value.

Things are starting to really click into place within my mind as far as how lights and darks alternate and contrast to create the illusion of form. Value is so freaking amazing. Such a beautiful and subtle dance!

I put together a snapshot of the process this time, on the off chance that anyone was interested
Aside from the texture brushes I used for the rocks in the background, the entire piece was rendered with the "hard round" brush in photoshop, with opacity set to pen pressure. Such a powerful tool!

Anyways, thanks for stopping by!

[Dark_Eyes]

5 stars! Merry christmas! *****

[MBK]

Dark_Eyes - Merry Christmas to you man! Thanks for the gift Though i'm not worthy of that kind of star treatment yet, it was a nice bit of holiday cheer! Hope you have a wonderful New Year



Currently burning the midnight oil on a last minute x-mas gift for my sister and niece (my niece's kids). Hoping to get it finished and somehow manage to get a little sleep before tomorrow!

The hair is coming along slowly and don't even get me started on that baby nose >_<

I keep rendering out parts of the image and then deleting that layer and feeling like the section looked better unfinished. Crazy how too much rendering starts to suck the life right out of a piece. That back and forth dance has been the theme of the evening.

Guess I didn't really need sleep tonight anyways...

Happy Holidays everyone

[MBK]

Result of that x-mas portrait, a couple of bic pen hand studies, and some mechanical pencil practice of this min skull on my desk. Sorry about the scanner quality >__<

Nothin' fancy tonight.

[Nisshoku]

Your understanding of light, value and color are all very good. I also see you putting your own spin on things and not going for hyper realism which is a nice change. The rendering on your latest Suicide Girl is very well done, though I feel like it's a bit too high contrast. Her forearm feels sort of flat because there is so much white and it almost hurts my eyes. I'd suggest goin in and adding a few more values to make it a little less... Flat.

Something I really enjoy in your style is the fantasy take on realism. It's interesting and unique . However I do think you should work from life more. Not saying your work isn't excellent, but I think maybe it would embody more life and personality if you worked from life. Your pieces are good, amazing even, but they're missing that extra "oomph". When I look at your latest digital SG I can see all the technical stuff is right, but I feel like I'm missing who she is. What's her story? This is something that can't really be taught by any technique other than you learning on your own. Unfortunately, the only suggestion I have is make up a story before you paint someone. Cheesy, yes, but it may work for you. Also, I have always thought digital kind of sucks the soul out of pieces so maybe try traditional for a bit? I know you're tight on money and I can't even imagine how difficult things are for you, but you may just want to pick up cheap canvas and acrylic paint (it's cheaper than oil) from Hobby Lobby since those things are ALWAYS on sale .

-cheers and Happy New Year!

I hope my little novice self could give you a bit of advice. Also, for a bit of a cheesy moment, from what you've typed about your living situation, I think you're a very courageous and passionate person. If anyone in this industry deserves to go anywhere, it's you.