Lyraina's Sketchbook

[LtPlissken]

Hello my dear. It's very cool to see how your art blossoms.
Beautiful still lives, and I can see that you have got the
hang of lighting and rendering different materials. It's ok
to put a grey background, but you could vary it on some
of your paintings. Remember, it's always good to experiment.
I think that the flower that you painted before you cooked your
dinner stands the best out. Such a beautiful piece.
Now that you have done so many still lives, it would be
great to switch the imagination machine on, and test
your newly learned skills on some of your imaginary work.
Like for example a huge wooden boat on some dark waters.
Or Pinocchio trapped in a dark cellar.
I am looking forth to see your newly freshly
baked fantastic creations.

[JokerKillJoy]

Nice still lifes, I particularly like the one with the leeks.

[Sushy]

great that you are doing so many still lives :> The ones with pepper are really good

[Lux_Aeterna]

wow, i really see much progress in here!! Your pencil studies are great, you're getting better and better with each of your new submissions.
your latest digital portraits also show lots of progress next to the older ones. its great to see that your hard work really pays off. Keep on drawing ♥

[Lagarto]

those enviroments look great, I love this one: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...3&d=1330641945

the food stills look so yummy, they are greatly rendered. keep doing them!

[Lyraina]

LtPlissken: Thanks you, as always your words hold the truth - I need
to experiment more! Be it backgrounds, painting style, or topics. I would like
to achieve a more painterly style sometimes, for example.
I'm quite motivated to do some imaginary work - just can't seem to find the
time (what a lame excuse, I know!), just doing some studies, learning
for university, and suddenly another day went by too fast.
Funny you mention a boat, as I already tried to paint one some days ago, after one of my
scary dreams of being hit by a huuuuge wave and drowning. Got lost with
the perspective though, maybe I'll try again.

JokerKillJoy, Sushy, Lux_Aeterna, Lagarto: Thank you all very much for your
kind words and support!


I survived an exam that scared hell out of me yesterday, but the feeling of NOT having
to learn for it anymore was gorgeous! Allowed me to paint something with a quiet
conscience, so here is a speedpainting and an environment of the week "Medieval Castle Town".
It was quite hard to figure out perspective, but I guess I won't improve in this area
if I don't even try, so I must do more stuff like this from now on. I got somewhat lost on
the way, and didn't know how to go on rendering without messing up the colors and all.

[Vitaquena]

Ahhhh those landscapes. *_* Simply stunning!

[yah]

man hier ist wer aber fleißig ^^

cool studies keep it up

[Lux_Aeterna]

schöne environments, besonders das 2. gefällt mir sehr gut.
Bei dem ersten ist leider die Perspektive nicht so ganz stimmig. Man darf nicht vergessen, dass sich die Linien nach hinten verkürzen und alles auch "kleiner" erscheint. ich traue mich deswegen eher selten an solche zeichnungen.
ein wichtiges detail, das ich erkannt habe ist, dass je tiefer das Motiv geht, umso heller und "nebliger" wird es hinten. Und eigentlich ist es auch so, wie das menschliche auge in der Ferne liegendes wahrnimmt.
Hier ist ein super environment/background-zeichner: http://ewkn.deviantart.com/
Weiter so!

[Lyraina]

Vitaquena: Thank you!

yah: Danke dir ^^

Lux_Aeterna: Danke für den Link - Wahnsinn, da hab ich wieder einen haufen schöner Bilder zum anschauen und bewundern, sehr schön ^^ Ich vermeide normal auch Bilder mit so "sichtbarer" Perspektive, aber so langsam nervt es mich, und hab mir gedacht ich versuchs einfach mal... mit den Häusern hab ich auch versucht meinen Fluchtpunkten zu folgen, spätestens bei den hinteren (die ja größtenteils wieder von anderen verdeckt sind) und bei den Dächern hats dann aber alles nicht mehr so hingehauen wie ich wollte... keine Ahnung wie man da den Überblick behalten soll, und dann auch noch anmalen ^^
Mit dem Nebel hast du recht (also Tiefe durch heller werden nach hinten), versuch ich momentan auch etwas mehr zu beherzigen - tut mir nur immer so schrecklich weh erst was schönes zu malen, und dann doch wieder mit Luftschichten verblassen zu lassen Vor allem: Was macht man, wenn es nach hinten nunmal dunkler wird, wie in dem Fall weil ja die Sonne quasi im Rücken des Betrachters untergeht?
Puh.. so viele Unklarheiten ^^
Danke jedenfalls für das hilfreiche Feedback!


---

Here’s a rather random update: Some traditional practice stuff. I spent some more time on the nude girls (photo ref as always) than usual, just to see how it looks, I like them better on paper than the scanned version. Same with the hands (from life). The Dürer hands are an experiment with toned paper. And some random-fantasy-whatever girls from imagination to prove myself I can still draw some pointless stuff without reference.

[Lyraina]

Today’s update is a bit random again, but this time digital: First two environment speedpaints, well, not so speedy to be honest, but not polished or finished either. Just testing some unexplored waters (scifi/urban night stuff, fighting with perspective again), and some embarassing babysteps with matte painting (city lights… I know it’s bad!).

Chair (from imagination) and closet (referenced) are just random fillers again, hopefully building up my visual library.

[Lyraina]

Weekly environment practice: "Large Waterfall"

[Art01]

very nice

[JJacks]

Nice sketchbook. I've been in here before but I don't think I ever left a comment...

Anyways your landscape practice is coming along but in your latest landscape and some of the previous ones, it seems like the lighting doesn't really effect the whole image as it should. I think the painting in post 156 looks pretty good by comparison. In your latest, you have established this lovely orange haze in the left of the composition that doesn't really effect the other half of the image. It looks like the right side is colored locally. For example, if the light is coming from the left, there are large parts of that waterfall that should be in shadow. In fact, there is plenty opportunity for nice large shadows to contrast against the soft light you have established. So I would recommend you play with light a bit more and you landscapes will be more atmospheric.

[Lyraina]

Art01: Thanks

JJacks: Thanks a lot for visiting and your critique! I am trying to use atmospheric effects and (special) lighting in my latest environments (well, at least as long as I don't struggle so much with perspective that I forget everything else), but it's harder than I thought. For example the last one: I can see what you mean, the seperate parts of the image are not connected to each other, because I tried to lighten up the parts that are further away... but had no idea how to make the front part "in the front = strong colors" and at the same time "in the shadow = dark colors"... especially since every forest-waterfall I looked up seems to have pretty light colors, even in the shadow.
I will definitely try to pay extra attention to the things you pointed out in my next images Thanks!


----

Did some face studies again - most are referenced (random actresses, myself, ... ). They look all the same, and not even interesting, but so horribly generic it's aweful! And I don't even like my own "style". And still, I'm struggling to even place the features right, even though faces are the one thing I've drawn most during my school time... it really is depressing.
The digital ones are more for practice of skintones than rendering, they make me want to cry... it gets worse the more I try to do it right.

[Lagarto]

the waterfall looks lovely
the eyes are studies are great too, and also the mouths. keep it up!

[LtPlissken]

Your dream is scary, drowning and all that.
The environemts are improving, and you are getting
some new nice ideas. But I will preach the same ol' thing.
Do greyscale environments and paintings more and more.
Leave the colors for a bit. Do blacks and whites.
Hope you are fine, and that your love blossoms.

[Lyraina]

Lagarto: Thank you!

LtPlissken: Thanks for your never ending advice, I really should not always jump into color right away.
I'll post my last sketchdump for now, then I'll be gone for about 10 days (vacation) and after that I'll do greyscale
practice again It's just sooo tempting to do color stuff right away, especially since I fail coloring skin afterwards,
but I know that correct values are much more important. Thanks for the reminder.

---
So here's a somewhat half-assed update due to university duties and severe headache for about 5 days now, but I am determined to at least draw a bit every day, the more the better. Most is slightly photo referenced.

See you in about two weeks!

[Lagarto]

last two portraits look amazing! esp last one. though I think the ears are too small for her face.

[LtPlissken]

You are getting the hang of skin colors and tones
really nicely. The downside of these last ones are
the wrongly proportioned faces. Remember, proportions
and right measures go BEFORE rendering. Cause we
all know that a wonky proportioned subject will
look bad, no matter how good the render will be
in the end. I hope that you are feeling great on
your 10 day vacation. Come back sooner,
cause I miss you so much.

[KevMcGivernArt]

I started off with pencils too and now getting into digital painting. Uv got some nice stuff here

[Lyraina]

Lagarto: Thanks! I guess you're right about the ears... I don't like painting ears... so I try to hide them :p

LtPlissken: Yesss, you are so right, again.
I always jump to the fun parts (like rendering) too fast!
I just find it so hard to see my own errors while painting, even with mirrowing and all.. only when I come back much later I see all the faults...
Thanks for your good wishes, the vacation was wonderful and I was blessed with good weather

KevMcGivernArt: Thanks a lot

---

Back from vacation, right into my draining everyday life again (new semester is starting on monday...). I did lots of rock/landscape studies while traveling (nothing scan-worthy), so some of my stuff might be a bit inspired by the last 10 days!

For now, some speedpaintings, to get into idea-generation-mood again, and test out some different approaches to different problems. I know I should do more greyscale practice - but at least I checked my values with an overlay layer... <inventing lame excuses>

[Nemome]

Hey!

[german]
Die neuen Speedpaintings sehen echt gut aus Vieeel bessere Atmosphäre eingefangen wie in deinen vorherigen Sachen.
Grade bei den Environments wo du länger dransitzt tendierst du dazu schnell die Atmosphäre zu verlieren und gegen Ende zu sehr zu rendern.
Halte dich einfach mal an die Stimmung von deinen Speedpaintings.

Für deine figürlichen Sachen fällt mir nur auf dass du aufpassen solltest dass die Nase nicht immer so schmal wird.
Die Nasenflügel grenzen meist mit einer horizontalen nach oben an den Augen. Also am Anfang der Augen.

Aufjedenfall weiter so
[/germany]

Sorry guys, haha!

[LtPlissken]

Greyscale.
Greyscale.
Greyscale.
Three times yes, you do your environments
black and white, so you can train more the depths,
foreground, background, and middle ground. The closest
objects are the more contrasted the most distanced objects
should have the smallest contrast on them. Your last
colored enviros look interesting, but they are all flat
and are lack of true depth and there are no solid structures
on them. Hope you will train more and get even better,
cause it's really good to see you back.

[Lyraina]

Silwynar: Thank you! You're right - I find it quite hard not to lose the
atmosphere when going into detailing, I will have to work on this!
Thanks for the hint with the noses - I think it is a good idea to do some
research on how the features relate together.
Thanks for looking!

LtPlissken: Yes, Sir! I'll be a good girl from now on, I promise.
I also examined some of my favourite environment paintings in
greyscale and tried to learn something from that.

---

A few more speedpaintings. It is even harder to make something
interesting without colors, but I know it should work just with values first...
I'll do some more referenced stuff soon, when I'm back on my bigger screen.

[fenixx]

Its great to see you've been practicing a lot. The improvements are evident !
Keep at it !!

[yochanan]

I actually did that bargue you posted in #165! I've said it a few times to other people, but definitely take your time when you're doing them. It pays of TREMENDOUSLY to really put in the time and get them perfect, that's why they have art students spend weeks or months on them. Your pencil contour drawings look nice!

I'll also second what LtPlissken said, grayscale all the way! I don't think I've tried doing a single thing in color yet, but for sure 99% of the time when people say they have difficulty with color, it's actually their values that are off. When you see some of your digital portraits looking flat, it's really all in the value. Doing things black and white will force you to see the value and not confuse it with color.

Keep up the good work!

[Lyraina]

fenixx: Thank you, glad you think so!

yochanan: Thanks for the input! Doing a Bargue the way it is intended (with printing the original out and all) is definitely on my to-do list. I'm still wondering how people get those smooth transitions with graphit though - but maybe I'll figure it out on the way.

---

Had to do a mandatory break due to health reasons, but hopefully I'm now back and posting more often.

Link to original painting by William Clarke Wontner (1916).
One brush (except for the background), no smudge, for practice.

[LtPlissken]

Beautiful color vibrant piece my dear.
Hope your health will be restored to its best pretty soon.

[Lyraina]

LtPlissken: Thank you. I hope so too...


Value studies from photos, and a random thing from imagination...