Ally Albon's Sketchbook

[Myllys]

Hi Ally

Cool Sketchbook you have and great work ethic. You're doing a lot of work and you're improving all the time. You're at your best with animals and landscapes. That's why it's great that you work so hard on human anatomy. You're awesome with pencil by the way. Keep doing those self portraits it will definately pay off. Take a gray scale photo of yourself and use it as a reference for one of them, so you can really observe the values! Keep doing what you do!

[AllyAlbon]

@ David W - Thanks! Birds are my fave.

@LuckyCharm - Thanks! And yes, people and faces are my weak points. I have actually spent a lot of time recently drawing faces and hopefully, hopefully, will get there one day.

@Myllys - trying to draw the things I am weaker in . I do love my animals and neglected people previously, trying to rectify that! I have taken a few photos of myself for reference, was thinking of doing a greyscale at somepoint, if I can actually ever set up some decent lighting...

I cannot believe I haven't posted anything all week! I have been drawing, but just seem to be distracted from the computer in this run down to Christmas (Plus, it was the Christmas party last night - my head!)



1.Skin tones. Humans are hard and skin tones are evil. Need a lot more practice.

2. Very, very quick sketch of a mountain.

3. Nekkid lady.

[AllyAlbon]

Aand a couple more to end the weekend on.

1. Half a nekkid lady. I have a short attention span. I should have started with the head, then she might have actually had one.

2. Still life. I am starting to get excited, properly motivated as I see the changes in my work. Can't wait to see what things are like this time next year.
An hour's life drawing session. Kept it short because 1. I don't like doing still lifes, and 2, I was relying on natural lighting and there was a dark cloud approaching..... (Need to buy myself a lamp!)

[blazingdimensions]

hey thx for stoppin by my sketchbook. im liking all your studies and dedication to self portraits. your use of color is amazing and always looks accurate and i looked through your sketchbook from page 1 and definately see improvement.keep it up =)

[AllyAlbon]

@blazingdimensions - thanks muchly!

Just a couple for now. Going to try and do some more inbetween studying for an exam on Friday...

1. Another nekkid lady. just a study, but I wish I had finished her head! Also, hands are so much easier to paint than to draw.

2. Nekkid Dude. And a goldfinch.

[AllyAlbon]

Nothing exciting, just a few sketches. The last one is from imagination... slowly getting it. The dude is just downright scary though.

still need to splash out on a scanner...

[AllyAlbon]

Jaguar sketch and a raven. I have a quantity of new sketches, but I still don't have a scanner, and it is so dark and miserable out there, I can't get the light! Should really just shell out for that scanner for a Christmas present to myself, methinks...

[AllyAlbon]

ok, definite fact ; I must buy a scanner. Incredibly frustrating tying to take photos in this indoor winter light. Had to give up in disgust!

1. few sketches from reference. nekkid men are the best.

2. Was going to do a Christmas card with a ptarmigan on it. Have decided to go for the standard robin, after all.

Aaand that's all I have until I can get either better light, or better means of scanning.

[-D_art-]

really nice work! keep going with those anatomy studies as well as with the digitals, keep up the nice work

[Lightship69]

Hi matey

Just returning the favour and having a look around, I agree with your comments in the Frazetta copy in post 12, I tried to study the egyptian queen one and got lost in it for a good hour or so. The details that I found in thats relatively simple picture were revelations to me. In all the years I have been scribbling I found out that I kept missing out obvious details that although small add so much, I felt like face palming so often I had to stop and grab a beer to calm down.

You have a good feel for the gesture of a person or animal which isgood to see, you really capture the animals and birds well.

all the best matey

[AllyAlbon]

@D_art - Thank you!

@Lightship69 - I find that is one of the most exciting bits of drawing, as time passes and abilities increase, you start to "find" all of these extra bits in your drawings that suddenly seem so obvious, I love it! Thanks for the comments, will be dropping in your sketchbook when I can!

_ _ _ _

Taters, Precious - what's Taters? And how come it is the last weekend before Christmas? ARGH. ( I did buy a present for myself today - a new sketchbook and new pencils. The Oils and Acrylics beckoned but I said no, for now...)


1. Girly faces! The three on the right are from reference, the five on the left are from imagination.

2. Blokey faces, all from imagination. Please ignore the rather bad rendition of wolverine. He isn't very happy with me.

[Black Spot]

You seem to be moving onto the next picture without addressing the faults of the previous. If you don't get it right first time, do it again. I've redrawn stuff about 5 times until I'm happy with it. Also you seem to concentrate harder when you're doing a master study, you should bring the same to your figures.

The birds are gorgeous and the dinosaurs cute.

[LtPlissken]

One can easily tell that you have a stronger drawing background,
however you did not took things too seriously just till lately.
I can feel that, with this current dedication you will become an
ace in no time. Yes, you have some proportion issues and form
needs to be understood better, but we all have those issues in
bigger or lesser amounts. What I would recommend you to do
is to study values more. Do more black and white paintings,
digital paintings. Simple things. Graphite pencil drawings- try
to use softer leds, like 3B or 4B. Control the thickness of your
lines. Watch more closer what happens in the light and in the
shadows, try to draw things more accurately. Things will
come after time. No one is born with great skills, training and
mileage will make you look even better. You have some
very fine and nice drawings/paintings back there. I am very proud
of you. Hope that you will continue to update and work with this pace.
So wish you many happy drawing hours, I will catch you later I hope.

[AllyAlbon]

So sleepy... but must draw... zzzzz.


AUTUMN WOODS. I used reference, but played around a little with colour and placement. Really digging organic brushes!

[Harmageddon]

Some promising works in here, keep at it!
Recognizable lifestory also; as for drawing anyway.
I've also recently begun to pick up drawing again and strive to make a living out of it first, and then
building my skillset unto becoming a legendary concept artist with followers all over the world,
people weeping, laughing and loving life because of my paintings .. and .. and... haha.
You go for it, girl! If you keep up this pace, you'll get far.

[AllyAlbon]

@black spot - alas, I am very impatient when it comes to redoing images, I have a baaad attention span! However, I often go back and redo the same image several weeks after the original, and often see an improvement second time around.

@LTPlissken - very right, this is a recent rebirth of love. First time around I was very haphazard and only drew what I wanted to draw, not what I needed to draw. Trying to have better ethics this time around. (and I just bought some B pencils!)

@Harmageddon - at the rate you are working, they will be leaving gifts at your alter in no time! Im kinda thinking this is going to be a hobby for me, with freelance on the side, but who knows what will happen in five years time, or if I take up painting and really like it and can get into a gallery... who knows. I keep all my doors open! Have bookmarked your sketchbook, will be back!


- - - - - - -

Starting to prepare for my four day exile, I mean Christmas, at the inlaws. I have my Loomis books, new pencils, sketchbook, and collating my references today.

SELF PORTRAIT
I call this one "Contemplation of impending need to purchase more hair dye."
This does actually look like me, although I think the colours are a bit stiff.

[JFierce]

Sketchbook looks good, one of the bigger things I noticed when looking at your faces is the eyes. It seems to have the issue I had (maybe 'have' I haven't drawn a serious face in awhile lol) where they're a bit bigger than they should be in proportion and a bit cartoony.

If I were you I would literally just sit there and do a buuuunch of eye studies, get them as accurate as possible, then zoom out a little and do a bunch of studies of the eye in proportion to the head. Then apply it. The eye is one of the major points of drawing the face, you get that down it's a giant step.


Oh yeah and your very good with birds!

[AllyAlbon]

@JFierce - Thanks! And I struggle still with the human face... it never ends! I actually have my Loomis books on hand in preparation for doing some serious, serious studies over the Christmas break. It frustrates me no end, but the best answer to that is to keep drawing.

. . . . . . .

1. Nekkid ladies.


2. Quick photo reference to lay down some colours.

[Izene]

Awesome stuff!I love the colours you used for that above piece Keep it up!

[David.W]

Hey that forest piece is really awesome, I rate the colours!

[Scriar]

Hi Ally, thanks for stopping by my sketchbook. I wouldn't worry about leaving art for 10 years, I started art myself just 4 years ago when I was 19 You seem to be quite serious about improving. Good start with the studies you'll only get better by constantly doing them.

One of the things that will really help you improve is if you focus at the start on understanding the main forms. Which are spheres, cubes, cones, and cylinders, you'll find everything is made up of them, so understanding them in their basic forms will help you understand the more complex shapes later on.

Its not the most glamorous thing to do but you'll see an improvement very quickly.

For anatomy - if you haven't already check out Vilpuu, Loomis, Bridgeman, and get yourself a copy of Pecks anatomy for the artist I think its about £12 (its invaluable for reference).

Oh I made a leaf tutorial for you in my sketchbook since you asked how I did them.

edit: P.S check this link out to. http://www.pixelovely.com/gesture/figuredrawing.php I do about 2 hours of these everyday once you get in the habit it gets easier to do them, various time limits usually I do 30 seconds to warm up for about 10 minutes, then an hour of 2 minute poses, and 50 mins of 10 minute poses. Theres an option for animal gesture drawing as well. Again not that glamorous but you'll see an improvement quite quickly if you do these everyday

Hope that helps, keep it up

[Marian Rowling]

Hey Ally nice progress with this last self portrait. I also really like the landscapes, your 'Autumn Woods' looks like it could be 'Duncton Wood' to me. Well done and good luck surviving those in-laws!

[Lav]

cool sketchbook! The only thing i can criticize is to keep in mind the position of the breasts, in some of your female sketches the breasts seem to be way too high and/or the head too big (tho in paints where you put more time in they seem to be more correct). You also have a slight tendency on drawing the eyes big which sometimes feels a bit freaky.

Other than that, great job I really like your birds and paints

[Temjin]

Really like those bird sketches!

[SolarSector]

Hey! Thanks for checking out my sketchbook! I can already see the progress you have made in yours! I am loving the birds and the colors in you landscapes. Keep it up!

[Black Spot]

Well re-do some of your self portraits as no one has eyes that big. Look and really look again.

Forest is nice except for the white outline.

[AllyAlbon]

Thank you to everyone who has commented recently! Sorry I can't answer personally at the moment, I have never felt so tired in my whole life, between Chrimbo and a bad cold.... but I am off to the in-laws tomorrow with five days of drawing!

[Dark_Eyes]

5 stars! Merry christmas! *****

[LtPlissken]

Your naked female drawings!!!!!!
I feel so good looking at them.
Please draw more from those
in different poses.

[Black Spot]

The proportions on that last drawing of a man is well off. Do it again and try to concentrate.