Merciter's Daily Drawings (Updated 10/13/11)

[DBZMerciter2005]

Howdy all. This is my new sketchbook and it's part of my new purpose: to re-identify my artistic style. I've set up a schedule where I draw things on a daily basis with two days off a week. When I go back to work from my medical leave the drawings will still come, albeit in smaller increments.

Below is a precursor of what's to come. My preferred style is a cross between manga and western comics, but drawing realistically is the best way to improve.

Day 0: Two male faces

[DBZMerciter2005]

Today's upload: Draw 3 faces

Tomorrow's upload: Draw 2 male bodies

[DBZMerciter2005]

My laziness took a toll on me, so I haven't drawn in the past few days. I am back, however, and my will is stronger to keep this going! Below are today's uploads: 2 male bodies.

Next upload: 2 female bodies.

[DBZMerciter2005]

Today's upload: Female bodies.

The first picture was rushed because I was really excited to get to the second drawing.



This drawing will be featured in the next upload theme: a colored drawing in photoshop. The picture used a reference, and I wanted to work on my PS coloring skills, so I modified the picture to be my Night Elf mage in World of Warcraft. The coloring is only 1/8th of the way done, but from what I can see, it looks amazing compared to my earlier color pieces.

[DBZMerciter2005]

The next phase of the coloring. This is so much more fun that I would have imagined.

Edit: After much thought this is as far as I'm going to go with this drawing. The anatomy is off and I feel like I'd only be polishing a turd of I kept working on this particular picture. That said, I've learned quite a bit from this picture and I plan on applying those lessons on to other photos.

[DBZMerciter2005]

I've taken my time and I drew up another beauty, or at least a beauty to me. It's a far and vast improvement compared to my earlier stuff, so at least I'm working on it.

Next is coloring this bad boy.

[mariposa213]

Hey, how come no one has commented on this yet?

I think you're doing really well. The main thing I would say (and you know I'm going to say it LOL) is ditch the lined paper! Come on!! (I hope that the unlined paper that I see in your most recent drawing is a good sign? Yes? )

Of course you should keep drawing regardless (I wouldn't want the lack of unlined paper deter you from your studies) but I hope to see more drawings on regular paper!

I am quite impressed with the faces and figures and think that you're really onto something there. Keep it up.

A question though—have you done other studying of figures and heads, like from some kind of anatomy book? (Like Loomis or Hogarth or someone?) I think that would benefit you as well, if you haven't already started studying from some of these guys. If you have been studying from them already, please post some of your sketches! You see that everyone else here does!

Good for you for wanting to study realism in order to improve your other drawing styles. Wise move and I think you're doing very well.

[DBZMerciter2005]

Of course you should keep drawing regardless (I wouldn't want the lack of unlined paper deter you from your studies) but I hope to see more drawings on regular paper!

I found a stash of computer paper that I had from school that I'll be putting finished/important works on. The reason why I use lined (and in some cases, graphed) paper is because I have 10+ notebooks with unused paper from college. Also my father, who's an architect, has stacks upon stacks of unused graph paper. I generally draw on that first and, if I find something I like, I use my lightbox to make it cleaner. With as poor as I am and how tight the economy is, I use what I can get!

Of course you should keep drawing regardless (I wouldn't want the lack of unlined paper deter you from your studies) but I hope to see more drawings on regular paper!

A question though—have you done other studying of figures and heads, like from some kind of anatomy book?[/QUOTE]

I have, though it was from earlier in the year. I use a book called "Classic Human Anatomy", which was published in '09, to help me visualize muscles. I've just recently started drawing from Loomis, and I expect to do more drawings from his books, so more should be coming from me. I've also picked up a Hogarth book (dynamic wrinkles) and that's helped a lot with visualizing clothing. I've only scratched the surface on those books, though, so I have much more to learn and post.

Thanks for the supportive comment! I'll be sure to post more and be on World of Warcraft less, so hopefully you'll see more of me.

[mariposa213]

Ah, I understand about using up the paper you already have! It does seem a pity to have such well-formed and detailed portraits done on lined paper! I hope in the future you'll relegate the lined paper to gesture studies or other anatomy studies—things that are not meant to be finished works? (Well, that's what I'd do! But I understand the desire to use the paper since you already have it, as well as to save money! )

Good, so good to hear that you've studied some anatomy and Loomis/Hogarth. I just got the Hogarth wrinkles book myself and am looking forward to studying it. Drapery and clothing are a great weakness of mine.

I look forward to seeing more of your portraits and figures, and definitely looking forward to more anatomy studies!

[DBZMerciter2005]

Okay so time for a new upload!

I've been working on anatomy drawings and I've even started working on a webcomic. I am not posting anything else until I finish this picture, though, as it's too pretty to NOT work on. That and when I do studies I use so much paper that I think I'd run out of hard drive space if I scanned and uploaded it all! Trust me, though, I am working on it!

So the picture I'm working on is the lineart from before but in black and white. By doing it in B&W first I can get the values I need and then color over it. The circles that are above his head are the actual colors I'll be using later on, but they are getting the B&W treatment until I'm done.

I'm having quite a bit of fun with this. I'm surprised at how much better my drawing looks with proper shading. I'm going for a mix of soft transitions between values and cel shading... hopefully it'll turn out.

[DBZMerciter2005]

And it's done! This is my best drawing to date. I know I've got a lot to work on and improve, but I'll relax for now and enjoy the fact that I drew something pretty dang awesome.