Kindling

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 14th, 2012, 11:53 AM

Hello gentle ladymen of CA.

This is my latest SB (from tutorials, imagination, life and artist's work)
Criticisms and feedback are very much appreciated.

Let's go!

**sammfshields** · May 14th, 2012, 11:56 AM

wow nice figure studies, your painting is also quite awesome, great start to the sketchbook, keep it up

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 14th, 2012, 06:29 PM

Thanks alot sammfshields!
I did the digital stuff a few months ago, I need to get back at practicing with digital mediums to attempt bigger pieces.

This is a half hour render i did today as well as a bear;
Crit and comments on my work are very helpful so keep em coming

Cheers

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 15th, 2012, 01:45 PM

Nothing like doing some bridgman studies to get warmed up,

I attempted to do a study in Painter and went at it for a good hour and a half but couldn't really understand how to mix colors properly and to get the right effect, I'm sure all it needs is practice but digital painting right now for me seems so far off from my current skill level.

I instead ran away to analog materials and attempted the study that way, still wasn't terribly happy, the aim was to try and render a mid-toned complex shape, and I'm still having a hard time understanding where it is I went wrong with the study.

BLAHBLAHBLAHHHH- back to work i go

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 17th, 2012, 01:57 PM

Update of my studying today, worked through a few lessons of the Vilppu Drawing Manual. Really great exercises.
I've also made a timetable of art subjects and studies I will hopefully be doing regularly from now on everyday.

As always critiques are very much encouraged, Cheers

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 19th, 2012, 08:13 AM

Attempt at photoshop self portrait and a head study I did a few months back;

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 20th, 2012, 02:05 PM

A self portrait I did today, was trying to get acquainted with Painter.

**Flügel** · May 20th, 2012, 02:12 PM

i really liked your bear and the house-perspective-study.
the last image seems to lack a bit of dark areas and highlights.

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 22nd, 2012, 03:59 PM

Thanks for the crit Flügel, yeah I defiantly know what you mean, I'll work on it.
A response to Dave Mazzucchelli's illustrations in Batman: Year One, one of my favorite graphic novels.

**Ntropii** · May 23rd, 2012, 04:43 AM

I really like your gestural studies. In particular I like entry #5. Great studies of line affecting volume! I hope to see more of that play into you work, keep it coming! Cheers.

**S.F.Batchelor** · May 30th, 2012, 03:38 PM

More Vilppu, spherical forms, boxes and other things.

Disappointed with what I've done recently, all the more reason to keep on going .

**S.F.Batchelor** · June 13th, 2012, 01:16 PM

Rembrandt

Snake

**Fullmetal-Animator** · June 13th, 2012, 01:18 PM

The figure studies are pretty solid. I like the digital paintings as well. The snake one has a an interesting toanl value and lighting to it.

Keep going.

**S.F.Batchelor** · July 13th, 2012, 10:52 AM

apologies for the bad photo quality. Imagination, exercises and Toppi studies;

**Amber Marie** · July 13th, 2012, 11:09 AM

Pretty sweet stuff. I really like your digital paintings in particular. Keep an eye on your proportions on some of your figures. They look a bit off. You seem to have a good handle on your values. Keep it up =]

**S.F.Batchelor** · July 25th, 2012, 01:38 PM

Some recent WIPs and a couple of quick sketches.

Im very unsure about the first one with the red skull as Im now reconsidering the leather jacket with furry collar clothing as I think it's a bit too much of a juxtaposition.

I would be very grateful for any helpful advice. Cheers

**SandyMan** · July 26th, 2012, 12:09 PM

Hey man thanks for dropping by my sketchbook.

I see some conflicting matters going on here; you still have to practice your lighting for the most part, but then I see that shoe on post 14 and go ¨wut¨. That shoe is great! You really achieved a sense of volume and radiance in it!!! Also, that woolly creature in the same post is awesome! Great line quality and a lot of character

whatever you did with those two; keep doing that because theyre great. Also keep up your studies and keep your lines loose!

-sandyman

**O_ranger** · July 26th, 2012, 01:07 PM

Hey S.F. some really cool stuff you've done here! I like that you draw things in addition to your studies, i feel like doing that helps you improve in ways that studies can't though studies are important too.

Some of your edges are a bit too soft, but that's my only crit at this point. Keep at it!

**ThomasM** · July 28th, 2012, 10:10 AM

Great start to a sketchbook - and as you asked for advice on those last few paints I would say one thing. Paint "solidly" and by that I mean, use a brush with really high opacity 100-90 is what I usually use. That way, any mistakes you make are more obvious and therefore you learn faster. Also, using a high opacity makes the right decisions look as good as they are. You think either "that is a great mark" or "that is a terrible mark.. why could that be? Is the value right? Is the colour right? Is the edge too hard? etc etc etc.."

This is a great reference read for you, and anyone really on these forums:

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=107217

Enjoy!

**S.F.Batchelor** · August 21st, 2012, 11:13 AM

Recent studies. Some nudes, a failed self portrait as the result of bad planning and too little knowledge on how to paint faces. Also a 3 hour Zorn Master study.

Thanks for the support and feedback ThomasM , O_ranger and SandyMan you're all beautiful people, I really took it on board and am working on those soft edges and rendering techniques.

The crits and comments are brilliantly helpful to me so please keep them coming

**S.F.Batchelor** · August 25th, 2012, 11:08 AM

sketchbook and moleskin, imagination, hogarth, loomis, bridgman and other artist studies.

trying to use that really interesting crosshatching shading technique but not quite achieving it in my opinion. The kind like in Lukias's sketchbook .

I think I probably need more knowledge on light and shadow mostly, but I also find the crosshatching technique hard to wrap my head around, I seem to always descend into something more like scribbling, so I'm not sure.

Any help, feedback or criticism on the subject or anything else is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

**Turpentine** · August 25th, 2012, 11:17 AM

Can I just say? That girl with the mechanical arm in the very first post is wonderful. I look at it and imagine it as a beautiful elegant oil painting. Just the whole shape and form of her head and her nose are awesome.

While it can really only do you good to learn cross hatching I don't think you sketches are suffering from a lack of it. Many of them, especially the newer ones are looking much cleaner. I enjoy your paintings, hope to see more.

**S.F.Batchelor** · August 31st, 2012, 02:11 PM

Thankyou Turpentine for the encouraging words.

Attended a life drawing workshop taught by Henry Yan this week at Lavender Hill Studios in London . Fantastic teacher and a brilliant learning experience

I now have much to practice and work on, very inspired. These poses ranged from 5 mins to 1 hour.

**fudgeloaf** · September 22nd, 2012, 08:12 AM

Hey man thanks for stopping by my SB and the kind words, your studies are really coming along don't forget to try and directly apply them as soon as you can though! and as for advice on your personal stuff keep at it and watch your edges (something im working on) consciously make things soft or hard edged and take your time

**Psychobuddy** · September 22nd, 2012, 10:02 AM

Hey really great studies, especially these charcoal ones! One thing, and fudgeloaf actually mentioned it as well, is your edges, a lot of your paintings come out looking blurry. Introducing harder edges would really help that, as well as making everything seem more real. Keep studying! ^_^