Eckis sketchbook - please rip me asunder

[Joe777k7]

Wow that line quality in your figures is mind blowing! I suppose i need to start drawing some organic forms like that soon! Keep up the awesome updates! Cant wait to see more from you!!

[Revidescent]

Really like those figure drawings!

Those heads aren't as bad as you think they are, and I think the colours are the best part about them. Here's a paintover of one of them, since it does have some structural issues. I still have some trouble with this head angle myself, so take this with a gigantic grain of salt. =)



I'm basing the head angle on the angle of the nose - if you're seeing that much of the underside of the nose, there's going to be a pretty decent chin tilt. The features are going to be a little less far apart, and the bottom of the chin is flatter. You've painted the lips more or less as though they were straight-on; at that angle, you'd see more upper lip, and the lower lip would be a little more straight-across. The eyes - if you want her to have crazy-eyes, they'd be a bit wider, and if she's just sort of looking down, they'd be that narrow, but the pupil wouldn't be so far down. Also, remember to wrap the features around the face. As you tilt, you'll see more of a curve of the features. The eyes should be angled, not in a straight line.

I do love her hair, BTW. It's got great volume.

[Yemi775]

Impressive work man keep at it , i see improvement.

[Papu]

Yeah the line quality is pretty great in your last post Keep working on those faces. I can already see a lot of improvement.

[ecki]

@Joe777k7: Thank you

@Revidescent: WOW! This was incredibly helpful! I've read it like 20 times You're the BEST! THANK YOU *3*

@Yemi775: Thanks

@Papu: Thanks, I will

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I've had a lot of roleplaying going on over the weekend, so I wasn't able to scan the stuff I did. So here comes my (not really) big ass sketchbook update from the last 2-3 days:

A couple figures (the spider-like were without ref, the others with ref)


And a more finished painting: (I think that I should really do some self portraits next)

[lionheartGFX]

wow ecki i love the reffed figures more emphasis in volume and balance would be nice sometimes it feels as if they are floating others are spot on perfect tho, and the digital paintings are coming along really nicely keep it up!

[kevin_]

nice updates since i last checked this sb! i dont have much to say since you seem to be on top of everything, just keep practicing really. one thing you could do is maybe explore outside of characters and try environments or creatures? just a suggestion though, anyways keep at it!

[Danny_K]

I can see confidence in your lines, good work.

[Suira]

Definitively improving man! That line is getting cleaner and if you keep up with the head studies you'll be rid of the face structure problem in no time. Really nice to see the will to improve man, keep it coming!

[ecki]

@lionheartGFX: Hey thanks Well, I still don't care about balance. Mostly I'm just trying to get an interesting pose or composition. Maybe I should really care a little more about balance

@kevin_: Thanks ;D I'll be doing environments again, but first I want to spent another week or two only on anatomy, faces and skintones. I really need to get this stuff in

@Danny_K: Thanks, It really helped to remove the eraser from my pencil

@Suira: Hey man Thanks! Faces are really tough

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Today, I've got one photo study (I just now notice how much I failed with the proportions, but I mostly tried to observe skintones and values – which are also way off here ):


One black colored pencil rendering:

[Kvetch]

Damn, your figures are getting better so fast. The multi-limb position ones are freaking awesome. Great line quality too. But that's not air guitar, it's an invisible strap-on.

[MrFrenik]

Big jump up on that portrait; the likeness is quite good. A few things to help out. Push your values even more. In spite of what we hear, don't be afraid to use black where it naturally occurs (occlusion shadows, mostly) as well as pure white (pure specular highlights). The bottom lip, for instance, has a good amount of specularity to it, so using white there will help to sell that it is a glossy or wet surface. Your edges could also use a bit of lovin', but that naturally comes with close observation of value changes across forms. I do recommend some simple geo-form renderings, like you've commented on my page. They seemed simple to me, at first, but have been getting quite complex to pull off right. Good thing is that I know that I'm getting better with each one I do, and all I care about is moving forward, as I'm sure you do too. Keep up the great work, sir!

[Joe777k7]

Man MrFrenik is awesome!! So much good advice! I learn alot from just reading what he writes hahahaha That painting man!!! Dammmmmmmmmmmmm!!! Im so jealous of your rendering abilities! I am only focusing on form right now, soon i will get to doing what you are doing Still scared about it hahahah Color and light and in my nightmares when it comes to learning them hahahaha Keep up the good work man and thanks for stopping by my sketchbook!!!

[GrayPersona]

I agree with the two dudes above me,that portrait has huge improvement in it,watch for edges though if you observe closely you will be suprised sometimes by how many simple shapes there are in your subjects.

[I STRaY I]

Truly awesome updates Ecki. Thats some great shit in post #155. Very much like the one where she's holding the axe. Cool! Your line and poses are really looking nice. I do think balance is important to at least keep in mind, no point in not thinking about it. Also, still some small brush use, that's not really adding much to your painting. The lips do look real nice to me in that last update. Also, as far as I know you're making good decisions in terms of color. Cool.

[ecki]

@Kvetch: Thanks, I'm afraid that you're right D: – I just didn't want to write that because I didn't mark this thread NSFW

@MrFrenik: Thanks mate I had big troubles with white and black in the past, so I'll be staying away from them for some longer. But I'll keep it in mind and I will experiment with this I try to use almost black and almost white, though. So that I'm still able to use color. Mostly I still have to dim them down a little. Maybe I'm lacking a little confidence with using really bright and really dark tones? I will pay more attention to this in the future! Geo-forms and the Scott Robertson approach seems quite a nice practice, I should also watch this stuff again. The thing about sunlight = parallel rays of light was really enlightening to me and explained a lot of weird shadow phenomenon that I had in the past while observing.

@Joe777k7: Thanks, but I'm not that good with rendering actually. I'm often having troubles with showing form. Just keep working and you'll be kicking my back soon

@GrayPersona: Thanks, but I'm not sure if I'm betting this right? Are the edges related to the simple shapes or are those 2 separate statements?

@I STRaY I: Thanks a lot, sir! The one where she is holding an axe is actually from an Bavarian farmer pinup-calendar (which is pretty weird) I'm trying to think about gravity more and how the muscles are influenced by that. Maybe I should put more purpose into my poses (like have them doing something). Then, I would need to apply balance. You're spot on with the "small brush"-thing. It's so rewarding while painting – It looks so nice while doing it. But looking at it after one day, the magic has worn of and it just looks awkward. I think I should stay away from that voodoo

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I've spent the last days painting, but everytime I finished, it was too late or I was to tired to upload my stuff, so here I go:

First, some random sketches:


One photo ref study I did yesterday:


2 Paintings (no ref):

[CrashPoint]

Holy crap!!! You are really coming along man... once again making me feel lazy. Those photo studies are top notch and these last two paintings are great! Especially that last one. You're killing man, keep this up and you'll be a pro in no time!

[Yemi775]

Dude awesome progress man, you are beginning to remind me of AlgenPflenger Keep it up man

[SeriousMalz]

Your sketches are really looking quite realistic, the "multi-limb" sketches look really cool ^^

[ecki]

@CrashPoint: Thanks

@Yemi775: WOW – THAT is like the biggest compliment EVER! I don't deserve that!

@SeriousMalz: Thank you!

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Today, there'll be a lot of sketches!

First off, some heads:


Now, some Anatomy stuff:


On the next 2 pages, I have some more anatomy stuff and also something in which I've used myself as a model in front of a mirror:


And some random digital sketches:

[GrayPersona]

nice studies ecki ,you figures appear more 3d than they used to,watch for proportion though as some of them have unreasonably short legs\big heads.

[n1frit]

Great anatomy, i like how you draw them - soft round lines. Very well done! Keep it up!

[ivan4oto]

Very good figure and head sketches. I really really like how you did the hair on the girl in post n166, it's just so alive !
In your pencil drawings i like the technique you use in making the shadows.

[Kvetch]

Fantastic figures in these latest batches, multi-limbed figures are great as ever. I see a few wonky noses here and there, might be something to watch out for.

[Yemi775]

You do man, your dedication is fucking awesome!

[Joe777k7]

Man!!! Putting in that mileage i see!! Keep it up!!

[eclip-se]

Awesome -_- love the motion in these! overall great work mate

[rem92]

The last portraits are coming out really well, i specially like the one in post 160, and for that one painting with a heart headband, the right arm which is supposed to be coming at us looks too flat to me, and the head could use a lot more emphasis on perspective, the mouth and chin could be bigger and the eyes and forehead area alittle narrower.

[I STRaY I]

Yo, I was just checking in for an update. So..please, give me one.

[Eikoae]

Wow, I love your updates! the color in your photo studies are really, really great. I'm also incredibly inspired by your pencil drawings. I need to up the quality on mine, and your sketchbook kind of gives me that extra boost of motivation!