Eckis sketchbook - please rip me asunder

[ecki]

Mah Gawd People, did you miss me?

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@GrayPersona: Thanks! I'm always trying to think in 3D as much as possible, it's really exhausting, though. Yeah, my Proportions need quite some work

@n1frit: Thanks! I'm trying to get more little bumps and a few sharper corners into my lines, though. They are a little too round for my taste.

@ivan4oto: Thanks a lot, but which girl do you mean exactly? For the shadows I often just use some ink-wash that I filled in a brush-pen and use like a marker now. I'm cheap like that

@Kvetch: Thanks! Yeah, I really have some trouble with noses, I should fill a few pages with just noses.

@Yemi775: Thanks! You kick ass!

@Joe777k7: Thank you!

@eclip-se: Thanks man! Great to see you

@rem92: Thank you! Now that you're saying it, you're right with that perspective issues, the head is pretty much turned upside down in perspective. I will try to watch out for this :/

@I STRaY I: There you go! Sorry that it took so long, I'll explain it all, just scroll down a little

@Eikoae: Thanks, I do what I can

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Hey hey, sorry that it took me so long to update here. I was pretty ill last week and wasn't able to do very much. I took a few days just to doodle around and to get back into drawing. Since Saturday, my girlfriend is at my place and we spent a lot of time playing Final Fantasy IX
This game is really awesome. But don't be afraid, I'm soon going back into drawing my butt of, just see it as a little 1 week creative vacation.

But nevertheless, I did some random sketches since my last update. It's not much, but there it goes:

[I STRaY I]

lolz, nice dude. Being healthy is important, creative vacations are nice to I think!?!. Glad to see the update, so thanks.

[Yemi775]

No way Eckis you kickass....i see some algenpfleger inspired work yes keep at it man keep kicking ass, i would suggest you do some Hamptons or Bammes very helpful

[ecki]

Wow, I didn't even notice that I'm on page 7 already! Thanks a lot for your support guys ---

@I STRaY I: I've got a lot of red tape to fight with at the moment because I'll only be working for a few more weeks and there is a lot of tax and insurance stuff to manage :/ But I'll just keep drawing as much as I can until I'm free to draw full time

@Yemi775: Thanks! I really should be getting out some anatomy books again

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As I've explained above, some red tape has is waiting for me at the moment :/
But soon, I have tons of time for drawing

Today, I've just got a bunch of anatomy studies and random sketches:

[ecki]

Man, my faces suuuuck! I should really go back to bammes for awhile.
I'm also a little scared of digital painting at the moment, I think I should go for it this weekend.

Random sketches from imagination (except the page of noses):

[kopfscheu]

No crits, I just want to say: You're improving so f**** fast, I'm a little bit jealous.
Grüße nach Nürnberg!

[GrayPersona]

heyo eckie!

your studies are coming along great,you draw females really well and your lines have a good organic quality to them.
dont stop posting!

[ecki]

@kopfscheu: Danke But you're also kicking major ass here on CA.org, as far as I've seen!

@GrayPersona: Hey Hey! Thanks man! Don't worry! I'm not getting lazy

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To everyone that wonders about my absence a little:
Don't worry, I'll continue to post!

At the moment I'm working to save some flexi hours, so that I can quit my job 2 days earlier and have a Friday as my last day of work. That said, I'll be without a job from 12. of April on. After that, I'll start to draw full time (8+ hours a day). I'm really looking forward to that.

Due to the overtime I'm working at the moment (~45 hours/week) I'm not able to draw as much. Which doesn't mean that I'm not drawing every free minute Maybe it just takes a few days to save up drawing to get a reasonable post.

Today, I've spent some time on faces.
Tomorrow, I'll switch on my digital rendering jets and paint some digital faces. After that, I will likely go back to environments or vehicles. I'm also feeling like more detailed/finished illustrations.

First, some faces with ref:


Now, some faces from imagination:


Here, I was fooling around with the chain brush


And a more finished digital face rendering (without ref).

[BlackPet]

Oh cool, I'm deeply impressed! You improved since your first posting. That motivates me! I'll keep an eye on your work

Servus!

[wutangclam]

great work ecki! feels like so long since i've last seen your sketchbook but it's only been 2 months and you've made great progress! keep it up! especially with how much you're working too, very impressive!

[V3T]

Studies look great, keep up the hard work! =]

[ecki]

@BlackPet: Thanks

@wutangclam: Thanks man, soon, my self-teaching will start, then I will flood this thread with new stuff every evening

@V3T: Thank you! I definitely will!

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A big sketch dump, because I didn't find the time to upload anything over the last few days.

I'll try to group this stuff somehow, but it won't be easy because I'm often mixing some color studies and experiments into my regular sketches and my warmup pages blend into everything else.

First off, some hand studies (with a little other sketches and a color study):


Now, some poses 60s poses:


and also some 10m poses:


Now some random sketch from imagination + a little color stuff:


At the end, have some color studies – upper bodies from imagination and one screencap-study of my favorite film :


Btw. The drawingscript website is down... that really sucks. Now I'm back to pixelovely. I really loved that page ;_;

[GrayPersona]

hey eckie,there is real improvements in your stuff,cant wait to see what happens when you commit full time to draw.
I think when painting try to seperate in your mind the color into hue,saturation and value.
its helpful to use a color wheel and just watch how the rgb sliders respond to hsv sliders.

I have painter but you can use this wheel for photoshop(you need c4 and above)
http://nerdchallenge.com/lenwhite/Le...White.com.html

also there is a great tutorial posted on ca about rgb mixing in photoshop by linran(You probably know but I still reccomend it-just google it)

[I STRaY I]

Hey Ecki, nice to see the updates. The mileage continues, and I can see they gap between your reference figures, and imagination sketches is beginning to decrease which is awesome. Mostly, I'm very happy to see some color, and this screencap study. I know what you are doing is quite beneficial to you in terms of figure drawing and poses, it's apparent over the SB. And not that you should seriously consider it, because it's only from the perspective of an outside observer, but I think mixing up your studies is better for me, because it's variation is more interesting. Maybe you could find some value you in it, maybe that variation could benefit you somehow, but really it's not a valid recommendation because you likely know what it is you want to be studying, I hope. Keep on grinding man, you're improving & it's showing.

[ecki]

@GrayPersona: Thanks - The tutorial you mentioned brought me to using the HSV RGB sliders in the first place. But I'm also using the color wheel from time to time. I've got a bunch of different color selectors, for I am using "The Gimp" haha. But you're right, the colors were pretty off in the last screencap. But I know the theory, I think I just need more practice and stuff

@I STRaY I: Thanks man! I found it better for me to stick with one topic for a few weeks or even a month. That way it kinda stays with me a little longer But I'll have to go back to environments and vehicles soon. At the moment, I'm really enjoying skintones and drawing people and anatomy. But since I don't have any real comfort zones yet, I'm not really afraid of taking my time with every topic.

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I initially wanted to update my sketchbook yesterday, but we had an emergency with our dog. I've been Ill again since Tuesday, which really sucks. But at least I don't have to go to work for this week So I'm trying to paint as much as I can. I'm not having that much energy, though.

First, have some sketches from imagination:


And now, have 3 screencap studies:

[Yemi775]

Looking good Eckis keep up the good work man!

[Aereon~*]

Hey dude, nice stuff you have here! Some really good progress and obviously a lot of dedication. That said, I'd like to give some advice based off of first impressions and with the aim of improving your stuff even more (:

Okay, so the first thing I seem to notice in your drawings are the faces - Both sketching and painting. I see that you've been practicing body proportions a lot, which is good, I would watch how you draw your limbs more though. They look okay but there seems to be something off about them.. Maybe the arms are a little too short? I don't know. Either way though, they still look good, but back on subject.
So as I said, the first thing I notice is the faces. They look okay, but I would still keep practicing (which I know you're doing, but still (: ). Some tips from experience - I really love going to crowded places and drawing people. This is really helpful, for both faces and anatomy. It also lets you learn how to draw things in limited time, and helps you develop shortcuts. It also gives you a lot of practice with guidelines (aka, the shortcuts to a better drawing). When I can't get to crowded places I draw my flatmates instead, whether they like it or not. Don't think about what people think of you and just do it. Also, when you're drawing poses or expressions, I find it helps to think as if you're holding the pose or expression. If you were sitting on the floor how would your legs lie? Drawing a smiley face? Smile yourself and feel how it feels. Does your skin stretch? Does it feel like there's a fold there? What happens with your eyes?. Admittedly, pulling random expressions in public can be a bit odd looking, but who cares? It's also fun. I used to it all the time on the bus home from school. In the end it seems like something most comic-book artists develop subconsciously (because comic expressions are brilliantly fun to draw), but I thought I'd pop it in in case it hasn't.

On the subjects of expressions - Try drawing a wider range of them. They're really fun! And a vaster knowledge of expressions helps you learn to draw faces better, because you learn how they work. (Also they're really, really fun. I'm really not exaggerating here). Try drawing them with no reference first, then use a mirror if you're having trouble, or stock photos on DeviantArt (they have a massive resource and is a search category if you look to the left of the results). But remember not to rely on photos too much - Otherwise your art can turn out looking really fixed looking. Don't worry about perfection and just make everything look alive. An alive scribbly drawing is better than a fixed looking perfectly-lined drawing. Also, I know this may not be the best advice, but expressions can be easier to learn if you start off drawing them cartoony-like first, then move on to learning how to draw them realistically later. Maybe I just found this easier because when I first started drawing I mostly drew cartoon-y stuff, but really that side of things did help. Maybe because it's more simplified?

Also, don't make all your faces round and perfect. Get some bone structure in dem babies! Cheek bones and brow bones are amazing. Definitely one of my favourite things to draw. Find pictures and practice 3/4 views (as well as others). They're a lot more dynamic looking and really help you get to know faces better. Also, whilst the young ladies work is good, also make sure to draw male figures. And make sure to get a mixture of old and young in there. Give yourself time limits and draw things. Use drawing simulators that give you pictures and time you. They're really good, and really helpful! Also, drawing a range helps you learn the common factors of all of them and helps you develop a better understanding of the body structure in general. Also, work on necks and how they connect to the body too! I always liked the way Leyendecker used to paint his necks and jawlines. He's a great artist to learn from, as well as Norman Rockwell.

When it comes to painting faces (digitally. I don't have much experience with traditional painting and I should probably fix that), here are a few tips I have:
-Think of the head as a 3D object. Always think as if you are the thing you're painting.
- Use colours mixed in with other colours from the picture, instead of just using colours straight from a pick-and-choose. Have you just decided on a nice dark colour for the hair? Well, where else can you use it? On the lip line? Eyelashes? Nostrils? I really love doing this because it really does help your painting look a lot better and a lot more natural. Mainly because it's a lot more economical with colour - Making the pallet a mixture instead of a bunch of new things smashed together. It just.. It just works better. It looks less fake. It's hard to explain, but I did once do a tutorial on it if you're interested. I think I explained it a lot better there: link
- Does a skin tone look a little violet? This usually happens with pale skin. Sometimes when I get bored I watch make up videos on YouTube (even though I'm not that into make up myself), and a lot of the make-up artists on there use violet to neutralise red spots. (I see that you like Tim Burton films, so maybe you remember that joke from Edward Scissorhands where she tried to cover up his scars with the violet stuff?) d:
Anywho, what I was trying to make with that point was that skin has a lot of interesting colours in it, and you should look hard for them. For the last painting I did, I did most of the base colours with blues and oranges, and then moved on to adding the pinks and stuff. I found that worked really well, so I'd recommend really going for it. What I'm saying is that sometimes unusual colours turn up in unexpected places, don't be afraid to embrace them and use them to make your painting look more natural. To be honest, when I paint without photo reference I usually end up using an unusual colour combined with the background colour (Always incorporate the background colour into the main painting somehow) (:
- Use guidelines, whether they're messily painted or a line sketch, guidelines always help.
- Don't worry about making the subject look pretty if you're drawing from a photo, just mimic the shading. If you're doing it right, the subject with turn out like they should automatically. Just make sure everything is the right distance away from eachother, and to not get too into details without defining the main subject first, and even then keep zooming out and checking. Basically, don't worry about what they should look like instead of what the photo is telling you about how their face works.
- Don't be afraid of defining noses. I've noticed that in the last few paintings (and profile drawings) the noses have looked either too small or not defined enough. Noses are awesome to draw, bro! And they're definitely the most pronounced thing on a human's face. You should jump on that shading opportunity like woah. Shading is your best friend.
- Look at the picture, don't rely totally on what you already know. Don't go 'Okay so the shade on her face is doing that, but I'm pretty sure chins are meant to do that so I'll paint it like that instead'. It's the main thing that ruins referenced pictures. Paint and draw what you see.
- Put what you learn from painting into your drawings.

Also - If you haven't already, buy some mechanical pencils. They don't even need to be expensive. I'm just saying this because I personally find them a lot easier to work with, but each to their own I guess. Just try drawing with one and see what you think. Also keep up the ink drawings and painting from screenshots!

Okay, I'll stop bombarding you with advice now, but I hope you find all that helpful. (: I'm subscribing, and I hope to see more great stuff in the future. Toodles!

[Papu]

Great stuff yet again : ) Good studies on that latest post. Go much darker with your values though, and your edges could be a lot sharper too. Your pencil lines look really good and your knowledge of anatomy is starting to get pretty good. I'd say your proportions are a bit off, but with how hard you work, that's probably not going to be a problem for much longer : ) Anyway, just keep rocking. Subscribed : )

[ecki]

Hey guys and gals
Long time no see!

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@Yemi775: Thanks! I'm working quite hard, I'm just lacking the time to scan and upload a little

@Aereon-*: Wow man, you blow me away, to much useful information! You're right with the faces. But you're also right with the proportions of my anatomy stuff. I'm just not feeling quite secure with the muscles and proportions. I think I need some more time on that stuff. That's why I'm still not spending that much time with faces, I always have to go back to some anatomy studies But I'm already about to get there. Drawing from life is always best. I'm often at a youth-center nearby, where I'm always trying to draw from life as much as possible, I should definitely go for some faces there Right now, I'm trying to give my drawings more expressions and some kind of purpose, that really helps with expressions. You're right, I should try to push things more – expressions, as well as poses and dynamic lines. I think that goes again back to my insecurity with anatomy :/ I, however, won't go back to cartoony stuff, because it's a pain to get rid of. A little western-style-comicy is ok for me, but not more. It's a pain to get rid of. You're again right about my necks and jawlines, it's all about understanding and studying this stuff. My favorite website "The drawing script" recently shut down, now I'm just using a folder full with face-references and a timed slideshow for the studies The list of little notes at the end is definitely very helpful and I should read it about 1000+ times. Thanks again for that big-ass post PS. I'm already using a mechanical pencil for everything, I also like them best. I'm just using some ink washes sometimes to add some quick shading.

@Papu: Thanks! You're right about the values, I always tend to be a little light. Yeah, my proportions really need some work too. But I think that this just needs repetition and some brain usage

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What the hell is going on with conceptart.org? The colors are somehow screwed :/

Today, I finally found the time and motivation to scan my recent sketches and to resize my latest digital drawings.

I won't even try to give some order to all that stuff. Those are the basic rules:

• If there is a time on the page, it was with timed references
• If there is no time on the page, it was without references
• I was trying to get a little more purpose and expression into my drawings
• I was trying to go for a little more quality instead of quantity and took my time for everything

Here are some faces from imagination. I was experimenting with skintone and lighting here:


This is the beginning of a witchblade fanart I'm working on right now. I cropped it because there is now background yet. Later it will be a little zoomed out and in landscape. Also done without ref.

[eclip-se]

Awesome Ecki, reall progress in your figures, faces & line quality

[ecki]

@eclip-se: Thanks

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Today, I finished my sketchbook:



Also, I started adding some background to my latest more refined work. I should really practice putting people into perspective more

[ecki]

Wowowow! I'm finally out of my job, so now I'll be drawing like crazy!

What's up with ca.org lately? Everything looks like a mess somehow :/

This update will be pretty big, because I've done a lot today and I have some stuff since my last update.
Here it goes:

Some warm-ups and a lot of sketches:


Here is the witchblade-fanart I finally finished (maybe you've already seen it on deviantart):


And some other more finished painting I recently did:

[Papu]

Great update man Can't wait to see how you progress now that you have a lot more free time.

[ecki]

@Papu: Thanks

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Sketches:


And one skin study on which I spent/wasted quite some time today:

[ecki]

Some warmup and anatomy study stuff from yesterday:


Yesterday I've been to town, so I figured that I could draw some people there:


And some more random sketches / warmup and studies from yesterday and today:

[kopfscheu]

Oh man, you're so hardworking! I love the skin in your study. It almost looks better than in the original pic :-)

[ecki]

@kopfscheu: Thanks

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First, some random sketches and studies:


And one WIP Value and Color study that I will finish tomorrow morning:


I spent a lot of time on the background on that one. The character will need a lot more work, but I think this one can and will still still teach me a lot.

[GrayPersona]

good studies eckie, that last one doesnt seem drawing study friendly (crazy shapes and colors).

[ecki]

@GrayPersona: Thanks! Yeah, you're right, it's kinda hard, but that's why I chose it

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First off, some warmup 60s poses:


The finished color & value study that I started yesterday:


Another color & value study from today:


And some pencil renderings of simple shapes (without ref):


I wasn't able to construct the shadow for the cube that is standing on the corner. It just boggled my mind too much, so I rather eyeballed it.

[Murderotic]

Looking swell dude! Keep doing these studies. I love that you upload new things so frequently, there's always something knew here!