NeonPoweredFirefly's Sketchbook!

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Hey guys and gals, welcome to my sketchbook! I'm a bit new to this site, so forgive the initial awkwardness of this post--I hope I'll learn how to organise and upload images properly so as to not make a mess in the future [=

I've been trying to learn how to make images for roughly a year now, studying theory and practicing for many hours every day, in hopes of someday working in illustration and concept design. I decided to join this site and make a sketchbook to meet people interested in art and improve as much as I can with your help, so feel free to critique my work and comment!

The pictures that follow are mostly from 2012 and 2013, a few selected ones to showcase some variety (I like to experiment) and evolution. They aren't in chronological order, since I suck at ordering images it seems, but most of them are from last year. The file names indicate if they are studies or originals.

I'm sorry that this post ended up being so bulky :P

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Over 160 people visited the sb! haha I'm so thrilled Alrighty these are just three quick weird sketchy paintings I did yesterday when I had some time to relax (I find drawing faces relaxing) after a night of insomnia and a stressful day of battling with larger images that refuse to cooperate. Thanks for stopping by!

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

This morning's warm up sketches! I'm going to try to do this as daily as possible

[Overtoom]

No escape, stalking back at ya D:<
Nice sketchbook! Wanting more!

[walnut]

You're really sure youve only started a year ago? The stuff im seeing here very much belies that. Which is another way of saying this i s a great start to a sketchbook. Hope to see more!

[PNate]

You've got a cool style and some unique ideas! Love to see more. That whose line caricature is brilliant

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Overtoom: Thanks!

Walnut: I've always drawn for fun and was never good at it (not that I am now--I was just much worse before), but didn't really care until a year ago when I decided I'd make a go for illustration and concept design... so I guess I learned intuitively some basic things in the years leading up to my becoming an organised and systematic student of art, but I can't show that growth process to anyone because I stupidly got rid of all my old drawings (at the time I thought it was a good idea, but now I regret it bitterly).

PNate: Thank you, I'm glad you like it [=

Hey everyone! The first three are studies for a bird knight thing I want to do but haven't had time to get around to yet, that armour took me like four freaking hours and it looks so half assed >.< it was the first time I painted an armour so yay haha; then some doodles of girl heads, because I want to get better at stylised form, like Kurunya, Endling, et al; and finally some moaarr sketchy fun with monster faces!

Thank you all for visiting!

[Sleep.less]

Really liking those characters . You have a very good sense for form and volume.
Awesome graphic look to your work.
Eager to see more

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Mario: Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it, and hopefully there'll be plenty more as days go by [=

So I spent these last two days trying to learn how to use Zbrush... and the results have been very disappointing haha I thought the experience would be substantially different from when I tried Maya and 3ds max, but I guess the problem is that 3D is not my thing. Oh well, leason learned. Still, I managed to do a study and a doodle of Minion, because I saw Megamind recently (I'm always late to the party).

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Good people of CA, here you have my warm up sketch for today (which I'll probably clean up later and turn into an illustration), a quick architecture study, and a little expressionist experiment. Thank you all for visiting!

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

An experimental portrait from yesterday, and a grayscale one from this morning along with its process. Thanks for dropping by!

[Dreln]

Holy crow! Your sketchbook is pretty amazing man. I really dig the variation in styles you're playing around with right now.

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Dreln: Thank you! Yeah, I'm trying to do as many different things as I can--keeps me on my toes!

Here are two colour versions of monday's cleaned-up morning warm up sketch. I'm so tired haha. Still, gotta paint some more before bed--trying to improve my environments... maybe if I start coming up with not-completely-awful ones, I'll share them over here

[Sleep.less]

Fantastic brushwork on the portraits.
I like how this last character turned out
I feels that it lacks some texture, apart from the noise on his sweater. A thing which I too try to achieve, try creating texture using lines. Combine your linework to create creas patterns and add small details like seams, buttons, worn out spots. It really gives life to a character.
Also, post your environments either way. We'll have more material from which to give advice.

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Mario: Thank you for your kind words! I agree, that last character lacks texture, and would likely look much better with some extra work done on him, but I just wanted to colour the drawing a little to have something half decent to post haha; I plan on posting the environments -however ugly they may be- later on in the day, so probably in a few hours I'll put some of them up

Meanwhile, here is yet another portrait I did this morning; it started out as just a sketch but you know how it is, one gets caught up in it and suddenly what was meant to be fifteen minutes of loosening up ended up being over two hours of painting.

[ANtY93]

well, this one is awesome, not only from the looks

[Sleep.less]

Wow!
I friggin love this last portrait!
Awesome shading and brushwork.

[skullsquid]

Some really nice stuff in here. Great range of style too.

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

ANtY93: Thank you! I'm glad you like it :)

Mario: :D

Skull: Thank you, I like to experiment and try different styles!


I had a crappy couple of days and I didn't do much at all really, barely got up in fact, and when I finally tried to draw something I spent like two hours noodling about not managing to make anything nice. Whine whine whine haha :P In the end I forced myself to do some master copies of Zhaoming Wu, a godly painter and draughtsman you should go hungrily google right now if you don't know him... I don't like these studies, but I want to keep my word and update this as daily as possible, so there you have them. Oh and also a sketch I drew yesterday but forgot to post.

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Morning sketches... or even less than that, they're more like quick ideas for things.

[Rhubix]

So far so good! Love the variety of things in here -particularly the Emu type creature (or ostrage... ostridge... pause for dictionary - ostrich)
nothing constructive to add- just keep posting!
happy sketching

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Rhubix: Thank you so much! Those birds are actually cassowaries Google them, they're ugly as fak and as tall as an adult man, but tons of fun to draw haha

My internet has been really weird lately and together with CA's migration it was impossible for me to upload more frequently. But hey, here I am now, uploading some head doodles done in yet another level of stylisation; a textury old eye sketch; a quick and awful Lipking study; some artsy feet; and an environment (first version, second version with snazzy effects, and initial sketch). As always, comments and critiques are more than welcome! Thanks for stopping by [=

[deputyballer]

both your stylized and more real works are really good. i think it shows a good level of understanding and versatility on your part

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

deputyballer: Thank you very much, you're too kind!

Here's this morning's warm up sketch! Space kangaroo!

[Vezarez]

You've got some awesome stuff going on here. I'll have to keep my eye on this sketchbook ;P

[Naidy]

I had to re-read your comment on my sketchbook like thrice to figure if I was looking at the right person here. Your art is off to an excellent start! My god, I think its me that should be sucking up to you here!
Tell you what, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on your sketchbook. Your colours and paintings look really nice, pluss you seem to be trying out a lot of different things style and subject wise. No real crits yet, just keep up the good work, mate. Hope to see more soon!

[FightingSeraph]

I concur with Naidy, you are off to a great start and what kind of paint did you use for those canvas pieces?

[NeonPoweredFirefly]

Vezarez: Thank you! I'm glad to know you will [=

Naidy: Maybe I should change my profile pic to match the thread's icon haha but I like that exclamation mark, it's so easy to spot when you're scrolling down through comments! Hey thanks Sinead, both for the compliment and for keeping an eye; and I meant what I wrote in your thread--I wish my drawings were half as effortlessly flowy and natural as yours are [=

FightingSeraph: Thanks! It's all digital, my friend. I know how to paint traditionally (acrylics, watercolours, gouache, and to a lesser extent oils), but I almost never do it nowadays because it takes longer, it's more expensive, messier, and my main objective now that I'm beginning to grasp the fundamentals is trying to get my work to a professional level, so that I can earn MONEYZZ. I find that what I enjoy the most is just making images, the medium is irrelevant honestly, and digital is just so practical and versatile!


Hey everybody! Following are a meme called what I wore today (which was also my warm up sketch for the day); a bunch of sketchy drawings I did while watching Indiana Jones (I don't recommend doing this, the drawings end up being clunky and you can't pay full attention to the movie, but since I know Indie by heart it wasn't that big of a deal haha); a pop art-ish self portrait (you can click on it to see a larger version); and a rather quick and loose Sargent study. As an artist, nothing gets you as depressed as doing a Sargent study... seriously, it's worse than watching five consecutive episodes of The Office UK D:

[xinranliu]

Mmmm really like your illustrative work! The treatment has a lot of style. I think you just need to keep up the studies and you'll be kicking some serious ass

[V3T]

Dayum, I am really liking your stuff =o