Wertle's Sketchbook (12-19-05)

**Danomight** · October 7th, 2005, 12:09 AM

I'm really liking the new gesture sketches you posted, so fluid and much more expressive. I tend to draw much better when I have more movement from my shoulder as well (that's why I hate drawing while on the couch!), your strokes become much different. Can;t wait to see more on the dragon picture.

**Sawa** · October 7th, 2005, 09:43 AM

i like the background on your dragon piece. great idea to let the light fall in like that

i only think that you shouldnt show all of the beams of light that clear in the final piece. at least make those that are in the background a bit more faded, if you know what im talking about

overall im pretty much diggin that painting so far

**redFIVE** · October 13th, 2005, 05:48 AM

Definitely keep working with the longer strokes. Those figures utlizing them speak of much potential.

The dragon's looking alot more focused now with the middle tone filled in completely. I think you could stand to knock down the beams of light a little in value, that way your brighter values are more focused on the dragon's head and it'll help draw the eye to it.

**Wertle** · October 13th, 2005, 07:04 AM

Thanks for the comments all, I intend to do some of those long-stroke gestures much more, it is a good exercise.

More on dragon...

The white beams of light were intended to just be guides for me to give me an idea of light direction and where it might fall. I hid the layer so it would be less distracting.

**bengonzalez** · October 13th, 2005, 12:25 PM

hey nice work so far on the dragon. Now you need to bring in more contrast and sharpness to the image. I liked the beams of light I would think of using them in some way. then one thing right now is that he looks like a clay sculpture. Try to bring in other colors into the dragon to make him standout.

**Danomight** · October 15th, 2005, 11:31 PM

Good to see your are making progress on the dragon picture. One thing I'm noticing is the bluriness. Most of the edges and planes have a really undefined feel to them, maybe it's the brush type or maybe you just posted a low res pic. Hope to see more!

**Interceptor** · October 23rd, 2005, 12:41 PM

Ben and Dan here pretty much took the words right out of my mouth. Keep this pic going, though, you can do it!!

**Wertle** · October 25th, 2005, 06:26 AM

ben--I probably will include some sort of beams, probably after I get the base painted out. I hope the light isn't too patchy. I think the underpainting is getting to the point where I feel like I'm getting the basic forms okay, so I will start working in ideas for color next (please understand that I never intended to keep him terracotta orange, I was just using that for tone. Maybe I should convert tonal underpaintings to grayscale when posting)

Dan--I will pay attention to the edges next time I do more work on it. Next time I post a process, I may include a high-res version, as a lot of the brushiness converts to blur when I resize it. Maybe I shouldn't be working at such a high resolution?

Interceptor--thank you! I really hope to see this through to completion.

For now, though, here are some feet. I tried doing more of the "attempting to draw with as few and as long line strokes as possible." HARD

After the book copies, I tried to use the same idea with my own feet. And discovered that I apparently don't know the structure of the foot very well x_x

So back to the book and the basic structure (I tend to draw from Bridgman when I'm having trouble figuring the very very basic shapes and volumes in a body part)

More on the dragon soon.

**Mikko Voipio** · October 25th, 2005, 06:57 AM

Really nice to see that you are taking your anatomy seriously. You basicly never study it enough. It's a lifelong process. Hey, where's the mask update.
Does it take a year ti dry. Would like to see it.

**bengonzalez** · October 26th, 2005, 02:53 AM

good work on the anatomy studies. It's a though thing to get a handle on. Keep at it. Reverse the drawings when you copy them from bridgman (don't know if you are or not.) The reversing thing is a way to really make your mind work to figure out the shapes and structure. and your doing a lot better than me with the long line drawing (I'm lazy) keep at it.

**Danomight** · October 27th, 2005, 04:10 AM

Noce foot studies Wertle. I am also trying to learn to draw using less lines, it is tough. I find it helpful to sketch stuff really loosely and crazily, using circles and curves to find shapes and joints. I don't try to get it perfect on the first try, I just try to figure out the structure, but after a few attempts, I have the general "path" of how it should be drawn.

**Snowsfall** · October 30th, 2005, 08:28 PM

Remember to draw from your head too and try to apply the anatomy knowledge that you've learned. Then you can study those drawings and see what you know and don't know. Then work on those areas appropriately.

**Wertle** · November 2nd, 2005, 07:09 AM

Thanks for the tips, all. Snowsfall--I will definately try this idea next.

Placeboast--Holy crap! I'd totally forgotten about the mask! I'd been waiting until I could get a foam head to mount it on when my camera died. It doesn't really look good all flat and laying out like this, but this is better than nothing, I suppose

Anyway, not much of an update this time. I'm working in on the dragon's face, and trying to resolve this blurriness/resolution issue I'm having. I tried sharpening on the resize this time, which seems to help a bit

This is the actual size that I'm working on the whole piece in...

**bengonzalez** · November 3rd, 2005, 12:51 AM

Dude nice mask. Is it Clay or paper. when and if you can get it to sit up right I'd like to see what it looks like from other angles.

The dragon's face is starting lo look a little humanoid like. Also is it this supposed to be a beginning dragon cause if it is you are getting the right look. He looks like he is wonder or dazed. Very friendly an innocent face.

**poise** · November 3rd, 2005, 11:38 AM

hey man!,
Your studies are coming along really well.

keep em up!

**Kittywolf13** · November 3rd, 2005, 06:20 PM

Figured its about time i do my part of the "Support" group. i've been both busy..with hurricane wilma, and lazy...ah the vain of the procrasitantor.

But yes. i really, really like all the anatomy studies your doing! Something i really need to try and get myself to swing back into. What book are you useing? perhaps i shall purchase a copy for myself. your progression shots of the dragon is very cool. is it open canvas or painter? at first i thought it was OC but with the later updates it looks more like painter.

either way keep it up! i can definatly see you have talent!!

**Astrobil** · November 7th, 2005, 07:07 PM

i finallay looked at your sketch book
i need too grab diner right now but your figural stuff is wonderful
i ll post in more detail later.
astrobil

**Wertle** · November 10th, 2005, 06:58 AM

Kittywolf -- I have several books that I really like referring from. How to draw the Human Figure by Louise Gordon is my favorite. It is a nice intermediate level book. For really basic stylization, like when I'm trying to hammer down the very basic shapes of the figure, I often refer to George Bridgman's Life Drawing. On the opposite end, if I'm trying to work out some whacky extreme angle, I sometimes take a look at Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Figure Drawing, which is exagerated to the opposite extreme. Jeno Barcsay's Anatomy for the Artist is another one that I draw from.

The dragon is in Painter. It's my first time using it, but I'm finding my real-life oil painting experience is helping me out with it.

Ben -- I was sort of going for a dazed, dopey sort of look. It's quite a change from the original sketch, in which he looks rather depressed, but I decided I wanted something more placid.

Thanks for the comments everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates. Thunderdome will probably change that x_x

**Wertle** · December 18th, 2005, 09:58 AM

I get 10000 lashes! Shame! Shaaaaaaaaame! I'm really sorry for being so absent, guys. Mysterious illnesses.

I have a couple things to share, though.

The first, my Kempo instructor wanted me to whip out a few line drawings that he could put on a brochure. They were to be super simple and needed to be done super fast. He wanted me to take influence from the illustrations in the book Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere, excepting that the lines had to be way thicker.

Anyway, I'm only so-so happy with them, but it is definately an exercise in drawing the figure from memory and seeing if the things I've been learning from drawing from anatomy books actually stuck. On the up and up, when he picked out which ones he wanted to use, he correctly identified them by the technique. I guess that's somewhat good, yeah?

Next up, I've been drawing this snakey sort of dude off and on for awhile now, so I gave him an upgrade. Want to see his original incarnation? No you don't...

Lastly, a dino monster girl. She originally showed up in this sketch. We're using her in an animation project I'm working on, so I've been trying desperately to simplify her. I drew up this sheet for someone who's working on a scene she's in.

A link for this one because I cannot post the image directly

**Icey** · December 18th, 2005, 10:19 AM

you've started your sktchbook so well!

you should continue with the studys - try to use reference for everything you do and ask yourself questions wile you drow - like muscle weight, gravity, torsion, bending... it's a easy way to learn - imo

cheers!

**Wertle** · December 19th, 2005, 06:17 PM

Thanks for the comments, Icey!

Okay, now for something completely different.

If there's one thing I consider myself sorely unpracticed on, it's perspective and architecture. Imagine my reluctance to work on a scene in our animation project that involved a cityscape x_x

No matter, though. After layers of vanishing points and bright red guidelines, I was able to create several buildings that I was fairly pleased with. Several of the designs I picked off of one of our storyboarder's work, but a couple more were of my own devising.

Because I am lazy, I screencapped these right out of Flash, so that's why the little orientation marker thing-a-do is still there.

Now here they are in action. This runs a lot smoother if you don't watch it full screen.

**bengonzalez** · December 21st, 2005, 01:49 AM

Hey Lisa the gesture drawings for the Aikido project are missing the line weight variation that the originals have. I know that they are supposed to be quick and heavy with the lines but there is a grace in the originals' brush work which is missing in yours. I'm guessing that they are digital. Are you using a tablet or mouse? the Gestures are nice don't get me wrong but the grace is missing.

Lots of improvement on the Naga guy. It shows that your are really growing.

The buildings I like very much, they have this very pulpish feel to them. like the old old superman animated clips. I really like where the flash animation is going too.

Keep at it. Nice bunch of work.

**redFIVE** · January 7th, 2006, 02:58 PM

Aw. I was hoping to see a finished dragon by now. Get back to work!
Well, I like your flash vector stuff. Fun style.

**poise** · January 25th, 2006, 04:49 PM

the vectors are nice. But I want to see more drawings, especially the anatomy ones those where coming along very nicely. keep workin!!

**redFIVE** · May 15th, 2006, 04:06 PM

*knock knock*

**Listing** · July 31st, 2006, 02:32 PM

nice work with both illustration and anatomy study. Do some self portraits or still life work very basically (in pen, pencil). It should give you a good sense of where you are and where'd you like to be technically. I like those zoo sketches. I need to get to that.