Lost in a sea of creativity (NSFW/56k) - - updated Aug 10 2009

[Amazing Action Ape]

some recent cafe sketches. Also a redone version of a previous layout.

[Amazing Action Ape]

Bit of pinup fun to take my mind off schoolwork.

was about 20 - 30 minute speedpaint, still so slow with this CS2 stuff.

[Amazing Action Ape]

First project of the new year!
My new years resolution was to get better at my painting/colour theory skills, so i figured id start the year off with a hybrid painting. I used one of summer puddings thunderdome entrys (i believe) for inspiration/reference in terms of colours and what works and what doesnt.

Im about 3 hours in.

Comments/critiques are welcome

[j a k e]

Man your lines are awesome! The sketchbook pages are really fun and nice. Seems like your colours will be awesome if your starting like this.

[Sway West]

I've been keepin' an eye on your sketchbook for awhile, and I'm just floored by your stuff. Especially your character designs.

The new project looks like it's off to a great start. I love the sweeping perspective, really gives the illusion of motion - can't wait to see where/how far you go with it!

[Amazing Action Ape]

Heres an update on the previous painting.

J A K E: Thanks man! Ive flipped through your sketchbook a few times, and ive liked what i saw. Ill pop a comment in it the next time im in it.

Sway West: LOL, you commented right before i posted this! Thanks a grip for the continued support of viewing my stuff Ive still got a ways to go on this, I was inspired by the ridge racer series, and the sweeping shots i can get in the photo mode in Project gotham racing 3! (Im a huge car buff ) Really glad you like it so far

[Wheeljack18]

I just reviewed this whole thread and enjoyed all of it. It's really educational & inspiring to observe your progress, So keep posting!

[BludHund]

Wow. Bold cartoony style. Enormous energy. Good composition. Keep it up.

P.S. are you going into animation, then?

[Amazing Action Ape]

Wheeljack18: Thanks man, I checked out your sketchbook, your on the right track with the studies

Bludhund: Thanks man For now anyways, im currently in my first year of animation at sheridan college. As for when i graduate? well only time will tell.

EDIT: Heres the final for today, changed a ton, got rid of the bubble, thought it was too distracting, the space now is nice. Im just effin around adding the speed lines, dunno if ill keep those.
Started busting out the car references, the first car is a datsun 240z, the other 2 are undecided at this point.

[Amazing Action Ape]

an hour and a half sp

[Amazing Action Ape]

Finished the self portrait, and refined the speedy car thing a bit more.
I feel the car has lost its kickassness as i started to paint it in, so looks like its back to the basics once again for that one.

[Justin.]

Sp is cool! Good work!

[designboot]

I love all thos comic characters schetches! Awsome

[Amazing Action Ape]

Something I started today. Watched the marko dvd today, and it has already had too much influence on me. LOL

Justin Oaksford: Thanks dude!

Designboot: Thanks man!

[Flaskpost]

Very nice! That scene with the car is awesome!

[Amazing Action Ape]

28 sketchbook pages condensed into 15 images for your viewing pleasure

Flaskpost: Thanks dude!

[SantaClaus]

hi

just some great stuff in here. very fun to look at. 5 from me.

[SirGreenSock]

Aw man i missed so much! Guess the subscription fucked up again...

So much condensed apege,lookin nice. The Marko inspired piece is tight, hope you finish it dude!
I agree that the car lost its energy, I think its cause you yourself got lost in the edges. Sharpen up that bitch and throw some sleek chromy shine and it'll come back to ya!
The sp is solid, the likeness is definitely there, but youre still stuck in your usual colour schemes. Next time it starts happening again fuck it up with the hue/saturation tool and use whatever colours come out.


I wanna see more vaariety in your sketchbook. Seems like most of the work you do is either floatin heads or you being stuck in your comic world (which is fine, but you gotta expand to keep fresh, think Marko needing to move outta degenesis after so long). The cars are a breath of fresh air imo, looks that way in your markmaking too.

[Wheeljack18]

Now THAT is a sketchdump. Alot of stuff to go over but all of it entertaining. I agree with what SirGreenSock had to say. Ie: Shake it up and add some spice! I know light bulbs went off in my head when I read his crit.

Keep posting man.

[Sublimus]

Very nice!

I am dying waiting for my dvd to arrive in the mail! I think I may have a heart attack! haha.

[Amazing Action Ape]

Latest batch of life drawings. 30seconds,1minutes,2minutes,3minutes,5minutes.

SantaClaus: Thanks dude!

SirGreenSock: Once again, I am honored for the most valuable advice my friend.

Wheeljack18: Hahaha yeah man, expect to see some different stuff than i normally draw here soontimes.

Sublimus: Hope your DVD has arrived, and that you enjoyed it as much as I did.

[SirGreenSock]

Cool life studies!
The last two are the most coherent imo, theyve got a great gesture, sense of movement and weight to them. The simplicity really helps in this regard.
The other (im assuming longer studies) arent as good really, theyre mostly done with short stubby strokes which freeze-frames the figure rather than give it flow. They also occasionally get some pretty spastic marks which im guessing are marking the edges of shadows and such, which dont really contribute to the figure at this stage. The best advice i can give you is something im also trying to work on, and that is making less marks in the longer studies, maybe even as few or fewer than you would in your short poses. Youre at a stage where simply recording the figure in front of you isnt enough anymore, youre good at that, so the logical next step would be thinking in your placement of the figure on the paper and your markmaking. In the longer poses try spending a bit more time looking at the figure, and figuring outthe most mark efficent way of putting it down. A few good, confident and well placed lines look better than many impulsive confident poorly placed lines.

Some illustrator advice for ya.

[designboot]

Very nice update!

[Sway West]

Your hands, among other things, are rockin' the HOUSE!

[Amazing Action Ape]

Couple new sketchpages, colour studys and thumbs.

The background pan is for my pink panther walkcycle, but i think i may have taken too many libertys with the design of the overall background.

SirGreenSock: Thanks for your critique, I reexamined the way i approach the figure, and thanks to you and another friend of mine, I was able to improve my life drawing considerably. Expect a new life drawing update soon.

Designboot: Thanks mate

Sway West: LIKEWISE! love your stuff.

[Amazing Action Ape]

Here are some of my better life drawings today. I ran out of newsprint midway through extra life, so I never got to do any 5 minute poses of debbie today.

[JERI]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1169184664

So you were doing this in an art class and the model actually held this pose for several minutes for the whole class? Looks awfully demanding.

I'm admiring the very fluid strokes btw.

[SirGreenSock]

Haha even if you didnt tell me the name I'd have recognized Debbie's routine. See some wrinkly-abs guy in there too!

These life drawings are way better, read and flow real well. Only crit Id have is taht knowing Debbie's poses id say youre not taking them far enough. The twists are definitely there and well done but i think you coulve exaggerated the gesture of her arms and legs a bit more to show the tension of the pose (and the fact that she looks like shes gonna snap in half any second). Part of this is foot placement, half the poses have very flat foot placement (close to each others plane wise), the strongest ones are the ones in which you exaggerated this in the gesture, because that in itself helps the foreshortening in the legs believable and the pose interesting.

[skullsquid]

Beautiful work mr. Ape. I'm inclined to say that the last figure drawing batch
is stunning. The motion is well captured and the line is fluid. Great control.

Indeed Ape is mighty, got nothing much to add.

[Sirio_Brozzi]

Your stuff has real good flow dude and a sense of looseness. The digital stuff works well too. Good stuff mate. : )