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

[SirGreenSock]

well godammit Braden this recent shit is on a whole new level! Kickass!
Congrats on getting your life drawin' on display, really dug seein that one in person.
Characters, zoo sketches, thumbnails all look badass (looove that rhino). Youre really developing a nice style for yourself, starting to merge your comic and animator style real well.
Good job on the lifedrawings, theyre really improving lots. Occasionally still getting some choppiness in your strokes, but overall theyre all working real sweet, the gesture and weight distribution usually read real well. Will you be my tutor?
Loving the car character, hope to see it in colour!
The gouache (its gouache right? Im guessin cause the pigments a bit chalkier than if it was watercolour) is awesome too, first time ive seen that kinda work from you! Overall its got great character and its kept nice and simple, though i do wish you hit the colours a bit harder in places to give it a spark of life.

Keep it up dude, i think i learn somethin new everytime i come round here!

[stalsby]

nice sketchbook! keep em coming!

[BludHund]

Heh, yeah, burnout is deadly.

Really good lines.

Really good energy.

You need to do a lot more color studies / rendered pieces. If you really work that the world's gonna be your oyster. Use your 'personal projects' as an excuse....hehe

[Taj]

The Mass Effect stuff is great man, i love how you can spend time playing video games and incorporate it into your work. I'm loving the last portrait, is that a special someone in your life? haha. Keep up the great work, I'll see you at some comic convention, or TCAF if you're down, later!

[maxetormer]

I LOVE IT!
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...1&d=1175819433

[Amazing Action Ape]

man, its hard to believe itll be 2 years of sketchbook mania in just 9 days.
Anyways heres 2 paintings from school, the first a master copy of a painting done by will wray (worked on samurai jack and other cartoons). The second a still life done in acrylics. Drawing problems aside i love the rendering on the flask. Ill try and get a huge update for the 2 year anni! Big thanks to everyone who leaves feedback in this thread! I do it all for you guys and gals

Sirgreensock: Thanks man! I hope some of my latest life drawings are wall worthy, as Ive changed up my life drawing style, and really enjoy this new direction ive been taking with them. Thanks again man, as for tutoring, I dont know right now, but I would say its a possibility! It all really depends on whether or not I can afford to put myself through second year without having to work part time. If thats the case then ill have time to tutor.
Ive been thinking of throwing colour onto the car! we shall see. hehe Actually it IS watercolour, i have this portable winsor and newton set that I bust out occassionally (planning on bringing it out more though, i love watercolours) Thanks man! i definitely plan on working hard even over the summer

Stalsby: Thanks man!

Bludhund: I agree on all accounts! I plan on hitting up colour studies HARD over the summer, we shall see how that turns out.

Taj: I dont really play videogames much anymore, not because i dont enjoy them, but because Ive been having more fun drawing then anything these days. Although i do play the odd game and watch the odd movie now and then that definitely keep me inspired. You already know ill be at the conventions this summer.

Maxetormer: Thanks man! Your attitude is always infectious! Keeps me fueled! thanks

[SirGreenSock]

Awesome stuff! I figured the previous paint was a watercolour once i saw the title, so im guessing the 'chalkiness' comes from the paper rather than the pigment.
I love the way you handle paint man, youre real good with getting the right amount of contrast in there.
Thanks for turning me to will wray, always love discovering new artists, and his work is phenomenal! Its interesting how for many animators their personal work is worlds apartfrom their commercial work.
I dig the first piece, whats it done with? Its kinda a blurry photo so its hard to fully crit, but comparing it to his original you did a great job! His version is more subtle in the colours and has more texture play, but youve nailed the values and the overall feel alright. Maybe the darks couldve been a tad warmer so they feel more like dark values than an infinite void.
I like the way you handled the acrylic, it feels more like gouache, which is the spectrum where i see acrylic to be good for. The bottle is strong, though the consistency of teh colours and values throughout is a bit much. A bit more subtlety in the handling wouldve helped make the back of the bottle and whats behind it read better. Youre right that the flask is the strongest, its nice and simple,and the reflections are solid for the most part. That midtone grey in the middle is bugging me though, itsa really strong shape so it stands out on its own quite a bit, toning it down with an inbetween value or something mightve helped? I dont know what the object in the back is, but its definitely the weakest, the simplification didnt quite work there, so it ends up confusing.

[Amazing Action Ape]

Latest update, clothed figure life drawing, 2 tens, 2 fives. Only third time ever doing clothed figure drawing, was wierd focusing on character and story, and cloth rather than anatomy.

SirGreenSock: Yeah I painted it in my cheap sketchbook, hence the chalky feel. Thanks man Will wray is amazing! I love showing people that guys work. Such a huge inspiration to me. My copy is done with gouache on watercolour paper, his was done in oils on masonite I believe. Was REALLY hard to do a copy like that, but well worth the effort. Thanks for the critique on the stilllife, the object in the back is actually a cloth curtain, but I had a really hard time trying to render that (mainly because i was having a hard time seeing it in my still life setup) which means i need to paint more cloth. Congrats on finishing first year illustration dude!

[naomiful]

wow i am really feeling everything in this sketchbook. such great variety and this image http://conceptart.org/forums/attachm...1&d=1177027329 is just beautiful

keep it up - have some stars ~!

[BludHund]

Good form on the figures, and I really like the watercolors, I'd like to see more of that.

[SirGreenSock]

Kickass man, congrats on your progress this year, cant wait to see what you produce next semester!
The first life drawing is the strongest imo, the cloth and figure underneath both read and work together. The others all have great character, too, but arent quite as resolved technique-wise.
Are you staying here for the summer or headin back home?

[Ryn]

Whew, been a while since I've stopped by CA for critiquing purposes.. gotta make up for that.

April 5th.

It looks a bit like you're overcoming that problem with not sticking to one style. At least in this instance. I can definitely take a quick glance at the first two pages and recognize them as something 'apeish'.

The car drawing is just downright sexy. Contours on it are great, good sense of motion there. You nailed that one, mos' def'.

Watercolour is pretty damn nice. Little nitpicks (take lightly, I absolutely suck with watercolours) you could stand to be a little more bold with your brush strokes, use less of them in a more calculated manner. Doing the tried and true squinty-eye-test on that one, you could have conveyed the same information using a lot less brushstrokes. Though really, I guess using crappy paper could account for a lot of that pickiness. Just figured I'd throw it out there anyway, though.

First acrylic master copy looks really solid. Do you figure you learned a bit from it?

Second acrylic is pretty nice too. I really like how you conveyed the textures - shiny glass, metalic flask, etc - using some really limited brush strokes. As much as I -hate- the word, it does indeed look very 'painterly', in a good way. The vodka bottle's a bit wonky, as far as the perspective goes. The ellipse on the top of the bottle doesn't quite line up as it should. The can has a perspective problem as well, if you cut the can into slices, it wouldn't all line up the way it should in real life (if that makes sense?) Also, the direction of brush strokes on the soda can don't really aid the form at all.

The last 4 clothed figure drawings are gorgeous. Some of your best, I'd say. They're all very vibrant, you get a good sense of presence and character. I'd say not taking anatomy as a priority on these was a huge success. It seems you have a good enough grasp of anatomy to make that work, so more the power to you. The only crit on these is for the third one's face. It looks like you just stuck on her facial features; you didn't really 'sculpt' her face out of planes like you did with everything else. Still awesome for a 5 minute drawing, regardless.

Kickin' rad art as always. Looking forward to more updated. :3

[Solon]

Superb work. I was wondering, tu es francais ou québécois?

[Amazing Action Ape]

Just a small update with a colour study of a character i might animate/illustrate.
Sorry for the lack of updates, but My only current access to a scanner was at school, and well its over for the summer! so expect few and far updates between now and septembaaaah.

Also, thanks for enjoying my work and picking me apart guys, I really appreciate it, you all help out SO Much.

Naomiful: Thanks! Glad you like what you see

Bludhund: I have been using more colour recently in my latest sketchbook, however you wont see that stuff until september, if at all. (most likely at that point id just post the latest stuff)

SirSockthatisGreenandWooly: Thanks dude! likewise! The first clothed figure was actually the last one i drew, i was finally getting the hang of it (hence why it looks the best ), but now im soooo stoked to do more costume near the end of second year (so far away! ) You already know im here over the summer, but ah. well. ladideedahhhhhhhdoooooodeeeee..

Ryn: Wow, always spot on in your observations and always always super helpful. Sweet! Thanks, and thank you! Im still nervous using watercolour, but I will do try to be more BOLD! Actually the first one is goauche, but yes I did learn a TON from it. Yeah, The still life does have quite a few perspective and drawing problems, but as the focus of the assignment was painting texture, I spent all my time on that. Looking back I wish I would have fixed the drawing errors, as it would have created a stronger piece and well, technically I still can, but eh,, its old news now. Thank you! I was actually up all night finishing our last animation that was due the day I did those life drawings, so Maybe i should life draw after pulling an all nighter more often! But yes, i do see what you mean about the face! thanks for the great critique!

Solon: Thanks! ah non, I was born and raised out west (alberta), where all the french i learned in school was never put to use, sadly. I do really really want, and well frankly, need to learn french though.

[Amazing Action Ape]

Another in a longline of selfportraits, caricature style. 2 hours in CS2. Man i feel like a total narcissist. LOL

[RaistlinTheDark]

wonderful stuff man, i love it.

[skullsquid]

Ohh long time I haven't stepped in here.

Last one is really cool. Your natural media is so very sexy dude.

Keep up the good work.

[AmadorL]

sweet fukken thread man ... love your style.....

-Amador

[Amazing Action Ape]

just a quick update on this creep style selfportrait, will finish the hand/neck tomorrow or something.

At 3 hours now on this sucker.


Raistlinthedark: Thanks man.

EvilDisco: Thanks dude! Will do!

AmadorL: hahaha thanks man! glad you like what you see!

[BludHund]

Looking good! Nice energy, solid. Keep tightening it up, throw in some dynamic lighting. Keep posting, yer on a roll.

Oh yeah, and buy a scanner or take some 'snaps' as Loomis would say..we gots to see them down-and-dirty "traditional" stuffs.

[Salavin]

Oh Wow!
I just so loved the long plow through your work. I can see where you've tweaked and improved so much in your lines It's stunning ♥

[Amazing Action Ape]

The finished self portrait, and about an hours worth of digital sketches.

Bludhund: hahaha thanks man! uhh, as for taking snapshots, I do have a camera but I el lacketh batteries to fund the power it so desperately craves to be alive.
Maybe soon though!

Salavin: Hey! Thanks a muchos grip! I should probably take the long trek through here myself and see just how far Ive come in the past 2 years.

[BohemianChaos]

hey, nice stuff here, plus you've improved from the first time I looked at this sb. I especialy like your zoo studies. Keep it up!

[TheGnoll]

never stopped in here and...MAN!

lovely work in here man, lines are so elegant and confident it hurts...those animal sketches are awesome...
i'll be back for more, meanwhile, have some stars!

ciao

[BludHund]

Don't cut your ear off ... Van Gogh!

[Amazing Action Ape]

Some recent life drawings. The colour one was a 10 minute pose, but with 1 minute left and a lack of a darker conte, I called it quitters.

BohemianChaos: Thank you! Hearing the fact that people see me improving is a huge compliment! Nice to know im always on the up!

TheGnoll: Shit man thanks! Glad to have another fan

Bludhund: hahahahha Too late man, Im already crazy, and having lost a fuckload of blood, I've just crossed over the edge! kasdflasdkghasdF!:kdaslkf! okay, so I haven't really cut off my ear..

[Amazing Action Ape]

sketchbook pages, and some comic work! sorry for the poor quality. Stupid camera... hahahaha

[andy5]

Your line quality is jaw dropping.

[DeathChalupa]

SF-Third Strike?!
Are you working for Udon

[Laurentius]

I like how you progressed from start up until now and how your style matured with each and every post. I cant really do much in the area of critique. I really REALLY want to see that 3rd strike comic finished though (just curious who do you use in SF3?). Love your work dude.