Approaching Insanity

**Master_Aerethos** · March 30th, 2007, 05:31 PM

So, I've recently jumped out of my drawing slump that I've been in for a couple of years, and I'm pretty excited with what I've been able to accomplish. I'd like to see your comments/criticism, but please read my comments before posting something redundant. I'll also do them in chronological order. Why? Because I said so.

This one I did during a church meeting. I was working on my multitasking skills, honest

Anyways, I REALLY like this guy, aside from a few things, such as the angle of the clavicles, and the fact that I messed up which side of his left hand the thumb was on. So I tried to cover that up, but to little avail. Still, I love the feel that I got across with this guy. He's supposed to be the main character for the game a few friends and myself are making in Flash. The game is ultimately supposed to be a tribute to God of War, and his name is Kraecles.

This is a study of a back that I copied directly out of my copy of Gray's Anatomy. I'm pretty proud of this one, except for the right of both the iliac crest (top of pelvis) and the capitulum (bottom of humerus). This one took about an hour, and is really my first "anatomy" drawing.

I am immensely proud with the way this one turned out. I don't really have any nitpicks with this one. I know I should have buried the tibia and fibula in the muscle, but I like the way this looks

This one was also copied from Gray's, and also tok about an hour.

This one I'm relatively proud of. Rather than just copying one image, I used several for reference, and compiled this. I think that it turned out rather well, though it seems the leg is REALLY long. But that's most likely because the whole shabang isn't there.

I REALLY like this one. The abs are kind of off-wack, but I have no idea what that Gray's picture was really trying to show. I also realized that after I finished this piece, I'm starting to develop a style. Do I like it? Kinda. But I'm sure that after I start to add things like skin, faces and props, it'll flesh out much more.

So there it is. I hope people have helpful things to post, and I also hope to update my progress on a regular basis.

Master_Aerethos

**drd** · March 30th, 2007, 10:38 PM

I know what you mean. Whenever I get started on something really good, it feels great.

Love that you're getting back into art, hope you can keep it up!

I can imagine what someone would say if they saw what you'd drawn in church, lol. Some guy with a flail. Heheh. I'm liking where you're headed, just keep practicing.

**Master_Aerethos** · March 31st, 2007, 06:21 PM

I can imagine what someone would say if they saw what you'd drawn in church, lol. Some guy with a flail. Heheh.

Ha ha. I gues not many people understand my church. We hold an Oktoberfest every year, and will postpone other things, like board meetings, just to have it. We're a cool church.

I know what you mean. Whenever I get started on something really good, it feels great.

Love that you're getting back into art, hope you can keep it up!

Same here! I'm really trying to draw whenever I get a chance, though finding the time is sometimes hard.

I hope to have an update later today. A forearm study. Yum

Master_Aerethos

**Master_Aerethos** · April 1st, 2007, 01:29 AM

Okay, time for a HUGE update!!

After a long day of drawing, I have some stuff to show. Some of it isn't from today, but oh well

I can't really help it that I'm lazy, can I

?

This is another idea for the game a few friends and I are working on. It's an interesting concept, but I didn't completely flesh it out since I was in a car, and bumpy roads don't = good drawing.

This one has some decent people, but nothing special.

This was the first real project of the day. Hence, it's MUCH sloppier than the others. I think it turned out pretty well. Used my hairy-ass leg for reference

The second project of the day. Not all too fond of this one, as it seems.....out of wack, somehow. I think it feels too flat.

The first page of a hand study. I'm overall pretty proud of these, and I don't think I have much t say about any of them.

At the time, these felt, for lack of a better term, kinda fucked up. I couldn't tell what was wrong with them. But now, they seem fine. The bottom right is my favorite of the set.

This one was INCREDIBLEY helpful to do. For some reason, stretching muscles of the arm make me want to stomp on kittens or something. So staring at my arm for a while was quite good, and I think I'll need to do it again sometime.

So overall, today was a really good day. I need to do this more often. Comments and criticism welcome/requested!!!

Master_Aerethos

**Master_Aerethos** · April 1st, 2007, 05:44 PM

Well, I have a brief update. Today I've been working on coloring the guy with the flail from the first post, and I'd like some input. I've been struggling with his leg, and this is the only solution I can think of. What do you think? Also, since this is my first coloring job in Photoshop, what do you think?

Master_Aerethos

**drd** · April 4th, 2007, 08:47 PM

Proportions seem alright, except for the head, which looks a tad small to be in that small of a helmet. (But take my advice with a grain of salt; i'm still trying to learn anatomy well)

It's definitely better than my first colouring job, but then, I didn't have Ca to look through, lol.

I'm guessing you did this with a mouse, right? If you want to get really serious about digital painting I suggest getting a Wacom Tablet, 4x6 should do (Well, that's what I have, =/)

The anatomy studies are a good habit, one that I'm not really into but should, keep it up and you'll go far. Maybe I'll be the first poster to the next great Sb. Who knows?

**Master_Aerethos** · April 4th, 2007, 10:04 PM

Proportions seem alright, except for the head, which looks a tad small to be in that small of a helmet. (But take my advice with a grain of salt; i'm still trying to learn anatomy well)

It's definitely better than my first colouring job, but then, I didn't have Ca to look through, lol.

I'm guessing you did this with a mouse, right? If you want to get really serious about digital painting I suggest getting a Wacom Tablet, 4x6 should do (Well, that's what I have, =/)

The anatomy studies are a good habit, one that I'm not really into but should, keep it up and you'll go far. Maybe I'll be the first poster to the next great Sb. Who knows?

Yeah, I kinda made the head that small on purpose (kinda). It gives him more of a titan-esque feel, I think. And actually, I used a Wacom. The cheapest kind, though. And my computer doesn't have the software, because it's my friend's tablet that I'm borrowing until he steals it back, lol. And I DEEPLY desire one of my own, but that requires that I makes some money. Oh well. And I'm really glad I'm doing the studies, they're helping me A BUNCH.

I also have...........UPDATES! Only minor ones, since I had limited access to a scanner today, so I'll post more tomorrow. But this is what I have.

TA DAH!!! I redid the coloring, because I was unhappy with the weird contrast thing I had going on. I still have a ways to go on this guy.

This was a relatively quick color study/practice. Took me 20 minutes or so, and I'm relatively proud of it.

Now this one, I am DAMNED proud of. It was done without reference, and in 10 minutes or so. I feel like I got the proportions down pretty well, as well as the perspective. Also, I feel like I positioned him well, other than the hands, which are weird. Not bad, just......weird. And I feel like......he's damn good.

So that's it. The End.

Oh, and also I have a noob-request. Can someone tell me where I change my avatar and signature? I would think it'd be under "My Account", but I'm not seeing anything. Thanks a million!!!

Master_Aerethos

**Anurizm** · April 5th, 2007, 07:41 AM

your on the right track keep it up. really work on your proportions and make longer strokes instead of short ones. this will reduce the scratchyness of your lines and give you more control over them.

**drd** · April 5th, 2007, 03:58 PM

Yup, good advice. also, remember that the average person is 7-8 head lengths tall. The torso, from the bottom of the neck to the waist is usually about 2 heads, whatever size their head is. On that last one, he's about 20 head lengths, this is a good way to tell if you've got you're head to body proportions right.

**Master_Aerethos** · April 5th, 2007, 05:00 PM

your on the right track keep it up. really work on your proportions and make longer strokes instead of short ones. this will reduce the scratchyness of your lines and give you more control over them.

Thanks for the advice! Looking at my stuff, I realize this is something I really need to work on. So I'll do that

Yup, good advice. also, remember that the average person is 7-8 head lengths tall. The torso, from the bottom of the neck to the waist is usually about 2 heads, whatever size their head is. On that last one, he's about 20 head lengths, this is a good way to tell if you've got you're head to body proportions right.

20 heads? On which one? I counted on both of them, using their respective heads as measurement, and I counted 8 1/2 for my colored guy, and about 9 1/2 or 10 on the newest guy. And I did realize the head/proportion thing, but I like to draw really epic looking people

So, like I said last night, I have old updates for today!

This one was done a while ago, but I think it turned out pretty well. just basic studies, using myself for reference. I'll tell you, I got some odd looks when I was lifting up my shirt to draw my torso

pld:

This one was mostly a waste of paper, and a slight waste of time. Doing the leg helped me a bit, but the foot sucks all kinds of monkies

Did this one in class, when I should've been paying attention. Some decent stuff in here, but nothing special. The guy holding the head is saying "Do you feel lucky, punk?" and the guy at the top left is saying "How many fingers am I holding up?"

This started off my drawing yesterday. It went from all kinds of suckiness to some decentness, and then the guy I posted yesterday, whom I am still immensely proud of. These guys are some crappy/basic concepts of another enemy for my game. The idea is that it's an ogre who's almost dead with weapons stuck all-up-onz his body, and he rips them out to do battle one last time. Only drew the weapons in him on the second one, since I figured I should work on his proportions and pose first.

Well, that's all I have for today. I hope to have some more stuff tomorrow. ANd if anyone can tell me how to edit my signature/avatar, I'd be forever greatful. I feel like an R-tard for not being able to figure out where to do that

Master_Aerethos

**drd** · April 5th, 2007, 05:03 PM

I was just exaggerating when I said 20.

=P

**Master_Aerethos** · April 7th, 2007, 05:26 PM

He he, I knew that......................

So I have some stuff to dump here. In other words, updates.

Just a back study. But I think it turned out well. I know there's something wrong with it, but I can't tell. Help please?

Just some random things.

Tried to work on some cross hatching. Nothing great, but it got the idea in my head.

He he. This guy was fun, if only for the comments I left

This one was kind of a waste of space. But oh well.

Another coloring attempt. I like the skin tone A LOT more in this one.

So comments and criticism, please?

Master_Aerethos

**Spats** · April 7th, 2007, 05:43 PM

Great muscle studies - I especially like the back study. Some proportion issues here and there but you should be easily able to work those out. Keep up the good work, you're def. on the right track!

**Rabid** · April 8th, 2007, 02:04 AM

Very nice muscle understanding and definition, the hands studies are decent.....your just about ready to translate those into charcaters I think, keep up the life drawings but never let something from your head pass by!

**drd** · April 20th, 2007, 10:25 PM

I agree with all of thee above. Just practice practice practice.

Hope you keep this up, you've got great enthusiasm.

**drd** · April 20th, 2007, 10:31 PM

I agree with all of thee above. Just practice practice practice.

Hope you keep this up, you've got great enthusiasm.

**Master_Aerethos** · May 12th, 2007, 01:03 PM

UGGGGHHHHH I haven't posted in FOREVER! Time to change that! I have a pretty decent dump to make, even though I haven't been drawing nearly as much as I should.

So I'm going to attach these rather than upload them, so I won't comment them all. Just know that I'd like comments on the two poses I circled in the last pic. I plan to translate those into completed pieces.

Master_Aerethos

**Master_Aerethos** · May 24th, 2007, 03:06 PM

So, I have another update. Small, but I've been dealing with finals for over the past week. And making sure I didn't fail any classes *whew*

So here it is. I hope to have at least a rough draft for my final piece for Kraecles up by tomorrow. And when that doesn't happen, expect nothing earlier than Monday.

Please, I really do appreciate C&C. I want to get better, and your C&C is helpful.

Master_Aerethos

**drd** · June 1st, 2007, 10:11 PM

Lol, I haven't posted in here in forever either. By 'here', I mean the entirety of these forums xD

I can see improvement already. The bottom-most footnote on your last study is amusing. =P

**Master_Aerethos** · June 4th, 2007, 02:59 PM

So, I've got another update. Progress has been made, though I don't know how much. Really itching to get better, so the practice has been coming.

The lava monster concept is pretty much crap, but it put the idea onto paper. And the first minotaur is decent, but I LOVELOVELOVE the second one. It has so much movement, and it looks awesome, minus the head, of course.

Then there are the speed sketches. There's this website I found somewhere, that has this thing with 30 second poses. It's this here, and it's awesome. Although mine suck, I'll practice more and get better.

Happy drawing!

Master_Aerethos

**drd** · June 4th, 2007, 11:21 PM

Yes man, that second minotaur has nice movement and it's pretty dynamic. Your gestures are also looking more professional. Very nice.

**taxman** · June 12th, 2007, 12:44 PM

Hey there, good to see you have some fun. I see you're learning anatomy, nothing wrong with that. Focus on the bones first. Once you've got the bones down, drawing muscles get's easier. You can then learn how they operate, where they attach and what form they have. Without some knowledge of the bone structure, you're just drawing buldging masses without purpose.

But don't forget to have some fun too, if we had deceided to have no fun we could as well learn math or something, lol. Those gestures above came out allright, keep going...

**Master_Aerethos** · June 13th, 2007, 02:38 PM

Thanks for the advice, taxman. No matter how much I hate drawing bones (don't ask me why, because I have no idea), I shall begin that quite soon.

Master_Aerethos

**grenappels** · July 4th, 2007, 02:52 PM

it's good that you are trying to learn muscles, but it's only one facet of what makes a believable drawing of a person. work on proportions, bones, and overall gesture in tandem! and also, when you study, try to feel and remember the forms in 3 dimensions as you draw them. this may be hard at first, but practice drawing simple things from life and feeling their volume, and you will develop a sense for it.

i hope i could help, i'm only learning myself!