Gear Adrift

[staticpen]

yeah, that's a really legit way of coming up with concepts. These look really fun.

[N A Johnson]

Staticpen- thanks for dropping by so often. Making thumbs is one of my favorite things to do.

Small update. Trying to give some form to one of my thumbs. I really need practice. Advice is certainly welcome.

I realize he is pretty top-heavy.

[staticpen]

He actually looks pretty cool to me, man. Only things I can think of that I would like to see different are the value range and focal points. Right now I don't know where to look. If this dude was for a video game we'd need to know where to shoot it, and if it was in a movie we'd need to know where to look to connect with it on an emotional level. For example, when a scary wolf is in a movie, we don't look at a random area of the shoulder - we focus in on the eyes and teeth. Where should I be looking for this creature/thing, and what should I be feeling from it?
As far as values, the midtones and shadows merge when I squint. Very generally speaking, you should be able to squint and make out three values.
But yeah dude, I like your designs, and I definitely agree that this was one of the better thumbs to flesh out.

[N A Johnson]

Thanks so much for your input, staticpen. Your helpful insight is now burned into the back of my mind

I'm kind of tired of working on this next one. Study from a photo I got from characterdesigns.com:

[staticpen]

Great job, man! Those shadows look spooot on in value and saturation. Good form, and very well rendered.
That foot looks really funky, though, haha. Is it like that in the reference? You'd think her foot would cramp up. @___@
But yeah dude, looking good.

[cout<mecha]

This is a sweet update, definetely looking twice at these! Cheers!

[Maestro Andres]

Last update is great. Enjoy a lot the expression in her face and nice rendering of the form. Though even when I am liking the light/shadow colors you are using, it seems to be too monochromatic. Varying the colors in the skin is great way to add life to the figure in the painting. Check out some master painting and you could grasp how they paint their figures.

About the thumbnails, you have a lot of nice shapes and designs. I agree with Staticpen comment, there is so much detail that it's hard to see what is going on or what the creature is. Also, it helps remembering for your designs that it has to look functional so it looks believable and interesting. Just sharing some thoughts. Keep looking forward for more!

[Verehin]

mmm...very nice...good thumbs

[N A Johnson]

staticpen- Thanks! The reference may be a bit awkard. Couple that with my poor understanding of the foot and the result may be even more awkward I'll edit that post later so that it shows the reference.

cout>mecha- Thank you!

Maestro- Thanks for the input! Very good points, indeed.

Verehin- Thank you!

More thumbs:

Here's a painting from one of my least favorite thumbs. The functionality crit is ringing in my head right now. I guess I'm just going to have to buckle down and study some machines.

Here's the latest wip. I hope the composition is working.

Thanks for looking.

[staticpen]

Aaaah, that thumb elaboration looks much better, man. As soon as I saw that red orb at the top I felt like I was looking at an enemy from a Metroid game or something. The limbs also appear much more functional in this design. Rotary cylinders on the arms, knee joints on the legs... It really looks like it could move. Better value work, too. Much improved, sir.
The octopus painting is looking pretty intense, too. I like that things are getting darker into the background, and the large head and eyeball are just barely lurking back there. Looks really creepy, haha.
As far as composition, I feel like there isn't too much of a point for the amount of negative space at the top of the frame. But concerning the area of the image with all the stuff going on, I really like your use of curved lines keeping the viewer's eye in an ellipse. I look at the brightest value first (the boy), and then I follow squiggly dudes and tentacles counter clockwise and around the octopus, and then the tentacle on the left pulls my eye down and around and around I go. So yeah, in my opinion it's pretty solid as far as value and line. Space management would be my only compositional criticism here.
Good going!

[dmitri]

Lovely thumbs and pencil sketches!

Wait, what "Here's a painting from one of my least favorite thumbs."?
Least favourite thumb? Why would you work one one you didn't like even at the silhouette stage?

The photostudy (the redhead) seems a little too harsh to be a woman. The straight line of the thigh and the sharpness of the knee feel a little awkward and the harsh cast shadow under the but and thigh seems to disconnect the other leg from the figure (even if it was so in the reference). Is a lady, ladies are supposed to seem... soft.

[cout<mecha]

Nice flesh out on the robots. Although I would not have chosen that one you made it work.

[N A Johnson]

staticpen- Thank you once again for the valuable crits.

dmitri- Boredom and curiosity are the reasons for fleshing out that thumb. I just wanted to see what I could do with a thumb I hate. It was just an experiment and I am definitely not going to make it a habit. Thank you for your visit and for the critique. I may have to return to that nude, now...

cout<mecha- Thanks! I wouldn't have chosen that one either

From life:

[staticpen]

Ah, now I see the figure reference. I can't believe her foot really is that weird. Hahaha. Crazy. But yeah, no two people are exactly the same, you know? It's good to draw more than just Vitruvian style figures, hey? Not everyone is perfectly made. We must draw life as it is! Hey hey!

By the way, solid sketches, mate. I'm loving the confidence of line in that motorcycle drawing and the value range in the second page. The transparencies in that lighter are intense. You and that pencil... heheheh. Good stuff.

[N A Johnson]

Much thanks, staticpen. You can expect more figure work in here; I certainly need the practice.

Here's the latest wip; painted from a thumb I actually like Right now I'm trying to think of something neat to put in that glass tube.....

[N A Johnson]

A really good friend of mine:

Pastel. Sorry for the bad photo; this was much too big for my scanner:

[zalxemptyx]

really wonderful stuff you have here

keep going at it : )

[Bill]

Those pastels on toned paper show SO much potential... I mean the ones you have are solid and the ones you WILL have eventually could really be nice. Good to see you working from life as well, that's where it starts. Nice SB, look forward to seeing more.

[xxEnder]

hey great work, thanks for checking out my sketchbook too, your thumbnails are really good, ive been slowly building my thumbnail library too.

[bharat]

owesome.... carrector n octopauss thing gre8....

[staticpen]

Good to finally get a chance to come back here... but there's hardly anything to to look at! ! Got busy in the holiday season, I wager. Same here. But yeah, those natural medium pieces you last posted are crazy awesome! Well done, mate.

[N A Johnson]

zalxemptyx- Thanks! I will.

Bill- Thank you! I'll be sure to continue with the pastels.

xxEnder- Thank you! So easy for me to get excited about thumbnailing.

bharat- Thanks!

staticpen- Haha I wish I had a good excuse. I'll put up a few more things. Good to see you're still hanging around. Thank you!

So here's some art.
Experimenting with compositions:

Rather quick experiment with skintone...


Here's an older charcoal piece that I recently played with in ps. The figure is referenced from a photo that I believe came from characterdesigns.com (so I can't take much credit, but it was only for practice anyway). Still some things I should fix... but probably won't.

[staticpen]

Hey man, happy new year! Those composition sketches look fun. The skin tone piece really looks great, too. Clever way of adding interest to the shirt, and you did a great job with the expression.
But my favorite here is the charcoal. Lovely tones! The figure is so well rendered, too... I dig the value reflections on the floor. I really like it.

[N A Johnson]

Thanks, bro! Have a great 2009--may we see much progress in our art this year.

wips:

......and a self-portrait. This is kind of a mess at the moment...

[staticpen]

Good job on the first image, mate. I like your use of sweeping lines to bring the eye around. ;D
The self portrait is looking good, too. The rendering of the facial features is really solid! Really good job there.
By the way, I'm trying to get everyone's name around here, so I know who I'm talking to. My name is Jason. Yours? ;D

[N A Johnson]

I'm Nate. Thanks for the comments, Jason. I'll try to update tonight or tomorrow. Unfortunately, I've been busy with things that aren't art-related

[N A Johnson]

Markers and pens, while watching a Mudvayne video on Youtube:

Pens from life:

[ZacD]

Great stuff, I love how most of it is creature/figures, I really enjoy the mix of organic and mechanical stuff, keep up the amazing work. I gotta try thumbs sometime.

[N A Johnson]

Thanks, ZacD!
I'm having issues uploading images right now; I have no idea why. I'll try again later...

Random Bridgeman:

....

[staticpen]

Ooooooh. Your line confidence is really showing in those pen sketches from life. You can't really go back and redo sections, so your accuracy of contour is really nicely shown there.
The marker stuff is intense with a graphic design sort of twist, too, which I've always liked. It's funny how much music influences what goes on your paper, isn't it?