Cory's sketchfulness UPDATE 01/15/11, Picard's head and more

[Piranha Clan]

Neal Adams' work is clutch, classic comic book genius. Dude, I'm really admiring the way you render trees and the environments seemingly with ease, like in the "to Hobbiton" pic and these latest ones. Stylized, yet so believable. I have a hard time with environments, hence hardly any in my sb. None really, come to think of it. You know what some of your Hobbits/LOTR stuff reminds me of? That old animated movie "Wizards" by Ralph Whatchamacallit. I dig that movie. Started on that prismacolor yet?

[Cory Hinman]

Thanks, Matt. as you know I love classic, Tolkien-style fantasy, and to do that genre you gotta deal with the natural world, so a long time ago I made a study of the work of Charles Vess, Mike Kaluta, P.Craig Russell, and the photographs of Eugene Atget to see how they dealt with trees and stuff, and of course sketched the real stuff around me.
Vess' remarks on how he concieved of trees were really helpful. He said something like the important things about trees to him was the energy. He sought to capture that sense of trees stretching out from the earth to reach the sun, spiralling and swirling all the way from roots to the tips of the top-most branches. Also, there's this succinct observation by Degas, which really teaches you how to draw anything; "treat Nature by the cone, the sphere, the cylinder." Whether you're drawing the human figure, an oak tree, a sabre-tooth tiger, you start with the subject's basic geometry. The trick after that is to be sensitve to the subject's particular attributes, without being intimidated by them.
Yeah, Bakshi's WIZARDS has had a huge influence on me, especially Mike Ploog's illustrations. I posted a couple of my studies of Ploog elves from WIZARDS on the first page of this thread. I recently resolved to do more of those Ploog studies. Here's an example of me pencilling a Ploog elf from WIZARDS, which I've started to add white Prismacolor to for highlights--the paper is a warm grey, flecked Mi-tientes--and which I'll finish with brush and India ink, like the previous Ploog studies. Sorry about the poor image, really the best I can do with my digi-cam and PS, but I've also posted the screen-grab I'm working from for comparison. the last pic is the
Prismacolor piece I'm currently developing.

[Lee W]

some nice Neal Adam studies and figure too. Good resemblance in the portraits of humphrey bogart and Lynda Carter (that's who I think they are anyhow). And the last prismacolor piece, is that zena the warrior princess?

[Cory Hinman]

Thanks, Lee, those are indeed Bogie and Lynda, though I don't think the Lynda likeness is that good, but that tiara is unmistakable
And yes, that's Xena, and here's the finish:

[SEVANS]

Those trees do look good. The Xena pic is solid but something is slightly off on her face. Good updates as usual.

You make me feel lazy!

[Cory Hinman]

Thanks, man, but I'm cheating by throwing into the mix old work as well as new,
Here's my ref for the Xena picture. Its tinyness, graininess, and ambiguous lighting make it a challenge, but I so liked the subtle menace Xena exudes in this shot. Um, not that I got it in my drawing...Since you raised the issue of the face I've been trying to pin down what's off, and of course I'm seeing LOTS of stuff wrong now.

[SEVANS]

Glad to be of dis-service to you!

[Cory Hinman]

Geez, I hope my previous post didn't sound resentful, I absolutely appreciate the input!

[Cory Hinman]

Here's my most recent "Ploog elf" study, finished with Brush and India ink and white and cream Prismacolor. The inking's not my best, and that has to do with the pencil stage. I feel good about my sensitivity and control with the brush, but I'm not good at creating the rhythm of thick and thin with the brush. that rhythm has to be in the pencil stage, which has to be tight. My sketch for this one was still too loose, and over-all too grey and indistinct, as I just used a #2 pencil. For the next one I'll include a softer lead to establish the thick and thin of the line. Of course the ink is darker in the original, and the original is much less grainy.

[AmontilladoAg]

So, I decided to peruse your SB this morning, and it was so interesting I lost track of time and was almost late for work

You clearly have a wonderful work ethic... the detail in some of these pieces, my goodness I think my fave pieces are the Shadow pics, Bogie, and Pope Rex (I love that one!)

I can't bestow much upon you in terms of criticism; sometimes a couple of your faces/heads get a wee bit off-kilter (this last Xena pic, for instance), but.. *shrugs* that happens.

Can't wait to see more of your work, C Keep it up!

[Piranha Clan]

I don't know what you're talking about, mang...that last Ploog elf is money. Your cartoon work is right-on. The portraits are great too...hit-and-miss sometimes on likenesses...but your cartoons are always crisp and have a classic look that throwsback to all those master fantasy cartoonisits that you've studied/drawn from. Even the quick sketches shows that you have a special talent in that realm. Ever thought of writing some of your own stories and illustrating in a comic strip or even children's book form?

[Cory Hinman]

Hi, long time no post, much has been going on, much more is about to go on, just wanted to add some long overdo responses and post a couple new things.

Amontillado--thanks much, I've enjoyed your SB too. Not surprised you like His Holiness Rex, given your avatar
In the intervening months wonky faces have been plaguing me still, in fact right up until the following WIP of Lynda/PrincessDi, when I printed out my reference so I could stand at my easel and do the pic, instead of working directly from the screen. The big difference was the ability to be able to stand at a distance from the work, see the wonkiness, and correct it right away.

Matt--long time dude. Thanks. comics and children's books are definitely pet interests. I'll try to find some scans of my previous comic art, published and un-.

Besides the Lynda/PrincessDi pastel pic I'm working on in this interim between semesters, I'm posting two class projects. The Mother Theresa was my big end of term assignment, and the "fiery guy" is a response to the horrible fires which plagued California last fall. Professor Lockard encourages us to be expressive in our studio life drawing sessions. The on-going tragedy in Cali was in his mind when he assigned us to express something about the event in our classwork that day. The model didn't show, however, so he told us to fish for inspiration from the illustrations in our textbook, which is packed with great figure drawings. I happened to have a library book collecting images from the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, and finding an image of God dividing the sky from the water turned it into an arsonist/fire-demon exulting in his destruction, for that very day the news reports were blaming the conflagration partially on arsonist activity.

[Piranha Clan]

Long time, bro. I had a helluva' time finding this thread again...*subscribes*...there we are.

The Mother Theresa piece is quite strong. Prismacolor? I bet you scored well on that. Good likeness- the representation of the wrinkles around the mouth and eyes really drive that likeness home. Without seeing the ref, her left eye (our right) looks a bit off to me. Hard to describe...maybe the slant looks different than the other? Still a fine piece.

I hope school is going well and the family is good. I miss this thread and I hope you post some new work soon.

[Cory Hinman]

thanks, Matt. About the Mother Therese, yeah, my ref shows major asymmetry between the eyelids, which I may have lovingly overplayed. And it's all pastel, with the colors and edges off just a little, as opposed to how off they are on my other attempts to photograph my pastel works and fix them in PS. I realized taking the time to fix them that way took a lot of drawing time, so now I'm waiting for a scanner to post new work.
So here're some comic pages from way back. The first is page is from my epic fantasy sort of parody that I got bogged down in after the first page because i tried writing as I drew it, which doesn't seem to work for me.
The next three pages, same problem, just got further before getting bogged down. I'm going back to this one, though, when time permits. I showed these pages to Mike Kaluta at a comic con, and was delighted to see he was really intrigued. He looked up after reading them and eagerly asked "What happens next?" He just nodded sympathetically when I explained being "bogged down".
I've got some ideas now, though...
Finally a finished story, all of three pages long. It was published 2 years ago, in a comic given away for free at a big exhibition of original comic art at Eastern Michigan University.

[Piranha Clan]

Y'oshcoshb'gosh... That just gave me a good laugh. Priceless. I needed that. Good panels and storytelling. They flow very nicely. It's cool that you met Kaluta. A very nice compliment having a pro ask what happens next.

I must say that I'm a big fan of your pencil/ink linework. "To Hobbiton" remains one of my favorites that you've posted yet. As much as I like your pastels, i.m.h.o. your linework/illustration work is the strongest.

Nobody's camera or scanners ever do the originals justice. Keep posting anyhow! I think the strength of the originals still come across...that says something about the quality of your art. I think most others who've commented here would agree.

Life's hectic. Eagerly awaiting your next art dump (gotta' couple new posts meself, crit when you get a chance!). And congrats...I didn't know you two were pregnant again. If I may be so bold as to quote the brilliant Dr. Peter Vehnkman, aka Bill Murray..."Nice shootin' Tex!"

[Doggy]

Man, you gotta love a comic that mixes the brothers Grimm with Lovecraft!

[AmontilladoAg]

Nice comix I also like the orangey fire-angel guy... neato!

Draw draw draw

[AztcFireFlower]

Hey, thanks for the pat in the Life Fig thread.

I can see your thread is quite inspired from many sources - film to comics. I like the enthusiasm in your drawing practice.
It's the kind of drive I have lately been lacking. Hold on to it, milk it.
Like the inking work. Very nice.
One suggestion I would make: Choose your lines in the linear studies. Fewer lines that efficiently describe more of the shape. Good exercise, especially in life drawing. It takes practice, but it will improve your observation skills as well as your co-ordination.

Keep at it.

[Mitchello]

Nice stuff Cory I think my fav's are the cartoony hobbit sketches. also i recognize the Da vinci drapery study. Unless my memory fails me that original was multimedia(silverpoint, charcoal, and red chalk?) so nice studies, i like the top one the best with the warmer tones

[Cory Hinman]

Hi. Long time since I was here. Lot of ups and downs in the intervening years, and they mostly feel like downs, not least because of treating drawing as a luxury to be jettisoned in the face of real adult responability. Over the summer I reconnected with an artist friend, a colleague who also studied under Professor Lockard, and when I told her how long I'd gone without drawing she was shocked.
"Drawing's like oxygen!" she gasped.
And I hadn't yet mentioned the adult onset asthma complicated by allergies to, well, everything.
So now I'm focussing on developing a better attitude about breathing and drawing. I'll be posting here regularly and seeking advice on improving instead of angling for confirmation of how good I am already. I blush to admit it, but that was where my head was last go-round.
Most recently, between my classes in art education and,yes, during lectures, I've been doing Burne Hogarth sketches. I've been disdainful of Hogarth in the past, but so many threads here and on other sites demonstrate there are considerable benefits to studying his approach with the right mind-set.

[bbwolf]

well, its good to see you back and doing studies. Don´t let yourself get discouraged by something like asthma. I know from personal experience that it can feel like a big dent in the quality of your life and capability to do stuff. I don´t know what kind you got but I also know from personal experience and ppl around me that one can get it under control and even sometimes get rid of it completely over time with good medical help and disciplin. And you need that for progressing in art too. So i´d say you´re not halfbad prepared. Keep it up and hold your head high. We´re all looking here for your progress. DRAW dammit!!!

[Cory Hinman]

Thanks much for the encouragement, bbwolf. I just started the shot therapy which people tell me can result in an actual cure 5-10 years down the road, but also greatly improves quality of life short-term. I'm fine with warm, dry weather, but wet, cold weather can lay me up for days. This makes living where I live in Michigan quite challenging for most of the year. As my 2 year old suffers similarly in wet and cold, but with a different affliction, my wife and I are planning to move West after we get caught up on our debts.

More Hogarth studies, but first I'm posting a work going back almost 8 years which I thought long lost but has now surfaced amid the chaos of what passes for my studio. I did a second version about 4 years ago in pastel because that year I exhibited in the Ann Arbor Street Fair. I knew it would be weaker than the original, done in Prismacolor pencils, by the way, but man!
Anyway, the second version is on the second page of this thread with a lengthy explanation of the symbolism.

[Cory Hinman]

This is a master copy of probably Gustave Courbet's most famous self-portrait. Professor Lockard assigned me to spend one month on it. I'd never worked so long on one piece before, an illuminating experience. As I looked alot like him, I dressed in a similar shirt and set up mirrors and frequently assumed the pose myself while working.
Also more Hogarth.

[bbwolf]

that Gustave Courbet copie looks good. The right arm still is a bit flat somehow. Hmmm. Dunno why..... Otherwise really nice.

Prof. Lockard?...........???............... really?

[Cory Hinman]

Thanks. You're right about the arm. It looks parallel to the picture plane, when it needs to be foreshortened. It doesn't even look like it's attached to the figure.

When I have a digital record of all these Hogarth sketches I can start having fun going over them with brush and ink, like these ballpoint sketches.

[Cory Hinman]

Well, gee, I was hoping the NSFW update might get me more interest. Oh well, I'll keep posting as long as I'm making 'em, which will be a while.

I've written previously of my fondness for Mike Ploog's illustrations for Ralph Bakshi's "Wizards" movie. I just finished this copy of a screen-cap from the movie. This is what I do in brush and ink--in this case with White Prismacolor--after practicing on sketches like above.
And more Hogarth

[J@n!t]

Your inked sketches are expressive, I enjoyed them. Also liking the Hogarth. I notice he doesn't have as many fans as Loomis or Bridgman, but there is something pleasing in his rhythmical roundness. I think it is worth exploring for sure.

[Cory Hinman]

Thanks indeed, J@n!t. I do find his rythymic line the most compelling thing about Hogarth's work. I know enough about anatomy and figure-drawing to be suspicious about everything else in his work!

That in general may be why he isn't lauded like Loomis or Bridgman. If you don't know the subject well enough Hogarth's examples, with the best of intentions, will lead you into serious error. If you do know enough to see past his stylistic short-comings, you probably don't need to look at him at all.


I've been either drawing from 2-d ref or inventing figures for awhile now, so I've decided to do more suff from life. Drawings after my own hand are below, done wherever I had to be sitting and waiting, like the doctor's office.

The Patrick Stewart heads are studies for my comic adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I want to base Duke Theseus on Stewart, and maybe Oberon as well, linking the two characters in the sense that one rules the world during daylight hours while the other reigns over the night. Shakespeare was fond of these kind of character linkings

[Norris]

WOW! Some seriously awesome work in here! Your sketches are ace, and LOVE the pastille looking work

Keep it up, its inspired me to get my pastilles out! - Thank you.

Cheers
Norris

[CLANLESS]

Thanks, I was wondering who illustrated all those pictures for Bakshi's "Wizard".

Mike Ploog. Got it, thanks. I recognized your avatar as something that comes from that movie so I came to see if you drew similar things.

-Mink