Current distractions

[Brahman]

You've improved a lot! These sketches are very good, but I think you can kick it up a notch in order to move on to making more finished, refined pieces. It's time to take the next step and put all this practice to good use. Don't get too stuck on the rules of anatomy (the figure being based on geometric shapes such as squares and rectangles), because this can 1) drive you bonkers and 2) make your figures look unrealistically rigid. It's okay to loosen up a little! Really get a feel for the body by using line weight (this technique is defined here http://drawsketch.about.com/od/drawingglossary/g/lineweight.htm) to emphasize the curves of the figure and gestures. Try making contour line drawings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contour_drawing) to fully understand how lines can render the shape of the figure. Then move on to anatomical value studies to gain a deeper understanding of how highlights and shadows appear on the body. All this will help to give your figure drawings more substance. Well, I hope this is useful to you, because I think your work has a lot of potential. I love that you are willing to put time and energy into mastering the basics of art. Anyway, remember to work at your own pace and keep up the good work!

[Queerious Toast]

If I were a mod, I would sticky this thread and change the title to "This is what happens when you listen to critique and practice a lot"

Awesome improvement! I'm really inspired by your dedication in improving your craft. However, I think you should do more "finished pieces" complete with shading and stuff. I also recommend drawing backgrounds as well.

[Nikkinoodles]

Maybe redandblack should ask for this thread to be made into a sticky. It really is amazing how much you've improved by taking critiques and feedback and using the resources that are available on the interwebs. You've really shown how not acting like a dick and taking the help and suggestions that are given to you can improve the art you create.
Seeing you improve makes me want to improve too.

[redandblack64]

You've improved a lot! These sketches are very good, but I think you can kick it up a notch in order to move on to making more finished, refined pieces. It's time to take the next step and put all this practice to good use. Don't get too stuck on the rules of anatomy (the figure being based on geometric shapes such as squares and rectangles), because this can 1) drive you bonkers and 2) make your figures look unrealistically rigid. It's okay to loosen up a little! Really get a feel for the body by using line weight (this technique is defined here http://drawsketch.about.com/od/drawingglossary/g/lineweight.htm) to emphasize the curves of the figure and gestures. Try making contour line drawings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contour_drawing) to fully understand how lines can render the shape of the figure. Then move on to anatomical value studies to gain a deeper understanding of how highlights and shadows appear on the body. All this will help to give your figure drawings more substance. Well, I hope this is useful to you, because I think your work has a lot of potential. I love that you are willing to put time and energy into mastering the basics of art. Anyway, remember to work at your own pace and keep up the good work!

I tried contour drawing once before in this thread, but fell out of it due to a severe lack of sketchbook space and the focus on bittersweet's tutorials. Now that I've got a new one that I've haven't used for the past two weeks and am nearly through those tuts, I don't see why I shouldn't start doing the contour drawings on a semi regular basis. As for the value/shading, I'll give it another shot soon.

@Nikkinoodles and Queerious Toast: Thanks for that! I learned the hard way that acting like a complete dickhole and ignoring crits don't get you anywhere. Finished pieces are possible since I have the scanner and Gimp Portable, though I seriously need to figure something out for doing background studies.

Here are some more studies and warm ups. Minecraft has been hogging the creative side of me, unfortunately. Maybe I should post some screen shots and sketches of the things I'm building if I ever finish them.


Warm ups, spoilered for the nudes.

Spoiler! :

[Queerious Toast]

The proportion on the nude studies are a bit off. I think you should watch out for that when doing your studies.

By the way, have you seen this sketchbook thread? It's 70 pages long but the improvement of that guy was amazing. I think that you and him have a lot in common since he really did strive to improve.

[redandblack64]

The proportion on the nude studies are a bit off. I think you should watch out for that when doing your studies.

By the way, have you seen this sketchbook thread? It's 70 pages long but the improvement of that guy was amazing. I think that you and him have a lot in common since he really did strive to improve.

Hmm, I just skimmed through it every five pages, and am floored by how quickly that guy improved. I'll have to look through the whole thing later.
It looks like I'll have to do internet reliant life drawing at mid night from now on, and my scanner use will probably be more limited, too.

Tried shading again at the very end of "today's" nude study, and hated it.

Warm ups full of nudes.

Spoiler! :

Off to gather contour drawing reference materials...

[redandblack64]

More of the studies and gestures. Have figured out a plan and schedule for contour drawings, starting very soon.

All of these have nudes in them.

Spoiler! :

[AngelsMelodie]

I think u should add more wrinkles into the clothing, such as making the joints(knees and elbows) have more folds. Also, try to draw some of the body parts wider and some thinner, for an example muscles or just fat. So the thigh would be thicker than the lower leg part. The waist will be skinnier than the hips and chest.(men are less obvious and exagerated than women.) Also, some movement would be nice.

[redandblack64]

Some more stuff from particularly stressful and plain bad days. It's getting to the point where I may end up in the dry art block /lack of uploads I had last year if this bullshit called life keeps this up. Though, I won't cave so easily.

Warm ups. Spoilered for nudes.

Spoiler! :

I think u should add more wrinkles into the clothing, such as making the joints(knees and elbows) have more folds. Also, try to draw some of the body parts wider and some thinner, for an example muscles or just fat. So the thigh would be thicker than the lower leg part. The waist will be skinnier than the hips and chest.(men are less obvious and exagerated than women.) Also, some movement would be nice.

....


Me putting my "bad mood' energy to good use.

[Queerious Toast]

Wow on the redrawn pic! See how it looks more natural? Keep it up.

However, I noticed a few proportion hiccups there. I think his lower half is too small for his upper torso.

[redandblack64]

Wow on the redrawn pic! See how it looks more natural? Keep it up.

However, I noticed a few proportion hiccups there. I think his lower half is too small for his upper torso.

This seems to be becoming a bad habit.

Anyways, no update until Thursday at the least due to some unexpected things happening and some really limited scanner access until I can get my own. I can still barely manage to do the drawings at midnight with almost no energy left, though.

[AngelsMelodie]

Yeah it's improved a lot, good job 8)

[redandblack64]

Yeah it's improved a lot, good job 8)

Oh, thanks!

I managed to get sneak and use the scanner earlier than I thought I would. Spoilered all of it, as there are a few nudes mixed in there along with the posemanics ones.

Spoiler! :

[AngelsMelodie]

Yeah it's improved a lot, good job 8)

Oh, thanks!

I managed to get sneak and use the scanner earlier than I thought I would. Spoiled all of it, as there are a few nudes mixed in there along with the posemanics ones.

Spoiler! :

There's lots of movement in the bodies so it looks more natural now. Did u use pictures as reference or did u make them up?

[redandblack64]

Yeah it's improved a lot, good job 8)

Oh, thanks!

I managed to get sneak and use the scanner earlier than I thought I would. Spoiled all of it, as there are a few nudes mixed in there along with the posemanics ones.

Spoiler! :

There's lots of movement in the bodies so it looks more natural now. Did u use pictures as reference or did u make them up?

I used references for these. Posemaniacs, pixelovely and lovecastle is what I cycle through and use.