Jones Sketchbook

[Anton_Fort]

Man, this was awesome to see. Really inspiring! Keep it up.

[Jonesoda]

Thanks Guys :D might push that image further, not sure yet

Drapery studies and my take on the FF1 Black mage sprite from Wednesdays group stream, you guys should join us next Wednesday! 

Not happy with the drapery, I could keep working on it but I got portfolio images I'm working on as well atm.

[Jonesoda]

Finally done this damn rat. I've been working on it for several weeks on my stream on and off. Ran into so many walls. I learned a lot, and I hope the next one turns on better. Gonna try and be a little looser and more organic rather then trying to stick to and keep what I've already got on my canvas.

[Nick Waldinger]

I really like the colors on the rat piece, reminds me of some of Dave Rapoza's old work. I don't really know what to say apart from the typical "good work", but you might want to watch the values on the rat's right hand/paw. Seems like it comes forward a little too much, but perhaps you were going for that effect.

See you during one of your streams man, keep at it!

[Sublimus]

Just popped in on the most recent page, and now I have to go back through the whole thing!! lol

Nice stuff, dude!

[Heliux]

@sublumus; just read that as "I just pooped in here..." O_o

burning it up man. ever thought about doing scenes? like. maybe buildings, or landscapes, or some shit? might give your characters a little more "umph" by exemplifying what they're on about.

-you're the meanest crit ever!
<3

[Jonesoda]

thanks guys <3 Riley, yeah! I'm gonna be doing a gothic city skyline in my next image, definitely wanna move towards a more illustrative look overall. 


Figure I'll post some wips too cause why not right? had to study the underside of the face on paper a decent bit, my white mage still isn't technically correct, but I get too anal about this stuff and things go at a snails pace, lose motivation for images really fast this way.  gotta just develop the rest of it, make some minor touches on the face and call it. 

also some comp sketches for a vampire hunter chick (Vampire Hunter Double D - named by Nicholas), gonna be my next mock card art, dunno which I like yet but I'll develop the last a little more and decide from there.


Also hey! I hope you guys find this video on composition as useful as I have, it's pretty great. https://youtu.be/O8i7OKbWmRM

[RickRichards]

Cool stuff here Russell, and lots of studies and sketches also. Nice!
Your style reminds me of Dave Rapoza brushwork and colour palletes as well as Sam Carr.
Cheers!

[Jonesoda]

Thanks Rick! both of those guys are awesome :D
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Finished the white mage!

[Jonesoda]

boop, just finished this too :D tried to find a more painterly, quicker finish. also I don't think I mentioned it here yet.


So hey!

About a month or so back I was gladly suprised to find out Solomon J. Solomon wrote a book, and I've finally had the time finished it.
Man is it ever good, I've taken a lot of great lessons from it and I can't wait to try my best to apply it all. A lot of the text is dated, but that doesn't subtract from any of it. It has a really great learning structure and focus.
Anyway in case you didn't know either I'd definitely suggest it!

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0486483584/ref=...ZxbBXQ3635

[Fedodika]

Ahh jones I love the dave look <3

[Ramon]

Jones Soda their studies are excellent remain so its evolution is very inspiring !!!

[Jonesoda]

dupdate, Red Mage, all of the shitty doodles, and supplemental studies

[Fedodika]

Aight Jones, this might be a wierd crit but I'll give it to ya anyways; It's about value heirarchy 

http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91549
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91536
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91538
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91547

Like so many of your pieces has a light VS dark value scheme, like it's either 10 VS 3 as far as values hmmm... I'll try to explain it, like 80% of the image is the lightest OR the darkest, and other 20% is the opposite. It's mainly in your B&W. There's real quick remedy for it I think, just being aware of it. 

Like these for example
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91550
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91554

Are achieving the effect I think you should try more often, like something more subdued and less high contrast, cuz trust me you'll get bored of that high contrast look after a while. 

I'd also reccomend you try and take something very far with a finish, like this

http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=91548

His cloak looks good, and it is a solid image. I know you can push stuff further though, but you gotta study try something like a hand or a face and try to actually paint skin texture with scatter brushes and zoom in, try to take your time on it even a few days; this will push your rendering to the next level. Go for photoreal basically, or try to replicate every little stroke in a master work. 

Solid work Jones keep jonesachuggin, one day we will hit 99 art and get the skill cape ;)

[Jonesoda]

Thanks Man <3 I've tried to internalize all that over the past weeks, hopefully making some progress 

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updateeee, some work from about 6 months ago

[Fedodika]

nmmmoar jonesh shexshiness <3

love dis one
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=93035

[Hozure]

Good stuff Jones. I'd love to see a little more narrative or elements in the background that relate to the character's pose. The one with the man riding the rat was nice (the little skeleton in the corner), but I feel like it could be pushed further so that it's not just a "generic mist or landscape" thing.

[Jonesoda]

Thanks guys! Yeah Hozure, It's something I really want to get better at, gotta practiceee


--

Couple things I can show, been a crazy busy couple weeks

[Fedodika]

Jonedajonezdajonez

[Jonesoda]

It's been awhile :o here's a dump of some stuff