Walent's sketchbook

[LaleAnn]

Really awesome sketchbook! Very inspiring.. I'm gonna be followwiiiing yoou! *_*

[walent]

Thanks again, Lale!

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I started sketching buildings for fun as warmup, I don't care too much about perspective and stuff, I just love all the light and dark shapes and it feels so relaxing, so I'll keep doing that.

[Fedodika]

I hate you

in a good way

[walent]

I hate you

in a good way

haha, glad it's in a good way

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I've been experimenting with some more flow within my portraits, it's weird that it didn't actually occur to me that you can have the same S curves in the portrait as you have in the whole figure. WTF
Now I'm just working on the subtleties, I don't wanna break the faces

I'm also gonna start doing more experimentation in general, and work more from imagination. I noticed that once I wanna start something and it doesn't work, I just give up and go do something else. Instead, I wanna try pushing until I'm satisfied with it and continue to explore, study related things that didn't come up properly.

[Fedodika]

Hmm i really dig the rhino guy, take some time and paint the crap or whatever, just push it you know, slow cook it as i say, if you get bored, don't post it, just come back to it the next day, maybe work on finishing a few pieces over a week or whenever and push them a little further each time you feel like it.

Also, i noticed a mistake that's very subtle you make almost consistently. It's where you jut the chin out a little too far if the portraits in three quarter.

http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...?aid=93182
http://pre15.deviantart.net/8583/th/pre/...an69mh.jpg
http://vladgheneli.deviantart.com/art/Ni...-583050499 <----- the right one


It's a subtle mistake, most the time you get it right... Still won't stop me from stealing your techniques!

[walent]

Yep, that's exactly what I'm trying do to. I plan on finishing or repainting the rhino. I prefer posting it, even if it has flaws. I like the head, those are the most fun for me right now, I always seem to get something interesting out of them.

Ha, you linked to the SJP portrait, she does have a pointy chin. Maybe I exaggerated a bit too much.





But yeah, I haven't noticed that, you might have a point. I'll definitely look into the chin construction, I might be missing something.

[crackedskull]

Nothing inspires me to draw more like looking through your sketches. :)

[walent]

Nothing inspires me to draw more like looking through your sketches. :)

thanks, man, I'm really glad to hear that

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My anthro project is going waaaay too slow. But I managed to sketch a decent one today, pretty spontaneous. I also realized it's a good idea to think of an actual story and action that the character might perform. That way, I can find poses more easily. Next one is most likely the rhino. Now what is a rhino usually doing? Hmm... maybe he's a poacher and cuts off human noses to sell them

[Artloader]

That anthro project is looking really great dude! The way you invent the anatomy and render it is so convincing.

Good luck with it mate, can't wait for more :).

[walent]

That anthro project is looking really great dude!  The way you invent the anatomy and render it is so convincing.

Good luck with it mate, can't wait for more :).

Thanks, dude!

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Shitty day after a long period of doing really well, I guess it was bound to happen. I had to spend 2 hours figuring out what's wrong with my brush because it felt weird, but it was just me.

Started looking at some of Craig Mullins' work, wondering if I can integrate something in my own stuff.
Also watched Godfather and saved some scenes that I liked, I'll spend some time studying them.

[Archreux]

Awesome sketchbook! Good study reminder.

The classical approach in digital is always really interesting to see.

Finishing stuff is always really hard, especially if you're not accustomed to doing it consistently. I also struggle with being happy with the work long enough to see it all the way through, or even just getting it done. You should definitely finish the rhino and crock. A series like that would be cool to see. :]

[walent]

Finishing stuff is always really hard, especially if you're not accustomed to doing it consistently. I also struggle with being happy with the work long enough to see it all the way through, or even just getting it done. You should definitely finish the rhino and crock. A series like that would be cool to see. :]

Oh yeah, that's my biggest problem, being happy with it until I get it finished.
I find that having a larger goal, like an IP project, helps. We'll see


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Stuff I've dug up recently
Been doing a lot of jigsaw puzzles with my gf, hopefully I won't get addicted to that, but I think it's an amazing way to train your eye to recognize shapes and colors.
And I've also been working a lot on a LEGO Technic project, yeah I love that too, ever since I was a kid. It feeds my obsession with lines and shape design. Of course, I get the same issues with finishing stuff, I get some ideas, they work great, but then something else doesn't work and it gets frustrating. I have to push forward.

[walent]

I'm back just to share some thoughts. I haven't painted anything worth showing lately, so no point in posting actual images.
It's obvious by now that I'm having a lot of fun painting stuff, whatever it is, but if I don't have an actual purpose, I'm not gonna take it seriously. That's why I never end up finishing anything.

I know I can paint almost anything, but most of the times there's this question that pops in my head "why would I spend 3 to 7 hours painting that?" I do know most of the hours will be spent on the things I struggle with. It can't all be fun, some parts will be harder to paint, I'll want to quit and move on, I'll have to take breaks, study more stuff, then come back and so on.
Until now I kind of avoided the ugly parts and if I didn't like something on a figure, I would just ignore it. Getting another reference and replacing the parts I don't like is a bit harder, especially if they're things I'm bad at, like hands for example. Clearly, I'm lacking the purpose to why I should finish stuff.

So I decided I'm gonna take a break from personal stuff for a while, do some thinking, maybe try some other stuff as well. I'm thinking I should spend some time writing. Or reading.

The deal is I'm not gonna post any more personal stuff until I get something that I can call finished. If I don't post anything else this year, you'll know why. We'll see.

[John]

That's a bummer. For dozens of reasons. There are members (me included) who look forward to seeing your new stuff; may it be sketches, studies or just musings. A lot of insights; a lot of brutally inspiring craft and work habit..

Never said thanks for those little moments before; and this is probably a good time saying so.

So thanks. And looking forward to whatever your next thing will be.

[walent]

That's a bummer. For dozens of reasons. There are members (me included) who look forward to seeing your new stuff; may it be sketches, studies or just musings. A lot of insights; a lot of brutally inspiring craft and work habit..

Never said thanks for those little moments before; and this is probably a good time saying so.

So thanks. And looking forward to whatever your next thing will be.

hey man, thanks a lot, it feels amazing to come back here and read stuff like that. And you're totally welcome!

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I don't know what happened last month, but it slowly turned into a break, reaching as little as a few hours of painting per week. I also lost a project I was working on for Chaosium, maybe the most serious one I had so far, they just stopped responding to my emails. That didn't really help with my morale.

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I gotta get back to posting stuff. I did manage to push myself to finish that gladiator, or at least to get it close to a finished stage, but it actually felt pretty dull. I don't know why. I would've probably felt much more excitement from a random spontaneous quick sketch.

I just saw someone post a pig anthro today and I just couldn't stop painting for 3 hours. That has to tell me something.
I need motivation big time.

I decided I'm gonna go slow. Try getting my sketches more refined, more finished. Maybe spend hours on polishing them. Continue working on poses and at the same time study clothing and stuff. I'm probably gonna start with fur.
And then I'll go back to focusing on color and rendering. I'm predicting I need one more month for this.

I really have no idea where I'm heading, but I know what I love doing and I'm gonna keep at it.

Yeah, break's over!

[Ice Rider]

Hello Walent, I'm glad to see you're back, it's always pleasant and inspiring to check out your stuff. Taking a break is often necessary to push yourself ahead, so I hope now you're works will be even more cool ;)

[Artloader]

Awesome to have you back dude!

That gladiator came out looking pretty fantastic and I love the teres major on that guy running!

Looking forward to more as always mate. Hope you got your mojo back now :).

[Triggerpigking]

Awesome stuff dude, shame you didn't enjoy the gladiator painting, I actually really like it, though I agree spontaneous sketching can be a ton more fun then long paintings.

As for taking a break, as icerider said it's sometimes necessary if you're just getting to a point where you're not enjoying what you're doing all the time or are exhausted, hopefully that break has helped you feel refreshed and ready to paint again :).

[walent]

Thanks, guys! I do enjoy the gladiator piece, since I worked really hard to get everything right, especially the helmet, which was probably redrawn 10 times. The actual point is that because I managed to get it so close to being perfect (or at least my level of perfect) I though the end result will blow my mind. But it didn't... that's the problem, it feels like a dull painting, even though it's exactly how I would want a painting of mine to be... if this makes any sense. I even think this has to do with my recent state of mind.

So I'm still not feeling like before. I constantly need to be reminded why I'm doing this. I have to see an awesome painting to really get that amazing painting mood.
I'm waiting for some clients to send new commissions, maybe it will change something.

[walent]

I'm having a blast! Got some new work aaaand I just spoke with a director asking me to do concept art for a fully funded animation movie. It is a local thing and I don't know who's working on it yet, so I can't say it will be anything good, but damn, I'll definitely enjoy the experience. It has dragons and all sort of creatures.

Bayard Wu is super inspiring with his orc sketches, I gotta get to more dynamic poses.

Also doing a lot of horse studying and going for more sketches from imagination