mactire's sketchbook! - now with end of year atelier stuff

[mactire]

Quick photoshop sketch of yet another knight concept thats been bouncing around my head and sketchbook. The helmeted version was the original, and then I found myself wanting to do a shrouded head version. Looking at them mirrored like this I'm pretty tempted to make put them guarding a gate of some sort...

[mactire]

Some quick helmet doodles, neither are particularly original but they were fun. Mainly a quick test at drawing with mass rather than line (i.e. painted from blobs, not lines):

[gravity-zero]

Hello there! You've got some pretty awesome stuff! I kinda feel that sometimes you run out of patience on the environments, but it's not like I blame you XD You do have pretty nice stuff, so keep up the good work! :)

[mactire]

Woah, long time no post. Mostly since the last update I've been busy at the atelier. I hit some serious snags resulting from some real basic errors and misunderstanding of values which really slowed progress on the last cast to a glacial pace. However as you can see that's since been overcome and I've completed that cast (though I still don't know his name) and have since moved on to producing a cast drawing of Bernini's "Constanza". The two full rendered figures were last terms two long poses, however, since completing them I've changed and adopted a contour based approach which has been exponentially more effective as I found out with the following two short poses. This method produces a two tone line drawing which could be called finished in its own right (as seen below), or used to form a really solid foundation for rendering on top of (as the flat tone and line alone can produce an illusion of form). Plus as an added bonus it's given me a chance to really work out the mechanics of line (though I've still a ways to go), which in turn has led to an instant improvement in my imaginative sketches (to be uploaded shortly). Also attatched is a skeleton exercise done over one of the aforementioned poses, a sketch for the "Time Warriors" Bloodsport, and my rushed entries to the "Bestmasters" Bloodsport (which I intend to revisit).

[iCi]

I totally dig the last creature/character design, nice job!
Also, those figure studies are hard core.

[kikindaface]

hey man, nice sketchbook ! something i noticed in traditionnal as well as digital paintings is that your work lacks of contrast ! you should try to use the whole range of values to achieve better mood and better volumes ! keep it up !!

[mactire]

iCi: Thanks for the comment!

kikindaface: Thanks! As for the digital work, yes that's likely. Regarding the traditional work, I'm pretty sure there is sufficient contrast, it's most likey a case of poor photography letting it down. This is definitely the case in the last two figures as they are only using lineweight and one light flat shadow value to create the illusion of form.

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Did another skeleton trace over the last short pose, really glad I started these. Working out the xray view of the pose is great for helping my locate the finer points of the skeleton. Also, unrelated studies and enviro sketches.

[mactire]

Just recently finished my year at LARA, here's the drawings completed there in the last term and summer school:

[Archreux]

Your traditional figure studies are astounding, it's pretty clear they're helping you with your personal work. Just really cool/inspirational stuff all around here it seems, haha. Keep it up on the digital front, you paintings have been improving, definitely.

Going to keep an eye out for you stuff. :]

[BenFlores]

amazing work mactire. thanks for posting! cant wait to see more of those figures

[mactire]

Archreux: Thanks!

Ben: Thanks! I'll try to upload the sketches from the atelier soon.



Here's a backlog of recent digital sketches and a still life:

[mactire]

Here, have some gestures:

[BenFlores]

i think i have a soft spot for figure studies haha, great work again :)

[mactire]

Ben: Thanks man!

Here's something I've been plodding along at for too long. Need to try and bring it to a close since this was one of three marine sketches I wanted to render out.

[mactire]

Dragon portrait from today:

[mactire]

sketches: