Rognoll's Sketchbook

[Samszym]

You mean buildings or perspective? Yeah, I haven't even tackled it yet. Scary stuff.

CONQUER YOUR FEEEEAARRRR
perspective and construction and stuff is really important to know and will make it easier/possible to draw everything

[Rognoll]

yup, speaking of which, I spent 4 hours studying my other nemesis, clouds, and this crap is the best thing I could come up with.



It's just a work in progress, but the crappy clouds are as finished/rendered as I can get them.
Studying difficult stuff really gets one sleepy.

[Ron]

uummm - I don't know how to explain. Basically your stuff has a ton of visual interest. It just looks flat with some 3 dimensional quality trying to get out.

So - By Construction I guess I'm talking about analytical drawing. But I really mean something even easier. Just draw the larger forms before the smaller forms. Not even perspective yet. Just building forms. Either with tone or lines before getting into the details.

I'm pretty much shit, but I have noticed a little less frustration with my drawing. It's hard to do it consistently. I'm trying to make things simple for myself to learn. Don't look at my stuff because it is shit.

Samszym's sketchbook has all kinds of great drawing that you can see the construction lines.

[Samszym]

Bawwww thanks for the compliment Ron but nah don't look at my stuff, you should check out some pro drawing instructors and construction aces. Traditional animators from like the 40s were construction overlords, for example.
Glen Vilppu's approach to figure drawing comes to mind, he always builds up hiss figures from simple primitive shapes (an egg for the rib cage, cylinders for limbs) and drawing everything first as a simple, very clear and understandable form first makes the later steps where you make everything more complex and unique much easier. Heck it makes it POSSIBLE.

[Rognoll]

I think I see what you guys mean. I've been working on that, but first, I'm doing some excercises from sickbrush's class




And BTW, I had already checked sam's sketchbook. Kickass cartoons.

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Also, some armor practice

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And the umbrellas.

[Tygerson]

Thanks for the comment!

I'm really liking the imaginative work! It's really cool how all the people are tumbling through the clouds. You kind of get the sense that some of them are getting it, and some of them are going to take a while getting used to it!

Okay, thing for you to try out. Pick a picture, create a new layer on top called "overlay" and set the blend mode to overlay. Try lightly brushing darks and lights on the overlay layer to increase contrast. Experiment with white, black, and colors. When you like what you see, decrease the opacity a bit to dial the effect back.

This is how I changed the colors on the picture of the little boy playing. Overlay of faint colors, mostly pale orange.

In overlay mode:
50% gray is invisible.
50% value color will alter and/or increase the saturation of colors underneath but leave the values alone.
Lighter or darker will lighten and darken, as well as give some interesting color effects if you are using colors. It's a good way to get that "orange glow through the skin" look.
Start with faint colors--the saturation will pile up quickly.

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Alternatively, create a new levels adjustment layer.

http://www.apogeephoto.com/may2010/watts52010.shtml

It's an easy way to increase contrast, and to see where you are missing values. If there is a long emptly/flat area on the left of the histogram, you probably need more darks. If there is a long flat area on the right, you need more lights.

[Rognoll]

Excelent advice! thanks a lot! :D I'll try it out right now! Yeah, I can see how it works, that boy with the toys you did looks amazing!

[Rognoll]

M'kay, final shit. Thanks tyger and beardly for your advices. Helped a lot.

I'm not happy with this crap, but ah well! At least I learned a lot.

[Asmodius]

I'd say that the clouds look too solid and not wispy enough, makes the bottom left umbrella look strange. The sun rays and glare look really good though, pretty realistic :)

[smrr]

Hey Rognoll!

I really, really and truly love the idea of this umbrella piece.
You may not have reached the final quality that you were hoping for, but who cares! That comes with experience! And experience of course comes with time and effort.

What matters most are the images inside that creative brain of yours. :D

So don't fret! Like you said yourself, "at least I learned a lot"

Great attitude, I'm looking forward to more and keep it up no matter what!

[Rognoll]

I'd say that the clouds look too solid and not wispy enough, makes the bottom left umbrella look strange. The sun rays and glare look really good though, pretty realistic :)

Thanks! Actually I worked really hard into making them solid, as they looked more like steam, or smoke before. Anyway, thanks! :)

Hey Rognoll!

I really, really and truly love the idea of this umbrella piece.
You may not have reached the final quality that you were hoping for, but who cares! That comes with experience! And experience of course comes with time and effort.

What matters most are the images inside that creative brain of yours. :D

So don't fret! Like you said yourself, "at least I learned a lot"

Great attitude, I'm looking forward to more and keep it up no matter what!

Hey, smrfette! :D
Thank you! You're most definitely right! Thanks a lot for the encouragement! Though It sucks when you can't get the quality you wanted :p

Now, I know I said it was the final piece, but I pushed it a little further. I tried to get stronger contrasts, while keeping the saturation, plus, the guy at the bottom right corner looked weird.




this is the process


Phiew. I learned a lot.


Character design practice.

[Rognoll]

Some armor and composition practice.

[Rognoll]

OK, I'm finishing this, but I don't know which one is better. One has more contrast, but I like the other's pallet better.

[EduardoGaray]

i prefer the more purple one.
And even if it isnt too defined, i like that armor design. (It reminds me of the old Gothic rpg pc games haha) But watch that anatomy and perspective.
Be sure to do some studies about people/armors before you start a new piece.
Just dont stop mate, keep working.

PD: awesome video you posted about those guys with the map!

[Rognoll]

Thank you, Ed! :) You're right, I didn't see it at first, but the anatomy is pretty off in many parts! Plus, the guy is not in perspective at all.

Anyway, thanks! :D and yeah, that short is amazing.


Now, another attempt at composition and metallic surfaces.

[Rognoll]

Still practicing composition. What do you guys think? Perspectice is hilarious. I DESPERATELY need to practice buildings, any advice?

and this piece of crappy crap.

[Archreux]

There are some nice things in here, you've definitely been showing improvement based off of your earlier stuff. Really keep nailing those fundamentals, mainly light/color, perspective, proportions, and anatomy, much like Eduardo mentioned.

In terms of your colors that are shown throughout your work it doesn't really seem like you've got too much variance, almost like you're blocking in shadow with darker tones of the same color. The piece with the building coming out of the guys chest is a good example, much of it looks like you've been using darker tones of both green and yellow to convey shadow. One book that is absolutely amazing is James Gurney's Color and Light, I highly suggest you check it out. I can personally say it's been helping me out quite a bit as light, color and shadow are all things I struggle with.

Here's a link if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Color-Light-Guide-...mes+gurney

As far as anatomy is concerned just continue observing and taking note. I'm sure you know of Andrew Loomis, and a few others I just can't think of right now. I'd like to echo Eduardo's advice to do a study before painting anything that is unfamiliar, or that you have no built up knowledge of. Being able to study and then immediately go and do something based off of whatever it was you just studied is wonderful for building up such a warehouse of information. If you haven't tried any sort of exercises like this I'd give it a go. :]

There is one thing that may just be bothering me personally, I do think it might have something to do with your proportions, but I could be wrong. It's just small things like pieces of clothing or other objects being slightly over sized, blocky, or just wonky in general.

Keep on pushing, your showing improvement so don't stop! Hope this helped a bit. :DD

[Rognoll]

Are you kidding? it helped a lot! You nailed all my big problems! So, it's pallet, anatomy (specially foreshortening), perspective and clothes. I didn't get that last one pretty well, but I'll try to look at cloth a bt more.

Thanks a lot, Archreux, that helped a lot! :)

Now, some more advances from last works. I decided to do this one monochromatic. I like the way it's working.



Also, studying golden surfaces, colplementary pallets andandroids. Can't figure those divisions out!




and more composition. gonna make this one gold and silver.

[Samszym]

I'm liking the dude with a castle bursting out of his chest more and more as I look at it, it's a really funny and interesting idea. if you don't mind a crit, seems to me like the man's torso and castle have different tilts, like we're looking almost directly down at the castle but looking more to the side of the chest. I'd try showing less of the side of his torso.

Keep pushing it Rognoll! You've got some really fun ideas and you've got me wanting to study different materials and color pallets too >: )

[Rognoll]

Thanks, Sam! You're right! I hadn't realised, I'll try to fix it, but I'll probably have to do the body all over again.

Now, some more studies.







this one might be finished. I've been looking at Dan Warren's compositions and taking some useful stuff. I love his linear, but pictoric stuff.