Roanna's sketchbook AKA Negative Space

[Fedodika]

Alright so ill give you some examples of the function of the asaro head, it is to internalize how you see the planes of the head and their relationships to one another by establishing the ideal. This could apply to anything essentially, an ideal figure, dog,  car, tree, mountain, anything. You need  a basic glossary go to ideal so you can bear in mind what the structural components of those things are.

Like how micheal hampton breaks down the figure with simple shapes; you probably wont draw very exciting figures using that method early on but as you internalize that ideal and that simplification, you can use it to your advantage without it being a crutch, thats where the repetition comes in

http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...k%2001.jpg
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-48-22.jpg

These two for example, its clear that in these poses you are struggling to place the eye in a clear socket and surprise surprise:

http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-45-19.jpg

Youre struggling with it here too on these ideal type of heads. 

Im not saying the asaro head is the fix all solution, or the reilly method for that matter. It just beats you over the head with what is right in terms of understanding the exaggerated 3d forms.

http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-45-15.jpg
This one the lips are just floating and have no form, on the asaro, you clearly see the plane changes of the lips and how they'd fit into the head, or the muzzle of the mouth

The dude on the bottom right
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-44-03.jpg

His features are just symbols, like his nose is flattened so much, and i get the feeling it wasnt the best lighting for the reference. 

These two have a similar mistake, the bottom right asaro has his eye sockets super close, but also the portrait's eyes are way too close
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-38-00.jpg
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-39-59.jpg

I mean your figure drawings are better, cept this one idk what happened with the hips lol
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/attachme...-40-45.jpg

They suffer from the same head issues, and very light unconfident lines. Its funny where you say your drawings are looking worse, they actually look better and less stiff and scratchy. Though, more whimsical and less structured.

Now, for the longer poses what you need is anatomy, you have a basic sense of it but its not there yet. So again Jeff watts quick sketch is fantastic for learning the pencil control and the anatomy he'll throw at you while hes doing it. You need to get an anatomy book be it hogarthe, or bridgeman or robert beverly hale, hampton, atlas of human anatomy and take a muscle a day or every other and learn it. Then go and find it in photos even if tracing. Id reccomend in this order.
Skull to spine to pelvis

The upper body muslces/ pectoralis, deltoid, external oblique, illiac crest, epigasrial/adominal (which are landmarks in riley rythm as well as  the clavicle and acromium process.

Then  the back muslces trapezius, infraspinatus, teres major/minor, latissimus, serratus, sacrum ( nother landmark)

Then the legs, arms and feet/hands.  (For legs learn bones first, IE great trochanter, tibea.)

Knowing anatomy will greatly enhance your figures, even if you feel like you know it now, you need to again, find an ideal of the figure, and copy the snot out of it until its beaten into your head and you dont forget it. Again i reccomend jeff watts quick sketch with the riley rythms and the workbooks with his male/female abstraction. ive copied those many times and i need to do it more. Ive done his quicksketch class once and i need to do it again, and again, and again... forever (bonus points if you get reference)

Not sorry for the long crit, i get a thrill outta writing these. Keep postin <3