05-02-2013, 11:26 AM
Thanks for the advice CJ, will definitely try and work on that!
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This week I am going to focus on the importance of Visual Library building, which I think I have mentioned before, but because I have just started a group on Crimson Daggers for weekly Visual Library exercises I thought it would be a good topic to talk about.
As designers, all of the ideas we come up with are just amalgamations of memories. We combine a fish with a rock, or a bulldozer with a rock, or a rock with another rock to come up with a design. And the only way to replace the rock with something more interesting is to have a larger library of shapes, objects, animals.... rocks... So to do this, we do studies, except instead of the point of the study to be getting it to look realistic, the point of the study is to absorb as many visual ques from the thing we are studying, so the study can be done purely in lines, tones, it can even just be a list of notes. So long as you are actively thinking about what makes a dog look like a dog and not a cat, or a rock...
So, to increase my visual library every week I pick a topic and do some sketches, notes, anatomical studies etc to add it to my visual library. I have been slack the past couple of weeks, as it seemed to be lower on the list than other things so it got pushed off, which is why I created the thread on Crimson daggers, to force me to rotate my study weekly and to keep it going. I figure if other people count on me then I am more likely to do it, and if no one else joins, it wont matter because I will be doing it every week and posting in the thread so I don't look like a jackass with another failed idea.
The last visual library exercise I did was for Canines, didn't really do a too good a job of it so I think I'll try it again some time.
Also I finished up my commission so I should have that to show after this weekend :)
--
This week I am going to focus on the importance of Visual Library building, which I think I have mentioned before, but because I have just started a group on Crimson Daggers for weekly Visual Library exercises I thought it would be a good topic to talk about.
As designers, all of the ideas we come up with are just amalgamations of memories. We combine a fish with a rock, or a bulldozer with a rock, or a rock with another rock to come up with a design. And the only way to replace the rock with something more interesting is to have a larger library of shapes, objects, animals.... rocks... So to do this, we do studies, except instead of the point of the study to be getting it to look realistic, the point of the study is to absorb as many visual ques from the thing we are studying, so the study can be done purely in lines, tones, it can even just be a list of notes. So long as you are actively thinking about what makes a dog look like a dog and not a cat, or a rock...
So, to increase my visual library every week I pick a topic and do some sketches, notes, anatomical studies etc to add it to my visual library. I have been slack the past couple of weeks, as it seemed to be lower on the list than other things so it got pushed off, which is why I created the thread on Crimson daggers, to force me to rotate my study weekly and to keep it going. I figure if other people count on me then I am more likely to do it, and if no one else joins, it wont matter because I will be doing it every week and posting in the thread so I don't look like a jackass with another failed idea.
The last visual library exercise I did was for Canines, didn't really do a too good a job of it so I think I'll try it again some time.
Also I finished up my commission so I should have that to show after this weekend :)
Figure Drawings, trying to increase my memory and attempt an exaggerated style on one.. Didn't turn out so well..
![[Image: 130502-1.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-1.jpg)
Skin colour, made up the lighting and skin colour, not a fan. Need to study more portraits.
![[Image: 130502-2.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-2.jpg)
Warmup Cloud practice
![[Image: 130502-3.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-3.jpg)
Left is from photo, right is trying to turn it in my head. Really challenging and fun. Will do this again.
![[Image: 130502-4.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-4.jpg)
WIP. Learning ways to add tattoo's to a drawing.
![[Image: 130502-5.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-5.jpg)
Visual Library fail.
![[Image: 130502-6.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-6.jpg)
![[Image: 130502-1.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-1.jpg)
Skin colour, made up the lighting and skin colour, not a fan. Need to study more portraits.
![[Image: 130502-2.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-2.jpg)
Warmup Cloud practice
![[Image: 130502-3.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-3.jpg)
Left is from photo, right is trying to turn it in my head. Really challenging and fun. Will do this again.
![[Image: 130502-4.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-4.jpg)
WIP. Learning ways to add tattoo's to a drawing.
![[Image: 130502-5.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-5.jpg)
Visual Library fail.
![[Image: 130502-6.jpg]](http://jaikart.com/art/2013/05/130502-6.jpg)