11-24-2014, 02:04 AM
Oh well... This subject was discussed so many times, it's not even funny. And I cant stand aside, where is the slot for my two cents?
There is no right or wrong ways of doing things, its just my personal opinion.
First of all study from a photo is helpful, as far as you actually know what you're doing. There for I would not recommend to study from the photo if you're just starting out as you probably don't understand shit, why this and that does what it does.
Second - it depends. Depends from a subject you want to study. Correct me if I'm wrong but, browsing all this sketchbook for years, I feel like at leas half of students don't understand the purpose of a study. For them its just find a nice Photo, copy it, put it on the sketchbook - DONE! And you cant blame this artists, because thats exactly what they see in all this sketchbooks, and adding more to it - as a result you receive a decent piece, much higher than you skills are.
If you want to get better at color - Life is better, period. Because you have to observe, consider colds and warms etc etc, while on the photo - lifeless leans did that shit for you. You want to get better at portraits, human body - LIFE. Because you cant get you ass off the chair, come closer, check that nose from a different angle, find out what this tit does, why it hangs like this when the chick is laying on her side. I can go on and on...
You want to get better at Creatures, lets say you want to do a series of Underwater Beasts from a far Oceanic Planet. Id say - PHOTO, unless you have a part time job on a submarine as a camera operator for National Geographic. BUT! Do not just copy this beauties you'll find on the Google Image Search, in wont make you better at Creature Design. Get to the Bones of this species, watch a few documentaries, learn why nature created them as they are, what does they eat, where does they live, why they have no need for the eyes? Cause there's fucking nothing to look at in the abyss they dwell. Gather yourself a reference library, do some studies keeping in mind what texture the skin of the species has, what colors are dominant, why they are so shiny etc. Think.
If you don't have an opportunity to study From Life do photo. But for God sake do not just copy the damn things, thats not how the human eye works. People just so used to look at Photos, that we consider Hyper Rendered, Flat, Overall Same Detail Level and Photo Real Piece as the Highest Artistic Accomplishment. Back days there were no photos and Facebook, there were galleries and wine, Photos just spoiled us all. I still do this shit, cant do nothing to myself.
Hope it'll be helpful.
There is no right or wrong ways of doing things, its just my personal opinion.
First of all study from a photo is helpful, as far as you actually know what you're doing. There for I would not recommend to study from the photo if you're just starting out as you probably don't understand shit, why this and that does what it does.
Second - it depends. Depends from a subject you want to study. Correct me if I'm wrong but, browsing all this sketchbook for years, I feel like at leas half of students don't understand the purpose of a study. For them its just find a nice Photo, copy it, put it on the sketchbook - DONE! And you cant blame this artists, because thats exactly what they see in all this sketchbooks, and adding more to it - as a result you receive a decent piece, much higher than you skills are.
If you want to get better at color - Life is better, period. Because you have to observe, consider colds and warms etc etc, while on the photo - lifeless leans did that shit for you. You want to get better at portraits, human body - LIFE. Because you cant get you ass off the chair, come closer, check that nose from a different angle, find out what this tit does, why it hangs like this when the chick is laying on her side. I can go on and on...
You want to get better at Creatures, lets say you want to do a series of Underwater Beasts from a far Oceanic Planet. Id say - PHOTO, unless you have a part time job on a submarine as a camera operator for National Geographic. BUT! Do not just copy this beauties you'll find on the Google Image Search, in wont make you better at Creature Design. Get to the Bones of this species, watch a few documentaries, learn why nature created them as they are, what does they eat, where does they live, why they have no need for the eyes? Cause there's fucking nothing to look at in the abyss they dwell. Gather yourself a reference library, do some studies keeping in mind what texture the skin of the species has, what colors are dominant, why they are so shiny etc. Think.
If you don't have an opportunity to study From Life do photo. But for God sake do not just copy the damn things, thats not how the human eye works. People just so used to look at Photos, that we consider Hyper Rendered, Flat, Overall Same Detail Level and Photo Real Piece as the Highest Artistic Accomplishment. Back days there were no photos and Facebook, there were galleries and wine, Photos just spoiled us all. I still do this shit, cant do nothing to myself.
Hope it'll be helpful.