11-13-2018, 12:51 PM
So this is literally my first night back at my computer since my last post.
It's been a while. Feels weird.
The kitchen renovation sort of temporarily took over my life, but we're about halfway through now and things are somewhat returning to normal. (Aside from everything being displaced.) For several days I didn't have access to the room my computer was in (and that particular branch of electrics wasn't working anyway while some things got rewired) and I was in a bit of a funk with all the upheaval. It's been harder to work than I thought it was going to be, but hopefully I've turned the corner and things will be on the up swing now! I was thinking I'd be able to watch my classes at the very least while I was holed up in my bedroom, but I realized I couldn't watch my classes AND draw along with them like I needed to on just my iPad. (It's one or the other. With the split screen the video was too small to really see what was going on in the class.) I did make a little progress on my commission, but it was touch and go. It felt like every time I sat down to really do something, my attention was needed elsewhere and I was (unexpectedly) mentally exhausted by sundown to work once the apartment had finally quieted down.
That all said, I'm not dead yet.
@Fedodika: Studying film noir is an excellent idea! I hadn't thought of that, but your bringing it up definitely makes sense. I'll start investigating it and see what I can pull up!
@Shinkasuru: Yeah, it's more pose-y than action-y. It sounds like the guy is using it as a background while streaming some stuff and he wants to be able to have the characters easily viewable for whoever is watching. (So more poster-ish than actual scene-ish.) That said, I do need to work on creating more dynamic poses in general. I think the gesture class will help with that a lot. I also think maybe studying some Marvel comic panels might actually help, too. They usually do dynamic/action shots very well with their characters/compositions and I could certainly learn a lot in that department. (Definitely one of my weaker areas.)
So, here's where I'm presently at with the Star Wars commission. I'm hoping to finish this piece entirely in the next few days and push onward from it.
Having trouble with the female's face. (I always have trouble with female characters.) Need to do more targeted female face studies to get more variety in their looks because mine always look the same. For some reason I'm way more comfortable drawing male faces -- I think it has to do with all the angles. I tend to find angular stuff a lot easier to sketch out. (All those solid lines for placement. Can you say 'crutch'? lol)
Started adding in the Snowtrooper on the left, but he needs a lot more contrast to match up with the other figures. I still need to paint in the smaller two troopers on the right to help balance things out. And add some detailing to the mountain, ground, etc.
Feeling very 'meh' about this piece, but I know that I have to wrap it up at some point, regardless of whether I like it or not. (The client likes it a lot so far, which I guess is all that really matters, but still...) Everything is a step in a process of improvement -- I just need to keep reminding myself of that and make sure I do studies to try and improve the things I'm not happy with after the fact. (Which is a lot at the moment. *SIGH*)
Just keep trucking', right?
It's been a while. Feels weird.
The kitchen renovation sort of temporarily took over my life, but we're about halfway through now and things are somewhat returning to normal. (Aside from everything being displaced.) For several days I didn't have access to the room my computer was in (and that particular branch of electrics wasn't working anyway while some things got rewired) and I was in a bit of a funk with all the upheaval. It's been harder to work than I thought it was going to be, but hopefully I've turned the corner and things will be on the up swing now! I was thinking I'd be able to watch my classes at the very least while I was holed up in my bedroom, but I realized I couldn't watch my classes AND draw along with them like I needed to on just my iPad. (It's one or the other. With the split screen the video was too small to really see what was going on in the class.) I did make a little progress on my commission, but it was touch and go. It felt like every time I sat down to really do something, my attention was needed elsewhere and I was (unexpectedly) mentally exhausted by sundown to work once the apartment had finally quieted down.
That all said, I'm not dead yet.
@Fedodika: Studying film noir is an excellent idea! I hadn't thought of that, but your bringing it up definitely makes sense. I'll start investigating it and see what I can pull up!
@Shinkasuru: Yeah, it's more pose-y than action-y. It sounds like the guy is using it as a background while streaming some stuff and he wants to be able to have the characters easily viewable for whoever is watching. (So more poster-ish than actual scene-ish.) That said, I do need to work on creating more dynamic poses in general. I think the gesture class will help with that a lot. I also think maybe studying some Marvel comic panels might actually help, too. They usually do dynamic/action shots very well with their characters/compositions and I could certainly learn a lot in that department. (Definitely one of my weaker areas.)
So, here's where I'm presently at with the Star Wars commission. I'm hoping to finish this piece entirely in the next few days and push onward from it.
Having trouble with the female's face. (I always have trouble with female characters.) Need to do more targeted female face studies to get more variety in their looks because mine always look the same. For some reason I'm way more comfortable drawing male faces -- I think it has to do with all the angles. I tend to find angular stuff a lot easier to sketch out. (All those solid lines for placement. Can you say 'crutch'? lol)
Started adding in the Snowtrooper on the left, but he needs a lot more contrast to match up with the other figures. I still need to paint in the smaller two troopers on the right to help balance things out. And add some detailing to the mountain, ground, etc.
Feeling very 'meh' about this piece, but I know that I have to wrap it up at some point, regardless of whether I like it or not. (The client likes it a lot so far, which I guess is all that really matters, but still...) Everything is a step in a process of improvement -- I just need to keep reminding myself of that and make sure I do studies to try and improve the things I'm not happy with after the fact. (Which is a lot at the moment. *SIGH*)
Just keep trucking', right?