sketchbook

[Trevor S.]

Just getting this sketchbook started, will have more stuff soon.

[Trevor S.]

Here are some studies I've been doing. I'm currently working on the endless summer IP thing that Dave and Dan suggested. Got some things going and I'm still in the works with a lot of it. Taking a slight break maybe a weak or so, so I can work on my gestures and poses, anatomy and such things, cool compositions and stuff. I started studying some comic stuff too, that is what originally got me interested in art when i was a young lad. I also like to see how people depict certain things, muscles in poses, how some artists simplify certain muscles and exagerate others. Batman and Superman have classic figures for heroes so I'll be studying those characters and others. I'm gonna try to post at least once a week. I would appreciate any feedback and I will try to give as much in return. Plus I would like to make some new art friends. The more the merrier.

[Nylelevi]

Cool I like those armour studies

[Trevor S.]

Here is another days sketches. I had a job offer one time to do like 30 characters, some of them monsters/creatures. All of it was a short deadline and the pay was minimal so realistically I would of had to complete 2 to 3 character illustrations a day to make any kind of profit on that job. So here is an orc that would not exactly fit in to that timeline, but I feel that I need to try to do Illustrations sometimes quickly to try to get faster so that when those projects do come around I can so them fairly proficiently. I was trying to get hyper-realistic with the orc but without much practice with a super close crop like that, that's about all I can do with that. Also more posing/ gesture sketches, a few are from memory but most of it is from that website we all use with all the models. Getting to the point where I feell slightly more comfortable posing from memory.

PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ANY INPUT ON THE ORC ON HOW TO MAKE THIS GUY MORE DETAILED I WOULD LOVE SOME FEEDBACK.

[Trevor S.]

Day two of trying to be social! Some posing form memory mostly, try to mark the ones that are ref as study. Need to make this a permanent habit of doing plenty of sketches and poses. Just so hard sometimes when I spend so many hours to finish an image, I think the last one was prob around 25 hrs!! God!!! But it is for the good. Again if anyone has a critique please let them rip, no babying here, blood raw critiques please. Especially on realism on the orc. Thnx in advance for any help :)

[Bjulvar]

Hey Trevor, I think that it's good that you're doing a lot of posing. Most of them look pretty interesting. Are you using any site for gestures and such? Because that could really help you out.
I'd recomend; http://www.quickposes.com/pages/challenges

The orc is rendered nicely. But I think that you're too detailed oriented too early in the painting. Realism doesn't need to be how many details you can squish in! The biggest flaw is the structure of his head. You would not see much of the upper area of the skull/hair in that perspective.
He also seems to be lacking the plane under the chin, so right now it looks like his throat is connected to his chin.

Here's a little quick paintover to demonstrate what I mean.




I changed the lightning a bit. Felt like it was coming from that direction on my first read. Might be wrong :P

I hope you don't think that this is too harsh!
Keep up the work man :D

[Trevor S.]

Thanks Bjulvar! I didn't use a ref for that. I want to do a kind of speedpaint concept at the end of every day without ref so that I can just practice on speed and stuff, although this one was not for speed it was to see what I could do without ref or from memory. I felt that plane on the bottom jaw was wrong, thanks for correcting it. I know what you mean about over detailing, i need to tone down some areas to make other pop. Thanks for your help Bjulvar!

[EduardoGaray]

Hey Trevor! nice practive you already have here, i always suggest people to focus on improving their skills rather than their speed. Because lets face it, what really matters is the first thing, and the second always comes naturally. In fact, be careful if you start feeling like you are doing things much faster, that means that you are getting comfortable with what you are doing. And thats not a good thing haha. But practicing from memory is still a really good training after doing some studies, so keep doing it, just dont focus on speed but on doing things right. :)
Also, i wanted to say something about the orc, but Bjulvar already gave you some gold advice.
Cheers mate!

[Trevor S.]

K so day three of sketchbook! Focused on portraits and somewhat realistic textures. Happy with the guy that i think is the same actor that played Harry in Spiderman, idk his name. Love the way that one came out and satisfied with Bar Raf.... something, the girl. Man I had to skinny her head up three times, too many masculine men practice I guess not enough girls!

THANKS EDDY for the kind words, I feel ya with the speed stuff. It just sucks being slow, but apparently im not the only one who has to take any where up to 30 hrs just to finish a nice piece. I've heard several now say close to that now, I just worry about the low ball jobs that want way too many characters or work with a small deadline because of the cash. But I will still do one a day speedpaint and show it even if it is total garbage like today's, holy moly, emberassing!

[Trevor S.]

Here are two short portraits I did today, used some ref more on the second, but not really for the first just ref faces in general. Thinking about starting a channel on you tube for fun, I'm sure it can be helpful to the right individual. A channel for tutorials and such, discussions and what not.

Critiques are welcome.

[Trevor S.]

Here are two more portraits that I did. I also made a YOU TUBE channel and am currently uploading the male face as I write this. If anyone has any c&c feel more than free. My videos prob won't do a ton of good for many of you in this forum as there are plenty of good artists here. But for those who are comparable or below it can be helpful. I noticed long ago that if you're watching a tutorial of someone who is far above your own skill level, the tutorial really is not that helpful. Now, if you're within range then workflows and techniques are comparable and more relate able. I'm also going to do anything helpful to others like critiques or paintovers, and interface tutorials.

[Trevor S.]

Hello everyone, just wanted to share the start of my you tube channel for tutorials and general help with art and photoshop. Meant for those at beginner to intermediate levels. I'm going to cover anything from Illustration related to photoshop interface tutorials. Right now I just have one mail portrait tutorial, but there will be more to come. I would love some feedback!
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHQcPqQu8keliyi7GB3WYkg

[Trevor S.]

Here is some rough work of an orc illustration that I've started. Going to work on more dynamic poses and a sense of action. Also try to work out composition before rendering this one.

[brianjohnson]

Hi Trevor,
I hope this is okay...not very comfortable doing this kind of stuff, but I saw your Orc painting in the finished work section, but thought this would be a more appropriate place to put the crits.

I really like the idea, and you've got all the elements there, but they are a bit static...almost like a dress rehersal where everyone knows their role but is just going through the motions.

The battle is taking place in the forest, but there isn't really an indication of this where the characters are at. I roughed out a very quick sketch in an effort to describe what I am trying to say.



Hope this is at least somewhat helpful. Keep at it! Looking forward to seeing more.

[Trevor S.]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate the crit and paintover, this is exactly what I needed and other too. Too many "good games" going on sometimes. Helpful critiques are what people need to succeed sometimes. I was going for a more dynamic comp but idk what came out. I think I was too concerned with things pointing towards the orc to consider this kind of layout. I will definitely take heed and try to keep this in mind for future ref! Thanks again Brian!

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Here are a few practice stuff for some kind of Lion mech thing! I think it's going to be epic!

[Trevor S.]

Wow, I haven't posted in this dusty old thing here!! Cough!!! Well, now that I'm posting in the Daily Study Group I might as well start updating my sketchbook. Plus I saw Mr. Delicious's sketchbook on CA, wow, it's crazy to see that much history of improvement documented!!!

[Trevor S.]

I love armor!!!!! So, studies are in order so I can make something a little more intricate then just the same old plate armor I've been making. Also working on skin tones and muscle forms and stuff, highlights, veins, muscles!! Now I got to go do some push ups!

[Trevor S.]

Some recent studies and gesture practice.

[Trevor S.]

Armor and gesture studies today. Some from posing site and a few from mem.

[Trevor S.]

Some poses from imagination as well as a few from pixel lovely I think. Also, a crappy master study, I blame my girlfriend cuz she was burning my eyes with cleaning chemicals as she was shampooing the carpet!!!!! Damn women! Also a study that I'll probably continue of Julie Bell's work, god I love her and Boris's work, so nice to look at!!