yyyeaaaaaaa today i came to terms with how hard i fucked up on the sophitia piece lol. I was in a chat and this non artist said, "Yo fedo, i dont really want to look at that, i mean i can't say its technically shit, but something about it i just dont wanna look at it."
It was like BOOM! Made total sense. It was strangely refreshing to hear that from someone who cant really explain it. But yea the value hierarchy is terrible, and i payed no attention to the composition or overlaps or anything. Wish i had some kind of fairy that could whisper "You forgot this" or "What about this" whenever im working on something so i dont get 5 days deep into something and the whole foundation isnt working. Guess that's what trainings for!
However, i am happy that got a workflow established, with the 3d and gestures and what not. I like the drawing, i think its solid for the most part, but i shoulda blocked out everything so itll read in a way thats comfortable to look at yet enticing. I spent the whole day studying movie stills and things to see how they separate values and there's a lot of things i didnt consider. Like you can make skin read really well against a very cold background yet the skin has to be desaturated like in this still
Game of thrones stills have some really interesting story boarding. Like they are so meticulous with every shot reading very well. Like i can just pull em off one at a time and just name a composition type
And its so consistent, like in every one the focal point is either warmer or cooler than the background, and lighter to the point it pops. There was even this still where i think her names daenerys is wearing a blue dress and they painted the planks on a ship she's walking on red just so it'd contrast with the dress.
I'd imagine that Wlop guy on deviantart studies these because i see a lot of similarities in his arrangements to these. And i don't even watch the show! Once i have a stable income i will probably find some time to watch that and breaking bad.
So yea, i know this all may sound juvenile, but it was a big wake up call for me. I focused on drawing so much i totally forgot about all these cool things. Anyways, here's a big dump of all the Masters of anatomy sketches id been doing for about 2 weeks. I'd do about 2 pages front and back, which was basically 2 pages front in the book. These are done in ballpoint so they have some hideous proportion errors but they are slowly coming together.
Also i did this still life to try and apply some of the things i'd been contemplating. i wanted to do warm vs cool with some nice values and overlaps and make the shapes interesting. I was even taking photos of things and trying to improve the photos by applying the elements. What a roller coaster of a day lol. For the next piece I'll really try to plan out the gesture first, block out a 2 value composition scheme that reads, then decide a clever arrangement of values which compliment a cool vs warm (which exists in any color scheme due to greys), Then paint that shit after a 3d well lit mockup.
Hobbit: I certainly will on my next WIP which will be soon
Shit life drawings today, took most the day to say bye to a friend who's leaving to california. was nice to take a break, wish i could take a vacation or something but im not sure what i'd spend it doing. I feel like im on the cusp of something cool, so i at least wanna see what that thing is
Okay so ive been doing robert watts course on watts atelier on composition; Its entirely a lecture based thing so here are my notes, theres are lots of them and im only about halfway through it
1. One should develop a loose professional style to indicate thumbnails. It should be crips and quick and show all the necessary information to show the idea of the image.
2. Not being able to doodle is an illustrators worst enemy.
3.Light VS dark is an extremely crucial system of showing contrast and should be used in almost all images to make the most of what it is the viewer sees.
4. Contrast is the very core of creating interest in an image. Hard soft, light dark, tall small, etc. Each image should show a use of contrast in at least light and dark or via edges.
5. Tracing is good.
6.When using reference, draw as much from memory as possible so you can fit what it is youre drawing into your scene specifically.
7. Practice randomness when drawing most things, it creates interest. Trees, buildings, everything can make random shapes, but there is a control and sophistication to it.
8. Eyes always go to a human silhouette first.
9.You most likely have a good picture if the all black silhouette reads.
10. Draw quick things that look good.
11. Everything has a best side and one should strive to find it, "My left side is my good side."
12. avoid the "camo pants" look when drawing value patterns. Mushy and indisticnt.
13. Never do light on light or dark on dark.
14. Use values and shapes to bookend elements of an image, via the corners overlaps etc.
15.There are many composition motifs, Steel yard, E on its side, many letters like C, L, A, M, etc. circles, triangles, radiating lines, diagonals, grouped mass, T, horizontal vs verticals, the list goes on.
16.contrast can be as simple as the speedboat painting in the simpsons behind the couch. its a horizontal vs vertical.
17. Shadows can overlap to show connections of objects.
18. If there is a transition in a landscape, you must indicate it well or it will be confusing.
19. tweak and twist little elements to serve the movement of the eye.
20. You can find the compsition or angle of a birdge with popsicle sticks.
21. Shadows tell a lot about a subject.
22. Create paths in the image that lead to the focal point.
23. A broken fence is more interesting than a solid one.
24. It takes a lot of time to realize all the tools at your disposal.
25. Link shapes intelligently via values.
27. You dont need to draw every book and thing on a room, a lamp will do for instance.
28. Pick iconic shapes to save time and be clear.
29. Mind the corners of an image.
30.Fit motifs within motifs like a V within a T within a circle.
31.choose angles over straights.
32.light can lead us into an image
33. keep things simple.
34. Darks can close off compositions intelligently.
35. Know where to start and end.
36. Avoid splitting an objects lighting right down the middle.
37. Interrupt a silhouette with an overlap if you can.
38. Thumbnails are a very smart move.
39. an "airhole" in a silhoutte can be more clear than if it werent there.
40. Always light dark light dark.
41. Linking objects and overlaps puts them in the same world.
42. Overlaps can dramatically determine our perception of objects and their closeness.
43. Draw on line paper so you have less holding you back. It looks bad so you wont mind messing it up, therefore you'll be more creative.
44. In plant life, have strong indications of value within silhouettes to seperate them intelligently.
45. Dont rely on color to save your image.
46. Divide your values into zones, this can organize the image well.
47.always practice little boxes and random shapes.
48. No fussy drawing, stick to the big picture.
49. assign different values to foreground and background.
50. Link objects to show their relationships.
Still trying to take it easy so, ill hopefully have more notes soon :)
Darkiste: Yea brother i gotta get into a sketching style that'll work, but this stuff is probably the most difficult part of art is creating a scene that's compelling. Just gotta practice it, its much more a creativity workout than a technical one.
I mean i'd heard of this stuff, i just never took it seriously. But yea rob's right, beginners do all the things i did, no shadows, overcomplicate detail, not thumbnailing, etc.
Nigel thx, heres the last batch :)
51. Casting a shadow can help reveal things off camera
52. You can completely invent things that are off camera like totally BS is
53. its important to add "stuff" to an environment to make it look more natural (weeds, trash, birds, little things)
54.A shadow of a distinct shape is cool, such as circle on a rectangle
55. Draw some random angular lines and then arrange them with a little house as an exercise in composition by filling in those lines with contrasting values.
56. Beginners tend to make it harder than it really is.
57. reflections always look cool.
58. In "Detroit" car advertisements they hose down the ground to show reflections.
59. There are three types of lighting, fully in light, half in light, and fully in darkness.
60. as long as its not "Frankenstein head" most shadow inventions will work off screen.
61. Study film noire (old black and white films like Bogart)
62. Forget trivial things like legs feet, fingers etc.
63. Perfect fences are dreadful
64. Tilt the horizon to make things more intense.
65. You can show intensely different moods and scenes with just placing a stick and lighting it a certain way.
66. Values create mood.
67. Dont rely on color to make a mood
68. A single light source in heavy darkness shows loneliness (the classic streetlamp nighttime)
69. A hawk in the sky is ominous.
70. Show things that help show proportion like a plane sinking in water, show a wing for scale.
71. A figure in shadow is immediately mysterious.
72. Tracks on the ground have story.
73. viewing from below is intimidating.
74. Light from an alley is ominous.
75. underwater light is spooky.
76. Shadows and shapes add interest.
77. Wear and tear adds interest.
78. You can tell which student is good at composition by who can draw the most interesting trash can.
79. Anything floating in the middle of a picture is suspect.
80. Try many different angles of a scene, close, far away, behind, etc.
81. Think of a movie.
82. Make a checklist of things you might forget.
83. No fingernails.
84. No shoelaces.
85. Plastic triangle edges are wonderful for perspective drawing in pencil
Im gonna really try to get back to work next week, had to drop my mentor due to some unexpected bills, but i think i'll manage. Not entirely sure if she was worth the money for a whole year, but for the first few months she definitely got me on the right track :). If i were to get another mentor, it'd be someone in the entertainment art industry, but that'll be way later. Tomorrow is life drawing!
I recommend live drawing class with a model it a much better investement than most other course i think what is worth is if you really struggle with particular fundamental to spend on a course that you know will help you.I mean better start to self taught if you can but if it doesn't seem to stick it might be worth to spend money so you are more i would say interested in getting that money back.It a kind of way to force you to be a sponge since you don't want to waste your money.
For the number 85 i would add if you can afford have triangle of many size
Darkiste: Ya im taking Jeff watts online, there is more shit than i'll know what to do with for at least a year or two :)
So trying to finish up Quicksketch phase 3, and life drawing today was fun, the girl had enormous boobs! I gotta get back into anatomy and finish up this phase before i start on the next WIP. not totally sure what itll be, but most likely a soul calibur character and probably Tira, since she will challenge my shape arrangements, having the large hula hoop blade is always tough to think of a pose for
Watts is still engaging and fun but feels like work for sure now, i dont feel like i can half ass it like i did early on. Its so much information to take in, still got so many videos to watch, at least three hundred or so hours of video alone to watch!
Hey there Fedo, I love that you're doing Watts Atelier stuff, that oil painted Asaro head looks cool. I find it a bit more difficult to keep things tidy with traditional paints but I think you did well.
Nice going with the figurative stuff, you've stopped mapping out the shadow shapes though, I find that putting in the "bed bug" line is really good practice even if you don't then go ahead and shade in the shadows.
Keep it going fella!
“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.” -- H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Artloader: thanks brotha, yea i noticed i wasnt shadow mapping lol. I got a bit carried away with this experiment i did where I took some vine charcoal, rubbed it on there, then pulled out the lights. Added a lot of contrast easy since vine charcoal is softer than baby hair, and I need to get back to that!
Got one of these done, gonna try to crank out 3 pages of these tomorrow and start exploring some pose ideas for Tira ;). I have a cool idea after seeing those pencil sketches Karla Ortiz did with all the birds, i wanna kinda do something like that, outta be a cool design pattern if i take my time :)
oookey so this is a rough start to the image, i tried to go for a minimal value look, lots of overlaps, I knooow the anatomy, perspective, everything fundamental is far from perfect or even presentable, (I will fix that when i build it up in 3d and begin getting reference.)
id just mainly like some input on the value, contrast and shape arrangement if there is something im unaware of that could enhance the appeal before i move any deeper with it. feel free to rek as hard as you possibly can but dont waste your time if its on anatomy or perspective, id appreciate that later on when im putting forth a good effort in those things.
Darkiste:Des/ thanks but had to scrap that one, as it wasnt reading! :O
I posted these up in the discord, (Dont worry ill always update here, just the feedback loop is much smaller there) and asked which had the best energy to roll with. I got mixed answers so i just picked the one i liked most and im of course open to exploring the others if someone really thinks a pose would beat the snot out of the others. I think they're all decent personally, i did about 16 beforehand rough and small before even deciding on these 4.
I really went for simplifying the design into 3 values first then 5. I think it has a nice design, movement, and is clear what is happening when the contrast is dimed and zoomed out. more open to feedback than ever, i just wanna get it right before moving to the next phase!
I like B the other feel like the action is to crop out i just like sexy girl who look deadly without even trying.Will not lie the boob sold me out on B.If you take that pose just make sure the arm squeeze those boob.
Darkiste: thanks m8 i like boobs too, but i like ass more, i should probably priortize that :O
I tried to sketch up a comp for pose B, kinda frazetta like, still gettin crits on this so pipe up if you'd like, trying to up my standard for a composition and improve the work flow at its core. Need to sit down and really study a bunch of comps to get my head in that space
