TX's Sketchbook

[txchris]

Well, this is going to be a bit tricky, since I do not own a scanner; guess some Photos will do. But I'll make sure to update this at least twice a week.

To begin with, I'll post a couple of drawings I did for a small expo two months ago. While they might be finished, I don't consider them Portfolio material. Feel free to criticize them.

Both are graphite on "ecological" card stock, A1.

(yes the photos are censured. I posted them on other places before)


Drawn from memory, modified the limbs a bit. I might've invented some muscles.


Based on a Pregnant woman study, I decided to experiment with anatomy a bit.

[txchris]

First update.

Something I copied from "Anatomy drawing school" by Andras Szunyoghy.


A quick study based on a random dA photo I cannot find again. If I'm not mistaken, I changed the position of the limbs slightly.


And last, a figure rotation exercise. I take a photo, sketch a basic structure (top-left) and rotate it.

[missimoinsane]

You have some interesting forms there... I can't wait too see what becomes of them... Are you going to render them up into fully finished art pieces eventually? or are you just practicing forms at the moment?? ~mii

[txchris]

Well, these are just structure/anatomy studies. I make these on a daily basis, as some sort of training so I can draw human figures completely from imagination one day.

But you're right. I should render them. And I shall! (someday. Watercolours are seriously tricky to work with)

[missimoinsane]

Well sounds like perfect practice to me.

I use to do this sort of thing. Then trace over my original work so that if I did mess up with paints it wasn't all lost and ruined. I say trace because I didn't have a scanner printer at the time.

[txchris]

Update!
Tried to do a fully rendered sketch this time.

First, study based on a photograph.
Basically, analyzing 3d shapes contained within the model


Then, individual studies. I make some variations on the pose and apply anatomy knowledge.



Finally, render time!

Had some troubles with the face, since it was to small to work carefully (A4, 0.5 Mechanical pencil).



Conclusion: I have to buy a scanner, as my camera ends up flattening things. Also, will have to work bigger (probably a3/a2).

[Rindoukan]

The problem is not so much in the camera than it is in ur values.Imo you should punchi n the darks even further to add more depth in the figure.the first one is more in the right direction.The last one is very flat because the tone variation is not as wide.

[Samszym]

It's awesome that you're drawing from memory and doing those rotation studies, seems like a great way to stretch your brain muscles.
I'd say the lights and shadows are too similar in value in that rendering, it's hard to tell which is which. but like you said the camera seems to have flattened it, looking forward to seeing your stuff when you can scan it!

Bit late here but Welcome to the daggers!!! :)

[smrr]

I thought I replied to your sketchbook, because I've certainly been through it before!

Basically what I posted was that your studies look great! You definitely know what one of the most fundamental things in representation is: form.

I learned heaps when I first dropped by your sketchy and more so now, keep it up, you're on the right track!

[txchris]

@Rindoukan You're right. It should look good regardless of the capturing conditions. I'll have to work more on values. (in my defense, its hard to get deep shadows with HB)

@Samszym Thanks mate! Truth be told, It DID look better when I finished it. Probably just my brain asking for some sleep.

@smrrfette I'm glad you found it helpful. I'm practically obsessed with form, which is why other aspects of my art (like colour and value) are unpolished.

[txchris]

Updating again.

A watercolour practice. I still can't deal with pictures with lots of colours.


Basic structure and rotation excercise. (not really polished)


Anatomical studies, based on a kinda hard pose. (turns out, the simpler, the better)

[txchris]

And Again.

An armour concept, based on the Giralda (an spaniard building) and some other Romanic Buildings.



A small cartoon based on a random photo from some... not so innocent site. It's an Argentinian erotic model or something like that. anyway.



Please note I post two or pics for the sake of simplification. If I were to post every study on my sketchbook, this thread would be really, really big.

[txchris]

Darn, I should update this more frequently.

Back to basics. After receiving a critique (Literally, "You're trying too much to be like Bridgeman"), I decided to take a new approach. I'm right now reading Michael Hampton's book, and it seems interesting. I dig the whole gesture part, though I'm not sure if I'm doing it right.

Here's one, 30 sec gesture, then adding detail from that.



An attempt to do it digitally. (this was done before the other)



I'm not sure why, but it seems to me that my gestures turn out best when limited to 30 sec.
If I try to do one pressure-free, it just comes wrong in both proportion and flow.

Any suggestions?

[txchris]

Gah, I hate time constraints. I almost quit entirely. Hopefully, I'll be able to update this thread AT LEAST weekly.

Anyway, here are some form studies, and my first steps into digital.






That being said, I promise to stop making just studies. I'll be posting rendered works soon.

[Adam Lina]

Great form studies. I've been really trying to work on my forms of the figure too. I found the Proko videos really helpful. If you havnt watched them I definitely recommend them especially this one for form https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRHfcqjb...A&index=45

[txchris]

Thanks.
I've been watching Stan's videos for a while. They teached me how to do gesture, and his mannequin is quite refreshing after using the standard Bridgeman one.

[Kaffer]

Awesome sense of forms going on there.. coolness :)

[txchris]

@Kaffer Thanks a lot man.

All this people appreciating my form-sense... I'm starting to think I have one.

Anyway, quick update. Sorry about the bad quality.

Some exercise I did at the atelier. make a figure out of cubes.


Bad picture of a torso study.


Study of TLOU Clicker concept art.


And a portrait study that somehow ended up looking like a cartoon.



all in all, it's not a great update. I'll have more time next week, so I promise the quality will improve

[txchris]

Quick update.

[txchris]

Update!

I decided to show a bit of my process when drawing from "imagination". Technically, you could say I'm using photos as positional reference.

Anyway, I usually start with drawing blocks for the torso and the hips, and begin to analyze how they relate each other in space. It's not pictured because the drawings were really really poor. Then, I draw a few mannequins, until a decent prospect appears. In this case, The one outlined with a marker.

Based on that pose, I proceed with drawing a gesture, in order to make it a bit more alive.
Since I now have the volumes defined, I simply develop them further, using contours to create that 3d feel.


I kind of decided to do this at the last minute, sorry about the rushed explanation. I'm planning to do a more in-depth "tutorial" for future updates.

A few more drawings then. Here's a slightly modified copy of a drawing from Andras Szunyoghy's book, Anatomy drawing school.


And my attempt to capture the values of this piece, minus DK (digital)