StardustLarva's Visual Explorations

[StardustLarva]

Thank you for your feedback, Meat. I do intend to try a cleaner approach with stippling, I just need the patience for that.

A couple more recent endeavours:

Spoiler

Already posted this in the Inktober thread. It's a drawing based on some recent unpleasant experiences. The spoiler is due to the fact the subject matter is somewhat questionable.





Some contour sketches. Some stuff practiced from Peter Han's Dynamic Sketching 2 video, as well as the assignment given in one of the CtrlPaint videos on drawing form. Sort of killed two birds with one stone here, as I've been meaning to study the anatomy of Allomyrina dichotoma more for one of my story projects.

I feel I don't quite have much of a grasp on drawing objects as 3D forms, so any advice here would be great. I need a good kicking in the right direction.

[JyonnyNovice]

Hey man, I think studying perspective a bit will help you with the 3D forms. If you have a front view of a person (or insect), you can draw a straight horizontal line across the shoulder joints right? In a 3D view you can still draw a straight line through the shoulder joints, but it won't look horizontal anymore, it'll be going through the figure to a (probably) unseen side, at an angle (in reality it's horizontal, but in perspective on the page it will be at an angle). Knowing where to put that straight line, and seeing the unseen side is a lot of what 3D volumes and forms is all about.

I'd suggest studying some perspective fundamentals, play around with drawing boxes and stuff in perspective, and keep practising those Peter Han exercises (the pear like shape at the top looks really good! essentially you should be able to draw a straight line through the front and rear middle line and bisect it front to back). Eventually it will click if you keep at it! Good luck!

[Fedodika]

Wow you really like insects! that's cool! i love the genuine fascination with something; stick with that it'll be awesome to see what you pull out of it ;). Yea 3d drawing is important, i'd highly reccomend getting a pdf or the hard copy of "the natural way to draw" by niccolaides.

Hmm all these drawings really remind me of an old game i really love called Jet Force Gemini, have you ever seen it?

[StardustLarva]

Thank you, Fedodika. Yeah, as I've said before, insects and invertebrates have been a long time fascination. I love arthropods, if that wasn't already evident, haha. Thank you for the book recommendation, I've ordered myself a physical copy of the book to work from. I had a little look at some pages online and it looks as though it could be helpful. Also, to answer your question, I had only heard of Jet Force Gemini before you mentioned it. Looking at it, I can see why my work reminds you of it!

A couple of minor things, just because I like to have something to prevent my posts just being walls of text. Firstly, some studies of woodlice from the Arkive website. I had an attempt at painting a couple of segments from one of the photos, but I think I need to work a bit larger for that to work more sufficiently.



The other piece I want to post is a work in progress that I just started. How does the perspective look on this one? I do intend to get around to studying it more.

[meat]

I think you're on the right track with the circle trying to draw cross sections. Another thing to try is to draw lines that follow the direction of the plane, as if you're using your pencil as a sculptor's chisel. You just have to practice the method you're already using more.

[StardustLarva]

Thank you, Meat. I'll continue to use this method in my studies then. Also, thank you for your frequent responses to my thread, I find them helpful and encouraging.

Just did a quick value study painting of an apple. I want to get better at painting traditionally, so I'm going to attempt to produce at least one painting a week, even if it happens to be minor studies ike this. I'm not too pleased with this one, any advice anyone can give me?



In addition, here's a fairly lacklustre ink drawing I did last night, in a similar vein to the last one in terms of subject matter (hence the spoiler).

Spoiler

[meat]

See those white fuzzy spots along the edge of the apple, where you see the paper underneath? Your first job is to eliminate them. You can also use darker darks in your shadow area. I'm pretty sure there are some darker areas there since you seem to have 1 strong light source.

[StardustLarva]

Yep, those patches are something I need to work on. Here's another quick still life painting that probably has similar issues.



Also, my copy of the Nicolaides book arrived (thanks for the recommendation, Fedodika!), so at some point I'll upload the results of my attempts at the exercises in the book.

[StardustLarva]

The first panel of a diptych I've started working on. Any thoughts?

[StardustLarva]

I have more meaty and not-so-meaty things that I must regurgitate.



The finished result of the previously discussed diptych piece.

Below are some gesture sketches of spiders (mostly the species Eriophora transmarina), for general reference as well as studies for one of my story projects.







A recent watercolour and ink endeavour.

Finally, some practice from one of the exercises in The Natural Way to Draw by Nicolaides. It is the second assignment from the chapter on contour and gesture drawing, in which one has to rapidly sketch figures from observation with a singular line, without taking the pencil off the paper. Here's my attempts at that:



How am I doing, to those who know this stuff?

[¤Lilly¤]

Hi,

firstly I want to say that I really like your subject of interest. Beetles are beautiful and there's a huge diversity of colours and shapes.
In my opinion, the best of your paintings and drawings are those with bigger contrast, when you're not afraid to use much darker and lighter places, it rly adds to the 3D aspect!
To your first successfull digital attempt (or how you called that), I love the idea and the colours you used :) Its very good if its one of your first digital stuff!
According to your pose studies, I think the leggs are a little bit too small (especially tighs).
You have a wonderful goal and you're working hard to reach it, I'm sure that you will succeed ;)

Good luck! :)
¤

[StardustLarva]

Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback, Lilly! Yes, looking at those gestures, those legs do look a bit short.

Here's some more pieces.



The second piece in a series I started a couple of pages ago.



I'm still practicing the assignments from The Natural Way to Draw. I got up to the assignment on form (which I was eager to get on with). The assignment was to use a crayon and draw a subject from observation, rendering the weight of it by starting from the center of the subject and refraining from using lines. I know these are crappy, but I feel this has given me a slightly more elevated understanding of how form works. How am I doing?



Lastly, some character concept sketches for one of my previously mentioned story projects. The page is a bit grubby as the crayon rubbed off on it from the opposite page in my sketchbook.

[StardustLarva]

A few more minor things:


A study of a nautilus shell. This is something of a preliminary drawing for a scientific illustration of a living nautilus I would like to do.



A quick self portrait drawing I did for International Self Portrait Day. I forgot to post this earlier.



A preliminary concept sketch for the upcoming CHOW, which I hope to take part in if I have the time and resources.

[StardustLarva]

Some more preliminary sketches from observation (mostly from photos on Wikimedia) for the Nautilus piece I would like to produce.

[Percival]

Hey Stardust,

The thing I'm missing here is a sense of volume & confidence in your lines.
Mark's drawing tutorials has a great video on this subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk84EpHmZKQ

After that you might want to check out Sycra's videos to make your figures more dynamic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmiwGm32dXU

Once you're confortable with that you can fill up the anatomy with solid shapes & forms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpV7LUfH6jI

Don't take this the wrong way. Maybe this isn't what you're looking for, just trying to help.

Have a great day & never stop practicing!

[StardustLarva]

Thank you for the links, Percival. I'll check those out.

Here's that nautilus illustration I mentioned. It didn't turn out that great, so I'm not using this as a portfolio piece. I would like to do one of this species, though. Problem is, I wouldn't be able to produce photos of living specimens given where they are native to. I don't think it would be right to produce an illustration based on someone else's photo for my portfolio.



Any crits would be appreciated here.

[Flow]

Heya! I would suggest you to draw a lot of quick sketches (and much "through", not relying as heavily on the outlines/outer shapes), as careless as possible and with as much dynamic as you can. You are on a good way.

Like for example here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKndZHlcgFE
Just scribble and draw a lot and it will come more naturally to you.

Keep pushing :)

[StardustLarva]

Ah, I see. Yes, I will give that a try. Thank you.



A pretty awful study I did of an armoured cricket with the others on the CD Google hangout. Any suggestions (other than throwing it into a paper shredder)?

[Richie]

Hi stardust, good hanging out online.
Looks like its a of using the slipping to suggest turning forms. Also a couple of pen sizes for that variety,
had a look around and maybe this will help if you haven't already seen them:
https://flic.kr/p/aHsUgF

[StardustLarva]

Thank you for the link, Richie, those are some pretty awesome illustrations. Also, it was fun in the hangout with you guys too, we should do that again sometime. :)

Something a little different here, some diversions from my studies and more general illustrations, some stuff I did last night and today.



A logo that I was asked to produce by my sister for one of her projects.



Some quick gestures of the fox Vulpes vulpes, mainly for general reference as well as for some characters in one my projects.



A character concept for the project I may have mentioned previously. The proportions are messed up, I know.



More character and creature concepts for the same project.