Goob's Noob art thing

[Goob]

Here is some of my recents.  Mainly my study has been from books suggested by 4chans /ic/.  It's helped somewhat but unfortunately all of thier suggested advice is more "loomis" and such.  Hopefully here I can get some better detail as to how I can improve and practice properly.  They did mention that my lines are a bit shaky.  Unfortunately I have some light hand tremors that cause my lines to mess up at times.  Making fine cocomputer art nearly impossible as I always have to go back and fix line after line.  Anyway, thank you for taking the time to review ththe nooks work. :) any feedback appreciated.  I have done a few full body poses but they are way behind my portrait pics and are next up after I am done with them.  Various characters for a story I am making.

[Shabby]

Welcome, Goob! Nice sketches. It's good to see you're thinking about how to improve your art!

When the guys on 4chan suggest 'Loomis' books, they mean you should study from the books by Andrew Loomis - he's done some great books on constructing heads and bodies, among other subjects. They probably suggest this because it looks like you're 'flattening' the features on the face, drawing them as if the viewer looked at them straight on, while the head is at a certain angle. I recommend doing some face studies, from life or from photos, and studying what happens to features as the head moves around. It'll also help you analyze and understand value more, to make your faces have more form.

Good luck on your path!

[Anton_Fort]

People who suggested doing "more loomis" don't quite understand the things you're lacking. You're lacking of basics. You see, to draw a head you need to understand planes of a skull, it's basic shape and form and for you skill lvl it's very difficult. Go back to the very beginning and draw geometry (cubes, spheres, cylinders etc.). Check out drawabox exercises that might help you.

[John]

Mainly my study has been from books suggested by 4chans /ic/.  It's helped somewhat but unfortunately all of thier suggested advice is more "loomis" and such.  Hopefully here I can get some better detail as to how I can improve and practice properly.

Not sure why it's unfortunate to be pointed towards the direction of Loomis. His teachings are pretty solid. Love his Fun with a Pencil book because it does make it look like he's enjoying drawing in that book! It's not so much of a technical approach to figure drawing and it has less of a serious tone to it.

Just in case you didn't know where to get them : www.alexhays.com/loomis/

From what I've seen in Google Images, the Jack Hamm book you got looks nice as well. If you need more books on how to draw people, who's not Loomis, some people swear by :
 
1. Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life
2. Villpu. https://www.vilppustore.com/pages/store Last chance to get them since they will be shutting down by the end of the month.
3. Hogarth's Dynamic Figure Drawing

I'd recommend "Wizards How to Draw" or "How to Draw the Marvel Way" just because I started from there.

On to the crits.

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Props for drawing the heads at an angle. Probably more difficult than drawing it straight on. The thing about drawing at a certain angle is, perspective plays a role on how your faces are going to look. A nose drawn at an angle is different from a nose drawn straight on. Same goes with eyes and the other facial features.

To add to that, the facial proportions of your pieces need a bit of love.. Meaning each feature, eyes nose brows etc... needs to be placed at the right place.



As you can see here, there are some approximations of where the features are usually placed.

A bit of paint over to illustrate:


----
On how to practice properly: 

There's no "proper" way. The right way will always be the one that works for you. I started out copying what I read on the Wizards How to Draw book I got. And Hogarth.

Some people here swear by www.drawabox.com and do the exercises religiously. This makes sense because everything, or at least almost, can be drawn in given an underlying structure of a box, cylinder or sphere.

I do hope other people pitch in their ideas on how to practice. Or maybe it's a good idea for you to forum surf for other member's study habits.. You might find one that suits you.

On that final note.. Good luck! Keep drawing! Be mindful and here's to getting better at it.

[Cyaneink]

I learned to draw portraits very recently, so I will share how I practiced. I started with studying eye, nose and lips separately. Then I studied face proportions. After that I started to draw whole face, using reference. And really using reference, don't trust you brain at all. Really looking how things are, not how you think they are. And then is was just matter of repetition. I filled 250 pages sketchbook in couple months only with eyes, noses, lips and faces. And now I can draw face without reference, but I still have problem with getting likeness.

I also had same problems with flat faces. Thing what really helped me, was really thinking how planes are in space. I also built my values gradually, starting with H pencil, slowly going up to 4B, which helped me to learn where the different planes are. But you can do this with HB pencil as well.

I had couple sites, where I got my references. This one was really good: http://portraitsfordrawing.tumblr.com/

I also watched prokos tutorials for eyes, nose and lips, you can find his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ProkoTV

Keep drawing! Keep updating your sketchbook :)

[Goob]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.  I do have Bridgman's guide and have a been following how to do heads as the figure would be next.  Here's a thing I did today and honestly I have ever no idea if it's correct.  Forms are a bit difficult for me as Anton said but I am starting to get it a little.  I hope.  Also the box site seems to be down or perhaps I'm not seeing the correct one.  I do watch a bit of Proko too so I'll just brush up on that more.  Thanks again for your time with this Noob and happy draws :)

[Goob]

Not to be a bother but the forums don't seem to want to let me post any more of my pics.  I didn't even notice my last post is missing it's picture till now sorry.  What should I do?

[Goob]

Ok so here is another image test after I had drawn trying to use Bridgemans cube.  I admit its a little strange but hopefully it is along the lines of what you guys meant.  And hopefully the posting problem is fixed now.

[Goob]

Hopefully this pic will post.  One of my first from photo refrence pictures.  Clothes where a bit of a pain as I didn't have time.  But other then that I could use feedback.  Still around peeps just working alot *rolls*

[Goob]

Just a quick hi peeps. Been awhile as I have been quite busy. Still around and rolling hope you are too! :D

[darktiste]

I recommend you start with even more simple thing to draw you are a still not showing sign you understand the importance of fundamental yet.I would suggest you drop the portrait for now and focus on the exercise you can find at this website.

http://drawabox.com/lesson/1

I know you just want to draw pretty picture but you don't make a cake without a recipe that work.

[Goob]

Thanks Dark for your input! :) i will have to do more boxes then it seems but I so want to express my characters hehe.

[Artloader]

Definitely express yourself dude, you should draw for fun as well as for study.  You'll see in some of the sketchbooks here, people post studies alongside art-for-fun.

I see that people have already suggested drawabox and Loomis to you, I reckon that is good advice.  Drawabox has a sections on drawing every-day objects using basic forms and also drawing animals using basic forms, but last time I looked it did not have a section on drawing human figures - so you can switch over to Loomis when you get to figure-studies.

But also try to study from life or photo reference as much as you can - that way you get to build up a visual library.  When you study from life try to picture the subject in terms of simple forms and sketch those in first, then build on top of that.

Hope that helps a bit :).

Good luck dude!

[Goob]

Definitely express yourself dude, you should draw for fun as well as for study.  You'll see in some of the sketchbooks here, people post studies alongside art-for-fun.

I see that people have already suggested drawabox and Loomis to you, I reckon that is good advice.  Drawabox has a sections on drawing every-day objects using basic forms and also drawing animals using basic forms, but last time I looked it did not have a section9 on drawing human figures - so you can switch over to Loomis when you get to figure-studies.

But also try to study from life or photo reference as much as you can - that way you get to build up a visual library.  When you study from life try to picture the subject in terms of simple forms and sketch those in first, then build on top of that.

Hope that helps a bit :).

Good luck dude!

so a visual library is a series of images taken from photos?  Or is it like something else I don't get? :x also heres a Elf from Morrowind.  if it uploads.

[Goob]

Wood Elf thing WIP

[Goob]

After the debacle that was covid I think I've found enough peace with my losses to continue my art. Will be trying to post more as its done and of course I appreciate critiques etc. Ty all again for what you've said so far. I am into Loomis handbook and basic shape work. As its proving much harder than I thought.

[JosephCow]

Hey, that's good to hear! You made it through to the other side of this

[cgmythology]

Glad to hear you've recovered from Covid. Keep practicing, very much looking forward to your progress!

[Goob]

Still fighting the fundis and boxes but thanks guys :> I will post what I find time for.

[Goob]

Biomancer from dnd.  Still working with draw a box and villpus guide.  I seem to have the hardest time with the shapes.  Recovered my Jack Hamm book too and have been using it for hands and such. Edit: I cannot seem to upload again?)