Peter's Sketchbook

[Peter]

Just like you said, your figures look very stiff;
I recommend drawing (literally) a ton of gesture drawings-  30-60sec max!
Don't focus on anatomical accuracy, exaggerate as hard as you can

But your construction looks really solid,
good work on that!

Hey Hirvios! I'll give your suggestion a go next time. :)

Atleast my construction looks solid. !

[Peter]

I see you can do nice gesture drawings, and nice construction.

One thing it says in Mattesi's Force book to try with longer poses is to spend the first couple of minutes drawing a few quick gestures, then the rest of the time drawing a longer pose based on the best gesture.

It doesn't really add to the practice time, and it might be easier than trying to correct and recorrect something that was stiff to begin with.

Thanks for the comment Tygerson, I started reading through the Force book awhile back but forgot about it haha.

That sounds like a really good idea, I'll definitely give it ago at my next life drawing class. :)

[Peter]

Finished the rest of the pecs trace overs/invention. Took longer than I originally planned so I'll have to watch the critique video tomorrow and make corrections where needed. 

I was thinking that I would work through the anatomy course for the next month, do a mix of trace overs, drawing from photos and figure invention and in a months time tackle a finished illustration, most likely a book illustration since I need to learn about screen printing and the whole digital side since I don't have a clue.

I see other peoples sketchbooks where they are working on finished illustrations every week or every other week but I'm definitely not at that point yet since I still lack the knowledge, and the fact that it takes me longer since I don't work digitally.

So anyway I've set myself that atm as my current goal to work towards, which will be mid March.






Noticed half way through that I was drawing the muscle fibres way too short haha so started drawing them longer.

[dawckward]

it seems the pelvis is still somewhat tricky for you when doing traces over photos draw through look for where bones poke those are the body landmarks, gotta use those ellipses and since an ellipse is consistent as long as you have one half the other comees just following the ellipse

im sorry for the crappy lines driver is acting up, but i hope this takes my point across better

[Tygerson]

So since I was working on the same bones of the torso lesson, I have to share something that blew my mind. The bottom of the ribcage is really close to the top of the pelvis. Like 4-5 finger widths. I've always drawn it way more separated. I think you might do the same at the moment.

[Peter]

it seems the pelvis is still somewhat tricky for you when doing traces over photos draw through look for where bones poke those are the body landmarks, gotta use those ellipses and since an ellipse is consistent as long as you have one half the other comees just following the ellipse

im sorry for the crappy lines driver is acting up, but i hope this takes my point across better

Thanks for the trace over dawckward, the line work is fine, it clearly explains where I went wrong :)

It makes sense now after seeing your trace over, I'll have another go at some more trace overs since as you said I'm still having difficulties with it. Hopefully it still makes sense when I have another go haha.

[Peter]

So since I was working on the same bones of the torso lesson, I have to share something that blew my mind. The bottom of the ribcage is really close to the top of the pelvis. Like 4-5 finger widths.  I've always drawn it way more separated. I think you might do the same at the moment.

Hey Tygerson, I saw your comment the other day and I actually tried what you said on myself to see how accurate it is, and I was just as blown away as you haha I was honestly shocked by how accurate it is.

Your definitely right, I've always felt like I was drawing the gap between rib and pelvis too wide.

[Peter]

Update for the last few days. Didn't get time over the weekend to watch the pec answer videos and correct my mistakes, had to look after my little cousins so didn't get a chance to watch them and fix my mistakes until last night but I spent time with that and made a bunch of notes.

This week some more gesture drawing from photos, 30 sec, 1 min and 2 min. Stuff from my life drawing class, rather stiff with them as I started working out again the day before haha.

Still don't really understand the purpose of 10 min and 15 min figure drawing, feel like it's too long for a gesture drawing but not long enough for applying anatomy, maybe someone can explain the point to me?

Another lying down pose for the final drawing, they are the bane of my existence (please excuse the crappy face).

Didn't go to my portrait class this week, wanted to work on my anatomy corrections that night.

Working through the anatomy course more, just watched the abs video and had a go at some invention along with the pecs.

[Peter]

Going off dawckward's trace over from the other day I wanted to revisit the pelvis since I have difficulties with it, mainly locating it on the body and drawing the correct ellipse. Basically chose another photo and attempted another trace over and breaking it down into the steps below.

It took alot longer than I had originally planned, wanted to do this first and move onto ab/pec drawing from photos but struggled with locating the landmarks and drawing the pelvis right so I'll do the drawings tomorrow and move onto some figure invention applying the muscles that I've been practicing so far.

[Tygerson]

I like how you build on the 3d forms.

And yeah, I've been having nightmares with all the torso bones, especially the pelvis.

[Peter]

I like how you build on the 3d forms.

And yeah, I've been having nightmares with all the torso bones, especially the pelvis.

Thanks Tygerson, I'm glad someone else shares my pain of drawing the pelvis haha.

[Peter]

Stuff from the last few days. Some figures from imagination and 1 while I was in work, incorporating the anatomy I've been studying so far but feel like it doesn't really show in these, I should do some figure invention where I specifically focus on what I've been studying rather than the whole figure.

As usual my work from my life drawing and portrait classes, struggled with the portrait because from my angle the face was mostly in shadow (damn overhead lights) but good news is that they are finally getting a spotlight! not sure when but hopefully soon.

More gesture practice and working my way through the Proko anatomy course some more.

[Tygerson]

Well, it looks like you're working the stiffness out!

On the imaginary figure where you added clothes, one thing to consider is that the structure of the breasts changes with a bra on, making it more like what proko called the "self supporting" design, except maybe a bit more so. I actually think figure drawing where the female wears a supportive bra is more helpful when trying to understand form under the clothes.

Oddly, articles on "How to properly fit a bra" are helpful in understanding the structure.

[Fedodika]

ey peter, try to push and exaggerate the gesture lines even more here check this vid from mattessi, could give you an idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07fusT-dwVE

[Peter]

Well, it looks like you're working the stiffness out!

On the imaginary figure where you added clothes, one thing to consider is that the structure of the breasts changes with a bra on, making it more like what proko called the "self supporting" design, except maybe a bit more so.  I actually think figure drawing where the female wears a supportive bra is more helpful when trying to understand form under the clothes.

Oddly, articles on "How to properly fit a bra" are helpful in understanding the structure.

........Yeah I completely forgot that people wear underwear underneath clothes haha, completely fazed me. 

I remember Proko talking about it, I'll have to rewatch the video and  make notes.

[Peter]

ey peter, try to push and exaggerate the gesture lines even more here check this vid from mattessi, could give you an idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07fusT-dwVE

Hey Fedodika, yh I still feel like I;m being quite tame with the gestures, thanks for the link btw :) I'll give it a watch.

[Peter]

Stuff from tonight. Had another go at a anatomy trace over just focusing on the muscles that I've been studying so far. Struggled bit on the abs so had to re draw them a few times. Lastly some oblique invention as I still felt like I hadn't fully understood them from the videos and a few drawings.

My plan for tomorrow is to do a rendered figure drawing focusing on the torso, will quickly go over the serratus anterior muscles and latisimus dorsi videos and then crack on since I don't have enough time in my life drawing classs to produce a fully rendered piece. 

[Abnormal]

Wow this is a lot of practice  , what I have noticed is that you are trying to measure every centimeter of the body, as a result everyone looks static and straight, just focus is the greatest distances for the rest, you have your best attempt, compare, and repeat and this method of reilly is very good you should get more out of it, this lines capture the direction of the movement not the shapes of the muscles.^^

Gesture-Estructure-Shapes
http://www.erikgist.com/ErikGist_WattsAt...torial.pdf

[Tygerson]

So figure drawing is a bit like whack-a-mole. You fix one thing, and another pops up.

One thing I see in just a few of your figures is that the gender is a little ambiguous. You might try for a few rounds to exaggerate the gender. I don't mean like give the women a Dolly Parton figure, but more to do stuff like push the ribcage/pelvis ratio, exaggerate the wide hip and tapering leg, make blockier forms for the guy's, and all sorts of stuff that I don't know how to do myself.

I think the default male skeleton we study kind of trains us to give females wider ribcages and narrower hips. Also, it seems like even when gender is obvious in real life, it needs a slight exaggeration to be obvious on the page...

[Fedodika]

Hey Peter i wanted to give you a quick paintover, just to show like some edge things you should do. Try and make some softer edges in your drawing and dont go for those hard black lines in things often, using a pencil well is all about the side of it when it comes to charcoal shading. Also i dont know whats up with the patterns in the hair, but try to go for a big soft clump, with a little value change here and there. 

When it comes to wrinkles, dont use the black lines to separate planes, try using as slightly soft edge to lead it into subtely. also proportions, lots issues with the eyes, never draw them like that super bulgey olive shape, looks like he has a goiter or something haha. push them further in, and always try to imagine the head coming to life, like what would this thing look life if it were instantly real?