Baldgate Sketchbook

[darktiste]

Probably the best advice but the thing no one wanna hear drawing alot of ellipse and practicing to be able to do ellipse of different degre at will.But like i keep repeating all form can fit inside a cube even a cylinder and what is a cylinder it like a stack of ellipse.

[Artloader]

Hi Baldgate, nice going :).

Here's my take on the perspective of the cup in post #11.

Your horizon line is going to be way off the top of the page so if you were going to do a Scott Robertson on it, your vanishing points are going to be on there.  I'm sure you probably know this already if you have studied Robertson but I took the liberty of doing a quick drawover for you anyway in case it helps:




Here I've just drawn four construction lines to describe the top of the cup, you would need to do the same for the bottom of the cup of course.

To be honest with you, in this situation I would probably just eyeball the perspective and see how I get on.

Anyway, hope that helps, if not please ignore :).

[darktiste]

Just showing the technique without taking in consideration the vanishing point.If i am correct this should look like this.

One thing i want to mention if you draw from a top view there a great chance there will be distortion make sure to be atleast 1 arm lenght away from the still life and to be sitting or atleast not moving from the starting point as to not modify the point of viewing.

The important thing is to approch the object with 2 geometric form first the box than you choose and take a plane or a geometric form since this object is man made you can use the top of the cup since it a perfect ellipse as the second geometical form to construct form.Alway before starting ask youself is it man made or natural if it man made there alot of chance you can find perfect geometric form you can use to construct if not you will have to be able to draw organic form and that bit more advanced.

Hopefully this was helpful.

[Baldgate]

@Artloader : Thanks you! yes, I know the theory but sometime I have issue applying it. I lack experience in this, most of my life study I just eyeball stuff. I just wanted to know if there was a sure fire-proof method for setting it, I find eeyeballing ellipse trycky, especially when they are the focal point of the composition, you can't miss it !

@Darktiste Thank you for the recap. I'm used to theory, I have setup lot of perspective drawing in the past, whats bugs me is just finding the first cube or ellipses, once you have it everything is okay. Eyeballing it can be hard, but I think it'll come with practices. I plan to do some background and hardsurface stuff soon, I think that it ll help me get used to that !

I'm done copying Bridgeman, I'll post it soon. Here is a character design I did for fun.

[darktiste]

The problem that generally happen is when you draw organic you won't find easly a geometric form to be the base for the rest.In this case it come to being able to think like a sculptor slowly work from a geometric form to an organic form.This mean for example taking a sphere for the head and removing from that sphere or adding onto it.The best thing to do is to practice making making mannekin for example cyclinder for the limb a box for the pelvis etc and then carve those shape at one point it become hard because the shape start to have less of a plane indication this why you start to add wrapping line.

[Baldgate]

Some bird study and sketch I was happy with.

[Baldgate]

I finally scanned and resized all my bridgeman picture ! Here they are, compiled them by set of nine to improve load time and readability.

[darktiste]

My advice would be to work on a sphere and to build the eyelid on top of them to understand the sense of volume of the ball of the eye after that once you have mastered wrapping eyelid around the sphere you can then construct the eye inside the eye socket.This will help you avoid flat eye symbol.You also have to understand that the eye isnt a perfect sphere you can see what i am talking about from if you look at the example of the eye in profile.This mean that moving the eye will affect the eyelid.

[Baldgate]

Hello peoples, Here are a few more studies. Some tiger and screaming guys because I wanted to incorporate this kind of things into my work. Drawing tiger from imagination is still feels very hard, but I think that if I keep drawing them eventually it s ll become much more easier.
Also a few environment thumbnail. Recently I v been drawn to environment and I v been trying  to sketch it in a fast fashion to get some good composition. Trying Aaron limonick method, still a bit awkward at it but I feel i'm getting better with each sketch. also some figures, some are very structural / bridgeman looking from imagination, and second page is more leaning toward marc Brunet style. Recently I v been trying new method of building the figure and movement, trying to get most of my poses with contour line instead of skeletton into muscle usual thing. I feel that sticking to contour and suggesting most form can be a very quick and very powerful way to get fast figure to dress, But i'm so used to constructing everything, I need to force myself to keep it simple lol .

[darktiste]

Well i been slowly working my way in the topic of anatomy and for me it more about function for everything that is under the skin.I recommend a good understanding of the skeletal structure for landmark and to understand the function of the muscle under the skin to know when they will be strech or relax.My rule is don't draw what you will forget and if you really need to know it make sure to draw it many time and understand the function and study many construction method to give yourself chance to internalize the best method to retain the information.

[Baldgate]

Hi Darktiste, it's good that you ve been learning that, I definitly'd recommend it as well. I agree, studying different construction definitly can help. I have studied loomis, bridgeman, Villpu , Michel lauricella and burne Hogarth and each of them had it pros and cons.
To be honest, I'm not even sure anymore that construction is THE way to go, as I ve seen many artist start their figure without almost any construction, including Marc brunet and Dave Rapoza bog witch . It seems that foreseeing everything before drawing it can yield better result, so I'm currently trying that. Good luck with anatomy mate, its a hard bite to chew !

[darktiste]

Hi Darktiste, it's good that you ve been learning that, I definitly'd recommend it as well. I agree, studying different construction definitly can help. I have studied loomis, bridgeman, Villpu , Michel lauricella and burne Hogarth and each of them had it pros and cons.
To be honest, I'm not even sure anymore that construction is THE way to go, as I ve seen many artist start their figure without almost any construction, including Marc brunet and Dave Rapoza bog witch . It seems that foreseeing everything before drawing it can yield better result, so I'm currently trying that. Good luck with anatomy mate, its a hard bite to chew !

Construction is optional at a certain level it slow you down but i believe it needed in the early career of any artist because it help create mental image in your brain that will solidify overtime.I find relative proportion to be much more important than construction.But you can't develop a 3d model inside your mind without a strong study of construction.

[Baldgate]

Hello Daggers,

Been a while since my last post, I have been trying to produce a few personal things and fixing my art issues. Notably, I v been working on some perspective book and on photomashing, even though it ll only shows on a few pieces.
I'm open to criticism about it. At the moment i'm struggling to find a rendering method, didn't find my thing yet...

[darktiste]

I love the gain you made i think you would need to study more how to render certain surface using reference for example your metal or hair isn't on the money right now in my opinion.Don't limit yourself to matte armor you will learn alot by doing polished armor such as how to deal with bounce light and highly reflective surface.

[Baldgate]

Yeah, you're right, I felt lacking on these material too. Will study these , thank you.

[Baldgate]

Hello people, did some orc Sketch I though was not too bad. Cheers

[darktiste]

Nice choose of brush i don't think it working for the beard of that orc sadly.

[Baldgate]

Yeah lol, the beard is a mess. Was really going for a three value kind of brushy sketch, and trying to get some abstract pleasing pattern.

Based on various critics I had for this, I reworked it into something a bit more realistic (probably) and softer looking.

[beau]

I like that you've been studying perspective, always good to know how to place objects in a scene. You can't make a convincing figure without making it feel plausible and grounded, after all. I also notice a lot more imagination work, which is very good, since applying your studies cements them further into your brain; despite how much repetition was on the first page of your sb, I'll bet you didn't retain as much of it as you would've liked, mostly because you were not using those tools you gained to invent from your mind. As much as you can, always apply your studies!

I'd like to warn you against photobashing; yes it can make your images look good and finished in a shorter period of time, but unless you're solid and comfortable with your fundamentals, you're kind of cheating yourself out of the learning experience. When you're studying, the most important thing is to learn, to be patient and to be precise. (I'm working hard on this myself)  For professional work it can be a great tool, it gets the job done faster and more efficiently, but definitely don't use them in your practice, unless you're specifically practicing photobashing. Learn the rules before you break them (unless someone's paying you, then make it look as good as you can.)

Brad Rigney's 2018 tutorial is good for seeing how a pro uses photobashing: https://gumroad.com/l/OKWXM

Your studies look good, keep it up with the repetition and the patience, apply the day's studies, don't use photos in your studies.

[Baldgate]

Hey Beau,

Thanks for the critics. I agree, my imagination work don't live up to my studies work, and I still feel I need to work on my fundamentals. I know I have to do a lot more, and learn to work in a more efficient way.

I used photobashing because it seems very asked in the industry. Its by no means my favourite techniques, I generally prefer to paint and to draw, but its seems it has become one of the standard things so... I never use it in my studies, the western work was an imagination work done specifically to train this technique and its the only work where I have used photos.

Thanks you for the tutorial, I'll check it soon. Seems very interesting !