Sketchbook: Version 1.5

[Leo Ki]

Hi Damien. When painting over a line sketch, try not to lose the lines too soon. In the last version of the portrait, you introduced many additional lines in the form of hard borders between shades, you also widened some of the lines, losing the accuracy of the initial sketch.

[Damien Levs]

[Damien Levs]

[Damien Levs]

[darktiste]

Glad to see some people still go down the old road if you see what i mean.

Do you sharpen your pen with that swiss knife?

[Damien Levs]

- darktiste

I do prefer the old road. It feels more connected to myself. I love digital work, but I seem to just get frustrated with it. I'm much more relaxed with a pencil or brush in hand.

I do use the swiss, yes. But, I don't actually sharpen the graphite. I use it to remove the wood and then I sharpen by making marks on paper using the long edge of the graphite.
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[darktiste]

I have seen weird tool before so that why i was asking.

You can find out what i mean here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZvidv1LYCM

Maybe it can be of interest to you(you can skip most of the video until the unboxing and actual tutorial)

It as that long lead thing that why i suggest you try it see if you like maybe you can save up sometime the only down size is that it require separated lead to be bought at probably more specialize location but it might end up being more durable i guess but you will always have a sharp edge because you get a sharpener if you buy all the item shown and it specialize for that lead.

You can also watch is other video the much older one see how he use the tool and what it can do.

If you try to buy the material i suppose you want to get a lead that is similar to the lead type you are using so you get similar value range.

[JosephCow]

Hi damien, very nice drawings!

I have one of those lead holder things somewhere, and it's fine. Honestly I still mostly use pencils because with the lead holder is you still have to sharpen the lead. The sharpening with sandpaper is what takes a long time for impatient people like myself. so it doesn't seem super necessary but it's nice you can switch out the lead. And you don't deal with your lead breaking as much when sharpening.

[Damien Levs]

Darktiste - I've just watched your link and I might give it a go. I know David Finch uses a similar sort of technique with his pencils. Thanks so much.

JosephCow - I see what your saying. I tend to use some vigoruous strokes on the paper itself to sharpen the lead. I do too prefer the more "traditiona" pencil. 

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I have had some time tonight practicing the Loomis Method. I won't upload those because it's just circles and lines. I tried a portrait in pencil, after the loomis warm up, which went to hell. As things do. So, I downloaded Krita to my tablet and tried some digital again. They are trash, but I did have fun experimenting with the standard brushes. Things were very chaotic. But, it was fun.

I'm having trouble concentrating on a particular subject. I view many artworks like, product design, concept art for film and games, portraiture, the masters of renaissance, romanticism and baroque. It gets a bit overwhelming. So, i do think i'd like to mainly keep up with portraits, and gradually work my down anatomically to the whole figure. 

For what it's worth, i'm attending life drawing sessions once a month in my local town. 

Sorry for the wall of text, I'm mostly leaving notes notes and reminders for myself to stay on track.

Thanks!

Here's some terrible stuff from imagination using the Loomis method.

 

[cgmythology]

Really nice sketches here, you draw faces quite well. The Loomis approach is way to go for sure, it's the best method to draw and render faces IMO. Keep up the great work!

[darktiste]

When in doubt keep it stupid simple.

But above all observe and structure what you do as you learn.It good to have a plan short and long term goal but it better to be aware of your priority so the structure doesn't become the master but grow with the artist.

Anatomy is one of those thing that use so many art fundamental than any attempt at trying to find the head and tail of it is almost impossible.

I don't believe in painting early in an art journey because it to me a form of comfort but in contrast with line you can't really push paint around if you see what i mean by that a line is a line the quality of it is a fact will painting is something you can do that ultimately hurt you if you can't stop yourself.

Painting to me is similar to someone who use a eraser it very forgiving it as that quality of something that cannot commit.I am just a fan of bold choose it seem.Sometime you can't just ditch out the value in a picture but i just think gradient are a time killer in general that why i don't really like painting and prefere strong flat silhouette as a starter when possible or just rought line art for the rought stage.If i can delay the painting as long as possible i am building ''confidence'' necessary to make bold choose later on with the painting phase.

[Damien Levs]

cgmythology - Thanks. I really do want to get that methos down. It does seem the most logical way to go about things.

darktiste - I know what you mean. That's why I've been going through the drawabox curriculum. It's about deciding where to put down a line and commit to it. Instead of scratching your way from one point to another.

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[Damien Levs]

Some more studying...

[cgmythology]

Great updates with your recent head studies, they look very solidly drawn. The skull one in particular is ace, great structure there! Keep it up!

[Damien Levs]

cgmythology - Thank you. I do like drawing skulls. They are a fall back for me. Because when I'm trying to push forward with something, and it doesn't work out. I'll draw a skull just to remind me that I learnt that. Therefore I can learn further.

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Anyway....not really study, but play time with with ink, markers and pencils.

Raphael (the strongest, most misunderstood of the brothers!) I love this guy!

[Damien Levs]

A few more attempts from tonight...

[Damien Levs]

Some more stuff from tonight. After a warm up sheet of drawing lines, cicles/elipses, boxes and mess, I decided to go in first with some fun stuff. I'd like to work on a little oil painting alongside my portrait studies. so here's some thumbs and a sketch on canvas. This may very much change.

And I did a little photo study in pencil to finish off. I want to carry on with it, but it's getting late and I need to be up for work.

[Damien Levs]

Hey folks,

A little more here....

A little process I go through in my sessions, are to warm up with drawing circles, lines, boxes etc. Just the one page at a time to get the hand moving. I got these from the drawabox excercises. I don't think I'll ever go through that whole course. It just feels a meticulous to me. I'd much rather try to improve from through project based learning. 




Here's another page. I guess these are warm ups too, but more in line with what I want to learn and improve upon. Some good old Loomis.




And, finally. A portrait from last night. The one on the left that is. The one on the right is from about a month ago. Maybe there's some improvement between the two. Either that, or I just got lucky.

[Damien Levs]

I've spent way too long on trying to get a somewhat decent likeness here. Lots of changing proportions, measuring. Erasing and starting over. Drawn from two separate photos. I kind of like how it comes together as though it's one image.

Happy drawing folks!

[Damien Levs]

Dropping a bunch of unfinished stuff. I've been keeping up the Loomis studies and drawing a couple of hours each night. A lot of it I'm not uploading because it's just pages of Loomis heads and exercises.

Just a note...the Spiderman here is a "master copy." My son asked if I could draw it. So, I obliged. Unfortunately, I don't know who the original artist is, so I can't credit them. Maybe I'll learn something. I'm really loving the comic book stuff at the moment too. 

I change direction in what I want to do far to often.