Knight's sketchbook
#1
Hey there,

I don't know what's more shocking: That I completely forgot Crimson Daggers existed or finding out it's still around!
I've been wanting to create a digital sketchbook to go with the real thing lately but had nowhere to do go, until today that is. Eons ago I used to haunt CA.org, but I lacked time and courage to join CD when it went up.

I've worked as an illustrator and concept artist for many years, then moved on to a parallel area when my hands could take no more abuse. Although I managed to keep up for some years after the first substantial issues like occasionally losing all my grip strength—and being told I just got frail hands and  little can be done about it—I'm not getting any younger. It became obvious I can't cope with concepting workload anymore and the struggle would repeatedly burn me out. So I moved to a different area, took a long break from 2D art...

...until I found old blank sketchbooks I never touched because I suck at drawing. I'm more of a painter; I've always had a really hard time visualizing things in my mind, making working with lines a chore, and there's no "blocks of color" approach to be taken with a pencil and paper. Not taking failure well and being self-taught I used to savagely self-critique, considering myself lazy and undisciplined the times I couldn't make common approaches work for me. So without realizing it I eventually gave up on drawing, too busy with making a living out of painting and everything else.

Well, now I'm no longer under pressure to be the super top notch artists I'm supposed to be I'm drawing again because it's fun. It's wonderful to just explore different methods at my own pace and take on old challenges from new angles of attack. My goal is not to "get out of my comfort zone" but to get comfortable and happy and efficient with my work. I don't have the luxury of being able to do 2k drawings of the same thing after all, and I'm doing my best to not get overwhelmed too.




Week 1

Focus: Faces, values, technique

I've studied mostly people in the first week since taking the pencil again because they're fun and I wanted to figure a method to draw faces that felt natural. I found it I guess, and that's to sketch a skull under every face. It's amazing how features started to slide less and less once I had something I perceived as a proper mass to anchor them on instead of arbitrary lines. The slight accuracy gains let me focus more on technique and getting used to the tools, so I explored values on the side.

[Image: 1133bc74c8df5443c4a7c762ae848f486c6859b6.jpg][Image: 1d8e95d6676cc5afca06cd903b80f1b61068114a.jpg][Image: 75e7c34ed492bbc9093675aa7faa8f186c6d36d3.jpg][Image: fb835c2062930480b5d5d4f2fea448664975ca68.jpg][Image: c944370ef0b1c09a9c736e77d755cf5f74f04a1e.jpg]


This is a bit embarrassing but might be useful to someone: Three different takes on same person a few days apart. Left one was the very first sketch I did in years. I'm not very accurate yet and I did that thing of messing up values midway, heh, but the difference in the amount of effort I had to pour into those sketches is stark nonetheless.

[Image: 099eadea9653f36a19c44149289a54da61fcda8d.jpg]

I'm very tact-oriented and will often sketch fat pads and relevant muscle masses.

[Image: 53f8be90a880569ab50316f564af1732f4dc41f5.gifv]



It turns out that starting from nose and mouth and leaving eyes for later instead of the usual approach of eyes/brow first also greatly improves my accuracy. I mean, not ending up with tiny weirdly-placed eyes on gigantic heads is a hell of an improvement in my book at least, hah.

[Image: 9a9e408e0c45a41807ce3904ad0877f53b4d47fe.gifv]


Rendering an actual skull using the same skull-building method:

[Image: 7fb734be5167a61d06bbdc9c352ee3000055754a.gifv]


+ quick figure studies from today. Digital because I need something thicker than 0.5mm lead to get shapes across without murdering my tendons. I sit on the stiff and unnatural end when it comes to gestures, so I'll likely be doing entire sheets of these in the near future to loosen up in addition to another exercise to build confidence for limbs and fingers and foreshortening.

[Image: 2ed88bf0a40ee602f59057e2648c75e6352a999a.jpg]

Reply


Messages In This Thread
Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-16-2021, 03:46 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 04-16-2021, 08:24 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Who - 04-16-2021, 09:50 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by cicakkia - 04-16-2021, 02:01 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-17-2021, 09:50 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by helloworld - 04-18-2021, 05:47 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by cgmythology - 04-19-2021, 02:16 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-19-2021, 03:55 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Anomily - 04-22-2021, 12:41 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 04-19-2021, 04:31 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-19-2021, 05:05 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Delorias - 04-19-2021, 05:20 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-19-2021, 10:24 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 04-19-2021, 03:16 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-21-2021, 06:06 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 04-21-2021, 08:36 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-22-2021, 07:05 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 04-22-2021, 09:19 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-24-2021, 01:38 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Who - 04-24-2021, 08:33 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Farvus - 04-25-2021, 06:35 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-26-2021, 02:50 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-27-2021, 08:21 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by one_two - 04-27-2021, 09:00 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Skeffin - 05-02-2021, 10:13 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 05-20-2021, 01:23 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Kilillan - 10-29-2021, 11:37 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 05-20-2021, 01:58 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by one_two - 05-21-2021, 02:46 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Skeffin - 05-22-2021, 08:58 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Kassatay - 06-20-2021, 10:34 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by cgmythology - 06-20-2021, 04:38 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Ben Nissen - 10-28-2021, 01:51 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by _spec - 11-13-2021, 01:46 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-03-2023, 04:48 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by VitorCardoso - 03-03-2023, 10:19 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 03-04-2023, 05:10 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-05-2023, 04:23 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 03-15-2023, 06:08 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 03-05-2023, 04:50 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by VorpalBug - 03-09-2023, 02:42 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-10-2023, 02:09 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-10-2023, 07:56 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-11-2023, 02:38 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-14-2023, 12:58 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-15-2023, 12:16 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 03-15-2023, 04:33 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-18-2023, 05:57 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-18-2023, 05:58 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-18-2023, 06:01 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-18-2023, 07:03 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-19-2023, 01:25 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by JosephCow - 03-19-2023, 03:26 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 03-20-2023, 04:39 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 03-20-2023, 07:13 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-20-2023, 11:16 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-21-2023, 03:23 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-21-2023, 03:35 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-22-2023, 03:48 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-22-2023, 05:26 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-22-2023, 05:59 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-23-2023, 09:10 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-24-2023, 03:39 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-24-2023, 05:36 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by RottenPocket - 03-24-2023, 07:42 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-25-2023, 10:59 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by mechapark12 - 03-26-2023, 01:17 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-25-2023, 01:16 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-26-2023, 05:03 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-26-2023, 06:17 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-26-2023, 09:18 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-27-2023, 10:05 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-28-2023, 01:03 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-28-2023, 01:37 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-28-2023, 08:06 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-28-2023, 09:09 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-28-2023, 09:42 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-29-2023, 05:33 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by darktiste - 03-29-2023, 06:08 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-29-2023, 06:36 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 03-29-2023, 07:27 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 03-29-2023, 07:30 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 03-29-2023, 12:58 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by VitorCardoso - 03-30-2023, 12:35 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 03-31-2023, 05:02 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Berebobe2 - 03-31-2023, 05:19 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 04-01-2023, 10:46 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by RottenPocket - 04-02-2023, 01:06 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-04-2023, 06:30 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 04-05-2023, 01:54 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by ThereIsNoJustice - 04-05-2023, 09:22 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-11-2023, 01:19 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 04-11-2023, 10:52 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by dimensional-knight - 04-15-2023, 01:27 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 04-15-2023, 10:49 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Dominicque - 04-15-2023, 11:00 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Leo Ki - 04-16-2023, 10:32 AM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by Crowbit - 04-23-2023, 01:28 PM
RE: Knight's sketchbook - by cgmythology - 05-02-2023, 12:03 PM

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 8 Guest(s)