Where should I go now?

[Ursula Dorada]

Hey guys.

I actually just got a nice feedback on my sketchbook that got me thinking.

I have this big-huge problem with structure in my paintings - I have been trying hard to fix it, and in the last weeks I have been focusing on face and forms and taking baby steps towards fixing it.

But still, when I get off pencils and try to paint something, my structure is still very, very lacking - and my paintings fall apart. I am not saying my pencils sketch are good enough, far from it, but since I focused on them I do think my shape perception got a little better, but I still cannot pull it in a painting decently.

So I have this question. Where do I go now? Do I go back to photo-studies, and do once face daily? I suppose they will look better, I have worked hard with references this last weeks. But will this actually make my painting from memory better? What exactly do I need?

The other thing that crosses my mind is re-doing all the structural studies with structural meshes and planes of the face and muscle schematics. I haven't done those in quite a while - maybe it's time again?

Paintings from life?

So, if anyone has any word to share, much appreciated :) And now back to comic-coloring goodness.

[DK]

You could do some photo or life studies studies where you just try to find the Planes of the face/body. I do these all the time even when I do face gestures. It definitely helps with learning how to structure the face/body.

Quick example

[Ursula Dorada]

Thanks Dennis. I will try starting from there.