The Velvet Revolvers

[Amit Dutta]

Hey guys, keep it up, great work all round! I just wanted to post something about productivity apps. I tried Habitica (was it habitRPG before or is that something else?) and it looked cool and the idea of gamifying your life is great, but I was always more distracted with all the extra gamestyle bells and whistles to make it really feel worthwhile.

If you wanted to try another simpler to-the-point app give Todoist a go. It's the only list/task manager I've tried that stuck. I loved it because it iis simple as heck, has decent scheduling and goal features, and has a very simple reward system with it's single value "karma" point system. Keeps me on track...or lets me know when I'm waaaay off track and I probably only spend 5-10 minutes a day updating it. :)

[Eyliana]

Planes of the Head, mirrors and perspective - Noted. I stumbled upon the Reilly method last weekend, that seem pretty interesting and might also help with the planes and depth :).

@Book; You definitely improved. I remembered you did a study of the grey hair guy a while ago as well, and this new one has a lot more detail! Good job.

@Bot; Last studies look really good.

@Trigger; I really like your studies of the ribcage and the pelvis, well constructed. I'm never good at actually doing the assignments from Proko, so good job for doing so many.

And otherwise I agree with Amit about the Todoist. I was already using that one before Habitca. I like it that you can make projects and a lot of subtasks. Keeps my mind ordered and find is easier because there is more in my life then only drawing :P.

Also, I was wondering if somebody has some tips on improving digital linework? Sometimes I try to do paintovers. Since it is a waste print that much I try to do them digitally, but the lines are always horrible and I get frustrated with the lines instead of focussing on the study.

[artistebot]

Day 34, Wed Jan 7 at 9pm

Painted in Photoshop on a CIntiq Hybrid connected to a Mac.

Tried to limit my value range in the lights and darks. NOTE, make sure to calibrate your monitors if you are using more than one. My ref was on one monitor and I was painting on my Cintiq…doh! LOL

[artistebot]

Day 35, Wed Jan 8 at 7pm

Painted in Photoshop on a CIntiq Hybrid connected to a Mac. Revisiting this image. Started with a structural sketch, and trying to maintain grouped shadows.

[Jeso]

Hey Bot, day 34 looks pretty good, although there is a little bit of weirdness in the values, so check that out next time, pay attention to the mid tones. also work on the softness of the shadows, try to use a soft brush instead, on places like his left arm.

On Day 35 I would just say to check your proportions, and take a bit more time on it yea? :)

[artistebot]

Thanks for the feedback Jeso. A quick one today. More efforts to group shadow shapes..

[artistebot]

Todays study.  Need to spend more time on structure I think...

[Bookend]

artistebot: Hey man, your studies are looking great, but I think you should pay more attention to placement and proportions in terms of accuracy. I have this exact problem too. Make sure to put down the big shapes first, working very generally before moving into the details.

Everything should be accurate before going in with the details, or you'll find your heads aren't in the right place, are too big, etc. Also, if you move in with the details too quickly, you'll have a perfectly rendered head (for example), that is displaced from the body. It's best to distribute your attention equally to all areas, and take your time. Again, this is something I also need to do.

Also, take time to look at what you're seeing, and think about where you're putting your paint before you put it down. Example: I noticed that on your noble barrel-chested man study, his eyes in the original photograph are squinting, and in your version, they are wide open. Think carefully, take your time, and you will find accuracy becoming easier.

Another great tip which I've started following is to draw something on your desk or in your vicinity. This is a very good exercise in accuracy, and will help you to see things better. There's nothing that replaces real life observation. Good luck!

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Bookend's Weekly Review:

So, I've lost internet again, which is why my review comes late. I didn't really draw much until the weekend, where I've been doing some master studies, a few photo studies, and a study of a spherical chapstick on my new desk (I have a desk now, woo).

I am really looking forward to buying a new book by Scott Robertson. I hope that I'll have the funds next week. I'm just feeling pretty inadequate with the way I've been studying, and I think that this book will help me go in the right direction.

[Triggerpigking]

Eyliana:Tbh, i'm pretty terrible at doing them as well XD.
I tend to buy new art books or courses and start but never finish them before jumping onto something else lol, so i'm trying to get up to date on his vids here before jumpin around again.


Artistebot: I agree with what bookend said, don't go too over the top with measuring but get the big shapes down first before starting painting, also I think you might be exaggerating the light sides a bit, could just be me but it looks like the right half of the face on the newest study and the noblemans face are both brighter then the refs.

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More fanart for undertale, I tried to do a more interesting pose and perspective for this one, I also tried to put some more thought into the shading, i'm gonna have to try and do some different kind of poses soon though perhaps a action orientated one, all my imagination stuff has generally been standing around, also gonna study emotions soon as well and do lots of stupid faces in the mirror.



More hands from life




Also hands from imagination, i've been practicing this iterative drawing method Sycra posted, interested to know your guys thoughts on it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0ufz75UvHs

i'm not to sure if it'll work for me as i'm not very good at analyzing my own drawings, like I can tell somethings wrong but not figure it out half the time(though drawing from imagination then looking at my own hand and doing another from imagination fixing the mistakes seems to help me), still i'm gonna keep trying it alongside the life drawing hands and perhaps my ability to fix mistakes and experiment will improve.
it's defineitly an interesting method especially for those who want to experiment with building a style.

[Eyliana]

@Trigger; I have seen the video of Sycra as well, I think the idea makes sense. Training observation and memory as well. And learning to analyze your own drawings is a useful skill in general, all though difficult.
Nice hand studies, I sometimes have the feeling that the fingers are a bit short, but not sure.

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I haven't been drawing much. The internship is taking a lot of my time and energy which leaves barely anytime to draw. And at the same time I keep discovering new topics that I have to practice on.. frustrating business!
On the other side, I have been combining Loomis and Reilly and the portraits I draw from imagination look kind of oke with that approach. Portraits from reference, well those are another story :p.

And I'm still stuck at the second class of 'In Yo Face'. I have to copy the skull onto a portrait, but doing that digitally is just a pain. So I think I'll just print them and use tracing paper instead.

Study of the Reilly abstraction.


Application of the Reilly abstraction and some squared heads


And finally I finished a water colour painting again! Colours are a bit a mess because scanner and difficult to get right in photoshop :/

[artistebot]

Tried to stick to big to small shapes on this one.

[Bookend]

artistebot: I had to log in just to say-- Huuuuge improvement in accuracy in the latest, man! Really, really great to see you taking advice to heart. Keep it up!

[VeronicaRadd]

I have been drawing my own stuff since christmas, but I did try something new today, I drew a moose! I drew 4 rough ones before I tried to do a nice version. I'm trying to draw more landscapes and animals instead of portraits.



also @artistebot that last painting looks awesome! you've improved a lot!
@eyliana I like your watercolor painting :) the hair is gorgeous.

[artistebot]

Hey Veronica, great moose!, I like the final and #4 the most. I don't know much about moose, other than they are huge. Check your lines around the mouth and nose, it seems like they could be more angular.

A quick one today, too much crap going on at home for me to concentrate.

[Jeso]

Keep up the good work guys. I'm so glad that recently the group is been working so hard, and you guys are pushing each other constantly. I dont know what's gonna be of my life in the near future, I'm taking care of some stuff that I need to do, I'm working really hard to change my life, and get out of the box that I've been secluded to.

You'll see my participation on the group ceasing to exist in the near future. Just know that I'm here with you in spirit. I'll 100% watch this thread constantly, despite not being able to comment daily anymore. I might comment on you guy's weekly reviews to help push you if I can.
You can bet your sweet ass that I'll be back in full force eventually.

You can bet your sweet ass, that I wont give up on art, or my dreams, or this group. Sometimes someones dream's go further than what you get do professionally, It's also where you get to be, and the people you want to be with, and the experiences you want to get a taste off before you short life ends.

So yea, Keep working hard to get whatever it is you want. Life doesn't necessarily need to become a tunnel where the only thing you see and do is art. Live, and embrace life.
And never stop moving forward.

[Bookend]

Veronica: Nice linework on that moose, good job!

artistebot:  Hey, you might've had trouble focusing, but it looks like a great study.  Keep it up!

Jeso:  Man, you're leaving ? Well, I wish you great luck and can't wait until you get back and astound us with your skill!  Don't stop putting down the pencil, man.  I think that you've been discouraged because of that critique you got, and I understand why if that's the case.  I would've been too.  But, you can't stop, dude.  You've come too far, and you've come this far really fast.  If you stop, you will get rusty and lose progress.  I will be hoping that even if you don't post here, you will keep working hard everyday at every chance you got. :)

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Tried to post the same stuff I put in my Sketchbook from before, but missed them haha, borrowed, terrible internet. :)  Can't wait until we get our great internet.


So..  Here's an imagination exercise, planes of the head, portrait study, colour study, chapstick from life, portrait study, and a half referenced, half memory mermaid.

93/10000 hours!  Long way to go, so I'm not discouraged.

[artistebot]

Jeso, I am glad to have joined this group, I found it by your posting in the welcome thread.  Will look forward to whenever you have a moment to drop in.

Bookend, thank for the encouragement. The last few days have been a bit nuts.

Your Asaro Head study looks great, my favorite is the woman with the hat as your brush strokes seem more relaxed. Gotta get into a Few Sargent or Zorn Master copies, nice to see that study. I might do that after my 100 cinema study set.
Drawing from memory can be hard, most painters and illustrators usually have some sort of reference. Where I work, the concept artists always have lots of photo ref, but they do start with gesture and roughs.  When making figures with arms and or legs , always include hands and or feet, they will have more expression and weight. Remember the faces and hands are usually the most expressive parts of the body and usually the most important parts in an image.

My study from Friday (Clip Paint Studio on a Surface Pro 2) hard to get into this one, again so much going on. I finally got to borrow a iPad Pro and Apple Pencil from work, so this weekends studies will likely be using it, whoo hoo!

[VeronicaRadd]

@Bookend Love that lady with the hat! her eyes have so much emotion to them, I also like the freckled girl as well :)

@Jeso You're also the reason I joined this thread! It's so nice to have honest critiques. It's the only way we can improve. What ever you're doing I look forward to seeing you pop in now and again. Don't stop creating my friend.

@art is that Indiana Jones? bad ass! I can't draw on ipads, too frustrating for me!

on another note, here's the moose drawing I was working on! I might of gone a little over board with it... I dont paint landscapes or animals often so any advice on this would be much appreciated!

[artistebot]

Hey Veronica

Until the iPad Pro, my attempts to do any art on a iPad was futile.  I have borrowed a iPad Pro and Pencil from work to compare it to other tablet solutions.

Painted on a Apple iPad Pro/Pencil with Procreate.

This is the first time I have used the iPad and Procreate. So far I am finding the pencil performs very well with little to no stroke lag, even on large “retina” images and brushes.

When using larger brushes, the lack of a on-screen indicator of brush size makes painting different than when using Wacom technology.

[Eyliana]

@Jeso; Good luck doing the stuff you need to do. I hope to see you back in the future, you set up a really nice study group and you belong with it.

@Book; Nice studies! I like the portraits you did, they really come close to the reference and I have the feeling that your rendering becomes better as well. Keep it up.