-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
I like the whole black and red thing. I also found working with color like that to be interesting.
One thing that you could do to practice poses is to find pictures of people online and then draw the basics of that person's pose on top of the picture. Draw a line for the shoulders and hips, a line for the spine, lines for arms and legs, and a circle for the head. Maybe use little arrows to or other indicator's to show which leg is carrying more weight (people usually don't stand with their weight evenly distributed on both legs). It's a good practice to see how people stand/walk/whatever, and after a while of that you should be able to quickly sketch out poses that flow nicely and look real.
I have something that you could do for drawing if you hit an art block or just feel like doing something different: Pick a song, preferably a fairly abstract song, and create a piece of art based on the mood and lyrics. Listen to the song while creating the art. I've done this a little bit and I plan on doing it more, and it's really fun and interesting. Fairly abstract song are best, because they give you more freedom to figure out how to illustrate it. I don't know what kind of music you like best, but a lot of the music I listen to works really well for this (Within Temptation, Nightwish, Epica). For example, the song I'm planning on illustrating next is Blank Infinity by Epica.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Man, I have to get back practising myself. At this rate soon I wont be able to advise you without embarassing myself anymore.
I remember a story/saying in my place. That a school teacher will teach you everything he knows, but a martial art teacher won't. Because he must keep something a secret so he'll still be able to defeat his student. I wonder which type of teachers arts have :smallbiggrin:
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silviya
I like the whole black and red thing. I also found working with color like that to be interesting.
If there's any type of art I've always had affinity with, it was silhouettes.
Quote:
One thing that you could do to practice poses is to find pictures of people online and then draw the basics of that person's pose on top of the picture. Draw a line for the shoulders and hips, a line for the spine, lines for arms and legs, and a circle for the head. Maybe use little arrows to or other indicator's to show which leg is carrying more weight (people usually don't stand with their weight evenly distributed on both legs). It's a good practice to see how people stand/walk/whatever, and after a while of that you should be able to quickly sketch out poses that flow nicely and look real.
Hey, good idea! That's tomorrow's practise!
Quote:
I have something that you could do for drawing if you hit an art block or just feel like doing something different: Pick a song, preferably a fairly abstract song, and create a piece of art based on the mood and lyrics. Listen to the song while creating the art. I've done this a little bit and I plan on doing it more, and it's really fun and interesting. Fairly abstract song are best, because they give you more freedom to figure out how to illustrate it. I don't know what kind of music you like best, but a lot of the music I listen to works really well for this (Within Temptation, Nightwish, Epica). For example, the song I'm planning on illustrating next is
Blank Infinity by Epica.
Oh, neat idea. I always put one song on eternal repeat when I draw. It helps me focus, keeps my mood from changing, and stops me meddling with playlists. I never thought of examining a song in that way though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fri
Man, I have to get back practising myself. At this rate soon I wont be able to advise you without embarassing myself anymore.
I remember a story/saying in my place. That a school teacher will teach you everything he knows, but a martial art teacher won't. Because he must keep something a secret so he'll still be able to defeat his student. I wonder which type of teachers arts have :smallbiggrin:
"I can defeat him, he taught me everything he knows!"
"No. He taught you everything YOU know."
Day 49: Challenge Completed
Ultimately, I'm happy with what I did here.
A fair few things - perhaps the majority of things - are completely shonky, and I've got a laundry list of excuses (including realising far too late I could resize a picture's resolution manually). But it was especially educational in terms of what I picked up about stance in the process. And that's what matters at the end of the day.
Thanks Domochevsky. I'd enjoy doing more like that if you're ever inclined to throw more together; it was an interesting challenge :smallwink:
Time: 1 Hour
Music: No Strings Attached
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Mhm, good dynamic on that one, so i'd call that all in all a success. I'm gonna make some more skeletons at some point later, i suspect. Little challenges inbetween regular exercises should be fun. :smallsmile:
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Best ice skating routine ever. :smallwink:
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Indeed; figuring out how to draw guns/swords is a practise day in and of itself.
I did lay the thing out with stick figures; that particular piece of theory is functional, even if the application is still lacking :smallwink:.
This is where you find out a horrible truth; sometimes, skeletons that are perfectly accurate need to be changed and made inaccurate, because a fully fleshed drawing can still look weird if everythin is 'in place' but not where the eye expects it to be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fri
Man, I have to get back practising myself. At this rate soon I wont be able to advise you without embarassing myself anymore.
I'm already there XD
Lemme know when you get there, too. We can start a club! :smallwink:
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SiuiS
This is where you find out a horrible truth; sometimes, skeletons that are perfectly accurate need to be changed and made inaccurate, because a fully fleshed drawing can still look weird if everythin is 'in place' but not where the eye expects it to be.
http://i.imgur.com/DrMmg.jpg
Day 50: Down With The Pharaoh
Today was an exercise in skeletoning out real life people, as suggested, and was a great unwind. It took me a little while before figuring out where I could find a crowd shot where the poses were varied enough to be worth learning from. I did a few pages like the one below off a variety of source pictures.
I think the major thing I learned is that people can still take fairly dramatic poses without needing to fling their arms and legs everywhere, so I reckon I cracked that unproductive drawing instinct. I learned how closely arms are often positioned to the body, a few things about bending and foreshortening, but the biggest gain was a revelation on how the location of the knee can say a lot about the leg's position and stance.
Model Shot
Time: 1 Hour
Music: Good Excuse
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 51: Ambition
Woah, this was a challenge.
But I'm getting to the point where I can do things like this. It's not perfect by a long stretch, but it's a damn sight better than the best I could do 50 days ago.
Time: 3 Hours
Music: A Farce
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Day 51:
Ambition
Woah, this was a challenge.
But I'm getting to the point where I can
do things like this. It's not perfect by a long stretch, but it's a damn sight better than the best I could do 50 days ago.
I don't think anyone who doesn't follow the ponythreads is going to get any of that.
*I*, on the other hand, am tickled pink. :smallredface:
I'm totally not trying to cage her, I, uhm, was just carrying that. Because I'm donating it to a zoo. Honest!
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EsperDerek
I don't think anyone who doesn't follow the ponythreads is going to get any of that.
*I*, on the other hand, am tickled pink. :smallredface:
I'm totally not trying to cage her, I, uhm, was just carrying that. Because I'm donating it to a zoo. Honest!
Oh goodness, I didn't know you read this thread :smallredface: I'm glad you like it! I didn't get Midnight's hair quite right, but I'm very happy how the cutie mark turned out, especially after 3 failed attempts.
I also learned that there's a whole lot I can do to practise spell effects, so that's the challenge for today!
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Oh goodness, I didn't know you read this thread :smallredface: I'm glad you like it! I didn't get Midnight's hair quite right, but I'm very happy how the cutie mark turned out, especially after 3 failed attempts.
I also learned that there's a whole lot I can do to practise spell effects, so that's the challenge for today!
I look in every once in awhile! And I think you did a fine enough job on Mids, the hair is fine enough, and you should be happy with the cutie mark. Ya'll did good and I approve. :smallsmile:
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EsperDerek
I look in every once in awhile! And I think you did a fine enough job on Mids, the hair is fine enough, and you should be happy with the cutie mark. Ya'll did good and I approve. :smallsmile:
Baller, great to hear :smallbiggrin: Though I'm gonna use Kairaven's model/colours for future attempts.
Day 52: Advanced Colouring Techniques
Not content with the Solid Fill technique, I spent today experimenting with a whole bunch of different colouring techniques; washes, paints, and dry media. At the end of the day, the piece I produced I'm mostly happy with *but* I don't think the gains justified the effort involved in colouring everything with chalk by hand. I think, at least for now, I'll stick with solid fill + highlights, washes and other techniques, letting me focus on accentuating highlights rather than going over every inch.
The picture itself I can see the flaws with - one hand is too small, and I still don't know how to do legs (upcoming practise session on that). But I think the colour scheme worked, and the stance practise I did the other day helped a lot in getting a natural looking posture. Putting the time in to correct little flaws does pay enormous returns, too; the dodginess in this picture was reduced by 80% by a solid round of editing.
Time: 2 Hours
Music: Woke Up This Morning
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Baller, great to hear :smallbiggrin: Though I'm gonna use Kairaven's model/colours for future attempts.
Day 52:
Advanced Colouring Techniques
Not content with the Solid Fill technique, I spent today experimenting with a whole bunch of different colouring techniques; washes, paints, and dry media. At the end of the day, the piece I produced I'm mostly happy with *but* I don't think the gains justified the effort involved in colouring everything with chalk by hand. I think, at least for now, I'll stick with solid fill + highlights, washes and other techniques, letting me focus on accentuating highlights rather than going over every inch.
The picture itself I can see the flaws with - one hand is too small, and I still don't know how to do legs (upcoming practise session on that). But I think the colour scheme worked, and the stance practise I did the other day helped a lot in getting a natural looking posture. Putting the time in to correct little flaws does pay enormous returns, too; the dodginess in this picture was reduced by 80% by a solid round of editing.
I have to admit, what Kairaven drew as pretty spectacular, yes. :smallredface:
Also, humanized Gilda! And in my admittedly limited experience in art (Mostly by talking to InkwellPony, or rather, having him talk to me about it), it seems to me that legs appear to be one of the hardest things to do properly.
And I guess with everything else, editing always helps!
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 53: You Know What I Don't Hate?
I don't hate this! It's the first piece I've done without some glaring, obvious misproportion. It sure has it's flaws, and I'd list 'em if I had a mind to, but they're less extreme than I'm used to.
To Do List for the immediate future:
- Legs!
- Non-anime hairstyles (but they're so easy!)
- Spell effects!
Time: 1 1/2 hours
Music: Francis Hates L4D
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
While that looks nice, and honestly much cleaner than what I normally draw on Corel, I still have to poke at one thing that seems particularly glaring to me-that nose looks like it was the victim of an unintentional move forty or so pixels up.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ajadea
While that looks nice, and honestly much cleaner than what I normally draw on Corel, I still have to poke at one thing that seems particularly glaring to me-that nose looks like it was the victim of an unintentional move forty or so pixels up.
Haha, fair point! Add 'Faces' to my list of things to work on :smalltongue:
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
...Huh. O_o
You know, I take it back. The ponies are awesome. Keep drawing them. The improvement is really visible there - even though they're stylised, I can still see that you've gotten better at placement, composition, become more sure with the lines and expressions...
Going digital was a good move, I approve. It's doing you a world of good. I particularly like the first black-and-red drawing. It hardly looks at all like a beginner's work.
And... what else, what else...
Oh, right. The pencil drawing in this post:
It's great. That's why I take back what I said about ponies. If all that linework is your own, it's a hell of a leap. Expressions, evocative poses, a nice sense of three-dimensionality, and I love the way the mane flows down that neck... Congratulations, you're well on your way to learning how to draw(tm)! Someday soon you might even get there!
...And then I'll have to kill you, to dissuade silly kids of the notion that anyone can just go and become an artist. >D
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kaytara
...Huh. O_o
You know, I take it back. The ponies are awesome. Keep drawing them. The improvement is really visible there - even though they're stylised, I can still see that you've gotten better at placement, composition, become more sure with the lines and expressions...
http://i.imgur.com/jaolo.jpg You like the ponies!
Quote:
Going digital was a good move, I approve. It's doing you a world of good. I particularly like the first black-and-red drawing. It hardly looks at all like a beginner's work.
And... what else, what else...
Thank you, I think so as well. I love this tablet to bits. :smallsmile:
Quote:
Oh, right. The pencil drawing in
this post:
It's great. That's why I take back what I said about ponies. If all that linework is your own, it's a hell of a leap. Expressions, evocative poses, a nice sense of three-dimensionality, and I love the way the mane flows down that neck... Congratulations, you're well on your way to learning how to draw(tm)! Someday soon you might even get there!
...And then I'll have to kill you, to dissuade silly kids of the notion that anyone can just go and become an artist. >D
(The linework is Siuis'; I inked and coloured)
Otherwise, thank you so much for the encouragement! After seeing that post I proceeded to spend the entire day drawing non-stop. It's a great feeling.
Day 54: Ponies Upon Request
Not happy with this one, so I'll probably do at least one other piece today, schedule permitting. I've already spent most of the day drawing, including one attempt at a ridiculously convoluted pose that eventually collapsed as a drawing (but in the process I learned something cool about knees, hands and necks).
I'm also learning that a fair bit of this is about composition - about being able to visualise where everything's going to go before you even start drawing the skeleton. It's harder than I'd expected, but I'm starting to get the hang of it.
Time: ~3 hours spent drawing so far today, probably going to see a fair bit more.
Music: Capriccio
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 54b: Horsie-roo!
Turns out that modelling off actual horses? Pretty good for drawing ponies!
I like this style, actually, and I reckon I'm gonna stick with it for future pony drawings!
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 54 C&D: Best Night Ever
Yeah, I reckon I can make this style work for me.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
...It's like the sassy teenage version of them. :D
...But yeah, real life horse anatomy definitely showing there.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kaytara
...It's like the sassy teenage version of them. :D
...But yeah, real life horse anatomy definitely showing there.
Real life horse anatomy is, to quote the Hitman, both easier and more difficult than you could possibly imagine.
Day 55: Agent 47+8
This was an interesting one. The legs worked out mostly all right, could stand to have a bit more depth and shading - also muscle detail - but I'm on the clock today. The face went through a lot of different versions, but the various off-model versions I was using looked weird from that angle and combined with the bone structure. By moving back to something a lot closer to reality I got an effect that worked a lot better overall.
Could definitely do with a solid round of editing or two, but I've got to go do horrible things with teleporters. You know how it goes.
Time: 2 Hours
Music: Funky Tonight
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 56: Study
Today I was exhausted, so my decision to read a whole bunch of tutorials was a rather poor one. Those really showed a whole bunch of techniques that I can start learning almost immediately and went on to make me realise that I'd been coasting a little bit over recent days. Doubly unfortunately, I have a busy weekend coming up, which means that I won't really have the time to practise as much as I want to.
But I'm going to do it, as soon as I've got the time and mental energy. Pinkie swear. Advanced stuff is going to come up, soon.
Anyway, picture. I've got no idea what this thing is other than that I wore it as my avatar from 2003-2005. Not good, but I wasn't up for anything more complex.
Time: 50 Minutes
Music: Audiosurf Overture
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
EsperDerek
I have to admit, what Kairaven drew as pretty spectacular, yes. :smallredface:
Also, humanized Gilda! And in my admittedly limited experience in art (Mostly by talking to InkwellPony, or rather, having him talk to me about it), it seems to me that legs appear to be one of the hardest things to do properly.
And I guess with everything else, editing always helps!
Aye. You'll notice that 90% of all art is from around the waist up. Or that if legs show up, it's done as perspective work. Legs are unfamiliar territory for a lot of folks because they are rarely needed, awkward to position as well as arms, and have some weird structural things going on (like the lower leg curving outward, or the knee-- Sun and Moon, have you ever actually looked at your own knee?)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
http://i.imgur.com/jaolo.jpg You like the ponies!
Thank you, I think so as well. I love this tablet to bits. :smallsmile:
(The linework is Siuis'; I inked and coloured)
Otherwise, thank you so much for the encouragement! After seeing that post I proceeded to spend the entire day drawing non-stop. It's a great feeling.
Day 54:
Ponies Upon Request
Not happy with this one, so I'll probably do at least one other piece today, schedule permitting. I've already spent most of the day drawing, including one attempt at a ridiculously convoluted pose that eventually collapsed as a drawing (but in the process I learned something cool about knees, hands and necks).
I'm also learning that a fair bit of this is about composition - about being able to visualise where everything's going to go before you even start drawing the skeleton. It's harder than I'd expected, but I'm starting to get the hang of it.
Time: ~3 hours spent drawing so far today, probably going to see a fair bit more.
Music: Capriccio
Aye. Composition is where it's at. Measure twice, cutdraw onceactually a bunch, but it's still a fitting phrase. I don't know if you remember the first 'Silver Lining in ropes' picture, but the entire left of the page we a couple skeletons working on positioning, perspective and such. I can attest that, if I hadn't done that and had just jumped in, I would probably not be drawing again out of sheer frustration.
Also, your constant tutorial reading intrigues me. I must investigate this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Day 54b:
Horsie-roo!
Turns out that modelling off actual horses? Pretty good for drawing ponies!
I like this style, actually, and I reckon I'm gonna stick with it for future pony drawings!
Very nice. I see some trouble at the back hip area. Remember that the butt is made up mostly of thigh connecting to bones, so there wouldn't be that much of a divide between the horse butt ahe the extended leg coming off the horse butt.
I started this response last night just as the boards went down so I can't remember anything else I was going to say, but keep up the work and it's quality, friend. You'll be a household name in ten seconds flat.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SiuiS
Aye. You'll notice that 90% of all art is from around the waist up. Or that if legs show up, it's done as perspective work. Legs are unfamiliar territory for a lot of folks because they are rarely needed, awkward to position as well as arms, and have some weird structural things going on (like the lower leg curving outward, or the knee-- Sun and Moon, have you ever actually looked at your own knee?)
Yeah. And pants are such an easy way out of the entire problem. I want to avoid them for that reason.
OFF WITH YOUR PANTS!
Quote:
Aye. Composition is where it's at. Measure twice, cutdraw onceactually a bunch, but it's still a fitting phrase. I don't know if you remember the first 'Silver Lining in ropes' picture, but the entire left of the page we a couple skeletons working on positioning, perspective and such. I can attest that, if I hadn't done that and had just jumped in, I would probably not be drawing again out of sheer frustration.
Also, your constant tutorial reading intrigues me. I must investigate this.
I've historically been good at writing entire stories in my mind and then just typing them out in a single great flurry. It's weird applying that technique to pictures. It's disappointing when I apply that technique, conjure up a truly breathtaking picture in my head, and then realise I have none of the practical skills necessary to even begin that picture.
Hence the tutorials. They're definitely worthwhile, and they're gonna send me back into figuring out Photoshop.
Quote:
Very nice. I see some trouble at the back hip area. Remember that the butt is made up mostly of thigh connecting to bones, so there wouldn't be that much of a divide between the horse butt ahe the extended leg coming off the horse butt.
Heh heh heh. Horse butt.[/9yearsold]
Quote:
I started this response last night just as the boards went down so I can't remember anything else I was going to say, but keep up the work and it's quality, friend. You'll be a household name in ten seconds flat.[/color]
:smallredface:
Day 56: The Greatest Plan Ever
This is an actual exchange from Thursday's Rogue Trader game. There's a reason the Adepteus Mechanicus sent Mr. Rook on a suicide mission on a Rogue Trader ship.
Experimented with brushing in hair. Mixed results. Will investigate further.
Whoops there's a hand on backwards.
Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Music: Lotion (This song baffled me out until I found out it was about a serial killer. Then it made amazing sense)
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
So that's what the song is called. I confess, I start to hum that or sing it every time the bondage jokes get out of control. I figured modified lyrics would be in poor taste though. there's an actual music video version, usin clips from the movie. Look it up if you're interested.
Easiest way to clear customers out of the building for a bathroom break though, lemme tell you. Sing a song of serial killing, and after the skinning part... Art of the dress http://www.electricsamurai.com/forum...s/icon_lol.gif
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SiuiS
So that's what the song is called. I confess, I start to hum that or sing it every time the bondage jokes get out of control. I figured modified lyrics would be in poor taste though. there's an actual music video version, usin clips from the movie. Look it up if you're interested.
Easiest way to clear customers out of the building for a bathroom break though, lemme tell you. Sing a song of serial killing, and after the skinning part... Art of the dress http://www.electricsamurai.com/forum...s/icon_lol.gif
On that note, from 1pm-2pm today, Dominoes Gungahlin was rockin' out to my Pony Music Playlist. It was a good day.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Hey, you've gotten a lot better since last I honked my honks in this thread.
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Ok, here's another challenge. This time it's about perspective, framing and (minorly) muscle behavior. :smallwink:
Show me your moves! o/
-
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 57: The Ecstasy of Gold
Had a shot at converting Domochevsky's outline into the characters from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The Ugly guy turned out way too attractive.
Again, I plead tiredness as the reason why the quality's not as high as I'm capable of, but as a meander through a bunch of different experiments it's not bad. I think that this paintbrush hair idea is doomed to failure, so I'll set that aside. I accidentally stumbled into a good looking technique with the middle guy's shirt; solid fill of a light colour and then darker wash for the body of it, effectively highlighting the edges. Gonna keep that one in mind. I'm getting really accustomed to hands, which is an enormous positive. I'm also finding that I'm starting to get more and more used to faces and skeletons. The change isn't dramatic in my pictures, but what you're not seeing is a huge reduction in the erase-redo time with each one. Oh yes, and the lessons on perspective I picked up were invaluable.
So, in the end, not a great piece, but one that had me thinking a lot, and at this level that's what I really want out of a drawing. Thanks again, Domo!
Time: 1 Hour 15 minutes
Music: The Ecstasy of Gold