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Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Hello and welcome, one and all, to the very first Ponythread Learns to Draw thread. The purpose of this thread is fairly simple - it's a collaborative effort to improve our art skills by posting sketches, line drawings, digital artwork, paintings, etc. and providing advice, constructive criticism and encouragement to one another.
Who Can Post?
Anyone! Although I'll be plugging this thread hardest in the My Little Pony threads in the Media Discussions section of the forum, if anyone wants to post their art here for comments and review, they're more than welcome!
The one suggested rule I have is that if at all possible, along with your post of your own art, please try and provide helpful or encouraging comments to at least one other poster. You don't have to deconstruct their entire technique and write a book about things, but please try and find something you really like, or something you notice that you've struggled with in the past and point it out to them.
What Can We Draw?
Draw anything that inspires you! Although my own work will probably focus on ponies and other cartoon art, the purpose of this thread is to draw, and it's easiest to draw things you like. Thus, feel free to post pictures of people, stick figures, dragons, landscapes, ponies, still life pieces, or anything that makes you want to draw.
But I'm Not a Good Artist
Coincidentally, neither am I! I haven't drawn in years, but I was challenged to do so recently, and I found out that I can make things I'm actually pleased with using only patience, a good eraser, and a model that doesn't move too much.
Also, since the goal of this thread is to LEARN, there's nothing too insignificant to post! Even if you only have 15 minutes to sketch up some stick figures or rough out a character at the end of the day, go ahead and post it. Practice makes perfect, and you learn something every day. There's nowhere to go but up in your abilities!
So try and practice every day, and post your results here! We'll be waiting with open arms and (hopefully) helpful tips.
I go!
*pops back around corner*
Still standing there? Wondering what to draw to get started? Well, I have just the thing, courtesy of a link supplied by the Great and Powerful Trixie! Check out the spoiler box below:
Art Challenges
Spoiler
Show
MyLP Challenge:
Do you want to try your hand at something fun? Feeling need to draw fanart? How about trying MyLP Challenge?
What it is? Just click on the linked
template.
How does that work? Don't be scared, just complete the template to the best of your ability. Have
one two three four examples made by other ponies :smalltongue:
Starting thread and more examples can be found
here.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
So, to get the ball rolling, I'll go ahead and post some things I drew recently. These are the first things I've really tried to draw in years, and the fact that I don't completely hate them, and got very nice feedback on the pony threads when I showed them is what inspired me to start this thread.
First, some disapproving Twilight:
Thoughts: I really don't like how the eyes turned out in this one. They're too small and the irises and pupils are wonky. Still, I think the rest of the head turned out ok, although the proportions might be a little off. I'd link the picture I sketched it from, but it was a screencap macro with non-board appropriate language.
Second, have a happy Pinkie Pie:
The original:
Thoughts: I like this one more than the Twilight one, although the eyes are still off. Pinkie's hair is really fun to draw, although a little intimidating at first...
Finally, some smug Rainbow Dash:
The original (mild language, darn you macros!):
Thoughts: I tried to cheat with closed eyes, but then I found out that wings and legs are hard! I still think the perspective is a bit off on the three forward legs, but not terribly so. Also, I'm fairly happy with how the wings turned out (guide lines for the win!)
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Since all my art is borderline plagiarism, I probably won't be posting any here too often. But I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to offer.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
monkeyboyinc
Since all my art is borderline plagiarism, I probably won't be posting any here too often. But I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to offer.
Don't worry about it! You can see everything I drew above was cribbed directly from MLP:FiM. As long as you're presenting the work you personally drew, even if it's of someone else's character/landscape/work, and you acknowledge that and use it as a way to learn, you should be protected under fair-use laws.
Also, you can't plagiarize stick figures! Start with some of those!
@V: Excellent! Go for it! Regarding the scanner, if you have a digital camera, or a friend with one, you can try using that to upload your art.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
I will attempt to participate in this, but not having a scanner will make it difficult. x.x I'm also taking a shot in the dark and trying to get my not-girlfriend, who is a much better artist than I am, involved.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Alrighty then, I got no response whatsoever when I posted in the ponythread itself, maybe I'll get a little more feedback here.
@DD: You're first few attempts are looking good! May I ask, though, if you are using guidelines/stick figures to draw? It really helps, especially when positioning the eyes, which you mentioned having trouble with. You'll notice below, of course, that I didn't follow my own advice too well, hence why I'm mentioning it now.
Anywho, here's a sketch I did for a halloween costume contest thingy. Twilight, Derpy and Carrot Top as the Spanish Equestrian Inquisition from Monty Python:
And the inked/coloured version:
My thoughts on these: First up, I had to make quite a few edits when inking. Twilight's face was completely messed up, mostly because the far side of her face was sticking out too much. Derpy's eyes were too big and I forgot her ears too. I also had to redo Carrot Top's headgear (It was just a hat at first, but on rewatching the sketch, it should've been a hood). CT's muzzle also looks a little off to me.
My biggest mistake though? Being lazy with the legs. I didn't do a full stick figure pose underneath (just did it roughly) and I paid for it with misproportioned, mispositioned limbs (especially on Twilight. Look at those back legs. Ugh).
Still I'm happy with it.
My advice to anyone who wants to draw ponies? References. Everywhere. All the time.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
byaku rai
I will attempt to participate in this, but not having a scanner will make it difficult. x.x I'm also taking a shot in the dark and trying to get my not-girlfriend, who is a much better artist than I am, involved.
Do you have a camera? Works much better.
For drawings that I want to vectorize I only use my camera.
I use the scanner for documents only.
And... I guess I'll join in? :/
Sure, I'll post ponies, I need help with drawing ponies anyway.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Here's a sketch of AJ as a human I did a while back. I was doodling the mane 6 as humans, trying a new style, and was really happy with how AJ turned out. Fluttershy and RD were OK too, but needed more work. The rest were... not great.
Maybe some day I'll take another stab at the rest of them, but for now...
You know, I'm not really a fan of AJ, but here she kinda looks cool :smallbiggrin:
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dirtbag
Do you have a camera? Works much better.
For drawings that I want to vectorize I only use my camera.
I use the scanner for documents only.
And... I guess I'll join in? :/
Sure, I'll post ponies, I need help with drawing ponies anyway.
Only the really sucky one on my phone, and no way to get that from phone to computer because my phone is /retarded/. ^^'' Oh well.
@DH: not bad. =) I don't really know what to say as a critique, so I'll stick with It's better than I could do right now.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
A few thoughts to go along with my own post:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
And the inked/coloured version:
I'm not sure how show-accurate you're shooting for, but making the strokes a darker color than the fill, rather than pure black is a relatively small thing you could do to get there. The show also uses thicker strokes. If you're trying to go for your own unique style, just disregard that :)
Twilight's leg, the one she's holding up looks like it might have too many joints or is just a little too long. It looks a little like she's wearing sleeves or socks which are too long.
Don't know what else I can offer. Looks pretty good.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
I wanna try! I Wanna Try!
Oh, um, Hi guys. http://i.imgur.com/EvxT1.png
I'll start by looking at art. here we go...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
Here's a sketch of AJ as a human I did a while back. I was doodling the mane 6 as humans, trying a new style, and was really happy with how AJ turned out. Fluttershy and RD were OK too, but needed more work. The rest were... not great.
Maybe some day I'll take another stab at the rest of them, but for now...
You know, I'm not really a fan of AJ, but here she kinda looks cool :smallbiggrin:
I like it. =) though, she has no hands...? 0_0 (Not that I'm saying anything. I've tried to draw hands. They do not like to work with you, at all)!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
Alrighty then, I got no response whatsoever when I posted in the ponythread itself, maybe I'll get a little more feedback here.
@DD: You're first few attempts are looking good! May I ask, though, if you are using guidelines/stick figures to draw? It really helps, especially when positioning the eyes, which you mentioned having trouble with. You'll notice below, of course, that I didn't follow my own advice too well, hence why I'm mentioning it now.
Anywho, here's a sketch I did for a halloween costume contest thingy. Twilight, Derpy and Carrot Top as the
Spanish Equestrian Inquisition from Monty Python:
And the inked/coloured version:
My thoughts on these: First up, I had to make quite a few edits when inking. Twilight's face was completely messed up, mostly because the far side of her face was sticking out too much. Derpy's eyes were too big and I forgot her ears too. I also had to redo Carrot Top's headgear (It was just a hat at first, but on rewatching the sketch, it should've been a hood). CT's muzzle also looks a little off to me.
My biggest mistake though? Being lazy with the legs. I didn't do a full stick figure pose underneath (just did it roughly) and I payed for it with misproportioned, mispositioned limbs (especially on Twilight. Look at those back legs. Ugh).
Still I'm happy with it.
My advice to anyone who wants to draw ponies? References. Everywhere. All the time.
NOBODY EXPECT THE EQUESTRIAN INQUISITION! :smalltongue: Love it, mate! Legs, well, like you said. I'm no art expert, so, I really just want to make sure I say something about other art first before I expect any for mine.
How did you color it? Did you use a computer program, or...?
Here's a few things I've worked on recently. a little hard to see, since I took the picture with my phone. They're not ponies (No, that comes next alongside my story)! but just drawing attempts.
Swingset at my local park:
Self-Portrait!
So far as I can tell, it's really making shadows that I suck at (Well, my Depth perception, perspective, coloring, and attention span [so as to insure I work longer than an hour] really need some work too, but)!
I also hate how I drew my teeth -_-** they look nothing like that (Not really, I don't think... I don't know! I don't study them daily! :smallsigh:) the beard looks a little off, but I'm serious when I say that's how it looked at the time!
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Aw, man, I'm really going to have to go through with this, aren't I?
I really like that picture, Diego. It's nice. I hope learn how to talk about this stuff more intelligently later.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
I like it. =) though, she has no hands...? 0_0 (Not that I'm saying anything. I've tried to draw hands. They do not like to work with you, at all)!
Thanks :) The lack of hands (and feet) is intentional, I wanted a simple, cartoonish style.
Your portrait makes me think you could make a bit of a villain :smallbiggrin: Maybe that's the glasses and... hood?
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Hmm... This looks like an awesome idea. Not that I'd ever actually join in; every time I've ever attempted artwork, it has always ended in fire and tree sap. To be honest, I'm already intimidated by the quality of the work posted so far.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
Thanks :) The lack of hands (and feet) is intentional, I wanted a simple, cartoonish style.
Your portrait makes me think you could make a bit of a villain :smallbiggrin: Maybe that's the glasses and... hood?
Yay for simple cartoon style! =D
As to being called a villain... Muwahahaha.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
I would so be willing to be a villain in a show... especially since that means I could be on T.V! =)
wait... no hands and feet...
And Lauren Faust was involved with it...
Coincidence? No, Fate has brought you here. :smallbiggrin:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Vent Reynolt
Hmm... This looks like an awesome idea. Not that I'd ever actually join in; every time I've ever attempted artwork, it has always ended in fire and tree sap. To be honest, I'm already intimidated by the quality of the work posted so far.
Intimidated? 0-0 come now; I'm sure anything you can make will be just as good.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Vent Reynolt
Hmm... This looks like an awesome idea. Not that I'd ever actually join in; every time I've ever attempted artwork, it has always ended in fire and tree sap. To be honest, I'm already intimidated by the quality of the work posted so far.
http://i.imgur.com/N2nfK.png Anything we can do, you can do... too (maybe better :smallwink:)
Don't be intimidated, be inspired
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
wait... no hands and feet...
And Lauren Faust was involved with it...
Coincidence? No, Fate has brought you here. :smallbiggrin:
Huh, cool. I doubt it's the first time people have drawn in a similar style, though. I'm not exactly trying to be greatly original :smallsmile:
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
I'm trying to draw a lineup of the main cast, for a larger scene with original characters, but unlike OCs, these present a problem, in that they have an established look, which I have to replicate.
I'd like some pointers here, maybe some traits or features I've missed, or things I drew wrong. Don't pay attention to the sketchiness, this is just a sketch before proper drawing. Pointers on wrong anatomy would also be useful, because for me at least, wings seem to be the new hands, and ponies in general are still a rather new item.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4152380/M6_lineup.png
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
I'm trying to draw a lineup of the main cast, for a larger scene with original characters, but unlike OCs, these present a problem, in that they have an established look, which I have to replicate.
I'd like some pointers here, maybe some traits or features I've missed, or things I drew wrong. Don't pay attention to the sketchiness, this
is just a sketch before proper drawing. Pointers on wrong anatomy would also be useful, because for me at least, wings seem to be the new hands, and ponies in general are still a rather new item.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4152380/M6_lineup.png
One thing that struck me. Your ponies look rather meatier (fatter?) than the style from the show. It's especially apparent with Twilight at the end. Spike also seems off for some reason which I cannot pinpoint.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
Alrighty then, I got no response whatsoever when I posted in the ponythread itself, maybe I'll get a little more feedback here.
@DD: You're first few attempts are looking good! May I ask, though, if you are using guidelines/stick figures to draw? It really helps, especially when positioning the eyes, which you mentioned having trouble with. You'll notice below, of course, that I didn't follow my own advice too well, hence why I'm mentioning it now.
Anywho, here's a sketch I did for a halloween costume contest thingy. Twilight, Derpy and Carrot Top as the
Spanish Equestrian Inquisition from Monty Python:
And the inked/coloured version:
My thoughts on these: First up, I had to make quite a few edits when inking. Twilight's face was completely messed up, mostly because the far side of her face was sticking out too much. Derpy's eyes were too big and I forgot her ears too. I also had to redo Carrot Top's headgear (It was just a hat at first, but on rewatching the sketch, it should've been a hood). CT's muzzle also looks a little off to me.
My biggest mistake though? Being lazy with the legs. I didn't do a full stick figure pose underneath (just did it roughly) and I payed for it with misproportioned, mispositioned limbs (especially on Twilight. Look at those back legs. Ugh).
Still I'm happy with it.
My advice to anyone who wants to draw ponies? References. Everywhere. All the time.
Aaaah! I totally meant to comment on this in the thread! Forgive me for being a derp, and I will comment on it now.
So, Deadly had a good point about lines I think, if you're going for show accuracy. Also, you're right that references are important; I think for legs and wings, they're doubly so, at least until you've drawn quite a few of them!
That said, I do really like this picture; it's a fun crossover and Derpy as an Inquisitor makes me smile.
Re: guide lines - Yeah, I learned that lesson after drawing Twilight and Pinkie...I did use them on RD's head though, and it definitely made me feel more confident about eye placement and size. I totally encourage everyone to use them in the roughing out stage!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
Here's a sketch of AJ as a human I did a while back. I was doodling the mane 6 as humans, trying a new style, and was really happy with how AJ turned out. Fluttershy and RD were OK too, but needed more work. The rest were... not great.
Maybe some day I'll take another stab at the rest of them, but for now...
You know, I'm not really a fan of AJ, but here she kinda looks cool :smallbiggrin:
I like the hair on this one, it really seems to fit AJ. The chibi style is also fun; I've been thinking that in the future I want to branch out into drawing more general cartoon/anime-style art. Do you have any suggestions for cartoon-specific styles, since there seems to be a huge array of possibilities?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
Here's a few things I've worked on recently. a little hard to see, since I took the picture with my phone. They're not ponies (No, that comes next alongside my story)! but just drawing attempts.
Swingset at my local park:
Self-Portrait!
So far as I can tell, it's really making shadows that I suck at (Well, my Depth perception, perspective, coloring, and attention span [so as to insure I work longer than an hour] really need some work too, but)!
I also hate how I drew my teeth -_-** they look nothing like that (Not really, I don't think... I don't know! I don't study them daily! :smallsigh:) the beard looks a little off, but I'm serious when I say that's how it looked at the time!
The swing set looks very nice! I think you got the perspective on it spot on. There are some things in the background that could be tweaked a bit to give the whole picture a more unified sense of perspective though, as it looks a bit skewed overall, but that could just be my eyes...Also, I commend you for posting something non-pony! I want to remind everyone that they're free to post whatever they like here (so long as it's board appropriate, of course).
I really like the self portrait as well. There's something in the face and goggles that makes it seem very expressive. Also the beard is quite well-done! I don't know much about shading and depth when it comes to drawing from life, so I don't know that I can help you there, except to encourage you to keep practicing :smallsmile:
I will say in regard to time that there is a noticeable difference in quality between something you work at for an hour and something you work at for two hours, but I understand the attention span issue. My advice would be to do things in stages - rough in first, then walk away, then come back and add details, then chat for a while, then go back and refine, etc... You don't have to finish in a single drawing session, or even a single day.
Also, everyone please feel free to post works in progress here as well! That way, we might be able to offer advice as things come together, and you won't have to feel like you MUST FINISH TONIGHT OR ELSE!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Vent Reynolt
Hmm... This looks like an awesome idea. Not that I'd ever actually join in; every time I've ever attempted artwork, it has always ended in fire and tree sap. To be honest, I'm already intimidated by the quality of the work posted so far.
No, no! Don't think that way! The thread isn't about being the best, or even being good; it's about learning. Even if you post stick figures or stick ponies, you'll learn something about posing and roughing out a sketch, and that's a valuable step toward more complicated things!
The only person that can keep you from being good at drawing is you! We're all just here to encourage you and provide another set of eyes and experiences to help guide you toward improvement! So don't believe the Lie - you can draw, if only you'll put your mind to it!
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Grif
One thing that struck me. Your ponies look rather meatier (fatter?) than the style from the show. It's especially apparent with Twilight at the end. Spike also seems off for some reason which I cannot pinpoint.
Although I'm not going for show-accurate here, yes, they do seem a little "meatier" now that I look at it again... maybe they just look better to me that way. I'm also proportioning them differently, maybe that's the cause - in which case it's all as intended.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
I like the hair on this one, it really seems to fit AJ. The chibi style is also fun; I've been thinking that in the future I want to branch out into drawing more general cartoon/anime-style art. Do you have any suggestions for cartoon-specific styles, since there seems to be a huge array of possibilities?
Thanks. Sadly I can't offer much in the form of advice, I'm still new to this myself. All I can think of is the obvious: Look around for inspiration and experiment with different ideas.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
byaku rai
@DH: not bad. =) I don't really know what to say as a critique, so I'll stick with It's better than I could do right now.
Thanks very much! Yeah, sometimes it's hard to give a critique. Especially when we're all still learning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
A few thoughts to go along with my own post:
I'm not sure how show-accurate you're shooting for, but making the strokes a darker color than the fill, rather than pure black is a relatively small thing you could do to get there. The show also uses thicker strokes. If you're trying to go for your own unique style, just disregard that :)
Twilight's leg, the one she's holding up looks like it might have too many joints or is just a little too long. It looks a little like she's wearing sleeves or socks which are too long.
Don't know what else I can offer. Looks pretty good.
Re: Show accuracy. For this one I was mostly going for a quick colouring, nothing fancy. I agree that the lines could stand to be a little thicker, but one thing I've noticed is that the line width on the show is not uniform. It widens and thickens depending on which parts are being drawn, and right now I have no idea how to replicate that using computer programs.
Re: The leg. Ah yeah, I can see that now. Didn't really notice before, but it does look too long now. Again, skipping on the framework was not a good idea.
Thanks very much ^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
NOBODY EXPECT THE EQUESTRIAN INQUISITION! :smalltongue: Love it, mate! Legs, well, like you said. I'm no art expert, so, I really just want to make sure I say something about other art first before I expect any for mine.
How did you color it? Did you use a computer program, or...?
I used Flash CS5.5 for the colouring. I find that doing the lines there is easier than using Photoshop. I've heard good things about Inkscape, but I've never really had a chance to use it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
I really like that picture, Diego. It's nice. I hope learn how to talk about this stuff more intelligently later.
Thanks very much ^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
Aaaah! I totally meant to comment on this in the thread! Forgive me for being a derp, and I will comment on it now.
So, Deadly had a good point about lines I think, if you're going for show accuracy. Also, you're right that references are important; I think for legs and wings, they're doubly so, at least until you've drawn quite a few of them!
That said, I do really like this picture; it's a fun crossover and Derpy as an Inquisitor makes me smile.
Re: guide lines - Yeah, I learned that lesson after drawing Twilight and Pinkie...I did use them on RD's head though, and it definitely made me feel more confident about eye placement and size. I totally encourage everyone to use them in the roughing out stage!
It's okay, I know that things can get lost in ponythread, though I did post during a slow time. Still, no biggie.
Yeah, I've tried drawing wings. Good grief! This is something I did ages ago, completely in Flash. It looks good, but it took me ages. Oh, and do you know how hard it is to draw a pony sitting down? From the front!?
But yeah, references and guidelines are a big help. I had at least 4-5 references up for doing the above picture. When I get a chance I'll post the sketches I did while trying to get the wings right, maybe it will help others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
Here's a few things I've worked on recently. a little hard to see, since I took the picture with my phone. They're not ponies (No, that comes next alongside my story)! but just drawing attempts.
Swingset at my local park:
Self-Portrait!
So far as I can tell, it's really making shadows that I suck at (Well, my Depth perception, perspective, coloring, and attention span [so as to insure I work longer than an hour] really need some work too, but)!
I also hate how I drew my teeth -_-** they look nothing like that (Not really, I don't think... I don't know! I don't study them daily! :smallsigh:) the beard looks a little off, but I'm serious when I say that's how it looked at the time!
These are looking good to me! I can't critique too much as I am rubbish at realistic images (I have no desire to draw them. Real life is not interesting :P inb4 "life drawing classes are essential") If you're worried about depth and perspective though, try drawing out vanishing point lines. I can't really explain too well myself so here's a guide I found after googling: http://www.wikihow.com/Draw-Perspective
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Vent Reynolt
Hmm... This looks like an awesome idea. Not that I'd ever actually join in; every time I've ever attempted artwork, it has always ended in fire and tree sap. To be honest, I'm already intimidated by the quality of the work posted so far.
I've been beaten to it, but it bears repeating: The point of this topic is to learn how to draw. Together. You can always do better. If it's one thing I can say it's that no one here will laugh at you or deride you. We want to help you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
I'm trying to draw a lineup of the main cast, for a larger scene with original characters, but unlike OCs, these present a problem, in that they have an established look, which I have to replicate.
I'd like some pointers here, maybe some traits or features I've missed, or things I drew wrong. Don't pay attention to the sketchiness, this is just a sketch before proper drawing. Pointers on wrong anatomy would also be useful, because for me at least, wings seem to be the new hands, and ponies in general are still a rather new item.
It's looking good. I think someone made a point about them looking a little thicker, and yes that shows. Spike looks rather muscular, I must say :^^. The perspective is good, though Twi looks a little bit taller than the rest.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
Re: Show accuracy. For this one I was mostly going for a quick colouring, nothing fancy. I agree that the lines could stand to be a little thicker, but one thing I've noticed is that the line width on the show is not uniform. It widens and thickens depending on which parts are being drawn, and right now I have no idea how to replicate that using computer programs.
What program do you use? I'm only familiar with Inkscape, but the principle should be the same: You make two shapes with no actual strokes, one the color of the outline and one the color of the fill, then you stack the fill-shape above the outline-shape so that only the actual outline is visible behind it. That way you can make the outline whatever crazy, uneven shape you wish.
At least, that's how I've ended up doing it.
Hope my explanation makes sense.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
I'm trying to draw a lineup of the main cast, for a larger scene with original characters, but unlike OCs, these present a problem, in that they have an established look, which I have to replicate.
I'd like some pointers here, maybe some traits or features I've missed, or things I drew wrong. Don't pay attention to the sketchiness, this
is just a sketch before proper drawing. Pointers on wrong anatomy would also be useful, because for me at least, wings seem to be the new hands, and ponies in general are still a rather new item.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4152380/M6_lineup.png
They're a bit more... buff than the ponies in the show. And the necks are longer. Spike looks like he's ready to punch someone.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
It's looking good. I think someone made a point about them looking a little thicker, and yes that shows. Spike looks rather muscular, I must say :^^. The perspective is good, though Twi looks a little bit taller than the rest.
I must be used to the humanoid limb thickness proportions. I've pulled up an equine anatomy chart, and now I also notice the forelegs should be thinner. Okay, that seems an easy fix. Anything else? In particular, I've been wrestling (figuratively) with Fluttershy's look far longer than necessary, and it still seems odd to me.
Spike is off because I drew him completely from memory, again adding a touch of my personal brand of "realism". :) I'll pull up a good reference episode and redraw him.
ninja edit: The necks are longer because I'm proportioning them differently, slightly away from the regular "cartoonish" designs. I'm not going to be using the show's "Flash-y" colored outlines, and the less realistic designs look far worse with thin black outline.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
It's okay, I know that things can get lost in ponythread, though I did post during a slow time. Still, no biggie.
Yeah, I've tried drawing wings. Good grief! This is something I did ages ago, completely in Flash. It looks good, but it took me
ages. Oh, and do you know how hard it is to draw a pony sitting down? From the
front!?
But yeah, references and guidelines are a
big help. I had at least 4-5 references up for doing the above picture. When I get a chance I'll post the sketches I did while trying to get the wings right, maybe it will help others.
Definitely post the wing sketches! They are decidedly hard to draw, and so I think all the collective knowledge we can muster for them will be important!
I'm also thinking about throwing together a little 'how DD approaches drawing ponies' series of images once I get a bit more comfortable, both to encourage and guide the couple of really nervous lurkers we seem to have, and so I can get critique on my early-stage roughing in techniques, since that's where mistakes can haunt you later, it seems... For those of you that feel a bit more experienced with pony (and general) art, I'd love to see your own versions - a set of pictures showing your progression from initial concept sketch to finished product.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
I must be used to the humanoid limb thickness proportions. I've pulled up an equine anatomy chart, and now I also notice the forelegs should be thinner. Okay, that seems an easy fix. Anything else? In particular, I've been wrestling (figuratively) with Fluttershy's look far longer than necessary, and it still seems odd to me.
Spike is off because I drew him completely from memory, again adding a touch of my personal brand of "realism". :) I'll pull up a good reference episode and redraw him.
ninja edit: The necks are longer because I'm proportioning them differently, slightly away from the regular "cartoonish" designs. I'm not going to be using the show's "Flash-y" colored outlines, and the less realistic designs look far worse with thin black outline.
My one suggestion would be to consider going with a wing style closer to the show's for the pegasi. Although your wings look good, the fact that the top of the wing is angled rather than straight comes out a bit odd on the finished product of a semi-cartoon style pony - I think it looks a bit too realistic, for lack of a better word. I sort of think that a straight wing top and more of a fan-shape would still convey the feel you want, but look a bit more natural on the body style you're using.
EDIT: Alternatively, you might keep the current style, but make the wings a bit longer and 'poofier' so they look a little more filled out.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
My one suggestion would be to consider going with a wing style closer to the show's for the pegasi. Although your wings look good, the fact that the top of the wing is angled rather than straight comes out a bit odd on the finished product of a semi-cartoon style pony - I think it looks a bit too realistic, for lack of a better word. I sort of think that a straight wing top and more of a fan-shape would still convey the feel you want, but look a bit more natural on the body style you're using.
EDIT: Alternatively, you might keep the current style, but make the wings a bit longer and 'poofier' so they look a little more filled out.
Well, there's a grand total of one other way I have ever drawn wings (i.e. here), so I might try using that.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4152380/RD.png
Better?
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
To my eye, that does look better. In fact, you might consider making the feathers even a bit longer and 'swoopier', but that might just be personal preference talking. I definitely do like this style better than the previous one; it looks more natural :smallsmile:
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
What program do you use? I'm only familiar with Inkscape, but the principle should be the same: You make two shapes with no actual strokes, one the color of the outline and one the color of the fill, then you stack the fill-shape above the outline-shape so that only the actual outline is visible behind it. That way you can make the outline whatever crazy, uneven shape you wish.
At least, that's how I've ended up doing it.
Hope my explanation makes sense.
Um... sorta? ^-^: You mean, instead of using the built-in lines, copy the fill and expand it? Seems awfully fiddly.
Using Flash CS5.5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
Definitely post the wing sketches! They are decidedly hard to draw, and so I think all the collective knowledge we can muster for them will be important!
I'll try and get them for tomorrow when I can use my parents' scanner. The key thing I noted was that when stretched out the tips of the feathers make a sort of semi-circle shape. It helps to get the lengths right. You'll see what I mean.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
I'm about done with my first one (a sketch of a person), but I've run into a problem. Does anyone know of a good tutorial for drawing ears? Or, better, is there anyone here who's good at drawing them and who could run me through the process?
They keep coming out looking like hurricanes somehow.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Creeperpony steps forward with an example on how to pose. :smallwink:
http://wildwestscifi.net/Misc/Challenge/LTD_Pony_1.png
(I guess it was only a matter of time until the Learns To Draw type of thread becomes a group activity. :smallbiggrin: )
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
Um... sorta? ^-^: You mean, instead of using the built-in lines, copy the fill and expand it? Seems awfully fiddly.
Using Flash CS5.5.
A quick and dirty example, which I hope clarifies the idea
Yes, it is a little more fiddly this way, but really not too bad IMO. I'm not familiar with Flash, but I don't think you get truly irregular strokes without it getting a little fiddly like this. And personally I find that the little extra work needed is more than made up for by just how much better it looks in the end.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
This thread is BEST THREAD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Diego Havoc
Anywho, here's a sketch I did for a halloween costume contest thingy. Twilight, Derpy and Carrot Top as the
Spanish Equestrian Inquisition from Monty Python:
And the inked/coloured version:
My advice to anyone who wants to draw ponies? References. Everywhere. All the time.
My big advice to you is line colour/width. The reason this looks odd is because you've got very thin straight black lines. They cut through the picture like lasers, separating everything from everything else. Experiment with thicker lines, as well as colour.
Also, the clothing in particular looks extremely flat. Try having a look at clothing bends and folds - once you start to get your head around that, things will improve dramatically! :smallsmile:
Eyes look good, though!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
Here's a sketch of AJ as a human I did a while back. I was doodling the mane 6 as humans, trying a new style, and was really happy with how AJ turned out. Fluttershy and RD were OK too, but needed more work. The rest were... not great.
Maybe some day I'll take another stab at the rest of them, but for now...
You know, I'm not really a fan of AJ, but here she kinda looks cool :smallbiggrin:
Freckles! Needs freckles! This is otherwise quite a cool style, but I'm most interested to see it in action poses!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
Here's a few things I've worked on recently. a little hard to see, since I took the picture with my phone. They're not ponies (No, that comes next alongside my story)! but just drawing attempts.
Swingset at my local park:
Self-Portrait!
The swingset looks great!
The self portrait is generally good, but the top of the head hairline/shadow thing looks weird and blodgy. If that's a dark shadow, it looks really out of place given how well-lit the rest of the face seems to be. Otherwise this is pretty cool
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
I'm trying to draw a lineup of the main cast, for a larger scene with original characters, but unlike OCs, these present a problem, in that they have an established look, which I have to replicate.
I'd like some pointers here, maybe some traits or features I've missed, or things I drew wrong. Don't pay attention to the sketchiness, this
is just a sketch before proper drawing. Pointers on wrong anatomy would also be useful, because for me at least, wings seem to be the new hands, and ponies in general are still a rather new item.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4152380/M6_lineup.png
I think that my main problem with this is the mouth shape. Pony jaws are deceptively difficult; it's really easy to make them look too square. Rainbow, for instance, looks like she crashed into a wall recently. Rarity and Twilight look better.
The trick with pony jaws also comes down to line thickness. Look at some screencaps: the nose part is really thick, and then thins out to a graceful curve down along the chin that tapers out. Also merge the nose into the eye a bit more; the curves follow, and it makes the pictures look more harmonious.
The wings, however, look fantastic.
And good luck to everypony! This may seem hard at first, but it's absolutely worth doing! You won't believe your progress if you stick with it.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Freckles! Needs freckles! This is otherwise quite a cool style, but I'm most interested to see it in action poses!
Totally forgot her freckles, yeah :smallredface:
Maybe I'll try some more active poses too. Initially I just wanted to figure out what I thought they looked like as humans, so I didn't much care about pose
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deadly
Totally forgot her freckles, yeah :smallredface:
Maybe I'll try some more active poses too. Initially I just wanted to figure out what I thought they looked like as humans, so I didn't much care about pose
It seems like a style that can bend into really interesting poses, hence the curiosity. Expressive, that's the word.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
It seems like a style that can bend into really interesting poses, hence the curiosity. Expressive, that's the word.
Thanks :) I'll give it a stab sometime, then
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
I'm mostly interested in learning how to draw people right now, so I made a list of musicians I like to give me something focused to work on. (I haven't decided whether I'll just keep adding names to the list or restart it once I've hit the end.) Unfortunately the only camera I have in the house is, as the kids would say, teh suck, so I'll scan it sometime later this week and hopefully it will come out better then.
Drawing one:
Based on:
The list:
Spoiler
Show
Finished:
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Unfinished:
Imogen Heap
Dusty Springfield
Neko Case
Agustin Barrios
Alexander James Adams
Tosin Abasi
Miles Davis
Brent Hinds
Billie Holiday
Django Reinhardt
Chuck Schuldiner
Ingrid Michaelson
Joe Pass
Venetian Snares
Charles Mingus
Sun Ra
Michel Petrucciani
Natacha Atlas
Sarah Blasko
Jacqueline du Pré
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
This thread is BEST THREAD.
The swingset looks great!
The self portrait is generally good, but the top of the head hairline/shadow thing looks weird and blodgy. If that's a dark shadow, it looks really out of place given how well-lit the rest of the face seems to be. Otherwise this is pretty cool
And good luck to everypony! This may seem hard at first, but it's absolutely worth doing! You won't believe your progress if you stick with it.
Well, I could link the original picture:
portrait:
I couldn't see my hair, so I just drew it in shadow. I also just blocked the shadows together instead of trying for subtle shadow changes (Not very good at that). 0-0* I know that's something i need to work on. definitely. And the head is probably a little long too...
Thank you for the criticism! =D
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
I'm mostly interested in learning how to draw people right now, so I made a list of musicians I like to give me something focused to work on. (I haven't decided whether I'll just keep adding names to the list or restart it once I've hit the end.) Unfortunately the only camera I have in the house is, as the kids would say, teh suck, so I'll scan it sometime later this week and hopefully it will come out better then.
Drawing one:
Based on:
The list:
Spoiler
Show
Finished:
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Unfinished:
Imogen Heap
Dusty Springfield
Neko Case
Agustin Barrios
Alexander James Adams
Tosin Abasi
Miles Davis
Brent Hinds
Billie Holiday
Django Reinhardt
Chuck Schuldiner
Ingrid Michaelson
Joe Pass
Venetian Snares
Mingus
Sun Ra
Michel Petrucciani
Natacha Atlas
Sarah Blasko
Jacqueline du Pré
I like them! Very nice! The wrinkles on the forehead make the person seem older in your drawing, but otherwise enjoyable. =)
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
I like them! Very nice! The wrinkles on the forehead make the person seem older in your drawing, but otherwise enjoyable. =)
Thanks for the feedback!
-
Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
I'm mostly interested in learning how to draw people right now, so I made a list of musicians I like to give me something focused to work on. (I haven't decided whether I'll just keep adding names to the list or restart it once I've hit the end.) Unfortunately the only camera I have in the house is, as the kids would say, teh suck, so I'll scan it sometime later this week and hopefully it will come out better then.
Drawing one:
Based on:
The list:
Spoiler
Show
Finished:
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Unfinished:
Imogen Heap
Dusty Springfield
Neko Case
Agustin Barrios
Alexander James Adams
Tosin Abasi
Miles Davis
Brent Hinds
Billie Holiday
Django Reinhardt
Chuck Schuldiner
Ingrid Michaelson
Joe Pass
Venetian Snares
Mingus
Sun Ra
Michel Petrucciani
Natacha Atlas
Sarah Blasko
Jacqueline du Pré
It's very neat to see the finished product! I've been waiting for this! :smallbiggrin:
A couple of things I notice in looking at it - one is that his head seems more bent toward the bass (it is a bass, yes?) in the photo. I don't know if you did, but I'd suggest that when you're getting started, try and draw some lines to show where the midline of the body and head are going to be later on, to help establish their relative positions. Second is that his hand looks small compared to the rest of his body - I'm not sure what the best fix would be, but I'd suggest that once you have a rough set of lines to define the pose, try and find a largish section of the subject to use as an anchor and start filling in the details from there outward. It'll help with relative sizes and perspective as things come together, I think. On ponies, I personally used their giant melon heads, or else the most dynamic part of the pose...
Overall, I gotta say that this was quite good, and you're way braver than me for starting with human subjects! They have so many fiddly little details to keep track of! I'm looking forward to the rest of your series :smallbiggrin:
-
Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
It's very neat to see the finished product! I've been waiting for this! :smallbiggrin:
A couple of things I notice in looking at it - one is that his head seems more bent toward the bass (it is a bass, yes?) in the photo.
I noticed that right when I got the head to look halfway decent. And yeah, NHØP was a bassist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
I don't know if you did, but I'd suggest that when you're getting started, try and draw some lines to show where the midline of the body and head are going to be later on, to help establish their relative positions. Second is that his hand looks small compared to the rest of his body - I'm not sure what the best fix would be, but I'd suggest that once you have a rough set of lines to define the pose, try and find a largish section of the subject to use as an anchor and start filling in the details from there outward. It'll help with relative sizes and perspective as things come together, I think. On ponies, I personally used their giant melon heads, or else the most dynamic part of the pose...
I did not, but I'll definitely do that next time. Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the_druid_droid
Overall, I gotta say that this was quite good, and you're way braver than me for starting with human subjects! They have so many fiddly little details to keep track of! I'm looking forward to the rest of your series :smallbiggrin:
I'm really glad you made this thread. I never would've started something like this alone.
-
Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
I'm mostly interested in learning how to draw people right now, so I made a list of musicians I like to give me something focused to work on. (I haven't decided whether I'll just keep adding names to the list or restart it once I've hit the end.) Unfortunately the only camera I have in the house is, as the kids would say, teh suck, so I'll scan it sometime later this week and hopefully it will come out better then.
Drawing one:
Based on:
Now that's a challenging list! Good luck with the series.
The big nitpick with this one is the upper part of the nose. It curves in too much, which makes both his forehead and nose seem like they're protruding way too much. It's a pity, because it's a good looking nose, it's just not quite the nose that fits with the rest of the picture.
The other thing to work on is where the lighting falls on the face. Shading faces is tricky, but I'm noticing that getting the shading right is a major step to good pictures. Draw very light pencil boxes on the face in the areas that should be shaded, and then colour them in. Follow the lines of bones and natural curves. It adds a lot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Noctemwolf
Well, I could link the original picture:
portrait:
I couldn't see my hair, so I just drew it in shadow. I also just blocked the shadows together instead of trying for subtle shadow changes (Not very good at that). 0-0* I know that's something i need to work on. definitely. And the head is probably a little long too...
Thank you for the criticism! =D
Yeah, I see why that would be your response to that picture, but thing is that photo is rather poor quality, and by trying to accurately copy a blurry photograph you're destined to get a blurry drawing!
My recommend with this is draw the head in it's entirety first and then add the shading. However, I'm generally behind on my pencil sketching and can't offer much advice as to actual shading techniques. Try looking at actual art books.
Also remember that running your thumb over pencil sketches smudges the lines and makes much softer shadows. I also don't see any hint of a skeleton there - you'll notice that people draw a circle with a cross through it when they're drawing heads and, honest to goodness, they do it for a reason.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Anyone feel like helping me? I'm currently making an animation/trailer for this Fanfic set to this music.
Although it's probably by no means good, I'd say it isn't going too badly either.
However, I've now hit my third major hurdle. I don't have any experience drawing ponies, and I don't want every scene to look like it's been traced from Ponygenerator.
A convenient place to start would be how to show a pony looking straight at the screen in shock and despair.
It's kinda hard to explain the exact shot i'm making, so here's a Gif thrown together entirely at the last minute at great expense:
So, Are you a bad enough dude to help monkeyboyinc draw ponies?
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
monkeyboyinc
Anyone feel like helping me? I'm currently making an animation/trailer for
this Fanfic set to
this music.
Although it's probably by no means good, I'd say it isn't going too badly either.
However, I've now hit my third major hurdle. I don't have any experience drawing ponies, and I don't want every scene to look like it's been traced from Ponygenerator.
A convenient place to start would be how to show a pony looking straight at the screen in shock and despair.
It's kinda hard to explain the exact shot i'm making, so here's a Gif thrown together entirely at the last minute at great expense:
So, Are you a bad enough dude to help monkeyboyinc draw ponies?
I'll post up a bunch of tutorials when I get home, but here's the basics for front on ponies:
The eyes are really big and start really low, and reach up right to the start of the mane. Straight on ponies just have a single curve shape for a nose.
Pony eyes have really big pupils, smallish irises, and between two and four white circles. Remember that the colour of the whites of the eyes is never pure white! The Irises also change colours multiple times too!
Mouths are quite small
Reference image:
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Now that's a challenging list! Good luck with the series.
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
The big nitpick with this one is the upper part of the nose. It curves in too much, which makes both his forehead and nose seem like they're protruding way too much. It's a pity, because it's a good looking nose, it's just not quite the nose that fits with the rest of the picture.
Yeah, I had a lot of trouble with the way his face ended. Looking at the photo, its low quality makes that ear look a lot better than it actually is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
The other thing to work on is where the lighting falls on the face. Shading faces is tricky, but I'm noticing that getting the shading right is a major step to good pictures. Draw very light pencil boxes on the face in the areas that should be shaded, and then colour them in. Follow the lines of bones and natural curves. It adds a lot.
Every time I tried to shade his face it looked like he had a beard. Maybe I just wasn't shading light enough, though. I'll try the box method next time.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
DRAWING PONIES: THE TUTORIALS
Here's a gallery of my collected ponytutes. Hope it helps!
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
Thanks!
Yeah, I had a lot of trouble with the way his face ended. Looking at the photo, its low quality makes that ear look a lot better than it actually is.
Every time I tried to shade his face it looked like he had a beard. Maybe I just wasn't shading light enough, though. I'll try the box method next time.
If you use sharp lines for shading then it looks like hair. Try a softer/lighter/smudgedier pencil.
Oh yeah, on that topic, everyone should have at least a H, 2B, 4B and 6B pencil for pencil drawing. The difference a range of tools makes over a common HB pencil is astounding.
Faces are really tricky in general, so especially in the early days, cheat. Draw lots and lots of construction lines. Sketch out your proportions clearly before you draw the picture. Draw bald people to get an idea for just how big the skull is. You're not going to be making great-looking pictures on your first try, so feel completely free to do basic parts in isolation - just practising eyes, or noses, or mouths - if it helps you get a better idea of how to do it.
-
Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
I'll post up a bunch of tutorials when I get home, but here's the basics for front on ponies:
The eyes are really big and start really low, and reach up right to the start of the mane. Straight on ponies just have a single curve shape for a nose.
Pony eyes have really big pupils, smallish irises, and between two and four white circles. Remember that the colour of the whites of the eyes is never pure white! The Irises also change colours multiple times too!
Mouths are quite small
Reference image:
[SPOILER]Huge Twilight
Thanks Thanqol! Some of that is really useful. Other parts, not so useful. But it's totally my fault, not yours. I really didn't explain enough before. I'm going for a kinda Andrew Hussie But not as pixely style. This flash animation should show you what I mean without spoiling anything major in the story. I don't really care about colour as much as I care about shading. In fact, I'm deliberately trying to make the first half of my animation as red and dull as possible.
So I should have probably asked about how to shade a pony.
Anyway, I'm tired. Don't blame me if none of that above post makes sense. Good night everyone!
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
monkeyboyinc
Thanks Thanqol! Some of that is really useful. Other parts, not so useful. But it's totally my fault, not yours. I really didn't explain enough before. I'm going for a kinda Andrew Hussie But not as pixely style.
This flash animation should show you what I mean without spoiling anything major in the story. I don't really care about colour as much as I care about shading. In fact, I'm deliberately trying to make the first half of my animation as red and dull as possible.
So I should have probably asked about how to shade a pony.
Anyway, I'm tired. Don't blame me if none of that above post makes sense. Good night everyone!
Only example I have for front-on shading offhoof is this
As to how to do it, that depends a lot on what program you're using and what tools you have access to. I still haven't figured it out myself, though I feel like I'm onto something with the airbrush.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
If you use sharp lines for shading then it looks like hair. Try a softer/lighter/smudgedier pencil.
Oh yeah, on that topic, everyone should have at least a H, 2B, 4B and 6B pencil for pencil drawing. The difference a range of tools makes over a common HB pencil is astounding.
How does that work? I vaguely remember an art teacher in high school telling me that the brittler ones are darker. Are they smudgier too?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Faces are really tricky in general, so especially in the early days, cheat. Draw lots and lots of construction lines. Sketch out your proportions clearly before you draw the picture. Draw bald people to get an idea for just how big the skull is. You're not going to be making great-looking pictures on your first try, so feel completely free to do basic parts in isolation - just practising eyes, or noses, or mouths - if it helps you get a better idea of how to do it.
I guess Joe Pass is next then. And yeah, I was planning on doing individual body parts as well. Thanks again for the feedback.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
How does that work? I vaguely remember an art teacher in high school telling me that the brittler ones are darker. Are they smudgier too?
Yeah, the more B you get the softer the lead is, the more H the harder. This means they tend to become rounded at the tip quite quickly, produce wider, powdery-er, darker lines.
This is Day 33. The main lines were done with a 2B, the darker shading was a 4B. I've come to love the 4B as a main tool, but it's good to have a variety.
Harder leads produce very faint, easily erasable lines if you press lightly on them, which makes them great for skeletoning. H pencils also make good silvery metallic colours. A set of pencils will cost you maybe $10, and just play around with them until you get their measure.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kindablue
I'm really glad you made this thread. I never would've started something like this alone.
I'm glad to see so much participation! It's really a wonderful thing to see everyone contributing and helping each other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
If you use sharp lines for shading then it looks like hair. Try a softer/lighter/smudgedier pencil.
Oh yeah, on that topic, everyone should have at least a H, 2B, 4B and 6B pencil for pencil drawing. The difference a range of tools makes over a common HB pencil is astounding.
Faces are really tricky in general, so especially in the early days, cheat. Draw lots and lots of construction lines. Sketch out your proportions clearly before you draw the picture. Draw bald people to get an idea for just how big the skull is. You're not going to be making great-looking pictures on your first try, so feel completely free to do basic parts in isolation - just practising eyes, or noses, or mouths - if it helps you get a better idea of how to do it.
My present to myself today was a set of sketching pencils :smallbiggrin:
Also, heed this man's advice on construction lines! They will save your flanks!
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Ponythread Community Draw-thingy GO!
So while intently listening to Discords story time in the IRC, I had an image pop into my head.
Going off from what was described from the scene during the RP, There is Discord sitting in a overly fluffy chair with Phantom Fox cuddled in a ball on his lap. Here's the list of the ponies who were there: KindaBlue, SiuiS, Dirtbag, PhantomFox, Braz, Shadowy, Jade aurora, Midnight, Princess Luna, Beeskee, Flashpoint, Leo, Neoseanster (Inkblot).
I removed my rough draft cause it was too big. (3000x4000 pixels too big. Dumb Camera.) So let's just play off the imagination of everypony who wants to contribute.
This is a group project as somepony suggested, so if everypony could give their two cents and yes, /your/ two cents is valued just as much as any other pony.
With that, the ponies mentioned above are the ones who were also in during Story Time, I'd like everypony who was there to put up their OC information so that the artists can create a mental image and start working on it.
So, if all the other ponies agree, you can add your OC information and/or picture to be added in.
As for ponies who may want to be added, also post your OC information or a picture so you can be added.
All the ponies can work on this, so everypony should start practicing their drawing and help out!
I'm not a very good leader, also I'm busy, so I'm just posting the idea, some other pony will have to take over from here.
More RP stuff: Jade, Midnight, Luna, Braz, and SiuiS were together. The first two were constantly flirting fooling around. I thought Flashpoint was a dragon so I pictured a large Silver Dragon beside/around the ponies cuddled up with them.
I'm not good at camera angles so somepony else should come up with where the shot is taken from. I thought from behind Discord but... :/
Add or remove anything you think may fit. This is just a starting point.
And have a fun learning experience everypony! :D
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Dirtbag, are you presenting that as a challenge for the drawthread to do in it's entirety? Or are you trying it on your own, but requesting help? I'm unclear of exactly what you're requesting or what objectives you want achieved.
You can also resize photographs via Imageshack without much trouble.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thanqol
Dirtbag, are you presenting that as a challenge for the drawthread to do in it's entirety? Or are you trying it on your own, but requesting help? I'm unclear of exactly what you're requesting or what objectives you want achieved.
You can also resize photographs via Imageshack without much trouble.
I can re-size via Photoshop, but my head is spinning cause I'm tired. @.@
This is for the community to work on as a whole. I probably wont be able to help cause I'm to busy. I just saw an image in my head and thought it would be pretty cool. Somepony else had the idea of the community doing it.
Edit: Uh, I was informed that Shadowy was trying to hide during the story, so that's another detail.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dirtbag
Ponythread Community Draw-thingy GO!
So while intently listening to Discords story time in the IRC, I had an image pop into my head.
Going off from what was described from the scene during the RP, There is Discord sitting in a overly fluffy chair with Phantom Fox cuddled in a ball on his lap. Here's the list of the ponies who were there: KindaBlue, SiuiS, Dirtbag, PhantomFox, Braz, Shadowy, Jade aurora, Midnight, Princess Luna, Beeskee, Flashpoint, Leo, Neoseanster (Inkblot).
I removed my rough draft cause it was too big. (3000x4000 pixels too big. Dumb Camera.) So let's just play off the imagination of everypony who wants to contribute.
This is a group project as somepony suggested, so if everypony could give their two cents and yes, /your/ two cents is valued just as much as any other pony.
With that, the ponies mentioned above are the ones who were also in during Story Time, I'd like everypony who was there to put up their OC information so that the artists can create a mental image and start working on it.
So, if all the other ponies agree, you can add your OC information and/or picture to be added in.
As for ponies who may want to be added, also post your OC information or a picture so you can be added.
All the ponies can work on this, so everypony should start practicing their drawing and help out!
I'm not a very good leader, also I'm busy, so I'm just posting the idea, some other pony will have to take over from here.
More RP stuff: Jade, Midnight, Luna, Braz, and SiuiS were together. The first two were constantly flirting fooling around. I thought Flashpoint was a dragon so I pictured a large Silver Dragon beside/around the ponies cuddled up with them.
I'm not good at camera angles so somepony else should come up with where the shot is taken from. I thought from behind Discord but... :/
Add or remove anything you think may fit. This is just a starting point.
And have a fun learning experience everypony! :D
Curse my real-life for missing this. :smallbiggrin:
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dirtbag
Ponythread Community Draw-thingy GO!
So while intently listening to Discords story time in the IRC, I had an image pop into my head.
Going off from what was described from the scene during the RP, There is Discord sitting in a overly fluffy chair with Phantom Fox cuddled in a ball on his lap. Here's the list of the ponies who were there: KindaBlue, SiuiS, Dirtbag, PhantomFox, Braz, Shadowy, Jade aurora, Midnight, Princess Luna, Beeskee, Flashpoint, Leo, Neoseanster (Inkblot).
I removed my rough draft cause it was too big. (3000x4000 pixels too big. Dumb Camera.) So let's just play off the imagination of everypony who wants to contribute.
This is a group project as somepony suggested, so if everypony could give their two cents and yes, /your/ two cents is valued just as much as any other pony.
With that, the ponies mentioned above are the ones who were also in during Story Time, I'd like everypony who was there to put up their OC information so that the artists can create a mental image and start working on it.
So, if all the other ponies agree, you can add your OC information and/or picture to be added in.
As for ponies who may want to be added, also post your OC information or a picture so you can be added.
All the ponies can work on this, so everypony should start practicing their drawing and help out!
I'm not a very good leader, also I'm busy, so I'm just posting the idea, some other pony will have to take over from here.
More RP stuff: Jade, Midnight, Luna, Braz, and SiuiS were together. The first two were constantly flirting fooling around. I thought Flashpoint was a dragon so I pictured a large Silver Dragon beside/around the ponies cuddled up with them.
I'm not good at camera angles so somepony else should come up with where the shot is taken from. I thought from behind Discord but... :/
Add or remove anything you think may fit. This is just a starting point.
And have a fun learning experience everypony! :D
I've no idea what roughly 85% of those characters look like.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
I don't really have any drawing experience, nor do I think I'm too good at it. Nevertheless, it's something I've been wanting to practice, and this seems like a great thread to do just that. So, onto the main event. Have a hoofdrawn Twilight Sparkle.
Using this picture as a reference,
For a first time drawing, I like to think I did fairly well. I think I need to improve on legs and head. Confound those eyes. And just about everything else too. At any rate, advice/criticism is appreciated.
I don't really know enough to be giving decent advice to other people, so I'll just do what I can.
@Druid. I found drawing larger versions of eyes seperately helped a bit. With bigger ones I didn't have to worry about it being all small and fiddly, so I could practice. You should have seen my first attempt at eyes.
I do like your Rainbow.
@Sean Mirrsen
I like it, will be great to see how it turns out. I'll echo the above comments about the ponies looking a little meaty though.
And thanks for those guides, Thanqol. I'll have a look through them for when I next try this.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sean Mirrsen
I've no idea what roughly 85% of those characters look like.
That's why I told them to put their OC pictures/info in here.
Or I at least put it in the Main Ponythread.
After I get some sleep I'll send them messages if they hadn't already posted by then.
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Re: Ponythread Learns to Draw! Together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Level8Mudcrab
I don't really have any drawing experience, nor do I think I'm too good at it. Nevertheless, it's something I've been wanting to practice, and this seems like a great thread to do just that. So, onto the main event. Have a hoofdrawn Twilight Sparkle.
Using this picture as a reference,
For a first time drawing, I like to think I did fairly well. I think I need to improve on legs and head. Confound those eyes. And just about everything else too. At any rate, advice/criticism is appreciated.
Good heavens, that eye. That's the most obvious thing, so I don't need to point that out further. Just... well -
This is a SiuiS sketch of the first step of drawing a pony. Make sure everything is in the right place with construction lines, make sure everything's lined up before you start detailing. Helps avoid obvious mistakes
Legs also need to be thicker, but the curve of the chin is solid, good job with that :smallsmile: