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Thread: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
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2012-05-11, 01:16 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2010
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- Togliatti, Russia
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Not sure about revelations, but that's indeed a fairly cool looking picture. Lacking the effects that were supposed to cover up the hand (spellcasting, I presume), but looking great nevertheless.
Bearer of the Psionic Flame
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Current occupation: Considering drawing a better Psionic Flame avatar.
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Skills: Competent Modder, Proficient Programmer, Accomplished RTD Game Master, Adequate Artist, Dabbling Writer
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2012-05-11, 01:23 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
The revelation is that I did all that colouring on a single layer.
That I didn't spend 45 minutes fussing over it to get each line clean, smooth and perfect. I embraced a little roughhousing with the picture, a little relaxation from fastidious smoothed linework, and it really worked out. That all feels like a genuine artistic breakthrough to me.
And yeah, the spell effect I did but it looked kinda rubbish and it'd take ages to get right so I nixed it. Oh well.
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2012-05-11, 04:25 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2008
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- Germany
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
That coloured drawing of the girl with the staff is amazing! The pose and proportions all look so natural* and I especially love the folds of the fabric.
* Except for that outstretched hand, but you already knew that, and who am I to complain about hands anyway.
Further tips for improvement: See if you can't make hair look a bit more hairy and fluffy, as opposed to one solid mass. Now, the way you've got it hanging down is quite unexpectedly realistic (hair that long would have huge mass, but usually people still depict it being all floaty and feather-light), but it could really use some loose strands here and there being all free, you know what I mean? Especially seeing as the hair is only clasped all the way at the bottom, which means all those strands of hair that is only growing to be that length would be unrestrained.
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2012-05-11, 04:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2010
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
A couple of tiny little monster psycho juvenile felines have been taking up all my time recently, because there are very few things harder than leaving two purring kittens who look at you with big sad eyes and start mewing for you to come back whenever you start to leave. Here, have a picture:
Spoiler
On a non-kitten related note, I really like your most recent piece. The anatomy looks pretty sound, and it's got some details but not too many, and I can really get a sense of her personality. I think that the new coloring works great. The slight roughness of it gives it some nice texture and life. The cityscape drawing you're working on is also really nice. I'm a big fan of that color scheme.
Oh man, I remember when I realized how much easier everything was for me to just have all the coloring in a single layer, except for maybe the background. It's different for every artist, but I found that everything became so much easier and less rigid.
On the topic of not fussing over every line and trying to make them all smooth and perfect . . . I certainly consider that to be a very important artistic breakthrough. That's what the sketching I was talking about a while back is all about, actually. Not caring if the lines are pretty or perfect, just getting them down on paper, getting the shape and movement in.
On the topic of sketching, there's another method of sketching that I use in digital art that you might find useful, if you don't use it already. I've heard it called "lineless sketching" or "colored sketching," and it's basically where you take a fairly big brush in your art program of choice, and just start slapping down color. You figure out where the light hits and what the shapes are with the colors and the form of your brushstrokes, rather than with lines. Usually, I use a gradient that matches the general colors that I want the background to be and put that on a background layer, and then make a new layer for the main subject(s), and just start trying to get the shape and color of it down. Then I work at refining those shapes in the same way that I refine the lines of a sketch, only I take this all the way to completion. I use a rectangular brush for this because it makes sharp lines easier, but round brushes work as well.
I'm pretty sure that's something that almost every artist has to deal with--I know that I do. You summed it up perfectly . One of the great struggles of art is learning to tell imaginary perfect you to shut up and go away.
Oh my god, that One Moment. That . . . that was honestly probably the most amazing moment in any TV series that I have ever seen. It was awesome.
And I completely agree on everything else. Speaking of B5 having the most amazing battle scenes ever, I found this B5 fanvid on YouTube earlier today. It seems appropriate.
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2012-05-11, 06:11 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2011
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- Somewhere south of Hell
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Sorry. Solipsistic time magic.
Specifically, about a week ago I started playing with your hair, complimenting you. It caught up to you yesterday.
Holy ****.
[Buy Some Apples].
My consolation prize is in knowing this thread will still be here, full of resources, when I get the equipment for this.
There's an hour OC my life gone. Kittiiiiieeee~
Oh man, I remember when I realized how much easier everything was for me to just have all the coloring in a single layer, except for maybe the background. It's different for every artist, but I found that everything became so much easier and less rigid.
Art isn't in perfection. It's in bull****ting. So long as the end result is art, Thanqol, the minutia don't matter. [/hypocrisy]
On the topic of not fussing over every line and trying to make them all smooth and perfect . . . I certainly consider that to be a very important artistic breakthrough. That's what the sketching I was talking about a while back is all about, actually. Not caring if the lines are pretty or perfect, just getting them down on paper, getting the shape and movement in.
On the topic of sketching, there's another method of sketching that I use in digital art that you might find useful, if you don't use it already. I've heard it called "lineless sketching" or "colored sketching," and it's basically where you take a fairly big brush in your art program of choice, and just start slapping down color. You figure out where the light hits and what the shapes are with the colors and the form of your brushstrokes, rather than with lines. Usually, I use a gradient that matches the general colors that I want the background to be and put that on a background layer, and then make a new layer for the main subject(s), and just start trying to get the shape and color of it down. Then I work at refining those shapes in the same way that I refine the lines of a sketch, only I take this all the way to completion. I use a rectangular brush for this because it makes sharp lines easier, but round brushes work as well.Last edited by SiuiS; 2012-05-11 at 06:12 AM.
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2012-05-11, 06:57 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Ah, very good point. Normally I'd do such but I was deliberately stepping away from my normal style with that piece so I decided not to. I'll re-adopt the practise.
*arms in air* KITTY!*
On a non-kitten related note, I really like your most recent piece. The anatomy looks pretty sound, and it's got some details but not too many, and I can really get a sense of her personality. I think that the new coloring works great. The slight roughness of it gives it some nice texture and life. The cityscape drawing you're working on is also really nice. I'm a big fan of that color scheme.
Oh man, I remember when I realized how much easier everything was for me to just have all the coloring in a single layer, except for maybe the background. It's different for every artist, but I found that everything became so much easier and less rigid.
On the topic of not fussing over every line and trying to make them all smooth and perfect . . . I certainly consider that to be a very important artistic breakthrough. That's what the sketching I was talking about a while back is all about, actually. Not caring if the lines are pretty or perfect, just getting them down on paper, getting the shape and movement in.
I still get commissions from time to time even though one of the stated goals of this project is getting to the point where I can produce the pictures in my head without paying someone. There's a lot I can learn from watching and working closely with someone.
On the topic of sketching, there's another method of sketching that I use in digital art that you might find useful, if you don't use it already. I've heard it called "lineless sketching" or "colored sketching," and it's basically where you take a fairly big brush in your art program of choice, and just start slapping down color. You figure out where the light hits and what the shapes are with the colors and the form of your brushstrokes, rather than with lines. Usually, I use a gradient that matches the general colors that I want the background to be and put that on a background layer, and then make a new layer for the main subject(s), and just start trying to get the shape and color of it down. Then I work at refining those shapes in the same way that I refine the lines of a sketch, only I take this all the way to completion. I use a rectangular brush for this because it makes sharp lines easier, but round brushes work as well.
I'm pretty sure that's something that almost every artist has to deal with--I know that I do. You summed it up perfectly . One of the great struggles of art is learning to tell imaginary perfect you to shut up and go away.
What's that? The sweet sounds of envy? Sounds like victory.
Remarkably valid. Even thinking about how that would work tangibly relaxed me.
Art isn't in perfection. It's in bull****ting. So long as the end result is art, Thanqol, the minutia don't matter. [/hypocrisy]
Gosh that crank call came at the narratively appropriate moment.Last edited by Thanqol; 2012-05-11 at 06:58 AM.
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2012-05-11, 01:39 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2010
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- Usaki City, Syona
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Recent Homebrew: The Socialite | The Crystalline: Memory Altering Construct Race | Sanguine Hand, a ToB Discipline of blood and cruelty
Homebrew Signature | NEW Homebrew Collection
Thanks to all my avatar artists, especially to Paisley for my avatar of Vivian, cowardly cryophoenix.
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2012-05-12, 02:18 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
3:20 of this video through to about 7:10. This thread and my super power in a nutshell.
Last edited by Thanqol; 2012-05-12 at 02:19 AM.
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2012-05-12, 06:28 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
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2012-05-12, 07:00 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2011
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
...and it is a fairly pretty pony.
Happy Three Hundred Sixty Days of Drawing, Thanqol.
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2012-05-12, 01:56 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2010
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- Usaki City, Syona
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Recent Homebrew: The Socialite | The Crystalline: Memory Altering Construct Race | Sanguine Hand, a ToB Discipline of blood and cruelty
Homebrew Signature | NEW Homebrew Collection
Thanks to all my avatar artists, especially to Paisley for my avatar of Vivian, cowardly cryophoenix.
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2012-05-13, 05:51 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Last edited by Thanqol; 2012-05-13 at 05:51 AM.
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2012-05-13, 03:46 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2011
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- Somewhere south of Hell
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Fist is off.
The fist is crossing our field of vision directly perpendicular, while the target is flying backward at an angle. even with a haymaker or hook you're not going to get that reaction.
Off the top of my languishing art skill, you could draw a medium-large circle, with a medium one overlapping it but to the left and up a bit (smaller circle encompasses top left quadrant of big circle). Connect the non-overlapping parts with lines; that's your forearm pointing towards the target. Then add a fist in excruciating detail, erase the detail where it's covered by the arm, and swear about wasting twenty minutes instead of sawing some lumps and a line.
Finí!
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2012-05-14, 06:22 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2011
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
wow, I noticed that you are approaching a year in your endeavor. now is the time to reflect and compare. Take a look at your day 1 drawing and then look at your latest. See the improvments? you have come a long way.
what's changed? is it an improvement? where do you think you still should work on? is there any habit that has been established?
your lines straighter? your curves smoother? how about time? Do you remember how long it use to take?
where to go from here? if you choose to continue.
I must say I am sorry I haven't been keeping track so I don't have much advice. However, here is one thing I think you should try next.
Line composition - increase the thickness and width of the lines at certain points, it makes your curves fuller and addes some depth and texture to your line drawings. One of the things in some comics and cartoons is to use thicker lines on the outer edge of a line drawing. makes it pop out from the paper.
Have your line end at sharp points and rounded ends, depending on the drawing.Last edited by Kairaven; 2012-05-14 at 06:25 AM.
"Winning with friendship means winning at life!"
-Mako Mankanshoku
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2012-05-14, 06:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
*Nod nod* Will reflect and investigate
Ultimately, I think what I've gained most has been familiarity. I still haven't settled into my ideal arrangement and every day I experiment with at least one new thing. What I've appreciated must about this project is that I haven't left perpetual learning mode. I said a hundred or so days ago that, by that point, if I picked a style and stuck to it then I'd probably be reasonable at that style by now but I'd be a much worse off artist overall.
I like challenging my ideas and habits day by day. My lines did get smother and then, a few days ago, I experimented with very rough lines and it worked out great - now I've got another tool to my arsenal. I don't like thinking in progress I've made towards specific goals, I like thinking about what I learned today. Each day I can point to one unique thing, say, "I learned this", and claim victory.
And ultimately, I treasure that. There are times of our lives that would just go by in blurs, the daily grind, things happen and it all just blurs together in the indistinct past. Today if someone asks me what I did three months ago, I can say, "I got better". Every day is measurably worth something.
where to go from here? if you choose to continue.
I must say I am sorry I haven't been keeping track so I don't have much advice. However, here is one thing I think you should try next.
Line composition - increase the thickness and width of the lines at certain points, it makes your curves fuller and addes some depth and texture to your line drawings. One of the things in some comics and cartoons is to use thicker lines on the outer edge of a line drawing. makes it pop out from the paper.
Have your line end at sharp points and rounded ends, depending on the drawing.
Day 362: Requesssssst
For Bakuel, a quick Minimalism sketch. Deadlines creeping up, art time on a momentary downswing. Probably won't have time to relax properly for another two weeks.
I do quite like how the eyes turned out. Not completely sold on the hair. Hmm.
Time: 30 minutes
Music: The Prismriver SistersLast edited by Thanqol; 2012-05-14 at 06:37 AM.
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2012-05-14, 07:24 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2011
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
just to illustrate what I mean, here is an old line drawing of Berry Ann I had
Spoiler
I use the outline trick here, it's not perfect cause I am using paint, but imagine if I just used pencils to make the outline thicker.
See what I mean by pop out? it's a quick and simple trick used by cartoonists. of course you don't have to make the outlines as thick as I did here, as long as it's slightly thicker outside than the lines you used on the whole drawing.Last edited by Kairaven; 2012-05-14 at 07:33 AM.
"Winning with friendship means winning at life!"
-Mako Mankanshoku
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2012-05-15, 08:25 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
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2012-05-15, 10:50 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2008
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- Imladris
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2012-05-16, 02:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Double thanks for the Where's Your Wonderland link, that album is pure Changeling inspiration.
Day 364: The Ancient Pact
Just some practise with some Changeling characters [Yes, be prepared for random acts of shipping]. Mediocre overall, but good practise and a lot of tricky parts to it.
Links
Time: 40 minutes
Music: Too Clever By HalfLast edited by Thanqol; 2012-05-16 at 04:22 AM.
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2012-05-17, 01:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
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2012-05-17, 08:22 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2011
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
...sad things...are sad. I should really rant about how art is a philosophical tool to share feelings and meaning with others and how, "With great power comes great responsibility."
On top of all that is the question, "Is such a negative subject really the best choice for Day Three Hundred Sixty Five of drawing?"
But...the art itself is pretty clean, neat, and evocative ( of a sort ).
Maybe Thanqol is just celebrating the ability to put a mask on a pony's face... But really the general visual concept is good, it's just the theme that I'm bothered by.
Progress, Thanqol. Progress.
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2012-05-17, 08:37 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Day 365 isn't the achievement picture. It's a leap year. Day 366 is the achievement. I'm not even sure I should celebrate it at all. In the words of Terry Pratchett, "Either every day is holy or none of them are".
Art should make you feel. This picture was drawn in response to a feeling I had. I don't have any responsibility to make people happy with my art. I think if I have a responsibility, it's to be honest with it. It's communication, like my other attempts at communication. I want to tell you a story, and it might not be the story you want to hear.
Also, my very first tablet drawing was this. I liked the balance, the reflection, of seeing how far I'd come.
But...the art itself is pretty clean, neat, and evocative ( of a sort ).
Maybe Thanqol is just celebrating the ability to put a mask on a pony's face... But really the general visual concept is good, it's just the theme that I'm bothered by.
Progress, Thanqol. Progress.
There are cycles. Through my drawing project, I drew Mask with that red/gold/orange hair more and more frequently. I stepped away from her original appearance and into my own design. As this was happening, she got more and more open, more and more talkative, more and more trusting.
And then she got hurt and she's trying to retreat back into herself, retreat back to the way she was. Undo all her growth and experiences because it'd be easier than facing the pain. She's trying to backslide. But she can't. Those lessons she learned, the things she did, the path she took to become a better pony can't be undone that easily. When you cut and bind something, something has changed. The thickness is different. That old life is forever changed by the presence of the new. She can't turn back the clock.
And now she's going to have to step forwards again, knowing that she can't go backwards. She can't keep on the path she knew. Something has to change. She's going to have to start moving again, even through the pain and the sorrow.
Just like I couldn't undo the year of improvement by going back to my original subject, neither can she. We've got no way out but forwards. Together.
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2012-05-17, 09:07 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2009
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- Flanhk-Marepork
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
D'aaaawwwwww! She just wants a hug!
Comments on the picture (as oppose to the art): she's got a giant-fluffy-squirrel-ish tail happening there. Maybe she should switch to a different shampoo? And I know it's a cliché, but...
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2012-05-17, 11:39 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2008
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- Imladris
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
You'd think that pony, of all ponies, would have known better than to trust an actor. And therein's the rub, isn't it? Trust Invites Betrayal, and the gods are capricious and only want to be entertained.
Darn it, Thanqol. Now I see the world through an Arcadian lens, and we are the Gentry to the characters we create.
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2012-05-17, 10:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Mask's tail is super giant and fluffy by design.
Ah, what cruel things we do to our toys.
Day 366: End Of Year One
So a milestone has been reached. I made it a year.
It's been a good year. A long year. I've come a long way. You can see that progress in a video I made here.
But I feel curiously serene. At peace. Not proud, or smug, or arrogant. I haven't achieved a goal. I've discovered a lifestyle. This is who I am now.
Art is a part of me.
Forever.
Links
Time: One Year
Music: Silence
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2012-05-17, 10:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2009
Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
And it's time for a new thread.
Thank you, everyone who took the time to post or comment or request or anything else. Thank you to everyone who took the time to lurk. Your presence means more than you know.
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2012-07-24, 08:42 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2012
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Re: Thanqol Learns To Draw!
Hey I hope you find this tutorial helpful.. How To Draw realistic faces
The concept is for drawing realistically but can also apply to any drawings! If you master the two techniques that were mentioned.. Observe and Draw.. :)Last edited by mrmaquilan; 2012-07-24 at 08:45 AM.