A sketch a day

[Rebeccak]

choco22,

Welcome! :) I have moved your thread here to the Personal Anatomy and Sketchbook Forum where I think it fits in more appropriately. Please tell us something about your art training and background, as that is always interesting to hear. I look forward to seeing your work!

Cheers,

-Rebeccak

[choco22]

Thanks for the warm welcome K,
I don't have any traditional background when it comes to art. I took art in 6th or 7th grade but that was the only time. I'm self taught in a lot of what I do I'm just eager to learn and do things well. I doodle from time to time but nothing really serious since I was about 10 then I was drawing daily for about 1 year on the bus on my way to school but that's the last time I recall doing it pro-actively. I've dabbled in 3D, by no means consider myself someone who knows what he's doing. I enjoy graphic design, but restricted to web page layout, color schemes, etc. I do web programming as my full time job and am confident in my web coding skills.

Aside from that I can pretty much see what I'm doing wrong in my images but I just need to work out the kinks and practice so I can actually draw what I'm seeing. As promised I will post a sketch a day and hopefully can for posterity (and others) see how I progress. Your critiques are embraced and I will do my best to keep this updated daily.

Date: 9.11.06
Source: imagination.
Time Elapsed: ~30min
Pencil, Sketchpad

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/bee.jpg

[choco22]

Date: 9.12.06
Source: imagination.
Time Elapsed: ~45min
Pencil, Sketchpad

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/varied1.jpg

Date: 9.11.06
Source: Googled Gorilla
Time Elapsed: ~30min
Pencil, Sketchpad

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/gorilla.jpg

[choco22]

Date: 9.13.06
Source: Train Station
Time Elapsed: ~15min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/contours1.jpg

Date: 9.13.06
Source: Girl on Train
Time Elapsed: ~40min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/female2.jpg

Date: 9.13.06
Source: Imagination, Imagination
Time Elapsed: ~35min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/female1.jpghttp://mikeadvised.com/sketches/contours2.jpg

[choco22]

Date: 9.14.06
Source: Man Sleeping in Train
Time Elapsed: ~30min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/sleeping1.jpg

Date: 9.14.06
Source: Older Man Reading in Train
Time Elapsed: ~30min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/face3.jpg

Date: 9.14.06
Source: Man Reading in Train
Time Elapsed: ~15min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/face2.jpg

Date: 9.14.06
Source: Man Looking out of Window on Train
Time Elapsed: ~25min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/face1.jpg

Date: 9.14.06
Source: Imagination while waiting for lunch
Time Elapsed: ~15min
Pencil, Notebook

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/character1.jpg

[Rebeccak]

choco22,

I would encourage you to make the following Workshop as a part of your sketch a day routine: :)

Anatomy Lesson Series: Body Part 2 - The Torso (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=405198)
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=405198

Should be a great month long Workshop with a lot of inspiring participation.

What kind of pen are you using? I would suggest trying a ballpoint pen (just your average black Bic pen) as the nib of your current pen seems a bit wide.

Cheers, :)

-Rebeccak

[choco22]

Hey K!
Wow, I must say i'm impressed and thankful that you have replied to my message so promptly. I will definitely do the workshops and post them. As far as the pen I'm using it's actually not a pen at all it's a regular sharpened #2 Pencil. If you notice above the images I have listed the materials I used. I don't have easy access to a scanner so I took pictures of the pages, cropped and applied a "Find Edges" filter in photoshop giving it a rather undesired double line effect and highlighting all my fine lines the up side is that they are easier to see, the downside is the added girth to each line.

I'm going to head to the art supplies store today and get some pencils for drawing and some that are easier to shade with. Aside from that thanks again.

-Choco

[choco22]

Thank you so much K!
I learned so much about the way I was looking at things just from doing 2 torsos! The first one I did was Neptune and it was alright except my proportions were off I wasn't measuring at all. About 1/2 way through I realized this but rather than fix it I finished it so I could better see and learn from my mistakes. The second I did was of Venus (if I'm not mistaken) and my proportions turned out quite a bit better than neptune. There wasn't much in the way of shadow so that also helped the simplicity of it. I wasn't too happy with the buttock region but I think I was just doing that part so it didn't look too much like a face.

Date: 9.15.06
Source: Man on Train with intense look
Time Elapsed: ~35min
4B Charcoal Pencil, Sketch Book

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/face5.jpg


Date: 9.15.06
Source: BRACCI, Neptune
Time Elapsed: ~35min
HB Charcoal Pencil, Sketch Book

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/workshop/torso/torso2.jpg

Date: 9.15.06
Source: RUBENS, Venus, Cupid, Baccchus and Ceres
Time Elapsed: ~35min
HB Charcoal Pencil, Sketch Book


http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/workshop/torso/torso1.jpg

[choco22]

Date: 9.16.06
Source: CARAVAGGIO, Christ at the Column
Time Elapsed: ~50min
4B Charcoal & HB Charcoal Pencil, Sketch Book

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/workshop/torso/torso3.jpg

[trainee]

Hey choco!
Nice studies! If you continue drawing from life at that rate you will improve very quickly. :)

Try to add some contrast by using the whole range from white to black in your studies. Add some confident strokes once you feel that you are on the right way. It's an easy way to improve the look of your drawings and it also helps to see the good and bad parts more clearly.

Cheers
Julian

[choco22]

Hello Trainee,
Thanks for your comments, I have noticed that I am getting better at life drawing and I see vast changes from the first torso I did to the last torso I did and am really excited about it. I am also finding I'm not very good at light and shadow. As you can see a lot of my drawings are from profile. The reason being that I can find definitive details/features more easily and not much shading is needed with profiles. I am currently trying to move into looking at different angles, etc. Your point about different shades of black is well taken and is something I really need to study more. I understand about the confident strokes completely too thanks for that I suppose it just shows how I feel about my work at this point :p. Once again thanks and I will work on those aspects.

Thanks,
Choco

[choco22]

Date: 9.16.06
Source: Hat
Time Elapsed: ~30min
HB Charcoal Pencil, Sketch Book

http://mikeadvised.com/sketches/hat1.jpg

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