Sketchbook Thread of Erilaz (Large dl)

#201

Yay! Love th eye study! Only the thing that hers (I think) nose is not well defined bothers me. But when I think again I might be wrong, because it goes into the darkness. Actualy I don’t know how it would be. Overall, very nicely done :slight_smile:

#202

It’s because of the DOF on the lense. I don’t like it either, but that’s the way Hithcock did it, so I have to comply like the little study-zombie that I am! :slight_smile:

Thanks for the lovely compliment.

#203

Matrix study this time. A bit dark maybe. I’m enjoying studying light and composition in film!:

#204

Martin,

Great to see a small update ~ really liking the idea of doing lighting / composition studies and think it’s a great idea. I’d really like to see you take these studies further to really mimic more accurately the stills you’re working from ~ rather than just a bunch of loose, unfinished washy sketches, it would be great to see loose, more resolved sketches where there is a focal point and clearly defined areas of light and dark. This will be a good test of your skills and I would try to make each sketch something that you could show off as a set. Don’t build up a stack of unfinished ‘speed’ sketches as I frankly don’t think this is very useful as an exercise for someone who should be developing more finished work. :slight_smile:

Cheers,

~RK

#205

Once again, the Kimmie whiplash hits the mark. :smiley: I’m working on doing more focused studies that are “finished” (I’m never quite finished, but then who is?). I’ll still do the speedies, purely for fun and warm up, although I spent a vast amount of time on the psycho one. Oh well…

I’ll come back to him a bit later.

#206

These last b&w studies look great. The one from anatomy lesson series. The lighting is awesome. I love the mood/darkness in the compositional study. Keep up with these studies, I like them :slight_smile:

#207

Thanks razz. Great to see you visiting frequently! :slight_smile:

Watching the Sound of Music + sketchbook = weird

#208

Martin I like you and I think your a funny guy so I’ll give you the truth about your sketches. Can you handle the truth? : p

Stop being lazy with your line work. Its like you don’t really know how to define the outline of the form you are sketching so you just go in half-hearted and draw something curvy and move on. What will help is to really look at the form and try and be more specific with the lines. Its even okay to overemphasize the shapes to give them more purpose. Kind of stylize them even if they don’t look real/correct they will look more intentional. They just kinda lack any emotion right now. Like your insecure about it. As Marko told me in Montreal “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. They are just lines. Be confident.” Does that make sense?

The comp/light studies are looking great man.

#209

Oh, and I agree with you entirely! Lines are up there in my greatest weakness, and I don’t do enough line work. I tend to “pet” my lines and not really know where i’m taking them.

Admittedly this is partly due to sketching people a lot during travel, since I don’t want to be seen drawing them and they move around a lot, I lose the form of the person I am drawing. I’ve been trying more and more to fix the form of the person in my head first, but then i get precious with my output. The most recent pages was indeed a page of misintention. I was basically doodling while watching a movie.

Believe me, I take everything on board seriously that people say about my work. It’s imperative that I improve, so your honesty is appreciated. For some reason digital work is stronger in me, and that is probably due to the knowledge if i make a mistake I can fix it easily and cleanly. I know they’re just lines, but the pencil is a much harder tool to master. Dan said a similar thing to me at the Montreal Workshop: “Don’t be afraid to go in hard!”

I need to do more studies it’s true, because my contour work sucks like a leech-infested vacuum cleaner in a black hole.

Thanks again. All critiques are like booster shots: Stinging, but life-saving.:smiley:

#210

Here’s a few more studies, mainly from Bridgman. I’m trying to take what he has shown and push it further a little.

This is still a work in progress study. I’m trying to get my lines cleaner and more confident. I’m starting to work on the one sketch intensely rather than doing heaps of small useless ones. I think i’m getting more out of it this way. I’m also attempting to do more pencil work with other mediums involved.
I was experimenting, using my tea to shade with, but you can’t see it due to the scan. Darn.

#211

HEY…Martin…:scream: …LOL…TEA

Reminds me of a time, when I did a whole series of paintings on watercolor paper, using
BEET JUICE…looked great when they where new,crimson colors…but after a couple of weeks, they faded into nothing…oh well, live and learn…:slight_smile: …you might try coffee next time…:scream:

About your line work…A good way to aproach drawing from life, is to FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY
when you map out your figure with your line,…Then…STING…FAST + HARD LIKE A BEE…where it is needed most…Also, you can put your pad of paper, behind a newspaper on your lap, and it will look like you are doing a crossword puzzle…then people won’t even pay attenion to you,
or be aware that you are drawing them…:slight_smile:
LIKE your studies of light, shadow, and there use in creating drama in composition…also like
that master copy portrait, and your latest anatomy studies…you’ll learn a little something from every aproach you try, when it comes to drawing and painting…so keep experimenting
and perfecting the results that work…:thumbsup:

TAKE CARE
Glenn

#212

Martin!

These last pencil sketches are some of your best yet ~ I think Shay’s advice is good advice, and it looks like you’ve listened. Keep it up! Would love to see more sketches in this vein. :slight_smile:

Cheers,

~RK

#213

My huge failures from today’s sketch group, as well as others:

#214

Oh and a samurai using funky brush-pens. It’s all bumskee’s fault!:

#215

Erilaz i appreciate the brilliant idea of studying light and composition from film:thumbsup:
and shading with tea:scream:

I’m starting to work on the one sketch intensely rather than doing heaps of small useless ones. I think i’m getting more out of it this way. I’m also attempting to do more pencil work with other mediums involved.

These lines nw really shw ur gr8 skills…:slight_smile:

#216

CgIcecube: Thanks! I hope that i’m improving!

Here’s some silhouette figure studies. I’m pulling back on my studies a bit to focus on the general figure and proportions. I’ve been jumping about too much recently (another thing Min was kind enough to point out!), so i’m going to be keeping things simple for a while, then work in folds and contours later.


#217

Very clean in the last one Martin, reminds me of an Apple advert :wink:

I was wondering at your recent drawing process; when you’re sketching a figure do you move from gesture to blocking in 3d forms (eg: arms as cylinders, pelvis as a box, etc) then detail / ‘character marks’ or are working in one stage?

I have a similar issue with line, and to compare notes: Do you find your line changes a lot depending on medium? I find if I’m using something heavy (dark charcoal, or a 6b graphite stick) the way I lay in line is very different then if I’m working in something you can be fussy with (say a 2b, or laying out with a 2h etc). Just wondering as I’m trying to mainly use heavy media or ink, and it seems to force me to commit to lines in a sketch.

#218

Kary: I use two entirely different methods from traditional and digital.

Traditionally I sketch gesturally, then draw in the solid forms and contours. It’s not my best area, and i’m working to improve that!
Digitally, I just start blocking in the form. I only concentrate on the form and silhouette of the character, then work inwards… sort of a “Work from large to small” method. I try not to get caught up in any lines or shades or details until i like the look of the outer shell.

I agree about using ink. It makes me THINK about the lines before I lay them, and it also forces me to redo and take stock of where i’m going wrong.

Ipod adverts… I never thought about it like that! I hate it when advertising culture seeps into our subconcious!:sad:

#219

Hah, well I think you’re free and clear on that one. I’m fairly sure that the Apple campaign was derivative of the bold silhouettes have been around for awhile now (though flipping them into a moving medium was very bright and wound up iconic).

Thanks for running through the questions. It helps explain the different feel between your traditional and digital :). I’m still not very comfortable sketching digitally, but I do keep to the gesture > 3d > character theory in both media (now if only I could take the theory and apply it ;)).

Look forward to watching the thread develop :slight_smile:

#220

Thanks kary! I appreciate the discussion! :slight_smile:

A terrible outcome today. I think we were all tired at the sketchgroup. I blame Carl. :slight_smile: