Hey guys,
You are free to do whatever you want (within reason, of course) with your threads, so any collaborations are more than fine by me! 
However, generally I think people prefer to keep their own work in their own threads, but who am I to say what people like to do?
To keep up with one another’s threads, I recommend just subscribing to each other’s threads and that way you’ll know when one or the other has posted an update.
Cheers,
~Rebeccak
Yea thats probably a better idea.
Plus iv’e just checked and BNN has her own thread anyway. I’ll just subscribe to that one. Ill have some work on here to show you by tonight too!
Nick
Here are a few sketches from today.
The first 2 were pretty quick - 10 mins for the first, and about 15 - 20 mins for the second. The last one is much more finished off, with more attention to detail and muscle structure. I apologise for the low quality of my images, its not ideal taking pics of my sketches instead of scanning them, but its the best I can do for now.
Any advice would be great. By the way Rebeccak, I ended up ordering Vilppu’s head costruction, and upper torso anatomy dvds. Also I ordered Michelangelos master draughtsman book, along with Raphaels master draughtsman book, for some good master copies - they should arrive soon. I just recieved my anatomy book my Peck, and am reading through that now. Im contemplating getting Hogarths dynamic gestures book, but i have plenty to work with for now, so that can wait.
I wasn’t focusing on any hand anatomy in any of these by the way. Just taking it one step at a time.
This last one took around 2 hours. I was pretty happy with how it came out in the end, but i’m sure it could still use more work.
Thanks for all the encouragement and help I have recieved so far. I hope you will start to see improvements in my work a lot over the summer
Nick
Nick,
Good to see these drawings! Keep doing many many more, and I think once you start in on some Master Copies from your new books (great to hear you will be getting those!) I think you will start to see tremendous improvement!
Cheers,
~Rebeccak
Rebeccak
Thanks! I am waiting on two Vilppu dvds, and I hope that they will get here soon, coz im pretty convinced they will be a great resource. Yea doing master copies is bound to improve my work. I know what you mean about the image already having been interpreted in terms of lines.
Nick
Hey! Great start!
I’m new to the forum too and I REALLY need to get on those master drawings as well. Rebecca has a nice way of saying things simply so you can get it.
I think I’ll get a master draftsman book too. I don’t even know if I can wait to order one; might go check a couple of book shops.
I think your later sketches show a definite improvement especially since your lines look more intentional and confident.
Hang in there, I’m trying to as well!
Oh yea let me know how the DVD’s go, I was thinking about ordering them as well. I already have the hogarth books, but I like to take it one step @ a time… oro~
the pictures are a bit blurry, do you photograph them?
anyways, nice to see studies, I’m curious how you will develop. villpu is great
Yea, unfortunatley I don’t have a scanner so the pics aren’t great. I may even try taking them from a bit of a distance and see if that helps in the future.
Thanks for the words of encouragement, I’m trying my hardest, and I hope its gonna start to show as my work progresses. Still waiting on the Vilppu dvd’s but i’ve heard good things, so I’m looking forward to recieving it (I actually get out of bed for the door now in case its my dvds being delivered).
aLoneCusso, I will let you know how the master draughtsman books and the dvd are when they get here. I appreciate what you mean about taking it one step at a time tho. At the moment i’m just trying to surround myself with material so that wherever I see anatomy Surely I will pick it up then!! lol
I somehow managed to completely miss the beginners lounge, and just found out about it when reading through some other threads! Im starting work on the assignments in there right away!!
Thanks for everything guys and gals! There’s some great people here!
Nick
Well, I’ve been workin away for a while now, but I haven’t updated in ages, so here’s a bit of an update:
I got a Vilppu dvd, and they are really very good. However, because there are so many, its very hard for me to properly assess how much use just one was. I think I have much better understanding of the upper torso now (which is the one I bought).
I have started doing life drawing at university now, which is good, but my accuracy seems to go completely to pot when Im srawing from life rather than photo reference! My proportions go all over the place, and my line work is aweful too!
Here are a couple of gesture drawings that I did just now, all under 3 mins:
I pretty much despise them. I really don’t like my line work. These were my brother posing for me, so they were from life, but they look awful IMO. Can anyone offer any suggestions to improve my gesture drawings?
I also have all my life drawing from uni to post up, so will take care of that later tonight.
Here is a quick drawing from photo reference using ball point pen to try and free myself up a bit:
Any comments and crits would be very much appreciated!
Hope everyone had a good Christmas.
Ok, heres an update. Did this one last night from photo ref. About 2 hours work. Sorry the shading looks a little grainy, its coz I had to make some levels adjustments in PS due to bad lighting when I took the photo:
Comments and crits appreciated:
Thanks
Nick
Ok here is a little update for this evening. Decided to do a more finished drawing, with more shading and render it with realism as my target. You’ll have to let me know if I succeeded or, but Im pretty happy with the outcome. Eye Study:
If you got a minute please leave some comments or just say hi 
Nick
Nick,
Good to see your updates! I might recommend Vilppu’s Gesture DVD since gesture is so foundational, and would help you a lot with your life studies in terms of proportion and capturing the essence. It comes highly recommended!
Thanks Rebecca
Actually, its funny you should mention that becuase 3 days ago I ordered exactly that. I know that is something that I really need to improve. I have a lot of trouble when I try and quickly capture the essence of a pose.
Anyway, ill keep trying to update every day, so I look forward to your comments on those.
Thanks for the reply.
Nick
I want them too! (the Vilppu DVD’s)
love the eye closeup. Maybe add a wrinkle to make the lower lid more visible…
Thanks
Yea I can’t wait for the dvd to arrive! You are right about the lower lid. There is a slight line there to suggest it, but it could do with being more pronounced, or adding a second.
Nick
Well, its been a few days since I posted, so naturally I have a few updates:
Ballerina Studies:
And some little practice bits:
All these are from my sketchbook in the last few days, none are digital, im trying to improve my natural drawing skills first
Comments appreciated!
Nick,
Dont worry about your drawing skills being a bit weak, rebbekah is right in saying it takes hundreds of drawings to start becoming a little better. At art college we spent two weeks drawing straight lines freehand. then we were allowed to draw leaves for another two weeks. Then we were allowed to draw primitives like cubes and spheres this was our practice session each time we had to draw from life. My tutors Stan North and Jan (? co produced Sgt Pepper album cover) were really strict with us. I was getting disheartened with the course, but you know what it started working.
you will get there mate, and i think your spray art is awesome.
Rich
Thanks Rich
Well ill continue to work away at it and I can see myself improving so thats my main motivation to continue
Im glad you like my spray art too 
Animziggy - Thanks mate, good to hear from you
Nick