So tell us a bit about yourselves..

#1

Since I do want to bring back the sense of community, I think this is a perfect chance to reintroduce yourself to the forum.
And if you are an old-timer, tell us when you joined, and what you have been doing.
-R

#2

Hey. I’m statistically a computer programmer going by what I do most of the time, but also started dabbling in art at a relatively old age of 22-ish, which was around 2004. Until then I had only scribbled diagrams and stick figures mostly. The turning point came when I sat down with Photoshop at a whim to copy a girl’s face from some paper ad, and I realized it was actually possible to get a pretty good likeness without anything more magical than patience and observation.

After that I took up habitual pencil sketching almost every day for several years, mainly practicing figures and faces since I thought they were the pinnacle of classical artistry/draftsmanship and I wanted to be able to draw them without photo reference. Doing it focused like this, progress was actually pretty steady and rapid. I was browsing through an old backup disk now and found many annoyingly good drawings from all the way back in 2007 or so. I’ve fallen out of practice since 2009, but it’s always relatively easy to warm up and access the fundamental abilities.

What I’ve mostly struggled with after reaching a decent “peak level” is the issue of inconsistent results. Sometimes the same sketching session could produce really excellent images mixed up with absolutely horrible ones, and I’d find it difficult to judge or control my state between those two, which was frustrating and often made me shy away from trying another once I had actually completed a good drawing.

I think a key thing that would help out with that problem is to not take it all so seriously, and really draw for fun more than chasing perfection with a constant frown. Relaxation is always an enabler.

That’s what I’m trying to do with these daily sketches anyway. Not being afraid to post crummy images that I’m not 100% satisfied with. Who cares, right? It’s just fun to see what everyone is doing. I haven’t done this before on the forum. Taron insisted that I’d join so I did and so far I’m happy for it!

Here is a neat little mosaic that was also on the backup disk. It’s from an ambitious project I undertook to photograph all sketchbook pages I could find, which turned out to be almost a thousand of them. The resolution isn’t enough to really make them out, but you can scroll around and get an overall sense of how many pencil doodles I’ve gone through. This covers almost five years, laid out in random order. Click to see the 1.6 MB version.

I’ve had much less practice with (digital) painting, but since I have a long background in rendering theory from games and graphics, it’s not as difficult of a subject to grasp given some healthy technical studies. Typically, if you can figure out what forms to draw you should also be able to light and shade them without much of a problem.

I think I have created at least four significant paint applications for myself to use. Mostly because I love to try out ideas myself instead of learning tools that someone else made… More often than not, I end up putting much more time into programming them than actually painting in them!

Oh, and listening to music helps me keep a groove going while I draw. I’m hopelessly unimaginative when it comes to picking playlists though, so I almost exclusively listen to this retro game stream: http://kohina.com/ (it helps that I know most of the songs by heart now, so I can whistle and jam along)

#3

Nice post DrPetter, thank you for posting. I recognize some parts also in my (painting) life.

I’m just some Dutch guy that a long time ago painted something and now just only checks the daily sketch forum for inspirational images a few times a week. Maybe one day I start painting again, but I have so many things I want to do and getting good at painting just requires many hours. Sometimes I get very motivated when I see a great (Dune) high tech drawing or great landscape, but going from bad pencil sketching to even worse wacom sketching (feels so different) does not help to get started.

Currently I’m studying applied physics, but computational physics or computer graphics with a big spark of physics looks also very tempting to me. Simulations for the win! DrPetter, do you perhaps got any information regarding this area you want to share? (PM) I’m (re)investigating my study paths/courses (minor, major).

#4

I’ll keep it brief. I’m a so-called CGI generalist, born in Germany, having been all over arts from the get-go, including music and programming. Starting with pixel graphics and working on computer games I’d been a freelancer in Germany for 12 years. Then I’d spent over 10 years in Los Angeles, working for CG houses and as freelancer on various movies, commercials and a few game-cinematics, eventually dedicating myself to programming.
Now I’m just having fun exploring, enjoying and helping in all those fields as best I can.

#5

I am currently 28, I have bachelor degree in business information technology.

The digital painting is one of my main hobbies but I also like playing 5-string banjo (clawhammer, not bluegrass style) and currently im dreaming to make my own indie game. My first work expirience in Graphical designing / marketing wasnt that good so I would love to be independent someday…

I like traveling, reading, programming and classic cars (mostly americans, I have two currently). I pretty much like lots of things and creating stuff and learning new skills.
I never had TV, I rather stay on computer making somethings. Playing games is awsome too but trying to avoid it because im trying to improve on painting / programming… (having computer that doesnt run the newest games really helps avoiding the games too hehe).

#6

I joined forever ago, but have never really been active. I went to school in the midwest for animation, and when I came back to California I promptly found a job designing and building signs. Floundered for a few years, and I’m now getting back into being serious about this stuff.

#7

I joined CGTalk back while I was attending college for Digital Media, and my activity here probably peaked in the years that followed when I was eager, ambitions, full of energy and woefully single with plenty of time on my hands. Around 2005 my career skyrocketed from a 3D Character Artist in the trenches of the simulation industry up to Art Director and now to being Creative Director for a sim company. Spending long hours in the office in recent years, I began opting for other creative outlets in my (little) free time, usually away from the computer… things like home improvement and gardening. In addition to my career, I’ve also gotten married and started my family with my first son actually born just a few weeks ago. I think something about the past year’s journey of pregnancy and birth has sparked a new inspiration in me to create and draw on a daily basis if possible. Hence why I’m back here. I’ve always loved the DSG/DSF and would love to see it prosper again.

PS> Funny, Taron, I distinctly remember you from my early days here. I think I even downloaded some of your music at some point, probably back around 2002/2003. Glad to see you again!

#8

Great idea, Roberto.

I am 30, have masters degree in computer graphics and I am trying to get PhD in the field of 3D user interfaces. Besides, I am developing mobile apps and games for living, playing bass guitar in melodic metal band and rock climbing.

Drawing is my big hobby since childhood, but still I suck at it. This forum keeps me motivated and helps me to find time to practice. I do a lot of vector art at work (designing UIs, logos, etc) and it is always refreshing to paint something.

#9

I joined up during my time in art school when I learned about this place. Most of my daily sketches were done during that time. Now I’m an artist in the game industry having worked at Microsoft Games Studios for several years and Valve. I also co-founded my own game studio in 2011 called Sobai Games. Doing this part time, trying to get my first game done, which I hope to release this year. During this period I went from being single to married with 3 kids. This of course leave me with little time to do any sort of digital paintings outside of work, so I’m mostly absent from these boards, however once in awhile I’ll try to squeeze in what little time I have to get something done.

#10

I’m a general artist, I work traditionally and digitally. I’m doing an Art degree, learning programming and delving into the Maya interface. Never done 3D before so it’s a great learning curve. Building focus in these areas and like Sazem I’m saved by being on a mac, so I can’t game away my time too easily.

#11

Built up the nerve: I use to only draw - with a mechanical pencil to boot. No anatomy, no studying or training. Just copying - for fun/boredom. Just adding one detail to another, sometimes skewing the big picture. Then I found photoshop and dove into color for the first time. Feel like I’m struggling to learn everything. I sometimes slip back into painting details too soon - before form. I want my characters to just from the imagination now. But, I can never finish anything. I’m here to keep myself out of a rut. & you guys are so inspiring!
I’ve also taught myself a bit of coding(websites), photography, and hoop dancing to stay in shape.

Here’s the kind of cheesy stuff I use to draw: I’ll probably delete them soon though.