Delayed update,
20 minute contour drawing-
30 minutes of Gesture, I’ve been using posemaniacs, which is amazing and useful, but does seem to recycle images often. I’ve drawn some of these poses before, but I think the practice is still useful.
Another 20 minute contour drawing-
Another batch of gestures and some quick sketches. I’m starting to explore drawing class options, I feel like I’m treading water and not practicing “smart”. The fact that I’m working a schedule that is keeping me from the figure drawing class I was attending has led me to explore other options for progressing. I’ve been looking at ateliers here in new york and continuing education classes and other life drawing classes as well as ClassicalArtOnline. If anyone out there familiar with New York City has any recommendations I’d love to hear them.
Then again, I suppose I could also just draw more!
Looking good Tasp. And hey…better to tread water than to drown! We all go through periods where, for one reason or another, we’re not able to access our preferred routine practice. During those times those times I think the best (and only) thing to do is just keep drawing and not get discouraged 
Your stuff is looking great.
Also, I meant to comment earlier…I’m really digging your blind contour drawings. I had a great teacher in high school that had us practice those, but sadly I haven’t tried it since. I’ve thought about trying it again tho. I was recently reading a really good biography of Rodin (who was an excellent draftsman in addition to his sculpture) and there was a bit about his art training in 19th century France. Apparently, the teacher that he said he learned the most from was really heavy on the “memory” drawing. He would have his students do blind contour drawings incessantly, and he would also do things like have them go to a museum and stare at a master painting all day, and then go home and try to draw the entire thing from memory. Rodin said that he learned more from these exercises than from anything else. I can see how it would provide great training for observational skills. I’ll have to try it!
Jabuhrer- Thank you for the encouragement! I am definitely not giving up, just voicing my current concerns that I am on a plateau, skill wise. I’m definitely going to continue to tread water until I learn to swim better. I haven’t been posting as of late, I loaned out my camera to a friend last week and just got it back. I have been drawing a little more than usual this last week. Throwing myself into it as it were to help myself get re-motivated. I’ve been doing a ton of gestural and quick sketching but I don’t feel that there’s been much progress on that front. So here is another batch of blind contour drawings-
So I’ve been sketching daily, doing doodles an anatomy work. I haven’t produced anything I’m happy with in a while, though I suppose that’s a good thing because it will keep me working on it. Here are a few sketches from the last few days, any ideas on how I can fix my problems with proportions would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been trying do a few quick sketches of my reference before getting started in earnest and using my pencil to try to see how the angles are.
Made the head too big and the arm in the background is also too large in this one. I tried to go ahead and do some shading on it anyway, didn’t get to the face-
This one is by far the best sketch I’ve done lately, and it took me 30 minutes to get it to this point. I am going to try and shade it despite the fact that it’s still not positioned properly. I’m enjoying china markers, the lack of erasing makes me put down each line with certainty.
Recent master studies from the anatomy series…
I’m definitely going to start laying in lines for the eyes and other major features, I already try to do this, but I’m going to have to start being a lot more careful with it. The eyes on this one are horribly mis-aligned.
Another master copy, messed up the neck on this one, still issues with the eye alignment but I feel like I got closer to capturing the feel of this piece than the one above
This last one is a series of practice sketches, before attempting this master copy in earnest. Its from the torso anatomy series. I’m trying to properly catch both the hunched curve of the shoulders as the arm comes across twisting the torso, and the slouch of the shoulder in the foreground being lower than the one we can’t see in the background. None of these three properly show the posture, but I feel like the practice is helping me understand the pose more and get closer to what it actually is. I’m going to keep trying this until I get it right.
Critiques or suggestions always welcome.
Two recent drawings
[edit] Forgot to mention I found both of the references for these images in the master copy threads on the anatomy forums.
This is from my daily practice. It turned out to be something I’m quite pleased with despite having some issues that need more work
I’ve been working on a male body in Zbrush, it has a long way to go but this is what I have so far-
Recent Sketches, I’m trying to keep in mind the concepts from Michael Mattesi’s Book “Force”-
Been a while, haven’t made anything I’ve been happy with as of late but I’m still drawing, these are a few recent ones-
I’ve noticed I need to work on my heads when doing gesture-
Blind Contour Study- 10 minutes
15 minute study-
And two images with no reference from imagination-
It’s been a while, here is some stuff:
From about a month ago-
Two weeks ago
And today
I’ve been using a leadholder to draw with lately, I really, really enjoy it. It gives me a constant sized tool to work with and I can use large graphite, charcoal or even china markers in them.
Hi Andrew
I just went through your thread again…Great progress happening…
It looks like you are really getting a nice feel for the tools that you are using to do your studies with, which is half the battle won.
A great sense of flowing energy in the ones posted on the previous page where you say you need to work more on the heads while doing gestures…I really like those alot…and the last one posted is a beautiful drawing…it shows great sensitivity toward the subject, and a clear understanding of overlapping volumes to create a sense of depth and unity of form…Great Job…:applause:
Keep up the great progress Andrew, and above all else,… Enjoy the journy
Glenn
I’m back! It’s been a long time, mostly due to the fact that I just moved across the country. Now that things are starting to settle back to normal I’m going to be able to start working on my drawing again. Thanks for the encouragement Glenn, it’s helpful as always! Here’s stuff I did today (I’m rusty, haven’t done anything but doodle in the last 4 months…)
Been working in 3d lately trying to teach myself more. This head is turning out pretty well, I haven’t looked at any reference. But at this point it’s time to go looking for some and try and tweak it so it looks the way I want it. The biggest issue here is that I think everything is pretty good anatomy wise, the issue is that I’m trying to create a female head and this looks decidedly male to me. So, as I said above, time for reference.
A gorilla I’ve been working on for a scene
That face, reworked, a little more feminine, stopped before detailing much because it’s still very wrong. I’m going to start from scratch again and see if I can get it better.
And this is the body I built for that head to sit on…
Rigged up and posed the gorilla
Tweaked this a little and put on some clothes, gotta figure out how I’m going to do the hair…
Hi, Tasp!
Went through your sketches and progress is really good! I also going to study anatomy and figure drawing, decided to start from drawing basics for now:)
