WIP thread for LabyrinthineMind, or LM for short :)

#141

ahem. 33 is not old and crotchety. :wise:
come to think of it, we’re not that far apart. i’m turning 28 this year. lolz.

anyways, great work on both pieces. don’t worry about whether the second one is crooked or not. i agree with what most of maladie said LM. in addition i’d like to say that you also have a great eye for detail. oh and to add, even our glorified 19th century genius, Mr. Bougereu mostly used references with nearly everything he worked on. So I figure for realists, that’s pretty much the norm.

#142

You guys are awesome :slight_smile:

I suck at being all supportive and you guys are so kind and effortless at it! See. It’s proof. Old and crotchety.

I have some good news though, I did finish the Sunset image. I went on a flurry today and decided to be done with it, I want to move on.

You can find it here: Sunset Grove - Guinevere & Lancelot

And yeah Maladie I did add people, but they are soooo teeny they don’t count. :smiley:

I’m way tired (and it’s only 10pm <-- old) so I’ll post about the person piece I have in mind in the morning :smiley: We can bounce back ideas :slight_smile:

#143

I just saw your reply in the finished art thread, Lol!! Hurry up and start a new pic so I can ruin everything for you! Haha. :scream:
Nah, seriously it’s always rewarding helping you, you can take crits very well!
And don’t be so modest, all the work is yours and yours alone. We just tell you what’s wrong, but you are the one who fixes it.

#144

Ok, another quick practice for my next work - in the sense that, I want to show distance…long ass distance, with a super close foreground… big panorama kind of thing.

I wanted this to look concept sketch-ish - but damned if I know what damn brush to use, and I LOVE to blend… so it ended up looking more finished and watercolor/impressionist – which is bizarre to me, but I’m just trying to get the whole close close up and far far away in ONE image.

Sorry for the wide viewpoint:

#145

Ok so - my next idea is inspired by a song written by Sting. It’s called “After the Rain has Fallen”

The lyrics that inspired me are as follows:

[size=2]
The palace guards are all sleeping
Their fires burn into the night
There’s a threat of rain on the dark horizon
And all that’s left is a quarter moon of light

He climbs up through the darkness
No weapon but his surprise
The greatest thief in the high Sahara
Enters the room where a sleeping princess lies

All your money, your pretty necklace
This is my work on such a night
There’s a storm coming over the mountain
I’ll be gone long before the morning

So, since about 5 years ago now, I’ve had this ‘still frame’ in my head that those words, whenever I listen to the song, invoke. I’ve got it down solid, I know /exactly/ what I want… which of course will make this diabolically difficult to do… but I’m up for the task!

I’ve already done an extremely cursory 5 minute sketch. Debating on whether or not to show that or something a little further along. The most important part will be getting my husband to pose for me… so I’ll get that done tonight (or at the latest, this weekend).

I’m a little worried about all of this - but hell, I’ve never been one to not dive in (and mostly always being the first one!) so what the hell. In the end, I will have learned something, so why not?
[/size]

#146

hi :slight_smile:

well - i think your work has certainly been getting better over the months. i don’t know whether cypherx is acutally giving you exercises…however, improvement…apologies if you’ve heard any of this before…

I know it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the need to draw things you see in your head, images and ideas. All I can offer is that the accurate and satisfying depiction of these things comes in time, but not before wading through the nitty-gritty of studying real life.

I think you should begin seriously to study anatomy first; figure drawing is very valuable (as for myself I’m only now realising its fundamental importance) - it teaches proportion, gesture, line, contour, form, value, and eventually colour and all that that entails. This stuff doesn’t necessarily have to take a long time to learn, just lots of effort. :smiley: Plus, there’s the anatomy forum here - an amazing resource…

Regarding landscapes and such, it’s really helpful to study good references closely, or better yet to become observant of enviroments in everyday life. I have read a good few books on landscape painting…pretty glossy books, mind, but they help a lot in explaining the principles of perspective, palette and mood, the appearance of objects in different lights, and specifics on textural/material and weather effects etc.

basically there’s only one thing, whatever you’re doing, which is practice. I have to stress that you should just go into art-sponge mode whenever you have time set aside for it: it’s all mentality (not sheer technique) - if you are highly observant and questioning why things look as they do, draw and paint constructively, critique yourself constantly, and always seek out new points to learn, you will improve. And there’s so much depth, it’s a case of learning to realise how little you really know - at ANY stage of proficiency.

As for technique itself, well, that will grow mainly out of practice and picking things up through reading and looking at others’ work. Over time you can evolve techniques and styles unique to you, but i wouldn’t advise it before laying down the groundwork. All drawing is self-expression, so your personality will inevitably come out in everything you make with your own hands, no matter how generic it may seem.

For guidance check out the lovely art techniques and theories forum and the anatomy forum. There are others who can help you better than I can.

good luck!

#147

Audit, thanks for coming here and taking the time to help a gal out :slight_smile: I appreciate that. You are right on so many levels. I know its all about practice, I just want to do the right practice, ya know? :slight_smile:

Thanks again, I totally appreciate it!

#148

Just some clouds.

#149

Wow! I really like the clouds :slight_smile:

#150

I like the clouds and the stone stairway! Good progress once over. :thumbsup:

#151

Thanks guys. It’s a tutorial gone horribly wrong - but that really isn’t my fault, since the tut kinda assumed you knew some things - which I did not. Haha!

#152

Just how did you do those clouds? I too, like the stairs they’ve got a nice texture, and you’ve paid good attention to the light. Honestly it looks better that it is crooked, it makes it look older, as if it’s sunk into the ground.

#153

Thanks Pap :slight_smile:

Umm, the clouds… I put three colors down - dark saturated blue, medium blue and light purple – then per the tutorial, I actually changed the brush mode – which I have NEVER done before – I used overlay and soft light… it frickin opened my eyes. I was ALL over the place with brushes, textures, blending modes for the brush… I was just playing, really. :slight_smile: I could not really make them look like the clouds in the tutorial, so I just had fun.

#154

For the DSG: “Envy”

#155

I love the colours, and her expression - you can see the envy in her eyes. I would suggest more shading in the eyes though, some highlights and shadows to make them look a little more realistic. That’s only a suggestion anyway - but really, it’s very nice! I love how the colours are fluorescent, as if she’s glowing green with jealousy.

#156

Wow Laby that portrait is great!! Don’t tell me you didn’t use a ref or else I will be green with envy myself:). Really good improvement there!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

#157

great stuff once again. i especially like the clouds. :thumbsup:

i agree with what audit said. when i got back into painting the first thing i did was buy books. lolz. the books i currently have deal with figure drawing, portraits, watercolor landscapes(because i like water colors probably why my colors look a bit washy. lolz.), one that deals with mood and atmosphere and color theory.

i even recently bought a book on drawing trees as a trouble shooter coz i kinda suck at doing trees. lolz.

#158

You’re improving leaps and bounds, keep it up! Great to see you’re doing a lot of speedpaints as well, they generally help improve your work flow (I really need to be doing this too).

#159

Hey everyone, wow, a flurry of activity in my thread, yay :slight_smile:

Thanks for all the positive comments guys - but keep them crits coming!! I totally WANT everyone to tell me honestly what I need to work on… it helps me SO much.

Maladie, I totally used a reference! My own daughter - but I aged her (lengthened and thinned out her face/cheeks/nose/lips) but those are her eyes and hair. She has those perfect arched eyebrows. She’s gorgeous, imo - then again, I’m her mom :smiley:

I’m kinda excited - I got 3 Andrew Loomis books on eBay, his Heads 1/2 and Figure Drawing For All Its Worth. I think I realize why he is a genius – its his ability to completely and utterly explain things concisely and efficiently. I’ve read stuff in his books that hasn’t even come UP on the Anatomy forum - I think people there assume you know stuff that beginners really don’t know. Anyway, I feel ready to start on another branch of my road, headed upwards!

There is a part of me that wants to slow down working on another ‘piece’ to practice more before I dive headlong in again. I dunno. I learn a lot with each one I do - but there is a part of me that gets sad when my results aren’t what I ‘see’ in my mind’s eye too.

But it’s all good. In 10 years, I can go back and re-paint them :smiley:

#160

Ok, everytime I try to comment here my internet connection dies, how odd.
I hope this works, hehehe.

I must say I really love your experiments with colour and texture in the landscapes. I particularily -love- the woods , everything worked out so well there!

Congrats on the Loomis books, you’re in good company :wink: He’s a wonderful teacher, I need to go back to him myself.