enialadam-Thanks. Yeah that is almost how I blend colors in photoshop also. I tend to keep the opacity on 100 and flow at like 50 or 30. I tend to dislike the brush opacity that occurs with my tablet when I paint in photoshop. I sometimes color flat in photoshop but I always take it to painter cause of the painterly brushes and sketching in painter feels more natural. I have one brush in painter that can get like 6 different tone from multiple strokes I dunno how I created it but I am starting to like it. It is great for speed painting. I suck at painting in photoshop Lol the stuff always come out blurry and unatural. The work never comes out right. I don’t see how you guys do it. This is my first true attempt at painting something like this.
Now OPEN!!! Open Figure Drawing Workshop with Ben Miller, Liang Wang, Rebeccak 005!!
Hi Rebecca
Hope you don’t mind me posting this here if you do let me know.
I see these as a learning exercise. I never tried to compose groupd os figures before. Very tricky. I’ll probably have to do a lot of them to come up with one good one. I only have the four figures to work with so far, but as I get more hopefully there will be better combinations. Right now I’ll just call the allegory a surealistic dream. Where real space doesn’t exist and logic is the exception. I’m learning alot from each one with your help of course and alot of my own imagination.
You are right on the lighting and the figures spacial relationships to each other.
Tried to correct it by giving more unified light source. And putting ZhuZHu in front of figure on right. And by using light and shadow more dramatically to create a focal point of interest.
The dragon symbolizes the natural wild spirit of nature and that includes human nature. Used him in the same sence as the use of satyrs with women. Could have put hooves on ZhuZhu but decided on using dragon instead. Satyrs are played out. Trying to depict an old theme with different symbol kind of thing. Just experimenting and trying to learn more as I go along. I think this kind of exercise with force me to confront situations that are unforseen in my painting knowledge. And conquer them hopefully. Need your help along the way. Two minds are better thn one for sure. Might end up with a masterpiece in the end, who knows, but will have fun trying anyway.
Finally got the temperature and mood to my liking on Liang’s painting.
Starting to put in details with oil brushes.
Pushav: when you are using Liquid Lens to shape figures and correct proportions, use the tool in the upper left hand corner more. It compresses and expands whatever you point it at. Great for doing curves big and small - outside and inside of figure. The tool you’re using now is more for carving and stretching paint. You’re starting to get the hang of it, but listen to what Rebecca says about using regular brushes also. That’s the look you want to have in the end.
Take Care
Glenn
Spiritdreamer-Yeah I was using the distorto (I like the accurate feel of distorto better and it is easier to control) under liquid in painter I should try that thin distorto also to see what it is about. I will try liquid lens once more it is hard to control at times. Yeah I am not starting to use normal custom captures bristle brush I made to even out tones. I killed her face tho’ lol. That is when a pencil sketch would come in handy.
Spirit Dreamer,
Sorry I was not able to get to your piece sooner…I’ve spent the better part of the day on the Workshop, which has been a blast! 
Ok, I think that your combined piece is looking MUCH more unified and interesting now. I still think the female figure in the foreground is too small and oddly placed with relation to zhuzhu. Why not enlarge your canvas (not image size) in Photoshop? Then you would have more room to maneuver to the left of your picture plane, and could scale the figure up a bit.
Also, watch where her knee is touching the ground with relationship to where zhuzhu’s feet are touching the ground. Right now it doesn’t make sense spatially, because she is supposedly in front, but her knee is touching the ground behind zhuzhu’s feet. This is possible, but she would need to be much larger.
Your second image is looking great, I like the texture of the dress so far. Now it’s just a matter of getting in there and refining details.
Great stuff, Spirit Dreamer!
Cheers,
~Rebeccak
wow… :eek: some great work going on here, i feel ashamed for having been out of the loop for so long! I see Liang is turning out to be quite the favourite! For my own part, I could’t resist when I saw the male model. Pieces that stood out for me so far (and I confess I haven’t looked through the whole thread, just the past couple of pages - dial up and impatience aren’t the best of bedfellows), Sh@ke… Michael, that sketch is absolutely gorgeous, I’d give my left arm to be able to bring such life to paper with so few strokes! Cs Girl, I love your colour scheme. Spirit Dreamer, the first of your firey pics of Liang really stood out, and that last post with al three figures in has the beginnings of looking like something out of an old masters book! Pushav, its good to see you so actively involved here, you’re really making progress. I’ve not seen the pic of Liang, but your shoulders on that last pic still seem a little on the manly side, but the mass of the arms has come out well.
And here’s my first contirbution: an attempt to sketch straight into Photoshop, trying with a piece of paper taped over the wacom tablet. Seems to work, but i prefer the old fashioned pencil. There’s something a little light about the way the weight of the body is resting on the right hand foot (as we look at it), but i can’t put my finger on what. :shrug:
Zepyhri,
Great to see your work here! I have to confess that I’ve been a bit less involved with this Workshop as well, due to the CGWorkshop, but I love to come here daily to see the incredible work going on!
I agree with you about the foot ~ I think the problem is that the curve describing the arch of the foot is too simple, and relaxed. It would be feeling a bit of strain, particularly bent as it is, so I recommend redrawing the curve in terms of smaller angles and planes ~ not just a series of one or two conjoined curves. Really pay attention to where the forms overlap ~ that’s really key. It can be hard to see, but really study that area, and clearly draw lines which indicate the front most forms of the foot.
Nice sketch! I haven’t seen exactly this approach from you before, and it’s refreshing!
Cheers,
~Rebeccak
hey can anyone explain or whatever how to paint the hands on the male model. I’m having a hell of a time trying to get it down. the shadows never look right and the shape is pathetic. I’ll post my lastest version once I get the hand down.
Dark3D,
Great to see you back! Pretty cool style there ~ I like the gestural quality better than some of your ‘tighter’ linework ~ nice! He needs more of a pelvis, though ~ his legs are looking a bit slim for his upper trunk. But nice overall feel to the work!
BSmith,
It’s about a lot of practice. I would try studying the hands only in a separate study, then copying and pasting that into your main document. Try working on a larger document for the hands ~ so you can get down to the detail level at a fairly high resolution.
Post that result, and we’ll evaluate it.
Cheers,
~Rebeccak
I’ve changed the gesture of the hands, i think it has given the pose a darker feel and also bit of a focus point…hope it has worked.
Great work mabuffaloe and Zepyhri, it was hard for me to get this pose looking right…you guys make it look so easy!
Draw - I love it. I really like the dirtyness to it. keep it up
Mabuff - Thats an awesome drawing. The part that sticks out at me the most is the hair and how well it was done. I still don’t understand how some people draw hair so realisticly.
Enjoying the recent drawings shared here, thanks Zepyhri, Dark3D, mabuffaloe and drawmonger.
Agreed… and I took your advice, and focused in on the foot and leg. Tried to be more geometrical in my approach, more hogarth-esqe, as it’s not a way I usually work, and I find it good for getting used to the volumes and masses, makes you think about the 3D form of what you’re drawing as well as the light and how it hits it. I think I’ll try this with the hands too, as I have trouble with them at the best of times!
and its a pleasure Ben, great material to work with! Mabuffaloe, nice shading and linework. Drawmonger, I think you’ve done a fine job! The only thing that looks a teensy bit odd is the length of the neck before you get to the hair, it sort of looks like he’s pulling his head off his shoulders! Other than that, lovely texture and colours.
Zepyhri, Firstly, your foot study is fantastic!! Second, Thanks for the feedback …about the head being pulled off the shoulders…LOL! i saw this myself and thought it added a kinda stressful and macabe touch…probably not what i should have done given that we are going for anatomical correctness…but i will post an update with Ben’s head back firmly on his shoulders 
Hey, nice job on that foot, Zepyhri… I think you nailed it this time! I like the value work you’ve done on his back, drawMonger… looks great!
Gah! Some beautiful work here guys, with no time for real comment…will try to get back later ~ amazing work!!! :bounce:
Cheers,
~Rebecca
ok there is my update. Like I said…the right hand sucks…I spend who knows how long on that. The left hand sucks too I guess but not as bad. But other than that I’m actually suprised how good it turned out given I have no traditional painting experience.
