The Anatomy Thread of ceruleanvii - 2D

#121

very nice sketches & paintings… I really like the stuff you did while on vacation.
The man sitting in the water, that’s a great painting so far. Impressive job on the water, and lighting the guy, good skin tones.

#122

This thread is going strong ( * ~ `) I envy life drawing classes, heh. Your digital paintings are beautiful… Maybe I should start doing my anatomy studies on the Wacom as well, but if I can’t nail it on paper, I’m not gonna nail it on photoshop or painter either /( ~_~)\

I noticed that (not to nitpick xD) you seem to skip a little on the hands in some of your pencil/charcoal drawings. I’d suggest you take -every- opportunity to draw em xD even if it’s at a risk of “aw crap I messed my drawing up”, and believe me it does, at least to me xD But if the purpose is learning, it would probably work out better in the end, right?

Can’t really say anything else, your work blows this dog out of the water anyhows, more power ( ’ x `)b

#123

Hi Ceruleanvii,

Those muscle studies are great for just starting to do them. Do you have all the muscles commited to memory, or do you have some references to locate the muscles while you are drawing? I have been trying to learn the muscles myself, and there is no easy angle for me yet. The back is particularly hard for me because of how the scapula moves all over the places and there are multiple muscles covering it.

Oh yeah, I have always admired the skin tones in your paintings. They look so natural yet magical. Keep it up!

#124

Hey ceruleanvii !!

like your sketching very much and that last painting was a great work :applause: love the shades on body.

keep them coming . . .

#125

Magtataho, thanks for stopping by my thread! Yes, you are absolutely right about the hands. Nothing worse than ruining a nice figure drawing by adding on some deformed flippers, LOL. But I should at least try and block them in, I agree!

Heozart, thanks. I know all the major muscles except the forearm (nightmare) and I am still pretty weak on the leg. What I discovered with this type of drawing, though, is even though I thought I knew the muscles, in a turny twisty pose it’s hard to tell what the heck is what. I had a lot of conversations with my teacher when I was doing the drawing that would go something like this:

Me: “Ok, so that bulge over there, that’s the tensor muscle, right?”

Teacher: “No, actually, that’s the gluteus medius.”

Me: “Argh.”

That’s why I think it’s a great exercise to help really nail this stuff. If you can take an good artistic anatomy class, I’d highly recommend it. I tried to learn it on my own, but what I’m learning from my teacher (he has a medical illustration degree) has been invaluable.

Deepam, thanks, and Johan, thanks for that Rey Bustos link!

I finished up the guy in the water painting, at least for now, and posted it to my portfolio. I’m frustrated that I wasn’t able to pull off the composition I wanted, but I need to move on. One thing I wanted to figure out was how to paint believable water/wetness, and this was good practice. Some close ups:

Still more surreal than realistic, but so be it. If anyone’s interested, the method I used consisted of lots of layer modes alternating between Overlay and Soft Light. Then I’d set the brush to alternate between Normal, Overlay, and occasionally Linear Dodge, and paint/dab/texture/erase away.

Some thoughts on skin tones… Now, I am by no means an expert, far from it, but here’s a few things I’ve picked up over the past year and a half I’ve been painting digitally…

When I first started I was sure there had to be some special brush, or color, or technique I didn’t know about to paint the gorgeous skin tones I’d see people come up with. After taking Don Seegmiller’s class and experimenting on my own, I see there’s not. It’s just work.

Nothing beats having a good reference. I often change the lighting and coloring dramatically in my painting. But there are such subtle and complex things that go on when light interacts with skin, it’s good to have a reference to point out little things you might not have thought of, like the way the light reflects back on to the skin in that little fold, the way the skin stretched tight over the bone has that hot highlight, etc. You get the idea.

Skin next to skin reflects on itself, casting a rosy glow. Skin can be all sorts of colors and work out if your values are right. Skin has texture, a little goes a long way in making it believeable. I’ve had luck adding this in an Overlay mode, alternating between light colors, reds and browns, subtle texture/specks.

Well, that’s about it - I still have much to learn for sure! I probably won’t have any updates to this thread for awhile, I’ll be out of town for the next few weeks. I have a new painting in mind to start when I return, no boats this time :slight_smile:

#126

Hi …Del…:slight_smile:

BEAUTIFUL job on that water and figure piece…:applause: :thumbsup:

I found a book at the library the other day, that i’m really enjoying, and learning a whole lot of new and interesting things from.FANTASTIC BOOK, AND SEASCAPE PAINTER. It’s about wave actions…lots and lots of different kinds…pounding against rocks, different kinds of surf ect…anyway…I thought you might really enjoy it, if you can find it, I don’t know if it’s on the internet, like I said, I found it in the public library…It’s called…THE SEASCAPE PAINTERS PROBLEM BOOK by E. JOHN ROBINSON.
Anyway…Del,…KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND PROGRESS.:thumbsup: .It’s always a pleasure checking out your thread and seeing what your up to…:slight_smile:
TAKE CARE
Glenn

#127

Thanks Glenn! And thanks for the book info, I bet that would be useful for your current sea lion picture. Waves are amazing.

While I was working on this last painting I discovered the work of an amazing seascape painter I hadn’t heard of before, Ivan Aivazovsky. Beautiful seascapes, moonlight, waves, and yes, the man knew how to paint boats! Reminiscent of Turner, but not as wild. There’s this one painting of a 10 story wave about to swamp these poor survivors of a shipwreck, the wave is translucent and gorgeous and the picture will just blow your mind. Don’t know the title though because the book I bought of his work is all in Russian :slight_smile: But if anyone is into seascapes, Aivazovsky was truly a master.

#128

Beautiful painting, needless to say, Del!:thumbsup: The treatment on the water is quite masterly!! Thanks for the info on Ivan Aivazovsky… awesome painter!

#129

Thanks very much, Anand!

Just got back from some time away, a busy time, no drawing or sketching. I did start reading Perspective for Artists by Rex Vicat Cole. I’ve picked up some good pointers, but man, is it ever dull. And difficult. If anyone has a better book on the subject to recommend, please share, thanks!

#130

Hi there!
Hope you had a great holiday!

Can’t help you on perspective literature though but noticed your comment in my thread so thought I’d say hi :smiley:

#131

For perspective, I’d place my bet on Andrew Loomis any day! :shrug: Check out his "Successful Drawing" (page 30 onwards).

#132

wow that’s amazing… i don’t know what to say

i like it very much

My Sketchbook

#133

wow, love the paiting.

#134

Thanks, aesis and mix3xim!

Thanks for the Loomis link, Anand, I will download that for sure.

Hi Johan! It was good trip overall, though I was itching to get back to my beloved Wacom :slight_smile:

#135

wow! beautiful job on the wet skin :arteest::drool: Heh my mom introduced me to Aivazovsky when I was little [we had a great album of his work] and he’s been one of my favs ever since! Great to see others appreciate his art [I usually find people haven’t heard his name in their life which is sad]

#136

Thanks Magdalena! I took tons of art history and never heard of Aivazovsky before - it’s a shame he’s not more well known.

Well, I got some sad news yesterday - the anatomy figure class I’ve been taking over the past year will not be offered again. My wonderful teacher accepted a full time gig at another art school and will no longer be teaching continuing ed classes. I’m not sure what to do with myself next. Should I take a portrait class? maybe more plain old figure drawing? kind of lost on how to move forward…

I’m working on another figure painting, I always liked this kind of curled up pose, to me it implies self-protection, hence the nautilus shell - plus logarithmic spirals are just plain cool. Keeping it simple, focusing on color/light/form, no complex backgrounds this time… I want him to be in the shell, yet have it almost be part of him - still sketchy on how the spiral goes over and into the figure… This one should keep me busy for awhile.

some WIPS:

#137

Jeez, you are really kicking ass here :slight_smile:

Too bad your figure class was canceled.
Why not try something totally different to get you out of your comfort zone, eg landscapes or still life,…?

Looking forward to see what you’ll do with this last piece

#138

wow Del, though it is in its early stage, I love this new one already!
very beautiful colors and nice concept,
looking forward for more …
a.

#139

Thanks johan and alenah! going to try to focus on this new one over the next few weeks…

Johan, there you go again, trying to get me out of my comfort zone… :slight_smile: you don’t know how stubborn and resistant to change I am… But actually I am thinking, the one course I would really like to take - and something COMPLETELY different than what I usually do - would be some sort of industrial/architectural design/drafting type of thing. That way I’d HAVE to think about perspective. I think one of my problems is that I’ve been working doing 3D for over 10 years now, and Maya does all the perspective work for me. It’s a crutch, I have to learn to see these things for myself.

But it’ll be hard to find a course like that for someone like me, not a full-time student. None af the schools around here let you register for a class unless you are going for a degree there. The anatomy class was through continuing ed, and the pickings are slim… stuff like jewelry making and web design, no hard-core fundemental classes. I’m going to ask around though, and see what I can turn up.

Well, I have two more anatomy classes before it’s officially over the end of August - let’s see if I can nail down the entire leg and forearm before then - ha! :slight_smile:

#140

But it’ll be hard to find a course like that for someone like me, not a full-time student. None af the schools around here let you register for a class unless you are going for a degree there.

Bah it’s the same here… I’d really like to do an Graphic design course (maj Illustration), but they only accept fulltime students :frowning:

Enjoy the remaining anatomy classes!