~ Fiammetta's Thread~

[LavenderMintRose]

I had a thread here before, but it got lost way back since I haven't been here in a while. I also changed my username since then, so I decided I should probably just start over.

I'm a college freshman, I've been drawing since middle school, but I haven't improved much because starting from when I started high school continuing until now, I've had way to much schoolwork, and no time to draw anything. I'm going to try to get into the art program at my college...

So here's some WIPs that I started a while ago (like a couple months ago) and might finish sometime... hopefully over this break.



This one is based on two different reference pictures, this and this (flipped). The character will be holding a rose. Not quite sure what she'll be wearing yet.



No reference for the pose (I know I should get one since I know nothing about anatomy). The border is from some clip-art book I have, I don't remember the name of it.



New Version! Reference: this. My character again.

Okay, so... crit please, + thanks.  

[Syrella]

I think you're generally on the right track with things, but I think you would benefit from...*drum roll* more gesture drawing! That and more life drawing. Using reference photos is well and great, but you're essentially using a 2D object to draw another 2D object, where really you should be taking a 3D one and turning it into 2D. There's just a lot more information for your eye to work from when drawing from life vs an image.

Regarding the bottom work of yours.. I think you're on a good track here and it's nice that you're trying to represent the image without the need for lines. In reality, lines don't exist in the strictest sense. However, you might be jumping ahead a little bit. With that style, you really need to have a solid grasp of shading, contrast, and form...which you're usually better off learning when sketching and drawing simpler images. Another thing I'd caution you against is using a desaturated color for the shadowy parts of the skin. It really makes the skin look boring.

http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm#skin_tones
< Try looking at this tutorial a bit. It's really helpful.

Anyhow, I'd suggest just keep practicing. That's really what it comes down to, more so than even taking classes. smile Good luck!!  

[LavenderMintRose]

aah, that tutorial. I've actually seen it several times. I have to say, though I comprehend it intellectually, I've never really understood it enough to remember it.

I'll keep practicing.

The reason the skin looks like that... well I did that shading a while ago and I was already planning to go back and change it... thanks for telling me that now so I don't have to go back and change it twice.  

[Syrella]

Hmm, I can see how it'd be a little hard to understand. He uses quite a bit of technical language and it may not be easy to translate it into anything meaningful or workable to you. Most of what I get from it is just looking at the nice visual references. wink I guess I'm a visual learner.

But okay, all I meant by my earlier comment is that you should use a wide variety of saturated colors of various hues when depicting the skin and try to stay away from too many gray tones. I've made that mistake more than once and it just doesn't look like realistic skin.

On a general side note, though, you may gain more out of sketching than trying to finish individual pieces at the moment. I personally find that sketching takes less time and I am able to improve more that way than if I sit there staring at the same work all the time correcting mistakes one after another. However, it is up to you so do what you need to. smile  

[LavenderMintRose]

I did change the skin color to more saturated colors. A bunch of people told me I needed to but it didn't really click until I put it next to the reference I was using for the nose. ^_^;

I'll try doing some sketching...

Edit: I did some foreshortening practice from life (I drew my arm and leg several times as I saw them from where I was sitting). Except... broken scanner. Lost camera cord. No way to upload it.

...


...


Meh.

+ I really wanted to draw Hamlet, in the final scene right before he kills his uncle, but I have to write a paper about the play instead... meh. Then I'm going to draw some stuff.  

[no surrender]

Hi. smile

Just to critique the bottom picture in your first post, I assume you're drawing each item on a different layer?
If not ignore the following, but if so...
I used to use the exact same method, because I was scared of mixing colours and doing things wrong. It was convenient and seemed like a good idea at the time.
Doing this can make your image lack unity. It's okay to have a little of each bit overflow onto the next. You need to loosen up and not be afraid, which is hard I know, but if you try it can make your images much more coherent. :>  

[LavenderMintRose]

So I should merge the layers? Okay, I guess I'll try that...

as soon as I find my tablet pen... ^_^;  

[LavenderMintRose]

Yeah uhhh...

I haven't drawn anything in over a month.

I'm incredibly confused. I... don't particularly like anything. I don't dislike art, crafts, and writing, so that's what I do. (like on a scale of -10 to 10, 10 being what I like the most, the things I do would rate about a 2, and everything else (sports, science, etc.) would be -10 to -5). I don't want to be a non-productive waste of resources, but that's what I end up being anyway, because I never get around to doing the things I say I do, like drawing and writing.

People tell me that this lack of a burning urge to draw/write/whatever every moment of my life means I don't really like doing any of it. I don't want to think about myself that way, though... I already have low enough self esteem as it is.

Also, whenever I draw and write and stuff... It feels cold. Like, I press too hard and hold the pencil wrong, and try not to be sketchy and stuff. and I know that's not how I'm supposed to draw but I can't find any other way. But it always comes out stiff.

I feel like if I were the way I should be, ideas would pour out of my head faster than I could get them out on paper, and I would spend every moment that I was awake drawing and writing them down.

Instead, there's a complete lack of passion for anything in my life and I always feel empty.

Even when I draw and write and stuff, I always feel like a horrible person, because I'm not as good as anyone else. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others, or at least, I know people always say that. But I feel like I don't comprehend as deep as I should the true degree of my mediocrity and worthlessness.

So... I need help.  

[keiiii]

Adopting a healthy lifestyle often improves your motivational problems. Getting a good amount of sleep, eating healthy, and exercising -- stuff like that. I suspect it has something to do with making our bodies produce healthy normal hormones rather than "I suck" hormones.  

[LavenderMintRose]

Okay, so I am drawing stuff, though most of my energy is focused on the novel I'm writing. But my scanner is broken. And I can't use my camera either... it's not exactly broken, I just lost the cord to charge it. So it could be a while before I can upload any art. At least until my scanner starts working again.

I just realized I could try to finish some of those digital WIPs. So I could do that.