inashosetai's Images

[Inflammable Artist]

To start, when I draw, I grip my drawing utensil real hard, which makes my hand cramp easily. I get pains in my shoulders, too--really bad ones--but sometimes I continue to draw for hours on end anyway, taking a short break every once in a while (could be seconds to minutes or maybe even hours). I even stretch my muscles, flexing them here and there and massaging them to get the kinks out. I don't know if working like this is good for my body, but any suggestions on that would help.

Here's a list of what I am aware of what I need to improve and what I am most interested in improving at the moment. My highest level of interest starts from top to bottom.

Human Anatomy
Costume Design
Perspective
Shading and Lighting
Multiple Character Integration
Backgrounds
Coloring
Architecture
Animal Anatomy

Most of my artwork are based on the human anatomy, so there's not much to show for all of the other areas I've listed. I am starting to incorporate aspects of them into my artwork though, so hopefully I can get tips on them in the future. I am good at line art, so no comments on fixing lines are necessary.

Most of the art classes I've taken did not focus much (if at all) on anatomy, so I pretty much ignored the basics of all the other stuff that were taught because I was so focused on the human anatomy back then. That's how I got to where I am now by self-teaching.

I'd like comments about coloring to be geared toward CMYK colors for print instead of RGB for web. If you have little knowledge of both, then any comments on color are fine. I'll be starting my second college year of graphic design next week, so I do understand graphic design terms. Feel free to throw them out there for me.

I'd hoped for more feedback from other artists alike by posting my stuff online as well as showing them to friends who are artists themselves, but since I never got much, I decided here would be a very good place to post my past and recent artwork to see what I can get. I've posted several pieces together, so if you want to comment on a specific image, just type out the first number of the image in your post.

01 - 2008 - Human Anatomy / Costume Design / Shading and Lighting / Multiple Character Integration / Backgrounds

02 - 2008 - Perspective / Shading and Lighting / Backgrounds / Architecture

03 - 2008 - Human Anatomy / Multiple Character Integration / Backgrounds [Note: This is a really bad picture overall, so I ask that you only look at the image and ignore the text and gradients. The neon filter on the image itself was really bad.]

04 - 2008 - Human Anatomy / Costume Design / Coloring

05 - 2009 - Shading and Lighting / Animal Anatomy

06 - 2009 - Human Anatomy / Costume Design / Shading and Lighting

07 - 2010 - Human Anatomy / Perspective / Coloring

I can see what I need to work on, but I don't know how to work on what I see, not to mention there are some moments where I don't see what I need to work on. I'd really like to receive some constructive feedback!  

[Vena]

I just wanted to say something quick about the cramps you get in your hand - you should try to adapt to a different way of drawing ASAP. If you are drawing from your wrist, start drawing using your whole arm. Loosen up with the pencil... try using a brush pen. Soft media. Change your workspace and the angle you draw. Don't put it off, especially if you are experiencing pain now!

I have just gone through some RSI/tendonitis problems in my wrists recently and it has been a big pain both in hindering my work and quite literally as well. Give yourself a break if you are experiencing pain. See a doctor. It can cause long term problems if you keep straining yourself.

Anyways, sorry to sound preachy! But get it taken care of! It's a shame to see someone with a good drive and passion experience pain from it.

Looking at 07, you have a nice anatomical grasp so far as getting things in the right place and proportion. However it still looks a bit flat, and studying the form of the body would really help here, especially considering all the muscles on his body. Try drawing shapes to build the body first and add the muscles on as shapes after. Think about the body as a 3D form rather than just the outside silhouette/line. Building with shapes first will help because you will be able to see the planes that build up the body in a really basic manner. It will also help you to see where shadows and light fall.

I hope that helps a little bit, I'm kinda tired so I hope its understandable! Looking forward to see what else you put out, its nice to see someone so ambitious in their studies =]

and take care of your hand and shoulder!!!  

[Inflammable Artist]

I'll see what I can do about the media I use. A lot of the work that I'm starting to do now are digital, so I use my tablet. Before then, I just used pencil and paper. Sometimes I find myself in bizarre positions when I'm drawing and that's because I get too into my artwork to notice.

It's real hard to change anything unless I change many things, and that may even require me to move my workspace elsewhere since right now my workspace is my bed.

Drawing with my whole arm generates many mishaps (experience tells all), but I suppose that's the best way to go about creating an artwork. I'd much rather learn now than never since waiting it out will make learning to draw with my whole arm a much harder task.

For drawing with shapes, it's hard to place the shapes in the right places. I've tried several times and scrapped many pieces because they looked so bad. By scrapped, I don't mean that I throw them away; I just take a brief look at them every once in a while when I pass by them while looking through my sketchbooks. I'll work with that more seeing as your own artwork are great.

I'll also see what I can do about studying up on the human anatomy. Honestly speaking though, studying up on it is a very, very boring task and really throws my motivation to draw out the window. I guess some things just have to be done to achieve greater things.

Thanks for helping out!  

[Inflammable Artist]

Comments welcome! I'm improving. biggrin

08 - 2010 - Human Anatomy - Perspective - Shading and Lighting - Coloring