((Slow As Christmas)) - Sketchbook - 1/10

[Rags of Ash]

Hello...i'm wondering if perhaps you could help me.
I need some help on drawing - I'm horrid at it you see.
I'm not sensitive about what you say so please, critique away. I won't get upset - even if you say "scrap and start over" ...really.

I have no training in art at all. I look through tutorials and whatnot but that's about it.

I also just recently took up digital art and am using opencanvas 1.1 and SAI - the sketches you see will be some of the first on these program.

NEWEST:






Older Sketches:
First Mjem sketch
Second Mjem Sketch
Mjem
I hope these work, lately the photobucket links haven't worked

 

[CariRae]

Wow the perspective on that hand is amazing. It's pretty good so far. The only problems I see with it is the eyes don't seem to match, his left one needs to be a bit less squinted and the fold in the clothing. Fold are hard, but that's what reference images are for. xd  

[Rags of Ash]

heart thank you! I've always had issues with folds in the clothing. Thank you for spotting that about the eye - I always seem to fudge those up in the end product.  

[Rags of Ash]

Updated:
Version 3

again, any help is appreciated sweatdrop  

[Errol McGillivray]

Sorry for the page stretch if it's happeneing.

Anyways, you're not considering the parts of the body we don't see. I make it a habit to draw the things we don't see (very lightly) then remove them later. That way, you keep the flow of the body consistant.



Try walking around the figure in your head. If you look from the side, what do you see. Draw that FIRST. (Just a rough doodle is fine.) Then you place another sheet beside it and draw the angle you want, keeping the parts lined up.

Is he reaching for something? Reaching out to someone? We can't really tell. In your profile doodled, show what he's doing clearly. Then when you turn it around, your viewer can still see what he's doing clearly.

In the blue suggestion, he's placing his hand on the shoulder of the guy in front of him in comfort. (You would also make the rest of the body show this, but I didn't cause I'm just trying to show how the hand level would be different as well as the shoulder depending on what you're going for.

He could just be reaching straight out with his arm completely extended. His hand would be a lot higher. Or he's side chopping the dude in front of him in the side of the head. That's more interesting, I'll go with that. xd  

[Rags of Ash]

so... in essence, when drawing - don't think flat, one direction; think statue in 360....?

hm, yes - I see that. very helpful. Thank you ever so much. I struggle with a) male bodies and anatomy as well as b) perspective.

This is one of my only slightly perspective peices. And the first time I've drawn anything like this in over two years. So, your tips are very helpful and I'll definately use them. I just recently stopped using large boxes for the guidlines of males. Ooops. Again thanks!  

[Errol McGillivray]

Well, I can only tell you what works for me. My original training was in 3d animation, so I think of things as sculptures and turn them around in my mind. It's not an easy thing to do, to move from a 2d frame of mind to one in 3 or 4d.

I like to think of the page as the viewfinder of a camera. You're filming an illustration and you're showing people a still. Walk around your subject with the camera and find the best shot. 3nodding It helps to do the doodles from different angles simple because what you see in your head may not work the best and you may find a better way to stage the drawing that says what you want to say more effectively.

As for the guides, it's best to use guilds that use the major parts of the skeleton. I do tend to use a box around the entire object/figure for perspective as well though.  

[Rags of Ash]

I've always had problems seeing things in 3d in my mind. I actually had to force myself to flatten things when I drew.... so, you telling me to embrace that really helps.

I actually did as you suggested earlier today, walk around the picture in my head and whatnot. And discovered a better angle to the sketch I was doing. So that does help me. Rather than stick to one angle it gives me freedom while staying with the same pose. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to help me.

I was using the boxes for the hips and the ribcage - well more a rectangle for the entire torso. It made males really stiff......

rofl  

[Rags of Ash]

Lalilah... headshot!

 

[Rags of Ash]

current:
 

[Rags of Ash]

*dies*  

[Morrosseth]

I've never seen your style before I don't think--it's snazzy. biggrin Your attention to detail is amazing.

Though your shading gradient (for lack of better words) is a bit too uniform through out. Word escape me so... er. Consider that you won't see light reflected the same way on all material (eg. His skin as opposed to the metal of his plates and armour). Right now it's really similar through out?  

[Rags of Ash]

thanks! i'll remember that!

Here's a wip:
 

[Rags of Ash]

 

[Morrosseth]

I'm really no anatomy expert, but here goes:

There's something funny with your legs, and here be why:

arrow Your feet are on the same plane, suggesting that they are in fact side by side. They look as if they're both in contact with the ground the same way (ie. neither are completely off ground) due to the shadows and placement.

arrow Your knees however, are not on the same plane. One is higher than the other, which usually means that there is weight shifted on one leg.

arrow Your character's weight does not appear to be supported on one leg.

ARROW 1 is not possible because of ARROWS 2 and 3.

It's just your combination of the 'arrows' is making this really difficult because I don't think you can have all 3 points in a stance at one time. It just makes her really... Detached from the picture I guess. The shadows are a little confusing if that's the case.

Aside from that, the shading's lovely as usual~