Joe's sketchbook

[Meatloaf]

Looking good. I'd like to say that the idea of doing one finished drawing every week is good. People often get gung-ho and say "I'm gonna finish a picture every day!", then sacrafice time and quality to meet the arbitrary goal.

From personal experience, keep a small-medium sized sketchbook around for drawing, and fill it without care. I know I used to not want people to see my shitty sketches, so I just kept them at home. But don't think too much when you're doing your sketching, don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, and it's not the last drawings you'll make. Whatever you want to learn or get better at, just sit down and start drawing it. It may take 100 terrible faces to get one that's good, but that's how you learn.

Also hope you've heard of this for gesture drawing? I should do some myself, it's been awhile. http://www.posemaniacs.com/thirtysecond

[Grieverjoe]

Thank you, Ast. I will definitely try to copy them next time I do a landscape study.

Professor, it never hurts to try, right? <3

Meat (I think I'll call you this, instead of 'Loaf'), thanks for the encouraging words. I actually do keep a sketchbook to carry around, but when I'm out and about, I rarely get to use it. Bad habit on my part, I know.
And I do have Posemaniacs bookmarked, actually. Sometimes I think they lack the "spark" of drawing real people, as opposed to weird, skinless mannequins.

So, I did more gestures last night, but forgot to post them, so here ya go.

Again, from Pixelovely. 30 seconds a piece. The one labeled WTF!? was a breakdancer, breakdancing, so it was very hard to get. Very fun to try and get it in 30 seconds, though.


This one is from tonight. More Chen studies.
I will surpass you one day, Chen!

EDIT: Shit, I keep breaking the board. I'll upload a smaller picture tomorrow, after school.
EDIT2: Resized that one pic.

[X Chris]

Originally Posted by Grieverjoe I do have Posemaniacs bookmarked, actually. Sometimes I think they lack the "spark" of drawing real people, as opposed to weird, skinless mannequins.

True. Even with the huge selection and crazy angles, they are still just rendered poser models. And if they already feel fake, there isn't much value in capturing their gestures.

There are free gesture sites that use live models. I've been impressed with the weekly videos from Croquis Cafe. They are more like timed figure-drawing sessions with gesture warm-ups. There are also some javascript-based sites that use liberally-licensed photography from folks like Marcus J Ranum such as pixelovely and quickposes. But you are probably best off finding good poses you'd like to study and setting up a slideshow in Picasa. Or even sketching from real people.

[Grieverjoe]

You guys remember the Seraphasaurus? This is who I based it off of.

Still not quite where I wanna be.

[Meatloaf]

Those are great links, Chris. I'll have to start using them. Gestures look really nice, you seem to have a skill with them. Try using a fine tipped marker while doing gestures, that way you can't erase and have to be confident in your strokes.

[Grieverjoe]

I think my problem with drawing females in pratical-and-realistic looking armor is that they come out looking fat or male.
About 10 minutes, before school.

[Grieverjoe]

No forethought, no guidelines, BAM! Pirate dude's face. Why is it that I can't draw like this when I'm TRYING to draw?
About 5 minutes. Pencil on my desk at school.

[Grieverjoe]

Just a quick sketch of the Darkmoon Knightess from Dark Souls.

[Grieverjoe]

Still keeping it up! I'm still drawing every day, and I'm starting to get in the habit of it, though I should probably save everything I do, even if I'm not happy with it. Sometimes, I just plain hate it and discard it.

Just some Bridgman studies today. Meat, I took your advice and used my sketchbook instead of Painter, or Photoshop. Yay.
I've noticed, the more I learn, the harder it gets to draw something. Am I the only one this happens to?

[Grieverjoe]

Sketch of my wife’s character, Laele, complete with her crime-fighting, superhero persona! In my wife's words, "All you need to become a superhero and conceal your identity is a nicely-placed Domino mask! No one will ever know!"

[Grieverjoe]

Guess who's updating?

Had this idea the other day at school, so I finished it tonight.
I was actually surprised at not seeing this concept already. I did run a search for Victorian Plague Doctors, but all I got was Steampunk, which is not at all what I was looking for. Steampunk ≠ Victorian era.
I purposely stretched him out a bit to give him a more creepy feel.
About 2 hours. PSCS5

[Grieverjoe]

Just laying down some ideas for the poses on a commission I'm doing. These are Vraska and Jarad, from Magic: The Gathering. I am not familiar with these characters, or the game that much. I played it a bit with some friends, but these characters are new to me. Still, the Magic series has some badass artwork, so this is new territory for me.

[Grieverjoe]

Still drawing every day, still working on that commission. Tonight, I did some color roughs for the characters.


I think I like how Vraska looks more than Jarad.

[Grieverjoe]

...also, forgot to post these.

15-second gesture drawings.

[astrapho]

lookin good dude you're learning well! I'd advise you to be more mindful of flow in your lines you look like you're still petting your lines a little. those characters are turning out pretty good though. Can't wait to see them finished.

[Grieverjoe]

Thank you, Ast. I have caught myself petting my lines, sometimes, though I remind myself not to do it. u_u
I'll start modeling on Vraska later. I'll let you guys see where it takes me.

[Grieverjoe]

Tonight's session.
Iunno.

[Grieverjoe]

That thou wouldst bring them only death,
That thou shouldst spareth none,
That thou shouldst pardon none,
We beseech thee, Sister, give them death.

Birthday sketch for my Marine sister and buddy, Flare.
Tried grayscale first, then overlay.
Still suck at overlay.

[Grieverjoe]

Since I'm playing Dark Souls again, I decided to try and sketch my favorite character, Artorias.


The first picture is the first sketch, and tonight, I refined it a bit. I haven't touched the MtG commission, because I haven't heard back from the client. :(

[Grieverjoe]

Still working on Artorias. Been playing with the lightsource and whatnot. Also, I switched his head a bit.