These past two week have included a lot more figure drawing as we are getting more into anatomy and understanding what is what, and why. I always love drawing the skeleton and things like that so I really enjoyed doing it, but I think it will be another case of keep going back to the books until it sinks in.
Something I was looking forwards to was gesture drawing, we had done a lot of simple drawing but not quite getting to gesture quite yet. Kyle Balluff, who was teaching the class, was just creating these wonderful lines that became gestures and bodies. So simple and yet precise enough to give the information we needed. It really took me lots of sketches to start getting fluid enough before I thought there was anything decent and it is something that needs to be practiced over and over but when you start getting it you can see start of life in the movement.
Wow times flies by when you are having so much work to do. For the past few weeks the assignment run into each other so we will start one part the first week and it carries through to the week after that.
So first of all tackled my first ever cityscape! Must say it was really hard to get into it at first just because I had so many ideas and I was really exited but I had to keep it simple (got to walk before you run advice applies here) I started one thumbnails and sketches and one comment I got back was that it looked a bit like 1920’s era so when I had to clean it up and add values I stuck to it and pushed it towards that. I found it is really easy to just draw little thumbnails of loads of building but when you get to cleaning it up and having to add all the details it can get a bit overwhelming and time consuming. Scale is something I am finding really hard to keep consistent as it is so easy to just draw away only realise after either it’s too big or too small. Really enjoying it so far and can’t wait to get more practice in order to get further into rendering in order to create finish environment pieces.
We also had an option of doing an “organic” city using natural shapes and environment but I didn’t get the time the week after to do the extra work on it. Still really like it so it will be going to the finish again draw.
For the Zbrush we are doing the same stages process. These few weeks we have been concentrating on torso. Rather happy with the rendering apart from the muscled man pose looks a bit off in some angles but overall feel like I’m starting to get comfortable using Zbrush tools and starting to find my own little tricks to creating shapes and forms.
For the past two week we have been working on building objects in perspective with different vanishing points as well as then shadowing them. The building the perspective I found straight forwards once you get the “how-to” and the hardest part is not to get confused in the construction lines. The shadowing however I found to be quite challenging at first. I know how to shadow but never learnt how to do it the right way or the rules that it follows when it comes to values. I was quite pleased with the end product feeling as though I started getting my head round it but there are still some situations where your brain really has to think about the direction of the lighting and how it works on the surface it hits, how to build the shadow and use reflective light. Here is an example I found on the net of a cube:
For the 3D Modelling it is still the same 3 models from the first week but each week we refined the details and corrected them if needed. Faces were really hard to get a likeness to the reference as well as the proportions of each facial feature. As the week went on you start seeing more of the finite details that makes all the difference. To finish them off I quickly coloured them to bring them a bit more to life:
I also did the walrus and added skin texture and some colour as well as use a wet material. I really like how he turned out :)
So this week there was quite a lot of work starting to really get into getting the proportions and details right with Zbrush sculpting. We had to do 5 rough different heads and I made one of a walrus which I like the result of. The human ones still need work so I’ll keep them till I finish.
Got a new teacher for this term: Tom Johnson He’s really cool and helpful so it’s great to get to be tutored by him for next three months :)
This week drawings we’re dealing with hands which are one the hardest part to draw in the human body. After spending a couple of days practice I was quite pleased with the results:
For the Zbrush assignments we learnt how to add textures and paint and I tried to put everything we learnt so far together with this little creature. I still would want to spend a lot more time on it because some parts work but others don’t.
So this week was fun and I got to practice something I need to: feet drawing. I find it really hard to get the right volume to the top arch and the right length from ankle to toe but I definitely think I improved.
For the Zbrush we got introduced to Zspheres and had to make some models. It was only asked to do them very simple for the moment but I still tried to add the important details to make the characters feature come out even if still “sketchy” at the moment. I always wanted to make an octopus so I gave it a try.
So lots of work this week! Drawing wise still exploring volumes further and understanding the big shapes and how to use them. My foreheads were too small so need to be more observant about that, but all in all I think I got it after a few attempts.
Biggest work this week was on Zbrush where we were playing with facial expressions and layers which are really cool because you can “animate” it to see the changes
I really surprised myself on the final pieces even with some glitches and changes needed but I’m getting the hang of it I think. I tried to really understand how our faces move and change in order to make it believable. All on good way :)
Another great week of hard work went past again. Drawing wise we are starting to get introduced to thinking of shapes in space and volume which is great because I find it harder not to add volume to shapes, and it is after all the magic behind transforming what is a flat white sheet of paper into a window so to speak. For Zbrush this week was fun with playing around trying to incorporate it with Photoshop and made my first head! I was happy with it as a starting point and know there is much more ahead to be learnt.
So hard work again and also did some extra working on my feet and pushing things as far as I could in time I had just because I love it so much.
Week summary: volumes are fun but watch out for too many the lines as they make or break it, and zbrush perfect but sculpting wise pay more attention to ears and neck on head.
Now we are really steaming! Another great week of work.
Drawing wise the topic was shapes and to learn to think about the simple yet very descriptive shapes that we use as they affect the way we read the image, its intention and feel of the subject.
Also I need to practice feet a lot more!! So I’m on a mission next week to draw loads of them.
Then we had to tackle Zbrush and we were let loose to play around with the basics and get familiar with it. I never did anything like this before and I got really excited. For my spheres I ended up with a mini world and an alien :)
I’m happy of the outcome and work put in and can’t wait to do more on it. Bring on next week!
So this week I rather liked the assignment which was to deal with being able to read a pose or character just by its silhouette. I liked this because it has been something which I have come across before looking at other concept artist work (who seems too often start by making thumbnail size silhouettes of the things they want to draw) but I never had to understand it and work with it before. Basically if you can read the character and its intent from the silhouette then you have a strong pose.
I got a bit behind and manage to finish just in time but the drawings were a bit rushed and I realised that there are still a lot of little things I get wrong out of habbit (ie: I always drew it a certain way without knbowing if it was right or not)
Week Summary: Great but rushed. Need more practice on details and proportions especially feet and child figures.
This week I cut it a bit short as I was finishing my sketchbook project to send off and it put me behind a couple of days, but I was happy that I manage to get the work done in time and it was still to the same standard.
We are still on gesture drawing and dealing with little by a little a bit more, but I really enjoy it being broken down so much so you can spend an entire week focusing on really knowing whats at hand.
One book that really helps is “Force: Dynamic life drawing” by Michael D. Mattesi who really shows us how fluid lines can be and being able to describe the body in very simply.
I’m getting slowly through the “Drawn to life book” by Walt Stanchfield and it is just amazing. All the information is presented in a way that you can imagine him actually telling you face to face and I just love his approach on drawing, work and life. I was so pleasently amazed to see two section where he mentions positive mental attitude and taking care of yourself in body and in mind.
Yet another book I am digging into is
This book is all about bobby chiu collected advices,motivations, aspirations and examples gathered over his ten year career. It is also available as an audio book but it is so worht lisening to. There are aslo little snipets of other artist he interviewed on it too. Link here
Week summary: hard work and seaking more and more knowledge
During our live session we got challenged for the fun of it to draw a red cow but with tim burton as inspiration. I dont know if it’s quite burton “style” as such but I tried to think where could a red cow fit in Nightmare Before Christmas…So I came up with a rather insane looking butcher…
Well the week started off great with the feedback from the last assignment and I’m not pleased as much about the grade as I am about the progress and being on the the right track and knowing how much I am learning. We had our 4th live session and again it is just a pleasure to hear face to face the tricks of the trades and advice given. This week assignment is proving to be the next challenge having to deal with a balance which is something that we all know and can tell but having to draw in in a way to challenge it is proving quite a mind boggle at the moment.
I was recomended these books: “Drawn to Life” by Walt Stanchifield which I decided to buy after watching this:
In the past I never could get quite into books about drawing as I am one that need to watch it being done but this one is more about the thinking behind the mark made rather than what is made as a final product. There are two volumes and they are BIG books but I cant wait to dig into it!
So this week I was surprised and very please I had a good crit about second assignment and challenged to push forward with my drawing. Now we are moving towards the next steps of looking at the body and how it’s placed in space. I’m starting to get familiar with the shapes and forms of the body now but as always keeping portions in one of the hardest part. It’s easy to draw a head or arm but it has to fit in with the whole puzzle (like DaVinci already found out).
So loving the challenge and really training my eye to learn how to look at the body in order to be able to re-create it. It’s only been two weeks but I can already tell the improvement so can’t even imagine what it be like in another few weeks :) Also heard that some very good news might be happening in next few months so VERY exited to so see if it or not, and they just introduced yet another two new teachers for later production tutorials, one of which worked on concept art for movies like the fith element! :D
Week 3 so far: I keep telling myself can’t believe the chance I have to finally be on the right path to the things I want in my future. Just need the steps of hard work to climb up the hills of sucess.
Also realised that my mojo was back and kicking. I feel exited and I want to learn and even if at times it is too easy to steer away or procrastinate from the challenge I’m getting better at it,taking it on and got this urge to be the best I can for it (and not the best compared to anyone else, the best out of myself as that is the real opponent)
