>There is one thing not to do, and that is simply to drift along with the daily routine, making no extra effort. You will soon find yourself middle-aged, having done nothing more than routine jobs, and being little farther along than you were years ago. The extra effort is the difference between the great mass of mediocre artists and the comparatively small group of very good ones.>And in Art, study can never stop. You will find sketches galore in the studio of the good man, with the paint quite fresh. The mediocre artist's sketches are old and dusty.>I have seen so many middle-aged artists still hoping, whose samples are frayed at the edges, and thumb-marked with time. Sometimes it has been a matter of years since they sat down and actually did something to give their hopes any promise. They are plodding their lives away at something they hate, and doing nothing about it. These are the men who never seem to have had a chance. The truth is, they never seized a chance.- Andrew Loomis, Creative Illustration/Studies/ General is all about improving your art and never settling for mediocrity. Every artist is a student, forever and ever. Anybody, from beginner to pro, can post here. Any style is accepted. Critiques are welcome and encouraged. Let's make this a productive thread!Read the fucking sticky: http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/Recommended Resources:https://hackmd.io/7k0XRnIQR6SValR77TDfZw?viewPrevious thread: >>7293944
>>7374029Studying perspective made easy
>>7374029
>>7374033how art thou liking it?
>>7374029When did Loomis say this
>>7376113in the foreword to creative illustration
Took a bit of a break from studying. Slowly getting back into it. Working through the second half of Steve Huston's book now. Couple copies of some statues.
>>7377920where did you get the reference pic? Can you post it? Thanks!
>>7378676try using only hard edges
>>7374029>You will soon find yourself middle-aged, having done nothing more than routine jobs, and being little farther along than you were years ago.Well, he isn't wrong. I do wish I had more of an emphasis on liking and accepting where I was at than constantly hating the process. Also, doing something with what I had than spending an eternity gitting gud. In the age of the internet you begin to realize good artists are a dime a dozen (even though anyone who draws in their adult years is a super rare thing), but artists that actually DO something are even rarer. Skill doesn't necessarily equate to success and doing nothing but practicing what you're comfortable at certainly wont.
>>7378810Lane's Primitive Forms - Reference Pack
>>7374029when doing studies, do you actually employ sketching/construction as if it were a real drawing, or focus more on just replicating it stroke by stroke?I want to start doing studies right, but the few videos I've seen are people just copying the drawing inch by inch, rather than trying to recreate the process, which to me feels like you'd learn less.
>>7379097>when doing studies, do you actually employ sketching/construction as if it were a real drawing, or focus more on just replicating it stroke by stroke?I normally use some sort of construction, but how you should go about a study depends on your goals. you can study that more methodical copying method, in which case by all means use it; if you want to learn and improve your ability to use a generic construction method for a type of subject or subjects generally, then study that; if you want to learn both, study both. there is no inherently "right" way to do a study, absent some specific goal (which can include using whichever drawing method).
>>7376104I’m loving it so far. Very disappointed in myself for not learning perspective firstly, especially since I’m so deep into my art journey, but I’ve just combined my new perspective knowledge with what I already knew, and now my work looks a lot more organized and sensical. It’s very satisfying. I plan on finishing the book before the year ends because I don’t want to drag it, so I’ll be making sure to post in this thread to hold myself accountable
>>7379074Thanks man, appreciate it!
za hando
anyone else draw in their mind? I only actually draw when I have an idea and drew it in my head already, figuring out what kind of lines to use, what perspective, its all constructed in my mind already. Is this how good artists do it? I feel like I opened my mind's eye.
>>7379507needs more orange
Copied the proportion chart. First from ref, in red. Later from memory in black and then tried to fix it up a bit in blue.>>7378813Yeah I keep over blending stuff. Might have to do some hard brush only studies.
More Huston copies, basic forms of the head.
>>7381441nice studies aon. how long about have these been taking you?
>>7381669>aonanon*. please find it in your heart to forgive me.
>>7381669They've been getting a little faster lately, but I will sometimes spend upwards of 2-3 hours on them on average. It depends on the complexity of the reference too.I will just say that it has been a very painful process to even get to this present point, and yet there is so much further to go.
>>7381757that's pretty good. a lot of people IME hardly do any drawings/studies beyond an hour, which hinders them. I would actually recommend venturing into the 4-5+ hour range every once in a while - or however often you wish. logically I think your focus should be on shorter studies, say 2-3 hours tops (and <1 studies are fine too). but I'd also recommend, if you don't already, doing studies where you focus on construction only. I've seen some of your other stuff, and you always seem to do render your stuff to some extent, which I don't believe is an optimal approach. that's just my thoughts on it though, and perhaps you do do construction studies by themselves. at any rate, you seem to be on your way, so keep it up.
>>7379507Your values are a bit off, a plane below the eye that catches a lot of light is too dark in yours and the edges are all rather sharp making it look like a cutout rather than integrated with the head.
>>7386809as per primitives this is okay but your perspective is not okay. Specially when it comes to that cuboid.
>>7386855I trace everything though. Can you redline it?
Going back to just copying other artist's finished paintings after this. I am unable to simplify
>>7387335Don't get too broken up about it, you've picked a bad image to study. Look at the reflections in the pot, there's a million highlights, which means a ton of random lightsources. A shit still-life all around, you could probably set something up in real life that will work much much better. You jsut need a desk lamp and 3 objects.Values aside, where are the centerlines of rotational bodies? What are you trying to study? Your studies should have a goal.
fuck me this one is hard
>>7391007I feel that you’re over complicating this anon. Start simple by getting around 3-4 values that you want to communicate in the drawing and work from there
>>7391007Simple grayscale block-in
Studying eyes Any critique?
>>7391440Very nice. The caruncle looks a bit blocky and elongated, and the pupil isn't quite centered.
>>7391472Thanks.
>>7391007Drop the hard brush meme.
I'm a beginner and I haven't drawn for a long time. I used to come on those threads, they were very good. Now I'm back in the buisness and I swear I'll never let it go away.For now I try to keep it simple for my return. Just eyeballing the proportion and apply a value to discern light and dark, nothing fancy. I'll sketch some artist using the techniques I learned from FWAP (3d forms). Until I feel good with it, I plan on either studying proportions or perspective. If I decide to go for proportion, I'll try the bargues plates I think.
>>7391918Here's the ref, I also try to put some 3d and thing how the things was working, but I primaly used 2d shapes. The face is fucked through.
>>7391922Damn
>>7391922wood
>>7392131This is good but the textures on that canister aren’t quite there yet, rendering wise. Same with the magnifying glass
>>7374029great thread
Head
>>7395992well that came out really crusty
bros my hands are cold brrrrrr so cold cold how do you cure the frosty fingers?
>>7395477who took a bite out of the gummy boo
More Huston copies, lower arm simplifications. Plus some from photo ref in blue.
Generic eye study #2. I want to do one every day until I git gud.
more. today it's leg simplifications.
little over an hour, charcoal on newsprint
>>7397997ref
>>7397906>>7398807Don't be so afraid of contrast. Your lights aren't bright enough and your shadows aren't dark enough.
Studying nose.Any critique?
>>7399298la référence, monsieur
>>7398807>>7398807Why does the fruit look weird in front of the pitcher? It looks like he followed the ref pretty closely, but it still came out looking off.
>>7399711He traces the ref and paints shittily on top. Has been doing it for a year, with no improvement whatsoever
>>7399878Man. So many people giving you advice and critique, and you just blow them off.
>>7400097This dude does not care about getting better all he cares about is finishing his work. The handle is even wobbly in the thumbnail. Hopefully human instinct will kick in and he'll notice his common flaws on his own.
The wobbly handle is a just a small nitpick. He's missing the occlusion and highlight at the bottom of the handle, the foreground light and highlight on the rim of the pitcher when he has the rear, the reflection of the orange on the pitcher, the long highlight on the right side of the pitcher, the warm reflection of the orange against the violet of the tablecloth is a missing area of interest, and so on.
>>7400476very nice. not just the perspective, but also the nice balance between darks and lights in the composition
>>7400867Thanks anon!
Found this section a tad confusing but I may be overthinking it.
>>7401420Are you copying illustrations inside of a book? That first image that other anon commented on looks good.
>>7401437Yes, I’m copying the drawings in perspective made easy.
>>7402510I know the bottom right needs a bit more curve to it, also, anyone got tips for better shadows?
hard to draw when all you can think about is the imminent 2024 New Jersey galactic federation alien invasion wtf is happening
I like to sketch for fun with ballpoint pen, but should I use it for studies as well or stick to erasable mediums instead?
>>7404423>should I use it for studies as well or stick to erasable mediums instead?>shouldthere are no 'should's here by themselves. unless someone's got a gun to your head telling you to draw, you're not obliged to do it at all. depending on your goals, however, there are more or fewer limitations on what you can do to reach them. if you want to be able to do studies well with a ballpoint pen, then you have to practice that. if you don't care to do it, then don't. you can get good in draftsmanship without learning how to use a ballpoint pen, or pen and ink more broadly; you have graphite and charcoal at your disposal.
>>7404426Thanks anon. I know there isn't any fast track to improving in art, but I try to make drawing and study as easy for me as possible. I just see many sketchbooks that do everything in ink and look so clean despite being the "messy" one, I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong.
>>7404430I don't know the sketchbooks you happen to be looking at, but if they're high-quality drawings, you have to keep in mind that those artists are advanced. respectfully, I'm assuming you're not (not that I am myself). there are plenty of living and old draftsman who've hardly if never at all used pen and ink, so if you only use graphite pencils, say, you're not making a mistake in that regard. there are benefits to other mediums though which can streamline your progress. the nice thing about ink is its lack of malleability: if you want to get nice, clean lines, you have to be precise; with something that's more easily erasable, like graphite or charcoal, people are much more likely to have however much less concern for/concentration on line quality and allow themselves more mistakes because they can just erase the bad lines and shapes they make. though with longer studies it's quite advantageous to be able to erase, as it allows you to really push your knowledge and get as perfect of a result as you're capable of given your current abilities and understanding. charcoal is nice, in part, because you can more easily get broad shapes of value and you can push them further than graphite without the glossy sheen graphite tends to leave. if you want, simply experiment. one month, say, mostly use ballpoint pen and see how that goes; the next, mostly graphite; then, if you like, see how charcoal fairs. realistically your approach to improving isn't going to be 100% perfect, so what you should worry about is making steady progress, while acknowledging that people often stagnate. if you're putting in the hours, and doing the right studies with the right mindset, in the long-run you'll progress.
>>7404443Got it, anon. Yeah I have to remember those artists have been drawing seriously for years, and even then maybe I don't want a super pristine look for my art anyways. As long as I'm learning, it's all good.
>>7404423It’s up to you but I always recommend ballpoint/pen in general because it teaches you to live with your mistakes and pick lines more consciously. As for artists that make nice drawings in their sketchbooks, like the other anon said, they’re advanced, and it takes a lot of time to get proficient with pen and ink. It is a very unforgiving medium that will require a lot of experience to use effectively . Good luck. Why don’t you post some work so we can see where you’re at?
>>7406511push them shadows nigga
Anyone know where to find good references of sculptures/statues and the likes? All I ever find is paywalled images or shit images
>>7406511Like the other anon said, push the shadows. They are far too light as of now>>7406847Washington DC has a lot of statues so looking up different areas or statues on Google should get you plenty of images.
>>7404204>>7409378I'd pay close attention to your edge control. They're mostly fuzzy and make me feel like I have myopia
>>7409378You didn’t draw the stems connecting the grapes sitting on the top left. Try to slow down and make sure all if the necessary details are present
>>7413486I think you should study the skeleton more. The rib cage is much, much larger than you’ve portrayed in your study
>>7413486merry christmas fren. I know /ic/ has been abusive towards you as of late, but I hope you find all the success you want in life. your work ethic deserves respect
>>7414262wrong angles. Brow being the most obvious.
>>7417675your darks are lighter than the reference, and your lights are darker than the ref. Basically you're compressing everything into the middle. I guess it still works, but you could make a more accurate copy. Also you're making your light much colder than the ref. Good job though!
>>7418497I feel that this isn’t finished. If you’re gonna do a study, do it to completion. Darken the darks, darken line weights, shade more thoroughly, and add hatching where it is in the study
Need advice. I'm learning to draw shapes using lasso tool like other artists to speed up process, but I don't like how it's too clean. Question is how to overcome that other than using gaussian blur?
>>7419445Why not just learn to draw? Would make you happier in the end overall
>>7419445turn on the anti-aliasing setting or add some feathering
Does anyone else struggle with muddy colors? I tried limiting my palette but the skin still looks weird and sickly (especially near the stomach).
back muscles
mainly a study on construction and simply separating the shadow shapes. I was mainly focus on Ajax's figure. graphite on paper (HB).
>>7421540ref
bump
>>7422698I feel like you're doing these too mindlessly, without actually looking at what you're doing:>Rightmost pear completely missing a shadow from it's neighbor>middle pear missing it's signature ass shape, as well as the highlight>leftmost pear too bright and the tone breakdown is a completely different shape>white cloth lacking planesWhat is being studied here? You need to take a step back and do the good old "finding the terminator" and "simplifying planes", because what you're doing is neither of those.
>>7428028From what I understand, he's been doing this for a while. He traces over the image and quickly paints over it.
>>7428006>>7429499>>7429946based Richer enjoyer
>>7429951Lol, I just really enjoy his style. I appreciate that he only draws what’s necessary
>>7430411what was/were the focus(es) for this?
Having trouble with the arms :(
>>7419931>>7421466Anon, finish your studies. In the first picture, darks aren’t even present in your study. The darks are important because they show areas of intersection between the muscles. The knee, the oblique falling on the pelvis (which isn’t drawn correctly in yours),the belly button, the thigh, and the sartorius muscle all should be darker. Hampton did what he did for a reason. As for the second picture, what was the goal? You didn’t draw the H on his head, you barely drew the stripes on his head,there’s no neck/trapezius, and your lines are sloppy. I think with a ref like this a simple circle with proportional lines would have went a long way, try to find a more structured way to approach these drawings, because they’re highly fundamental drawings you just have to study them as such
Can anyone help me find a painting. It's in neocalssical style and is of this man picking up a woman, and almost the half of the man is lost in shadow. Most of you here have probably seen it.
>>7431986>>7421541
>>7432002Thanks.
Hi everyone, this is my first time posting here. Today I started my first art book 'morpho: simplified forms' as I've read that it's beginner friendly. I hope to complete the whole thing and improve my skills in the process. It would be really helpful if anyone has any tips on how to study this book or how to get the most out of it. Thanks in advance.
>>7433337you did a great jobtry to apply those dolls on references, it could be other good artists or photographs
How do I draw like Norman Lindsay? How did he get so much variation with just pen & ink?
>>7433350Thanks for the advice anon, I'll do that.
>>7434436There was an anon a while back who was going through all of the Morpho books at lightning speed; It doesn't answer your question; just wanted to post these as it seems like it worked for him
>>7434436And one of his actual drawings
>>7434436And these are from another anon who went through all of Morpho Simplified:
>>7434452>>7434456>>7434459Wow thanks anon! These are actually really helpful, thank you for sharing them. I was also thinking about making the figures digitally, but I find it easier to do them traditionally. Do you think I should change the medium?
>>7374029Been using eye dropper to select only a few color and using those to make a portrait. I know the measurements are fucked but I mostly just wanted to recreate the colors kinda. How can I get better besides bettter measurements? Also, yes. I love trannies.
>>7434629Here is one I did of Alan wake
>>7434631
>>7434629>>7434632Nice. At this point I think it's just about pushing edge control and nailing some of the subtler hues but either way you can push into more stylized territory probably
>>7434581Whatever the hell keeps you drawing is good! This is from an old Bridgman thread I saved back in 2022 of someone doing a Bridgman memory copy on a napkin.
>>7435183Why is it so hard for motherfuckers on a drawing forum to draw on paper?
>>7434581Do it traditionally, simply because traditional is superior to digital . It will look more authentic
>>7374029I channel my art from misery, and misery involves doing a lot of nothing.
>>7435545I thought the thumbnail was an abstract Shrek
>>7438956kek it do be like shrek
