Misty's Sketchbook: Crits welcome!!!!

[MistyKat]

I'm very new here, and just a little scared right now! I currently have a lot of fanart in my sketchbook, but I want to grow beyond that. Right now, I am seriously considering going to an art school and finally doing what I want, which is working (in SOME capacity) in animation.

That being said, I am not the best when it comes to anatomy. I get lazy and just draw faces, more often than not. I have posted three examples of me drawing something below the neck. I think that they have potential, so I want to work on them more with your help.

I have never attended art school, nor have I taken more than one semester of art class in high school. As such, all I've done has been self learned. I think the time for that is over, and I'm taking a step here by opening myself up to competent criticism (I have reviewed several critique threads, and I like what I see here). Should I pursue this by going back to school, or should I leave it as just something I do as a hobby? It's my decision, but I am biased... and I don't want to set myself up for failure. >.>

http://www.hikarimage.com/unfinishedpages/unfinished/matrix.jpg

http://www.hikarimage.com/pencilpages/pencil/shiva.jpg

http://www.hikarimage.com/pencilpages/pencil/original.jpg

[Nistarn]

: ) Pretty shiva

Anatomy, proportions, a more loose scketch, pratice, just doddle a lot

[MephistoLV]

These are not great drawings, but they are o.k. for what they are, which is highly stylized cartoons.
Your anatomy is definitely lacking a solid foundation in reality. You are drawing body parts based on formulas you have learned, rather than based on real study and observation. Because of this, I see numerous errors and a few impossibilities in these drawings.
You would do well to begin a real study of artistic anatomy. That means lots of life drawing and study from credible authors in the field. Start with the books of George Bridgeman. That will get you going in the right direction. Attend life drawing classes, get friends and family to pose for you, and draw yourself using a mirror. There really is no substitute for working from observation.
Once you have begun working from life and studying accurate artistic anatomy, you will find that your drawings from imagination will start to improve as your brain begins to incorporate your experiences into the work.

Keep at it. You have some potential here, but you will need to work hard to really unlock it.

[MistyKat]

These are not great drawings, but they are o.k. for what they are, which is highly stylized cartoons. Your anatomy is definitely lacking a solid foundation in reality. You are drawing body parts based on formulas you have learned, rather than based on real study and observation. Because of this, I see numerous errors and a few impossibilities in these drawings.

This is... very true. What I have learned has been from emulating how other artists render the body... and I have no real understanding of how the muscles and bones actually move to achieve the look... so I end up with wonky feet, odd torsos, and hands that are clawlike. They just don't have a center of balance or any kind of real flow to them. I don't want to say that watching cartoons has ruined me, but it is hard to get out of the rut that I have dug for myself. I started off drawing things I saw when I was young... but it devolved into what you see. Anime-esque doodles.

Keep at it. You have some potential here, but you will need to work hard to really unlock it.

Thank you for your help! I see this as hope that I shouldn't give up yet, and I will try to find the books you have suggested. As soon as I can, I intend to sign up for art classes... specifically still lifes and life drawing. I am currently working as an English teacher in South Korea, so English books outside of popular fiction are hard to find... but there's always online ordering!!!

Thank you for your honest opinion! I wanted to 'fix' these pieces and see if I have what it takes to become serious... but maybe it isn't as easy as 'fixing' old stuff so much as moving on to something new and little more grounded first!!!

[dashinvaine]

Some quite nice design ideas. I completely agree with MephistoLV's comments, though, and would add that the world has more than enough second-rate pseudo-anime. Learn to draw properly and then work on an original style, if you must do cartoons.

[MistyKat]

Some quite nice design ideas. I completely agree with MephistoLV's comments, though, and would add that the world has more than enough second-rate pseudo-anime. Learn to draw properly and then work on an original style, if you must do cartoons.

Agreed. I appreciate your comments... I don't want to be another 'second-rate pseudo-anime' artist, though that is what I am right now... if I'm even second-rate. :) I need more experience, and definitely some schooling to boot.

Thanks for your help, guys. I hope to become more active here when I have followed the advice I've gotten/will get before this thread dies.

[MistyKat]

Wow... I had to dig to find my original post... there's a lot of work going on here!!! :D

I just got my Bridgman's Guide to Drawing from Life today, and wanted to try it out. I wanted to do something challenging, but not too challenging, so I decided on a portrait from a reference photo of Johnny Depp. I see mistakes and issues my self (his nose is weird, his eyes are a bit large, and I'm not happy with his chin), but I am actually proud of this one. If you squint hard enough, he almost looks like Depp. Usually, when I try these, I don't get anywhere close to the reference.

Let me know what you think, please. I'm not sure if I'll do anything else with this piece... maybe your critiques will help me make it better!!!

[dashinvaine]

This is interesting, because it shows the habits you have gotten into doing anime-esque stuff. There are residual elements of that style when you attempt realism. You are so used to doing vast stylized eyes on cartoon characters thar you have started conceptualizing real eyes that way and have made him look like an alien with enormous eyes. You have also given him an almost anime head-shape, with a shortened face, as can be seen comparing this to your first drawing. Don't get me wrong, this is a huge step in the right direction. (My own early figures were similarly deformed, somehow I didn't notice at the time). The best tips are to closely observe the reference image and to mentally measure the relative proportions of one feature against another.

[MistyKat]

Thanks for your comments, Dash! I *have* gotten in the habit of anime-tizing everything I draw. After drawing this way literally since high school (about 9 years and counting!), it's a difficult process to break myself of.

I have tried again, this time with a less recognizable figure. I have attached the reference photo of him for everyone to judge how well I'm doing.

We currently live in Korea... this is something all the children do when they think something is cool (or if something is stupid and they're being sarcastic). They put their hand on their face like this and shout "MC!" I don't know... >.>

Anyway, let me know what you think, please!!!

[MephistoLV]

That is much better than the previous one. I can see that you were really trying to observe and compare with your reference. Good job.

Now, there are still many places where angles and line lengths are off a bit, but that is something that will improve with careful practice. Remember to just go slowly, draw lightly (so you can easily erase mistakes), constantly compare your drawing to the reference, and immediately correct any error you notice. If you do this, then bit by bit your observational skills will improve and your drawings will become more true to life.

Good luck!

[dashinvaine]

Getting much better. You've managed to make him look like a woman, though, by changing various proportions about the head and neck, shortening the face, making the eyes slightly too big, the chin too small and the lips exessively prominent. The length of the thumb is something you might like to give another look, too.

[MistyKat]

Ack... a woman... he does look a little like his mom in the picture I drew. !!!!

Lips are a problem area for me... He has pretty full lips for a guy, and I'm no good at them. Maybe I should just do a lip study? The thumb is way too long, now that I look at it. I can still fix the thumb and the lips, but I fear it is much too late to address the length of his face without starting over... which wouldn't be a bad thing.

Again with the too big eyes. Argh. Will I learn?!

Does anyone think that gridding would be useful for me at this stage? I almost feel that it is cheating, but if it will help... I could try it.

Thanks to both MephistosLV and Dashinvaine for your comments and critiques... even with the problems I'm having, it is somewhat refreshing to produce something new.

[MephistoLV]

Does anyone think that gridding would be useful for me at this stage? I almost feel that it is cheating, but if it will help... I could try it.

When copying from photographs, gridding is an excellent tool for learning. It essentially breaks down a large drawing problem into many smaller drawing problems. It is much easier to see and correct problems with angles and proportional measurements this way.

As you gain more experience and train your powers of observation, you will find that you can use grids with less and less lines, and eventually you will not need the grid at all.

In another application, many old masters made regular use of grids in order to transfer their prepatory drawings to their painting surface. It is not cheating. It is a tool artists use to check and improve accuracy.

[MistyKat]

Well, everyone, I am trying again with the portrait. This time, the victim was myself. I'm not crazy about this one, but I think I was able to at least get the eyes a more realistic size! I can easily make changes to this one... and I will, as I intend to give this to my mom as a birthday present. She is constantly whining about having no pictures of me!

I didn't get a chance to use the gridding technique on this one, so it is freehanded. I *will* use it when I have a ruler and some lighter paper. This is some heavy watercolor paper!

Reference posted for comparison.

[Elwell]

Hey MistyKat, you're doing great. Since this is turning into a sort of personal progress thread, rather than crits of the original works, would you like me to move it over to the Sketchbooks section?

[MistyKat]

Please do! I'm sorry for adding the extra work for you!

Thanks much!

[Elwell]

No Problem.
You can change the thread title by editing your first post in advanced mode.