Lildragon's sketchbook - damned determined to get better

[lildragon]

Hiya, I'm not particularly a good traditional artist at any rate, which is one of the reasons I've started this thread. I'm constantly amazed at the talent here and how everyone progressed over the years.
I'm amazed I actually got as far as I did professionally in my 3D work. It's like once you give your soul to 3D, you forget everything about 2D which is very wrong. So enough chat here's my attempts over the years. I'm determined to bring my traditional skills up to par with my 3D and beyond that.

Rip them apart but use some tact :)

Smudgey goodness {old stuff}

http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/woman_profile.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/little_girl_portrait.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/washington_portrait.jpg

[lildragon]

More early stuff bleh, as you can tell I'm not particularly happy with my art :)

http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/female_trunk.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/happy_man.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/figure001.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/lild_wife.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/figure002.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/figure003.jpg

[lildragon]

nothing to exciting here

http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/loomis1.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/loomis2.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/CARAVAGGIO_28.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/BOTTICELLI_014.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/BERNINI_010.jpg
http://lildragon.cgcommunity.com/images/2D/080_CORDIER_Nicolas.jpg

[lildragon]

Here's some recent efforts, this is after I haven't drawn since last year. The Cordier Nicolas above was my last attempt.

Recently since Sept 17th I've put myself on a 30 day drawing diet, my hopes are like how it worked for my no TV for 30 days diet, is that it becomes so habit forming it will be like having that morning cup of caffeine intake. So I started Monday Sept 17th and plan a drawing, two or more a day, and I've yet to draw today. I'll see you at the end of this 30 day haul, can't wait to see how things shape up.

Monday 17th/2007
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/runnin_lady_sketch.jpg

Tuesday 18th/2007
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/kneeling_lady_sketch.jpg

Tuesday 18th/2007
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/solider_sketch.jpg

[lildragon]

Sept 19th / 2007 sketches

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/woman_standing.jpg

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_gesture.jpg

Sept 20th / 2007
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_sitting_sketch.jpg

[lildragon]

Friday, September 21st, 2007 Hate this one

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/woman_sword.jpg

[lildragon]

And recently I had a slight breakthrough, I've always found it a bit hard and sometimes frustrating to get forms right. What I didn't know is that by drawing in PS, I get to quickly realize forms. It's such a different experience than pencils. Maybe I'm one of those marker nuts :dur: . Seeing broad strokes gets me into the flow alot more and much faster which is something I find myself needing visually, and get this... I actually enjoy it. It doesn't feel like a torture exercise >:|

5 min gestures
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/5min_studies001.jpg

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/gymnast_hang.jpg

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_complex_pose.jpg

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_thinking.jpg

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_stretch.jpg

Was a whacked day on the 25th, I managed to get a couple 5mins sketches done. 24hrs ain't enough!!!
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/dance_5min.jpg

[lildragon]

Latest, I missed the 27th :( but managed to get this done last night. I'm not even close with being happy with this one. I just pulled the plug. I'm going to try some new angles for today's.

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/woman_back.jpg

[lildragon]

More none exciting stuff. COntinuing....

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_back_stretch.jpg

[bradjames]

some of your work is really nice. I like the stuff from the Lee Hammond book. I have the same book. Keep up the hard work.

[Blaz]

Hey man nice start.
I see you are working hard, and the posts are better and better every time.

Im bad at criticizing but what the hell:
Try to improve your linework a bit by making the lines more secure and maybe to play a bit with lines. To make some thicker some thiner for greater sense of form and shadow.

Also noticed you have been looking at Loomis books, thats good. You can stick to that, helps alot!

Keep updating! :)

[lildragon]

Thx Brad really appreciated. Lee's books are cool, but it just doesn't feel like drawing to me, I mean I feel like a human photocopier ya know?

Blaz, thx much man, yeah I'm going at this hard, I must get better and won't stop till this sketchbook is 100's of pages long :)

Here's today's piece. The last piece was very dirty. The more I draw the more I see the faults, I'm loving it.

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/man_kick.jpg

[lildragon]

Amazing how fast this forum moves :)

Here's today's study

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/woman_gun.jpg

[lildragon]

Unfortunately not much time today. But managed to get a quick gesture out.
http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/woman_tongue.jpg

[lildragon]

Here's today's. Went a little different direction.

http://www.thecareergamer.com/sketches/bruce_statue.jpg

[lildragon]

Little late with this one, cause well... I was having to much fun! Cya tomorrow

take care,

~t

[LifeWontWait]

Hey man, nice stuff you got going here!
I just noticed a little mistake in your portraits that I wanted to point out to help ya get better... hope you don't mind.

When you do 3/4 view (and some straight on) like this last portrait you posted, you often make the cheek bone way too big. I see it in the black woman in your second post, the 2nd two master studies, as well as a few others. Just something to keep in mind next time. Really focus on that line down the side of the face next time because other than that the faces look quite good.

Keep on drawing, this sketchbook is looking good!

[lildragon]

LifeWontWait you're right! I had a hard time nailing that contour. I will keep it in mind next time. Thx man

Btw I just realized she had no brows lol so I updated it.

take care!

~t

[lildragon]

Today's drawing. Think I'll do some gesture drawing tomorrow.

take care,

~t

[lildragon]

Thanksgiving yesterday here in Ca..na..da.. so I didn't have anytime with fam stuff and all. But I did do some gestural sketches using as few lines as possible while under a 2 1/2 min timer. This is deceptively difficult to do, and it really makes you concentrate on what's important. I have to do more of these.

take care,

~t

[Moogle]

You can draw eyes really well!

[lildragon]

Thx moogle!

Felt like going at another portrait tonight, and I think I'll continue this one down the road. Ran outta time ;)

[lildragon]

Just a quick sketch tonight. Some proportional issues, but gotta keep going.

take care,

~t

[lildragon]

Really nice poses from Ben Miller, I just had to sketch some. Some 5-10mins studies. http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=202&t=400770

take care,

~t

[lildragon]

Couple of sketches for the night.

take care,

~t

[lildragon]

Here's a character design I'm playing around with.

~t

[lildragon]

No comments, but I'm still working away hard over here :confident This is the design for my main character Flo in my prototype game.

take care,

~t

[Chiko]

hey there! I see you mentioned you do 3D, that's really cool! Have any models or textures to post? I'd love to see them.

But you are SO RIGHT. Everyone I went to school with was all about the 3D work, but didn't care to learn how to draw at all. I'm glad to see you interested in both!

As for your latest girl, the design reminds me a bit of Jade from beyond good and evil, hehe it's really cool. My advice for the piece though would be to try a pose like that and take a picture to get some reference. Her pose is very awkward. The head is too far forward from the neck, the shoulder and raised arm looks pretty flat, and the legs from the hips down seem to be pointed in the opposite direction from her body.

My advice would be to try drawing the same pose again from scratch. Try it with stick people, and then block people, to make sure you're getting everything positioned corrected. THEN go ahead and build the meat and bones and clothes. I hope all that helps! It's not meant to discourage but to get the best possible picture of your character.

I really like the design so I hope to see some more artwork of her!

[lildragon]

Thx for the comments and advice Chiko appreciated! There's definite issues but I got a long ways to go in this medium yet, so you can bet I'll get it :)

I love traditional art, always have but 3D just consumed me because it was a ton to take in, but now my focus is to balance the two :) you can see some of my 3D work here http://lildragon.cgsociety.org

As for your comments, I actually used Karmima for this reference, and yup your comments are correct :)

http://www.laracroft.pl/pix/karima39.jpg

take care,

~t

[throtailer]

Wow dude i c u improvin' very much. On sum pictures i cant really understand where from light comes from like on last one. Keep it up and dont get discouraged.

[lildragon]

Just working on some thumbs for the 2nd character in my game. He's a rabbit/bunny engineer of sorts. Loves to create. Just playing with some silhouettes and I'm liking 11 to go ahead with.

take care,

~t

[Juhani Jokinen]

I really think you've improved a lot since you started this sketchbook. I however think that your anatomy skills still need some work, especially in terms of proportions. That's the main thing I see being off in most of your drawings.

Keep up the good work!

-Juhani

[lildragon]

Hey ANthriel, thx man, and yup that's an ongoing thing that will take years to master. I'm well prepared for the long road ahead. The only way to get better is through practice right? :)

thx again for the comments

take care,

~t