Total beginner over here.

[Arlequin]

Hello there.

I've been lurking here for a while, but waited until recently to actually register, and I'm a total beginner as far as art goes. I've been posting my art on dA for some time, but since no one over there ever gives critique, I decided to post here instead, albeit after weeks and weeks of hesitation because everyone else here is so good at drawing. Heh.

To start off, here are some observational pieces from the past few days (I apologize in advance for terrible they are):

[Senira]

Have folks at DA been reccing this site like crazy or something? In the last few weeks we've had, like, 10,000 kids migrate over from DA. We must be special. :wink:

Anywho, welcome to the fold! The folks here are quite nice, so long as you're willing to learn and take advice.

I can't offer you much crit on what you've posted so far. Hand studies are a great way to learn about a lot of things (planes, value, foreshortening, etc.), so you're on the right track there. I'd say work on adding more contrast to your values. It'll make the whole thing pop more.

Keep it up!

[showdownmetal]

yeah, man you definitely are on the right track, that eye study looks pretty good, and i like how you wrote "supposed to be a ring" next to the ring study, it took me longer to read what you wrote then to realize what the object was... made me laugh, i would definitely suggest looking up some books on art... bridgeman and loomis are great. and im not sure where it is but i know theres a page in here somewhere with free ebooks... im sure it'll come up if you type free ebooks and conceptart.org in google. anywho, keep up the good work.

[Arlequin]

Wow, I definitely wasn't expecting such quick responses.

@Senira: Well, I heard of this site a very long time ago (as in, about a year ago), so I'm not sure if it has anything to do with people at dA reccomending the site as of late. But hey, CA is a good site, so that's alright. Haha.

Thanks for the advice.

@showdownmetal: Really (about the ring drawing)? That's reassuring; I was worried that it didn't look anything like a ring, as you can tell. Bridgman and Loomis? I'll have to remember that (even though I have some trouble when it comes to learning from books).

[Arlequin]

Did a couple of more drawings last night and earlier today. I tried to add more contrast this time, but I'm not so sure how well that worked out.

[JailHouseRock]

Hi Arlequin and welcome to CA!
shit some of this is bloody good, those hands are great!

Please keep posting.

[AmourFonce]

I really like what's in here.

I think that you should really start trying to make your life drawings more like a "visual diary". I see that you like making comments on your pictures. It'd be really cool to see you do some of that and maybe add some sort of commentary that compliments the thing you're drawing.

[Sarxous]

Excellent stuff you got here mate. Can't wait to see more.

[Peetaer]

Whatever you do, whether you think its right or wrong, you must never stop doing. Always keep going.

I'd say that you need to do a lot of anatomical studies. Keep with the sketching. Don't branch off and start with something else. Stick to the drawing boards. Check out the Bridgman studies. You can also learn a lot from Andrew Loomis. Actually, just pick up any book on figure drawings. Books that break down the anatomy piece by piece and then put it all back together again.

Also, if there are any art studios in your area they'd most likely have figure drawing sessions going on. You should make it out to those because there is nothing better than improving your skills than drawing from life.

Hope this helps. Never stop going!!!

[JFierce]

Your drawings look good so far
Andrew Loomis's books are great as Peetaer above me suggested


Haha and as you'll probably hear alot

KEEP DRAWING!!!!

[ghoulio]

Great start here some help from loomishttp://fineart.sk/index.php?cat=1

[Arlequin]

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone.

@AmourFonce: Interesting idea, but what exactly do you mean by a "visual diary"? Would that be sort of a "sketch-a-day" type of thing, or...?

@Peetaer: I really want to take a figure drawing class, but seeing as I'm a minor, that might be a bit difficult. Though, I know figure drawing classes sometimes let people in even if they're underage if they have permission. I actually did recently start looking for any opportunity to attend figure drawing sessions, though.

@ghoulio: Thanks for the link!

So, after looking through one of Loomis' books, I did these (yes, I realize that I forgot part of the pelvis; I don't know how I missed it):

[The Curehead]

youve got some really nice studies there,maybe take your time with the rendering.
the contrast in the lamp was good,and if you get your rendering a bit more blending i think it will look great.
really like the studies

[Sodbrenner]

nice start! i like the eye and the hands you did, difficult stuff!
the mouth is quite a damn thing to draw, specially when its opened, if you draw mouthes maybe it could be useful to put a pretty dark shadow on the upper lip, right down where the two lips touch and dont be too harsh with its outer borders and the under lip, avoiding to make it look like a butterfly landed on a face ^^
if you dont mind, heres a sketch of it :oneye: maybe you can use it (http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jd100033fo4.jpg)
dont stop ;-)

[s.ketch]

keep on drawing, draw everything you can, draw every spare second you have! if you can pick up a book called "Drawing From Observation: an Introduction to Perceptual drawing" By Brian Curtis, itll improve your drawing just by reading it. Good luck and draw draw draw! :)

[Jokisalo]

Not bad start at all. I wish you can keep yourself motivated to hit that paper with pen!! Good luck with your sketchbook.
And if you get time stop by in my sketchbook. Thanks

[Arlequin]

@Sodbrenner: Thanks for pointing that out...I'll keep that in mind.

@Jokisalo: Haha! I think that maybe I should learn how to crosshatch well before trying to do anything with pen.

Here are a bunch of sketches for today. I think I'm going to just upload full pages from now on. It's a lot less tedious than scanning individual images, and that way I'll have to post everything instead of picking and choosing the "better" or "more serious" drawings. (Side note: the "fur trim jacket" doodle is the closest I've come to drawing something from my imagination in several weeks, hence why it kind of, well, sucks.)

[Darktwin]

I like the notes you leave for the viewer to see as well as yourself, crafting your skill is a definite struggle for all. I really like your studies, hands are a definite struggle for me also. I wouldn't worry about rendering as much right now, I would suggest drawing many hands by focusing on the structure and proportions, by doing many studies, you will grasp all the elements, rendering is the icing on the cake. Look at mentler's sb here on CA, check out bridgeman or Hograth, there are many other books out there that can help you, you just have to find what appeals to you more. Keep up the hard work :)

[gkrit]

hey,
u got some nice work in here. good practising also.
onyl thing is, ive picked up that u somtimes have a little trouble with proportions (maybe uve picked thaht up also) in ur hands and feet but sometimes u pull it off. well imo, to fix this stuff up, compare lengths between ur fingers/toes and if u can, pre-judge how long a segment in the finger is (but that one prob only works with me lol... i dunno)
but keep practising coz its the only way thatll get u to the standard u would like to reach :)