Game Artist Seeking stronger traditional skills

[poopinmymouth]

Ok, Im a game artist, not a true illustrator, but an artist nonetheless. Im sorta doing this backwards. Most people learn the basics get a job, then learn the tips and tricks. I sorta taught myself the tips and tricks, got a job, and now I am learning the basics. When I was young I never kept a sketch book, and even in College (art college, first VCU then SCAD) I didnt pay attention to the fine arts. Well now I am seeing that when I go to try to really create something in game art, be it a texture, or a concept sketch, I am falling short. So I want to learn how to draw. I went to B&N (too impatient for amazon) and bought 3 books. The complete Bridgeman, Keys to drawing, and Color the right way. Keys to drawing is set up as a text book and has exercises that challenge you and slowly walk you through a sort of "class". I am going to post those exercises in this thread. I am hoping to do one a night, but we will see.

exercise #1 Looking, holding Drawing a line, Drawing blind.

with my feet out in front of me, crossed, i am supposed to create a sharp line drawing of the contour. Trying to look primarily at the subject, and specifically keeping the pencil going even when I am still looking at the subject, essentially drawing blind. I am supposed to Look, Hold the contour, Draw. No thinking alowed. My hand is supposed to be a seismograph for my eyes. And I am supposed to restate lines at least once, and no using an erasor.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot.jpg

[Wetterschneider]

Already your drawing skills are showing improvement. It's a lot of fun to watch an artist start out on the frustrating road to skilldom. As far as critiquing goes, maybe you should try a larger pad, and give yourself some room... then again maybe you cropped it just to post it. Still, always work with the biggest sheet of paper that you have on hand, it'll pay off by letting you center your subject matter and allowing you to play around alot with the space. The thing I'd like to see, if you're following through with this, is a ten drawing series of the same subject. It'll take a lot of work, and the quality won't always progress from drawing to drawing, but by the end you'll astound yourself.

[poopinmymouth]

yeah, i was kind of contemplating how much each exercise would actually benefit, if I only did it once. So I think thats a good idea, to try each one multiple times. I will have a go at that tonight, try to do at least one or two more tonight. I think I will start using a bigger sketch book too.

[Wetterschneider]

And you're thinking of a pantograph - a seismograph measure the magnitude of earthquakes :)

[J Bradford]

I don't get it :confused: :confused: :confused:

[The_Dude_Abidin]

After reading your description of this exercise being a blind contour or semi-blind contour I have to say its pretty good. I have to agree with most of the former statements, when sketchign and drawing like this bigger is better. gives more flowing movement across the page and allows space so you can get most information down and crop afterwards if you decide to do anything with the drawing. The key to these exercises are also repetition as mentioned. drawing the same subject matter over numerous times challenges you to render it well and create interesting compositions each time. I have found that drawing more than aything else and what these exercises try to teach is to relearn to see. you are simply teaching your eye to pay attention to the way shape line and color interact. consciously trying to move away from using icons in your drawing. this is a problem with people drawing alot. The will draw a nose or an eye or something else as an icon of something, a shape they remember, instead of what they see. anyway I guess i am being long winded. look look look and draw draw draw. I look foward to seeing more of your progression in your drawing.

The_Dude

[JoShuA]

poopinyourmouth,
Dude I can relate, Im in the same boat. Got a Game Job with a sketchbook full of Super heros and some life drawing. But I see some of the stuff here and I realize how much I lack when it comes to craft. I try to draw everyday and find more classical inspirations,
would you recommend those books?

[jrr]

well, i don't know about all that stuff you wrote... the basic flaw (in my opinion) in that excersize is the "no thinking" part. i mean i've heard teachers say that all the time. and i chuckle alittle bit. the cool part about contour drawings is seeing everything and filtering it in your mind and summerizing it. sometimes it's fast sometimes it's slow, picking up the pencil or not, i find is very trivial. the goal is to get clean beautiful, and sometimes acurate lines. isn't that what everyone wants? a line that you can control that doesn't look sloppy and blah?
rant time:
i remember when i was in drawing sessions and some of the students would just scribble in a hurried rush, as if this is what "artists" are surpose to do. and the drawings usually dont' teach them anything and just reenforces bad habits. i mean it's like a guy saying he's going to work out and gets up off his chair , punches a few times in the air and sitting down and falling asleep with a barrito in his mouth.
hey you know what's a good book to buy? don't laugh, but i love it, "how to draw comics the marvel way", by john buscema and stan what's his face.

btw, nice intense glare you got there...
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/face_3.jpg
it's almost as if he's telling me to "poop in his mouth"

[Jeff Gran]

what's up man. good start. I feel you with going back to the basics, I'm doing the same thing now..though I didn't get a job out of school. Just started an unpaid internship but that's not the same. hehe.

anyway, I'm also taking a couple of drawing classes and one is basically a "learn to draw better" class. We spent the first two weeks straight doing blind and semi-blind drawings. Including but not limited to, a one hour completely blind self portrait, followed by a one hour semi blind self portriat, a 3-4 hour semi blind drawing of an interior space, etc. My linework has gotten way better already. My teacher stresses on the semi blind ones to never look at the paper while the pen is moving, only while picking it up to start a new line. and to move both eye and pen as slowly as possible, recording as much detail as possible. and not to worry about what it looks like, whether proportions are off or whatever, just to try to forge a stronger connection between eye and hand. he says blind drawing is the single best thing that will improve your observation and drawing skills, which are the same thing.

this week we've moved on to negative shapes, "drawing" with knives cutting the shapes out of construction paper. I'm willing to bet that negative shapes are chapter two in that book you've got. it seems great minds and great teachers think alike.


anyway, hope some of that helped a bit... I read your modeling tutorial and it helped my models a bunch. I always recommend it to people who model "checkerboard" style. just trying to give it back, man.

[poopinmymouth]

Wow, thanks for all the responses.
Dude: I used my large SB this time. and I repeated same exercise. I am gonna try to do each 10 times. Yeah, the book stressed not drawing what you know, but what you see, good point! (anyone hiring, pick this guy up, his game art roxors my boxors!)

joshua. I sure do, they are wonderful, esp the keys to drawing and color the right way. check your PM

Jrr: I think that by not thinking, they mean, dont think about what it is supposed to look like, just draw what you see. I have seen that marvel book, and liked it. And thanks on the avatar.

Jeff: That class sounds sweet. I might try some of those exercises. i am starting a life drawing class on wednesdays after work, 12 week class from local museum. And I am doing informal life drawing on monday nights. Glad you found the Tute helpful. i am about to put out my UV tutorial soon. Look for it.

Its really hard to ballance 2D, 3D, and an 8 hour work day. I find its sleep that suffers! oh well, Im young! here is tonights repetition. I know this foot has all kinds of crazy going on. I was frustrated when i got like 1/3 way through and saw my proportion of the shoe was off, but rather than start over I finished it out, and tried to correct what was left. Oh well, tomorrow night!!!
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_b.jpg

I am sketching these exercises each night after I finish my 3D projects. here is what I am currently working on. Keep in mind it is extreme WIP
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/Pcount/wip_1.jpg

[The_Dude_Abidin]

wow man looks like you are getting some godd feedback on here. YAY life drawing.

The_Dude

[Wetterschneider]

A modest improvement to the quality of the line; it seems surer. Are you cropping the scan/photo? If so, then don't. If not, then lightly mark your extents of the, in this case, triangular composition before you start pulling your line.

[poopinmymouth]

I am cropping. I marked out the extents of the triangle before sketching. i didnt want to take up Jpeg space with empty sketch pad, so I cropped in Pshop

[poopinmymouth]

Ok, here is tonights drawing. So tired, I got carried away on the texture, and forgot about the time. http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_c.jpg
These are larger than the scanner, so had to composite it together. The top of the shoe does however fit on the page. I am planning out my compositions so that it doesnt fall off.

Here is my texture progress. Worked on the vines primarily. havent touched the blade, and still need to add scratches to the handle, and more leaves.
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/pcount/wip_2.jpg

[poopinmymouth]

and another. Man am I gonna be sick of these shoes, and these sandals. hehehe.
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_d.jpg

oh yeah, worked on the texture some too!
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/pcount/wip_3.jpg

[poopinmymouth]

sometimes its hard to get motivated for these, but then i think of all the inspirational work out there, and I get started, and once I start, i have so much fun i always finish them.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_e.jpg

[gasmask]

good to see ur drawing, im a 3d artist and traditional, but my advice for drawing if you want to make fast improvement, keep it loose, ur drawings are very stiff like , just scribble, the lines will tell you what to do, oh yeah and drink alot of alcohol when drawing, girls are distractions so turn off the celly, peace

[Kortez]

Originally posted by gasmask
girls are distractions

truer words have seldom been spoken, word!

And great thread you've got there, keep it coming :)

:chug:

[poopinmymouth]

did just one large on in extreme perspective.
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_f.jpg

[Jeff Gran]

I know what you mean...once you get started you want to finish. drawing can be as addictive as modelling...um, I mean drugs.

[poopinmymouth]

only one shoe again!! i will do 2 tomorrow for sure. Drawing 7! only 3 more then a new exercise.
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_g.jpg

trying to get some of the more extreme perspectives in. by the time i am done my legs are CEEERAMMMPED. but it forces me to draw what I see, instead of what I know.

also, texture update!

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/pcount/wip_4.jpg

[poopinmymouth]

Foot drawing 8!!! never draw with your sketch pad tilted away from you. it will mess up your perspective, hahahahahaha.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_h.jpg

[poopinmymouth]

tonights was a rush job. we are on crunch time at work, so no time for extraneous stuff. this is number 9 and I will make number 10 extra detailed to make up for it. I am starting Life drawing class at a local museum this wednesday, and I am going to start posting those here as well.

http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/conart/ex1_foot_i.jpg