*@*@*@*@ Colin Sullivan's Journey to 10,000 hrs and BEYOOOOOOND!!! *@*@*@*@*

[Victor B]

I really like the two experiments keep its always good to experiment, keep it up cheers

[Dark_Eyes]

victor: thanks friend, i'll get over to your sketchbook here in a sec when i get a chance.

here's an unfinished little thing i lost interest in.. don't ask... hhahaha

[Dark_Eyes]

unfinished sketch

[Victor B]

Ha no worries man its all good, I've been thinking of something I could do in my digi sketches which I also see maybe you could do. That being that when you're sketching and you get the whole figure in there except one of the fee or tip of one of the feet, just increase the canvas size the extra100 pixels or so and finish the foot. Anyway keep posting as you can

[Dark_Eyes]

Victor: thanks man, yeah i know about that function of photoshop, i use it all the time, i think i just quit on those sketches or before using it.

well, since i won the last EOW, I've picked the new topic so i feel obligated to enter, I'll have a lot to do if i want to finish this Chow and still design the IOW, so ... lickety split... here's a rough

[Clochette]

Oh I love your line quality! Very sweet hands and foot studies in the previous page. Good luck for the CHOW !
PS : Omg, this one (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=449752&stc=1&d=1219987259) just looks like my banker! O_o

[Dark_Eyes]

Clochette: Thanks darlin', love yer' stuff appreciate you stopping by!

Hmmm still alot to go on this one yet... I timed this drawing, was 1 hr.. need to get faster... it helped to let go though... Does anybody out there draw strictly by concentrating on their image though their peripheral vision? Obviously everybody uses their peripheral vision, (like for instance when you're looking at the whole of the image instead of just one spot on the page), but I mean using their peripheral vision the entire drawing, without actually focusing on one point... I did on this one and it seemed to help in a weird way.. I think it's the equivalent of a trance state. I'm wondering if a lot of other artists have this experience...

[Dark_Eyes]

damn multiple light sources... aw well, this one might be a wash, need to use reference, or work from life more.

[lunarman]

Im not sure if his right eyebrow should have that purple glow since his chin is probably blocking the light source from his chest. Anyway, cool update!

[Victor B]

If you do push this some more I'd suggest working on the pants just a bit more, some folds, maybe get some quick ref. for it , eighter way its lookin good keep posting, cheers

[Dark_Eyes]

thanks guys for the crit's it helps more than you know...

I'll post some pencil work when i'm not so tired...more to do...

[Dark_Eyes]

wow, scary times to live in it seems... I don't think people know who the real enemy is anymore, pointing fingers at fictions....

[Dark_Eyes]

kkkkll

[Dark_Eyes]

crap...

[Dark_Eyes]

......

[Dark_Eyes]

more..

[Dark_Eyes]

=-=-=

[wilkerson]

Damn, some fine pencil technique, great studies. Don't worry about the stars, art is not based on ratings.

On the political note, I agree with most of the things you said. I may live in Canada but I also have U.S. citizenship and I am saddened and angered by what has happened. Its hard to express what its like to see democracy and freedom go down the drain.

[Dark_Eyes]

Wilkerson: thanks man, I appreciate that... the world is so mixed up now, i don't think people really know how bad it's going to get here in the US Corp (the dollar is dumping it's inevitable) ... It's been tough lately, I'm freaked out and scared, but I have faith that I'll survive... it's my family I'm worried about...

[Victor B]

Nice batch of pencil sketches and anatomy! I just wanted to show you something in regards to the last chow piece you were working on I know you've moved on , but thought I might mention it , for you to keep in mind for the next piece
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m41/artofvictor/page31.jpg

see the top of the page,

anyway keep up the good work, cheers

[Dark_Eyes]

Victor: thanks friend, you've inspired me to go back to my disney animation of book, It's amazing how much you can learn from those guys, really, that's where art started for me, seeing those animated films as a child...

Experimental speedpaint...

[Victor B]

Love the speedpaint ! keep it up

[Dark_Eyes]

well, since a loaf of bread is soon to cost 100$, I figured I'd get friendly with the cheapest tool of all, the PENCIL! bleh.... americonned...

[Dark_Eyes]

just some studies today...

[Dark_Eyes]

WIP, things still aren't unified, no details..

[Dark_Eyes]

......

[Dark_Eyes]

some weirdness from my head today... I have crap loads of studies too, but do you guys really wanna' see all that? I guess there's some value in seeing them, but it just gets kinda' boring i think.. o well

[Dark_Eyes]

couple quicky color studies

[roidvoid]

you have a really nice sketchbook. you just need some more polishing and you would be to that upper level that ur reaching for. im subscribing to your thread in hopes of giving you five stars soon

[Dark_Eyes]

Roidvoid: Thank you, I appreciate your support, It's good to have eyes around keeping you honest. I'll ditto the same for your sketchbook...

[Dark_Eyes]

Hey guys, still here! I've been intense into my anatomy studies.. things coming a little easier.. still a long way to go... here's something from the head

[Victor B]

keep up the studies Dark eyes!

[Dark_Eyes]

Hey! I'm really sorry for not posting lately.. I'm still very dedicated to this sketchbook and will continue to post regularly! I've still been drawing a crapload.. I took time off of the digital stuff for a while.. back to my roots, pencil and paper...I've mostly been doing anatomy studies, and really focusing on drawing from imagination more than i am studying from life (like 60% imagination %40 percent life study..) I appreciate reference, but i'm really trying to develop my internal visual library.. here's a page of weird stuff from my sketchy'.. more to come!

[Dark_Eyes]

"spider-bird" sketch from the other day

[Dark_Eyes]

milk and cookies? hmm

[Nettle_Mountain]

Your sketchbook-anatomy pages are strong and i like the way you have dedication for longer studies

good work here, wants me to be little more professional

[Dark_Eyes]

nettle: thanks man, I love your lost sketchbook thread, i've already wasted hours plus time surfing... HA!
Here's that nasty sketch painted out. Its gonna be a flier for a digital painting show i'm doing with me and some of my buddies..

[wookiedabo]

I love you pencil sketches, lovely stuff. that christmas bikini woman looks painfully thin, and theres something about her stomach that bothers me in terms of form. unfortunately, it seemed to work a lot better as a pencil sketch...

[Dark_Eyes]

welll.... 09' should be one hell of a roller coaster... seems like i thrive in chaos... I'll be riding rodeo style, naked with a cowboy hat... pencil in one hand, pistol in the other... YEEEEEEE HAWWWWWW!!!!!! erm... some quick studies, feeling a bit rusty with the digital.. as I've gone back to charcoal and pencils lately.. you know.. great depression style.. still studying a crap ton..

and...

[lennon]

Hey dude, brilliant stuff, that last one was pretty cool. That youtube stuff is a little scary and slightly funny. There's shit in Argentina that's just as disturbing. The problem with the christmas girl is the navel: It's too high. I think that it should be like one inch below or something (check yours) the same applies to some of those wonderfully rendered pencil drawings.

[Dark_Eyes]

Lennon & Wookie: thanks for the crits's and comments i definitely agree... need to do more studies of those areas...
Hey Lennon... hopefully we don't end up as bad as Argentina.. but its looking that way unfortunately... Expect some of this going down in big cities within' the next few years...this is actually an interesting documentary.. but the first ten minutes will get the idea across...

[Dark_Eyes]

oops doublepost

[Dark_Eyes]

ughhh..

[Dark_Eyes]

here's a few from today.. the landscape is from some russian painter... every color i picked for this, i used the lab color picker.. it was kinda' weird but i think it's helping me to make conscious color decisions in photoshop.. check out LinRan's tutorial...http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2097738#post2097738
he rocks... i think he's MB shanghai.. dunno' though..
also, a quicky chick... lots and lots and lots of pencils.. but my scanner is so damn slow....

[Nele Klumpe]

Really nice colours in the last painting. The lines of the woman look great, although I think there's a little weight problem, she'd fall over this way.

[Dark_Eyes]

avis: thanks! yeah.. i did that really late... kinda fallin' over myself... i just rotated it 25 degrees and it fixed it..

Here's something i'm messin' around with.. it's unfinished...lots wrong with it still... i decided to just pull the trigger and jump in.. no refs no studies no thumbs or sketches... It's a bit uncomfortable for me... not having something to start off with... but its a good lesson i guess.. also.. i'm using the lab color mixer alot lately... i just click in the a and b number fields and nudge the color up or down with the arrow keys... kinda weird, but it seems to get me color nuance without overdoing the saturation with the slider... lot's of pencils I'll post later

[Victor B]

Hey darkeyes, I'm in hurry but wanted to stop in and say its great to see you posting again, hope you're well cheers.

-watch the foreshortening on the bent leg on the "knight" the foreshortening suggests its comming at us while the position of the cushion and the foot on it suggests its more to the side

[Dark_Eyes]

Victor: thanks Vic! good to here from you... yeah that piece is a little fucked.. I knew there was something wrong in the legs... guess its the hazard of not planning first..

here's a study from today.. one hour...

[Dark_Eyes]

2 hr study from ref... used rgb sliders for all colors picked.. feeling more intuitive..

[Dark_Eyes]

My EOW for this week...

[Victor B]

wow, great step forward! keep pushing!

[Dark_Eyes]

Victor: thanks!.. and i continue pushing...

"Happy Friday 13th!"

[kidult]

Sick pencils mate, just check those proportions!

[Nettle_Mountain]

looking good, maybe a line is little bit light side on edges, scanner problem?

[Dark_Eyes]

kidult:thanks! yeah.. always proportions it seems...
Nettlemountain: I've noticed that about my pencils.. can't seem to get rid of it. probably my scanner.. it's old and crappy and my pencils don't look like that to me on the page... hmmm.

some studies.. trying to work on getting big stuff down first, and simplifying the rendering with complex forms...

[kidult]

Nice work on the last one!

[Dark_Eyes]

hmmm...sry.. just testing this.. i doubled up the image with a multiply layer to try and darken the lines...

[Victor B]

the last Building looked great, keep it up!

[Dark_Eyes]

victor: thks brother, i'll stop by your sketchbook soon..
Here are some female portraits from my head.. about 1.5 hours each,.. all inspired by the great zhanglu! Check his stuff out! I like the way he uses soft brushes to build up value and create an airy, loose feel to his work...

[Victor B]

you can definitely see the influence the portraits look like a great excersize.

[Dark_Eyes]

victor: thanks man! I sure am bustin' my ass too improve.. wish i had a faster scanner so i can show all the damn pencilling i've been doing... Onward!!

Here's a 2hr sketch... this week's chow has me thinking starwars... turned into a bounty hunter of sorts..

[Dark_Eyes]

another quicky portrait study from my head.. need to make a study of different ethnic types and forms... maybe make a tutorial to help organize my thoughts.. also have a storyboard project I'm working on with my friend, will start posting that here soon

[Dark_Eyes]

couple quicky studies all with flat brush and texture overlay at the end.. inspired by some of trevor's recent posts..

[Dark_Eyes]

quick Titian study..not a lot of rendering... staying loose

[Victor B]

Really enjoying the last couple studies, keep working.

[Dark_Eyes]

female torso/shoulder studies

[Dark_Eyes]

well... kinda' hitting a stride with these... all from my head.. experimenting with different ethnicity, sex, age, and expression... also fudging around with different processes .. I think i just realized that dark areas are darkest along the edges that touch lighter areas and vice-versa... somehow i feel like i should've known that a LONG time ago... herm'.. o well :)

[engelhardt]

Hi Dark_Eyes, very nice sketchbook! Cool, that you try so many different tecniques. Your environments, especially the EOW are awesome!

[Dark_Eyes]

HEY HO... long time no post... still working hard though.. managed to copy hogarth's book of hands... i think i've absorbed a lot. THE FUN NEVER STOPS! I will be posting more soon... here's a sargent study

p.s. Englehardt: almost missed you.. thanks for the comments! I will be posting more and am working on a tutorial for creating different racial types from imagination...so stay tuned!

[Brushcommander]

Wow, your sargent study turned out so fucking sweet...
MOAR

[Victor B]

Great Sargent study Darkeyes

[Dark_Eyes]

Tugelbend: thanks man! Yeah.. I seem to be obsessed with Sargent lately.. it's like a right of passage or something...

Victor: Thks my man! good to see your still out prowlin' the inter-webs'..!

Here's some studies from my head today... definitely have some hogarth on the brain.. still frustrated with how much i have yet to absorb though.. :( .. o and a couple ds colors! doodles...

[Dark_Eyes]

>>>
another sargent study...

[Dark_Eyes]

african american female: from imagination

[m0uS3r]

very hard working and i must say that it pays off ;)

keep it up man

cheers

[Drin]

Really really great studies, man. I love them.

[Peter Berkovski]

very impressive work! love the enviros

[Jamie Romoser]

Beautiful work/studies.
until next time -Omerta

[Dark_Eyes]

m0uS3r: Thanks man! I appreciate that! It is truly amazing how much work it takes to experience growth.. I am continually humbled by the talent around here and feel a real sense of purpose at CA.org, like I'm part of an army.... the world needs creative minds now more than ever...

Drin: Thanks! I wish i had a good scanner so I could show you guys the friggin' miles of pencil sketching I've been doin!

Peter Berkovsik: Thanks! I need to do some more enviros'... cursed, genius Zhanglu has me drawing nothing but portraits!! CURSE YOU ZHAAANGGGGLUUUUU!!!!

Omerta: Thanks for stopping by!

Here's another black girl from imagination... I kept things very light this time, but I admit I'm still too heavy-handed with the stylus.. I try to imagine like i'm painting with an ink brush, swinging my shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers in smooth s-like swooshes... I think it adds a little more life to your stroke... Damn still so much to learn
685372

She is so fricking hot!
8LkM1rJwkos
Get this album!: Never Never Love
oEeafrHuHb0
SNLkZJ7kALU

[Dark_Eyes]

here's another...
notes on sexy... far to many to remember them all.. let's see...
-eye lids top and bottom slightly compressed.. "sleepy eyes"
-lower lip filled with blood, slightly protruding
-lips pursed, slightly open
-eyes looking up/down at target
-slight "elvis" lip raise with both lips projecting forward,
slightly opened
-compressed kissy lips
-slight smile to one side
-very slight raise of the eyebrow
-skin around cheeks become rosy from blood flow
-pupil's dilated
hmm.. i know there's more.. I'll try to use some in my next experiment...

[Dark_Eyes]

here's another...

[Mischeviouslittleelf]

Really quite fantatic studies you got here mate^^Should get better at doing that myelf^^

-E

[Victor B]

Hey Dark eyes, really love the sargent's and portraits you're working on. Keep it up, maybe post a larger more finished piece in there too. Thanks for sharing, cheers.

[Dark_Eyes]

Mischeviouslittleelf: Thanks man, love your sketchbook by the way... these portraits are too fun! I can't wait to study Latinas!!!!! I'm taking extensive notes (TONS of pencil sketches, which i haven't posted yet).. studying the major "races".. and hope to compile a large tutorial of my findings...
cheers!

Victor: Appreciate it! Yeah, I have a bit of a short temper for finished work.. but you're right... I'll get on that one..

couple more, horse study and another portrait from my head

[Dark_Eyes]

another from the head.. took this a bit farther than just a portrait...
LGBDzxIPd_U

[Dark_Eyes]

...
Fj26WAXtRxE

[Dark_Eyes]

.....

[Dark_Eyes]

hmmm smiles are tough... need to do a study of basic emotions from imagination

[Dark_Eyes]

,,,,,,
rToR4Rbcvv8

[Porg]

Cor, love your painting style.
Really liked your sketches too, very clear and detailed.

Excellent!

[Dark_Eyes]

porg: thanks for stopping by! crits are welcome...

[Dark_Eyes]

some stuffs... all the heads are between 2 and 15 min... trying to figure out ways to get stuff down quick, and a little thumb i started flushing out for chow.. I'm trying to get rid of my shame so I'm going to start posting all the crappy stuff

[Dark_Eyes]

study study

[Victor B]

Great stuff, I recognize some of the referenced heads, and the desert enviorn is looking nice.

[Dark_Eyes]

vic: thanks mate.. more to come..

[Dark_Eyes]

.mmmmmm cars

[DoubleThink]

great stuff here

you're one to watch :)

[Victor B]

Hey,mate love the car update, unfortunately I have no idea where everyone is ?

[Dark_Eyes]

Double Think: Thanks! Hope to keep feeding those eyeballs!
Victor: Ha! not like there's a shortage of good stuff to look at around here.. it just gives one the intense drive to evolve into awesomeness!!!!

[Dark_Eyes]

.....

[Victor B]

lovely heli mate, keep up the studies.

[Dark_Eyes]

Thanks Vic' !

It's me!... more or less... crap i need a shave.... and a haircut...

[GunTrouver]

Hey, your stuff looks really good so far. Your portraits become better and better and those anatomy stuff looks good. So if you ask me you are on a very good way. Keep it going.

[Dark_Eyes]

Guntrouver: Thanks for stopping by!

I hope to post some ink and brush work I've been working on soon. Ink really helps teach you about making decisions about your strokes... some head studies, between 2 and 20 minutes around there... gotta' get faster at these

[Victor B]

Nice heads looking forward to the ink studies.

[Dark_Eyes]

thanks vic, as soon as i get around to scanning :dur:

[Dark_Eyes]

So I pried open my scanner with a screwdriver and cleaned the glass under-side, (for some reason the manufacturer didn't think of that one in the design...:/) sooo I think I can get some decent scan's now.. Here's a page of inks i'm somewhat happy with.. I still suck , but I feel it's helping me think about big areas of value and I can already feel it helping me to be more bold with darks in my pencils (until now I've had a weird fear about adding dark darks to my pencils..hmm) Each head timed somewhere between 3 and 15 minutes, all with a no 3 round brush, some speedball pigmented acrylic ink, with some occasional pen-opake for mistakes. fun!
R4sTuOQPlYI

[wookiedabo]

the look great mate, nice drybrush stuff, and your digi heads are awesome.

[Dark_Eyes]

wookiedabo: Thanks friend! I'm loving' your pencils, gotta' post some of mine tomorrow!

Little Lucy.. It's a guarantee when Colin comes around, the crayons come out! Kid's are great for modeling learning...sometimes its just about taking out the pencils and having some fun!

I LUV Roisin Murphy
0_vCOOW_BsE

[Dark_Eyes]

sorry.. too tired to post pencils, i'll get to it soon enough.. some quickie experiments from my imagination

[Dark_Eyes]

just some weird space waitress i drew from the head today..
kaQCdjP3W9M&fmt=18

[Victor B]

*guitar solo* that sketch is ROCKIN! keep it up!

[Dark_Eyes]

victor: thanks! I'm having fun!

the lovely Roisin Murphy has me thinking about all kinds of over-the-top fashion.. I need to study fabric and materials a bit..

oNi61xgl9G4

[Dark_Eyes]

ugh, have been to busy with bs lately to get any real drawing done... hour quicky

07un2IC6TM0

[Dark_Eyes]

oops.. long time no post.. I'm still pulling 8 hr/day minimum drawing days (usually more)... learning a ton about anatomy... but mostly graphite and no digital. I will be more regular with my posting... there's really no excuse not to. Here's an idea for TEAM CHOW, hopefully I will have a team soon...:sungod:

[Victor B]

Lovely update Dark eyes!
p.s. sent you and email

[Mark Tarrisse]

Really nice sb man ! I love the moleskin stuff, and you have some pretty nice faces :)
Keep it up ;)

[Dark_Eyes]

Victor: Hey Vic', I didn't get an email from you.. are you using a pseudonym?

MarcustheBarbarian: Thanks! Man you have an incredible SB!... and your CHOW TEAM??? AMAZING!

[Dark_Eyes]

some team chow sketches

[Dark_Eyes]

some quick torso studies

[Dark_Eyes]

.....

[Dark_Eyes]

practicing expressions from imagination.. need to do a LOT more
Only good song on the album imo, but it rocks
87IQhui_Yy8

[Dark_Eyes]

......

[Dark_Eyes]

.....

[Victor B]

Hey Colin great updates! I had emailed you about team chow but wasnt able to have the time anyway, but maybe if there's another team chow.Keep up the work.

[Dark_Eyes]

Victor: thanks man! I didn't see your email, maybe i erased it or something.. cheers

still wip but getting close

[Dark_Eyes]

.....

[hala]

argh i'm still amazed at how well you render faces with such minimals lines--love your stuff, more more!!

[Dark_Eyes]

hala: Thanks! Those are some of the kindest words I've heard around here, even though I don't feel like I live up to them :P .. so much to learn still, and I am so humbled by the talented artists that inspire me... Cheers!

wip

[Dark_Eyes]

''''''

[Dark_Eyes]

.....

[Dark_Eyes]

Woah, haven't posted in a while... I've been working on a gaming mod for left4dead, with a friend.. I'm learning a bunch about level design, texturing, modeling, ect.. lots of fun, ack i just looked at the stuff on my first page... REVOLTING! Anyways, here's the poster that people will see when the level loads (without the text).. It's called Absolute Zero, and is about 50% complete, ...fun game! Way to go Valve!

[mariusz]

Very cool sketchbook, keep it up!

all the best,
Mariusz

[andres333]

loving the last one

[Chaser226]

Great job! I mods usually have some crappy collage of screenshotted characters as title page, so yours will def stand out =D. Good luck!