Fallimar's learning curve

[Fallimar]

Right! Time for me to actually post some stuff. I'm the first to admit my pictures need work, and I ALWAYS love constructive criticism, even when I've declared a piece complete.

However, this thread I imagine will be more for my studies of form and plain quick doodles, and also my attempts at learning the elusive (for me, anyway!) art of digital painting and colouring. As an aside, I know that a lot of people don't like anthropomorphic characters and such, but personally I find it fun to combine a little animal anatomy with a human frame.

So, here we go. :)

First, a couple of rough sketch studies I did of characters posed to show movement. Uh... dynamic poses.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/hooome.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/ShmooSlip.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/Kickyfoots.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/Dragonpose.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/Acrododge.jpg

[Fallimar]

Ahem, using the attatchment thing now -

A few dragon heads, because I adore the shapes they allow you to play with:

[Fallimar]

Now - two recentish simple colour pieces. Both done quickly and lazily, which is something I hope to remedy ASAP.

[Fallimar]

First digital paint :)

Well, study. Blah.

I like it, but there are a lot of errors.

[Fallimar]

My first digital painting assignment!

All things considered, I'm happy with this - there are errors, especially in the shape, and I could definitely do more to render the stalk area and highlights and such... but, heck. It's my second ever finished digital paint. So... yes.

In stages too:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/AppleSketch.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/AppleBlockBlend.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/AppleWIP.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/ApplepaintDone.jpg
And with the ref:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/Applepaintcopy.jpg

If not for the ref I'd have been reduced to drawing a terribly boring red globe with a toothpick in. I'm wondering how long it'll take for things to start sinking in, and for me to be able to freeform a little - hm.

Ah well, if there's one thing I've got, it's time :)

[Fallimar]

Apple, updated :)

After a bit of crit by the lovely Noxartemus who's mentoring me...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/ApplepaintRevised-1.jpg

:)

Not completely happy with it, but the stuff I'm learning is awesome.

[Fallimar]

A sword. Also a knife which I'm about to colour.

I LOVE item concept art, been something I've been trying to do for a long time.

Trying to loosen up my style and not worry too much about things looking polished, just trying to let the actual idea come through.

[JFierce]

I gotta say that apple looks pretty realistic:)

[Fallimar]

Thanks :)
It's not that hards working from a photo though, gotta work on my unreferenced art!

Speaking of, the blades I posted before now have some friends:

Short Blades.

[Fallimar]

My (late!) idea for the DSG jumpship idea :)

I like the design, but I wish I'd put the lines on a different layer so I could've gotten rid of them. bah.

[Fallimar]

Need to post more in-progress stuff for people to tear to pieces - so here goes.

I'm using a lot of the DSG ideas, but since I'm a bit of a noob I don't really get them done in a day, so I'll post progress here and maybe just edit my DSG posts (if any) with updates. Anyway.

The robot thingy. Sketch:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/GoblinGolemDoorsketchcopy.jpg

Blocking in colour ideas:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/fallimar/GoblinGolemDoorBLOCKING.jpg

Note that I'm completely useless with browns, particularly woody browns, and so I'm going absolutely mental on them in this pic. Ha! Take that, lack of talent! :D

[Fallimar]

Sketching for Spartan camp - 50 gestures

Set 1 - stretch

[Fallimar]

Set 2 - Strong

[Fallimar]

Set 3 - Fear

[Fallimar]

Set 4 - Dance

[RandAlThor]

Hey Fall, you have some fun characters there, they are very dynamic, keep that up. I'm impressed with your figures, they are coming along nicely. I think once you get a handle on the digi applications, you'll be away in no time. But i would like to suggest to do some more real objects, such a s that apple, spot on there.. try some enviros and some everyday objects, either way keep posting ;-)

[Fallimar]

Rand, thanks a whole bunch!

I'm working on some landscape painting, and I'm hoping to try some interiors later :D

Means a lot to hear I'm going in the right direction - thanks again!

[Fallimar]

Set 5 - Flop!

[Qadi]

erm i cant see what's wrong with the first apple lol, they're both so real..also dont u have any pencil drawings?

[Grimey]

i'd suggest working on line quality, but only after establishing geometric shapes.
try working in traditional media a bit more, studying some masters.

[Fallimar]

Qadi: Thanks :)
I don't tend to work so much in traditional media any more, I used to do a lot but I've found working digitally to be more rewarding lately, but I do the odd graphite doodle. Might do some later on!

Stonercurly: I agree. All of the figures above are unreferenced deliberately, I do a lot of referenced work but I'm trying to get more of a feel for fluid movement than perfect proportions. I do however wish I could do life drawing! I really must find a class near here.
I tend not to use artworks as reference for anything other than technique though, as I've always been of the mind that if you draw something it'll be half as good as life, draw from a drawing and it's only a quarter as good. :)

[Fallimar]

Set 6 - waiting.

[Fallimar]

I'm starting to do some loose paint sketches. I'm liking the freedom of them, and I'm not trying too hard - they're more about speed and idea than anything. I'll post them here as I do them :)

[Fallimar]

And the next one...

[Fallimar]

30 min paintsketch for the DSG

[Fallimar]

Project 2 for my mentor - a golden pear.

[RandAlThor]

nice pear dude.. ( that sounds dodgy lol) good attention to detail and value range is near spot on. I bet this took a while, lol ;-)

[Fallimar]

Thanks a bunch!

Yah, it took me a looong time, but funnily enough not as long as the apple. So either I'm improving or getting worse... Heh. I can see areas that need work on both I guess :)

[Fallimar]

really need to get back into this...

Concept of a demon-like monster - trying to go for believable anatomy rather than correct... Not sure if it works myself

[Fallimar]

Oh, also another pece I did for fun and line practice - doing the lineart with a few pen strokes instead of my old method of using a tiny brush and building up the lines piece by piece. I have wobbly hands o..0

[Fallimar]

More lineart practice :)

Quicker this time, and with less screwed-up lines. Huzzah.

[Christian223]

Nice line art. The only critique i can think of is that the width variation of the line is not that much that we can appreciate it, myabe play a little bit more with the variation of it. Good work!.

Heres someone who does very nice lines : http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=96454&page=2

[Fallimar]

Agreed. Truthfully the pressure sensitivity in photshop was playing up, but I did get it under control part way through :P

Guess I'll use a bigger brush next time, and see what I can come up with.

Adore that person's work too... really lovely - sketchy and clean-cut at the same time. delicious :)

[Fallimar]

Secondary demon concept sketch - awkward pose, but less rigid.

[Kfeeras]

a great program for drawing nice looking lines like you did for the dino is adobe/macromedia flash. you can use any old version of it. it's kind of a vector based drawing, the software cleans up the line automaticly. have a try if you want

[Fallimar]

Hm! I've not actually tried using flash... I'll see if I can do something with it, but in truth I much prefer raster over vector graphics, call me old-fashioned :)

Thanks though, I'll definitely try it!

[Fallimar]

Doing the groundwork for a paint of me and my other half. I need a LOT of help with it, so if you've got anything to throw at me, please visit my thread in the WIP/studies forum here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=126326

:)

[Fallimar]

Demon concept 3 (doodled really, I need pose practice o..0)

and

A doodle paint WIP, drew the dragon ages ago. Needs C&C badly!

[Fallimar]

More stuff... Couple more demon doodles, colour WIP of the styracosaurus and a slightly updated dragon doodle paint.

[Fallimar]

Finished the styrac colouring... Just need to paint a background, which will be very difficult since I really do suck at environments o..0

[Fallimar]

Styrac again - background attempt. Referenced from a national geographic downloadable desktop background photo, but I only used it to block in the shapes and positions of trees and get a general idea of the area I'm working with. I've thrown it out now, so I'm flying blind really... Hoping to build up the shapes a bit more, use textures heavily for the leafy bits and then reference some more plant photos for texture and lighting ideas. Help? :P

[Fallimar]

A snippet - bye bye lineart, hello ugly blobby edges D:

Adding much more dramatic shading as suggested in my crit thread, and generally trying to make it look less... flugh

[Fallimar]

Moo again, nonexistent sketchbook thread viewers! :D

Right now I'm taking a course in digital painting, via schoolism.com - the instructor is the incredibly talented Bobby Chiu... which makes me a bit squibbly to think about in itself - and I've just submitted my first assignment.

It's a pity there are no good art schools near me - the only 'fine arts' course available are through universities, and I keep hearing terrible things about the tutors from people I know who attend :(
Still, having an opportunity like this is just incredible, even after the first lesson I've learned an incredible amount, and I'm practicing and applying what I've learned on some old sketches. As soon as I've completed one I'll post it here and in the crit threads, I need all the tutelage I can get :)

[Fallimar]

Demon guy again, this time as greyscale paint practice :)

[Fallimar]

Photo paint study - featuring the delicious Anthony Kiedis, of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, and his incredible hair :P

[Fallimar]

A sketch I'm hoping to paint up - A steampunky (but not very) Victorian Lady.

[WickedEdges]

Nice work here, I'm really diggin your style!