SouMeng's Sketchbook

[SoufMeng]

Hi all!

that's it i've finally gathered some courage to post!
I'm 19 and in the beginin of the year i found out that in my school there was a wacom, so the first part of my posts will be devoted to the stuff i did from that period to the moment when i bought one of my own. So if you wanna see what ive been doing lately go to the last pages once iv updated. Anyway great pleasure being here and everyone feel free to post crits and comments.

Here we go with the first thing i finished during winter...

[Ohaeri]

Woah O_O nice reflective surfaces, you did a great job on those . . . and the coloring.

Only crit I have is that the grey areas with the vents look a bit flat; maybe either tone them down a bit so that they don't pop out as much or shade them a bit more? Just a suggestion though, and this is way better than I can do. Great job :)

[SoufMeng]

Fanficbug: hi. First of all THANX alot for being the first to post. Your crit is funny coz you're not the first to mention this detail, someone i know has already told me so.
Tho i might agree with you i'm not sure i'm gonna fix it coz actually it's hard for me to go back to a piece and start to fix what's wrong especially when i find that alot of things are wrong. You also might have noticed there was no castshadow just beneath the helmet.
Well anyway thanx again for stopping by my sketchbook.
Here's the scan of the drawing i did before filling up...

[SoufMeng]

Here's more old stuff.

[SoufMeng]

Another old one. My girlfriend has been bothering me about showing this piece for like five hours even though i find it crap!
So endure...

[SoufMeng]

Oh my! really stop posting i'm overwhelmed.I just can't be bothered to reply to y'all! lol!
Anyway here's a scan of a sketch i had done and colored up but photoshop freaked out and lost it.

[SoufMeng]

.....

[RandAlThor]

Oh my! really stop posting i'm overwhelmed.I just can't be bothered to reply to y'all! lol!

Lol.. The ration of comments to pics here is like... 10 pics 1 comment... get posting dude, people will comment if they see something they like, its no reflection on you they are all just busy doing their own images ;-)

Nice enviros so far, tho they are lacking a mina focal point and i feel you could use the elements to your advantage, such as a tree branch pointing to a distant element, or a contrast in color and texture to draw the eye.. keep posting ;-)

[SoufMeng]

RandAlThor: first thanx for the crits. I was joking iv got no prob about no one posting ill be patient for the moment...
I think i kinda understand what u mean but im not sure about what a minor focal point is.

[SoufMeng]

Here's some more...
The last piece has a different style. I had an idea and didn't want to attach too much importance to realism.

[SoufMeng]

Here are some pieces i did more recently.
The perspective in the last one is not quite right but i dont know when ill fix it.

[Novbert]

Pretty cool enviros here, dude! I especially love your color use and I envy your textures. Keep posting!
(And you're only nineteen - jeez, I feel old ;))

[SoufMeng]

Novbert: Thanx loads. I took a look at your sketchbook and you've also got some nice stuff there.

Well these are my first attempts at fruits and vegetables and were of course very much inspired by Bumskee, only he can make onions look gorgeous (and i advise all the people that havent seen his awesome sketchbook to dash to it!).

I had a hell of a time doing the first one and still the bottle is far from being great, while the tomato just looks weird...

[SoufMeng]

A new one i've done lately, i'm still workin on it...
Open to crits and comments!

[young paddy1]

NIICCE onion

cheerio

[SoufMeng]

Thanx Young paddy1.
A little speed-painting (1h30/2h).

[SoufMeng]

And a little study before goin to bed (hehe its 5:20 AM here)
Some croco skull picture i found outhere in the forums and decided to paint it in PS (i have a few steps for whoever wanna see them).
hope u like :lifedrawing:

[earthstormjim]

There are really beautiful pieces of work here, I think u could sharpen a little more every shape, to get some detail, but I love ur studies of light and come of ur enviroments, beautiful colors

[SoufMeng]

Thanx alot Earthstormjim!!:)
However i don't quite understand what you mean by sharpening every shape a little more. Could u develop plz.
Here's more anyway.
Its quite empty but i'm probably gonna try and change some things.
3h on PS.

[SoufMeng]

Wow!! i liked them when i did them (just a few hours ago) and now that it comes to posting them i just want want to remove them all... :frustrated:

First and second one are no ref paintings, the three others are landscapes studies (yeah it doesnt show, lol).
Hope i'm gonna do better next week...

[algenpfleger]

damn it man, awesome colors! those environments kick major butt and i really like the fruit studies. show us some more if you will :)

[Novbert]

This landscapes are awesome - nothing wrong with them imho. The second one is just too cool to be a no ref one ;). I also love the clouds on the fourth one. How much time did you spend on them? Were these drawn with photoshop?

[SoufMeng]

Hey, so nice to wake up and find some warm feedback!

Algenpfleger: (Hehe i dont have to go and check how it spells anymore!) Thanks a bunch for posting here, before starting a sketchbook i couldn' imagine how motivating it would be. I'll try to post more (especially now that i know terra galleria) and thanx about the fruits, i have some grape in the fridge!! ;)

Novbert: Thanx a bunch man (oh are u a man anyway?:thinking: lol)
Actually i didnt watch the time but i think it was something like:
first one: 1h30, 2nd one: 2h or 3h, 3d one 1h or less, the fourth took me some 2h (??), and the last was the quickest for sure, once i spotted the colors i hardly worked on the textures or anything else.
Yes they were all done in photoshop but i used a new brush i made to have some particular effect. I've got to work on this some more for that brush, despite its quality, tends to create blur edges.
F*#=K!! I'v got to go to school... :nohope:

[Lakka]

Your enviorments are starting to looks better, the studies didn't turn out like masterpieces, but don't stress it, they still did their job!

Nice colors on Forest.jpg :)

[SoufMeng]

I'M just worn out! Its 5h am here and iv'got to go to school in like 3hours and i havent slept yet!! :yawn:
Well the first two pics are no ref paintings done today in PS (actually i only work on PS) and for the last one i just took the grape i had in my fridge and :lifedrawing:
I'm sorry that i had to rush the painting by the end but i knew i wouldn't be able to have the grape in the same position a second time, moreover iv really got to sleep now...

here it is, hope u like it...

PS: Oh thanks a lot Lakka, i nearly forgot u!!
PS2: The fourth attachment is a few steps of the grape for anyone who cares!

[SoufMeng]

I'v just finished this a minute ago and i must admit im curious to know what u guys think of it...
The kind of demon is just a pretext, at the start i was just sketching some crap in PS with some brushes i made and got carried away.
The demon's face was so fugly that i decided to put a hood on it, actually his face was symmetric, "anatomic" and everything but he was just looking so stupid that i really had to hide a part of it.
Anyway here it is.

[SoufMeng]

Some stuff i did yesterday and today.
Three first ones are no ref doodles and brush experimentation and the four last ones are just landscape studies. right now the only thing i still like is the lava study but here there are all for update's sake...
Feedback requested!

[Jakers]

Great work my friend...its hard when you don't get the encouraging posts to keep working but in all honesty....you aren't doing anything majorly wrong and as said before, the number of comments doesn't reflect a lot!

With the demon/brushes one you were curious about...I like where its going but I find my eye leads to the guy, and he just isnt that interesting - cover up more of him with the cape and make it organic and mysterious, and it could work better with what you have. Nice change of direction in studies though.

Environment studies are quite nice, they will go far (as you've shown) when it comes to your own creations! You're aware of hard vs. soft edges and it shows - keep using them since they are super important. Do you just use a brush or two for your foliage?

[Rocul]

Wow!!! I love your colors and your textures!! you're a master over them, I have to ask, how do you do those textures?

[Kan Muftić]

some very nice stuff. a little tip for digital painting: put more detail in the focal point and less around it.
i'll keep an eye on you:)

[SoufMeng]

Hey guys thanx a bunch for posting here!! appreciate it a lot!
Well:
Jakers: No prob about the few comments, it saddens me a second and encourages me to work twice as much harder for the next day's update!! I quite agree with u about the monster/brush thingy but i sure wont fix it, i really dont like it anymore. I even thought i could remove it but i wouldn feel right about it moreover if i go down that road i'll be tempted to remove more than one...
Oh i wanted to ask u, where is ur avatar from?
makes me smile everytime (i dig GOW, just cant wait for the third!!)
Hmm, hard and soft edges problems are something i didnt pay attention to before, but lately i've realised how lethal they can be for a pic (one of my landscapes on the first page, april 20th, is an eyesore coz of the bad edges control)
About foliage, yes i use custom brushes, most of them are M@'s but once i fixed the color for the top leaves for instance i also took a small size round brush and gave some brushstrokes with that blueish green to simulate more leaves lightened by the blue sky. At a low res u can mistake them for leaves (not if u zoom in) but sure brushes did much o'the work... :blahblah: :blahblah: :blahblah: thanx again for the compliments.

Rocul: thanx for the compliment im flattered but i fear ur wrong, i've got too much to learn to be a master!! What textures are u talking about exactly?
In most situation, custom brushes are quite useful for textures though i try not to rely too much on them. I've also got a few tips i've learnt by observing M@'s technique (i could share them if anyone requests) im total fan of him.

Chupacabra: Wow last but not least!! Totally dig ur lines man, and ur perspectives makes me feel dizzy, ive decided id' soon go and look at all the pages of ur sketchbook. Thnx for the tip, overdetailing and overrendering everything is a damn bad habit im tryin to shrug off but its a tough one!
Thanx for keeping an eye on me, hope we'll have a good laugh looking back at these first pages in a few month!! :confident

Here's todays stuff:
The three first ones are ref paintings, the torso's still a wip, and the one with colors was just for fun. The two last ones are no ref paintings done a few ours ago.
Hope u like them!
I'm off to bed
Cheers!

[SoufMeng]

Was trying to create some lighting effect and eventually added the dragon to make the picture more interesting or rather less empty. Now i just think the dragon is not much good for the pic (monochromatic, weird anatomy,...) but since everytime i say i'm gonna fix a pic i dont do it this time i'll just shut it. The only thing im still quite satisfied with is the sun... :xpld:

[SoufMeng]

Finished this one a few minutes ago...

[algenpfleger]

whoa man awesome enviros, really digging the textured look and the colors! anatomy looks great too, far better than mine, but what blows me away the most are those life studies on the previous page, the onion just kicks ass, really hard. can't really crit anything, just keep going and exploring things, maybe try to unify things more by mixing up the colors of the objects, right now it's like every thing has its own color without interaction.

[Matsign]

nice grasp of form in space and making it happen digitally. Pretty bold stuff here that I like.

On this last one it'd be cool to see a brighter rim light of that green or make it show the shape more. Thanks! Nice atmosphere too.

[Saurus]

awesome stuff man! i particularly like your textures and enviros (like most people have said) the deamon (with the hoodie) inthe last page could use some work I belive,(maybe work on character design since you're ahead in your enviros??)...really cool stuff, you're 19 and if this was a race, you're definitely ahead of me!...a cool step by step on your environments (like the grape painting) would be awesome!...keep posting!

[joaKimArt]

These are so cool! http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=346434&stc=1&d=1208093964 Awesome color and shapes. Clean and beautiful.

Nice background in some images. Great updates btw.

[SoufMeng]

Hi everyone!

Algenpfleger: Thanks so much for dropping by! I'll pay attention to what u said about blending colors. Thanx for the fruits, i wanted to do more but i should focus on the human figure for a while. I realised not long ago how much i suck at drawing faces in different positions but still i stubbornly tend to do what i like and whats easy to me...

Matsign: Thanx. Yeah maybe iv been to "shy" with the rim light this time but i guess it counterbalances with all the times when my highlights are just too bright. No eriously i no i should be more accurate with my lighting but damn im so lazy...
Thanx for posting anyway.

Saurus: Thanx for the compliments, real nice!
As u might have seen ive attached some steps but i'm not too sure u'll find'em useful, will u?

joaKimArt: I was quite surprised to see that picture at the end of the link, its so old! But i understood what u meant. Thanx for posting here and here's more...

1- a quick study
2- something i did yesterday or the day before.
3- steps of a first page pic.
4-daily crap
5-daily crap+ steps (Awesome! irony)
6- exprimentations
7- doodles

[SoufMeng]

F***k! Today was awesome! I broke my glasses in the morning and not long ago photoshop threw another effin fit and froze on a landscape i was working on so i had to force him to quit! The damn software just wouldnt get to save the piece! >:{ :xpld: :dead:

Its gotta be the thirtieth pic i lose but this one was really turning out well, far better than the one i've attached anyway...
The worst is that even if i wanted to i couldnt smash the damn laptop against the wall since its not mine but my girlfriends.
Hope ill soon get a more powerfull computer that can deal with Ps and my tablet wiv less trouble than this one, i've had it with rebooting the system all the time...

Anyway here's today sh.... stuff! ;)
first one's a no ref painting and the second's a study.
I really dont like the colors in my no ref works, they're always more decent in the studies though i never use the eyedropper, gotta work more...

PS: sorry for the weird disposition of the pics, cant help it!

[SoufMeng]

Hyall!!

Here are some pages of my sketchbook, the "real" one!

The first pics are ballpoint pen Bouguereau studies (?!?) done during endless and painfully boring classes...
The fifth is a PS paintover of the fourth study, trying to fix it but the mouth turned out real bad so i just overlayed it to lose the blue of the ballpoint pen and dropped it. Ill probably try to make another study of this painting because i like the woman's face on it alot.
The rest is just some other pages of my SB...

[SoufMeng]

And now some digital!!

A speedpainting enviro and a "slowwwww painting", well maybe not that slow but...whatever!

I'll very probably finish the girls face and clean the last sketch lines.

both arent reffed.

hope u like!!

[SoufMeng]

Today's stuff!!

First's a speedie and the second one's a no ref wip im fucking sure i'm gonna finish (for a change!!!!).

U guys let me know what ya think!

:overhere: :overhere: :overhere:

[SoufMeng]

A few studies using photos from the "cooking with idiot" threads haha!

Had done some other stuff but i decided it was definetly not display-worthy...
Dont know how to improve my enviros, its buggin me.

U guys feel free to post crits (especially about enviros) if u think something's holdin me back and need to be pointed out!
Maybe its my colors that suck i dunno...

[algenpfleger]

Holy shit man! Your environments are improving so fast!! I think, for pushing them further, give them more details and sharper edges around the focal point, like Khan already said. Although it doesn't have to be edges, every kind of contrast works.

[Idiot Apathy]

Pretty nice dude! Looks a bit like you are using manual opacity? It can often leave lots of streaks and other digital artifacting. I would recommend setting up your brushes to use pressure sensitive opacity and perhaps even pressure sensitive flow. You will achieve a much more natural feel and greater control to each stroke.

[SoufMeng]

Hi!

Hannes: Thanx alot for posting really!

Well... actually i'm never quite sure about the location of this famous focal point in my stuff, i guess thats the problem but thanx anyway!
Will try to figure it out. :confident


Idiot Apathy: U posting here means alot to me!! Thanx a BUNCH! :)

Well sorry if i'm mistaken (im french) but if manual opacity is what i think it is then no i almost never use it howeva i do use pressure sensitivity but yeah i know what u mean about the streaks and everything, will try to pay more attention to it but ya'no, bad habits are so hard to shrug off!!
Thanx for posting again and damn when the hell are you gonna update?!


Here's today's digital!

None are reffed.

Ya al, let me no what u think for a change!!!!!!!!!! Will u? :overhere: :overhere: :overhere:

[Hive_minD]

Great SB. Keep it up!

Chris

[SoufMeng]

Hive minD ur tooo nice!!
Thanx, thanx and thanx!

Trying to figure out clouds, i stubbornly didnt wanna use a ref but i should have. And i didnt spend enough time on it i think but anyway here it is.

[UnSharpened]

Really nice to see such a rapid progress here, especially the digital paintings.
I like your experimenting with various subjects and brushes. The latest post shows great depth in it, maybe use ref is a nice idea, but here I seem to focus on seeing the painting as a whole instead:P.
Keep the nice working!:D

[algenpfleger]

holy shit man you progress too fast for me! why do you do that! :D

awesome, awesome enviros. just keep going now.

[SoufMeng]

:^^:

Unsharpened: Thanx alot for the nice comments!!
Yeah ur right i definitely shoulda used a ref, i always wanna draw clouds but without making studies of'em u just cant have real beautiful ones (guess its like for many things)!
OH and i gave a look to Craig Mullins clouds the other day and damn, i really thought he had used photos!

Algenpfleger: Hey man, always a pleasure to see u here!!!

But come on Hannes people will think i've hired u to constantly bump my thread to the top!!! :P

holy shit man you progress too fast for me! why do you do that!

Hehehe, i just dont worry for ya!

A pic i did tonight, hope u like (but hey let me know if u dont ;) )

[algenpfleger]

curse you man! that last one is soooooooooo rad! gnaaaarh i need to work harder.

about bumping, it's already the 15th, please transfer the money for the month of may to my paypal account, thank you :>


by the way, what's your name?

[towy]

hey very cool work!, don't stop up

[SoufMeng]

Hi!

Algenpfleger: Haaa!! Stop it or im gonna report u to the mods!!!!! Lol!
Always a pleasure my friend but i really dont deserve such attention.
Thanxx alot anyway!!!
My name is Soufiane (hehe not very french i know!).
90% of people i know decided that my name was spelled either sophian or sofian or even soofphianne (last one's a joke, i dont know such retards!) anyway u now have my name and the right spelling!

Towarlock: Thanx!!!
I fear not to stop is not the problem but i think going ahead is the big deal!

;)

Daily stuff.
Dont like them anymore (soooo empty).
My brain is just unable to tell me to stop the shit while im painting, its only once i'm done that i realize.
Hope time will help (ive got some bad habbits i've f****ng got to shrug off!
Anyway...

[Idiot Apathy]

Mmmmm, some really nice updates dude.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=366904&stc=1&d=1210563142
Might try pushing some more of your shapes together, get some overlap and create more interest. Right now it's almost like 3 or 4 separate paintings.

I dunno when I am going to update, I guess when I have something to update with :\ Might be one or two things on my blog.

[SoufMeng]

Idiot Apathy: Hi!! Thannxxx for the precious advice (everything from u is precious u no :asskisser: )

I edited my last piece, i still dont like it but well, at least its better now, dont u think?
Let me know what u (and everyone) think?

And the second one's just a no ref enviro!

Idiot Apathy, thanx again for sticking around! :)

[SoufMeng]

Just a doodle...

[Ravenseye]

wow man i really dig your work! deff some of my fav work ive seen on these forums. I really dig your landscapes. I rather enjoy painting them as well. Do you live near mountains? I always notice those that do are much better at painting mountains. Ill deff keep an eye on your work!

[ArtZealot]

man, i really liked looking through your sketchbook. I especially like your environments, the color in them is really nice. Also it seems like you respond well to crits, i notice that chupacabra stopped in and told you to concentrate detail around the focal point and you started doing that. i can tell this is going to be a really awesome sketchbook. Do you do mostly studies from photos? if so, where do you get your reference from?
cheers'

[SoufMeng]

Hiii!!!!

Ravenseye: Thank u very much for posting!!!

deff some of my fav work ive seen on these forums.
Oh my friend u surely havent browsed CA enough yet or u would never say that! :bashful:

Do you live near mountains? I always notice those that do are much better at painting mountains.
:D Lol, no i dont live near mountains only concrete, concrete and er... a couple o'trees here and there, well in a city!!! To be honest i draw alot of mountains because they seem easier to me than the rest and so i dont have to face the harsh truth wich is; i cant paint as many things as i'd like and therefore i have a big loada stuff to learn...

Thanx again for posting!! :rendered:


Artzealot: Thanx,thanx and Thanx!

i can tell this is going to be a really awesome sketchbook.
I'll try my best to make it happen! :confident


Do you do mostly studies from photos? if so, where do you get your reference from?
I do make studies from photos but not as much as i'd like, i'm quite lazy and i find it hard to stretch myself to paint new stuff and things i dont know wich is undoubtedly a terrible flaw im trying to get rid of!

I get my pictures from like everywhere (including google of course) as long as its got beauty in it and it enables pasting, its for me!! :yum:

However i do have a special link for ya!
It was generously shared by Algenpfleger in his thread a few weeks ago and ill always be grateful to him for that!
Enough babbling, its here (http://www.terragalleria.com/index.html)!!!!!! Hope ull enjoy it!


Here is today's practice!
Trying to paint stuff i hardly ever painted before and a VeryquickAndveryRushed landscape study (the first)!!!

[SoufMeng]

Just finished this one.
Done in PS, no ref.

[SoufMeng]

Heres a wip, yeah i know: an enviro again!!! but oh well...

I will post again when its finished right now i've got to sleep! :yawn:

feel free to comment and critic! :^^:

[DanielC]

More like that last one ! Textures, values, temperatures... good good work. Keep the momentum up ! .... ?

[Peter_K]

Amazing use of texture. Your landscapes are truly beautiful.
Your work really makes me want to start painting again.

[Aila]

Your environments are so beautiful!! Amazing work! I love the second to last one especially, lovely colours. Keep it up ^^

[[void]]

Great colours and you handle digital really well but I think that the thing holding you back is your perspective at the moment.

Love the last painting.

[SoufMeng]

Hi!!!! :rendered:

Daniel C: Thanx, yeah something's different about that last one.
Heres an update, i changed some things in it (but not as much as i had wished to.)

Peter_K: Thanx a lot.

Aila: Thank u! I worked more seriously on that one.


[void]: Thanx and er... thanx again.
Yeah i always used to overlook perspective (i can tell its quite off in post 62 in the one wiv the houses for instance) but recently i found out about how important it is so i'm now trying to improve on it.
Hope it'll show soon!! :confident


A tiny update with the last enviro updated and a new wip im starting not to want to work on anymore but well ill see...

[SoufMeng]

Just an arm...
yeah trying to improve on shapes and volume.

Not too sure about the cast shadows, though the light source location was supposed to make them easy to spot.
A ref would have helped.

Had a bit of fun with the smoke tho! :teeth:

Any comment??!

[SoufMeng]

:)


Some no ref smokey anatomy, the crappy old wip finished and er...a quiiiiick doodle.

Hope u guys like them!

[Chris_Grisham]

I love your environments! Keep it up!

[SoufMeng]

Chris_Grisham: Thanx :)

A speedpainting, not very good (i fucked up the big knight's leg) but hey,
practice makes perfect, doesn'it?

[SoufMeng]

......

[dchan]

like your environment stuff! awesome work! keep it up

[SAGIR]

Hey man! Nice sketchbook, been browsing it for a while and reading the people's comments.

The environments are pretty sweet, however, most of them feel to me as 'almost there' but not quite yet, so I was looking for what is it that is holding you back.

It is definitely not the execution, you can pretty much paint what you want - great work with textures and brushes (i'd sure love to learn some) and there's no shortage of talent or imagination. I think what is missing is the planning of the piece.

I'm guessing you often just start an environment intuitively, maybe after you've seen a nice photo.

In my humble opinion, a good representation of an architectural space/environment is about leading the viewers eye. This requires planning of the piece. There are some tools for doing that which you are not using to full extend:

Perspective (vanishing points) - It is not that you don't understand the rules of it , I've seen only a small amount of mistakes, but rather, as you have stated, you are not aware of the vanishing points - it shows. Vanishing points are a powerful tool to drawing the viewer's eye, and being aware of where you locate it, really affects the pieces interest level and depth. Even when dealing with a not built environments, like mountains, it is still of great importance. Example: Looking at the environments on this page - all of the vanishing points are located somewhere around the middle of the canvas (height), placing them in a more 'surprising' places, will really add some interest and dynamic feel to your paintings.

Foreground - almost all of your environments are middle ground and further. Placing something really close to the viewer will give your works so much depth and add 'life' to your compositions. Example: post no 63, It would be so much stronger if the man was really close to us, so we couldn't see his legs - looking at the rock or something.

Composition - This is also a piece planning issue. Often the composition you create using shapes and contrast is not contributing to the piece's idea. In many cases the main attraction is placed around the middle of the format which is quite boring. Sometimes the place with the most contrast is away from the main attraction which distracts the eye. It's more complex than this but it's too much to describe in words. Examples: Post 71 (red) - The structure, placed once again in the middle, supposed to be the most interesting point - since it is detailed and much for the eye to study, however the eye is constantly distracted by the bright red area to the right.
Post 63 - This is my favorite of all your works. I love this rock! Crop out the left third of this piece and I'll hang it in my living room. The thing is that, composition wise it is too symmetrical, cut it down the middle and you get two pieces, each with it's own vanishing points and it's own atmospheric perspective. This makes the current composition pretty static ( there's no specific center where you would want the viewers eye to focus). Just try to crop it like I mentioned, bet you'll feel the difference.

To summarize, it is all about all about a little more awareness and planning beforehand.

Sorry if it's too long, didn't mean to preach.

You inspired me to do an environment myself , even thought, I feel pretty fed up with them from my university studies.

[SoufMeng]

Thank you my friend!

Ill read it all over again and try to understand it more fully!
Stick around and we'll see if i manage to improve on that! :confident

Thanx again for sharing ur knowledge!

:^^:

[SoufMeng]

Not completly finished but i really got bored by the end.

[Hive_minD]

Omg... that is just great. Love the textured metal feel!

Chris

[Twisted Synapses]

I need more bandwidth to handle the awesome being pumped from CA. Great sketchbook man, your environments have excellent colours and the textures are freakin amazing! :)

[Lakka]

You've got some really fine stuff going on here. Just keep improving as you've been doing, it's going great ;)

[SoufMeng]

:)

Hive_minD: Thanx!!! Glad u like!

Twisted Synapses: Thank u, thank u and thanx again!!

Lakka: Thank you!! Ill try my best but im such a lazy bum u know...

Im currently working on the smoky leg, thought i'd post the wip!

Hope it'll turn out ok...

Im planning on doin a smoky head too, but i fear i wont be able to do it without a ref that time... :thinking:

[dchan]

the head armor looks awesome man nice rendering. keep it up

[SoufMeng]

Dchan: Thank you!! Too bad i got bored, i could have pushed it a little further. :S

Thank u guys for the feedback, i appreciate it!!

A tiny update with a speedy and the smoky leg still in progress.

So far i didnt have much fun with it...
Looking forward to paint the smoke tho!!! :bounce:

When im done maybe ill try something more chalenging, with colors or something...

[dchan]

awwesome! love the environment great light and sweet colors. keep it up

[SoufMeng]

dchan: Thanx a bunchhh! I've given a look to ur portfolio and wow u'v got some great stuff there!
Thanx again!!

...

[SoufMeng]

Speedpaint, 30 sec posemaniacs and smokey torso coloured...

[Hybrid_75]

great stuff, sagirs got some good points. other than that push the values in those black and white anatomy studies. ( i only just figured out how to do that myself):)

[Maestro Andres]

Have a blast going through your SB. Never seen so much great environments and like how you texture. Really makes me want to work on some now :D Can't really tell more than the obvious that for anatomy it will get better when you do some serious studies from books such as Loomis, Bridgman, etc. Anyways, keep up the great work!

[Henchman 21]

your enviros are astounding. really cool anatomy stuff too.

[Chris_Grisham]

Nice city there in post 83. Post 77 is also really great. Really looks like metal!!!


Keep it up dude!

[SoufMeng]

Hybrid_75, Maestro Andres, Henchman 21, Chris_Grisham: Thank you guys for the nice words!

Sorry, no decent replies tonight but iv really gotta go to bed... :yawn:

A crappy study (first) and a landscape speedpaint.

[TASmith]

s.m. your landscapes and mountains are stellar. I love the mark making, the sense of light, and the sense of space you create in each of your works. Keep it up, and don't be afraid to try new things.

[SoufMeng]

Tasmith: Thank you and yeah trying things out o'my comfort zone is quite hard for me but trust me im trying!



First pic is a doodle i did after watching this video (http://goodbrush.com/ftp/tank.mov).

The artist is Craig Mullins himself but i think its quite old.
Also the way it was recorded makes it boring to watch sometimes.

I didnt copy the subject, since he did a tank while i just did a car, but i tried to reproduce a few things he did with his value scale where the darkest values are still brighter than pure black.

The second one is just a quick landscape.
It all started with those colors in the sky. No ref but maybe a bit inspired by some stuff i saw lately, i dunno.
Might polish it a little more once ill have slept hehe!

[nickmarshallvfx]

Some great work in here, keep in up mate, you have a lovely style! :)

Nick

[SoufMeng]

Space-sprayer: Oh thank you, really! :)
you have a lovely style!
Hehe i wish that was true but thank you!!

Refined a bit that last landscape, yeah a poor update, i know...

[ditchman]

just finished looking through this sketchbook, lot's of cool stuff in here. too much to mention really. but i think that last landscape looks great.

[SoufMeng]

Ditchman: Thank you!!!!!!!!! :rendered:

Some studies after Sargent drawings (taken from the "loose sketches id like to own" thread- lounge)

The two first portraits are real crap especially in term of likeness, as for the third one... hmm i dunno... i dont like it but i dont think its as bad as the two firsts.
And a refless painting (overrendered if u ask me)!

All done in PS.

[SoufMeng]

I removed the guy and refined the clouds instead...
Yeah i know... i really suck...

:nohope:

[Dan Valkar]

sweet enviros man!! really nice work mate..also nice portraits! keep it up, cause i want more!

[Trashy]

Man you progress fast in your studies. Alright, your environments are clearly your strong points. Good use of colors and values. Well you likely already know this but try to get maybe some more anatomy studies into the mix. Your stuff is killer though. Nice sb!

[Rambo9]

i love your landscape pics, they are really well done.

[algenpfleger]

duuuude your enviros are getting tighter and tighter :)

[SoufMeng]

Dan Valkar: Thanx! im trying my best, well maybe not, im quite lazy u no...

Trashy: Thank you! Ill try to do some more anatomy but hehe, laziness!!

Rambo9: Thank you rambo, but i still have muuuuuch to learn!

algenpfleger : Thankx and glaaaad to see u here!!
Trust me im keeping an eye on u too!

A tiny update with one of my mobile phone shells study just for fun and a first quick attempt at mechas!
Robogabo and some other skilled dudes inspired me to give it a go.

Its not there yet but it should do for a start!
Next time ill try to focus a little more on design, texturing and loads of stuff i neglected on this one for the sake of having the shapes read decently...

[SoufMeng]

.....

[SoufMeng]

:D Heres today's last stuff.

The sphere study was done after a photo (obviously), taken from an awesome tutorial (http://www.huevaluechroma.com/index.php) u are not allowed not to know.

I kinda overused the lasso and airbrush tools but there was just no way for me to spent a lifetime blending the hell outta all those subtle values...
Lazyness will kill me...

And the second one is just a sketch for my second attempt at painting the plump mecha i did yesterday, trying to fix a bit the crappy design...

100% open to feedback!

[ebonysmith]

especially post 47 on page two- the stuff you can make with no references, and in a day... the mind boggles. Do you have any other websites?

[Hybrid_75]

Post #98 ooh aah. i really like it.

[xiaobao2004]

i love those landscape very much , it is amazing!

[Hive_minD]

Some really great stuff here. The environments are great, and I really liked the red cell phone study. Keep pushing

Chris

[wookiedabo]

orange robot has some real nice edges. your pencil schtuff looks good also, more o that perhaps...?

[SoufMeng]

Ill reply later, im real tired.

Heres a little doodle i just did.

Might fix a few things tomorrow...

P.S, no ref,~2h.



*going to bed*

[SoufMeng]

Ebonysmit: Thank you!!
Seems a part of ur reply's missing.
No i have no other website, i started painting in december 2007 so i dont think i have enough good content for a personal website yet.

Hybrid_75h: Thank u but now im not so sure removing that bloke was such a good idea...

Xiaobao2004: Thanx!!!!!!!

Hive_minD: Thank u Chris!! The cellphone shell, really?
Thanx again.

Wookiedabo: orange robot has some real nice edges. your pencil schtuff looks good also, more o that perhaps...?

Thank u!!!
If ur talking about the mecha sketch, its not pencil but P.S!

Here below u have a little update of that mech stuff.
It really bored me tho. So i dont know if ill push it any further.
The design is still poor and there are just so many mistakes to fix;
i dont think its worth the bother...

And i finished the doodle of that girl.
There might be a couple of things to improve on it but ive spent enough time on it already, i think.

[algenpfleger]

Daaamn mate, your colors are getting better and better and better! The bounced light on the girl is killing me. Awesome. Same with the mecha, feels like sunlight, looks so good. Dude. Keep those coming, you definitely rock me out my socks.

[SoufMeng]

Daaamn mate, your colors are getting better and better and better! The bounced light on the girl is killing me. Awesome. Same with the mecha, feels like sunlight, looks so good. Dude. Keep those coming, you definitely rock me out my socks.

Thank you so much mate.
I dont think im so good but it really cheers me up!


I haven't posted in CA these last few days for my internet connection was ,and still is, down.
It really pisses me off but i just cant help it.
Tho, i should get used to not having a daily internet connection since im gonna leave the hall of residence im currently living in to go back home with no internet and maybe no computer either since i dont really own one...

Anyway, heres some stuff i did during the 3/4 past days.
None is reffed tho im not very proud of them.
Sometimes i just dont like the direction my stuff is taking but its hard to prevent this kinda thing...
Well enough talk:

1-Just a crappy speedpaint.

2- An old doodle i finished.

3- Dunno if ill finish this one. Yeah i know the belt area needs a good fixing...

4- I suck at all this sorta industrial stuff so that was just for practice, and the obvious conclusion is that i have to practice way more...

5- That Yoda-like ugly alien dwarf is the result of a weird process, since it had all started with a landscape that was turning out pretty bad until i saw something like i head in it so i just flipped the pic cropped it and pushed that idea as far as i could.
I really rushed the clothes...

6-7- The faces direction and lighting arent very challenging on those but they were more an attempt at something more loose and "oily" than picture 2, for instance.
The woman portrait is not finished yet so maybe ill post it when im done with it.

8-Last but not least, an old doodle i found lost in one of my folders and decided to finish!!
I was planning on using it as an avatar but it looked hideous when i did a test, not smooth anymore and full of weird pixels!
Ill try to fix that later...

Thats all folks!!!

[SoufMeng]

A new one, for practice again.

There are a couple of things i wanted to fix but i would have had to make a big mess to do so...
Will try not to do them next time!

:confident

[algenpfleger]

man you gotta teach me how to paint those rocks. pretty please? :)

loving the portraits too, definitely a lovely style. clean up the brushstrokes a bit more though, like, with some spackled brushes, looks always great on skin. lookie -> http://www.furiae.com/index.php?view=gallery


hmmm.... i love how the guy's hair reflects more light than his skin. very nice.

[ditchman]

badass waterfall.

[Delmar]

uh...love the enviros! Keep pushing yourself man, this is great stuff.

Cheers

Andi

[Kan Muftić]

pretty nice, keep pushing!

[~Faust~]

Thank you so much for being part of this place! Your studies and WIPs are great learning material and your positive affection to your craft is virtuous as can be! I do come by regularly here, just not posting so much, since you're way ahead of me!

Cheers

[ChaoticKnight]

Haha I believe that I found someone who's harder on themselves than I am!

Seriously, your "crappy" environments are pieces that I'd love to be able to do, and am trying my hardest but failing miserably, which is why you don't even see them in my sketchbook! XP

[nickmarshallvfx]

Fookin love the sphere study, and that latest enviro is great too, lovely textures. Keep it up!

Nick

[SoufMeng]

:)

Algenpfleger: I dont thank u and u no why!
For those who dont; Hannes is my personal S.B bumper so hes just doing his job when posting here...
Everyone should hire one, they're cheap and faithful.
No seriously Thanks a bunch!!
About the rocks, hmm read what i wrote below.
And thanx for the link, my little brushwork experimentations arent looking ok yet...

Ditchman: Thank you!

Delmar: Thanx for the nice words Andi!

Chupacabra: Thanks a bunch! Ur last one was great!

~Faust~: Oh ur too nice! Ur also the kinda person im glad we have in CA! Dont bother to explain why u dont post much, Theres no prob!
Only Algenpfleger has professional commitments to this thread...

Chaotic knight: First of all thank u! Im glad u pointed that out.
Im always careful when it comes to say i dont like something i post because i know someone might think im just whining or that its false modesty when im 100% sincere and sometimes saying that its "crappy" is even an understatement for me.
Then the question u might wanna ask is:
Why post it then?
I think that sketchbooks unlike personnal websites, are not only made to show the best stuff u have but to share with other ur thoughts on ur stuff and eventually notice what has been improved and what is still left to be improved.
About the fact that u dont show ur enviros, im not sure if its the way to go (regarding what ive just said about S.Bs) but trust me i do have some very crap stuff ill never show either...


Spacesprayer: Thannnnnnnnxxx!!

Thank u all for the nice words, they mean more to me than what my little "thanx" lead to believe. :)


Heres the last pic i did yesterday before going to bed.
Rocks, grass and dusky clouds...Again!!!!
PS, no ref, several hours.

Ive saved a few steps so if some of u guys wanna see, just let me no.
Also i was PMed about tips and tricks about landscapes so if some of u are really serious about it i could use those step and put up a little tut here or in the appropriate section but im really not sure its worth it. :thinking:

[monotony]

let me be the first to say: yes dammit post it already!
:D seriously would love to see a step by step and a tutorial would be even better.
your environments are inspiring to the max, last two in particular.

[Hybrid_75]

I'd second that, post damn it!

[spetsk]

You have an eye for color!

[~Faust~]

I want to see the step-by-step too, if you'd be so iclined, sir :) Kick-ass

[algenpfleger]

Fuck you Sir O_O



Like, seriously. That last one is incredible. Give us those steps please D:

[AsaB]

Whoooa. Just went through your SB and I was blown away. This is one of the better SBs I've seen here in a while! Your enviros are truly amazing. How you handle texture, brushes, light is really beyond me. This is some inspiring stuff you've got here, sir! Will subscribe, so I won't miss anything!

[ditchman]

tutorial, yes. your public demands it!

[naztek]

Very nice work, I would love to see how you do the things you do.

[SoufMeng]

:) Hi!!!!!!!


Monotony: Thank u!!!! As far as a tut is concerned, i find it quite hard to explain how i do things and why i do them the way i do but yeah ill try!

Hybrid_75: Hehe guess i just cant refuse now... Thank u!

Spetsk: Thanx i dunno if ur right but practice always help

~Faust~: Thanks a bunch!!!

Algenpfleger: Thaaaank u I will my friend! :hugsmile:

AsaB: Thanx for subscribing! hope my updates wont disapoint u!! Thanx for the nice words too!

Ditchman: Thank youuuuuuuuu!

Naztek: Will try to explain but not sure im artistically mature enough to make tuts, its so not humble...


Here is a pic i did not long ago.
Hope u guys like it.
And yeah the tut is coming but i hope it'll live up to ur expectations, im a bit of a noob...

[algenpfleger]

HOLY SHIT MAN! That last one is so great. Especially those clouds, damn. You scare me! :D

Keep going man. Looking awesome.

[RyerOrdStar]

The last one is quite nice, the clouds are well rendered but still with a very painterly feel to the whole thing.

[SoufMeng]

Hi! :D

Algenpfleger: Danke!!!!!!!!!! What can i say my friend, really appreciate it Hannes. :bounce:

RyerOrdStar: Thanx!! I do my best with clouds but they're so hard to understand... :dad:
Thanx again!

Heres some new stuff!

1- Tried to render a simple object as realisticly as possible without a ref.

2- An old speedpaint i didnt want to show but eventually here it is!

3- I painted this from life, its the little backyard of my mother's flat.
Painting this was like hell, especially when it came to chose colors but still i didnt tweak them once i was back in my bedroom. *proud*:nohope:

4- The last painting i did.


:rendered: Comments? crits? questions?

[algenpfleger]

Dude, you're getting so damn good.

That box is awesome, great edges and values and.... everything :D Perspective seems a little off though, shouldn't the right side be vertical? That life painting blows my mind, awesome, awesome colors, and those enviros... damn dude. Just damn.

[pao]

biutiful color and light, so nice work : ]

[bLux]

Oh my, amazing work! All of it! The environments are really nice and there was a big improvement from your first few. Your use of lighting is really great. Please do a tutorial :D

[Howie]

fantastic environments, love your use of light and color. keep updating

[KromNz]

hey man, beautiful works, Great sb !!! keep posting :D

[Dahami]

You are a master painter.

[Nickodemus]

The progression from start to finish is beyond impressive.

[SoufMeng]

Hi!!

Well as u already know im (absolutely) not a pro so maybe this very pic could have been done better, quicker, cleaner or whatever (as long as it ends with "er") but the point of me making this tut and explaining what happened at each step is that on ur side u remain critique and soak up the "good" and and just drop the "bad".

Step-1

At the start, i just took whatever brush i had and started to paint some random shapes, took some green for the grass and some dusky colors for the sky and said to myself:

"Fuck you, here u are going for grass+mountains+sky again!!!"

I try to teach myself to really go and try to paint stuff that seem very difficult to me or unusual but now and then i find myself directing the pic toward settings, lightings and elements im more confident with, wich is baaaaaad !!!

Some colors during this stage were put quite carelessly .
When u see a color that doesnt really fit in the subject of ur painting just get rid of it and dont leave it there for the sake of color variation.
For instance, i had put some bright blueish green in the sky wich i quickly started to blend to eventually make it disappear seeing that i wasnt going for that sort of "mood".
But well, i still have so many things to learn about color im not sure i should give advice 'bout it...

417786



Step-2

I cant quite explain what happened at this stage with the sky, i think i didnt want the sun to be too high so i lowered it in the horizon behind the rocks without dealing with it any longer since the rocks needed more attention at that moment anyway.

I did a seriously bad thing during those first steps; i never really made it clear what the light source was and its location...

At this stage i thought the sun was going to be pretty low to the left, behind the rocks, and that the main light source would be the dark purple sky but when u look at the final picture the sun is completely elsewhere.
This is quite a nooby thing to do especially seeing as i was planning on spending a lot of time on it.
Make sure about the important stuff (hint: the liiiiiiiiiiiight !!!!!!) during the early stages so the pic is solid and consistent.

Then i doubled the size of the pic up to 1800x700 for 200 dpi.

If u are to do so, the earlier the better (for obvious reasons).

Then i took some simple brush and started to draw.
It helped me consider the different planes and volumes of the rocks and ground wich is useful for the lighting thats to come afterwards.
I dont do that often but here i needed to because i felt i was going to be confused about the volumes if i didnt do it.

417787



Step-3

Here i started to ask myself "do you really want the main light source to be the sky?" and obviously answered positively to this question since as u can see the values go in gradients from very dark values for the lower parts of the rocks to brighter tones for the top of the rocks that were supposed to be lit by the sky.

To have those little dark gradients here and there i used this brush 417799 from m@'s brushset.
I dont think he created it for this single purpose but i find it handy in this situation.
To have soft value variation, i also use the airbrush (but very carefully) and then paint over it with a normal round brush set to pressure sensitivity so that the strokes due to their opacity let a bit of the airbrushing show (maybe abit confusing).
Then the rocks had their definitive shapes more or less blocked in.

417788



Step-4

Just some hardcore texturing.
Im not sure why its so exaggerated but i think its because unconsciously i was getting prepared to paint over it and thought it would have to be overly textured to show through the brushstrokes that were to come.

I purposely added some orange tones here and there to the rocks to make them less boring and then used whatever brushes i had as long as it was bumpy, dirty, scattered and so on for the texturing.

Though rocks and nature in general need a certain amount of chaos and disorder i try to make it clear; so while texturing i followed (more or less) the shapes i had drawn.

When ur using this brush 417800 (from M@ again) for instance, try to control its size, scattering, spacing so that it still acts like a brush for you to be able to direct it as u please.
When i watched M@'s video (oh my, such a fan boy here), i noticed that while texturing for instance, he decreased the size of his custom brushes as he was getting further from the background and thats of course the way to do it. Not doing so might flatten the pic.

Obviously i also tweaked the curves with an adjustement layer.
This is the kind of thing im abit ashamed of, since its the sort of stuff that makes all the digital-art haters say we're all a big bunch of "copy-paste-undo" abusers...
But i dont give a damn, there was no way for me to repaint the whole pic just cuz i wanted it a little brighter!

417789



Step-5

Cropped the pic and made the grass overwhelm the rocks (*thinks hard: what can i say, what can i say???*).

417790



Step-6

Quite on a whim i decided to use the sun as a lightsource.
I thought that the pic like it was at step 5 was too boring.

I created a new layer for the highlights and set it on linear light and added a layer mask.

I did this for a very simple reason, lighting the rocks with that layer mode allowed me not to lose the textures i had. As for the mask it helped me have exactly the shapes i wanted for the highlights.
Indeed, on that new layer i painted with a large brush some highlight with a bright orange/pinky color and then changed the layer mode (to linear light) so that the textures showed through the brushtrokes.
But of course, here and there i had painted on the sky or on some rocks that shouldnt have got any light so i used the layer mask and refined the highligts (black to erase/ white to un-erase).

For those who are not very familiar with layer masks i just googe-searched this (http://www.crhfoto.co.uk/crh/layermask.htm).

On a side note, i must say that this kind of photoshoperies is not what i enjoy the most with the program to say the least and i try not to focus on them...

417791



Step-7

I just wanted more sky and more clouds so i changed the size of the pic with the crop tool and painted a smooth gradient with some kind of blue to the right going to a brighter blueish purple to the left near the location of the sun.
Eventually used a bright color with the hairbrush all along the horizon to hint the atmospheric perspective.

I had to accept that that rock to the left was gonna be cut after the crop but had an idea of how to solve that prob so i just didnt stress myself about it.

417793



Step-8

Started to have some fun with the clouds thinking i was too smart to bother with their perspective.

I used the clone tool to refine that rock to the left and tried to make this little trick go unoticed.

In the meanwhile, i kept screwing up the sky and even started to be happy with it and added sunrays for mOore realism! :lens:

(Ohhh and ahhhhh!!!!!)

417794



Step-9

*Realises he was not so smart, goes back to M@'s brushset, picks the perspective grid, drops fancy sunrays and tries to get his thick headed self around the fact that clouds abide by the holy rules of perspective too!!!!!!!!*

As far as clouds are concerned i tend to render them as if they were solid objects with parts in the light and parts in the shadow and i also play a lot with edge variation going from very hard forms to very soft and diffuse gradations...
Still i think i dont study clouds enough and i must admit that most of the laws that rule their visual aspect are quite mysterious to me.
Now that a little while has past since i last refined the pic i must say that i dont like the color of the whole sky so much but oh well...

417795



Wow It was quite hard for me to know what u expected when u asked to see these steps...
i dunno if i forgot to mention important elements or said useless things...

Anyway if u have any questions or comments or critiques, feel 100% free to share them!

And one last thing, do never forget that observation is the best tut ever!

Heres the final.

417815



Hannes and the others: Big thanx!! Ill reply later but right now im in a bit of a hurry! :xpld:

[algenpfleger]

Just like I thought - the same workflow as everyone else. The secret is that there are no secrets. :D Thanks for sharing that man!

[walnut]

Impressive stuff. Nice tut too, though there's something happening between step 4 and 5 which for the life of me i wouldn't know how to pull off. Guess that's just where the talent kicks in right?

[Jussi Tarvainen]

Okay, where to start.
First off great great enviros. Really like the colors and mood you bring to them. Really good life studies too. Also your human drawings are really nice, let's see more of those. No critiq for now.

Keep it up!

[Demo]

Wow love every thing here. Death Family was just added to one of my new favorite pieces of all time ill reserve any crits till i see more because its all workin

[humanNature6115]

awesome work here.
I give 5*

=================================
:mittenbop: :mittenbop: :mittenbop: Sketchbook:mittenbop: :mittenbop: :mittenbop:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=120761 (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=120761)

[SoufMeng]

Algenpfleger: Thank u! I think i see what u mean about the box, im so lazy when it comes to perspective but i know i shouldnt... Thnx for the nice words too.

Algenpfleger: Disappointed? :P

Pao: Thanx!!! (ouh un frenchy!!! ;) )

Xbrianx: Thanx, glad some improvement is noticeable.

Howie: Thannnnnnnx!

KromNz: Thank u. I will.

Dahami: In my dreams...

Lunarsis: Really? Thanx!

Walnut: Thanx but if i can do it theres no reason why u couldnt. If u have questions just ask them. :)

Yuza: Theres alot to critique but thank u!

Demo: Death familly? Really? Lol, I had fun painting it.

HumaNature6115: Thanks for the nice words and stars too!!!

Heres some new stuff!
A sargent study, a speedpaint and an enviro both from mind.
I aint gonna start bout what i dont like in these or ur gonna say im whinning...

[algenpfleger]

Was about damn time you updated! :D

Nah, not disappointedby the tutorial. I kinda knew what was coming :) Like I said, there's no magic brush or anything. Painting is painting.

Back to your update - holy crap O_O The values on that speedpaint crack me up. I first thought it was some kind of a Mullins study or something like that. And that landscape... damn. How much time did you invest for this one? All those details, while maintaining that great palette. Awesome man. Seriously.

[pokepetter]

I like the drama and movement in "Storm". The plants and light in "Backyard" are really good. I like "Guest". It have good depth and nice light/dark contrast.
You're really good with colors. "Dusky" is a nice piece, though the sky is a bit too purple for my taste.

I like the last one, especially the clouds, but the image seems a little dark. All the focus is on the clouds, but maybe that's what you wanted.

Keep it up.

[Jacfat]

Cheers for stopping by it was a perfect time when I was feeling frustrated as fuck about my art. I log on and see your words of wisdom :). I will keep at it - light is a big concern your work is going really well man your colors are loverly wat kind of study do you work at?

Cheers -jac

[Ajene]

Nice drawings, keep up the good work

[IanE]

It's always inspiring to find a sketchbook that not only shows improvement between each page, but between each post. Your environments are really well done. Your attention to detail is fantastic and I really hope you update this sketchbook soon! I'll be watching!

[NR43]

Awesome thread!
Love the landscapes... great atmosphere in each one of them

[JinRa]

Great enviroments man! real great.!

[ruuhkis]

thanks for the advice and for the links you sent to my sketchbook, I've spent a lot of time on 'em already! gotta spend some time to observe that tutorial of yours too :) the latest painting on the previous page is one that I'm gonna study closely, you're skilled with a capital s... keep keeping it up!

[SoufMeng]

Hi and thank yall for looking! :)



Algenpfleger: Thanks mate! :hugsmile:
For the landscape i think it was something like a whole afternoon, but i think that from now on i will try to focus more on the sketch/speedpainting stage to make sure the pic can be succesful before tightening the rendering. So many things to improve on and so many bad habits to shrug off...
Hehe self-teaching can be such a pain sometimes but im sure u now that just as well as i do...
Thanx again for always looking.

Pokepetter: Ur sooo right about the dusky one, that sky color is not only too purple for my taste but also not very realistic...
Thanx for the crits, i appreciate it.

Jacfat: :hugsmile: Thanx. Im glad it cheered u up! I know exactly what kinda state of mind u mean but keep on working and patience will pay off.
Er... what kinda of study? If ur talking 'bout art school and all, well this year im going to the university but not to study art.
So my self-teaching journey continues.

Ajene: Thanx!

IanE: Thank u. improvement is a big motivation so im glad its noticeable.

NR43: Thank you!!

JinRa: Thank you! What else can i say? :)

Ruuhkis: Glad it helped and thank for the nice words!!



At long long last i got Richard Schmidt's book, Alla prima: everything i know about painting. It is gorgeous, im confident that it will help me improve faster.
If u can afford it just buy it.

And heres a little update.
Crits are welcome, dont be affraid.

1) Some anatomy studies mostly after Bridgeman, and partly from mind.

2) A study from life, didnt turn out very well so i didnt completly finish it.
Note to self: Do never ask the sun to pose!

3) Just for fun.

4) The result of some experimentations i was doing in toshop.
Heads are still so hard and im still so lazy...

Quite average...
Anyway crits are welcome, so dont be affraid.

[Senira]

I love your outdoor/landscape studies; they have a great painterly quality to them, and I can see your studies of dark and light carrying over into you figurative work.

Out of curiosity, in the last image of the set you posted, did you work with short brush strokes in order to preserve the painterly look? It's something I've always wondered about pieces like that; I can never tell if it's due to the inherent quality of the brush, or if its due to some technique I'm missing.

[Brun]

i'm loving your brushstrokes, keep up the hardwork

U ROCK

[algenpfleger]

Nice studies man, good lines there! And damn, your brushstrokes. So fucking crazy. Is that all smudge tool? Appears to be. Keep it up man, you're awesome! :D

[monsi]

I love the way you handle your paintings. fantastic!

[pokepetter]

I like the chick. Nice brushstrokes and very dynamic hair. Colors great.

[kidult]

Awesome brushmarks in those last faces and colours too! Curious too those blend marks?

[towy]

always fantastic work here ^^
incredible work for the landscape !
don't stop

[Trashy]

Wow...okay those environments are insanely awesome...gah not to mention everything else in here. wow nice work!

[SoufMeng]

Hi!
Ill post the replies later i promise.
Just a tiny update with a dog study from a book about... er.. doooogs!!!! x_X

Thanx to everyone for looking!
:)

[Dile_]

I_Am_Inspired

THanK YOu! :]] coolest sketchbook around!

[MeTaL-Mike]

your stuff is awesome. thanks for that little tut back there. that was nice.

[arttorney]

OK. I think the earlier comment about advance planning of composition is something that can vault you into the level where everybody's eyes pop out. Look at "Composition 1" in here http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=111813

You were using these principles at least unconsciously in the Asian types in an alley drawing a page ago, but many of your landscapes have many key elements placed away from the natural spots the eye is attracted to in an image (e.g. intersections of the thirds).

The only other thing I thought I could remark about was the splashes in an image on page 3. I probably can't do any better without painstakingly copying a photo ref, but I think you could stand to work on some water effects such as splashes and waves when you are doing studies.

[Virg]

your skies are sick, i never have the patience to render clouds. Great stuff , i give you 5 :O

[SoufMeng]

:)

Senira: Thank you!

Out of curiosity, in the last image of the set you posted, did you work with short brush strokes in order to preserve the painterly look? It's something I've always wondered about pieces like that; I can never tell if it's due to the inherent quality of the brush, or if its due to some technique I'm missing.

Actually, both...
Sometimes i do use short brushstrokes to preserve a fresh look and experiment with different brush settings, etc
But i also tend to use the smudge tool more and more.
Its a wonderful tool and u can almost paint solely with it.
The drawback of these little experimentations is that they might consume a lota time and divert u from ur priorities;
Fancy bushwork is nothing without "good" drawing, values, colors,etc but u already know that.

Brun: Thank u! Love ur work and im glad u enjoyed mine.

Algenpfleger: Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaanxxx! Yep its all smudge tool mate!

Monsi: Thank u!

Pokepetter: Thanx for looking, im glad u like it.

Kidult: Thank you! What blend marks?

Towarlock: Thanx for the nice words and no i wont stop!

Trashy: Thanx man.

Dile_: Thanx dile! Coolest? Remove the "est" and itll be okay for me! :P
Thnx again for watching.

MeTaL-Mike: Thank u; That tut is not very good but as long as it helps even one person im glad to have done it! :)

Arttorney: Thannnnnnnx a bunch. While following the link i thought i knew the thread u were linking me to but i didnt.
Composition is something pretty mysterious and readin about it always bored me but i will try to get my head around it! :)
Thanx for the crits, They're always welcome!

WhiteC: Thanx. Yeah skies are hard but patience for the rendering isnot always necessary, the most important is patience for observation and study! Ive seen so many painting where clouds dont seem to have been rendered too tightly but that work way better that mine thanks to good, value, color and proper edge control...
But im working on that!
Oh and thanx for the staaars too!!

Lately i did a few charcoal protraits of a friend artist who posed for me and for whom i posed and a bunch of head studies after loomis method but i have no scanner or camera so im posting some digi stuff from last week and before.

1) The skinless leg is after Sarah Simblet, her ink and pencil work in her antomy for the artist book is gorgeous and i really didnt do it justice but at least i tried!
Then i just copied/pasted my drawing and painted over it.

2) The idea of making this kinda stuff came to me when i saw the meshes on a 3D model at Zbrush central. I went into PS and tried to think like a 3D program while painting that face! Its not very good but it was fun to do; Would some of u people enjoy chiming in and doing this kinda of stuff in a thread dedicated to this exercise?
Its valuable training to just control ones value scale and try to be aware of the planes of ur subject (Looooomis)!

3) A funny but absolutely not functionnal sword.

4) A commission for my girlfriends little brother, i shouldnt have kept the grey background.

5) Moaaar fun! I just knew i'd end up doing scary stuff if i kept fooling around with the smudge tool instead of working on head construction, lol.

:D

Hope u like!

[StolenSky]

Your work is so inspiring! I love the colour, mood, and composition of your work, along with everything else! I dream to be able to paint like this.

Awesome work :)

Sky

[Mischeviouslittleelf]

Hey man, some really good stuff going on here. Good to have another one on the Pax team:D Your work is amazing^^

-E

[SoufMeng]

Stolensky and Mischeviouslittleelf:Thaaank you! :)

Heres a creature i did yesterday or the day before.

Hope u guys like it!

Im also working on an landscape but right now the wip is not postworthy.

Gotta log out soon, god university is such a bore... :dad:

[kidult]

Some great updates!

[RokasButkys]

Everything looks great, i can see youre not afraid to experiment.
Keep up the good work :)

[Fishspawn]

I really like your recent landscapes, good job! The tutorial was interesting too :) Keep it up~

[Lakka]

Cool SB, you has "it" ;)

[jedininjaman]

great strokes and the commission piece is sick..
great work
5***** from me, love the strokes

[algenpfleger]

Dude awesome values!

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=457060&stc=1&d=1220735310 <- This is SICK! Awesome colors here, quite desaturated but the temperature reads so well, it feels like sunlight. Awesome.

[SoufMeng]

Hiiiii!
:)

Kidult: Thanx.

DoctorPencil: Thanx for the support!

Fishspawn: Thanks man.

Lakka: Im glad i has "it"!

Jedininjaman: Glad u like the strokes and thanx for the staaaars!!

Algenpfleger: Good to see u here mate and glad u like that one! Thanx for looking.

-The other day i had to go to the coin-laundry and instead of spending one hour and a half watching those big drums rolling and rolling i took my sketchpad and drew the place.
Back home i redrew it partly from mind and for some reason i must admit it enlightened me on some benefits of single vanishing point perspective.
Then i added some values.
The steps are:
1. drawing
2. the diferent values of each object without considering the light source.
3. dark plans (layer on multiply mode)
4. light plans (screen mode)

Might try with colors or even full rendering later.

470565

crappy speedpaint i wasnt going to post but eventually...

470566

Some expirementations that turned out to be er... this ||
I think i will have to be more careful from now on when \/ i paint
with the smudge tool so as to preserve a proper texturing instead of, though quite unconsciously, smoothing everything to death...

470567

:wtf:
Wow on this monitor my pics are showing pretty dark, is it the same for you?

[Earendil]

I have mixed feelings about the smudge tool, because it's so badly used a lot of the time, including my old art. I've seen the pros use it, so I guess my advice would be to be mindful when using it. It looks pretty good for your sky background, but on the landscape it turns it into molasses. It doesn't seem to convey dry/arid surfaces.

Your knowledge of color theory seems to be coming along well. About the speedpaint, yeah I know you said it was crappy, but I'm going to give some advice on it anyway. :) I think there's too much space on the left side. If you got the ship away from the center, but kept a really dynamic 1 point perspective setup, I think it would pack more punch visually.

As for the monitor, the speedpaint seems a little dark in some areas, but in the arid landscape the darks seem just about right.

[thesadpencil]

woah dude very nice sb. i'm really fascinated by all your enviros (makes me want to do more enviros) and your use of color is nuts. all the portraits are looking pretty kickass as well. very inspirational stuff though indeed. can't wait to see more from you.

[SoufMeng]

Earendil: Thanx for dropping by mate, i appreciate it.
Yep i havent mastered the smudge tool yet but worse i havent mastered painting either... :P
I mean if i failed to convey the dry/arid surface its also because of my color, value, edge choices but i got ur point and i agree a bit can be blamed on my bad control of the smudge tool.
Oh and i totally agree about the speedie thats why it deserves being called "crappy", didnt it?
Thanx again for bothering to crit my shii... shtuff i mean stuff, hehe...

Thesadpencil: Thank u! Im glad i can inspire someone! :D

A doodle, a ship and a little gif of the steps if u wanna try that method.
I think the method is good but the painting didnt come out as i expected because of... something i didnt figure out (yet) actually...
Im still fairly new to concept stuff so i think ill do better next time!
:)

473826

473828

473831

[Rist]

I can see a little of Scott Robertson in you! Great work so far!

[SoufMeng]

Oops, didnt know him at all but now i do!
Thanx!

[oalexis]

that last environmen study is great! lets see more of those

[Mischeviouslittleelf]

solid SOLID stuff here. Wonderfull weight and balance in the last black and white there. I love it. You concept stuff is good:) I love the smudge work you do, I will have to adapt that technique. Thanks for sharing:D

-E

[SoufMeng]

Oalexis: Thank you!

Mischieviouslittleelf: Thanks for stopping by Even!! :hugsmile:

Heres another speedy i did before goin to bed.
Man all the effing bumf of the begginin of the year is swallowing all my spare time not to mention university etc...
Im counting the days to next holiday!
Yeah its a gladiator, i love roman gladiator helmets, i think im going to look for some refs and study them. :P

Share ur thoughts folks!

[Nettle_Mountain]

Hey there, i really like the way you handle light and shadow colours together, impressive stuff expecially that latest enviroment, keep posting


ps: how about some traditional pencil character pages? would be cool

[pokepetter]

I love the golden light on the helmet^^

[brentos8]

nice man!, lots of versatillity, get the sense you could paint just about anything, keep that stuff coming


my sketchbook http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=128243

[algenpfleger]

Ooooh lots of warmth in the last one. Feels like summer. Me likes.

[Justice Von Brandt]

I love your doberman drawing ;p
and your painting style is really nice

[Jasper_]

Hey dude nice stuff. Thanks for sharing the process on that ship, final product looks nice and clean. Love the gladiator too, helmet looks great.

[SoufMeng]

Im'a reply a little later. :)
Heres a quick update.

Daily crap
477198

Gladiator helmet studies from mind+photo and a photo reffed soldier (not a gladiator tho).
477199

Refined the gladiator speedpaint!
477201

Thats all!! :P

Hope u like!

[ditchman]

great stuff as usual, love the environment one and the helmet designs, that soldiers helmet looks a bit tiny in his big hands though

[RandAlThor]

Looking good dude. I noticed that ship design and the careful use of 'tonal planes', i think it really adds to the form and the final image. Keep up the good work :-)

[SoufMeng]

Hey everyone!!!
:D

Nettle_Mountain: Thank you!
Hmm i have no scanner nor camera and my cellphone is so shitty that it has no camera either...
But i might do more of those gladiator sketches in PS.

Pokepetter: Glad u like and thanx for looking!

Brentos8: What? Really?! Was that ironic? No seriously, I'd rather say that im too afraid to experiment with unfamiliar subjects.
For instance i suck at industrial stuff and ill really have to do something about it...
Thanx for the nice words tho.

Algenpfleger: Oh mate glad u likes!!!! :hugsmile:
Sims ur Angleesh is improving!!
wheel have too keep hup!

MnM: Oh really? Phew, Im glad someone likes it! Thanks for telling me. ;)

Pyroclasm00: Your welcome, thank you!

Ditchman: Thanx and yeah I agree with u.

RandAlThor: Thanx, will try to keep it up!

1-A color doodle i made to...er... to.. well i dont know why i did it for but here it is anyway!!! :P

2-Grapes and Figs from life!
After saving the painting, i noticed that it had been heavily Jpeg-ed by the program and i couldnt really figure out why, will have to be careful from now on...


Thats all folks!

[algenpfleger]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck those grapes man O_____O

[SoufMeng]

:)
Hope ur well mate and sorry about ur car.

[Clochette]

Wooh! Awesome work! And what an improvement !
Great brush strokes so far!
I give you 5 starzzz !! :D

[monotony]

awesome lifepainting, dude.
and really great diversity you showing by now. the gladiator piece looks really good and the red sandy pit enviro looks great. if you can use the smudge tool like that you're free to use it as much as you want. haha.

[Lateman]

dude your colors KICK ASS!!!!!!!!!! very strong! awesome environments! 5 starz

cheers lateman

[SoufMeng]

Hi!

Clochette: Thank you. Sa me fait vraiment plèz d'entendre qu'y a du progrès!!!Thanx for the stars too!

Monotony: Thanks man, i appreciate the nice words! U guys are too nice to me...

Lateman: Thanx for the stars, im glad u like my work. :)


Heres a little something i did yesterday late at night before going to bed...
My girlfriend is going to go to visit her family this weekend so im gonna have a lotta time to draw and paint (yeah fuck the university homework)!
Hopefully ill come back on monday with something a little more solid to show.

Cheers.

[algenpfleger]

Oh :O Thanks, I'm well... kinda of :)
But this thread is about you! And you paint awesomely awesome stuff! Like the last one, which rules. Yeah fuck that homework! \°O°/

[Tigermilk]

great thread, love your work. five stars. :)

[f1guremeout]

206 || The torso rib cage is amazing. The emaciation evident in the shadows and the use of light is phenominal. I believe that I cannot seem to recall when I have ever crit your work, but to my understanding so far (and to the fact that I had a subscription, it must have been enough to capture my interest) that your work is distinctively dark, visceral, and grimmly pleasurable. I would love to see further developments.

Happy sketching!

[Valerij V.]

Those are great. I especially i like your environment(with tutorial). You really improving seriously. What i'm going to do now is subscribe your thread:)

[RandAlThor]

Damn.. if i had seen your grapes first i would have tried harder on mine ;-)

[SoufMeng]

Algenpfleger: Thanks for always looking mate, i appreciate it.

Tigermilk: Thanks for the (undeserved) stars! ;)

F1guremeout: Thank you, Im glad u like it!

Valerij V.: Thanks for subscribing, will try not to dissapoint!

RandAlThor: Keep at it and open your eyes! :oneye:
Being an artist is all about seeing what people keep overlooking!


Heres this weekends shtuff (shit+stuff= shtuff :P)...


Wiiiiiiiiiip... or is it "weep"?
No seriously im not sure im'a finish this one...
483866

Heads from mind, makes me think i havent practised with Loomis book in ages...
483867

Was trying to teach myself to save the darkest values for.... the darkest spots!!!
483868

Some fun! :teeth:
483869


Hope u guys like!

[tokotewhero]

hehehehe solid work man! great feel to that last enviro. choice!

[algenpfleger]

Hot damn dude, you're getting so good, it's scary.

[kidult]

rockin hard!

[Sebastian Gromann]

waaa, last studies an' pics are sooo awesome .. hate u dude :)

[jedininjaman]

so sweet... 5 Stars *****
nothing to crit but plenty to OOO and AHHH about
-jedi

[revenebo]

Awesome stuff!

[SoufMeng]

:)
Hi folks!

Tokotewhero: Thank you!

Algenpfleger: Thanks for the nice words Hannes!

Kidult: Thanx!

SnobbyOo: Thanks for hating me!

Jedininjaman: Thanks for the starzzz.

Revenebo: Glad u like!

Heres a quick partly and inaccurately reffed landscape and an experimentation in PS.
Sometimes i really dont know what to think of my own work...hehe.

[algenpfleger]

Ooooh that experiment looks awesome. Smudgetool ftw! :D Keep doing what you're doing man! :D

[Valerij V.]

I like your last 2 new environments a lot! There is really deph and good color goin on out there.

[Vritra]

4 stars, 4 STARS? What the hell....

5 stars from me. Hope your SB gets those 5 beside them pretty soon.

Awesome artwork! Keep sharing!

[SoufMeng]

:)
Gotta go to class, heres a quickie from yesterday.
I'll post the replies later.

Shit, that ear is so flat!!

[pen-paper-renegade]

bro i loved the smoke artpiece...the others were good but that one was simply awsome with nice details and all really smooth to give it the smoke theme a nice punch(in the good way)

[SoufMeng]

:)

Thank you guys for the nice words, will reply.
Just posting these quickly... lil sketches maybe for a gladiator painting i dunno...
Was hard to get them right from imagination heh
Will probably go for a lower eye level like in the second one, though i dont really like it as it is right now... I might throw both of'em away as well and move along but i think i should try and push this further...
On the other hand i fear that constructing the image that way might definitely loose all the freshness of a "wet on wet" color sketch...

:thinking:

[Doudou]

hey there, i really like you colours, and that feeling of the horror clown in your portraits, your Environments also are really nice, i especially liked Xprementation and 2 Env. studies up there, WAY TO GO!:)

[SoufMeng]

Algenpfleger: Keep on doing what im doing??! Oh god no!! Really gotta kick my lazy ass and work! You keep doing what ur doin! ;)
Thanks for looking mate.

Valerij V.: Thank you.

Vritra: Lol, i'm fine with "good", "excelent" would be inaccurate but thanks for the stars tho and for the nice words. :)

Pen-paper-renegade: Thaaanks, glad u like it!

Doudou: Thanks man.

Heres a very tiny lil update, god im ashamed...

Just some gestures from mind... some better than others...
I definitely should do more of these!
Thought doing that from mind wouldnt teach me anything but i think it did.
:D

[pokepetter]

Long time since I've looked here.

Obviously this i amazing work. Please post more :yum: stuff

[Creatinity]

Your landscapes really stand out...love them...
rest is yummy too...Exciting sketchbook!

[Vulgar`]

Just from what I'm seeing on the 8th page you're a talented and diverse artist - the cloaked man with the musical note emitted on the right side of his face is great.

Keep doing you

[SoufMeng]

Quick update, gotta go to class...
Just a sargent copy i did yesterday before goin to bed.
In term of likeness the face is totally off but it was late and i just couldnt afford to keep correcting it on n' on...
Will do better next time!! :D
2h in PS.

[Josef K.]

i love it! give me more!! your portraits and landscapes are off the hook!

[SoufMeng]

Hi everyone! :)

Pokepetter: Thanx for the support man.

Creatinity: Thank you.

Vulgar`: Thank you, will keep on!

Josef K.: Thanx.


Heres some new stuff from me, thought i'd take the time to upload instead of aim/endlessly browsing the internet...

Animal studies after some photographs i had in my folders.
Damn, lions are harder than i expected, a split-sec of careless drawing and it looked off.

506490

Some african donkey, dissapointed wiv this one.

506492

Car sketch after what i could recall of a car design tut on the web, cant give any more credit...
Whats more wheels are wonky...
506509

Waves study! :perv: What? Who called me a nerd?!

506496

Orc in gladiator armor wip, will i ever go back to it? ;)
506497

A lil landscape that took me all yesterday's afternoon, still a wip tho.
From imagination.

506498

Hopefully ill go back to those wips...for some reason, im often reluctant to go back and finish a piece after posting it... just wanna move along then.
Will try with the last one tho, so stay tuned!
:)

[Clochette]

How come this thread is a 4 stars one?? Excellent work!
Strong values and shapes... The last enviro has so much mood in it! :)

[~Faust~]

How can this thread is a 4 stars one??

I second that. The star-system is fucked up. You are way above that league my friend! Not much to say, I just look forward to all of your updates and feel inspired ever time! You are one of my favrourties around here!

[Mbyle]

some really nice environments ya got going here!

[Lakka]

Hot thread, 5*

[oomgawa]

Yeah, shows 5 stars now! I love that last environment! gorgeous!

[Call0ps]

oh my ... you have quite an eye for environments sir, love the last one you did. 5* but please keep it updated ^^

[Wasker]

sweet stuff dude! You're really getting there when it comes to faking traditional media. Yeah, I really enjoy the last one. The colours really come together well. I'd hang it on the wall if I had it printed.

Cheers d00d-

[algenpfleger]

Jesus Christ, you're like, the next Mr. Blonde O____O

[Nightblue]

wow, the newest landscape is full of awesomeness. I love the lighting on the trees. Beautiful work on the ground texture too!

[D@niel]

Amazing brush-work man!! So tasty!!:) Great SB.

[PieMonster]

Definitely 5 stars! That last environment is just ace.

[grenappels]

oh man, i gotta know what brushes you are using, it seems like only a few but they are so effective!(of course, your skill is what really makes them work, but i'm still very curious about the brushes themselves)

[wookiedabo]

that landscape really is gorgeous man, wow.

[NR43]

Awesome updates lately!

Donnow if it has been mentioned yet, but the gladiatior in post 189 and 196 is missing some abs and ribs. Just wanted to note because in a piece like that you want to show the gladiator's strength...

[pao]

really nice studies, the wave are really interesting, ça donne envie d'en faire tiens xD

[Jakers]

Im in agreement with the last landscape kicking ass! couple suggestions instead of pure ass-patting..

All the strokes are working wonderfuly together, aside from the lit bare trees that feel quite smooth. If you are keeping the brushes look (which you should) maybe rough them up just a tad for consistency? some may not agree with me. I would also say to make the silhouette of the tree on the left more interesting and sharp, to help balance the composition of that large hill. That one better get updated!

[James Wolf]

love the animal studies :)

[kidult]

The highlights on the water study are just sooooo pretty - really nailed the lighting on that one