Digital Painting Attempts (using optical mouse) and my old sketchbook

[parascytheJack]

I have been viewing this thread for quite sometime and wonder when can i make one. Your pieces serve as an inpiration to me but because of lack of "gadgets" I don't know where to start.This is my first post here in CA.

I didn't hestitate when the urge to draw started to bother me so I grab my mouse and started to draw...

it is still quite sketchy and cartoonic but its worth a try.

I done this with photoshop cs3 with just one layer. (I didn't sketch & scan, I did it directly in photoshop). Using an optical mouse will really take you some time and sometimes its seems forever.:lifedrawing:

crits are welcome...thanks!!!

[parascytheJack]

here are some drawings from my old sketchbook when I was still young. I dont have any formal drawing lessons from some one but in the process i've learned a lot of things. I stopped drawing after college (which my course has no relation with drawing) and I was really encouraged by this community to start again. thats why I started to paint the "the march of leonidas" even if it took me to use my mouse.

some of these drawings are 11yrs old like the "unproportioned" spawn drawing in water color.

crits are welcome!!!

thanks CA

[parascytheJack]

sorry for huge clips...i didnt know that it will be this big..pls bear with me... thanks!!!

[DAVEZILLA]

You're the most organized person I know... 11 year old sketches? incredible.

Your drawings really make me think of my dad; he loves all the sci-fi movies, so all the grim reaper, warrior/gladiator, and AvP stuff makes me smile :)

And woah, I love the cherry still life. Green and red was a good choice.

I don't really know what else to comment on. You have a very clean and refined stile; very precise. I really love it. How often do you hit the sketchbooks?

[parascytheJack]

dave,

honestly, I stopped sketching when i started to work with an online stock broker. But when I started viewing this community I got my interest to join and create again.

the sketches you saw after the leonidas thingy are the only sketches I had kept (i didn't post some other sketches i have due to not so likeable). I may start sketching once more and study anatomy again and again.

I'm praticing my digital painting with my mouse until i can buy a tablet and scanner.

My only problem is that when laziness visits me it causes my drawings to be left unfinished.Llike what i had posted, it is unfinished for several years and I started to like keeping it that way..hehe

thanks for the comment anyway..Godbless you

[Lotet]

are you mad?
get a tablet.

[parascytheJack]

lolet - hahaha this is not madness, I'll soon get a tablet but for now I just wanted to practice and familiarize myself with hot keys and some techniques. It is my first time to paint digitally and I guess i must be resourceful for now. As a beginner its ok for me to practice using mouse as long as i can create something out from it but surely it will take me some time to finish something. I think I'm patient enough to use mouse but it is lame not to buy a tablet if I wanted to be a digital painter.

thanks for the suggestion

[parascytheJack]

Here is my next attemp. THE SKULL. I borrowed my wife's Nursing Illustrated Dictionary in this study. Again done with an optical mouse in 1 layer in photoshop CS3.

I'll show you how i did it step by step (but not that detailed)

STEP1:

I paint randomly the backrground with the color that will complement my figure.

STEP2:

Then I'll use the base color of my drawing to sketch how the image will look like.

STEP3:

Some outlines and shading until what i picture comes out.

STEP4:

Detailing, erasing and redefining. (which will really take me a lot of time)

(I still don't have a budget for my tablet)

Crits are welcome

[the ANGRY filipino]

kabayan!
Thanks for dropping by my Sb.
You painted these with a mouse? Awesome!
The filipino art force is strong within you..

[thrilafrommanila]

wait wait wait!

...

you did this all with a mouse?! you're kidding man!

i think you've just made my list of aweome people i've never met :D

i'm definetly subbing this thread. if this is what you can do with a mouse, imagine a table ;)

and i love the leonidas painting, did you use any sort of reference or was it all taken from your memory?

[EBrown]

save yourself the frustration and pick up a tablet.

This...This is MADNESS!

THIS IS CONCEPT ART!

[thrilafrommanila]

thank you for the comment back in my sb!

hah no, i'm not really from manila, i was born in the usa. my family was born and most still live there though :D

my little brother came up with the name for me, because he liked how mohammad ali's match in the phillipines was reffered to as "the thrilla in manila", so i fixed "thrilla" into "thrila" just because i thought design wise it looked better ;)

and my tagalog kind of sucks :( but i got most of what you said.

i'm really looking forward to when you get your tablet, i think it's going to be pretty aweswome.

[parascytheJack]

thrila: hey thanks...yes, leonidas is a concept and i still making my way through creating environments...i'm not really good at it. thanks for dropping by...

Ebrown: thanks for your comment man..if i pick up a tablet i guess it will make me a shoplifter hehehe..seriously,if only tablets are that easy to pick up i will not waste my time using my mouse...i'll let you know guys if i have my own tablet...

let us say if i wanted to create an art digitally and i don't have any tablet...would that hinder me to create? who is the real madman then? the one who is using mouse to paint digitally because he has no tablet or the one who suppressed his ability to create digitally not until he can buy a tablet...

i guess..they are both madman!!! MAAADDDNEESSS!!!

Sometimes there is beauty in madness...

HAHAHA!!!

another mouse painting...

a portrait of my friend rea ...i did this as a gift for her birthday. This is my hardest digital attempt yet. 3rd painting i have done digitally..still a newbie..

[thrilafrommanila]

wow, i am still impressed with the fact that this is done with a mouse. i attempted in the past to use a mouse to paint, but it ended up looking like i was using my right hand (i'm a lefty)

some advice for the portrait, if you haven't given it to your friend already, is to incorporate some darker shadows, it'll give the portrait a more 3d kind of look.

and no, i have yet to travel to the philippines. i may go one day with my mother though.

[parascytheJack]

thrila: yes..i think i need a little more adjustment on that area..thanks for the tip...comment really helps me get better...

i hope this SB could somehow inspire others who dont have a tablet but wanted to do digital painting...

But for those who can afford to get a tablet...BUY ONE!

"the mouse is in the house"

[thrilafrommanila]

haha no problem about the comment :D

since i have you on sub i can drop by and help whenever you need ;)

[parascytheJack]

thanks

[Carbono]

Looks like i'm not the only one trying to paint with a mouse, hahaha. But i use one of those old mouses that has a ball beneath it, haha.

Anyway bro, your work is coming along quite nicely, your pencil lines are great and your coloring is very good too, you really seen to have got the hang of drawing with the mouse.

keep it up bro!

[parascytheJack]

carbono: hahaha actually i dont want to get along with it too much...its just that its what i have for now.

[the ANGRY filipino]

time for an update here!

[parascytheJack]

got busy at work lately...i'll promise to post soon...thanks for reminding

[rattsang]

wow your work is quite good and im surprised you are using a mouse. there are other reasons for using a tablet besides speed, accuracy and also you health using a mouse for repeated short strokes can cause irreversible wrist and arm damage. even a small graphire tablet would serve you much better than a mouse and they are very cheap.

[parascytheJack]

ei thanks man!

yes, you're right about that posibility of having wrist damage...but know what i deveolped something that doesn't need to much wrist usage..."finger-manipulation" similar as the concept of playing a piano. I really dont hold hard the mouse i just smoothly uses my fingers back and fort... i hope your getting the idea...there, i exposed my little secret...hehehe...i'll be having a baby girl this december so got no plans yet of buying a tablet..

[meduza]

Hey kabayan,
Don't worry, Adam Hughes paints with a mouse, I hear:)
I know people here are thinking you are crazy for doing this, but they don't know how a luxury for third world artists to be having one:{
If you don't have any idea, it's worth 2/3 of the basic minimum wage in the philippines.

But I fond out cdr-king has a pen tablet for sale that is cheap.
Hope you buy one...
It only costs $25 dollars, but the specs are kinda like of those in intuos exept the lpi is half. But damn I'm buying one!

http://www.cdrking.com/local/products/index.php?action=mnu&temp=2&typeno=6824425-652202-835025400-9162003&prod=Other%20Products&prodcode=7310402-726543-395925159-6400301

[badass]

I deem you The Mouse Samurai.

Keep fighting your cause. And save up for a tablet. You've got skills, samurai.

[Dile_]

Hey.. good to see you putting some ( a lot supposedly ) effort into those digital attempts .. keep working traditionally in the meantime and try to get a tablet...even the cheapest wacom onces are very good.. and after all.. you don't 'need' a tablet.. the only thing you get is the precision of a pencil.. and when you paint it won't do 'that much'... On the other hand a tablet has pen-pressure.. so its way more fun + goes faster :) my tablet is the most awesome digital equipment i own.. so i recommend getting one.. just that there are a few amazing artist who never could get comfortable using a tablet, or just doesn't have one.. :)

Another thing i thought of is the 'volume' which you present inside your shapes.. The faces likes a bit awkward because of the values and the features.. the shape is good, they just seem a bit off inside the shape... work some on your faces and it will get better :) I like the last one you did for your friends bd though!

keep it up.. will keep looking in here!

[parascytheJack]

Meduza - ei kabayan i saw the link..hhmmm quite cheap...but i'll pass for now...my wife will be giving birth this coming month so i got to save some money now...and thanks!

Buddha bear- ei dude...thanks..i like that mouse samuria..i'll be dropping by your Sb..

Dile -if you just read meduza's comment..it is really a luxury buying a tablet in a 3rd world country...thanks for the comments and tips...i'm still making my way through...been busy lately too that's why no new posts yet and i just had my OS reinstalled and i haven't reinstalled photoshop yet...

[Dizon]

Lalong dumadami pinoy dito ah! Invasion na toh! haha

Hey good job! Just a mouse!?!? Di ko matitiis yan ahha.

Keep it up! :)

[parascytheJack]

here are some WIPs im doing for COW (beatific dragon)...

got a tablet already...hehehe and this is my first art with the tablet...its quite awkward using a tablet at first...but im enjoying it as i get along using...i got wacom bamboo fun by the way...


I'll call this one Chelydra...Dragon Lord of Light... got messy with colors i think i have to give it a brighter and a happy tone...the deadline is on march 16...i hope to finish this soon..since its my first entry at COW and my first wacom art...

i just happen to try rendering the head...

[the ANGRY filipino]

oooohhhhh.....damn, that's your fist work using a wacom?
the force is strong in you.........
looking forward to seeing the finished piece!

[parascytheJack]

thanks angry..i just hope i could finish this in time

[parascytheJack]

this is my entry for the Character of Week #136: Beatific Dragon with breath weapon at community activities...this is my first wacom art its kinda rush got headache a couple of days...i still need to improve in speed and coloring...i rushed this one just to meet the deadline.

i call it Chelydra...i got it from common snapping turtle's scientific name...i still need to do some modifications on this concept still looks crappy...anyway, enjoy... i'll post it here when im done modifying...suggestions and comments are welcome

[the ANGRY filipino]

looking good! hope you keep on working on this even after Chow..
I'd really love to see this finished and polished up!

[the ANGRY filipino]

update time kabayan!:)

[Nkristian]

helo!!! fellow filipino!!!

[NanoBlack]

Nice to see you using a wacom. My first wasn't so great, this is preeety.

I am incapable of doing anything without an outline, sadly, so don't compete in the comps. But that's a nice entry- teh detail is where you need it, and that breath is just so totally awesome.

And don't forget the wings! It has awesome wings!

[thrila]

Kumusta kayo! Remember me? I changed my username but I'm baaaack. I see you finally got a wacom and I love your stuff! Keep up the good work man~