Windfalcon's Sketchbook

[Windfalcon]

Hi everyone. After hearing some great things about ConceptArt.org from friends, I decided to sign up. From what I've seen here, it looks like this is the place to get some excellent, honest critiques, and I'd love to start participating in some of the events. I still have a lot to improve upon (don't we all!) but I'll try my best to help other artists with comments and critiques as well.

A little about me - I'm a 23-year old graduate student in the M.F.A. illustration program at the Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta campus). I tend to lean towards fantasy illustration, and the most prominent subjects in my work are birds and bird-inspired creatures, primarily birds of prey.

My biggest weakness, as you will readily see, is anatomy. Any suggestions with anatomy will be greatly appreciated, as I tend to be simply blind to the human figure, no matter how much I study the figure, practice drawing the figure, etc.

Below are a few of my finished works. I will be using the thread continuously as a sketchbook, to display sketches and works in progress for suggestions and discussion, for those who wish to help.

[Windfalcon]

Here are some of my figure drawings and still lifes:

[SEVANS]

The womans hips in the 4th or 5th picture look awkward, like they're on the wrong angle.

Great vibrant colours in all the bird paintings.

[Windfalcon]

Thanks, Sevans. :) I can see what you mean - her chest is pointed a bit to our right, whereas her hips seem more straightforward to the viewer.

[zephyri]

Eee. great to see you here m'dear... and actually lovely to see your lfie drawings too... have you ever posted those anywhere else, as they dont look all that familiar! The cloth study in particular is lovely.. the crispness and contrast of it just leaps off the page. The coloured (pastel?) piece of the woman in profile is great too.. her hands look a little on the small side as they do on a couple of other pieces (the vitani one, now I look at it, and the lower arm of the other figure drawing looks small too), but the skintones are handled nicely, the peeks of the green background colour coming through really make the rest pop. You should post up some of the gestural work you've been doing too.. always nice to see a more varied range of stuff alongside the finished polished pieces... and that'll be what gets you the good feedback. So far my fave is actually the still life piece that you did with the lineweight... i really like that piece a lot.

[Windfalcon]

Here's a mindless painting I'm working on in Corel Painter. Partially it's to calm my nerves and partially to learn more about Painter and practice working digitally.

I'm planning on adding much more contrast and detail, as it's still in progress. Any suggestions would be much appreciated, as I tend to have trouble with landscapes. :)

[MrSmith]

those birds are fantastic! the rest look fine. i dont see any big anatomy problems, just a few wonky proportions.

[Windfalcon]

Here's another work in progress on the forest scene. I decided I didn't like how it was turning out (plus I realized I didn't make my file large enough - it was only about 3 inches at 300 dpi - still learning about Painter!), so I started over. I think I like where this one is headed better:

[OTTA]

Your bird is very alive man! I love that and I think you like the bird too. Good Job! :)