Nate Waggoner: Sketchbook

[Nate Waggoner]

Hello, my name Nate Waggoner. This is my sketchbook. I want to become a professional artist because to draw for a living for me is a dream come true. To do that I am going to need your help. So, please if you have the time, give me some constructive criticism. You can see some of my old work under the user name Nwagz. Old sketchbook (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=135254&highlight=Nwagz)



Finished Work
My portfolio (http://nwagz.cgsociety.org/gallery/)

Nwagz on deviantART (http://nwagz.deviantart.com/)

[Nate Waggoner]

I just finished this for IMFX contest. In the then I have to say I don't like the painting. A lot could have been fixed, but I over painted it. It is always a bad idea to not take a break when the undo button starts to say,"Hay Jackass, stop cursing me out in morris code and take a break."

[Nate Waggoner]

This is the painting I did for IMFX weekly contest. It was called The Egg. I was rushed towards the end of the painting so I had to colour it in 45 minutes. I also tried to tilt the horizon line to the right. In the end I think that the painting did have some good contrast, but fell short in the background.

[Nate Waggoner]

Here is another painting I did for a IMFX contest. Trying to stay busy and paint paint paint. I am assuming that this will pay off in the long run. I did not get any votes because the painting was crap. All I did was put ears on a girl. I wanted to do more, but I ran out of time. My son needed my attention. It was good to put myself under time constraints because it is helping realize what I can and cannot do while I am taking care of him. Here is the painting.

[Nate Waggoner]

I realized that I want to use this as a sketchbook so I am going to need to condense some sketches.

[Max Challie]

with that cavery environment, I think the vanishing point could be more in the center of interest.

Please spend more time with each piece, and don't draw disgusting things like the thing above this post. Nobody wants to look at that. Don't get lazy and just draw ugly looking crap, push yourself to design good looking things!

[Nate Waggoner]

with that cavery environment, I think the vanishing point could be more in the center of interest.

Please spend more time with each piece, and don't draw disgusting things like the thing above this post. Nobody wants to look at that. Don't get lazy and just draw ugly looking crap, push yourself to design good looking things!

I will work on pushing myself. Thank you for heads up. I did not realize it looked so crappy.

[Nate Waggoner]

Character design practice. Working on presentation.

[Nate Waggoner]

I did this to practice, silhouettes, different design schemes, clothing and presentation. The template that I used is from a dvd. This is the first time that I am adding it into my everyday routine to develop the skills needed to be a concept artist in the games or movie industry.

I emphasized speed even though it took me many hours to do because I was I also focused on organization in hopes that through repetition of this exercise it will strengthen anatomy, visualization, presentation, and efficiency.

I am thinking positive here because I realize I have a very long and hard road a head of me.

[Max Challie]

hmm.. more studying I say

[BlazeF]

uhm... wtf? Max Challie, really try and post something a little more constructive than, "You draw crap, try harder." In some cases it could work, but to the very least give some direction if possible.

Anyway, I don't have a ton of time to post. But I'll keep it simple. You're doing fine and the pics you've show thus far certainly have some great qualities. In the enviro pic posted, it reminds me a lot of Gears of War(which I fuckin love(so I love the picture)) I personally think that the eye tends to trail off or lock onto empty spots in the page. I'd cut back a little on some of the lighting personally.

Aside from that reference studies never hurt and the more creative you can be the better :) Keep up the great work Nate!

[Nate Waggoner]

Thank you blaze. I take the good with the bad. I realize that studies do help and trust me I do them everyday, but i also know that if all one does is studies it then becomes very hard for the artist to create from their imagination. I don't know how many times I have read that about some of my favorite artists. That when they got out of school, it was really hard for them to think outside the box, since most over their work was done from models or still life. Thus, I decided to combine the two. If I am looking at a figure pose I try to also incorporate my own style and idea. Some are more successful then others, but I think it is helping me for a style quicker.

I don't know I could be full-shit, but when one has to teach themselves, you just go for it the best you can.

I also take the good with the bad. I have received a lot of crits like max's and it made me realize that I needed to update my portfolio because a lot of my work is very old.
Thank you again late Nwagz

[Nate Waggoner]

I am working on the nose, eye, and well the face from Bridgman's Life Drawing. Lets see what I can come up with using his techniques.

[andres333]

Hi
look I think before painting you should define a firm drawing that way you'll avoid having mistakes like the one above in the pectoralis muscles of your character.

[Nate Waggoner]

Hi
look I think before painting you should define a firm drawing that way you'll avoid having mistakes like the one above in the pectoralis muscles of your character.

I have learned through many failures like the picture above that blocking in or roughing out a sketch to get everything right is very important. If you look at my old sketchbook you can see how I did not have solid sketches before I started on the final peice and the work shows that with many mistakes. So, I now flesh out my drawings then scan them in and paint them. I had to rethink how I was doing things in order to get more aesthetically pleasing work. Thank you for the comment it really helped.

[Nate Waggoner]

I do a lot of sketches and I am trying to find a way to post them faster with out editing them in photoshop. So, what I am trying to do is to post almost all of my pencil work because I don't get to show it to anybody. I work from home, so, posting all of my work makes me feel more part of the community and it will give a better understanding of my style and the things that I need to improve. I hope that this makes sense and I hope it makes my sketchbook more interesting.

[Nate Waggoner]

These are sketches I did trying to flesh out an idea. They are done quickly straight from my head with not reference, that is, they are brainstorming sketches that if liked will be polished and then painted in photoshop. So, if a drawing is done in this manner I will title it brainstorming, so, you know that I did it from my imagination, that is, only using my understanding of anatomy, light, and composition from my head. If I post enough of these I am hoping that it will be more apparent where I need to improve. I hope that makes sense. Also if there is a particular sketch that you think is good and want to see it polished and painted tell me. We are our own worst critiques and I only see the flaws in all of my sketches. I am very hard on myself even more so now.

[Nate Waggoner]

Some of these were longer sketches, I cannot remember which ones because these were done last week, I think. A lot has been going on is my house hold so everyday turns into one long monday. I always get nervous when I post a lot of images. I see all of the amazing work on here and I have so much to learn and I just turned 30. Late Nwagz