Mera's Sketchbook -- Digital and traditional hodgepodge!

[Meralynn]

I wanted to start another sketchbook, and make this one more... up to date. Also, less cluttered. So let's start simply, shall we!
Thoughts, critique or anything loved!

Just a couple of photoshop bits I did, and then a husky and ringtailed cat character who keep appearing in my sketchbook.

[jigje]

^ That is all nice but there are sooo many great pieces in your other book as well. Hope it doesn't go MIA. All the best. :)

[davekang]

Congrats on your new SB Meralynn. I take that this Assassin is some kind of a personal project.
It's always nice to see a collection of images all linked together. I can almost imagine the world and its story within. Good luck with you newly formed SB.
I shall see more!

[Eiki]

Hey,

beautiful work, i like the colors and how you are using your backgrounds.
Many of your pieces have a watercolor feeling, I like that :)

Hope to see more.

[dierat]

Great first post! I really like the first image except that the perspective is very confusing. It looks like the section below water belongs in a separate image altogether, because our viewpoint is so high (based on how we're viewing the figure and the lillypads) that we shouldn't be anywhere near the water. In order for the cross-section of the water to make sense, the POW would need to be rather low and therefore viewing the figure from below.

[Abrodos]

That's a nice re-start.
The first picture might work better if there was a single center of attention (I suppose it would be the druid with the light beings. All the other animals help in giving the image that fantasy feeling, but, having each of them a different attitude, it's like a lot of things are happening in there, so the important one (the druid) becomes less important.

Anyway, you've got some really nice art! Keep posting!

[Meralynn]

I don't have much, but I do have a few sketches here and there from work. I just have a few small breaks a day, so I try and get some drawing in (when I don't wind up talking to tourists)
I need to practice my human anatomy much much more! I should probably do life drawings on my ten minute breaks instead of just aimlessly doodling.

[Meralynn]

jigje - Well, the pieces will remain there, I just wanted to start a fresh one here so it feels less cluttered!!

davekang - Thanks!! Yeah, it's a personal project that's been a long time in the making. I'm finally putting those ideas down onto paper!

dierat - yeah, I agree with the perspective thing. I was inspired by those old biology illustrations where they'd present all the layers of the ecosystem all at once, although I wasn't fully sure how to approach it! I'll probably do more studying if I do another piece like this. Thanks!

abrodos - Thanks for the critique. I went a little crazy with all the wildlife in this piecel I'm still learning how to add in detail without it being overpowering.


Thanks again everyone for any comments or critique!!

[PxelSlayer]

Hey Meralynn! Thank you for dropping by at my sketchbook. Any CC, especially from an artist of your level is greatly appreciated, and I hope you`ll give me an advice or two more. As for your sketchbook - well, no use for me to comment on anything, right? ;)

[Meralynn]

Pxelslayer Naw, there are never any worthless comments. Everything is worthwhile.

--

Now, here are a sketches I did today at the airport while waiting for a friend. The dragon one is an in process commission. Just getting some base colors down.

Some studies from life, a spur of the moment fanart, and then a rabbit griffon.

[Meralynn]

oops, I forgot to add this.

I also added another piece of mine that I did for class awhile back.

[laxon]

Awesome thread ^^ You got everything down well ^^

[link_choi]

Sup Meralyn, great stuff. I esp. like the eagle-doggy and the last drawing. There seems to be a perspective mistake on the picture frame though, keep distracting me.

More pls!

[Meralynn]

Sup Meralyn, great stuff. I esp. like the eagle-doggy and the last drawing. There seems to be a perspective mistake on the picture frame though, keep distracting me.

More pls!

Ah! could you give me more detail and tell me what the perspective mistake is? I think I'm missing it, and I'd like to know for future reference. Thanks!

[Minne Danhieux]

Great piecez here! i like your farytale style.. keep'm comming :)

[Quike Garcia]

The vanishing point on the mirror frame is not the same as the one for the subject.

Great works :) The only critique I can make is that it looks like sometimes your perspective needs a bit more of attention :)

Keep up the great work :)

[Peetaer]

Thanks for dropping by my SB! Like your work, real nice use of colors! I think some more perspective studies will help your work

[Meralynn]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to try and get some perspective drawings in in the future! I need to work on that :)!

Here's just a sketch from today. Nothing special as the complete lack of planning didn't help me when it came to character placement and interaction.

[Growling]

yay! updates. I love seeing the character in your sketches. They're always full of life!

[Meralynn]

There isn't too much exciting going on right now... I just doodle lightly on the bus at times. School is starting in a few days, so I had a lovely 40 hours in 4 days work week plus school preparation worries all at once! YES!

More art once school starts, I'm sure.

Thanks everyone!

Okay, list of things I need to work on:
HANDS!
legs
perspective
scenery
figure posing
objects
+ ALWAYS more anatomy studies

So, my goal is to get more life studies in. I keep doing these character studies, because on the bus/on a ten minute break, it feels so much better on my mind to not think. Life will probably improve when I cut my work week to 3 days a week (even with school).

I ask of you to give me suggestions on what you think needs the most work! My goal is to at least once a week add in a page of studies on a topic I need work on!

[Meralynn]

School is back in!!

So, after much school problems, I finally got my classes. So, figure painting in acrylic... this is the painting process. I'll finish it later! Updates to come!

Ps. I am highly disappointed that CA doesn't have acrylic listed as a medium. WHAT!?

Also, it is now time to add contrast.

[Wolfyu]

Your sketching style is so nice looking! :) I'm really digging what you're doing with the colors and lighting in the most recent acrylic; the entire scheme is very pleasing. Keep it up!

[Vloth]

Really nice model study here! Love how you have used all the colours. ANd yes, the medium lists lack a lot of things, sadly. :(

[Meralynn]

Wolfyo and Vloth: Thanks!! I absolutely love using colors when I paint. I wish I had another session with the model so I could get a better comprehension of the relations.

Anyway, here's some more process on the painting. My homework is to finish it up, but the catch is that we don't have another modeling session ANd don't have any photographs to work from. it's pretty much from the head at this point. I need to add more atmosphere to the background so it feels more grounded in space, but other than that, its pretty much just designing the foreground for the things I have left. I wish I had spent more time on her hands when she was still around. I 'm not sure what else I can do to them at this point.

[Meralynn]

the "finished" version of the first painting, and the classwork I did today (second painting) I'll be finishing it up later.

all acrylic.

... (yes, I'll scan my sketchbook later. I'm tired)

[Meralynn]

Little doodles. I have a lot of these.

[Hendrix Coyote]

Hi Mera! Thanks a lot for the visit to my sb and the precious comment

Nice drawings and painting...working from the head and memory of the model is something impossible to me atm...you inspire me to try that thx

[Meralynn]

I'll host a better photo/scan soon! more class process.

[Meralynn]

An assignment. Children's book illutration about a girl talking to the pirate king's mother. I wanted the mother to look more like a pirate queen, figuring she could have more spunk than fear to her.

[Meralynn]

I have stuff, but I've been bad at hosting it!

acrylic icon, acrylic painting of a fairy, acrylic portrait (turned character), digital character design for a storybook illustration.

[sandeepbarot]

amazing work!
hats off!

[Meralynn]

some reason I can't see the reply it says someone left!!

So as not to make this a pointless response, I added the sketch to the next drawing I'm working on :)!

edit: I see it now! This post allowed me to progress to the next page.

[Meralynn]

A sort of bus stop/classroom doodle. Nothing too amazing; just trying to keep things moving.

[Meralynn]

paintings in progress. I haven't been scanning/photographing anything lately.

[Meralynn]

annnd... a sketch from the other day. A sort of concept for a possible painting maybe? It's a girl angry that this dragon monster stole her cat. The dragon wants to keep it.

[kittymeow84]

Hey!
LOVE your SB! Your dragons and creatures are so cool - love the latest one. The expression on the dragons face is really cheeky. Hehee :D

[Wolfyu]

Such great anatomy and curves on that last one! Your compositions are very fun to dissect. :)

[Novbert]

Kickass pencil stuff here. This one (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=762047&stc=1&d=1251271602)is definitely my favourite, but all of them look full of life. (And that first little fella' here (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=776291&stc=1&d=1252776263)is simply adorable). I'd say that you should focus now on coloring. Those acrylic paintings have potential but they are full of muted colors like you'd like to use every color of the rainbow in every single piece. Very aggressive purples and yellows and intensive blues and reds everywhere - and I'm talking only about how you render skin. Experiment with narrower color palette to see how it turns out! Your digital coloring method also needs some improvement. adding local colors to every character one-by-one (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=819125&stc=1&d=1257230408)sounds like a good idea, but really it isn't - it gives all the characters some kind of a pasted look. Maybe you should just find balance between the pseudorandom acrylic coloring and the mechanical and slightly boring coloring book style.
And keep on posting those little doodles! I'm in love with them :)

[Elophant]

Your paintings have such great athmospheres .. nice work!

[C-CLANCY]

kickass work..love your moleskine sketches...good shizz..keep it up!

[Meralynn]

Hey! Thank you everyone for the comments! I really need to get back on top of keeping up with the updates! This is the time of year, I get forgetful.

Just one piece of art right now; my first done in painter! We had to illustrate a sentence, and apparently I was the only one who didn't draw a pretty young woman wearing a red snow dress. Damn Russians on my mind!

[Meralynn]

Couldn' help myself. I forgot that I had done more work on this piece. Still unfinished in my eye, but I'm pretty happy with where it is, or where it's going.

[sony]

This one's give me chills (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=919621&stc=1&d=1267551595)
nice going!