The Return of Rolo

[Rolo]

I'm 15 and aspiring to do many many many things!

Long story short: I used to draw often back in 2006. I stopped many many times and returned many many times but never did I make a stable comeback. Why? Well, I love drawing, but I love many many many many many many many other things!


I'm proud of the few drawings I've made over the years since my prime. However, I had a problem. I was too focused on making the best potraits or the best whatever in one try. I was wrong and became frustrated. I plan to fix my past, and I understand that it's all right to make mistakes.

(When it's possible I will upload a few of the drawings I did a long the years. At the moment I cannot because I'm in my home country and the files are elsewhere. )

I was afraid of starting a sketchbook, but thanks to X@V, I have grabbed all the courage to start another one.

I really hope I can make something of this! Atleast, before school starts. My skills have worsened, and that is something I plan to fix!
(also, I'm going digital too, so I'll be uploading my first tries that will hopefully develop into awesomeness!)

Now, with out any further adieu, I present to you my sketchbook:

There is no need to post from the past... I'll only upload some stuff that I've had in this particular sketchbook for some time. Some of these are parts of my comebacks.

The first one was done in March, 2008.
The second was done in June, 2008.
And the third was done in November, 2008.

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I'll be posting more in the next post.

[Rolo]

Here a few of ones I did on a trip to NY. I was trying to return.. again. And I was forcing myself to draw. It didn't feel very right.

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[Rolo]

Now this is more recent. This is about a week old. Thanks to X@V, I felt like drawing more again, but for real. I came back to CA for a reason! And, X@V helped me get the motivation I needed!

That last one is really bad! But, I'm posting everything. I'd rather get crushed with good crits than let myself go by with lies!

Please I need to improve! BTW, I need to work on my faces... I can do from ref semi sort of... but from imagination.. yikes!

I need to pay Loomis a visit. But, the books are at another location. I won't be in the other location for over a week!

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[Ashrumm]

You're doing it!! Just keep drawing!! I wish I knew about this site
when I was your age! There are many great artists on this site, learn
from them. You are still very young, so don't pressure yourself too much.
My advice would be if you really love drawing, you should keep it up!!


later

[Rolo]

edit**

Ahsrumm: Thanks!! I actually discovered this site when I was 12. hahah... I kinda.. messed up. But, I hope I can get back on my feet!

Here are a few speedpaint digitals!
From my first to my fourth.
I'm new at this. But, even so, how can I improve? I think.. I should seriously do black and white. I keep telling this to myself but everytime I add a bit of colour and then it all goes with colour!!

For the first I used a tut, to get familiar with photoshop and stuff.

For the 3rd one, I used ref:
http://www.free-slideshow.com/screens/alluring_mountains/mountain-summits.jpg

For the last one I did not finish it because I was afraid to continue... because I wasn't sure how. I wasn't sure how to add details to the cliffs/mountains in the sides. I didn't know how to make the water more realistic either.. But, all with time!

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[p sage]

I agree with Ashrumm... you're doing it! That's the most important factor in learning to draw. The next most important factor is doing it--even when you don't feel like it... because "don't feel like it" is your brain telling you you aren't good enough to draw. Just do it, and get your 10,000 bad drawings out of your system. After that, it's all good drawings that are left!

Good luck!

[Rolo]

Hey, thanks! I've seen you posting around on thread I've posted on! I feel honored to have you post on my SB. Thanks!
and yeah, most def!!

Okay. So, before I went on this perspective rampage and before I talked to anyone on CA, I was working on a James Franco one. I've been wanting to do it for about 2 years. Hahah, long time right? Well, I put it off till I thought I was ready.. never got ready. So I just thought I'd give it a shot. But, I didn't finish it because I went on my basics rampage with perspective and all the stuff you see above you.

Either way, though, crits are needed because I hope to finish it.
It's my first one that i plan to shadow.. I'm afraid of shadows.. very. I was planning to shadow this all! I even made my own tortillion (never used one before) but made me one and worked with it on the eyes and stuff.

So here:

OH AND BTW:
For this one, I worked on a new way, a new technique for me to work with. I started with the eyes. The Left eye I think. ( i redid it a few times, thought)
I usually do an outline, semi loomisish, but this time I just went right in. I used this technique cus I saw many artists doing it and it makes sense.. if the eyes don't look right the dude or gal won't be recognizable! The eyes are very important! Even.. so.. I can still do an outline accurately and do realistic eyes.. But my outlines aren't exactly accurate.. all the time... never did enough portraits so I can't really judge my technique too much.
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[Rolo]

Okay, so my first photoshop/digital sketch!!
It's a work in progress soooooooo hahah.. It's 2:23am. I got inspired to do this because I just saw the movie! Johnny Depp is awesome. So is Christian Bale. But, he's not important right now.

I'd do it on paper but I wouldn't be able to upload it here. Plus, I need to practice digital..

BTW. Is it a sin to use photoshop to my advantage? I mean, my measurements of where the features of the face go are way more accurate by using it to my advantage! For example: using the marquee tool to cut the eyes or lips and then copy paste them so they are closer to my sketch?
Is it also a sin to make a perfect circle over the reference picture and then use it as a guideline?
I mean, I'm not abusing.. I just want to know.. I'm still getting used to the tablet and stuff... but once again.. am I doing something wrong?
Should I just stop, and try not to use the features.. and just look at the pic and draw.
We do, do this when we draw from ref on paper though, we can get closer and move the paper around. It's sorta of the same thing.

Anyways.. enough chat:
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[X@v.]

Hey dude,

You have some good eye, keep drawing from life too.

You are doing good, i may suggest you, for environments, to define as much as you can your shapes (not like me...hehe), do not worry too much about textures right now, get the values right, and the perspective.

For your face digital questions, mhhh nah! don t trace over a photo, or do not pick shapes from it, you have to learn that, it s not a shame if you don t get it right at first.

and sketch lil face thumbnails too.

Here is a Face proportion drawing made by master Da Vinci, i put some colors so you may see important relation in the position of some faces elements.
Hope that may help you to check your proportion while working.

Interior corner of the eye is align with the exterior corner of lips
Base of the nose with base of the ears, same for the top.
Eyes are half the way trough the face, mouth 1/4 the way.

[p sage]

For this one, I worked on a new way, a new technique for me to work with. I started with the eyes. The Left eye I think. ( i redid it a few times, thought)
I usually do an outline, semi loomisish, but this time I just went right in.

Hey man, if it works for you... go with it. As Glenn Vilppu says, "No rules; just tools." That said, try to get an overall feel for the face instead of just focusing on a single eye at once.

If you focus on details to begin with, you'll tend to get caught up in them and will miss the spacial relationships between it and other features... not to mention the overall shape of the head and larger things.

Vilppu also suggests making the biggest shapes look right first... and prioritize by "size," as it were. Try to leave details until last.

Just a suggestion,though. The most important thing is to keep working

[Rolo]

Thanks! Both of you!

X@V, yeah, I knew that part of the eyes but never applied that often actually. I always forgot about these principles!

But a lot of that stuff in that pic I was unaware of! Thanks a lot! I'll deff remember these when doing potraits!!

I was able to get a sketch I did today using my bro's computer.

I wish I would have seen your post before doing the half face potrait there. But, some of the things there match, like the eye to the lips.
I kinda did this face while thinking of Depp, but no reference, I was just trying to redo that facial features sort of. Like his cheekbone.

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[G A I A]

You really are improving fast :D

I suggest you stop smudging your pencil stuff, that just doesn't look good. Work with different grades of hardness instead (the B grade pencils are soft and dark, the H grades are hard and light) and also use light and hard strokes to implement shadows on the area you're drawing on, that will give your drawings a big quality boost!
If you really need to smudge something try using special blenders, they're sold at every artstore and aren't very expensive.
Smudging with your fingers leaves traces on other places on the paper and it's harder to draw on the smudged area if you need to, because human skin is always a bit oily, that makes it hard for the paper to take more color after you smudged with your fingers.
It may take you a bit longer to draw without smudging but you'll be pleased with the result, I promise :)

[Demon Lizardman]

Keep on drawing, try making a slight sketch of a figure and harden the parts that make sense to you, just look at tutorials and such, that's what I did. Keep on practicing and never stop, an artist is never perfect.

[Rolo]

GAIA: Yeah, I'll stop smudging. I don't use my finger anymore, I either use a tortillion (which ive only used once) and or tissue (which i only used once for the sketch on my previous post. I'll use strokes from now on. : D

Demon Lizardman: Thanks. I will !

I didn't want to upload this.. but I'm uploading everything.
This took me.. way longer than I thought it would.. It's easier to draw with a pencil!! I'll tell you that.. and much faster.. but.. I guess with practice I'll be quick with the tablet.

I'm disappointed with how this turned out.. and yet again.. my shadows suck..
While attempting shadows the 2nd potrait started too look like a zombie so I just finished it off to make him look like a zombie.. Fail shadows.
The 2 environments.. yuck! I need to get a bettter understanding of shapes and shadows!!

overall this took me more than 30 minutes.. which is sad.. I think it was like 40min something.

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[radu-jm]

Really cool sketches!

[LtPlissken]

You are young and have the will to draw. What better could you wish for?

[Rolo]

Thanks holmesies!

I decided to animate a lil bit.. I used to animate a lot too.. during my on and off I animated.. but then... I stoppedd.. haha haven't animated a thing in almost or more than a year.

So, I did a face. Took me like 25 min or less.
One's with shadow while the other one doesn't have shadow.

edit**
the animations will be in the next post.. im suffering difficulties with the attachment thing

[Rolo]

sorry for the difficulties...
I made gif versions so people won't have to download.

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[p sage]

Hi Rolo


I would say that in your last pic here (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=759765&d=1251049053), the faces are constructed a bit wrong.

Instead of putting the circle near the top of the head when constructing, you would want the edges of the circles to coincide with the cheekbones. That way, the circle will line up and be proportional.

[Rolo]

yeah! You're totally right. Although, then, I would have to make an oval.. because where would the eyes go? They are to be in the middle of the face (in other words bottom of the circle), and by making the bottom of the circle the cheek bones I would make the eyes ontop.. but.. no forhead.. right?

unless.. I just add the forhead..

I think I'm making this too complicated.. hmm. I'll try what you suggested!

[Cup_of_Tea?]

Rolo, you are doing the right things. I dont see any problems with using guidelines just now. You need to spend some time learning the proportions of the face, so if you find that using guidlines and grids, then keep doing it until it comes naturally.
I agree with GAIA, you need to stop smudging. It makes your pictures look grey and flat. Try to make your darks dark and your lights light. Try using different pencils to get the darkest shades, maybe even using a white pencil for your highlights. This will make your pictures look like they have much more depth.

[p sage]

yeah! You're totally right. Although, then, I would have to make an oval.. because where would the eyes go? They are to be in the middle of the face (in other words bottom of the circle), and by making the bottom of the circle the cheek bones I would make the eyes ontop.. but.. no forhead.. right?

unless.. I just add the forhead..

I think I'm making this too complicated.. hmm. I'll try what you suggested!

No, the eyes typically go in the middle of the circle, meaning the forehead takes up the top half of the circle.

I wish I had some of Jack Hamm's diagrams to show you right here... maybe I'll scan them in later.

[p sage]

No, the eyes typically go in the middle of the circle, meaning the forehead takes up the top half of the circle.

Actually sorry ... I misspoke.

The eyes actually go on the center line of the entire head, not the circle

Here are some Jack Hamm's for reference. Hope it's ok to post these. If not, I'll remove.

The rules for a man's head applies the same. Pay attention to the eye/mouth placement and the equilateral triangle, too.

[Rolo]

Cup_of_Tea?: Thanks, and will do!

p sage:Thanks man! That's really amazing. I'll practice using that till I get the hang of it without it. Thanks a lot. That has deff helped me understand how the face works. I even went to the mirror to analyze myself!

I made another animation yesterday. It took me like 10 or less minutes. I used to do stickfigures, but in order to improve my drawing I need to be able to draw the body at different angles, so I'm going to try to practice that with animation.

It's short.. no biggy. When I tried to add legs it looked weird.

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[Rolo]

I had some spare time to animate a bit. Yes, I will be drawing soon : D. Heheheh. And I'll do that way to measure the faces.

This is just a physics test.. Didn't come out so well. Took me what? 10 to 15 minutes I think.
I was inspired to do this test after watching mythbusters and how they busted the myth of the girl and the seasaw.

Click the link:
http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1251141216

[Rolo]

No biggy here. I got tempted to use colours! Don't hate me.

One of my new goals:
Learn to draw trees/nature in general/ andddddddddd ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

prolly took me like 20min or something.
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[adammelo]

Keep practicing man, study loomis, sketch anatomy, and work your butt off, and your sketchbook will be hot in no time at all.

Love the animations btw :)



Sketch back if you'd like...

[Rolo]

thanks! I love loomis. Thanks to him I can draw people.. well sort of! Yeah. Anatomy is a beast I will tackle soon enough.

What do you mean by sketchback?
I'll sketch something right now : D
after I finish the movie I'm watching with my bros : D

[Rolo]

Someone wanted a sketch : D
and I also felt like sketching.

If the card reader in the pc worked I'd be pleased to draw more on the sketchbook but I want to improve as fast as I can. and I'd have to wait another week before you'd see my stuff. So, I'll be sketching more with photoshop I guess. Won't be as awesome as it could be on paper though.

like 15min or something

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[Rolo]

Okay.. Good news and bad news.

First the good news:
I'm defining my shapes more when drawing landscapes.. but one thing to notice.. is that for this one.. it's not a thumbnail so more detail was kind of an order. Even so.. I think it's pretty cool for a sketch. I used reference, but made it my own.

bad news:
School starts soon, and I have not finished all my summer work. Pressure and other responsibilities.. aghh ! : (

For now.. this might be my last upload for a lil bit. I hope it's not. I'll have to sneak at night to draw : D (which I already do : D )761145

[p sage]

I know what you mean, man. School's starting for me again, too (first day was today). Just a little more and the degree is mine tho :)

Just make sure you keep plucking away at this every day, no matter what. Tell yourself it is homework... which will give you the "permission" to do it along with your other homework.

If you let this stuff slide, you won't be happy. Keep drawing.

[~Faust~]

You're back! I'm keeping an eye on you kid, so you better don't slack off this time, haha!

[Rolo]

Thanks guys!

Hey Faust! And yes, most definitely. Heheh!

I was able to sneak one last one. I don't know when my next upload will be!! But fear not! I will somehow sketch more!

10min or something
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[Rolo]

It's late. But, I was able to conjure something up.
Took me more than I wanted too. Still need to get that animating touch back!
I did a figure and a stickfigure. hehe. Just doing basic stuff, warming up!
Took me like 20 min or so. Anyways here it is:

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[Rolo]

I was able to conjure something else today. Took me like 15 min It think.

I started to run out of ideas.. I don't know why. I just didn't know what to put in the upper left corner!!

Good thing though: I'm getting better at nature! And I haven't even drawn that much! I think it's a lot about observation and remembering how things form and how they appear.. Not exactly memorization, but the functions of nature.. sort of. I still suck. But. I used to draw crap trees. This tree ain't so bad. If you look at the first page I made a few trees in my sb, they suck! this one.. not so much!

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[Rolo]

here's some anatomy study
I have not done any of these in soo long!
Here I add Loomis's easy model to create the pelvis compared to the actual pelvis. I made it to help me understand better.

It's late!

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[Rolo]

Okay. Now it's really late. Since I haven't drawn in yearrss and I'm not at my home (I'm in my Native country) i don't have any Loomis books. So, I found them! And.. corrected some stuff that I had forgotten! But.. as you can.. see... I still need a lot of improvement. You can spot many errors there.. Can someone crit? Help me out here, I wanna be able to make these kinda things perfect!

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[miycko]

dude, thanks for stopping by my SB, i really appreciate it. i'm glad you're pushing ahead with your art, give it some time before you worry about sucking at it & remember as long as you keep at it you can only get better :D i like your animations, i need to try doing those, & your studies are coming along nicely

btw thanks for the heads up on my daviant art link. oh and



Sketch back if you'd like...

as in check out his sketchbook, if you like

[Rolo]

Thanks! I appreciate it! Do some anims! they're fun!

Okay. so trying to get back to my old figure drawing.. Revisited Loomis' book. But, I have not actually ever read it. I think I should. I think I will. It's huge! But I'm sure he says a lot of important stuff.

Sort of a attempt... thing here. Not very successful. But, hey, that's what practice is for!!

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[Rolo]

So... it's 2:11 am now. I wake up to play tennis in the morning and then go learn to drive.. great. No sleep!! Ahhh whatever! It's all for a greater purpose right?

I made a short anim, trying to get used to the body form again. By animating this kind of stuff, I understand the proportions better and stuff. I understand my proportions are not great. I change them a bit. This anim did not take me long. Like 10 or 15 min. There's two repetitions. One normal and one with speed lines, to add more cartoonish look. I would have done better one's but I did not feel the need.

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[Rolo]

I did an animation of water being poured in glass to get that feeling of movement again. Dang, I haven't animated in forever. All the animations you see in this SB are all the ones I've done so far for my comeback! Yay!

3 diff versions.
One is at 12fps doubleframed.
2nd is at 18fps doubleframed.
3rd is at 24fps doubleframes which is equivalent to simple 12 fps not doubleframed.


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[p sage]

Cool.

[tdHendrix]

Those last figures are looking good. You're starting to get better. The water pouring animation is cool. Try to work on your line quality more. With your pencil sketches it looks like you scribble lines a lot and it makes them look more messy. Just keep drawing!!

[miycko]

cool water pouring animation dude :)