Menjah's plethora of crappy drawings :D

[menjah]

Hello all! I'm menjah, AKA Liam Smyth, a 17-year old (I am now 18 ) living in Canada :D

Seeing all the massive talent on this website has recently put me into serious business mode, and I've realized that if I want to keep up with all the amazing artists on this website I better draw all the time. I hope to follow in the footsteps of Miles, a 16-year-old prodigy, and Defiledvisions, another awesome young artist, and to look back after a few years of daily work, and say - Wow! I sucked XD

Also, thanks to you both for keeping a record of your progress, not just deleting your old work when you don't like it anymore. You've really inspired me to work to get better!

(Miles - http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=97046&page=18)
(DefiledVisions - http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=123016)

So, assuming that I'm not just a talentless dope with aspirations of greatness and and an unrealistic vision, I present to you my crappy drawings ^__^
Criticism is welcomed with open arms :D

:lounge:

[menjah]

These are many of my older drawings, in order of age. I did the first ones when I was about 13-15. Unfortunately until recently I haven't drawn hardly at all for about 3 years, so I'm kind of at a disadvantage when I see some of the artists on this site D:
Also, keep in mind that this is basically everything I did during that time :P (if It seems like I'm uploading all of my crap sketches lol)


Looks like I'm going to have to multi-post, sorry!

[menjah]

continuing... did these when I was 13-14. Done for school projects, not really finished XP

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/7.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/9-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/10.jpg

[menjah]

About 15-16

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/11.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/12.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/13.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/14.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/15.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/16.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/17.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/18.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/19.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/20.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/21.jpg

Sort of this year ish

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/22.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/23.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/24.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/25.jpg
Damn I hate that one XD

And now basically since the beginning of summer

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/26.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/27.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/28.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/29.jpg
^ co-op with mr-roi, about half hour >.> I did the guy on right
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/30.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/31.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/32.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/33.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/34.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/35.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/36.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/37.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/38.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/39.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/40.jpg
And since the past 3 weeks :P
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/41.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/42.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/43.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/44.jpg
Today and yesterday
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/45.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/46.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Draggin.jpg

Sigh I'm depressed by looking at all my crappy drawings D:

[menjah]

Skull Study.
Far right ref: http://www.daviddarling.info/images/human_skull_side.jpg
Middle ref: http://poorreds.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/skull.jpg

Left one I tried to do using the front and side views, it's a good way to get 3d things into your head. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that well. Maybe I should have used reference lawl

It took me like an hour to do these crappy little drawings. Boy do I need practice... :P

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/study1.jpg

[menjah]

Also done today, I was bored in maths class :P

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Wip.jpg

[theUNKNOWNsketcher]

Great start! Keep up the good work!

[menjah]

Thank you! I will do lots of stuff everyday :D I promise >:3

[jeremygordon89]

I like what I see so far; if you stay dedicated you'll go far. I really like the skulls and dragon head! Keep it up

[menjah]

I sure hope so D:
I don't want to be a starving artist XD

[menjah]

Man, this study took forever. Believe it or not, the crappy drawing on the left (stoned guy) took way longer than the girl on the right. There were so many more muscles shown in the diagram I used for him D:. I eventually gave up on shading him XD it was getting ridiculous. I should have focused on the directions of the muscles and not so much the shape, I really jumbled up all the lines >.<

Btw, I'm not even going to TRY to do a 3/4 view, that would just be insane lolll

but I learned a bit about faces lalalaaaaa :lounge:



Refs:
http://ebscostandard.smartimagebase.com/imagescooked/9300W.jpg
http://www.sixside.com/img/muscle.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/MuscleStudy.jpg

[menjah]

I will do a side view later but for now I need to rest my arm, I have a cramp XD.

Also, I think before I do it I will do something fun, like a monster or something :D

Ps yes I know left guy is lop sided, can't fix it now lol

Refs:
http://web.uaccb.edu/AcademicDivisions/MathScience/Science/BWheeler/Ess/figs/06_17Figure-U.jpg
http://web.uaccb.edu/AcademicDivisions/MathScience/Science/BWheeler/Ess/figs/06_21Figure-U.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/musclestudy2.jpg

[menjah]

Done on the same day as my muscle studies...

Doom monsters are copyright doom of course

AND THEN JOHN FREEMAN DREW THESE AT SPEED OF LIGHT

I drew them very quickly
I was trying to get my 'strong confident lines' going, trying new style

so they're not that good but o well :P

Notice that I basically never drew any feet or hands... I should do a study :P

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/261/8/c/Doom_monsters_n_dragon_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[mathias92]

Awesome. Dude, all of them are probably a lot better then I can do, and I'm 17 now.
I just never have the time do draw anymore it seems. I'm busy all day with schoolwork because of my new classes etc. I hope I get the balls to start a sketchbook soon :)
Great work

[menjah]

Awesome. Dude, all of them are probably a lot better then I can do, and I'm 17 now.
I just never have the time do draw anymore it seems. I'm busy all day with schoolwork because of my new classes etc. I hope I get the balls to start a sketchbook soon :)
Great work

Thank you! If you really want to see a good young artist look at Miles lol, he's leagues better than me. Yeah, I find the time to draw, but only because I do it during class XD I used to have really high standards for grades but now I'm just like lol whatever :P

But, I think almost anyone can get really good at art, you really just have to be dedicated =)

[menjah]

I did not do much drawing this weekend I still drew every day but I'm disappointed in myself XD Oh well, now that I have access to a scanner I can upload what I did this weekend!

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/264/8/d/Hand_Study_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Nothing notable...

http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/264/5/d/sukechi_danpu___lol_2_sketches_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Also done in maths class :P
http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/264/2/3/SOUPAR_BARD_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[DeeLock]

Your dragons are pretty rad especially the one in post #6.

Some drawings are getting really dirty, try to clarify your strokes to just a couple lines or so rather than "petting" the line along. Show some confidence!

You're definitely on the right track, only thing you can do now is keep practicing, every day. Good work.

[menjah]

Your dragons are pretty rad especially the one in post #6.

Some drawings are getting really dirty, try to clarify your strokes to just a couple lines or so rather than "petting" the line along. Show some confidence!

You're definitely on the right track, only thing you can do now is keep practicing, every day. Good work.

Thanks so much! Yeah, it looks like my drawings are pretty dirty sometimes... It's just that A- I should force myself to stop using a 2h 0.5 mechanical pencil XD and B- Some times, that's part of my creative process... When I can't think of anything, I just sorta put lines there and then highlight the ones I like. I will try to do so later but as for now I'm not all that confident as an artist in general :P

Also part of it may be simply that I draw too small, most of my drawings are about 1 to 2 inches big lololol no wonder I haven't finished any sketchbooks XD but that is my new goal... draw bigger, with better lines, and finish a sketchbook. Your crit is greatly appreciated :D

[menjah]

Done last night

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/265/6/4/Forearm_Study_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/265/8/d/Robot_Thing_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

This morning
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/265/d/5/Bionic_arm_guy_wip_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[ryan mcshane]

great work :) i love it all, the detail is great. keep it up!

[menjah]

Took me most of the day, I'm sad though because I did not get to do a foot study like I wanted to :(

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/265/e/3/Bionic_Guy_Finished__D_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

great work :) i love it all, the detail is great. keep it up!

Thank you :D I will try my best

[p sage]

CANADA?!

:D

17?!

:D

One more weird thing like that, and I'll click right out of here ;)

Good studies of the muscles and anatomy and whatnot. The one of the head needs some work (the musculature of the neck--side view, etc)... The ear is too large, and the eye is set too far back into the skull there.

More study will make those things pop out to you.

You're working well here... just take it easy on sluffing maths :) If you're going into 3D graphics in college, it is pretty math intensive.

Nah. Just the programming side. :)

Anyway... keep this thing going. Canadian ;)
:canadian:

[menjah]

CANADA?!

:D

17?!

:D

One more weird thing like that, and I'll click right out of here ;)

Good studies of the muscles and anatomy and whatnot. The one of the head needs some work (the musculature of the neck--side view, etc)... The ear is too large, and the eye is set too far back into the skull there.

More study will make those things pop out to you.

You're working well here... just take it easy on sluffing maths :) If you're going into 3D graphics in college, it is pretty math intensive.

Nah. Just the programming side. :)

Anyway... keep this thing going. Canadian ;)
:canadian:

Thanks so much for your advice! I'm surprised you would bother with a crap artist like me XD

Also, points taken. I will try and do more studies from now on, I really want to follow in the footsteps of Miles (If you didn't read that already), do stuff EVERY DAYYYYYY
As for right now, my anatomy is really lacking. But it is mostly because A- I used to think that drawing with reference was cheating and B- I have never really tried to draw realistically, mostly I used to draw anime-type bodies, not really faces, but the simplified body shapes.
Drawing all these different muscles are completely new to me D: I have a lot to master ^_^

Math and physics come easily to me, all I really have to do is pay attention in class and I can get at least a B, I am lucky that way.

I am amused by your canadian smiley

:canadian::canadian::canadian::canadian::canadian: :canadian::canadian::canadian::canadian::canadian:

[Blonde Bomber]

I like your monster with the wheels for legs, lmao! Keep up the good work, I can already see improvement from your first and last sketches, so continue working at it!

[menjah]

I like your monster with the wheels for legs, lmao! Keep up the good work, I can already see improvement from your first and last sketches, so continue working at it!

Thank you :D But of course, the monster with wheels is not mine.
It is copyright doom, so I will link where I got it from :P

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/universal_pictures/doom/doom_monster.jpg

[menjah]

I know it's crap but it's something I've never really drawn before... :(

http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/266/0/0/Feet_study_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Oh gawd they are so bad but I feel like I have to upload them because this is my art journal XD

Um, 90 second sketches from posemaniacs, first attempts EVARRRR >.>
I can't look at them anymore

http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/266/b/b/crap_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[p sage]

Good start! Now keep it going!

[menjah]

Thank you! I know they're really bad but I need to get drawing faster! I wind up spending way too long sketching intricate details in things whilst not looking at the big picture, and I like the way the sort of gestural lines direct my drawings, even if my anatomy is currently completely crap (in 90 seconds anyways XP) But these are the kind of things I could do pages and pages of and not get tired :D

[menjah]

I did these throughout the day yesterday, including one that I'm proud of but can't show you D:

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/268/2/3/Posemaniacs_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg


http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/267/8/7/Armor_birdy_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/267/8/2/lololol_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

The only reason I uploaded this one is because it made me happy XD I was all makin sound effects in my head with EPIC SCUBA BATTLEEEEE and was like PSSSHHH BOOOM OHNO SEAL THE HATCHES LADDYYY ololololol feeling like a kid for five minutes was awesome
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/267/0/a/lolololol_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/268/2/3/Posemaniacs_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Posemaniacs warmup from this morning... I think I've kind of got a hang of the 90 second sketches now :P

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/268/0/8/posemaniacs_3_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Done also this morning... maybe, an hour? I wasn't really paying attention.
Basically did it cuz everyone else was, wanted a benchmark to see how much better I am in like a year when I do one again ^_^

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/268/b/f/Self_portrait_lol_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[strange1900]

You certainly have impressive 'crap' XD the quick sketches look particularly good.

[Dethklaus]

Your imagination and attention to detail is awesome! The simplified, goofy facial expressions on the detailed sketches are pretty funny, too.
That, and I must say: if your work is "crap", then my work is something too hideous and horrible to name, haha.

[menjah]

strange1900 - hahaha, thank you XD
Dethklaus - I hope you're kidding, your stuff is incomparably better than mine D:

[menjah]

I did these from friday to monday

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/271/5/c/posemaniacs_4_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/271/c/6/sci_fi_um_thingy__by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/271/5/5/stupid_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/271/6/6/Kraken_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/271/2/6/spriggan_thing_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/271/b/4/MOM_THE_FISH_ATE_THE_CAT_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/273/7/e/posemaniacs_5_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/272/9/a/Lol_school_again_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[mr-roi]

Hey hey, cool stuff.

However, looking at the new posemaniacs stuff, the heads look way too small, in proportion to the bodies. Also some of the woman look like total hourglasses XD It looks a bit wrong. Just use a more constant thickness, I guess.

Cool nudes, now just make clothed versions =P

Oh, and your stuff is still awesome.

[DefiledVisions]

I saw a sketchbook with a dragon and thought I'd check it out :) and what a surprise haha! Geting to be an inspiration is probably the greatest compliment in the world! thanks man.
I hope you keep pushing it.. you seem to be at the point where you'll improve most from just keeping on drawing without focusing on anything special. I suggest you give your lines some more consideration, try to use fewer when doing those posemaniacs, there's no need to rush things. I see you build curves with many smaller strokes, try to consider them more carefuly. Making that same curve with 1 or 2 strokes brings so much more flow and confidence to the piece :)

And also your crosshatching is looking great, just keep on shading that way and you'll get into it. Also there try to be more careful with them, the way you lay them gives the piece a flat look, like in the sea battle piece. The crosshatching in the waves could be done followin their shapes and give much more movement and feeling of space to the waves.
Keep working it man! cheers.

[The-Mentat]

Nice start. I remember myself drawing all the time when I was bored in high school as well (and that was often:D)). Keep doing those anatomy studies and keep drawing stuff from life, whenever and whatever you can. Your Posemaniacs drawings are looking much nicer than my first ones. Keep on going!

[menjah]

yes I know the mouth looks retarded
http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/274/7/6/Wolf_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[liquidjack]

Nice studies. Your last pic looks good. Make sure you flesh out basic shapes before detail. Detail all you want but get the structure right.

[menjah]

@mr-roi: Hey buddy welcome to the site! :D

@DefiledVisions: OMFG ITS YOU <3<3<3
I really love the way you draw, even in your very first sketchbook I still love it XD Your strokes are so lively and perfect... I wish I could draw like that :P
Believe it or not I copied your particular method of drawing and it helped me get like a billion and one times better at drawing dragons in a day =D (Not that's saying too much though)
Also, thanks so much for the advice! I will try to do that more, but it is very difficult to me for some reason... I can never get it right the first time around, maybe I should try to think more of the stroke I want to do before doing it rather than just guessing and hope I get the right one.
To tell you the truth I think I'm in the habit of drawing like that because for the longest time I just drew those marvel-tutorial ball and stick figures, which were very static-looking, and I never really improved and got used to isometric perfect 3d shapes and lost the artistic flow that you seem to have. Even when your sketchbooks have faces and such that are disproportionate I still like them because it shows that you're having fun with it, something I would like to be able to do. art is not fun to me anymore because what I do is too structured and not just an outlet for imagination, but I hope to change that by trying new styles and finding one that rejuvenates my creativity. =)
As for me, one day I hope I could get as good as you, I just hope it's not an unrealistic goal... I have always had this fear of hitting a wall in my drawing ability and never being able to improve, because of a lack of talent or something... I hope not but oh well :D I will try anyways

[menjah]

@flameseeker: Thank you for the advice! I will make sure I keep at it and try to make my lines more succinct and flow-y :D

@liquidjack: Yes I agree, it is much easier to do it that way, but sometimes when I try and draw from life it is difficult to extract the simpler shapes from the more complex ones, so things can get disproportionate especially on things with fur :P

[p sage]

Hay mang that mouth looks reta--

yes I know the mouth looks retarded


Crap. Sorry. :(

[DefiledVisions]

@mr-roi: Hey buddy welcome to the site! :D

@DefiledVisions: OMFG ITS YOU <3<3<3
I really love the way you draw, even in your very first sketchbook I still love it XD Your strokes are so lively and perfect... I wish I could draw like that :P
Believe it or not I copied your particular method of drawing and it helped me get like a billion and one times better at drawing dragons in a day =D (Not that's saying too much though)
Also, thanks so much for the advice! I will try to do that more, but it is very difficult to me for some reason... I can never get it right the first time around, maybe I should try to think more of the stroke I want to do before doing it rather than just guessing and hope I get the right one.
To tell you the truth I think I'm in the habit of drawing like that because for the longest time I just drew those marvel-tutorial ball and stick figures, which were very static-looking, and I never really improved and got used to isometric perfect 3d shapes and lost the artistic flow that you seem to have. Even when your sketchbooks have faces and such that are disproportionate I still like them because it shows that you're having fun with it, something I would like to be able to do. art is not fun to me anymore because what I do is too structured and not just an outlet for imagination, but I hope to change that by trying new styles and finding one that rejuvenates my creativity. =)
As for me, one day I hope I could get as good as you, I just hope it's not an unrealistic goal... I have always had this fear of hitting a wall in my drawing ability and never being able to improve, because of a lack of talent or something... I hope not but oh well :D I will try anyways

:assspank: now now.. ;)
Thanks a lot man! you have no idea how much it means.. I remember when I started my first SB and was like, holy shi.. look at all the pro's around here, damn I wish I was that good.. i'll never get that good - not that it'll stop me from trying. When looking back things really have changed.
You will definitely be able to draw like me.. hell I wish I'll be able to draw like DanielC, and guess what.. I copy his way of doing things too :P:P

You say it sounds unrealistic.. I say thats bullshit. There is no such thing as unreal. You would be very suprprised if you knew what a determined individual is capable of.
And it's sort of that fear you have for hitting the wall that holds you back. Let me rephrase it.. You are allways hiting the wall. When ever you lift up the pencil and think about doing something with it there's a huge wall flying towards your face :P welcome that wall and say ima climb ya! (or something lol). Every time you acomplish something is when the wall hit you and you rose back up.. thats the way I see it.

For the longest time I was afraid of failing and loosing creativity. And yes, loosing creativity is something we all fight with all the time. Some times one just needs a break.. the great thing about art is that it's a very subconscous process too. You might feel guilty for not drawing when you could, but within you there's really stuff going on. Once you have enough confidence to trust your intution you'll reach whole other levels. It won't happen if you stop walking the road though.. there is no such thing as a free ride to the end of the road, though there are many ways leading to the end and they all cross each other. Be happy that there are so many choices out there and.. holy shit this got really philosophic. I'm sorry.. I study philosophy now and lately my mind has really goten into the part of thinking :P
What I was saying is that a break is good now and then to let things sink in, and that you could go around for days and wait for "that special idea" to pop up... though that wouldn't do any good because intuition is allways there, it can't be forced. As long as you draw you give intuition a chance to show itself.. sitting around doing nothing makes it a lot harder.

Hope this made sense, it's all up to you - enjoy it! For now I'd just say keep on drawing! In the end we'll all be DanielC's :P

[menjah]

@P Sage: hahahaha I know rite??? I tried to redraw it like 4 times, got mad and decided to anger leave, I just want to erase it since the rest of it is good but the nose and mouth is like MUURRR I AM STUPID LOOKING PLEASE NOTICE ME MURRR

@DefiledVisions: Yay! That made me happy XD But um yeah I'm glad that you have those times too, cuz sometimes I'll be sitting my chair trying to draw something and everything I draw is crap... it's so annoying when that happens XD
It's not just me yayyy

[Ninjerina]

Hey just "flipped" through your sketchbook. I think you're being abit hard on yourself. Maybe you're not a prodigy but you're still pretty good and for only being 17 and having your ethic to work your ass off I think you'll be alright. Out of the digi sketches my fave was prob the portrait of the metal guy. The octopus one is really cool too, I'm going through this whole cephalopod phase myself.

[mr-roi]

Lol, thanks.

Yup, the snout is still wrong. I think you should've upped it a bit, and the angle... well, I dunno. Good job on getting the feel of fur, and the eyes are pretty awesome.

[menjah]

Thank you both...
Sorry I haven't posted anything in days D: I've been drawing but I keep erasing everything I do >.<

[menjah]

Last few days, sorry for not uploading more!
http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/279/a/9/SKULLDRAGONMON_I_CHOOSE_YOUUU_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/279/b/4/Eye_study_lawel_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/279/0/0/demon_skull_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Trying the use-less-lines-idiot-liam trick that DV told me about... I think it's working kinda... >.> I did many many more than this but they looked wonky so I erased them to save paper XD
http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/279/1/9/posemaniacs_Idk_what_number_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Colored in like 20-30 mins... Yes I know I'm not supposed to use black... It's just a bad habit I guess :/

http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/279/0/8/SKULLDRAGONMON_I_CHOOSE_YOU2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Done today... more coming OLOLOLOL
There are so many people to keep up with on this site gawd damn, they do like 5 billion pages of sketchbook a day D: I am the other hand are slow like molasses... O WELL DO WERK GET PAID

http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/280/0/2/work_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/280/8/8/work_1_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/280/2/d/asdf_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/280/b/a/MUR_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[mr-roi]

Lol, your faces are so weird... I think they're a bit too long, and the eyes are a bit too high.
Mmmm... maybe make the heads thinker, and the lowest point of the iris on the half line of the head? Dunno. Pretty cool profile study thing, and your dragon is as awesome as always.

[menjah]

I did the faces from reference, they do actually look like that. Keep in mind that I didn't draw full skulls on the expressions so that is perhaps why it looks so odd to you

[menjah]

Trying some technical drawings.... done today
http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/281/5/9/Printer_and_mouse_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
quite crappy tank
http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/281/3/a/Tanks_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc09.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/281/a/1/posemaniacs_9001_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[latigid]

Your pencils are wicked and you have some great dragons here! I also like the colours in the russian airship digi.

[menjah]

Hahaha thank you so much ^_^
I want to experiment some more with digital painting but I promised myself to go back to the basics before moving up... Maybe I'll play around with color and stuff to stay thinking about many things :D

[menjah]

http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/282/8/5/eye_lol_bored_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[liquidjack]

Ah, a mechanic drawer. Impressive clean line work with the structure and vehicle. Keep plugging at the studies. I would continue to flesh out the eye more. Really make it pop.

[menjah]

Hehe thanks :D The eye was just a practice, I will try and do more finished stuff soon :)

[menjah]

Just to show that I haven't just been sitting on my ass doing nothing:
http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/286/d/1/Not_up_to_usual_standards_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/286/7/8/Not_up_to_usual_standards_1_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc00.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/286/f/9/posemaniacs_9003_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/286/2/0/posemaniacs_9002_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[Zorcron]

ai! droppin us images all the time like the good man you are!

a few of the heads looking a tad on the small side, keep it coming man


i want to see some sketches from life, out at the coffee shop or the local farmer's field or anything man go out and do what you gota do !

[menjah]

Wip for my mom's bday... I HAVE to finish this one :D

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs50/f/2009/286/6/b/wip_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/286/3/7/Dailies____again_by_me_nj_ah.jpg dailies......

[menjah]

This weekends' and today's work... I need to work on drawing every day and not just sometimes XD

http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/292/7/0/Dinosaur____by_me_nj_ah.jpg

http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs51/f/2009/289/c/5/Dailies_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[haste]

i loled in real life

nice sketches, great commentary :) keep it up

[menjah]

It doesnt look like much but these took forever... about 3 days' work in order that I did them
Forcing myself to use a regular yellow hb pencil to try and control line quality rather than chicken scratch sketching... I'm not used to it so it's not up to my usual standards but I don't care I'm going to do my best to accept lower quality and draw LOTS to keep the learning going
It's hard keeping up with Archipelago, like 5 pages a day
These are almost all reffed from magazines, just me trying to get to grips with faces without using the ole' circle centreline eyeline 2/3ds thingy method lawl

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/7-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/8-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/9-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/10-1.jpg
These ones were lol-ified by my school friend megas-sf XD
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/11-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/12-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/13-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/14-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/15-1.jpg

[menjah]

First two pages of the day... I need to scan them now because they are smudging at an astonishing rate lul
I'll update this later when I finish more
*updated*
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-3.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-3.jpg

[menjah]

Old stuff I forgot to put in my sketchbook:

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs50/f/2009/307/c/a/art_class_luld_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs50/f/2009/307/b/8/It__s_louis__D_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://me-nj-ah.deviantart.com/art/moar-skulls-142385214
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs50/i/2009/307/9/3/dragon_mur_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Yesterday's stuff
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-3.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-3.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-4.jpg

[Qikalain]

wow dude whats up with you. this makes me pretty jelouse, im going to do some studys right now!!


http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-2.jpg this one is very awesome, look very good, both eyes are in shape, nice

[menjah]

@qikalain: You better do some studies :D You're way way better with color than me, maybe you could do some paint studies ^^

todays stuff... ahg not enough I know I got distracted with l4d2 tonight >.<
Ill try to do better :D

These were all done without reference except for the drawings marked 'archipelago' and the skull studies. I'm trying to learn to draw faces without reference and hammer in the stuff I learned from photo drawing :)

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-5.jpg

[LadyLooLauren]

I'm kinda sorta in love with the silly stuff you put on your drawings. They make me giggle. Good perspectives and poses, lookin' great to me :D

[menjah]

@Ladyloo: =D I'm glad I could make you laugh XD if I can't draw something, say the other eye, I'll just draw something stupid over top :P And thanks too, I hope to get better in a year but it's quite difficult to keep up with archipelago man he's fast

Todays stuff... NEED TO DO MOARRRRR

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-6.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-6.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-3.jpg

[menjah]

Todays work... I was falling asleep in my classes today and went to a friends house for a bday party after school I wasted so much time Im disappointed in myself lol
Such a shitty update. Gawd damnit archi how did you do so many pages a day I find it hard to keep up with you XD

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-6.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-6.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-7.jpg

[Theodora_romania]

you re gettin awesome!!!!!!

[menjah]

Theo... hehehe you're so nice =DI wish I could say that but there isn't that much improvement XD Oh well ive only been going for 2 weeks HERES SOME MOARRRRRRR still need to do more per day though, and GET FASTERRRR HAHAHA

Also the reason why it is not scanned / crappy quality is because my parents were sleeping and the scanner is loud XD

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse007.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse008.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse006.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse005.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse004.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse003.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse002.jpg

[Spaggen]

A lot of updates, very good man! I can already see some differences, especially in your lines. Keep rocking! :D

[Zorcron]

so i heard you need to keep drawin !

keep it rockin in here bruv

props to the hands

[menjah]

@Spaggen: Thanks so much! And sorry for the late reply, I swore not to reply without content :D
@Zorcron: I KNOW RITE??? Thanks brudda :D Props to you as well for your... u know, paintings that I CANT DO LOL but I should try...
Shit! I didn't draw over christmas vacation! As you can see I am out of practice... my lines are teh pitts :B
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse004-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse003-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse002-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse001.jpg

[MilitaryRaiden]

Dude, you are really good - keep it up!

[menjah]

@MilitaryRaiden: Err I don't think I'm that good but thank you so much anyways ^^

Today's work... I don't know how archipelago does it lawl I'm up until like 12 o clock (I guess I had an evening class today so thats why) drawing and now im really tired... And I STILL can't seem to keep up with him D: If you'll notice on one of my pages has an agenda for the day on it XD

I apologize profusely for not scanning these but I really just want to go to bed...

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse009.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse008-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse007-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse006-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse005-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fgsdfhefgse001-1.jpg

[menjah]

AGSDF I JUST REALIZED THAT ARCHIPELAGO DID HIS TEN PAGES DAY ON THE WEEEKENDDD SO IVE BEEN STAYING UP LATE FOR NOTHING LOLLLL YAY
In no particular order...

I tried not to use refs today, to draw from memory and such... such why my stuff is sloppy. I did some sps, and a super shroom trip one because Archi did it XD. The only other ref I used was for the cat. I tried to copy Archipelago's expressions, but since I was getting them off his old stuff when he was 15 ish mine usually came out better, it's good that way so I don't just copy and learn :)

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-7.jpg
what the fuck is up with my eyes lol its like O_______O
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-7.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-8.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-7.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-3.jpg

[DefiledVisions]

outstanding! lol you make me wanna draw more.
the lines, the shading, its all great. Keep on drawing, spill your mind out.

[menjah]

@Defiledvisions: Hehe thank you ^_^ I will do my best

I sucked at drawing today... I don't really know why... Could be because I had one of the worst sleeps I've ever had last night or that I had to draw a bear in the morning that kind of threw me off XD either way I feel like I got worse than yesterday or two days ago :(

As you can see the page with the dumpster and my pencil sharpener is smudged to hell and the poor standing lady, I completely brutalized her beauty :( The felt page at the end was just filler... I wasn't really trying hehe I'm really tired XD. If you're wondering why I have my hand on my head for the self portrait page it's cuz I have ridiculously long hair (I don't like haircuts =_=) and i hold it out of my eyes so I can draw ^^
I hope I can relax soon... I know Archipelago cools down to about 3 pages a day plus bridgeman studies, I'm working my ass off here D: Also I hope he starts other things soon because I'm getting bored of just faces :P

Well goodnight anybody who reads this :) I stayed up until 1 in the morning drawing and scanning this XD

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-8.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-8.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-9.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-8.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/7-3.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/8-3.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/9-3.jpg

[archipelago]

hey menjah,

great drawings, there is lot of progress visible since page 1.

I am flattered that you are using my sketchbook thread as a guide, but I don't think I am a good example to be honest. Like I said before, if I could do it again I would do it very differently.

The main thing I had wrong was that doing a lot of pages and loads of studies does not equal how much you learn. It is better to take a long time doing the studies, and really thinking about them. it is less about output and more about input if you get me... think about what you want to get out of the studies you are doing, think about specific problems that you want to figure out, and use the studies as a way to get an answer.

I would have also simply looked at a lot more art, analyzing artwork and really figuring out how different artists solve problems in different ways. I would look at a lot more 19th century art, at people like sargent and how he handles values, always keeping shadow and light separate. http://artrenewal.org/ is a good website for this.

self portraits and hands are great excercises, and so are anatomy studies, but I would have spent more time on them and really try to get them to look right.

reading and collecting information is very important. James Gurney (the creator of dinotopia) has a really excellent blog that is updated almost every day, I would really recommend reading his blog from start to finish instead of my own sketchbook thread.
He also released a really great book reccently about how to go about doing imaginative illustrations.
His blog can be found here: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/

anyway, keep up the great work,
cheers.

[menjah]

@Archipelago: Thanks so much for the advice! I'll try to think more on my stuff... Also thanks for the links as well :) I'll check out this James Gurney person, and try to do some studies from him as well :D

As for my drawings, I think my non-reffed people are getting incredibly stale... Almost too practiced XD I should do some more drawings from photos.
Also I CONSISTENTLY draw one eye TOO LOW it makes me mad >:C because they would be otherwise good faces. Another thing I'm having trouble with is the jaw, can't seem to get it right. IM GETIN WORSE ARGG

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-9.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-9.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-10.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-9.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-6.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/7-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/8-4.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/9-4.jpg

[menjah]

today and yesterday...

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-10.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-10.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-11.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-10.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-7.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-6.jpg

and my first digital drawing in like 6 months,

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/012/3/f/Silly_fire_lady_wip_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Yesterday and the day before that's work
Please excuse my massive suckage... from the fail of a self portrait to my really crappy pencil-sharpener drawings... I think I am getting worse not better
ARGH sometimes I just want to give up cuz it's like I'm not getting anywheressss but that would be stupid so ill keep going. I just fear dedicating my life to this and ending up broke, talentless and penniless >.< AND IM 2 DAYS BEHIND ARCHIPELAGO SINCE I STARTED GAHH

so here they are in the order I did them, 6 yesterday and 6 today. I need to spend more time on them, I think I'm trying to do them too quickly and thus having to do them many times to get it right, rather than just observing a lot and getting the strokes right. But on the other hand I don't have a method for this, sometimes I start at the eyes and work my way out, (Thus why my eyes are usually not symmetrical) sometimes I draw the jaw first, which makes the face to short, and sometimes I draw the forehead first as a reference line, but this usually makes the nose too long- these all make me re do the sketch anyway. Idk I'm just not consistent, unless I'm consistently BAD.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-11.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-11.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-12.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-11.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-8.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-7.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/7-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/8-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/9-5.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/10-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/11-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/12-2.jpg

[menjah]

Today I mostly did stuff from magazine refs... uhhhhh idk if I learned very much but anyways. I found out how difficult cloth is to draw =P Also I tried to follow Derss' advice and draw old people... I find it much harder to do these from imagination than young people, for probably obvious reasons =)

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-12.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-12.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-13.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-12.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-8.jpg

[derss]

haha alot of faces :) they are rly good, some are very similare though. would be cool to see more "uglier" faces if you know what i mean :p keep it up!

[menjah]

@Derss: Many of them are self portraits but I see what you mean. I draw eyes / jawlines etc all the same in many of my pics. I actually enjoy drawing old people because they have more facial features =) I hope to get to some whole-body anatomy soon, (faces are getting quite boring, not only that but I can't seem to get them right) but I have to get through a pile of Archipelago's work before he starts to do bridgeman studies. I'm going to spend time today trying to get them RIGHT, 3 pages of good work, to work on my accuracy. Archipelago doesn't do much detail in his first drawings but he gets the shape and basics right which is really important, I on the other hand start too small and get details right but proportions off.

[Theodora_romania]

YOU BLODDY NOOB! I can't believe you whine -.- /bitchslap!

Just god damn work noob! you are showing progress FFS I mean compared to your first... It s gettin ok!

[menjah]

Lol! I didn't draw much for 3 days so I'm bad again... (Wanted to play through mass effect again lol) but I'm slowly getting through to the digi painting and anatomy work, so I'm happy about that :) I tried to draw old people but this paper just doesn't hold detail... it smudges so easily lol. To be honest I really hate this sketch book but I had it already so I was like oh well ill just finish it =P
On a side note I had a really strong urge to digi paint last night lol, but I had to do the sketches first D=
some are reffed some are imagination, you can probably tell the difference
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-13.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-13.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-14.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-13.jpg

[menjah]

Wooo! Pathetic photohshops and more of the same! (mostly just effing around trying to get a hang of a tablet lol)

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-15.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-15.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-15.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-14.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-14.jpg

[Brushcommander]

Keep up the hard studying! You're doing great :D

[menjah]

two weeks of no drawing! Again! This is last 2 days work!
Derp de derpity diddly doo!

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-16.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/2-16.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/3-16.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/4-14.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/5-9.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/6-9.jpg

[menjah]

long time no see... I have such a giant friggin pile of papers that I drew, but they are just more of the same so I decided not to. I am going to life drawing weekly now, they are 3 hour sessions and I go on saturday. I decided to try going back to digital, but not exclusively.
here are a few of my stuffs :D

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/1-17.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Smile.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/gunthing.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/wolf2.jpg

hope I'm gettin better :D

[menjah]

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/096/8/7/Study_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/097/0/0/Doggy__D_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Yay another 3 month hiatus... I'm now 4 months into 18 (only 8 more before 19 D: ) And I have some big milestones to overcome in time for them. Arcipello joined DA when he was 19, Mr D as well... you get the picture lol

Anyways, these are everything I've done in this time, ill try to update daily with stuff I've done. I tend to do one big piece a week (lol 'big' is relative, about 12 hours) and the rest are either scribbles on paper of me trying desperately to understand form or me attempting to sketch in photoshop.

Without further adieu here are my summer and drawings - in the order I did them.

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/173/f/8/Geth_Navigator_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/176/3/d/Speedpaint_2_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/180/5/3/Fire_Mage_by_me_nj_ah.jpg
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/182/b/f/Ice_Mage_by_me_nj_ah.jpg

[menjah]

Last 2 weeks of drawing: (September)

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/258/9/5/golem_guardian_by_me_nj_ah-d2ysrcy.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/271/9/9/newt_by_me_nj_ah-d2zpbdt.jpg

[menjah]

And various sketches from last 2 weeks. Wanted to draw some kind of tree spirit/ demon thing. 2 iterations, first being a rather cheezy looking angry one and second is better one but with wonky perspective on face.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/15-2-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/15-2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/8-6.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Untitled-1-1.jpg

[menjah]

More from last 2 weeks:
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/277/0/f/bandit_by_me_nj_ah-d3040xo.jpg
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2010/278/d/3/necromancer_by_me_nj_ah-d304boq.jpg

[menjah]

More work herp derp 2 hour speedpaint from two days ago
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/278/a/d/enviro_speedpaint_by_me_nj_ah-d305lr1.jpg

[menjah]

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/incrediderp.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/27-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/26-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/24-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/20-1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Speedpaint1-SpellBomb2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/doodles2.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/doodles1.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/PossibleGhost2.jpg
- I only did the helmet and shoulderpad on this
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/imawomanlol.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/fuckaround.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Speedpaint2-DeadlyDenomination.jpg

[menjah]

Another wip to add to my pile
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Speedpaint3-2.jpg

[menjah]

Daily speedpaint number 3: Melt Terrain
Took me about 2 hours. Not exactly speedy, but most of that time was spent doing colors that I later discarded. I wanted her to be a faintly red ghost, and the ground burst into flame because of her ghost passing through it, not necessarily because her body itself was hot. (lol wording) Needless to say, the colors failed miserably so I deleted them, and the lack of detail makes it look crap but I'm happy with it as a learning experience =)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EgxF88czDuc/TOYujzQN4YI/AAAAAAAAABo/i6AiJfrDYEs/s1600/Daily%2BSpeedpaint%2B3%2B-%2BMelt%2BTerrain.jpg

[MasterStryke]

great stuff.. you make me feel bad XD

I need to draw more faces


especially this one is pretty awesome: link (http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/10-2.jpg)

[menjah]

Took about 5 or 4 hours, done in one afternoon... need to get faster / draw differently. there's a point when it stops being fun and just turns into render render although I have had fun painting before, and it went much more quickly. hard to explain, but artistic flow is important
*hurk*

http://www.deviantart.com/download/188779122/character___spirit_swordsman_by_me_nj_ah-d34e6wi.jpg

[magicpudding]

Tonnes of work here, and all very skillful. I like your faces very much, a skill I have not yet acquired. A nice balance of old school and tablet too, so well done.

Magiks sketchbook (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=188585)

[menjah]

@Magicpudding - Thanks! Though I still have lots and lots of work to do, I still kinda suck haha Also, thanks for page five I was getting tired of looking at my year old sketches XD

Here's a work I did for my mom's birthday... I did it yesterday from start to finish, about 6 to 8 hours.

http://www.deviantart.com/download/188888935/birthday_present_by_me_nj_ah-d34gjmv.jpg

[menjah]

derp tiger
-anatomy sucks
-lighting is lame
-why do I always make everything metal
But I had fun. I honestly don't know how I fucked up the grayscale of this so much... as soon as I was like DERP COLOR it just went downhill oh well I will try harder next time

http://www.deviantart.com/download/188989773/derp_silver_tiger_by_me_nj_ah-d34ipfx.jpg

[menjah]

did this last night, trying out technical drawing but failing lolol... it has to protect its disco ball!11!

[menjah]

Here is what I have been working on today. I didn't have enough time to finish because I didn't start early enough in the day and because Im actually trying to use line art more. I may or may not finish this depending on how much I want to start a new project haha. Crits are welcome!

[MasterStryke]

bravo mate @ #122

@werewolfurry: try no black shadows :)

[NeonDuck]

incredible volume of work, really nice effort, but i gotta say i agree with archipelago - it's not about the number of drawings you do, it's about practicing every day and learning to become better.

I think most of your stuff looks so similar because you mostly draw the same face over and over again - probably because you know it and can do it really fast so you can draw lots of them. there's your problem right there. the key to learning how to draw is to learn to look at things differently. with everything you draw, try to pretend you know nothing about it so you have to really look at your subject all the time. you should spend at least 80% of your time looking at your subject, you should be analysing it literally between each line you draw!
a good book for this is "drawing on the right side of the brain", because it aims to change the way you look at everything. it's a bit long-winded, but has very very good exercises. helped me a lot!

the second piece of advice is construction. you seem to be following the "copy" approach to drawing, which is taught a lot in art schools but really all it does it teach you how to take photographs with a pencil. have a look at Loomis books (available for free online, since they're decades out of print) and see how he constructs figures and environments out of primitive shapes in perspective. once you've got that down your drawings from imagination will improve incredibly

lastly, it's hard to tell if this is a problem for you, but it sure was for me so i'll mention it: slow down. you seem to be drawing incredibly fast and scribbly, maybe cuz you've seen much more experienced artists draw that way. they do it because they know what they're doing, and because they do a lot of really important steps in their heads to save time! if you slow right down and think about every line you draw and analyse every mistake you made, you can improve a lot more by just doing 1 page a day. you'll also see your lines improve towards stronger, longer, more confident lines.

oops, that turned out to be kind of a long post, I hope some of it makes sense!

all the best

[menjah]

A quick 20-30 min still life after my lamp lol. What an achievement, I drew a lamp. by the way I am now copying Dile for the studies and such. Next up: Pages of leg and arm studies! The only down side is I feel like every time I try to memorize something I lose a bit of my creativity :/ I have to balance the studies out with just random imagination drawing

[menjah]

Masterstryke - thanks for the advice, if I work under black lines they tend to have a multiply effect on whatever Im doing and slowly all my shadows turn pure black haha... im not sure whether I want to finish that but, I kind of like it so why not

Neon Duck - Yeah I tend to focus too much on other people's improvement and not enough on my own. That way it gets no fun really fast, because I'm not actually thinking about what I'm drawing I'm just trying to make it look like the other person's - this is why I think I did not learn much the whole time I was drawing faces, because I never actually thought of what I was doing I was just copying... then I worked out a formula so thats why all of them look the same. Also, thanks for the book ref :D As for the scribbly drawing, it's how I imagination draw... it works well with paper but not so well with digital since digital goes to pure black much more quickly. There's construction type lines and then there's the flowy imagination lines that I use sometimes, i don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing but it's difficult for me to just think of a shape in my head and draw it, there needs to be something, some kind of randomness or noise, already there for my brain to make the connections.

[menjah]

Leg studies... no ref for drawings, but I did look at some real legs to try to figure out the muscles. I E I didn't copy the poses / angles of the legs, but tried to decipher the muscle placements from photos. I think I'm going to do some straight studies right out of my book now.

[menjah]

Some leg studies right out of my book and a bunch of arms + chest studies out of my head, but occasionally reffing the book to check where the muscles are. These ones are not as good as the other leg studies cuz it's too late and I could not think straight or learn too well haha,,, so lines got messy and 3d thinking was hindered

Uhh, my anatomy book confuses the HELL OUT OF ME. they got an amazing life artist to do it, but throughout the book he literally goes through every single bone in the body and every single muscle... and it really confuses me when im trying to draw it so all I can really do is simplify and guess as to the details. any suggestions for an alternative?

[menjah]

used ref for the ones marked ref... other ones aren't that good but I am trying to figure out the structure rather than just copying it from every ref angle

[Mischeviouslittleelf]

good to see you doing studies, but mix'em up with some color studies as well;)

-E

[menjah]

@Mischeviouslittleelf: Okay! I'm honored by your visit =D I'm not too sure what to do color studies OF though, any suggestions or resources?

I tried to make a skull but it looked scary so I went with it and so it became a monster XD

[menjah]

This time I was trying to regurgitate what I had 'learned' about the arm from my studies. Unfortunaltely, all I could remember was about 4 large muscles and the rest I just fudged until it looked right. Which means it probably doesn't look right to people who actually are good at anatomy lol.

[menjah]

Also I did this today, I had the idea floating around in my head for a little while but decided to put it on paper today... there's a piece of glass between them in case you cannot see. I know the woman's pose is really awkward but I can't find a way to fix it even though I moved and redrew stuff XD... My crosshatching will most probably be painted over, I just did it because I miss and enjoy crosshatching hehe, just did it for fun =P

[menjah]

Another one whole month of not drawing anything due to class exams yayyyy
I've gotten worse, it shows. I need to focus way more on big shapes instead of rendering pieces of armor individually... it's just that I SUCK AT LINES

[Mila]

There's lots of work here! Liking it :) my scrolling finger hurts now... but it was worth it!

( your avatar gives me the grins! )

[menjah]

@Mila: Thanks for the input! Yeah im trying to make more individual posts so my pages don't get so friggin long XD

Did this today. got lazy, not too good but im happy :D trying haaarrddd to get the sketch to be legible before I start rendering... not easy going!

http://www.deviantart.com/download/195045272/king__s_escort_by_me_nj_ah-d384hw8.jpg

[menjah]

Trying to finish something every day. Spent a while (about maybe 2 hours) on the line art, even though I didn't finish lawl. My idea was to make a dude who had such a big gun that he needed an exosuit just to walk around with it. Alas, the gun was an afterthought and is neither big nor threatening.
started out quite fun and moved along hastily, but as I worked things got slower and slower :( Im a bit sad I couldn't finish it before bedtime, which means I probably won't :/

[menjah]

derp derp derp

[Velocity Kendall]

lots and lots of hard work here, its paying off, keep at it!

[menjah]

@Velocity Kendall: Thanks... I hope it is, I don't really see a year's worth of improvement though hehe.

Nerp derp one more for the pile

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/034/a/f/alien_dude___colored_by_me_nj_ah-d38r04e.jpg

[menjah]

On a side note, I'm so depressed about art right now I want to throw up. I just want to be good at something as a purpose in my life, is that too much to ask? =/

[raminafshari]

look at this alien ... well done .

[menjah]

raminafshari : thank you, it's really nice to have encouragement :D

Ok, I know this is disproportionate... I'm going to show it anyways

http://www.deviantart.com/download/196198264/dragon___dinosaur_by_me_nj_ah-d38t7js.jpg

[menjah]

Spent a significant amount of time on this today. About maybe 5 hours? Probably less, I think I did this faster than my usual stuff. Kept it more loose this time! According to spiffy the claw arm looks awkward and stupid for the pose, I never saw its awkwardness but I was staring at it a long time, so one tends to miss mistakes like that.

http://www.deviantart.com/download/196752871/lizardman_by_me_nj_ah-d3953hj.jpg

Incomplete Lines

[menjah]

speedpaint for DRSP - Green Anger was the topic, about an hour

[menjah]

MORE ARTS! Done this evening. Since I did not do a line art for this, I will post my super messy and crappy pencil sketch. I guess if anybody is here (lol I see tumbleweeds in my sketchbook) you could give me a crit or way to improve on my pencil sketches? I currently really suck at them :/ Usually I can make them legible in photoshop but it would be nice to have a base so it doesn't take so long to make a work.


http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/046/2/6/exo_suit___cryo_spec_by_me_nj_ah-d39lf92.jpg

[Amarok]

For your sketches, maybe try to conserve your use of lines more and use your sketches to focus on the general forms and getting some solidity down? I think right now some of the basic shapes in your figures in your sketches come across a little bit hard to read because it seems like you just dive straight into detail piece-by-piece without really getting your basic forms put down solidly first for the figure as a whole. If you're just making a sketch with the intention of fleshing it out digitally, do you really need to go to that level of detail, especially if you know you're a scribbly kind of sketcher? (Not a bad thing!) If you still feel compelled to get everything down in a sketch beforehand, at the least try to consciously think about your lines before you put them down and slow down a little bit to give yourself the opportunity to think before you've already gone crazy on the page. :)

[menjah]

I didn't draw all day :( Then at like 2am I decided fuck it I'm gonna draw before bed. So I came up with this poop, about an hour. SO MUCH FOR FLESHING OUT BIG SHAPES HERP DERP

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/047/9/8/random_helm_by_me_nj_ah-d39o2fl.jpg

[menjah]

Oh and amarok: Thanks for the advice! I wish blocking in big shapes came easily to me but for some reason it is really difficult for me to draw unless there is already something on the page for me to draw around... In other words, it's difficult for my brain to think of shapes in my head and just get it on paper. so I do details while the base is still odd looking. (many have said my poses are very awkward, even painful looking) I guess that's a problem lots of art n00bs like me have :) Regardless, I will try what you say to do, no matter how difficult or frustrating it may be XD Art is about persistence after all.

[menjah]

I'm making a house out of tumbleweeds from my sketchbook! I guess nobody really cares about people who still suck :P Or maybe it's just me

Failed Mass Effect fanart
I hate it when I spend like five hours on something and it is no different than if I spent like ten minutes on it. it sucks, it's not finished, I know. I re-drew the face probably about six or seven times, I never could get it right. Used hubble deep field, I don't know if it is copyright nor do I really care since I'm not making money with my art anyways. RAEGGGGGGGG SO SHITTY

http://www.deviantart.com/download/197754002/failed_mass_effect_fanart_by_me_nj_ah-d39qjyq.jpg

[menjah]

ONE HANDRAD PER CENT RESOLUTION! Just because I drew details in the armor you can't see from here. nerpy noo :D

[menjah]

It seems I lost talent points over the weekend. Shitty shit again. I really hate using adjustment layers but without them my drawings / details are not preserved. The problem with using multiply layers (which I do all the time) is that EVERYTHING TURNS BLACK WHYYYY
I hate being reasonably good / enjoying myself one week and then sucking again, it's the worst feeling. I think I get too depressed by art :/

[menjah]

1-1.5hr daily random speedpaint. topic was "evil excreting"

[menjah]

Sorry, I did no photoshop today but lots of sketches in my sketchbook... My scanner is not working currently, so I am posting without content sorry CA!
I wish I could make legible drawings but apparently I scattergun my lines and make stuff out of it. This is the only way I can be creative. I cannot seem to think of a shape and get it on paper, there has to be something already there that my brain picks out, like seeing faces in random patterns. I can think of shapes and designs when I don't have a piece of paper right in front of me (especially around bedtime), but they tend to vaporize the second I'm faced with a blank page. Any tips?

[menjah]

Was gonna do drsp, neither of them are really good enough lol

First time drawing after a week of sickness

[menjah]

A number of hours today... I'm incredibly inefficient, I spend ages smoothing and trying to mix and mix to find a color scheme that works. I'm terrible at not being destructive when painting and thus wind up doing things more than once
I'm sad because I really wanted this to look good, I had the idea in my head for a while but I'm just not skilled enough T___T

[menjah]

Frost atronarch

I had a cool idea, but as usual my skill was not enough to draw it =)
I look back at my old works and many of them are better than my new ones but I think it's mostly because I am not spending as long lol. Before I would spend a full day or two on an image, now I'm trying to work with lines to make things go faster but that comes with its own set of complications... hrmm

>> got slowed down halfway through, was raging.
>> Said "screw it", ditched rendering, and did whatever I wanted. Had fun :D
>> drew giraffe

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/frostatronarch.jpg?t=1302070375

[DefiledVisions]

Menjah! good to see you workin' it man! I hear you on the "my new work looks worse than my old". It seems to go in ups and downs,and as you say, you're spending much less time on the work now. Keep exploring your creative process until you find something that works well for you and then keep refining that approach. In a few months, what takes you 6 hours today might take you only an hour. Just keep at it!

To add on that about creative process, I think it's damn difficult to find something that works well. I usually mix between doing a linework sketch first and then going to color, and just starting blocking in shapes in a value and working in values. Finding 'your' process can take some time :P

p.s put a link to your sketchbook in your signature! :D

[menjah]

@DV: Thanks for the advice. I will link my sb I guess

yep I still suck at enviros. seems like I can do grayscale stuff but whenever color is involved I can't do values. hmm. Also, what's up with the conceptart.org attachments? I can't see my own or anybody else's. I can see photobucket stuff though, what's up with that?
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Untitled-1-2.jpg?t=1302123481

[menjah]

Thunder atronarch

I finished another sketchbook today. wrote myself up a schedule so that I don't just let myself slide back into videogames like I always do... I'm very bad that way, currently I have no reason to go to work, take the bus, etc, so it's very difficult to keep motivated unless I divvy up the massive amounts of time just alone at home. I was accepted into an art college for September. Very pleased =D

about 2-2.5 hours. I drew this from start to finish on the tablet, which i can't normally do. I'm reasonably happy with the outcome, although my values could be better I was focusing more on the design.

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/097/9/9/thunder_atronarch_by_me_nj_ah-d3deod6.jpg

[menjah]

another daily speedpaint. today's topic : sky bridge
About an hour. 1.5 hours tops

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad285/me-nj-ah/Untitled-1-3.jpg?t=1302223643

[menjah]

I'm sick AGAIN for like the 4th time this year >:C sucks, I am a bit woozy on cold medication but I did my best to get started on Mondays as usual :D
About 3 -4 hours(?) was not counting :P
My Dad said I did too many guys in helmets, so I did a thing that was not a guy in a helmet. Not so good, the anatomy is off and I made the values too dark. Also didn't do a line art, just went in with large brushes and winged it. oh well.

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/101/1/0/derpy_2_by_me_nj_ah-d3dsotu.jpg

[menjah]

Drsp - Cryptic Boss
Herpy the derpy. About 2 hours
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Phrk1uiQLjM/TaTsYBKwFKI/AAAAAAAAAD0/5b77VMgxjIs/s1600/DRSP+Tuesday+April+12+2011.jpg

[menjah]

Another speed paint, about 2 hours
I forgot to do the windy effects :( also didn't focus on detail, hope the armor isn't too confusing lol

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/103/f/a/wind_atronarch_by_me_nj_ah-d3dvn5m.jpg

[menjah]

Speed paint topic: Underwater

[Aryeh]

Great ideas! you seem to feel comfortable expirmenting with color n stuff.

I think you should focus on painting in a more commited way. With more opacity and more concise values.

I think for the level of painting that you are doing in your speed sketches you are putting in to many values and colors. Simplify this and your stuff will read much better.

[menjah]

@aryeh Thanks for the advice! You're probably right, I tend to just lay down a bunch of different colors without really a plan. it sometimes works, but it's not so good if I have a set idea or color scheme I'm trying to execute. My values get messed up when I screw around with color haha. Ill try to do some simple value speedies, try and get foreground and background in place and then actually RESTRAIN my values rather than just going full white - black

Portrait, 1h

[menjah]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EvFy57F6WA0/TciXwWaSf2I/AAAAAAAAAD4/GxKxtBMjU5w/s1600/DRSP-Monday+May+9th-2.jpg

[Oxidiz3r]

I made a post about something that you posted forever agoooo! :D (I'm a total derp.) Anyways, after deleting that and feeling stupid I realized that you had--OMG--5 other pages!

Hehe I really like this last one. There is a definitely feeling of scale in this image because of the very large figure holding the small figure. The one complaint I have is that the lighting is a little odd to me. I feel like there are too many sources of light and it definitely doesn't seem dark enough for someone to be carrying a lit lantern or to be able to showcase the glowing in the treeant--guy thing--properly.

I hope that was coherent enough. x_X

[menjah]

hey, thanks for the comment oxidizer :D I see what you mean with the light sources. Still my values are kinda confusing. working on it

[menjah]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVcyzTyURUo/TfaOUR5RHiI/AAAAAAAAAD8/2zSECH5ZzJo/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1254691&stc=1&d=1308012339(ref) http://www.nautical-mart.com/pcat-gifs/products-small/aceient-knight-helmet-03.jpg
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1254781&stc=1&d=1308031367

[menjah]

doobles before bed

[menjah]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSAHYEXnsBc/Tff7FO1ufiI/AAAAAAAAAEE/bxI36GYt_bc/s1600/5.jpg

[menjah]

before bed. 1.5 hrs maybe

[menjah]

spent like half an hour first thing in the morning trying to make the char more legible by painting around the edges and doing flat colors...

[menjah]

wip. worked on this formost of the day lol

[menjah]

ref http://me-nj-ah.deviantart.com/favourites/?offset=0#/d30ywee
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1257182&stc=1&d=1308294721

[menjah]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mNiDk-K3qcY/ThaP8e6MTNI/AAAAAAAAAEI/dzbZu1Gzkfk/s1600/1.jpg

[menjah]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1273651&stc=1&d=1310204664

[Qikalain]

seriously finish that shit because its awesome. there is so much potential, you have a good eye for construction of those mechanical parts and such, try to work on the last painting

[menjah]

The cloud is the first time I've ever used a texture brush... I think I like
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1276173&stc=1&d=1310512205
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1276174&stc=1&d=1310512230

[Zorcron]

Hey bruv,

Its been ages since I've been online.


these latest paintings are killin it!! good work, some boring still life paintings would be sick. get stoked about it !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgXObaM9i2Q

[menjah]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1277242&stc=1&d=1310610571
Study from photo

hey buddy, thanks for the visit :D Nice to hear from you again. I should do some still life studies haha, gotta get my blocking in going smoother

[menjah]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1277951&stc=1&d=1310697559

[menjah]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1278653&stc=1&d=1310775912

[menjah]

durrrrrrrrrrstudies
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1281066&stc=1&d=1311030607
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1281114&stc=1&d=1311038882

[menjah]

Photoshop doodles because I got pissed off after failed mechdrawing and needed to relax... practiced anatomy, all from head

[menjah]

Study. I had great difficulty with the angle of the face... about 3h
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1283361&stc=1&d=1311292416

[menjah]

spent the evening on this... about 4-5 hours. assassin

[menjah]

daily study again. not too sure if im learning from these, I tend to reduce the figures into shapes rather than forms. Oh well at least im getting some fleshtone practice
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1284242&stc=1&d=1311409932

[menjah]

about 3-4 hour study... I could not for the life of me draw the face at that angle, I tried about six times

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1284988&stc=1&d=1311488696

[menjah]

tried to do study, failed so just did random stuff

[menjah]

Yes I am. My first assignment was to design a robot. Here is my crack at it

[menjah]

I haven't painted properly in weeks. Back to square 1
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1326396&stc=1&d=1316575164

[menjah]

more photo studies for dsb
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1330732&stc=1&d=1317104777

[n1frit]

Too much black in your colors. Try to use only pure colors)

[menjah]

Thanks for the advice. Although I'm not really sure what you mean by only using pure colors, if I did that wouldn't everything turn neon? :P I'm not really sure how to build up tone and color at the same time without going back and forth an awful lot.

Anyways here's a 2h paint...

[menjah]

been sketching every day, but not painting so much... Please excuse fail anatomy, I'm not so good at drawing animal thingys.

[menjah]

I really don't like this... but I'm trying to stick to my self-imposed daily schedule. My pencil sketch was rather horrendous, so the values have been collapsed massively (this happens when I try to figure out shape with value rather than with line) annnd the colors are rather flat. Oh well, better luck next time.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299836_10150895533480029_710700028_21512259_588013 928_n.jpg

[tronrobot]

Awesome!

[Stryke]

I see your skill increasing mate, nice work on the dragon.

[menjah]

@tronrobot: Hey man, thanks a bunch! :D
@Stryke: I'm glad someone can... sometimes I feel like my efforts are for nil. I'm glad you like it :)

Environments, my weakest area. This was actually kinda relaxing, just messing about with color palettes. Unfortunately I'm too pooped to actually make anything finished looking

[franklingeorge]

oo wow,
awesome paintings all.
very nice well done sir what's the secret?
did you used some kind of metal crafts during made those paintings?

[menjah]

@ franklingeorge: hey thanks buddy, there's not really any secret, I don't use refs for the metal or anything. I seem to have a decent mind for materials and rendering, but not so much for general shapes and lighting hehe. Metal is basically all specular lights, and that means that whatever part is directly facing you is always the brightest, and depending how shiny / glossy the surface is the edge of the light is sharper or blurrier. there are lots of tutorials on that if you wanna have a look =D

Week 2 - Day 1 - Character
Sir LANCE-elot.
Actually I call him Bob. A royal guard, he is. About 3 hours, maybe 3.5, my sketch was pretty fail again (as usual, I really need to work on that D=)

[menjah]

Week 2 - Day 2 - Creature

Snake mage thing. It felt like this took ages, but really it only took as long as any of my others (around 3 hours). It's probably because I worked under a line art layer, that makes everything incredibly tedious imo

[menjah]

Sorry for not posting for the last 2 days, I was very tired after losing a bunch of sleep and decided sketching was enough xD

Anyway here's something I've been working on for a few days, I would have kept going but my instructor said I should move on to modelling.

[p sage]

Good work.

Something from James Gurney would be that the ground (water, etc) will never be lighter than the sky, unless there's an underground light.

Keep going :)