Tagtraum's Sketchbook

[Tagtraum]

Hi :)

I'm 17 and just began to draw (that is, draw more than just quick sketches out of boredom) a few month ago. I'd really love to get some advice!

So here's some of my work:


... I'm a bit lost when it comes to this attachment manager ... is there a manual or something for this? O_o' Hope I did everything right ...
Anyway, the first picture is a pencil drawing (it should have been Gabriel Byrne, but the similarity is very vague), the second one ... something made with pastel chalk. Sorry for the bad quality, but I don't have a scanner, only some 60-bucks-digicam.

I got a graphire tablet on Thursday, so the last picture is my first (finished) digital pic. Was made with Gimp, but I'm still wondering whether or not I should buy PS.

I think I'll add some anatomy studies later.

[edit: added another picture for the thumbnail]

[Tagtraum]

So ... it's been quite a while since my last visit here. I've been asked to make a cover for our Abitur magazine (yay!) so I quickly made a first draft before the holidays started (it actually doesn't look *that* bad).
Anyway, those are the anatomy studies I already wanted to do two weeks ago.
Must practise feet and hands. They were supposed to be girls, hence the "girl" symbol - actually I was too lazy to fill the gap with another figure, but the empty space annoyed me.
The other pictures are more or less unfinished, an elf I initially wanted to create as an avatar, a girl in a flower meadow and some guy that was on TV, but the show ended before I could finish him.

[Ephelea]

Hey, Tag. :)
I would suggest studying anatomy, and also some work on proportions. You clearly have heart, and want to better yourself. It just takes a lot of work and some studying (no one ever stop studying, sketching, and learning. Anyone who does, will soon find they're left behind. :P)

[Irrlaeufer]

I think the anatomy sketches are a good base for practicing. But watch out for proportions, 8 head rule etc.
The paintings lack value, especially the mermaid's face and neck is too flat. I almost never get proper values myself though. But I find It really helps to paint/draw things like apples and fruits in order to get a rough understanding of how light is reflected by the surface of the human face, the cheeks, forehead etc.

Just keep on practicing. Never stop. Search for pictures that you like, look at them, compare your work, open the files in photoshop and zoom in very closely to see how the colors are set and what effects are created

[Tagtraum]

Thank you two :)

Ephelea,
I really try to do more anatomy studies, but I always find myself drawing portraits again because it's more fun ... I guess I need to practise that as well anyway, especially the eyes always seem out of place.

Irrlaeufer,
I'm not sure what's meant with value, but I'll check out some color tutorials soon ... It's really not as easy as it always looks :/
Fruits are a good idea, also for textures and stuff. I should make a list with all the things I should do to practise :P

[Tagtraum]

Quick update ... should actually be learning for my Abitur next Monday ^__^''
-> The pic is for the Team Chow, it's the Princess of Wands.
Anatomy is not correct I think (legs, arms).

[Oddo]

The first picture in the first post is what grabs me most so far (the green dude on the black background0.

Overall I would suggest (if I may :P) if you could focus more on figure structure and proportions for a while, before you dive into detail and clothing and color, you waould notice immediate improvement.

[Tagtraum]

Thanks, Oddo :)

Yeah, the kobold was fun to draw, but pastels are so messy.
Suggestions are always welcome, of course.
I'll try and do more anatomy studies, but I won't have that much time the next weeks :(

[Tagtraum]

Some quick update. It's nearly finished, but not totally. Must go to bed now.

[Tagtraum]

Update. I have started a sketchbook (yay!).
It's already dark here and our ceiling light is stupid, so I'm sorry for the lousy photographs (not so yay :(). Now that I look at them they seem quite stiffy anyway :/ Insight is the first way to improvement, I suppose.
There are a few more pages, some poses and one about the feet (skeleton & poses), but I thought I'd better photograph them tomorrow. And I wrote my first exam today and got the next three days off school : D More time to practise!
... Does anyone actually read/care what I'm talking here? Uhm. Doesn't matter xD

[Tagtraum]

Update. More anatomy and stuff. And a portrait with a woman whose eyes are again obviously too high Ô__o

[Tagtraum]

Update. It's again too late to photograph the sketchbook pages, but here's a color study, two Christmas tree balls with WIP. The golden and silver ornaments were killing me x__X'' I guess I could have done better, but I just didn't have the nerves to go on working on them after it got dark (light effects fail -.-) and my father insisted on turning on the light, which is in the opposite direction of our window.

[Inishmore]

Die Weihnachtskugeln sind doch ziemlich gut geworden, finde ich, besonders der Glitzer da drauf. Der springt einen fast an :) Ich glaube, etwas mehr Kontrast mit Licht und Schatten hätte dem Bild aber gut getan.

[Tagtraum]

Die Weihnachtskugeln sind doch ziemlich gut geworden, finde ich, besonders der Glitzer da drauf. Der springt einen fast an :) Ich glaube, etwas mehr Kontrast mit Licht und Schatten hätte dem Bild aber gut getan.

Danke : D
Du bist schon die zweite, die das mit dem Kontrast sagt ... daran muss ich wohl echt noch üben (nicht, dass es etwas gäbe wo ich nicht dran üben müsste, lol!)

So, noch ein Update. More sketches :D

[TheButterBunny]

good start so far, just keep going with those studies and you'll feek them start to pay off in no time!

Keep up the hard work!

Katie

[Thujon]

Hey whats up? No update for so long? Where are you? ;-)