A sketchbook as serious as my username can get

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Hello, I'm Alisa, 16 years old- aaand I don't like the things I draw.

I want to improve as much as possible.
Critique and aid will be taken wholeheartedly.

Edit: 17 now.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

I'm not good at drawing women- or anything anatomically correct. :|
So, I'm going to wing it and get some references.

Continuation of sketch.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

AUUGH. I've been really lazy lately- So much that it hurts.

1> Someone else's character
2> /old/ TARDIS from Dr.Who, this is the second structure I've ever drawn- and god, did it take a while, even with a reference. Hopefully, I can get some more practice.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

In progress-

I have some questions, if anyone can answer them, please do.

For starters, how can I make profile views not look flat?
How does one draw muscles under a certain color of light?
AAAND does anyone know of any good brush sets to simply draw with?

:I

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Quuuiite possibly getting somewhere. :(
Oh god, looks like pyramid head with that Nightmare sword from Soul Calibur.
Wheres I go to get sum "unique"?

[Arthurkidd]

I really don't not what to say but WOW you have a lot of talent and your just 16 O_o.

I really think I can't help you with a lot since I'm just an amateur artist, but if you want an advice: draw more female characters or maybe draw some models and also draw some anatomy in order to get more experience, a good way to get some original ideas is playing with the anatomy and try to make some characters of your own, also you should check the anatomy tutorial from Ron Lemen in this page is pretty useful.

As for your question I really don't know how to answer your question with words, but if its help I always draw a circle and then make some guide lines to determine the form of the face, also is good to imagine the skull in that position, the other two questions I'm afraid I cant answer them since I never colored and the last try ended in frustration.

Btw I like the smiley guy got that disturbing psychopathic look. Keep posting I really want to see more of your work.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Thanks bud, yeaaah, I should be drawing more anatomical things. It just gets so boring while filling out pages of faceless bodies- buut, I 'll take your advice anyway. Oh, and I'll check that tutorial out, thanks. :)

Sketches- not pretty mind you. I did that 60 second for every pose thing and- WOW DOES POSE MANIACS LOVE UPSIDE DOWN FIGURES.

I raged.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

What is armor- what is design- I don't have.
Those eyes.. The HUD system is staring at you- oooo

First design for the flag runner or something to that effect.
The guy inside is pretty, uh, nonreactive so I made it so his expressions would be displayed by his helmet.

Of course, I can't draw helmets. /Thumbs up

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

1> Little Progress is little.
2> Must finish- Need to fix horrible anatomy auuughhh. What a babe.
3> WEE WEE WEE

I'm practicing lighting.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

No school on Monday because of snow! WOOO, that means I have time to draw even more and fix the horrible atrocities I call art!

This is for the DSG. I didn't post it because it's so intimidating there- wait, that doesn't make sense. This whole site is intimidating.

Animals- they are the bane of my existence- one of them at least.
How do people make their art so sharp?

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

1> Practicing something
2> Dragon. Lower jaw too large, teeth are incorrectly placed. Foreshadowing off, and lack of directional lighting.

Sigh.

[Icedearth15876]

You have a very good start here, you are much too hard on yourself when it comes to your art. You are actually very good with digital painting and sketching. Keep up the good work and don't give up!

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Thank you, good sir, I will never quit!
I'll keep on practicing, day after day- after day- after day-
.... :D

[Linkenlog]

Maaaaaan, you're doing just fine! Just some work on your anatomy and a little bit on your faces, but I'm sure you know that by now, derp. Keep drawing! You've got good drive.

And yeah, I get irked when Posemaniacs decides to make everything upside-down too. I CAN'T FLIP MY MONITOR OVER SO IT LOOKS RIGHT

[floydshayvious]

Wowz - keep it up now! It's a very tasty sketchbook. Love yer name too hur hur.

[cesar11]

Your color use is amazing :F you really have a good eye. And you can draw people really well!

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Linkenlog: You bet I know that- raaagge. Thank you!
floydshayvious: Durrr, thanks!
cesar11: Thank you, but I still need practice. :)


I drew something kinda sexy. :I
It'd be sexier if I could get some ANATOMY SKILLS UP IN THIS JOINT.
YEAAAH.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Timed 30 sec sketches from Pose maniacs- and some stuff.

These anatomical difficulties really stunt my creativity.
It's depressing.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Awh tits.

[palladium]

Very nice work in here Sergeant. So much so, I'm promoting you to Captain Shenanigans:D Keep pushing and maybe you'll be a colonel one day:) lol Anyways, great use of color in your work. Would really like to see more studies:)

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Palladium " Hmm, Captain Shenanigans, naah- not as catchy. I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS PROMOTION, SIR.

Continuation of L4D2 pic.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Workin' hard or hardly workin'?

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Spring Break- time to push it into overdrive.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

So much for overdrive. :(

[towy]

amazing work :); post again

[Adam Nowak]

So much for overdrive. :(

Hah, I know that feeling when that happens. For objects and other things you don't *know* how to draw, just look up a reference. I like what you've got so far.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Towy - Thanks.

Gamerhomie- Thanks, I'll do that.



I've given up on becoming a Graphic Designer, so from now on I'm just doing this for a hobby.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Question!

How do people start with gray-scale images and then all of a sudden add color to the existing values?

[PHATandy]

Answer!

Use any brush like you normally would (or a new layer) and set the brush/layer type to 'Colour' and in theory it keeps the value/tone of the greyscale underneath but gives it your colour/saturation you chose.

Also - your work is looking awesome! Would be cool to see you work some characters into a scene or some kind of interaction (like the l4d one has some nice interaction going on).
Keep it up! And if its just a hobby for you now then have as much fun as possible! Theres some awesome about doing it JUST because its fun and nothing else.

[ExiledRed]

I've given up on becoming a Graphic Designer.

May I ask why?

If you say, graphic designers are underappreciated, have to do as much work running around after clients and printers, pandering to anally retentive programmers as they do actually designing, I'll take your point.

If you say, you dont think you're good enough I have to disagree, your artwork is already better than that of at least three, well paid, professional graphic designers that I know (four if you include me), and they're good designers. I think its easier for a good artist to learn to become a GD than it is for a good GD to learn to become a good artist.

At 16 you needn't give up on anything by the way, and stop talking down your work, its fantastic, and you have so much time to improve...trust me.

Finally, if I dont get too intimidated to post in DSG, you shouldnt either, your work trumps mine already. keep it up.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

PHATandy- Thank you very much, sir! I will. :)

ExiledRed- Oh, I'm not giving up on learning to be a good artist. I've just decided I no longer want to be a Graphic Designer, not because I think I'm a bad artist or that GDers are not appreciated- but because I want my main career path to be in software engineering. I'm planning to be an amazing programmer- and then an amazing artist.

It's secondary now is all. Thank you for the insight though. I appreciate it very much so. :)

[mustang_sally]

I really like your style! Your colors are really well done and your use of anatomy is pretty good. I want to see more figure studies! I want to see more posts in general ;) you seem to have a lot of talent, keep up the good works!

[ExiledRed]

good luck with becoming an amazing programmer and an amazing artist, It'd be quite a feat to excel in both, but I'm sure if you're determined you'll get there.

I do a bit of both, but at 37 I'm starting to accept that If I continue to do both, I'll never be amazing at either. When I'm scripting, the left half of my brain extinguishes the right, and vice versa when I'm doing creative work, so I'm limiting my code to web languages these days, although a simple project in AS3 will still kill my sketching dead.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

mustang_sally: Thank you.

ExiledRed: I completely understand. I take Graphic Design classes as well as programming classes- and such activities that involve mathematics and logical examinations are, at times, difficult for me to go by. It's going to be a challenge for me- being a more artistic person rather than a mathematical one- but like you said, If I find time to practice, I may at least excel at one.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

asdf.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

I want some demonic armor IRL.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Derp.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Self Note / Reminder :

It hit me just now that compared to others- I lack the dynamic aspect in my work- detail- emotion- and creativity even. I skipped a vital step and moved on, too quickly, to colors/values. It doesn't matter how well an image is colored or how interesting the atmosphere is when there is no emotion in the poses and no meaning in the characters/environment. So, I've decided I need to spend a greater deal of time on things such as this- rather than just trying to cover something dull with- uooo- colors and - uooo- lighting.

>Create schedule for summer
>Develop "creativity"
>Emphasis on anatomy/poses/expression/story/DESIGN, etc.etc.etc.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

asdf.

[Pixie Trick]

Lovely work mate! I say the tardis on the first page and had to post! (not to mentions the awesome artwork! :P) Dr. Who is awesome as long as I don't have to eat fish-custard.

You're doing an awesome job here! If I were to tell you to work on two things right now, I think they would be composition and to work on increasing your comfort with pushing value. Keep up the hard work! :sungod:

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Pixie Trick: Thanks, I'll try. :)

[GRMC]

Woah! great going man. REally solid works you have.
Like the colors and composition :)

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

GRMC: Thank you.

Random placement of red- psssshh.

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

I'm trying.. :(

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

JUST PLAYING AROUND.
Getting back to design and dynamics, now. ;;

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

I'm getting better!

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Haha, don't comment on this picture, it's completely "off".

[Sergeant Shenanigans]

Uhhhh.