Marshal's Sketchbook

[M-Kaibigan]

Hi. Thought I'd keep a sketchbook here to record my progress towards my goal; just as many others achieved or are currently aiming to achieve.

Right now I'm writing a Visual Novel so most of the art I post will be geared towards that style.

If you wish to criticise on the style as a whole or on individual elements you may do so; I'm effectively standing nude in the firing range by posting to such a veritable community.


Right now I'm working on heads; then I'll move on to the upper body and finish with the lower body. After that it'll probably be environments.


So here are a bunch of heads from this week:

[M-Kaibigan]

Here's the head for today.

Moved towards a more realistic style in this one, just to see if I could pull it off.


I'm not quite sure on what category to put all of these in, let alone what sub-categories and genres... I've never been good with hierarchies...
If anyone can enlighten me, it would be much appreciated.

[M-Kaibigan]

I think it's pretty obvious that I have bad line hygiene.

I've never been able to clean up my act. A've always been a crooked linesman.

Usually I take rough sketches and finish them up into clean crisp lines before shading and add colour.

Since these sketches aren't intended to be fully-fledged compositions, I'll leave them as roughs.

Here are a few from today. This time aiming to get to grips with the head in profile. The last image is of a more realistic style.

And I tried on a hat:

[M-Kaibigan]

Greetings.

I've decided to start anew; afresh. Redo the past... Somewhat.

I'm going back to square one and altering the approach I take at drawing heads entirely. Right now it's pretty much touch and go. Some turn out right, some turn out wrong. The lines are guessed and hence unclean, uncertain. I can atleast say that, with reference, everything is perfect ~but I want to draw from imagination using my own original characters.

So I turn towards Loomis to encapsulate a different methodology that is more certain than my current.

This will also mean the horrid shading shown below will be worked upon...

Sorry if it pierces the eyes.

[Jeshuea]

the most recent sketch actually doesn't look half bad. There are visibly different values there and the proportions are decent. Although the forehead looks a wee bit long. Other than that it is a visible improvement from your other sketches, keep up the good work.

[Scribble King]

Well you can't go wrong with Loomis for learning how to draw from imagination, his formulas are quite sound and you'll be whipping out better heads in no time!

And thanks for dropping by my SB. ;)

[M-Kaibigan]

Thanks for the responses.

I've tried to assault the 'long forehead' problem that I seem to be repeating.

I think it's gone now. Perhaps.


And yes; Loomis is excellent. But anyone can use a formula. You need to put in the effort to learn and use it before it can really kick in.

I hope I'm moving forward; no matter how slow that movement is.

I can atleast critique my own sketches. Like the below, done moments ago and declare 'finished'. Now upon revisiting it, few minutes later, I realise the nose is slightly skewed, the left of his nose slightly lifted. Similarly, his right ear is slightly too high. His left eye doesn't appear in perspective and the shading leaves something to desire.

Had I realised these mistakes during the sketch, they would've been fixed. I realised too late, however.

It's easy to fix mistakes once they're seen, though.

[M-Kaibigan]

I'm not quite sure whether this bloke's forehead is too tall either...

I think my shading is improving but it stills looks sketchy.

The tablet I'm working on is tiny, if that's any reprise. It's about the size of a CD. Large strokes aren't possible but I usually work with wrist action... Although I hear moving the arm is better.

[Kelp]

These heads are looking nice and the girls (especially the manga's) are really pretty. I think it's a good thing to focus on something to improve on, but I think doing nothing but sketches of heads is overdoing it. I myself used to overfocuse like that, and it results in slow progress. There are things to learn about drawing heads by doing environments, and things to learn about sketching quickly by doing fully rendered pieces. So throw in some posemaniacs, a couple of hand studies and a fully rendered head in color from time to time! You can still focus on heads, but the progress will be quicker if you spread your effort a little. And it also helps to keep things interesting for yourself!

[M-Kaibigan]

Hi. Thanks for the advice.

Yeah I guess it's getting a little stale. There are some poses I've wanted to do but I always hesitate... It's like trying to find your way around a pitch black room.

I think I'll take your advice and try out some new things :)

[M-Kaibigan]

I think I'm getting somewhere in terms of 'seeing the head in three dimensional space', on the page.

I also think I'm gaining a better understanding of the planes of the head, but that comes naturally with seeing in three-dimensions.

Nonetheless, I can only pat Loomis on the back for his teachings.

All I need is a greater consitency and ~ with hope ~ I can develop a style for the Novel I have planned.

That is my goal, after all.

Here are the latest bricks upon the building of my abilities ~ and apologies for the same-old but, I don't feel good trying out something new just yet, when there's so much more I have to do right now. Maybe the fact that they're both smokers should make a slight deviation... Don't ask me why, but for some readon the character's appeared to be crying for a fag... I couldn't leave them without.

Another thing. Most of the views I'm doing are 1/2. I think I'll try 3/4 and 1/1. For some reason my hand likes to draw this view ~ not that I have no control of it ofcourse ;)

[M-Kaibigan]

Haven't posted in a long while, been busy programming + exam season and what not.

Anyway, became a Touhou fan so I thought I'd whip up a quickie of Suwako and a frog.

[M-Kaibigan]

More... Touhou....

[M-Kaibigan]

Been messing around with different styles and decided to draw some super moe-moe heads.

Unfortunately, I can't quite yet draw the hair to match; but I'm getting there.