The Many faces of... LAYILs SPOD THREAD- (Updated Feb 24/05) BIG DL

[Layil]

Hey everyone!
following in Androids able footsteps, Im trying this SPOD thing, to varying degrees of success. Id forgotten how hard this is! SO, here you are all, embaressing as they may be, im posting all of them so you can rip into me and tell me all the things im doing wrong! assuredly there are lots to choose from. ;) My ADSL at home is on order, so i wont be posting everyday, but ill up load bunches of them at a time as i can.
after a few color disasters, ive decided to stick to grayscale for a while till i get a better handle on my values. once im more secure in that, ill tackle color again. baby steps, baby steps.....

i await your crits!!

cheers...
:D

April 7th 2004
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/april%207%202004.JPG

April 7 2004 - 2
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/april%207%202004-2.JPG

April 9 2004
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/april%209%202004.JPG

April 12 2004
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/april%2012%202004.JPG

April 16 2004
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/april%2016%202004.JPG

whoops, some of these are a bit big. ill make em smaller from now on...

[I.was.ink]

Good to see you start this. Just done give up!

I like the emotion you're showing on the one u did april 12th.

Keep going!

[Layil]

Thanks man. its hard to fight that urge to skip a day, especially when they dont come out like i want. Im gonna stick with it though, or they NEvER will.

[Layil]

Theres more, ive been doing them everynight, and ill get around to posting them soon, i promise!!

[JABAJAWOOLU]

looking good so far. keep it up. i have been planning on doing this myself too. but time constraints on school dont permit it. im two months from graduation so ill try it after i graduate. until then keep up the good work. these have a solid status in showing your improvement along the way.

[bbwolf]

Very Nice to see you do portrait sketches. :D
Having actually seen you at the WS makes the sketches recognizable.
I know it´s hard not to skip. You can do it. (not skipping that is)
I´m curious and waiting for more. Have you thought of turning your head and try to approach the other side of your face? Cause there are only left sides.

See ya:chug:

[Layil]

Hey yall
Heres this weeks bunch. Theres no SPOD for April 20th cause i was in bed with a fever, (yeah yeah, i know, lame excuse for a TRUE rabid artist :p ) and the one for April 21st is in my sketchbook and yet to be scanned, but heres the rest of em.

crits please!

bbwolf: I will get more creative as time goes along, but im trying to get a better handle on one view before moving on to the rest. granted, knowing my attention span.....

jabajawoolu: its hard to find the time, but its well worth it. you learn so much. I do em right before bed, though sometimes i scramble through em cause im burned out from drawing all day.

April 17 2004
I think this one looks the most like me so far.

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2017%202004.JPG

April 18 2004
this one doesnt look like me at all.

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2018%202004%20more%20done.JPG

April 19 2004
Neither does this one. I was giving the chalk tool a test run...

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2019%202004.JPG

April 22 2004
and this one is horrid, but oh well. we have god days and bad days. Im trying to tackle one feature at a time, and ive been having a hard time getting my eyes right, so i was focussing on that.

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2022%202004.JPG

there ya go. have at me! :D

[toinjoints]

I really like the one from april 16!!! good work ;)

[Layil]

Thanks toinjoints, alot of people seem to for some reason...

heres the latest:

April 23 2004
id forgotten to do one and was already undressed to go to bed, so there didnt seem to be much reason to put all those clothes back on... :D and i was bored of doing heads.
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2023%202004.JPG

April 24 2004
me, EXTREEMLY pissed off after Painter crashed on my - i kid you not- like 20 times in a row. I cant figure out if the problem is painter or my shit ass wacom. time i replaced the damn thing anyhow.....
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2024%202004.JPG

April 25 2004
The most detailed so far, done in photoshop cause painter was being a bitch.
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April-25-2004.jpg

April 26 2004
i felt like a superhero last night...
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2026%202004.JPG

Im renaming this thread... heheh

[jgillman]

Keep up the great work and dont get discouraged. In some of the earlier self portraits you were styalizing it tremendously which isnt nesseseraly a bad thing, just not what you wanted. You are definitly make progression from your earlier ones (not to say that they are bad). Of what is seems, it sounds like you dont have a lot of confidence in your hand to do the work. The more you paint (same with drawing or anything) the more you will trust your hand to do what it wants. You dont have to worry about it comming out not looking like you, it doesnt matter because there will always be your next drawing (or painting).

You are doing a great job, Really.

[killing.people]

more people need to paint themselves naked! join teh movement! preferably good looking chicks! :p
there was an old master, i can't remember his name, other things had pushed it out, but i believe he was the first recorded to actually do self portraits. at anyrate, there was a master painter that had painted himself naked, pointing at his behind area and under it read, "it hurts here'. he had sent this painting to a doctor for medical advice.

-killing.naked!

[bbwolf]

i felt like a superhero last night

This is my favoutite so far. Especially cause of the superhero character, hehehe. It really looks like you and you look like a sister or daughter to Kurt Wagner, the nightcrawler from the X-Men. Cool.

[Layil]

Hi Everyone!

Heres the latest one, i think i really made a breakthrough last night, but well see how tonights goes. it may have been a shot in the dark....

first, replies...:

jgillman: Thanks for the comments! Im not discouraged, on the contrary, im having a blast! Even the ones i hate i learn something from. I can see a definate progression from the first ones, and ive only been doing them for two weeks. i cant wait to see how ill be painting by the time i hit prague...

killing.people: lol, more naked portraits coming right up!

bbwolf: It does! rockin! :D

Ok, here goes:

April 27 2004
:D now were going places.....

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2027%202004.JPG

[bbwolf]

Hya Layil!

You go great girl! That last one is a blast. Breakthrough verified! (You didn´t cut your hair, did ya :eek: ?)

Have a time!

Wolf

[Layil]

bbwolf: dont worry,. i havent cut my hair. ;)

heres last nights offering...

April 28 2004:
Im having problems getting my nose right. :(

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/April%2028%202004-2.JPG

[Molly]

Hey Layil,

These are beautiful! Really nice studies. You managed to at least show that it is you. I love the naked sketch - like Killing.people said, more people should draw themselves naked!! The last two really look like you, they're more defined, I can't wait to see more...


Mollyx

[bbwolf]

That looks real nice. I can´t tell that the nose is off. Well, but I´m not as familiar with your face as you are :D . Inspiring, great work! Hey, now I get it. There´s a....(scrolling down) TWO pins in your ears, right? One on both sides. That´s a great idea. Now I know why you always look like an elve. :cool:

[Groover McNab]

Haven't been the the SP threads in a while, didn't know other people were starting their own threads. Anyway, great to see your progress. Keep it up!

[Leopoldo]

F*ck'in A!!!!

NICE! You've broken through a barrier, not that I've seen alot of your stuff but based on the things I did c in A'dam, you'rr improving rapidly. These lastest 2 are goooood!
Photoshop?

I agree about painter. Hate it, but that's just me. Photoshop any day. Stable and fast not unstable and slow.

Bon travial,
Leo

[Layil]

Hey all, back from an absence and finally with internet at home! woo!

i have, however, become *ahem* distracted by a new boy, and fallen off the SPOD wagon. *hangs head in shame.* Fotunately enough, he demands that i draw all the time, so im climbing back on. lol.
the slacking is showing, im afraid, but embaressing as it may be, im posting them anyhow.

first:

molly: hi girl! like i told killing.people, ill put up some more nekked pics when i get around to doing them.

bbwolf: yeah, theyre my devil ears. ;)

Groover McNab: thanks dude. keep an eye out, cause im baaaackkkkkkk!!!!

Leopoldo: Hey man! yeah, broke through and then backslid right back to where i started. But ill get there again, and then, beyond!

so, here goes nothing.
*ducks*

May 1 2004

Crap. tried out the whole chalk thing, going back to paint...
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%201%202004.JPG

May 5 2004

more crap...
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%205%202004.JPG

May 6 2004

...yet more crap...
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%206%202004.JPG

May 11 2004

...and slightly better crap. Id have even called it good, but i screwed up the eyes last minute and couldnt be bothered to fix them. Im switching from a square format to a rectangular one.
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%2011%202004.JPG

brow beating aside, what ive learned from this is several things: 1) not to take my skills for granted, cause they WILL abandon me if i dont play with them on a regular basis. 2) its easier to just sit down and paint the frikking thing than feel horribly guilty the next day for not having done it. :D 3) boys are great fun, but drawing is more important. heh heh... 4) um, i had more, but ive forgotten them. lol. enough yabbing, im going to paint.

[Layil]

May 12 2004
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%2012%202004.JPG

[roger]

Nice portraits Layil, from the last ones I like the May 5 and 11 the most.

About painter crashing so often, are you sure you don't have temperature problems? It happens to me too, because painter uses the 100% of the cpu and the damn think gets too hot and crashes every 5 minutes.


Saludos!

[Layil]

hi roger: thanks. I havent had problems with painter since that fateful night. I still dunno if the problem was painter or my wacom. Heat is an interesting theory though, one i hadnt considered.

[Layil]

May 13 2004
slowly recovering from suckage.... ;)

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%2013%202004%20-%202.JPG

[Groover McNab]

Hey Layil-
You seem to be seeing the values pretty well. In my opinion though (whatever that's worth :p ) is that I think your work would benefit more from larger strokes/bigger brushes for the areas that are generally similar in value. Stuff's looking good, keep it up.

[Layil]

Ok, so after three odd months of SPOD slackage, im attempting to start this up again. I make no promises other than that i will do my very best to do one of these if not Every night, at least a couple times a week.

Thanks to all of you who have contacted me one way or another to ask what the hell happened. I havent a good answer, but here i am at it again.

so with that in mind... todays horribly out of practice SPOD.

July 8 2004
Its scratchy and out of focus and the left eye is the stuff of nightmares, but at least its DONE. the nudity is per request (youre welcome Davi ;P ).
Groover, youre completely right, im definately gonna try to use some bigger brushes. I have a bad habit of scribbling.

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/July%208%202004.JPG

[grenkahn]

not bad for three months of not practicing. You are a tad rusty, but I'm sure that will change as you get back into the swing of things. Speaking of which,*goes off to draw until fingers bleed*

[davi]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

thanks for doing these again(nude woot!!!!!!!!)

[Layil]

Grenkahn! fancy meeting you here... Lets see some ART brother!

davi: danke danke. ;)

lets hope for another one tonight.....

[Molly]

hey girl,

Glad ur back doing ur SP again, I like watching ur progress...

April 27/28th & May12 are my favs....

I like the scratchiness of the last one, theres some movement in there, ur quite animated .....and yep the eye is scary, but I'm sure you can adjust that as and wen....

(when Davi asks for nudity, I think he wanted full frontals......)

Mollyx

[davi]

boobies flying all over the place :crosseyed

[Layil]

Going for a more graphic minimalist approach today.

July 11 2004

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/July%2011%202004.JPG

[roger]

Good to see you've started doing them again. This last one is better than the previous imo.

I have a request too, do one of them with the brushpen!

[maldrin]

glad you're back, Layil! Great to see more work from you! Keep at it, and don't forget to look back and see how you're improving!

great stuff!

maldrin

[Layil]

Ive decided to begin beating my head against the brick wall that is color.

:$ :rolleyes:

August 27 2004
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/august%2027%202004.JPG

[davi]

very cool, i think the nostrils need more detail though.

[Layil]

two more horrible SPODs. They totally blow, im posting them anyway. The color one is unfinished; i got so frustrated i gave up.

more tomorrow. :frustrated: >:{ >:|
August 29 2004

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/August%2029%202004.JPG

the crappy color version.... a failed attempt at simplification.

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/August%2029%202004%20color.JPG

[davi]

the forms in your simplified piece are fine, the brush you used caused the piece to look very blurry, and i would suggest using much 'harder' colors. strong contrasts and deep saturations

[Oblio]

great thread - reminds me of those days :bashful:

[Layil]

hey guys, thanks for the replies...

Davi: Im trying to go for realistic, hence the bland colors. Obviously, im no where near accurately depicting them. the hunt continues. My problem seems to be that im seeing too many colors, and not being able to accurately reproduce them. This, i imagin, is practice more than anything else. Hm, i think some color excersises are in order........
Ill take your advice about the brushes though, though im concentrating more on color right now, and less on hard and soft edges. My brains too scrambled to think about more than one thing at a time right now.

Oblio: lol, lucky you thats gotten past them. Any helpful advice on how to tackle color? mayhaps you see some obvious mistakes im making...

*sigh*
Heres another one. Slightly better than the last, but still no where near good.
Onward and upward.
:)

September 1 2004

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/September%201%202004%20color.JPG

[prostate sunrise]

here more to offer ecouragement rather then crit, awesome dedication. i have to study somemore and at least get an idea of whats going on.

keep going.

[Oblio]

Me ?? Color crits? Umm.. i suck too bad to give advice.
Maybe to pass some of Jason's advices. For example - the last one needs more contrast imho and an increased range of values - the shadow area seems all in the same value "bath" so to speak.
Colorwise... you seem to have warm light and sort of warm shadow too - if you pick a warm saturated light you might want to go with a cool unsaturated shadow. Try to enhance the edges to - going saturated there too (just a bit). But anyway - just don't mind me :blahblah: - keep em comming - i was just about to do one last night to start the September thread - but i've started doodling sometnhng else and got lost in it until it was so late ihad to sleep :(

[Layil]

Prostrate Sunrise: Thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement as well! btw, I love your name, where does it come from?

Oblio: thanks for the crit man, youre absolutely right. Im looking at it now and seeing all the things i did wrong. good eye. Im definately gonna keep going...

....now that i seem to be getting somewhere!

September 3 2004
Its not perfect, but its a hell of alot better than the last three.
Woot! :D

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/September%203%202004.JPG

cant wait to do another one!

[davi]

this is no doubt my favorite from you!

impressed :]

[Layil]

thanks davi :)

heres tonights
not anything amazing, jus fuckin around... drawings off though.... :dur:

September 6th 2004

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/September%206%202004.JPG

short films almost done... i get my life back soon and can start drawing more....

[Molly]

Hey Girl,

Sept 3rd - beautifully done. You got the 'realistic' color thang you were after from before, no doubt a favourite. You searched and found:)
The last one here is cool - I like the chin piercing!

As always - keep at it love!

Mollyx

[Form]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/formsketch/april209202004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/formsketch/September203202004.jpg




Fuckin oath....


Come to san fran!!

[lowpolymatt]

This (http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/May%2012%202004.JPG) one is Great! Some very nice SP's here..

[Bojee]

Layil- More self portraits please, there's some really great stuff happening here. :) Maybe some more traditional stuff to go along with the digital?? Goauche Maybe??? :)

[ljefe]

the green background one has to be my personal fav. you've got digital down better than I ever have, and I guess it's your preference, but you might, as bojee says, try some traditional stuff. just pencil, paper, ink, whatever you have lying around. it's a nice break sometimes. i've also followed in android's footsteps...i think i went about 6 months straight, now its like once a month or so. still, great exercise. keep it up! (check my thread :) )

[Layil]

After a long haitus, heres a new SPOD.

im slowly getting the color thing down, but i consitantly have trouble with the side of the face further away from me.

anyone have any suggestions?

*back to the drawing board*

:)
October 23rd 2004

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/October%2023%202004.JPG

[Layil]

Mew, forgot to answer comments....

Lowpolymat: thanks! keep watchin, im gonna intend to get back to doing these more regularly...

Bojee: Thanks man. Im going to try to get back to doing these more, my schedules insane lately.... Ill definately try to do some lowtech ones.... to be honest, its been so long since ive touched real paint the very thought terrifies me..... :$

ljefe: Keeping up the consitancy is rough, but worth it... i learn so much from doing these... Ill def check out your thread...
:)

[Bojee]

Bojee: Thanks man. Im going to try to get back to doing these more, my schedules insane lately.... Ill definately try to do some lowtech ones.... to be honest, its been so long since ive touched real paint the very thought terrifies me..... :$
:)

Heh,the first step is the hardest but it'll help your digital stuff too. :) I'm liking what your doing with color, you said you were seeing too many colors , actually that's a good thing, you got to see the colors before you put them down and I think seeing them is the hardest part. ;)

[steak-tron]

Great work Layil :D

If you're having trouble with colors I'd suggest staying away from the opacity setting for your brush. It tends to blur up the image and muddy up the colors. Lately I've just been using the hard round brush at full opacity and the smudge tool for blends (PS). This way your force your self to pick a new color for each value, after some frustration it starts to kick in. The HSB sliders are prolly the best way to kick up the colors, what ever color you feel like going with put more saturation in with the slider.

hope that helps, looking forward to more.
-k

[Form]

hey layil

can i make a request?

a self portrait using only 11 strokes. Would be good with traditional, but if digital is your thing, go for it. Just do lots, not just one and erase it and so on. DO as many as you can.

11 strokes, no more, NO LESS. Give it a shot?

Glad your comin to sanfran. Talk to you soon.

[Layil]

back from a long stretch of slackage. Id love to say im gonna be doing these regularly, but i wont cause id be lying. One does ones best is all i can say.

anyhow, comments, then art:

Bojee: Yes, im glad at least i dont have the opposite problem. that would suck infinitely more.

Steak-Tron: ooo, hadnt thought of using the smudge tool. Ill hafta give that a whirl, though i usually do these in painter..... I know im too fuzzy. bad habit that. :(

Form: as per request...

11 strokes, 11 paintings.
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-2.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-3.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-4.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-5.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-6.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-7.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-8.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-9.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-10.jpg

http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/November-14-2004-11.jpg

an interesting excersize, but im not really happy with any of them.
Fuck i need to paint more. :( *grumble grumble*

havent forgotten rogers challenge... getting around to it.
more someday.

[Form]

HAHA! your not supposed to be happy with them, you think i was happy doing my cast drawings >_< hell no, but i was happy when i got to the other end and saw how they helped me!!

keep going with these, until you get a likeness. Slow down your strokes if you have to, do whatever you must, but do this every so often. Yay for an update.

Much Lurv
xform

[cutt3r]

I can't see any of the drawings here, are they nudes, or what? why do you think that the school's system would block them?

[Layil]

hey Cutt3r: the site i host off of has been having issues as of late. If theyre not up, they will be soon.....

and there is no "school", and last i checked they have absolutely NO problem with nudity. ;)

gotta get around to doing another one of these sometime soon...

[Rkhon]

Lovely!

So should I look for the sketched face, or painted face when we meet up? :P

[egideus]

Hi Layil,

i like your style, because I think it's got emotion and so, something that I don't see much around here (sorry people, but it's my opinion).I think many of your works are strong, they even radiate. But there's still one thing I'd like to see from you: handdrawn portraits (drawings or paintings)! In my opinion, handdrawn works are more spontanious than digital ones even though your digi's are allready, so would you like to post us some?

thanks,
Egideus

[EVIL]

Hey, having seen you in amsterdam, I think you really got your likeness in the April 27 2004 and April 28 2004 portrait's.

You got quite the dedication girl, I don't think I would be able to do a daily portrait thread. damn my lazy self

[Layil]

Thanks you guys, though my dedication seems to be flagging since i havent done one of these in months... Nice to know people are still looking at them though.

geting ready for San Fran's workshop and trying to make it through the holiday season without any deaths on my hands. I hate Christmas....

[Sok N. Wett]

Your SP's are beautiful and that goes for you too :), I like how you handle your consistancy with the portraits, most of your stuff looks close to each other while some lacks a little of that, but it's definately getting to the part where they'll all look close. Keep up with it and hope to see your new updates.

[Layil]

Traditional Media? I got your traditional media right here.....

um yeah, so i stopped doing these for ages and ages cause well, we cant all be androids.... but now and again ill do one for shits and giggles. As usual, they must be reflections of my alternate selves, cause none of them look like me.

heres a few from the last month.

hold your breath until i do more.

heh.

January 20 2005
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/Jan-20-05.jpg

Jan 21
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/Jan-21-05.jpg

Jan 25
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/Jan-25-05.jpg

Jan 26
http://www.petridish.net/pics/14017/Jan-26-05.jpg

someday, ill get around to painting one.
wouldnt that be nice?

[Oblio]

that would have been even more lovely dear queen.
kiss kiss hug hug.. and a botle of... *secret stuff*
miss ya

io Obl

[bbwolf]

pppp---------PUUUUUUU-HAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH....huff-huff-huff-huff-pant-pant-pant-pant

Sorry couldn´t hold my breath any longer. Any chance fer more updates this year? ;)

[Pixeldragoon]

These were good =\ Too bad you didn't keep up with them!


(Injustice I say!)

[Carnifex]

*pouts*

no more? :(

[Egets]

lol !!!!!!!!!


these are quite fenomenal, great inspiration for me you are so good !!

[Layil]

my my! well thank you all for your kind words.... I guess ill have to take the time to do some more SPs!

funny how these threads rise from the dead, no?

;)

[Layil]

new SP.

enjoy!

August 24, 2006

[grenkahn]

Glad to see you've started to do this again. Watch your construction, because your face is sliding a bit. Get your facial elements in place before you start your shading. I can tell you really worked on getting the eyes down. Work the whole drawing not just parts! I like how cheek boned you made yourself. good position on the figure. I'm sure that these will get better the more you do, just as they have in the past.:}

[FlipMcgee]

Ooohh....nice Kathe Kollwitz vibe on that last one.

[Carnifex]

it's not quite you,but as a portrait it's incredible.

[character]

that last one is pretty dope. you've been making some awesome progress. don't really have any crits except that your eyes seem off sometimes but looking at this last one, i think you solved that problem. anyways, take it easy