Spartan Camp #178 - 50 gestures + Optional "Facial Feature Value Study"

[Anthis]

Spartan Camp #178 - 50 gestures + Optional "Facial Feature Value Study"

The aim is to produce 50 gestures by Sunday the 24th of April.

- The gestures can be of anything, human, animal, cavorting capybaras.... You can draw full figures, but you can also go for heads, arms, eyes, or anything specific. All media can be used, both digital or traditional. Coloured or black/white. Quick scribbles or long studies. Imagination or referenced. Clothed or nude. Specifics are up to you!

- In addition to this, participants can choose to do an Optional "Facial Feature Value Study", in any medium.
Additional notes on this weeks’ Optional Study:

Pick any facial feature (nose/mouth/eye/ear/etc) and do a pure value study. This means It will be in greyscale, putting the focus on the highlights, midtones, and shadows. Consider the light source, and use value to create mass and shape. Don't go into details too quickly, focus on selling the form instead.

Some sources that cover the use of values (among other things);
Very good tutorial (http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm), a more complex one (http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=148355), an excellent discussion here (http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191632&highlight=values).
Note that terminology may differ depending on the source. Some people prefer 'tonal study' for example.


50 poses is a challenge, but don't hurry or stress yourself reaching it! Focus on drawing, as practising is the main goal of this exercise.

Criticizing each other is highly encouraged!! Share constructive criticism, reference images and resources!! Let's help each other get better!

Come on soldiers! Flex those muscles!!

HALL OF FAME - SPARTAN CAMP #177

Karein
samming
zy.:star:
Anthis:star:
ggnastist:star:
manlybrian:star:

[manlybrian]

The aim is to produce 50 gestures by Sunday the 24nd of April.

heheh

[Anthis]

Haha, thanks. Everytime I put up a new round I have to remember to check whether its -th or -nd this week.... This is the first time I forgot ;(.
Working on my gestures...

Edit; I also changed the optional study topic!

[shiNIN]

Hi I'm here again, last week I was kinda inactive, I felt I had no energy, most of my gestures are unfinished, I will finish them and drew much more I hope.

For the optional... something like this? :)
I don't know if it show but I wished to do something that has at least something to do with chiaroscuro... I have a book about it and I can draw an impressive eye in a minute following (copying) it, but if I have a normal reference, I'm a lost. It's the first time I feel maybe I did a step. I used a photo as a reference.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc178opt.jpg

Here's another (I can't do much with the nose, it looks bad...):
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc178opt2.jpg

10 minutes each, this method is kind of quick.

[zy.]

Hi I'm here again, last week I was kinda inactive, I felt I had no energy, most of my gestures are unfinished, I will finish them and drew much more I hope.

For the optional... something like this? :)
I don't know if it show but I wished to do something that has at least something to do with chiaroscuro... I have a book about it and I can draw an impressive eye in a minute following (copying) it, but if I have a normal reference, I'm a lost. It's the first time I feel maybe I did a step. I used a photo as a reference.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc178opt.jpg

Here's another (I can't do much with the nose, it looks bad...):
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc178opt2.jpg

10 minutes each, this method is kind of quick.


Wow, I mean, WOW! These are really beautiful. What book are you using?

[shiNIN]

Wow, I mean, WOW! These are really beautiful. What book are you using?
Thanks... :bashful: For some reason, it's quick and much more impressive than anything else I can do in a limited time...
The book is William L. Maugham: The Artist's Complete Guide to DRAWING THE HEAD. I bought it a few years ago, read it and kept drawing in a totally different way... I couldn't use it that time but it made an impact on me, changed my thinking about shadows and light ;)
I have another portrait drawing book, very different from this one... I learned from both but neither of them shared with me some important stuff about features but I read them in some blogs. I'm still in love with Tom Richmond's tutorials :D Prokopenko's is useful too.

The human head is a wonderful thing, I mostly draw it and after (lazy) years, I feel I have some vague idea how it looks like.

I started these last week but finished now. I really should forget about lines :(
(EDIT: Photobucket mods are lazy but I realized this pic isn't safe there)
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1216843&stc=1&d=1303512542

I may not draw more humans this week, it seems I can't draw any figure without brainless copying (I try to analyze and construct but it doesn't help, I don't learn anything from it, I actually feel my brain is not in right a state for that). Animal copying is relaxing at least. I will bring some wild piglets, there are sooo cute :)

[shiNIN]

Next week I totally will try to draw wild piglets... Now not so wild but cute ones. At least the originals was wonderful. I warm up slowly :(
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc178piglets.jpg

11 minutes girl, it's not always easy to continue next day :(
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/girl11mins.jpg

I'm reading Jack Hamm: Drawing scenery now and it surely affected my mood and my approach :) Things are connected so nicely. Oh I won't quote long stuff from the book (there are good ones though :D), just one: "Blank walls need good pictures."

EDIT: Not quite finished but I can't sit anymore... See ya in the next round!
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc178cheer.jpg

[samming]

First page is all from imagination
Then most of the rest is referenced
Faces belong to John Malkovich and Bela Lugosi

[zy.]

bam. 50 gestures:

1218565

1218567

1218568

1218569

1218570

value study (of mouth, but with faces too, and one of water, because I find it fascinating):
1218564

some attempts from imagination:
1218563

1218561

1218562

[zy.]

shiNIN-- thanks for the info. I think you really broke down a wall with this one. A leap, if you will :) I agree with you that a lot can be learned from shapes, and a lot of information can be lost if you only use lines. Also great gesture studies. Your skintones seem a little flat though. I think continuing with your value studies could really help that.

samming-- Great imaginative work! You've got a nice sense of anatomy and movement. The figure refs are also really nicely done. I enjoy your use of light and dark. Your value studies have a lot of expression in them. For your value studies, don't be afraid to block off shadows more directly. It looks like you're using a very small brush, I would suggest perhaps going larger?

[Anthis]

shiNIN- Great work! Those optionals are honestly very strong, no crits there. It seems your figures slipped through photobucket's defences, haha. It sometimes takes them a day though. It still feels as if you're using a brush that's too big, or drawing small scale. Perhaps you prefer it that way though. I've started to notice that drawing big really helps for me, even though I keep drawing small out of habit. Also seems we got a cheerleader! Thats great.

samming- Didn't recognize Malkovitch and Lugosi at first, but I can clearly see some characteristic shapes of their faces that you put in there. Some nice subtle value transitions too. You seem to lose track of the proportions in some of your figures, even though the details can be really strong. I think it's difficult to tackle, but I think it helps if you take small mini-breaks every now and then to quickly glance over your entire figure. If I get too much drawn into(that's an awful pun) details in my gestures, I often feel I lose track of the rest. Nice fencers! good idea.

zy. - Whew, 50, nice! Seems like a mixture of reference and imagination, I like the loose explorative drawing. Those figures from imagination can be really tough. They're looking good, although messy with all the corrections, haha. Even so, the 'pretty drawing' may come to you by itself. The water is very recognizable. Interesting mixture of gradual transitions and some very dark shapes too.

No reference this time. Bit of a mixed bag.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Anthis_/spartan%20trainings/178-1.jpghttp://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Anthis_/spartan%20trainings/178-2.jpg

[manlybrian]

I suck. I didn't get any gestures done for this week's. :(

@zy. I love those facial studies and I love that water splash. :D

[samming]

Thanks for the comments everybody, I guess I should do some feedback too:
shiNIN I really like your piglets, I would never think to use piglets to practice with! I like your poses too. If anything some of your stuff looks a little too soft, but I'm not really sure how to fix that (maybe like less transparency?).
zy. I like all your gestures, some of the poses come off as really elegant. I also really like your value studies, the water looks great, or at least really catches my attention.
and anthis those poses are crazy good with no reference at all

[zy.]

Anthis -- dude, mad MAD skills with the gestures from imagination this week! They look convincing (like they were referenced), and I can't help but admire all the different angles you're using. I think this is something I'm going to try this week (let's see how this train wrecks!).

And thanks also manlybrian and samming for the crits!