Spartan Camp #179 - 50 gestures + Optional "Wireframe Study"

[Anthis]

Spartan Camp #179 - 50 gestures + Optional "Wireframe Study"

The aim is to produce 50 gestures by Sunday the 1th of May.

- 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 "Wireframe Study", in any medium.
Additional notes on this weeks’ Optional Study:

An experimental optional study! The subject of this study could be anything, from objects to a figure. Pretend as if it were in 3d, and draw it as if it were a wireframe. Google search for 'wireframe', 'wireframe figure' or other keywords to get a good idea. The study does not have to be extremely elaborate, just try and wrap lines around your subject of choice in order to achieve a 3d feel.

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 #178

shiNIN:star:
Anthis
samming:star:
zy.:star:

[shiNIN]

Yay I was never such quick!
It's rabbits and jack rabbits this week!
I hope such copywork has some use above getting warmed up and having fun...
Well I realized it's better avoid my fancy brushes...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc179rabbits_jackrabbits.jpg

[Anthis]

shiNIN - crazy fast! You may be correct there. Even though the fancy-brush-top-left bunny looks fluffy, the bottom right one with mostly hard brushwork has much more form and weight. Good stuff.

Well I can't sit back now. Update coming!

[shiNIN]

Anthis: Poor first bunny had the worst ref and my not warmed up state as well but brushes has an important factor as well. I played with the piglets last week but usually I should concentrate on the form, not the details of fur, seriously...

A quicker bunch with mixed quality...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc179animals.jpg

The optional doesn't really motivate me, I guess it the "would look cool and surely useful but I never did anything like that, seems to be hard, ouch" type for me. We will see. I surely won't dare to draw a figure like that, but I'm planning a niiiiiice long session concentrating on the arm...

[Sushy]

Just found out about this... I only have these studies of mice to show v_v

And just wondering, what is exactly a gesture study... I always thought it would show humans that make a certain gesture... But I see you can also draw animals?
Anyway, I like little rodents so I drew mice.

[manlybrian]

The aim is to produce 50 gestures by Sunday the 1th of May.

- 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!


So there you have it. :)
(great mice, by the way)

[Sushy]

yeah I read that... But I always thought gesture studies were something else, like you pick special kind of figures...
But I guess still lifes do not belong to it?

[samming]

An actual gesture drawing is where you do a quick sketch that captures the object's/person's movement or general pose rather than details.
examples:
http://srah.deviantart.com/art/gesture-27048629?q=boost%3Apopular%20gesture&qo=0
http://nishi06.deviantart.com/art/gesture-poses-191335513?q=boost%3Apopular%20gesture&qo=9
http://gem2niki.deviantart.com/art/04-07-07-Gesture-Drawing-53029338?q=boost%3Apopular%20gesture&qo=5
Or google image it, or check out some of the other spartan camp things.

But here I think it's really just a practice thread with gestures of anything, long studies, and general practice alike.

[Sushy]

Yeah indeed that was what I was thinking about.

Anyway, here are some more studies for today... Gah it isn't my day today it seems, they didn't come out that well... :/
Showing it nonetheless!

[Anthis]

@shiNIN; Was a bit of an experiment for me too, it just seemed interesting. A different approach.
@samming; good examples!
@Sushy; Welcome! Just take a look at some of the previous rounds to get a general idea. I guess we use 'gestures' in a broad sense, since people often disagree on the pure meaning. Still, the context is mostly figure/anatomy drawing. Nice rodents, I'm surprised at how effective the bottom-left one is. Great job at foreshortening, using mostly subtle value shifts. I think you can also see that in the figures of your second post. You placed those values more accurately in the top right one than in the other two. You don't need big lines or heavy shadows to sell a good form. Hmmm, just some thoughts anyhow... Looking nice!


Still having trouble finding this place since community activities have been moved...

Only hand gestures this time around, hehe.
First hands after Bridgman, then after my own hand (fineliner pen). Then some quick ones after my own hand again (ballpoint pen). Then my own hand for the wireframe study (pencil).

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Anthis_/spartan%20trainings/bridgmanhandssp179.jpghttp://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Anthis_/spartan%20trainings/sparta179-2.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Anthis_/spartan%20trainings/sparta179-3.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb12/Anthis_/spartan%20trainings/179-optional.jpg

[samming]

did not get as many gestures down as I wanted this week, but oh well

[dboyd]

Stopped by the mall today to do some quick sketches. I can tell that I'm out of practice because it seemed like everyone was moving out of poses so much faster than the last time I was there.

[zy.]

Updates for the week. The wire frame study ended up turning into an excuse to work on water more :)

The ones in the circle are "Anthis style"-- they're from imagination and I was trying to get good movement and perspective. I found some good weaknesses, like that all the figures that I wanted to look like ball-throwers ended up looking like they were taking really big steps. So I got in some baseball people from ref on the sides.
1223395

I'm getting better at the water, not there yet... and creepy.
1223396

[zy.]

shiNIN- nice bunnies! I love the shadow and eye reflection on the bottom right bunny of your first sub. I think this particular bunny has good highlights and shadow, and I think this is a strong point- I see you at your best when you venture out of mid-tones (at least imo :) )

Sushy- great mice! Very expressive and while using minimal brushstrokes you achieved great texture and shape. Nice. Your choice of yellow background I think is also very nice. For doing studies it makes it easier to work with white it seems, I think I'll try it. Your human gestures are strong, though it looks like you're having some proportion trouble on the lower right guy with sword, his head seems too big and his face at an odd angle.

Anthis- Lovely hand studies. I like your use of hatched shadowing. I actually really like the third one down on the left most side of your first image, where the border between the shadow and light is your only definition, no lines at all. I think this is a cool idea. You seem to be doing well with fists and fully extended fingers, but some of the "mid-grasp" pieces look like they're having some anatomical troubles. particularly with proportions between the fingers/angle of fingers compared with the rest of the hand. Nice wireframe!

samming-- Good sharp use of line ot capture images and poses. I really like your legs/lower legs studies. I think it's good to focus in on one thing at a time, like legs. Your wireframe study is fantastic!

dboyd-- woah, sketches from life! Nice! For the quickness that you had to capture these I think they're very well done. Out of practice? Maybe, slower, but getting a good essence non-the-less.

[manlybrian]

Oh man!! There was a lot of quality work done this week! So many great wireframes! They make mine look lazy, haha. @Anthis: Fantastic hands. And a lot of them!


Here I was doodling with oil pastels and drew my sleeping dog a lot.
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1223475&stc=1&d=1304381393

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1223476&stc=1&d=1304381471

[shiNIN]

I'm sorry I late, I got really busy in the second half of the week (motorbike tour, mostly), yesterday I rested and I kinda forgot this activity, sorry...
But I did these last week:
I can't finish all of them (the first ones are mere wondering sketches about how mouthes looks like, from memory, the rest are reffed of couse):
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/mouths0429.jpg
And this, ignore the not gesture stuff, it's from my sb.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/misc0429.jpg

I. Really. Will. Draw. Humans. This week... I keep avoiding that. I draw a few every week but they aren't so great. These are by myself, they surprisingly not that crappy they usually are, of course they aren't dynamic at all.
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1221521&d=1304113147
(I tested if I remembered anything about bunnies after just copied a few... I did... I even draw bunny gestures I didn't see lately... It was a strange feeling, I didn't really planned or thought about it just did... This easy work is still sursprises me, I rarely do that, it's far from what I did as a programmer where my consciousness controls everything, things never simply happen)

zy.: thanks! Well I had a high contrast reference for that jackrabbit (running one in bright sunshine), I just copied it... I was all warmed up as well and burning with passion to draw a nice jackrabbit after that messed up one ;)

Sushy: Animals has gesture as well :) Well it depends, for example, a shell is an exception and bugs aren't so interesting either ;)
Nice, pretty mice (the first two ones's legs are hard to see though), I like them too, I had one once... Her name was Astabil.
About that girl figure... Just because you draw a skirt on her, keep in mind what is her body like under that. Her torso is too short - or her legs start at mid thigh. Maybe draw a very simplified figure first, stickman with the three main masses and then flesh it out and put clothes on.

dboyd: Wow, nice, expressive gestures! I wish to be able to do the same, using a few lines and making something nice and believable and lively.

I'd love to comment everyone's work but I don't know what to say as usual.

[Anthis]

Happily surprised with this round! Was a bit afraid I'd throw people off with the odd optional.

samming- You've pushed the wireframe study to the next level! And that's quite litteral too, as attributing a value to each of those small planes is a logical 'next step'. I've seen the "The mystery of Form" downloadable video from Mike Bierek here on CAO. One of the first things he does is create this 3d wireframe ball, and explain how each of those small planes has its own unique value, as a result of the light source. Nice gestures, going strong on those legs! I like the dog too, haha, happens to me all the time..

dboyd; Great exercise. You got a lot of details in there considering these are 'mall gestures'. Especially with all the clothes and attributes. The ones in those last scans are very effective as traditional gesture drawings; with little details, but very strong expression, flow, movement, rhytm ...... gesture!. They're as if 'plucked' straight out of life. Less posed, which occurs in the earlier scans. At least, that's how I'm seeing it, haha.

zy.; Hahaha, that's nice. When doing figures from imagination, one thing that helps for me is to throw some 'fear' away. Take a little risk and go for that crazy angle or action. Push it a bit to learn more. No comfort zone. Doesn't always work, but the mindset helps me. Seeing the errors helps too. Think you did a great job there. Odd effect on the optional! Nice approach on the skull though.

zy.; Yea, that's spot on. Some of these didn't pan out as planned. Kept losing the 'overall' shape along the way. I remember being a bit restless when doing the last hands though, perhaps I was unfocused.

Manlybrian; Haha, I think the dog is gradually improving. On a side note; pastels are tough.. I like how you handled them. Loads of wireframes. Funny how those present you all kinds of drawing problems. I like that last hand (thumbs up) and the eye a great deal.

shiNIN; Value stuff getting good... What's interesting about the bunny gestures is that they are very 'free'. No construction, just drawing and exploring. Different approach, try with figures perhaps? You never know...

I'll be in Denmark this week, not sure if there's time for drawing. New round is up regardless!

[shiNIN]

I construct a bit but with biiig shapes :D I don't want to use lines forever at all...