Spartan Camp #181 - 50 gestures + Optional "Skull Study"

[Anthis]

Spartan Camp #181 - 50 gestures + Optional "Skull Study"

The aim is to produce 50 gestures by Sunday the 15th 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 "Skull Study", in any medium.
Additional notes on this weeks’ Optional Study:


As I have just returned from Denmark and this thread is a little late, we'll do a true popular classic!

Still lives, anatomy studies, anything goes as long as the skull is the focus. Although you may not always see the presence of other bones on the body's surface, the skull is easily visible and shapes the head extensively. Making this a valuable study - and fun too! Skulls can have a strange attraction to them...

As always- reference advised, not obligatory. Colour, medium, time frame, any specifics are up to you! Good luck and have fun! And feel free to ask questions!


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 #180

shiNIN:star:
Sushy
zy.
manlybrian
ggnastist

[shiNIN]

Skulls can have a strange attraction to them..
I don't quite understand what are you talking about... :D
I don't even see why one wouldn't love skulls.
Skulls are awesome, each one is different and highly interesting :) Skulls have character :) One even can make portraits using skulls, they can have great atmosphere and playing with light can create an illusion, skulls can "come to life" even if they can't make expressions... At least I think so.

I wish I could make epic paintings depicting skulls but I will do my best :D

{I still don't own a skull, just my beloved beautiful decorated bronze one and even that has no name and I don't even know its gender, seems pretty androgynous to me... Well I'm not an expert.}

I have nothing yet except these hands :(
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/hands0510.jpg

[samming]

I couldn't get the time in last week from exams, but here's some older skull stuff, I'll do up a study and it in try chracoal this week

[manlybrian]

I wish I had a still life skull. I should save up and buy one.

[shiNIN]

I wish I had a still life skull. I should save up and buy one.
I was looking for skulls on ebay today as well... Well we have no card to pay with at the moment...
I could use a skeleton as well... And a nice skull set, each race, gender, infant skulls... Hmmm... Maybe one day.

My bronze skull helps me with form, but not with tones, it's decorated and shiny everywhere.
And it's a bit too heavy to keep in my hand to draw it from the right angle...
(2/3 lifesize, hollow so I can deal with it)

The active part of my day starts now, I collected some skull photos (one can't have enough, most of mine are so... lifeless, neutral).
Here's Geza, one of the most famous of Hyrtl collection it seems (Mütter Museum, Philadelphia... I will never see him in person :( ):
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/geza_hyrtl.jpg

EDIT: I did a few changes but now I will stop. I have my new avatar, yay.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/geza_hyrtl2.jpg

[shiNIN]

Meet Gianbattista Merzoni (? his label was blurry), sailor, died at 37 in Venice. 19th century.
Tell me if I painted his cranium wrong, I just guessed it... The eyes weren't easy either and I see them in the photos...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sailor_hyrtl.jpg

(I don't know how will I draw gestures this week, skulls are too fascinating :D)

[shiNIN]

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/geza_hyrtl_full2.jpg
Rushed and I'm slow and can't draw lovely skull sketches in a few minutes, I need to work on them for a while.
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/rushed_hyrtl.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc181deers.jpg
Deers are awesome, just like horses. But it seems I forgot how to draw a horse skull and I worked a lot on it back then... *sigh* So maybe later.

[samming]

charcoal is messy
and I want to destroy my scanner

[shiNIN]

I'm sorry I wanted to draw more, especially humans... They are very hard, I always lose motivation... It seems years can't bring me closer just a tiny bit, well it's hard if someone doesn't practice, a few thousand copies don't matters much. But I will try harder next week!

I didn't painted enough skulls either. *sigh*

First my ugly pencil stuff (believe me, my messy figures required effort :( ). The deer without lifting the pencil went surprisingly well. I never tried that before and it was strange, I felt I don't have any control about the big picture, proportions or whatnot, and still, they aren't so bad :) With lifting the pencil whatever I wanted and using much more time, I get worse results... Strange. Maybe because I was "brave" and quick and didn't really worried about anything...?
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc181trad.jpg
Really half-assed digital ones...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc181figs.jpg
That horse skull was surprisingly hard. And I drew a lot of them last year... But my human skulls were really bad in the beginning as well...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh287/shiNIN666/gfx/sc181animals.jpg

[Anthis]

New thread up, comments tomorrow!

[zy.]

Forgot my camera at work this week, so I couldn't take any pics of my studies. oops. Next week!

shiNIN-- Very nice diversity of studies this week. And a lot of work! I don't think I've seen you so excited about an optional before! That's good! This is something you really like doing, use that energy! Your skulls are beautiful and your deer and horses are particularly nice.

But I'm going to be honest, I think you're too hard on yourself, and too insecure sometimes, and this insecurity is holding you back. This doesn't show in what you've done, because what you've done this week is very good. It shows because there is a divide I've seen you bring up over and over, between what you've done and what you want to do. Why beat yourself up?! This is supposed to be fun! And, from a very practical perspective, nothing influences an artist's ability from day to day more than mood. If I'm in a bad mood, it will take me way longer to loosen up and find the right lines. Pushing ourselves in art is a mindgame. You keep holding yourself down, and it's going to take you a lot longer to get to where you want to go. And it won't be any fun getting there. So, how about your "optional" this week (in addition to whatever our fearless leader has in store :) ) is to sit down with a positive attitude and to leave with a positive attitude. Even if you aren't happy with what you've produced, find a way to be proud of yourself for just having sat down in the first place. Every little step is one step farther along :)

Plus, you have the skills. You may not believe it, but I SEE it! And don't go there with any of this "but it's just copying" business! Being able to study and re-create an object is a great skill. You have come a long way, even in the short time that I've known you. You have the potential.

samming-- woah man, way to bring it! Scanning charcoal?! Now that's some dedication! First, your optionals done digitally are beautiful. Incredibly soft and smooth white on the black background. They really do look real. You've captured the values perfectly. I don't know why, but the shading on the back of your first black-background skull really does it for me. Something about this little spot in particular demonstrates your skill here. It's such a simple area by comparison to all the others, but you nailed it. Really nice pen studies too. The finger bending series is really clever. Human figures look great, nice range of body types, and the charcoal skulls have a lot of energy in them. I'm really amazed at how much you got done this week!

[shiNIN]

The whole post is a reply to zy.

I like skulls, that's true and I got bored of them quite some time ago and it was great to return to them. Finding some photos about the skull of Hyrtl collection had a very important role in this, even I can't be motivated just looking at any skull.
From time to time, I find something that has such an effect on me but it never last very long. It's not so easy at all.

I don't bring myself down (I'm extremely self-critical, that's true) and I'm quite positive after not being able to start drawing seriously for years. Now that I have some skills (yeah, I realized them, I would be a horrible critic not to do) and my dark last year passed, it's easier. I don't think it affects the quality of my works. It affects my choices but I truly couldn't do real pictures, for example. My attitude need changes, I fight, I can't do more. My inner critic will stay and he won't be any nicer. But he isn't blind for what's good.
And I actually appreciate when I actually draw something in my 10+ hours of dedicated drawing time per day. I'd love to draw more than 5-10% of this time but I often fail at it. But less than before. I know I should consider drawing fun instead of fight but my drawing past full with struggle is strong. But it gets better.

Yeah, copying isn't so easy I know :D I'm doing a master study now, a deer before scenery and I consider giving it up :(
But still. I hate I can't draw anything by myself... Not even a human in front view :( Maybe a face but not any time, any type, not speaking about angles or expressions...
What I want is so much, what I get is so little... What can I do with improvement if I need 10000 years to reach my goals and I know I can do it quicker and having more fun?

I don't do my best. Faaaaaaaaaaaaar from it. That's my problem. But I'm working on it :)

[samming]

Thanks zy.

shinin awesome skulls, very solid looking and nice color, I really like the sailor's skull from the Hyrtl collection. I don't even know if I want to get involved with whatever zy. and you are talking about.. Just have fun with what you do, don't think about things too much either, just do it.

[shiNIN]

samming: I know but it's kinda hard not to think, I as a programmer did that all the time, it's the only way I knew to create things... drawing is so much different, my results is better when I don't think or care just do.... it's confusing.... (when I study, I need to think, it's just the drawing when it's better not overthinking what am I doing just let my hidden knowledge powers do their stuff ;) with some fun random stuff in the mix)
:D

[zy.]

shiNIN-- Ok, I can understand where you're coming from now. It's hard sometimes to tell with these things. But I know from my own experience that I've spent a lot of time beating myself up. We all get into points when we feel discouraged, and looking back at when I stopped doing art, I stopped because I was beating myself up, getting discouraged and not having any fun. I just wanted to make sure you knew that you were making a lot of progress and doing great things, and not getting too discouraged. :)

edit: I also think it's funny that you talk about it in relation to programming, because I'm learning that right now. And sometimes I yell at the computer, "why are you so hard?!?! I don't want to think ALL THE TIME!!!" :)

[shiNIN]

zy: I know I have to have fun... I'm a hedonist, I can't do anything without it for long and well.

Thinking is natural to me :D I learned maths in nursery school :D It was fun. Before that I only learned poetry.
[totally offtopic, I warn you. though drawing is involved a little]
But the others were a bit dumb and they were thinking for so long (insert correct past tense here, I have no idea) and I was bored. Later the staff separated me from the others and I was drawing while the others still tried to figure out those lame questions, like what's more, a plan and a spotted ball or a single striped one (but we learned numbers using little plastic ducks and we went home saying "relational sign" even that we couldn't prononciate it properly yet, having not yet fully developed organs). I loved drawing and thought they thought I have talent or something. My mom told me after several years they've said I was bad {stupid tenses, I give up already. we have only one past tense), disturbed the others, that's why. I was devastated.

I drew till 7, then I entered a drawing competition without any success. At that very moment I suddenly realized my drawing sucked horribly and I stopped drawing.
I participated in maths competitions, I was successful.
And I started drawing again when I became 28 and jobless.
Maybe it's a problem. I started without the energy, playfulness and enthusiasm of a kid, my whole attitude and thinking suited programming well (lazyness is a virtue if one is a programmer) but didn't help at drawing at all. The biggest problem is I didn't feel desire toward drawing. I just felt an extremely strong urge to learn how to draw. It meant a lot of struggle and waste of time... But the worst time is over. I hope :)

Erm sorry. Night is so great to get carried away... But my preschool memories are interesting a bit :D