New Life Drawings. Please Crit

[Groover McNab]

Hello All,

A few weeks ago I went to ArtCenter college of design to talk to a counselor and while there I managed to sneak in a life drawing workshop and was able to watch accd students draw. I was pretty much blown away by what everyone was doing, they were really simplifying all the shapes/planes, and values, and all their drawings look great. Anyway, I have recently tried to do the same thing since my old stuff just had a lot of loose lines going all over the place, and I'm trying to get rid of all of that and clean my drawings up a bit, here are some recent attempts, but I kind of feel they are stiff and obviously I need a lot more practice doing this. I just want to get as much crits as I can. Whether you think this is an improvement? Has th e makings of improvement? I dunno, I just want to get better so badly. Any crits would help. Thanks.
(15-20 mins)
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_54.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_55.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_56.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_57.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_58.jpg


These are some old ones (My old way of drawing, 30-40 mins)

http://www.flipvertical.com/images/lifedrawing01.jpg

[acuna_read]

All these drawings are brilliant, your top sitting geezer has some vertical anatomy problems though, your second guy laying down is very nice as well. I know its your choice and I dont mean this as a criticism or to try and force a style on you but I personally prefer the fluidity of your older style. I realise that there are many straight lines that are useful to use in life-drawing but remember that we are natural forms, and there are very few stright lines *ahem, smutty jokes not necessary* in the human form. So I like the nature in your 'older style'. Eitehr way therye all very good, and I hope to get to this standard soon.
P.S. what did you use for these, and does anyone have any info/tips or thoughts on conte? (I think thats the correct name, its like a small charcoal stick but is very tough and more like graphits in its feel in hand and on the paper).:)

[Groover McNab]

Thanks acuna_read. I appreciate your comments and crits, although I would say these drawings are far from brilliant.

These drawings are all charcoal. Sticks for the bottom one and charcoal pencil and sticks for the newer ones, although some recent advise I got from another thread suggest I should try to use charcoal pencil exclusively.

[Darkstrider]

Hey Groover. Well, I'm new in here, and I'm not familiar with your old style, but these look great. My favorites are the bottom sheet, esp the left side of it.

Actually Conte is considered a crayon. It's got some wax in it, and it tends to gum up on me (could just be me though). The technique I've seen used to good effect with it is like a crayon technique... broad strokes with the edge and sharper touches with a corner.

[ohGr]

I like the style a lot: it catches form but you do something really great with line and bring an exciting tone to it all. I have to say that I enjoy the 30-40 minute poses much more than the last ones posted. They have great toning and the right bottom has excellent foreshortening, perhaps the best I've ever seen combined with that fantastic toning.

I'd say go back to taking some time with your drawings. I take a long time to do one, perhaps too long but I enjoy it.

[Groover McNab]

Hey guys thanks a lot for the comments! Here's some new ones. A double post (these are in my sketchbook) but hey, I need more people to bash me :D

Crit away!

EDIT: oh btw, the gestures are about 3-5 mins each, and the longer poses are 15-20 mins.
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_63.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_64.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_65.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_66.jpg
http://www.flipvertical.com/images/sketch_04_67.jpg

[J.Mac]

Groover these are nice drawings!!! i wish i had the resources you did i don't have any workshops or models with in a 50 mile radius :( seriously i have looked besides for HS/college prep figure drawing at a school that wont help me at all but instead will waist my money.... enough of me more you!

-CRITS-
i lik eyour form and they way you serch for shapes. the shapes that you have on some figures create good form.

ok this is my opinion and a =thought so no offense hopefully :) it seems that you use a cokkie cutter idea on certain forms i.e - the arm is what i notice the most. do you do this on purpose to save time or is this unconciously. the page with the really quick gestures is nice i just wish you had gotten more of the figure in and also i hardly see any feet. is some one trying to avoif them?;)

this good work and i like it i can feel my self getting rusty witht the figure it has been like 3 months since i have had the opportunity :( not sure what i should do about this until i get out to CA ehich wont be until the begining of july.....

Keep it up and post more!!!!!

-Jesse

p.s. sorry for miss spellings i have to run to work!

[Groover McNab]

Hey nice to hear from you Jesse. And don't be afraid to crit away! I'll never take any offense at crits especially when they are good and constructive, whicn yours are, especially the deal about the hands and feet. aaaarg. I need to draw em!

Oh and as far as the life drawings goes, I have to drive about 26 miles to get to the JC that has a model and I probably would drive 50 miles or more :p So if you can find somewhere to do life drawing, please do it cuz there's just nothing like drawing from a model.

Btw, you going to Austin?

[J.Mac]

Groover NP ;) and i agree about the model!! but the JC's wont let me draw at the level i am at. i am not the greatest but i have a handle on it and i just need to draw and the instructors at the two schools that i was looking said i have to follow the curriculum of the class why i don't know :confused: b/c they are intoductory classes. so i have been trying to do fullbody portraits and drawing people in book stores so i hope that will keep me in the games some what! I wish i was going to Austin i really want to but i need to work my arce off so i can move to CA for the fall i have to move 3000 miles in july so i need ot get all the money i can for my apartment and all the other things i have to do when i arrive with my car and drawing supplies :D hmmm i will see what i can do cause that would be so awesome to go!!! are you going!?

-Jesse

[Groover McNab]

Yep, I am going to Austin and pretty damned excited. You know what, It is a lot of money, but I think it'll be well worth it. First off, I think it'll help me a lot as far as giving me tips on how to improve my portfolio and possibly getting some scholarships from Art Center, which as you know has a pretty gross tuition. Secondly, knowing me, I'll probably end up spending my money on stupid shit anyway (already went to Vegas twice this year :rolleyes: ) so I might as well spend it on something worthwhile even if I have to live extremely tight for a month or two. Anyway, I think you should go if at all possible.

Also, as far as life drawing class, I was actually able to take an Independent Studies course from the local JC, so I kinda wrote my own curriculum and goals I wanted to achieve for the semester and just had to get signatures from the teacher and a couple deans and I kinda did my own thing. Maybe you could try that? I dunno, every place is different. Also my friend had an idea to get together with some other artists and just pitch in to pay for a model. If you can swing that, that's a good idea too.