Sketchbook + Help

[Jackeofi]

Bassically I've been drawing for a couple years now and have been working predominantly in Anime, however I've been trying to draw myself away from this area and my main issue is I find is with drawing the characters faces, can anyone help me out here or possibly point me in a direction of a site which shows how to properly structure the face as I've done little work with face muscles and structure.

Just two examples, the faces lack any defination, another of the areas I strugle with is the mouth, as i find lips very hard to draw and whenever i try and draw them they always come out looking wrong.

If anyone can help in these issues I would be greatly thankful, and would like to add to my sketchbook over time to try and improve upon my work.

http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/alicev3-Alicia-Crow.jpg
http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/spaineupdated.jpg

[Jackeofi]

Another recent peice.

http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/snowgirl2.jpg

[Jackeofi]

A re-working of the first character.

http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/alicev4.jpg

[SeraphSword]

One thing you could try is just buying a magazine and copying the heads you see. Try breaking the faces into basic shapes so you can come up with a system.

Also you cn download the Loomis books here (including the Heads and Hands book): http://www.bryonvaught.com/extras.html

[Jackeofi]

Hrm good idea with the drawing heads from magazine idea to try and work out a method, hadn't really thought of that :)

Also thanks for the link for the books, the head and hands one looks interresting. just took a quick browse through it however will have to try consorting it when I'm next drawing :D

[Jackeofi]

Origionally designed for use in the comic ive been practicing with, however is somewhat overpowered for police use. This will be a WIP peice.

http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/hindalteration1.jpg
http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/hindalteration2.jpg

[MisterJC]

when you draw from references, live or otherwise, try to think about relationships between lines and shapes, like "whats that angle compared to verticle and how big is this compared to that". because you've been drawing anime for a while, your going to be pretty stuck in a system of symbols that won't do you much good in realistic drawings.

also, a good trick to do so you can get over your symbol system is to draw pictures upside down. yes, upside down. you will be surprised.

remember, think in terms of shapes, lines, relationships. not eye, nose, hair.

[Jackeofi]

Hrmm i have to admit that a try and think alot about the relationships between angles on the face, however I sometimes mess up, it depends on whether or not I can get an accurate image running in my mind. Very often I can imagine what i want to draw but when it comes to acctually doing it i can't focus my mind on the specific areas.

I have to admit that yes I do find myself concentrating mainly upon the eyes nose and hair of the character as you said. What you said about shapes falls into what SeraphSword said about building up the face by shapes I think and I'm trying to take a look at that at the moment (have had quite a busy week)

I've tried reversing the image in a mirror which was something suggested by others before which I have found has helped me quite a bit, however I've never heard of drawing it upside down :D hehe may have to give it a go, though I'm sure thats really going to warp my brain.

Thx for all the help so far :)

[Jackeofi]

just finished going through the pin in ball head drawing exercise in the loomis book. Have to admit at first I found it very difficult to get the hang of however I managed to get the nack of it as I went through the stages of development for the face.

I see what you meen by the basic shapes which make up the face, im sure it'll meen a lot more as I continue. Thx for the reference. Too tired to do any more exercise stuff tonight.

[Jackeofi]

Just a practice peice using the head drawing style from loomis. Think it came out quite well. My Hyperspace Traffic Controller :)

Lots of issues with the image its self, mainly those of proportions and bad placing in areas. neck came out way to long, however my main aim was to get the face looking right. Anways its on the linkey.

http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/Thumbs/hyperspacecontrolthumb.jpg (http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/hyperspacecontrol.jpg)

[nafa]

Look like you can benefit by a visit to this site:

http://www.portrait-artist.org/

There are a lot more details in the face than those you have drawn so far.

[Jackeofi]

aye im going through loomins at the moment, only done the face shape exercise so far so I've got quite a bit to learn :) moving onto the actual detail of the face soon. Was just a practice peice to break up the time. Thx for the reference ;)

[Jackeofi]

Another play around with loomis head style. Inspired by the augmentation failures in The Fall of Reach where the patients bones became malformed.

Sorry about the poor scan quality

http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/fallofreach1.jpg

[Jackeofi]

Just got board and spoted the topic on redesigning characters. Felt like playing around with skeletor and evil lyn. I should really carry on with these excersises but i needed a break.

http://www.alita.co.uk/artwork/Drawings/skeletor.jpg

[Krakler]

Awesome work, you're getting way better, keep it up!

[Jackeofi]

Thanks :) sorry for there being no updated to the sketchbook for a couple days, I've been busy sorting the website out and exams etc. Hope to get back to the daily sketches again soon.

http://www.alita.co.uk (http://www.alita.co.uk/index2.htm)

Just been playing around with adobe with simple editing of images and redesigned the NIN logo a little.

Anyways, will try and get some new work up sharpish. Thx for all the help with face work so far guys :).

[Jackeofi]

A few small sketches and practice using loomin's plate 6 and 7.
used small images for thumbs so you dont have to wait ages for loading. Click to view them. Thx.

http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/Thumbs/loomins67thumb.jpg (http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/loomins67.jpg)
http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/Thumbs/batthingthumb.jpg (http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/batthing.jpg)
http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/Thumbs/sketch1thumb.jpg (http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/sketch1.jpg)
http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/Thumbs/sketch2thumb.jpg (http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/sketch2.jpg)

[Jackeofi]

just a couple head sketches for practice. not had a lot of time for this recently. snookers on X_X

http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/randomheads1.jpg
http://www.alita.co.uk/Sketchbook/Drawings/randomheads3.jpg

[Junior artist]

sorry about the rate, I thought it was your first sketch or something ;/