Galen's digital sketchbook

[galenb]

Hi folks!

My name is Galen Beals and I've been working in 3D animation since 93. You might think that I would have to have a good grasp of 2D art to be able to do that but guess what?! Well, you'll see for yourself. My parents are artists so I grew up being encouraged to draw and sculpt a lot which I had been doing extensively until I started getting more into stop motion animation and eventually 3D computer animation in the 90's. I've worked for Will Vinton studios, Hash inc, Flying rhino and now I'm at Bent Image Lab here in Portland, Oregon.

Anyway, I've been aching to get back to drawing but I'm more then a little rusty. My hope is that by posting these here It'll help me get better so please let the feedback flow. These are all new as of a few months ago when I got Painter 9 and Sketchbook pro. I've also been playing around on a tablet PC (Acer) that I've been borrowing from work now and then. I have to say, It's been fantastic!

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Boy_designs.jpg
some designs for a friends short film

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Disconnect.jpg
we are all connected but disconnected

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Faces01.jpg
junk

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Girl.jpg
this a one a did for a friend

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Girl2.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Girls.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Paul_fight.jpg
I posted this in another thread so I thought I would post the original here. The character in the middle is Paul from Frank Herbert's Dune. I love the Dune series.

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Reilly.jpg
Reilly is a character from a screenplay I'm writing

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Women.jpg
some more junk

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/robot.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/scetches01.jpg
I did this today

Thanks!

-=GB=-

[incognito]

I like it, though I don't know what to critique, since you don't seem to be going for realistic anatomy, etc.

[galenb]

Thank! Any kind of feedback is good. Love it, hate it, whatever. ;) Just let me know what you think.

Thanks again!

-=GB=-

[galenb]

Here's some more:

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Galens%20scetchbook.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Galens%20scetchbook002.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Galens%20scetchbook001.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Galens%20scetchbook003.jpg
One of my biggest issues when drawing is hands. So, I copied some of Bengal's great drawings in the hopes of bettering my skills.

Here's some expirements with oils in Painter:
http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Oils.JPG

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/NotherGirl.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/green%20girl%2001.jpg

I don't always draw girls: ;)
http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/ret.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Connorand-Me.jpg

and some abstract stuff that I actuallly really enjoy doing:
http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/hUMmen-Sacrin.jpg

http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/city-9Scape.jpg

Thanks!

-=GB=-

[schnikkoletta]

oh thats so nice stuff, dont know what you wanna hear... i like your style!
well, im not so familiar with abstract stuff, so i cant really say anything about these, but the sketches are so cute *ohmygod* :\ :confident
i'd like to see some more of these... what about realistic stuff?

cheers ~ schnikko

[galenb]

Thanks! Yep, I plan on getting some life drawing time in pretty soon. Sitting in a cafe with the tablet PC is sounding really fun right now... Alas, I'm at work right now.

-=GB=-

[klinesmoker]

I've never seen such a style, damn refreshing. Try to work on more confident line work, though. The edges of your characters seem a little rough. Keep this shizzle coming, it's damn cool.

[galenb]

Wow Thanks! I have to admit my influences in no specific order: Peter DeSeve, Frezzato, Tons of manga to numerous to mention, Bengal, Miazaki, Mobius, Enki Bilal and a ton of others from Heavy Metal artists.
This was a simple design that accompanied a pitch for a TV series I wrote called Raven and Finch:
http://www.cybcon.com/~galenb/sketch/Raven_and_Finch.jpg

-=GB=-

[Neg]

I like your style.. very loose and naturally flowing. I especially love the personality and expression you give your characters, nice and believable.

[galenb]

Thanks Neg! Thanks for all the positive feedback.:) About the scratchy lines: My friend calls is "chicken scratch". I've always drawn like that. I sort of draw and draw and draw until I see the line I like. I guess I should try to use less lines. ;) One thing though; I've never really liked the stark graphic, black and white comic look. I've always gravitated more toward styles that are more loose and rough. A lot of European graphic novels that I was into in the 80's where very much raw like that. I guess I've just never moved away from that. My sketches could definitely use some clean up anyway. :)

-=GB=-

[galenb]

Woops! It's been kind of a long time since I last posted here. I've been reading a lot(Gene Wolfe is awesome!), developing lot's of personal projects. That sort of stuff. Here's something from my "Real" sketchbook. This is over the course of about 8 months or so Mostly just junk. But that's what this is for right? It's kind of cool to see the progression...

These next few are from sitting in a cafe and trying to draw characters of people.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-2.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-3.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-4.jpg

I'm a little embarrassed but these are character and ship designs for a Star Wars based story I have been brewing.... [I'm such a geek...]
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-5.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-6.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-7.jpg

Back at the cafe.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/Page-8.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-9.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-10.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-11.jpg
Oops! Note to self: don't draw on the opposite side of the page in pencil. :)
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-12.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-17.jpg

These are designs for a short I was working on.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-18.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-19.jpg

Some more cafe sketches
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-20.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-25.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/page-26.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d63/ngrava/Page-27.jpg

Thanks for watching :)

-=GB=-

[moopuff]

Wonderful style. I love it. The only thing I see is that sometimes even in the un-realistic things, your legs seem to short, or your arms to long, but that could just be taste. Great stuff though, keep it up.=D

[galenb]

Hey Moonpuff,

Thanks for the encouraging words! Yeah, proportions have always been an issue for me. I need to work on that. I think I've fallen into a trap where I never learned to really look at the length of limbs because I was always trying to exaugurate the poses. Now, as I start drawing more from life (even when I'm trying to make a simple character) I'm wishing I had paid more attention. Oh, well. I need more practice that's all. ;)

Thanks,

-=GB=-

[Cyanid]

very nice faces, very nice.
maybe work a little on your line quality, try to work with longer, sharper strokes.

[naomiful]

i can't seem to see a lot of the images in your earlier posts, but the last few updates are pretty nice with the cafe sketches. i'd like to see more of the necks and bodies as well though, not just heads! jot down a person's general movement with a few long strokes then go from there - like... stick figures, haha, i do it sometimes to get someone's general pose.

not to sound morbid or creepy, but i'd like to see skull studies since you're drawing all these heads!~ :)

keep it up!

[galenb]

Thanks for letting me know. My ISP disappeared a few weeks ago and with them went my images. luckily, I have a backup of them and I'll repost when I get a chance.