Figure drawing cleanups(nude)*CONSTRUCTION added* 6/21

[yeticatcher]

I took some 1 and 2 minute poses that I drew at our recent figure drawing session here at the studio and decided to clean them up as line art.

The life drawings were done with conte crayon on 11x17 newsprint. The clean ups were done with 2B graphite on bond.

The result is that I may have stiffened them up in the process, but the looser sketches weren't great either.

http://www.trubalcava.com/sketchbook/Fig10_clean.jpg

http://www.trubalcava.com/sketchbook/Fig06_clean.jpg

http://www.trubalcava.com/sketchbook/Fig11_clean.jpg

http://www.trubalcava.com/sketchbook/Fig03_clean.jpg

http://www.trubalcava.com/sketchbook/Fig02_clean.jpg

-Yeti

[Syraph]

Nice! I really like them.. almost no failures in the atonomy, only no. 2. Where did her other breast go? That's a bit strange, but good work :)

[NoSeRider]

Y'know what's weird...this is the way I imagine myself drawing, but for some reason it's not enouph.

I like the clean lines and line placement, you're spot on.

Reason why I say 'it's not enouph' is because somebody is gonna come by and say add tone to the drawings, but don't ever underestimate the importance of line placement and proportions.

I like these drawings. It's definitely in the vain of how I draw.....or how I'd like to draw.

[CreationEdge]

Beatiful. Not what I was expecting at all when I clicked on the thread. Clean, smooth, realistic.

The last 3 are simply awesome.

#3 is probably my favorite pose. Makes me eager to get into some life drawing classes in the future. Other two... tough to pick a favorite.

I'm all praises here. NoSe is probably right about the tone, but I think you conveyed the depth and shapes with the line really well. I can tell what's what without the tone, especially since you added nice touches like on the back of the last one.

I want more ;)

[Rohan]

great stuff your lines are really starting to show the orientation of the form as it turns away from the viewer although some planes look a little flat up against the lines ( I do frequently) The sense of solidity and your ability to translate the pose is great. :^^:

[yeticatcher]

Syraph: Thanks. Yeah her breast does seem to fall behind her right arm in a dramatic way. I'm sure with a little adjustment to the top of the breast will fix that.

NoSeRider: I think you have a valid reason to feel it's 'not enough'. I had considered more rendering in these. It would mean designing light and shadow from memory, as you can see, the life drawings include no shading for reference. It would be a good exercise to try that though.

CreationEdge: The model at this session was beautiful and had a sense of what stroyboardist and animators, like myself, like in a session. She did adopt some classical poses, but she also posed with a bit of story-telling, like posing with a cup to take drink or laying on her tummy reading her mail, or just sitting in a conversational manner. Those might be boring in an art context, but she made it a useful pose as an everyday moment to explore. I'm glad you enjoy the clean ups.

Rohan: When i decided to stay with the line drawing only, instead of adding shading, I wanted to add volume with varied line weight. I'm glad you think it all worked for the most part.

-Yeti

[yeticatcher]

Here's one of the poses with rendered values and tone. Light source entirely from guess work. I'm sure there things to improve.

http://www.trubalcava.com/sketchbook/Girl_Values.jpg

[superyummy]

Really great work! Can you explain your process? Do you digitally draw over scans of your studio session sketches? Or are you hand drawing new ones to match what you had sketched?

I'm going to try going back over some of my studio sketches like you have, as best I can at least. Thanks for the inspiration.

[yeticatcher]

Thank you, superyummy.

I do draw over printed out scans of the sessions. Here's what I do, if you have a minute:

1. I scan the figure drawing (at 150dpi) into photoshop.
http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig_12_rough.jpg

2. I change the black line into blue. I do this by loading the channel as a selection. I make a new layer and fill the selection with light blue.
http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig_12_blue.jpg

3. I print out the blue version on a decent type of 20lb bond paper (bright white inkjet paper works ok), something with a bit of a 'tooth'.

4. I draw over the blue rough line with an HB pencil for the clean lines.
http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig_12_comp.jpg

5. I scan that new drawing (pencil over the blue rough) back into photoshop and dial out the blue rough using 'Hue/Saturate'. I edit the blue and cyan hues moving the Lightness slider all the way to the right until the blue becomes white, like the paper background.
http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig12_clean.jpg

Hope that makes sense. Give it a try.
;)

-Yeti

[superyummy]

Thanks for the tutorial - i will give it a try!

[ReAkshun]

good idea and nice work overall.

I think where you could improve is to do one more step before your final line work.
Your initial sketch is your "gesture". It has an "indication" of form but the form has not been locked down and decided upon yet.

The second phase should be the "construction" phase where you lock down your forms. i.e.: what's overlapping what, perspective, shape description, etc.

THEN, the third phase would be your final line. Right now, your line isn't as tight as it could be because you're trying to decide on the forms as you draw on top of your gesture. Kinda hard if the construction has not been ascertained beforehand. With time and experience (pencil mileage), the second phase won't be needed as much.

imo, if you add that step, your final line work will look that much more professional, crisp, and individual.

[yeticatcher]

Cool, superyummy. Post your results here if you like. It would be nice to see how others might use this technique and make it an on going thread.

-Yeti

[yeticatcher]

Thanks, ReAkshun. Good point.

The choice of the word 'clean' may have been used prematurely on my part. I consider these truly as still sketches, primarily because of the very fact that you bring up. The gesture drawings are indeed void of any construction. I, myself bypassed that extra step only to demonstrate how the use of line (even though the line isn't as tight as it could be) can help define volume on its own.

But for those who might benefit further by the 'construction' phase, I will indeed create a new step and add it in.

Again thanks for your input.

-Yeti

[yeticatcher]

The second phase should be the "construction" phase where you lock down your forms. i.e.: what's overlapping what, perspective, shape description, etc.


The suggestion that ReAkshun layed out got me to thinking and I decided to add that second step: CONSTRUCTION.

Even though I went straight ahead and sketched my cleaner line over the blue
gesture rough, I was indeed skipping what is important for those who are learning should be used in this exercise.

Here's what ReAkshun is referring to:

After you've made your gesture drawing 'blue' and printed it out, as demonstared above...

http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig_12_blue.jpg

...Build your forms over it in pencil using your knowledge of anatomy. Those of you practicing drawing from life will already have much of this knowledge at your disposal. Constructing basic cylinders helps and then placing the musculature forms to create volume...

http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Figure_const_Blue_01.jpg

Scan it and dial out the blue (as above) and you now have the contsruction drawing to work from...

http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Figure_const_01.jpg

Scan it, make it blue...

http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Figure_const_Blue_02.jpg

Print it out and draw your cleaner line drawing over that, keeping in mind the volume that you've constructed. You can make the choices now to use a varied line weight to retain the volume...

http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig_12_line_wBlue.jpg

Now you can see what choices I made in getting the volume with the varied line in this piece...

http://www.trubalcava.com/posts/Fig_12_line.jpg

The Contsruction step would also be helpful if you wanted to render the piece to create light and shadow.

Thanks again to ReAkshun for the suggestion.

-Yeti

[dadamafia]

not bad at all

[yeticatcher]

not bad at all

Thanks, dadamafia. I'm tryin'! :bashful:

-Yeti

[ReAkshun]

haven't been here in a while.

looking good, man. btw, where's your latest?? :}

[yeticatcher]

Thanks, ReAkshun, and I appreciated the tip. I've posted a new finished piece in the 'Finally Finish' thread.

[Danilo]

I like inital roughs most. Maybe try to keep this fresh soul of them by avoid clean engenier aproach.

[yeticatcher]

Thanks, Danilo. I'm glad you like those original gesture drawings. To me they lack a bit of confidence - thanks for the encouragement.

-Yeti

[Icey]

very good!! :) I damn like it!
you shore have the anatomy right :)

[yeticatcher]

Thank you, Icey. From the look of all your anatomy studies and your progression, I must humbly say this is a wonderful compliment.

-Yeti