Unit18_Nate's Sketchbook

[Unit18_Nate]

Hey I'm new. Just posting a couple recent drawings from my sketchbook. the first is a Twi' lek from Star Wars. It's part of a project I'm doing for fun and portfolio building. Basically it's Star Wars based pinups. These will be just line drawings for now although I may do color renderings of them in the future especially after I learn more about coloring in photoshop. Right now the only program I have is Hairy Sticks and Pigments 1562.0. (ok I stole that line from a Don Maitz interview)
This next one is just a random bikini girl. This one will be an acrylic painting when I'm done. I'm doing this for a giftshop near my studio for a consignment deal.
These are both recent darwings. The first one I did today and the second a couple days ago. I plan to keep updating this thread with new drawings and sketches some of which will no be as finished as these.
I've been to art school so feel free to critique these. I need real feedback.
http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/honey_web.jpg

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/tikigirlweb.jpg

[klinesmoker]

Cohesion's the key here, I don't see how the mask fits in with your second piece. Not a bad start inasmuch as how they look, but maybe some rendering would help in creating a piece with more flow. Anyways, nice start!

~CK

[Unit18_Nate]

And a self portrait. About 15-20 min in pencil.
http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/selfportrait_001_web.jpg

[Unit18_Nate]

More meat for the meat eaters. Most of this is older stuff but it's all from this year. The top one is some stuff I did today.

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/sketches-from-vogue-web.jpg
from a magazine we had laying around.

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/crow-woman-web.jpg
this will be an oil painting someday......

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/lake_oil_sketch-web.jpg
an oil sketch I did a couple months ago at the lake.

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/loose-sketches-web.jpg
random sketches from a couple months ago

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/officer_of_the_watch-web.jpg
Concept for a fantasy world setting that is to have no standard fantasy races.

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/plains_encounter_web.jpg
Another sketch for the same world setting.

http://unit18studio.com/Nathan/the_handmaidens_sketch-web.jpg
concept sketch for an acrylic painting I did earlier this year. Someday I'll post the finished painting somewhere.

Still looking for chrunchy feedback.

[~Faust~]

Well you have a nice imagintaion, something I'm always envious of! :) Nice drawings, mister. :D

As for crits: It seems you already have a really good idea how body-parts are looking and how they are rendered. For instance in your SP, you have a nice render of the eyes and the nose. Only do they not fit together perfectly. The forehead looks very flat and bulky, the eyes look very different, leaving an odd feeling and the nose looks like it's extremely flat and broken. (no offense, man :)) It's the same with the Cat-girl-thingie. The neck is very long and her breasts are not very symmetrical. I think you should step back from your drawings and look at the overal proportions until you start rendering the details. This way, those mistakes won't happen that often.

[Unit18_Nate]

Well you have a nice imagintaion, something I'm always envious of! :) Nice drawings, mister. :D

As for crits: It seems you already have a really good idea how body-parts are looking and how they are rendered. For instance in your SP, you have a nice render of the eyes and the nose. Only do they not fit together perfectly. The forehead looks very flat and bulky, the eyes look very different, leaving an odd feeling and the nose looks like it's extremely flat and broken. (no offense, man :)) It's the same with the Cat-girl-thingie. The neck is very long and her breasts are not very symmetrical. I think you should step back from your drawings and look at the overal proportions until you start rendering the details. This way, those mistakes won't happen that often.


I need to get back to doing some life drawings. That's for sure. This year I've really been trying to pick back up and get back to my artwork. The last time I did any artwork was 2002 and it's been even longer since I did any serious life drawing. I do need to get back to blocking things in better and getting things right before I render detail.
You comment on the eyes especially made me think about the way I drew them in this sketch. I drew the right one first then drew some other stuff then went back and tried to do the left one. I think that caused some of my problems. I didn't do a good enough job blocking them in at the same time either. I just did a little bit of mapping their position out. Back when I was in school and drawing every day I could get away with that but I think your right. I do need to spend more time getting the form right before I start on the details.
Thanks for the comments.

[Unit18_Nate]

I've been lurking a lot and haven't really updated my sketchbook. Nor have I really commented on others so I decided it was about time.
First a couple sketches of people around town.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/fisherman_web.jpg
Some guy fishing off a dock. This one was rushed and I was standing holding my sketchbook so it wasn't exactly ideal.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/bar_001-web.jpg
These are from a local bar.

Now for a couple sketches for paintings. I don't really do illustration. I'm just an artist I guess. Sometimes I do character and stuff for RPGs. Perhaps sometime soon I'll post up some of those. These however are just sketches for plain old paintings.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/deathmask_web.jpg
Deathmask. This one scares the locals. Or at least the ones who have seen it. If you knew the locals you wouldn't be supprised.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/Nathan/offering_web.jpg
Offering. I just did this one today. Haven't had a chance to confuse the locals with it.


Anyhow sometimes I wonder why I have a sketchbook here of all places since I'm not an illustraitor or concept artist. I think it's because most fine art sites are just full of crap. These sites tend to draw people with a little more skill and people unafraid to critique.

[~Faust~]

I like the boobies you draw :) Anyways, I think you should treat the noses with more love. They are actually one of the most beautiful features in a face if you happen to know them better! Love the second life-drawing you have a good eye.

[ApolloNuevo]

your faces need much work, i suggest getting reference of some faces in harsh lighting...this will reduce the forms to more abstract shape and help you see the relationship in a new light (pun intended)...but really, you are using symbols when you are drawing right now and that is bad. another technique is drawing from reference that is upside down.

-dan

[Druchii]

Just found this thread. ;) Nice work man! I agree with many of the comments on here, maybe this can keep us both drawing.

[kingcoyote]

Where's the new stuff, slacker?

The death mask pic is really cool, why haven't I seen this one before? I don't really have anything else to say right now, but if you post some NEW stuff, maybe I'll come back and bust your balls a little bit (who knows, I might even give you some ass pats... I can do that sometimes without seeming queer can't I?).

later.
KC

[Druchii]

maybe I'll come back and bust your balls a little bit (who knows, I might even give you some ass pats... I can do that sometimes without seeming queer can't I?).

later.
KC

I think me and Nate would rather have our balls massaged. I cannot speak with COMPLETE candor on this, seeing as how everyone's testicles require different kinds of levels of love and what not...

:D

[Unit18_Nate]

Where's the new stuff, slacker?

The death mask pic is really cool, why haven't I seen this one before? I don't really have anything else to say right now, but if you post some NEW stuff, maybe I'll come back and bust your balls a little bit (who knows, I might even give you some ass pats... I can do that sometimes without seeming queer can't I?).

later.
KC

No you can't give me ass pats without seeming queer. Now take this bitch!

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/alex.jpg
From Life

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/dian.jpg
Also from life.

Proof I need more life drawing practice as I am rusty as hell.

[Unit18_Nate]

I think me and Nate would rather have our balls massaged. I cannot speak with COMPLETE candor on this, seeing as how everyone's testicles require different kinds of levels of love and what not...

:D

Ummmm urrrrrrr.........

And with that......

On to the NAKED CHICKS!

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/nudesketch.jpg
A little dootle with exagerated proportions. I'm thinking I'm gonna work this into a painting somehow.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/raventribe_web.jpg
A concept sketch for a painting.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/windblown_web.jpg
Another concept sketch for a painting. This one will likely have very subtle color seeming almost monocromatic.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/tribal1_web.jpg
I'm trying to make the wall behind her seem a bit more modern but with pictogram style figures. I think I may decide to make the lower third or so of the wall look like a tile wall. That might do it.

http://michelle-lea.tripod.com/libertythumb_web.jpg
a pretty crude thumbnail for a painting concept I'm working on.

[kingcoyote]

Hey man! Check it out, I finally got around to commenting in this here sketch book! Sorry it took so long... You know, what with me having to internet at home and all...

Anyway, here goes! From top to bottom...
On the first one, did you really distort her proportions on purpose, or are you just claiming that? If is was on purpose, then why? I notice you seem to be drawn to the female form...

Second drawing rocks! This brings up the issue of consistency... I know that this is just a sketchbook, but there are two reasons to work in your sketchbook (well three, really, but the third is really just a blend of the first two). 1)to work out composition for a finished piece. This is a good reason, and I know it is your main reason most of the time. I'm not knocking that. 2)PRACTICE! Not only practice though, but also working out tones and proportions. The reason I bring this up right now is that this piece is a good drawing in its own right, not merely a quickly laid out rough. The concept's strong, the drawing's strong... That should be a good indicator of how the finished piece should go, innit? I notice you seem to be drawn to the female form...

Third drawing... Again with the distorted form. I really don't think it was intentional this time. Other than that, you did a really good laying in the values on her, and you modeled her body very well. I feel like the value of the mountains and the sky are too close together though. I notice you seem to be drawn to the female form...

Fourth... I agree that the tile will help modernize the wall. Right now it looks too much like a cave painting, really. When you go to the final painting, you might want to make the tiles a cool color to further distance it from antiquity.
I think (but I can't decide if I'm right about this) that her head's a tad on the small side. Her neck seems a little long as well. I really like these tribal concepts you're doing lately... but you already knew that. I notice you seem to be drawn to the female form...

Final... Have you considered changing the viewpoint so that you are below her, with pretty extreme foreshortening? This would not only make her look larger than life, but it would also make the painting more challenging for you, and kind of help push yourself ahead. I think it's a really good concept, and manages not to be trite, which political concepts can do all too easily. Oh... and maybe make her bigger... really fill up the picture with her... make it more about her. I notice you seem to be drawn to the female form...

Well that's it for now. You're doing some really great stuff, and I always enjoy seeing how you've been growing. Keep posting (and maybe get that slacker wife of yours to put some stuff up too).

Later.
KC

P.S. Did I mention that I notice you seem to be drawn to the female form?