Some nudes, first attempt (18+nudity, duh)...

[JoShuA]

Hello all. This is really my first attempt at real figure drawing. Im used to just doing comic book stuff and I feel Ive sort of got trapped into that style, ecpecially when drawing women. So Id like to thank Davi for posting the nude reference thread, these drawing come from the links he posted. Good classy stuff. THANKS DAVI!

Please let me know what your eyes see that mine did not.:cool:
http://images.deviantart.com/large/indyart/indymisc/Girl_looking_down.jpg
http://images.deviantart.com/large/indyart/indymisc/woman_standing_looking_down.jpg
http://images.deviantart.com/large/indyart/indymisc/woman_at_the_window.jpg
http://images.deviantart.com/large/indyart/indymisc/greek_girl_posing.jpg
http://images.deviantart.com/large/indyart/indymisc/figure_study_1.jpg

[Clodhopper]

looks good to me. It's still somewhat reminiscient of "comic book" style though to me. but there ain't nothin wrong with that...I tihnk its becuase you have very sharp hard edges and outlines...alot of the real "artsy life drawings" style I've seen in my classes focus more on lights and darks, I once heard "try not to think in terms of lines, only light and dark". maybe it can help ya if yer goin for smooth life drawing, but personally i like yer style with the hard lines better.

[JoShuA]

yeah, I see what you mean, as far as the hard lines being reminicent of the comic book style. I see alot of artists using darker color paper and white charcoal to emphisize the higlights. It's harder to do on regular white paper. but by no means Iam I making excuses Ive seen tons of artists who work on white paper that can totally bring out hightlights and see in terms of light and dark. I just need more practice. Thanks for the advice.

[Severith]

I personally like your sketches and the dark tones and lines are great, they show the shapes much better than lights... it is for studying shapes not studying light and shadows, thats why you do life drawing, teachers are stupid sometimes...

[JoShuA]

Thanks for the compliments, I still think I'd like to try the whole white charcoal thing. But it's confidence building to know that others are seeing what Im seeing when drawing form. Let's me know my eye isnt all that bad for seeing reality. So now I guess I should draw some ugly models, if I want a good dose of reality huh?:D
any ways as allways It is a pleasure to post on this forum.

[mR.anGel]

plan out ur composition more and DONT SMUDGE ur pencil lines...number 1 mistake we all do....its unprofessional and looks cheap....hatch hatch hatch...look around ull never see experieanced artist smudge ....getting away from that early is important ...Severith...what the hell are u talking about light and shade create shape, without it everything is flat...maybe u should listen to ur teachers theres a reason they are tEachers..criticing doesnt mean we dislike the drawings, we are just helping the artist develop, we all start in the bottom and ur teachers and piers are the ones that bring you to the top.:bash: :bash:

[JoShuA]

It's all good! If I dident want honest butal criticism I wouldent post here. I feel you on the whole crosshatching issue. It's just that when I'm in that creative mode, I just go to smudging by default. I understand that crosshatching a figure drawing implies that the artist ha invested deep thought into shadow shape and depth.
But i do have one question. If I dont smudge and only crosshatch, how can i get the highlights when Im drawing on white paper?

[mR.anGel]

erase them out ....the eraser is a tool just like the pencil..it not only to erase mess ups! what i've been duin lately is i shade the whole object and erase the obvious highlghts ..and ur drawing is half done..the go into the half shadows the half light and finally the darkest darks ..then if u like some highlights but not many there should only be one or two lightest parts where the light hits directly..:chug:

[brokencow]

i have the 2nd to the last picture...nice photo..

[kellam]

Okay - I'll weigh in with a few constructive comments. I've practiced life drawing for 30 some-odd years and am still learning. I'm an animation student currently and can assure you that life-drawing skills are the core of believable figure animation; that is why animators spend so much time honing those skills.

One of the first things is to learn to see well when you look - look for the relationship of the components of the figure, not just the major blocks but the minor parts as well. The best two exercises for developing this skill are 1) structural drawing and 2) drawing the negative space (the space around an objest that makes the gaps and holes in the silhoutte).

Starting out by trying to draw "Comic book style" can be a very damaging process because good comic book artists distort the figure like crazy to get their effects, however, they start from a firm understanding of anatomy and image structure. If you just try to copy them, you don't understand why it works, no matter how accurately you copy. Also when starting from comic books, it's easy to get wrapped up in drawing something that is a cool idea rather than something that works to convey energy and emotion. I would say to all beginning artist students visiting this site: Forget drawing things that are cool ideas until you learn to draw well enough to do the idea justice.

To study the structure of a human, work from the inside out, learn to create a simplified yet accurate depiction of the skeletal and muscle masses.

Enough preaching - I'll sound like one of those stupid teachers - specific points:

Dwg 1: draw in an interior structure - the hips are not substantial as drawn; the dark space behind the arm on the stomach and waist doesn't balance with the overall tone and leaves that area flat with no feeling of contour. The knees and elbows are nicely done. The face is twisted and the mouth is flat - that angle is one of the most difficult to get a realistic looking mouth. Try drawing less of a lipstick style mouth and just suggest the shape with the lip meeting line.

I won't take on each drawing - in general, concetrate on structure, particualrly in the shoulders and be aware of the shape of each shadow, why it is where it is, and how the intensity of the shadow varies to indicate roundness - it is just a code that represents 3D reality - watch for reflected light.

Sorry for the rant, but I respond strongly to people that have the courage to ask for honest critique. You've got a good sense of dynamics - that shows in such areas as you treatment of hands and feet - thinking in terms of internal shape and function will serve you abilities out to the rest of the figure.

[WildSpruceMoose]

Your style has all of the realism it needs to be considered "fine art" with just the right amount of line art etc. to make it like a comic.

It is very effective at portraying the human body, in a creative and exagerrated perhaps?...manner. I only hope I'll be able to draw figures like these very soon. ;)