Emotive Boy

[LooneyMann]

I did this as photoshop painting practice. I used a deviantart photo i found as reference. I can't seem to find it again [i'd saved it], so forgive me for not crediting the photographer. I'm posting my painting and the reference photo, though the photo's contrast had been upped a bit since i found the original pic to be too flat-looking.

Anyhoo, tell me what you think, C&C encouraged! I need a lot of drawing from life practice, so this is me trying to do that. =P

[Serpian]

Drawing from life means drawing from life, not from a photo! :D Nevertheless, photo reference is necessarily bad, but going to the mall to do some sniper-sketching is better.

To crit the picture, I think he's too tall - or too slim. The head is skewed and off, as is the hand. Try using harder brushes, it's pretty muddy now. (Not that I know anything about PS, but...)

But I think overall it's good, and keep practicing!

[LooneyMann]

Haha by "drawing from life" I actually just meant "not drawing from imagination, but practicing with something real." I should have clarified. =P

Thanks for pointing those things out. I'm gonna work more on it soon.

[ChimaeraChan]

Even with the proportional flaws, I really like where you're headed. It has an emotional aspect that the original photograph only hints at. It's just those little spots like the neck and the way the legs and arms relate to the torso that makes my eye stop and ruins the effect. Have you tried starting a new layer and sketching the figure placement above it? Sometimes something so simple can help you put it all together better than trying to fix different parts one at a time.

[LooneyMann]

Thanks! : D

I'm not sure what you mean, exactly, with the new layer.. could you clarify?

[earthstormjim]

It helps a lot to do a sketch that defines some proportions, then u can always render and render on upside layers, for the rendering I like a lot that u didn't get to the bottom of the rocks but other places like the hair ned more work

[Justin.]

Drawing from life means drawing from LIFE.

Drawing from photos is WAY different. Photos have 1 eye, we have 2. Depth perception.


The horizons are a bit off, but you got the proportions good. The problem with THAT is that there is some MAJOR camera lens effect. Look how large his head is in this picture. You just learned warped proportions- that is why it is critical to draw from life and not photos... Using photos as quick reference, or as a crutch is fine, but using it for studies like this does little, if any good. You want to learn proportions and anatomy right the -first time-. So go outside and draw people!!!