(alenah´s) sketchbook

[alenah]

hi, I am new here,
been a fan of CA for a long time,
but only now I´ve decided to start my sketchbook here, too;

although I´ve been doing illustration & concept work for some time already,
looking at all those amazing and inspirative other member´s sketchbooks or galleries makes me sometimes feel like my own "art journey" has only begun
(and makes me want to learn more each time; this learning process never ends, I know ..)
so I thought I´d start a sb thread, where I´d share some sketches, concepts, ideas, brush experiments or techniques-tests (or maybe just some primitive idea-capturing doodles or scriblings that I often produce as a side-effect when trying to do some "more serious" work; or maybe whatever else .. )

I do not know where this may go, as I do not have much time
(a freelance illustrator/2D-image-post-processing & visual/concept artist; self-taught),
but I´ll try to share what I´ll do or learn as I go, from time to time, either traditional or digital ..
hopefully it might perhaps be of some interest for someone here ..
Pls feel free to post any kind of feedback, welcome,
a.

Before I post something new,
here´s a series of some older work,
that I - pretty randomly - picked from my site-portfolio or other forums´ sketchbooks or galleries of mine, and so ..










+ process ..



+ the process




(I am learning ZBrush, lately)
and this is what I got while experimenting with brushes;
trying to add the 3rd dimension to my 2D-flat PS brushes








there´s a little bit more info about how these were created
(+ a few *gif animated "making-of" demos of my older images)
in a separate "Demos & Step-by-step" thread of mine >>

thanks for visiting,
a.

[alenah]

here are a few anatomy-studies (both digital and trad.) ..

(my left) hand studies






and the one of my collegue (sketched while waiting for a client meeting,
the client was a bit late .. )


eye studies




and something different,
a creature-head (learning ZBrush; still do not know how to render/use lights & materials properly, so this was only "rendered"/composited "manually", in PS)


a peacock illustration (Painter X)


and - lately I am also trying to get into environment/matte-painting a bit,
so - here´s a few simple clouds-painting attempts .. (Painter, PS)




a.

[Bartovan]

Hi Alena, great to see you started a sketchbook here too! I know your work from another forum. Great start, and I'm looking forward to see more of your work.

[alenah]

Hi Bart, thanks for welcome,
nice of you



update, a few more ..

quick gesture studies








trad. watercolor study


a couple of stylized-style portrait studies




realistic-looking organic surface studies




+ a few other randomly picked pics

[codyevansdesign]

very nice and stunning work. I look forward for more to come.

[Dahami]

Good stuff!

[Eiki]

Hey

I've seen your work at cgtalk before.
Stunning work and nice individual style

[destinyapocalypse]

dude very nice jobs

[alenah]

codyevansdesign, thanks

Dahami, thanks

hey Eiki/Sebastian - you were the first to say hallo & welcome in my CGS sketchbook back in 2008, remember?
nice to see same people are visiting different forums,
thanks!

thanks, destinyapocalypse!


...
a face (& light) study, just a quick sketch ..



and here´s - I don´t know - just something,
one-eyed-creature
(wip, pencil, Painter X)


started with initial pencil drawing,
then added some rough shading (& patterns to get more "information" to work with for blending in the very next step),
then used Painter´s blenders to blend it all smoothly togehter ..
here´s a simple 3-steps making-of animation ..



.. and here´s a short real-time demo, movie of the process (200 % speed actually),
download: *mov, about 4 MB >>

maybe I´ll take this one a bit further ..
a.

[Fiddzy]

These are all really great, amazing even. I really like the studies you have done of the Human eye.

Double thumbs up!

[alenah]

Fiddzy, thanks,
I´ll (hopefully) scan some more soon

..
forgot to post another (older) creature
(or - creature´s smile study);
ZBrush, composited & painted/airbrushed in PS


+ a pencil study, a bit less "psycho" ..

[Puppet.]

Hey Alenah, great stuff you have here, how long have you been doing this?
You should try to do some more realistic sculpts even tough your creatures look realy great.
keep it up

[alenah]

thanks, Puppet.
I first heard about ZBrush last year, so - started learning -
and - was learning for about 3 or 4 months,
but - since then - I could not proceed learning untill now (I almost had no free time), so that´s pretty that long ..

and - concerning my skills - very little, actually;
I´ve only learnt a few basic techniques so far (that basically means only pulling/pushing clay with brushes on a sphere, literarly) -
which is not very much, indeed;
I still have no idea of "correct" 3D workflow (if any), no idea of how to make nice renders,
- I even still can´t figure out how to manage my meshflow (to keep my model "sculptable", at least )

I am learning by myself (trial & mistake method at my home studio - no skilled collegue available for help, unfortunatelly; I only get some great and valuable help from time to time from other CGTalk or ZBC members),
so - since I´ve never ever had any 3D experience before, my learning curve is very slow, I´d say -

so - just to illustrate - here´s a few of my "best of", so far,
long way to go









the last one is my entry for CGTalk sculpting workshop "Animals in Repose"
- I only could make this to this level with a huge help of other participants, anytime I got stucked ..

[alenah]

some more eyes ..





an oil-pastel anatomy study

[Brewmaster]

I think I finally know what jealousy feels like.
Only odd thing I noticed was the thumb on the blue fist in the second post looks like it should be facing upward a little bit.

[alenah]

Brewmaster, thanks
yep, it was not easy to make my collegue keep his hand (and his thumb in particular) not changing its pose while I was trying to sketch it

update,
one-eyed-creature, another stage

[zou]

great style, a lot of energy

i like the eyes, the hatching is awesome. it's clearely artistic and sensitive

looking for more

[alenah]

thanks, zou


some nose studies ..

[Mischeviouslittleelf]

Quite an expressive style you got here mate. Funny way you have complimented that with a Da Vinci esque line quality^^

-E

[Irrlaeufer]

great stuff. you definitely have your own style. i'm looking forward to seeing more :

[alenah]

Mischeviouslittleelf, thanks,
.. sounds like an compliment^^,
nice of you

Irrlaeufer, thanks a lot!


a cat-creature design


some simple enviro-thumbnails, just for light&value practice


and - this is what I got when (some time ago) I got inspired - at once - by Andrew A. Jones and Craig Mullins
I never knew that painting those thumbnails can be such a fun ..

[alenah]

[alenah]

another PS brush experiment ..
(geometric-shape brushes only)

[alenah]

just some fun with watercolor inks ..

[Eiki]

Hey alenah!

Funny to here that I was the first posting in your thread at cgtalk wasn't aware of that atm ^^

But how did you recognize me? I had another nick there? ... ^^



Well, great work with the last one! Amazing quality in your work, please keep posting, I love what you are doing Inspiring stuff here

[alenah]

.. I noticed when your nick changed -
(I did not know that was possible, until then - so I remember you )

thanks for dropping in, glad you like my sb

here´s a little speedie I did today - a creature, still very wip ..

[neovirtu]

I'll be keeping a watch here, I love your traditonal sketches.

[Pixie Trick]

Lovely and expressive work! I like your traditionals a great deal more than your 2D digitals, though. The traditionals have a great deal more life and skill. Really like the watercolour inks. I shall be watching for updates!

[alenah]

neovirtu, thanks

Pixie Trick, thanks, nice to hear you like my traditionals

..
I do not have much time for any personal work at the moment, but lately I was working on a series of some "woman/fashion" editorial designs,
so I am posting here a few of them too ..
(watercolor & mixed media)
a.

[danlucas]

Wow! Impressed. You have some fabulous work here! your digital still lifes are great! I also love your pencil studies. Your lines are so fluid and full of emotion. I strive to create my drawings with fluidity and gracefulness like yours. I have to take a second look at your work because its just plain awesome.

Cheers, I'm workin on my sketchbook, its coming along slowly as i have time in college. Keep up the good work, I will be checking in frequently.

what is your tek for the those watercolor, magazine pieces? Those are beautiful.