Journey of an Absolute Rookie: Paintings and Sketches

[MindCandyMan]

October 15th

NoonThirty - I think that approach to drawing the face is really really good. I am going to try that tonight. It makes sense to just draw everything lightly...I feel embarassed I didn't think of doing that hehehe...so simple but so good. Keeping the big picture in mind is something that is important I am starting to see. It doesn't matter how good an "eye" looks Thanks for the compliments on the portrait. Yeah I was going for a van goghish type of look. Yeah I might paint that wizards altar this weekend I think...I liked that design too thanks . I had a blast drawing that...it started off as three legs of a robot but then I ditched that idea and went with the wizard theme type thing. Thanks so much for your encouragement Noon I really appreciate it. It helps me keep going!

Here's the two newest pics...one is a self portrait and the other is just practicing values...tear them up.

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[Smeagol71]

Greetings brother! Your most accurate portrait to date, good job. I see you were trying to develop the "less is more" principle we talked about. Great studies with the spheres too, nice use of the existing canvas colors you chose.

Keep up the great work spanky!

[Dark_Crystal]

Nice job on the value studies, they look awesome

The main problem I can see with the portrait Is that the forhead looks to small. The eyes are usually around halfway on the head.

[MindCandyMan]

October 16

I totally didn't feel good at all last night. So this is a byproduct of that. As far as the halo and other little chalkboard thing. I'm sorry...I have no excuse hehe.

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Smeagol71 - Hey bro (he is really my brother )...thanks for the encouragement. Before I worry about the shading the image I need to get down where everything goes first. So I am just trying to do that "less is more" type of thing. Thanks for all your help.

Dark_Crystal - Thanks! Yeah I noticed that about the portrait too. I actually wasn't quite sure about the ratio so thanks! I know it probably just seemed like a small thing to you but actually those little details really really help me when I draw. I keep them in mind so thanks!!

[MindCandyMan]

I hate the human face...





I will be away this weekend but I am bringing my drawing supplies...but I won't be able to post until monday morning. So look for my stuff from the weekend then. See ya.

[cmortier2002]

Long time no draw... tOO mUCH wORK ... now the weekend is coming and I just get my new Wacom tablet...

Mind: You last portrait is great, I see a lot of improvement in it, the shading is a LOT better. You're moving so fast compare to me ... for me and for you.

Anyway, here is what I just done with my wacom and painter, with the airbrush tool... this is my promised second apple study, I tried to put a bright highlight...



Mind : I will draw all the weekend, and try to get my skills a fast as you.:p

[MindCandyMan]

cmortier - I like that last apple it has a real cartoony style to it. I like it a lot. I can see some definite improvement. Nice! You just got your new wacom tablet that's awesome! They are fun fun fun. When you do your next apple go for realism. Stick to that tutorial as close as you can...it will really help. I need to paint some apples tonight too. Great job man keep it up.

Here are my latest slew of images from the weekend:


I had to go away for the weekend...my wife, graciously, offerred to drive on the way up so I could draw in the car. This was my self portrait done in the car looking at that flip down mirror thing on the visor.

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This is me trying to understand Loomis and get a human head right...I like a couple of the heads but over all I need wayyyyy more practice with this as you can see:

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This was just a gargoyle and a tower that I doodled in the car as well:

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I felt like experimenting with my self portrait last night and this is what I came out with...

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This was a quick robot I did for the robot thread. This is totally bizarre but I thought about what if there was a tiny daddy long legs that was used as a spy tool that could record people's conversations and all...it's late right now heheh. At any rate here it is.

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[Smeagol71]

That last portrait is creepy! I see you have a hidden visitor behind you too..LOL! Good work bro, keep it up. Your stuff just keeps getting better!

[MindCandyMan]

October 21
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Thanks so much for the encouragement bro. I appreciate it. Slowly but surely hehe.

Here are my latest pics. Last night was a really weird night just to warn you.


Ok here is my first pic. Just as a disclaimer I was REALLY REALLY tired last night. My wife got me a new computer chair too and it is really comfortable and makes me want to sleep heheh. But here is the first product of exhaustion. It's really really bad sorry.

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This was another portrait that started off as a self portrait but then it started to not look like me at all so I just went with it and finished out the drawing...weird.

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This is something I wanted to post as well because I think everyone should do this...I take a notebook with me whereever I go and try to sketch just little things. I sketch people waiting for the train...reading their papers...people standing...etc...or whatever I want. All quick sketches. I think it's really good to always be drawing. Try it...it's really fun. Little do these people know...I am spying on them.

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[MindCandyMan]

October 22nd
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Hey guys here is my stuff from last night:


This started off as a normal self portrait but I was so angry with how crappy my boss treated me yesterday. She is a really unhappy person I think. But at any rate here is a release for my anger. I will get back to the basics tonight...had too much emotion inside last night.

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Just drawing my hand to get some practice:

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Here is another page from my spiral bound notebook. I quickly sketched more unsuspecting people on the train and waiting for the train. Some other sketches too.

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[MindCandyMan]

October 23rd
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My stuff from yesterday.

More quick sketches of people on the train, etc..

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I tried to draw this mug...rather unsuccessfully.

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Last night I had a hard time. It was difficult to look myself straight in the eyes. I felt really sad.

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[MindCandyMan]

October 24th
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[MindCandyMan]

I AM COMING UP ON MY 2 MONTH ANNIVERSARY DRAWING!!!! So you all can buy me some big presents! Yeah right hehe...I don't plan on stopping either...it is becoming steadily frustrating but fun at the same time. I love challenges. Anyways...here is my stuff from the weekend. Sorry for the broken links...phantomarts reached its bandwidth limits recently.

Here is a self portrait done with the pencil tool.

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These are some animal sketches that I did with a book as my guide. I am trying to learn how to draw their anatomy...wow talk about hard. As I was drawing I was saying to my friend...ok yeah I am gonna have to do this like a thousand times before I can do it from memory heheh. Anyways here they are:

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I snuck away from my desk at work on friday and drew this with my ball point pen...I just opened a magazine real quick and found an interesting picture of a gorilla and then tried to sketch it...here is the flawed result:

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I like to do this periodically with pastel stick just to show myself that I am making progress. I give myself like 1.5 minutes or like 2 minutes to draw my sp...I usually do this type of thing on the weekend. So here is my most recent one...

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This tomato study was done using a tutorial to help me with the tools, setup....etc... I am doing to do this again...it didn't turn out half as good as it could have. So I will try again.

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There is a discovery that works in painter that I absolutely had to share...if you use the "just add water" tool as a support technique for the grainy water brush you can blend really well. The grainy water brush is under Liquid in the brushes category of painter 7. Just leave the grainy water brush to it's original settings and also the just add water if you don't know what you're doing (I screwed up the brush once trying to play with it heheh)...but try that out...I used the digital airbrush, etc... and did that to blend the tones. The tutorial recommended only the "just add water" tool but I found the grainy water one worked best. Try it out!


Here is my latest picture for the "Stream of Consciousness" thread:

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Ok I think that's it. Have a good day everyone.

[Smeagol71]

Wow...I'm really impressed! Tutorial or not, your attention to detail, your ability to see is really improving. Those tomatoes are nice and I like the landscape too. Keep pushing those tools and playing around with new ways to do things bro! Keep up the good work!

Oh...by the way. Play around with the wetness and dry rates on your water brushes and you'll notice some neat effects!

[cmortier2002]

Your selfportraits start to be very good Mindcandy. Keep going If you can do that after 2 months, imagine what you will do in a year.

I haven't done the tutorials, will probably do them in a week or so.

[coriat]

dude!! you are getting so much better FAST!!

just wanted to say that keep it up...:thumbsup:

nice dream-stream thingy...
oh yeah, i had this totally kickass idea for it and i just forget all about it, thanks for reminding!




wow, DUDE!! you are brilliant

[MindCandyMan]

Hey guys thanks so much for the encouragment I really appreciate it! My dad always told me that the plodders are the ones that win. So that's what I am doing...just plodding along drawing every day. I figure...the more hours I spend doing it...the more mistakes I make...the better I will become and the quicker I will get there. My wife has been really supportive by allowing me to sketch and paint into the wee hours of the night...not to mention doing virtually everything around the house and working...she is too awesome for words. At any rate thanks so much guys...this kind of positive feedback helps me be motivated to move forward and draw even more! Thanks again for the encouragement! You guys are the best!

:electric: :trippy: :flower: :ep:

[MindCandyMan]

October 28th
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I felt so alone last night. I could see my own sinfulness and I felt like the shadows were winning.

[MindCandyMan]

October 29th
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Here are my latest images. Page from my on the train sketchbook, a value study, and a self portrait... Bada Bing Bada boom.

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[MindCandyMan]

October 30th
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Here the latest stuff.

This is a self portrait inspired by the style of "Blackhawk" in the guest self portrait gallery. I think this is the closes likeness to myself I think I have achieved so far.

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This is a stream of consciousness that I did for the "stream of consciousness" speed painting thread.

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This is another one of my ongoing value studies hehe.

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[MindCandyMan]

More stuff from October 30th
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This is a page from my quick sketches on the train

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This was actually something really funny. Since it is Halloween people are dressing up and all...I saw this guy waiting for a train and he looked hilarious...a business man with this briefcase bag thingee and glasses wearing this bizarre outfit...I had to sketch him.

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[MindCandyMan]

Happy Halloween hehe...


So it inspired me to do this later that night...It isn't that great but I was falling asleep at my keyboard hehe.

[MindCandyMan]

November 1 - 3
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Here is the stuff from November 1st through the third.


I did this as a surprise for my nephew for Christmas...I am going to frame it and give it to him. He really likes Rolie Polie Olie so I painted it for him hehe. If you know my nephew don't tell him or his mom (my sister) hehe!

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Some self portraits. The last four are total crap...sorry I had a really hard time this weekend.

This first one was for Andrew in the guest self portrait thread...I tried to do something unique.

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These two were frustration pics...I couldn't get it right so I drew myself fat. I saved that one and moved on to the next one which you see right after it. Really frustrating.

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These last two were last night's.....ARRRGGGHHHHHHH talk about frustration...the first pic is step one and the second is the crappy final result. Looks absolutely nothing like me...stupid frustrating drawing.

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[MindCandyMan]

November 4th
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Step by step self portrait from last night:

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Here are two stream of consciousness paintings I did last night as well:

This is the love totem.

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The sheltered bird's nest:

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Here are three self portraits that I did last night for fun as well:

Scratchboard tool

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Leaky pen tool

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Fine point Pen tool

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Sketches from my binder:

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[MindCandyMan]

Some self portraits.

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This one was done in the window of the train as I rode home...that's my friend there in the other side of the reflection.

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Wit the help of Seegmiller and his site...laid down some tones and painted away.

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Some really strange things come out in my sketchbook on the train...bizarre stuff. You get a look into my brain here hehe.

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[MindCandyMan]

November 7th
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Hey guys this is stuff from last night.

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What I did on this self portrait was an experiment. I didn't erase or undo at all. I wanted to see where my problem areas were...found a lot hehe.

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[MindCandyMan]

November 8 - 10
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I had another self portrait in my sketchbook but I forgot to bring it here to work to scan so i will have to post that tomorrow. Here is some stuff from the weekend. This weekend was crazy busy...glad to be back in my normal schedule hehe.

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I realized with this self portrait that I have no idea how to shade that's for sure.

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[MindCandyMan]

November 11th
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The pencil sketch self portrait is from the weekend. The other one was done in painter last night.

HB pencil in around 15 minutes.

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Probably like 1.5 hours or somewhere similar to that time. Had to fix a lot of things as I went.

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Some of keyth's gladiatorial characters inspired this one. Drew this on the train with my ball point pen.

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[MindCandyMan]

Stuff from yesterday
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[MindCandyMan]

November 13th
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The Hamburger Helper Self Portrait: