Here we have a young Nicole Kidman, Pixar's Mr Incredible and an eye, enjoy!
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Back with tutorials!
Hello everybody! It's been a while but now I finally have specific tutorials! Each tutorial will be done in little parts throughout the week depending on the feedback I get and the time I have available to me. The tutorial will focus on one subject and by using these tutorials I hope to give a hands on help with certain subjects before returning to key topics in my regular series. Also I will be looking for people to do actually do the tutorials and send me suggestions as comments so I can make the tutorials better and any ideas/requests for future tutorials, in the meantime here is a sample of how I have been practising recently.
Here we have a young Nicole Kidman, Pixar's Mr Incredible and an eye, enjoy!
Here we have a young Nicole Kidman, Pixar's Mr Incredible and an eye, enjoy!
Monday, 18 July 2011
Ch 2: Beginning steps - Basic drawing techniques
This is a quick follow up to Ch 1 and focuses on using regular lead pencils in your drawing to better effect. Last time I discussed the various different types of pencils and their uses. This time I am going to try and show you how I apply this knowledge to my drawings by showing you a couple of examples. Please note each of these drawings can be enlarged by clicking on them and the fact they are all people is just coincidence, I can draw other stuff!! To begin with for each of these drawings (they are in various stages of being finished but they still show the techniques well enough) I started with an outline of basic shapes and features, using blocky and simplified shapes. Then I proceeded to expand on these and work towards the final piece. These images show the pics at, generally, about the halfway stage. I have added the basic details and am starting to differentiate them from each other more distinctly:
Firstly we have a random guy I copied from a magazine. I have just finished the basic feature outlining, you can still see the basic construction lines. I have done this with a '2H' pencil and then moved on to using an 'HB' to lightly bring out the hair and shadow on the left side of his face. I have started more seriously on the left eye and the nostrils but left the right eye in just '2H' so that you can see the difference between the two techniques. Although the difference is subtle it is very important when bringing out details like giving depth to fur, eyes, foliage etc without pressing too hard and potentially making a mistake on a critical piece of the picture.
Firstly we have a random guy I copied from a magazine. I have just finished the basic feature outlining, you can still see the basic construction lines. I have done this with a '2H' pencil and then moved on to using an 'HB' to lightly bring out the hair and shadow on the left side of his face. I have started more seriously on the left eye and the nostrils but left the right eye in just '2H' so that you can see the difference between the two techniques. Although the difference is subtle it is very important when bringing out details like giving depth to fur, eyes, foliage etc without pressing too hard and potentially making a mistake on a critical piece of the picture.
Next up is Rihanna. Looking back this is not particularly well proportioned but it illustrates the technique well enough. This picture is more developed - I have already started adding quite a high level of detail to the hair. '2H' has again been used for the majority of the shading, particularly on the skin, whereas the 'HB' has been reserved just for details such as the eyes. This is important because 'HB' shading on the face can be quite dark (although Rihanna does have quite dark skin). This makes it very difficult to get the eyes to stand out in comparison to the skin without compromising the picture's reality and making her eyes almost black and leaving no room for varying shades of grey etc. I have also tried to be more subtle with my mix of '2H' and 'HB', the transitions between the two should generally be as smooth as possible to prevent, isolated dark lines. This can make the picture look 'cartoony', a common complaint of beginners. This is usually due to over enthusiastic focus on the main features, especially the eyes, and can be prevented by using light pencils, (the 'H's') to gently test out the areas that need shading and slowly build up the shading, giving a much more realistic effect! This can be more time consuming but the end result is far more satisfying. The highlighting in this picture is done principally on the facial features and parts of the hair - to give depth.
This is my final example and represents one of my best uses of this technique. This is Emma Watson. This particular sketch took me quite a long time and although I haven't got round to doing the hair, the face is almost complete. After having blocked out the picture I started gently sketching in the features and then the shadows, taking care to keep all the different shades of grey in the correct relation to each other. The right eye is particularly shaded, with the left still needing a little work. I was tempted to use a 'B' on the eye but managed to stick with the 'HB'. The '2H' was gradually used to build up gentle shading around the face, as I started to make the colours darker I gradually built up the intensity of pencil marks until I could move onto an 'HB' with the most gradual transition my patience would allow me. The thing that I am most proud of in this drawing is the relatively low shading intensity around the face which somehow makes the drawing seem so much more realistic. It is the most important thing I learnt from doing this sketch and something I have tried to remember for the future!
What's Next??
For the next part of this series I will be looking at different shading methods and techniques. These initial articles are designed to help introduce people to key skills and concepts that will eventually build up to full tutorials on sketching specific subjects and techniques that I use to sketch a variety of things. For now, I would suggest experimenting with different grades of pencils in your drawings using some of the tips above. As always feel free to comment, request and ask any questions you like :)
Friday, 15 July 2011
Artist of the Week - 1 New stuff!!!
Hey everyone!!! I was hoping to post up a little example of using different pencil types to create different effects today, but unfortunately a very kind and slightly absent minded girl (you know who you are!!) was looking after my sketches and pencils, she took this a little too far though, actually 30+ miles away from me too far!!! So now I'm gonna have to wait till Monday to post them up
1. What I like a lot about this drawing is the facial expression, it came out exactly as I planned it to be, and as an artist you know most things never work as planned!
2. I always found armour to be one of my weaknesses but sometimes I surprise myself, and i do it correctly!
3. I like the idea of this picture more than the actual drawing itself. Even though she enjoys dressing as a bit of a tomboy she is forced to play the role of a girly girl.
Thanks for checking out my artwork, I hoped you liked it! :)
For more info and more fantastic artwork of Aareyn's please check out her deviant art gallery and personal page!!! The link is: http://aareyn.deviantart.com/gallery/
My Personal Comments
One of the first things that caught my eye about Aareyn's art is her very high level of draughtsmanship with a pencil. This ties in nicely with the themes around this weeks tutorial. Another thing that I like about her drawings is the way that she often leaves construction lines in her sketches which allows the person viewing the picture to almost follow her thought process. I think that a lot of beginners/intermediate artists often get hung up on constantly making sure their sketches look perfect, but of course this is often very difficult, time consuming and can often be demoralising! If you do a 'bad' sketch/drawing then try and continue with it and use it as a learning experience, rather than another addition to the waste paper basket!!
However I am going to take this opportunity to make a little announcement!! Since my blog is all about encouraging artwork in up and coming artists, recognising talent and sharing our skills I have decided to introduce a little feature called: 'Artist of the Week' this feature is dedicated to displaying new people's work and ideas from all over the place. To this end I posted up a couple of requests on some forums and got some fantastic responses, one of which I'm happy to introduce to you today!! This is an open invitation for everybody to leave as much comments as they would like to about any of my posts, feel free to leave constructive criticism, and also if you would like to get involved by featuring your artwork on my blog just get in touch through my comments or my deviant art page (a fantastic website in itself!!!): http://theantidoctor.deviantart.com/
I am really excited about the range of fantastic artists that we will get to have a look at through the coming weeks. So without further ado I will hand you over to the best person to introduce you to her artwork, herself:
Introduction
Hi, my online name is Aareyn and I am going to tell you a little bit about my artwork and some of the techniques and inspiration and equipment I use to create it.
Inspiration
A big part of my inspiration comes from movies I watch or music I'll listen to while I draw. But when it seems I can't even get inspiration from these things I often turn to some of my favourite artist's work to boost my morale.
Techniques/Equipment
I always use a 0.7 mechanical pencil when I draw and I always find it handy to have a kneaded eraser by my side, but when I do digital work I like to use photoshop mainly to touch up my drawings.
Well my technique is unorthodox to say the least, half the time I don't even know what I am going to draw until I actually start sketching out a light figure. It's kind of like dropping a bunch of building blocks into a pile, I don't really know where they are going to fall. I really don't recommend this as I find it easier to draw when I do have a general outline before I start drawing.
Examples of Work
1. What I like a lot about this drawing is the facial expression, it came out exactly as I planned it to be, and as an artist you know most things never work as planned!
2. I always found armour to be one of my weaknesses but sometimes I surprise myself, and i do it correctly!
3. I like the idea of this picture more than the actual drawing itself. Even though she enjoys dressing as a bit of a tomboy she is forced to play the role of a girly girl.
Thanks for checking out my artwork, I hoped you liked it! :)
For more info and more fantastic artwork of Aareyn's please check out her deviant art gallery and personal page!!! The link is: http://aareyn.deviantart.com/gallery/
My Personal Comments
One of the first things that caught my eye about Aareyn's art is her very high level of draughtsmanship with a pencil. This ties in nicely with the themes around this weeks tutorial. Another thing that I like about her drawings is the way that she often leaves construction lines in her sketches which allows the person viewing the picture to almost follow her thought process. I think that a lot of beginners/intermediate artists often get hung up on constantly making sure their sketches look perfect, but of course this is often very difficult, time consuming and can often be demoralising! If you do a 'bad' sketch/drawing then try and continue with it and use it as a learning experience, rather than another addition to the waste paper basket!!
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Demons!!!
I recently came across this artist who specialises in quite dark, Gothic, work with some interesting themes, especially in her latest piece!!! And I thought you guys might be interested.... Ever seen a mixture of demons and sign language?? No?! Well then check this out: http://metztligen.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3o7hzc
Enjoy ;)
Enjoy ;)
Interesting links
Hey, everyone, this is a new online art forum that i stumbled upon and thought you might like. It is dedicated to all things creative, anything from drawing to sketching. I hope you enjoy :)
Link: http://www.notebookinhand.com/
Link: http://www.notebookinhand.com/
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Ch 1: Beginning steps - Basic drawing equipment
Right, for my very first tutorials I am going to have a quick look at some of the different types of artists equipment.
First the basic sketching pencil. (I know it's very basic!!! But it doesn't mean it's not important!!)
Different Types
The pencil, with the possible exception of the paintbrush, will definitely be the most used item of equipment you will possess. You will have many because you will be constantly losing them (at least I do!!!) so it is good to get used to the different types. Ordinary lead pencils come in a range of values from 'B' to 'H' these values are usually displayed on the handle of the pencil. These letters represent either end of the scale describing the relative hardness of the pencil lead. 'B' is for softer lead pencils, 'H' for harder lead pencils. In front of this letter is a number denoting how far up the scale it is. For example '4B' is a pretty soft pencil, '2B' is still soft but not so much, '2H' is quite hard and '4H' is harder still. The only exception to this rule is the 'HB' pencil which is in the middle of the two and the most common value, used by many people everyday.
Different effects and general use
The pencil will probably form the underlying form to the majority of your work. The softer the pencil the darker the line it will produce. It will also lose it's point much quicker and not last as long as a harder pencil in consequence. Less pressure will need to be exerted to produce a line. Low level 'B's are best used by confident sketchers who draw defined, simple, lines and drawings (such as anime). Higher level 'B's are more likely to be used as shading or to pick out specific details in a pencil sketch. The 'HB' is the jack of all trades and provides a balance of different lines that can be controlled with a conscious change of pressure on the pencil. 'H's are used for fine, lighter lines for the less confident sketcher or if the work is going to be painted over etc.
Typical price and places of purchase
10p - 80p+ (GBP) per pencil. At literally any stationers, some supermarkets even, basically everywhere. 'Artists' pencils are available but no particular difference in quality.
Maintenance
Very little, sharpening can be done with a pencil sharpener, knife, even a rough piece of ground! Note mechanical pencils are also available and allow refills and negate the need for a pencil sharpener.
My personal experience and preference
I have sketched with a wide variety of pencils and found over time that i generally prefer to use a '2H'. This is because it provides quite light lines that are easily expanded upon and I often change my work quite a bit. Also due to it's relative longevity it doesn't need a lot of sharpening allowing for lines of constant intensity and width to be drawn, while remaining nicely visible.
That's all for now, please feel free to let me know your favourite type of pencil and why in the comments section below :)
First the basic sketching pencil. (I know it's very basic!!! But it doesn't mean it's not important!!)
Different Types
The pencil, with the possible exception of the paintbrush, will definitely be the most used item of equipment you will possess. You will have many because you will be constantly losing them (at least I do!!!) so it is good to get used to the different types. Ordinary lead pencils come in a range of values from 'B' to 'H' these values are usually displayed on the handle of the pencil. These letters represent either end of the scale describing the relative hardness of the pencil lead. 'B' is for softer lead pencils, 'H' for harder lead pencils. In front of this letter is a number denoting how far up the scale it is. For example '4B' is a pretty soft pencil, '2B' is still soft but not so much, '2H' is quite hard and '4H' is harder still. The only exception to this rule is the 'HB' pencil which is in the middle of the two and the most common value, used by many people everyday.
Different effects and general use
The pencil will probably form the underlying form to the majority of your work. The softer the pencil the darker the line it will produce. It will also lose it's point much quicker and not last as long as a harder pencil in consequence. Less pressure will need to be exerted to produce a line. Low level 'B's are best used by confident sketchers who draw defined, simple, lines and drawings (such as anime). Higher level 'B's are more likely to be used as shading or to pick out specific details in a pencil sketch. The 'HB' is the jack of all trades and provides a balance of different lines that can be controlled with a conscious change of pressure on the pencil. 'H's are used for fine, lighter lines for the less confident sketcher or if the work is going to be painted over etc.
Typical price and places of purchase
10p - 80p+ (GBP) per pencil. At literally any stationers, some supermarkets even, basically everywhere. 'Artists' pencils are available but no particular difference in quality.
Maintenance
Very little, sharpening can be done with a pencil sharpener, knife, even a rough piece of ground! Note mechanical pencils are also available and allow refills and negate the need for a pencil sharpener.
My personal experience and preference
I have sketched with a wide variety of pencils and found over time that i generally prefer to use a '2H'. This is because it provides quite light lines that are easily expanded upon and I often change my work quite a bit. Also due to it's relative longevity it doesn't need a lot of sharpening allowing for lines of constant intensity and width to be drawn, while remaining nicely visible.
That's all for now, please feel free to let me know your favourite type of pencil and why in the comments section below :)
Monday, 11 July 2011
Hilarious??
One of my favourite pastimes is drawing people. I find them endlessly diverse and challenging subjects for my sketches and enjoy drawing them the most. I usually focus on popular and recognisable people because it allows me to register my success from their levels of recognition and comments. The people I draw are people who have inspired me or interest me. This is a picture of the controversial comedian, Frankie Boyle. I personally find Frankie to be a comic genius, his stand up is simply unparalleled. However I feel that he works best when he is given a structure to work within, such as his time in 'Mock the Week' on BBC and his more controversial solo shows are not as good. Frankie's sense of humor is often, brilliant, disgusting, revolting, disturbing, shocking and he is constantly criticised by the media. Needless to say his stand up shows are a complete sell out. Again, pen, again construction lines left in with extensive use of crosshatching.
Lets try this again............
Wow, almost a year since I posted up here! I have been very busy over the last year and I had almost completely forgotten this blog, until I came across an update email for it in my inbox. I am now fortunate enough to have some spare time on my hands so I plan to try and update this blog with what i originally planned for it, my artwork and my tutorials, I hope you enjoy!! To begin with:
These are all copies of artwork from the TV show, 'Heroes' and easily found on google. This was one of my favourite TV shows because artwork featured as a major part of the storyline. Tim Sale, the artist on the show, is one of my favourite popular artists. All of these drawings are done in pen, any construction lines are also left in. The copies are not perfect, by quite a stretch of the imagination, but I like them!! This graphic style is typical of my earlier work, the angular nature of the drawings mark the beginnings of my methods for drawing.
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