Curse

Tatile · Jul 25, 2008, 02:14 PM // 14:14

It's been a couple of months since I last picked up a pencil with the intent to draw anything, so I was quite pleased when I finished the orignal of this image. The resulting product annoys me though, a lot.

I had a few problems with the scan (missing lines), then I couldn't quite figure out how to keep the lines, so I resorted to tracing them, with a mouse, as you do. Finally, I suck at colouring; does anyone know of a basic tutorial when it comes to Photoshop colouring and scanned image using? My Google searches are fruitless.

If I can get a camera maybe I can take a picture of the pencil version.

(Yes, I am quite wary of putting the picture in the post. I'm getting quite self-conscious about posting this

)

Issac · Jul 26, 2008, 11:22 PM // 23:22

Look pretty nice actually, the eye's are pretty nice. I myself never really messed with photoshop, kinda seems like fun.

Murmel · Jul 26, 2008, 11:27 PM // 23:27

I don't want to be an ass Tatile, it looks nice. But sure you can do better

I'm not gonna complain since your better than me hehe. Nice work man

As they say, practice makes perfect, so if you've got the interest. Keep up the drawing mate!

I once had a huge interest for drawing, but suddenly one day it all stopped...
Now I don't really enjoy it, but I'm thinking of dusting of my pencils and start drawing some landscapes.

lakatz · Jul 27, 2008, 12:13 AM // 00:13

The drawing looks great. Feels good when you pick up your pencil again doesn't it? I'm impressed that you started out with a line drawing. When I first took a sketch class, our teacher started off by telling us that recreating a person or scene with just lines is a lot more difficult than doing it with shading. She let us draw the way we were used to for our first class, then took us to the Getty Museum in Malibu with our sketch boards for the next and seated us all around the Greek urns. They were all decorated with women drawn in lines, and she told us to copy them. Even just copying them was difficult at first. So... kudos.

Regarding losing the lines in the scanning process... can you set the rez any higher on your scanner? That might work.

ZenRgy · Jul 27, 2008, 08:31 AM // 08:31

First of all, this is an average effort if you haven't drawn in awhile however a lot could be better.

The eyes look odd, especially the one on the right. The silver iris' look like a half arsed excuse to not draw proper eyes.

The lines/"details" on the neck look out of place and randomly placed to try give your drawing more detail.

I cannot tell if this is a female or a male character.

Finally with the red stuff, is that hair or a hood?

This could be a decent picture, just work on your proportions and if you're going to add small details, do them well with effort.

Tatile · Jul 27, 2008, 02:26 PM // 14:26

Holy crap I got replies!

The woman (I do have problems with facial proportions for differing between genders) is based on my own Necromancer, who doesn't have pupils but solid silver irises (it's one of the Nightfall faces). The red is her hair, I just couldn't figure out how to do it properly, it needs a lot more shading and high/lowlights to work.

Lakatz, I've always drawn using lines. My GCSE Art course didn't actually teach us anything in regards to art, they just assumed we knew everything. I'll look into fixing my scanner's resolution and such, when I can get to that computer (the scanner is a Printer/Scanner combo as well).

Murmel, I may be able to do better with a lot more practice and references. I'm acutally working on a nude at the moment because I saw this thread had over 150 views but no replies. Nudity always gets people typing.

Thanks guys, this mean a lot

SparrowHawk · Jul 28, 2008, 06:16 PM // 18:16

I personally think the work is out standing, especially if you have not had the interest or desire to draw in sometime. I feel honored you were courageous enough to post your artistic talent.

Though-I am not impressed with certain critics. Lovely way to encourage someone. Then again, some people like to be little others to feel they have the upper hand, in which this case they do not.

Tatile-You may wish to try www.deviantart.com. Do a search on Photoshop-tutorials. I am an artist there, and their advice and know how is quite helpful. I'd also become an artist there (You). You'd be surprised at the response, people do give advice--though in a manner that's becoming. I dislike the way people on Guru, tend to put work down rather then encourage. Funny how they never post their "own" art work, or lack there of.

Great work-keep it up!

StarrTheInsane · Jul 28, 2008, 06:57 PM // 18:57

@SparrowHawk: While I agree that the guru crowd can be rough at times, they are also responsible for most of the improvements in my work. It's an artist's lot to be two people at once. Most of the world expects artists to be the emotional type that takes everything that's inside and makes it visible for the rest of the world. At the same time, an artist has to be armored against all manner of things, you have to be able to take the criticism before you can sort out the good and the bad of it. I'm an art major and I've seen other students break down in tears when they get their final critique at the end of the semester. And that's just the professors talking to them.

@Tatile: If it's something you're just picking up again for fun, you probably weren't planning on making a career out of it, so have fun with it. When you improve, and I'm sure you will (you'll look back on this as most of us do in a year or two and think "Just look what I can do now!"

) Whatever you decide to do in life, you'll still have this, which is more that alot of people can claim. If you are seriously planning on getting into art, listen to what critics are saying, but don't let it eat you up. You don't owe them anything, it was your gift to them that they see what's in your mind to begin with. Just learn to sort the good ideas from the bad, smile and wave and do what you want to do.

SparrowHawk · Jul 28, 2008, 09:52 PM // 21:52

Star,

I agree with you entirely. I can understand another artist giving advice, or critiquing. I guess its the manner in which its done, or frankly by who. I often find people that don't have any art background, passing comment on the littlest tidbits to be well, well frankly..parasitic.

Artists need two things, imagination and a grand shield. You are right, we have to rebuff and absorb what others point out and state. I guess I am old school, meaning I tend to point things out with grace, because one--I can.

If some of the other commentators would have presented themselves in your style, perhaps people like myself wouldn't be so jaded.

-Sparrow

ZenRgy · Jul 29, 2008, 04:24 AM // 04:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparrowHawk

Star,

I agree with you entirely. I can understand another artist giving advice, or critiquing. I guess its the manner in which its done, or frankly by who. I often find people that don't have any art background, passing comment on the littlest tidbits to be well, well frankly..parasitic.

Artists need two things, imagination and a grand shield. You are right, we have to rebuff and absorb what others point out and state. I guess I am old school, meaning I tend to point things out with grace, because one--I can.

If some of the other commentators would have presented themselves in your style, perhaps people like myself wouldn't be so jaded.

-Sparrow

I see nothing wrong with the comments posted here, on other drawing boards people would tear works like this apart.

However if you feel that "Oh my, what an amazing drawing." is a better way to help someone (if they have any desire to improve), that's your opinion - you didn't even point out why you liked the drawing.

I simply pointed out which points I felt could use work, and I tried to as nicely as possible - I could've been much harsher.

Tatile · Jul 29, 2008, 06:53 AM // 06:53

About the critics and what-not, I'm none too fussed about the amount of criticsm I've had, I was actually expecting far worse (this forum is a harsh place). I'm just glad that people have something to say, such as advice and opinions. In retrospect, I should have put up a picture of the 'person/character' I was trying to draw aswell, so as to avoid the 'Why no pupils?' comments.

I've had a look at the tutorials over at Deviantart Sparrow, and I'll be spending a long time sitting there and getting confused about the Pen Tool. I need remdial Photoshop lessons

Fril Estelin · Jul 29, 2008, 07:36 AM // 07:36

I think there's great potential in your drawing!

You have the shapes, the style and colors right. And there's originality too. It's always good to hide ears as they're difficult

Try to take a RL picture of a face and work the "proportions". In your pic, look at those distances and compare them to your RL picture: chin to lower lip, upper lip to nose, length of nose, interior of the 2 eyes, length of eyes, height of the forehead. If you try to match these to more realistic proportions, you can greatly improve your artwork.

SparrowHawk · Jul 29, 2008, 08:04 AM // 08:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatile

I've had a look at the tutorials over at Deviantart Sparrow, and I'll be spending a long time sitting there and getting confused about the Pen Tool. I need remdial Photoshop lessons

I will send you some links

Tatile!

As for the person quoting me, as you stated that's my opinion.
I do believe you stated yours?
I did point out why I liked the drawing.
Did you? No

I also note, for someone dishing out, criticism. You sure don't like receiving it.

Tatile · Jul 29, 2008, 08:09 AM // 08:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

Try to take a RL picture of a face and work the "proportions". In your pic, look at those distances and compare them to your RL picture: chin to lower lip, upper lip to nose, length of nose, interior of the 2 eyes, length of eyes, height of the forehead. If you try to match these to more realistic proportions, you can greatly improve your artwork.

I need to get back to using the proportions trick, I learnt it ages ago, but as this was a practice picture I didn't really use them.

Eyes are equal size with an eye in the middle (width from the two eyes).
Top of the ear meets the join of the eye line, bottom is the bottom of the nose.

Stuff like that, I think.

Thank you Sparrow, I look forward to basic tutorials

StarrTheInsane · Jul 29, 2008, 09:32 AM // 09:32

The best part of knowing the formulas is being able to tear them down with a purpose. All the perfect measurements are great, and a great start, but people have a tremendous variety of features that deviate from that norm. The most helpful books I've picked up were not guides to following the measurements, but guides to what different features mean. Yeah, it sounds a little weird, and whether it's accurate or not scientifically, these things do have an effect on our first impressions of people (the shape and size of a persons eyes might give you a certain vibe, etc.) I use these to help give a face some personality so the viewer's mind takes over to tell them what sort of person they are looking at. So, like I say, knowing the formula is one thing, but that's just a place to start.

Sab · Jul 29, 2008, 10:10 AM // 10:10

If you want to learn to draw faces, read Andrew Loomis's books. They're widely held as some of the best resources on this subject, and you can't go wrong by reading all of his books cover to cover.

pdf link:

http://www.placidchaos.com/AM/index....&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

(Drawing the Head & Hands is the one you want)

lakatz · Jul 29, 2008, 02:41 PM // 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

It's always good to hide ears as they're difficult

...

What's that you say? I'm listening...

Harhar... bah domp bomp... chink. I like that ear actually because I managed to not over-paint it and to let the grisaille layer show through. My biggest problem is lips.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarrTheInsane

...The most helpful books I've picked up were not guides to following the measurements, but guides to what different features mean.

I'd really appreciate it if you'd name a few... thanks.

And Sab, thank you for the great link. Bookmarked.

And Tatile... thanks for starting this thread. It's turned out to be a great learning opportunity for many.

Fril Estelin · Jul 29, 2008, 03:41 PM // 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakatz

What's that you say? I'm listening...

Harhar... bah domp bomp... chink. I like that ear actually because I managed to not over-paint it and to let the grisaille layer show through. My biggest problem is lips.

I like the artistic touch, but if I try to look at it as an ear it's weird! Unless you're an alien

lakatz · Jul 29, 2008, 06:12 PM // 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

I like the artistic touch, but if I try to look at it as an ear it's weird! Unless you're an alien

I cropped an entire head and shoulders portrait down to the ear... (and parts of two fingers and a thumb) because it struck me funny at the moment. In context of the entire painting it might not look so weird... but then again... it just might.

lyra_song · Jul 29, 2008, 06:34 PM // 18:34

Tatile i think you have a beautiful style. Its very expressive.

You need to refine your style though.

Add more line variety, more detailing in things like hair, eyelashes, lip lines, etc, maybe flesh out the coloring more, so its less flat.

I wouldnt worry too much about proportions, i think your style is great already without needing to have perfectly realistic proportions.

Look at Guild Wars, the proportions are all off, but its a great art style.