Gray Day

Just trying to group my values a bit more, and exploring some more form modeling.

Junkyard

Pardon the dump, there is a variety of junk in here.  Most of it is practice and exercise.  Some other stuff is WIP not finished ideas.  Some I will return to, some I wont.  I figure its just good to post some different styles of work and get some feedback.  I have mainly been focusing on getting my form and lighting foundation down a bit more.  It has been a weakness of mine, and only in the last year have I been able to identify it and am currently trying to relearn and practice it a bit more.

I have been using these as well as various books to help me understand it more thoroughly.  Hopefully this can help some of you out there, and please if you know if any other resources or books, I would love and appreciate any recommendations! :D

How to Draw Facial Features

Painting the Effects of Light

Modeling Form in Paint

Drawing with the Eight Basic Values

Onward with the dump!

Some sketches:

Some Fund practice

This one was reffed from: http://mjranum-stock.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d5oax2g

Some application attempts of that knowledge

Env Prac

A fun bot I was working on last night, this is how far I got with it.

Doodle for the Day

After lunch quickie 20-25

Cowboy Lineup WIP

This is my progression so far on those cowboy thumbs I posted earlier. I am enjoying using these pieces as practice for the techniques and mindsets I have be reading/watching about lately. 1st guy started out as my fav, now its a tie between the one armed rifleman (boss), or Seargent dueler.

Head Studies

Worked on these guys last night trying to practice some learnings! These are about 2-3 inches tall, and trying to keep them small at first to keep from getting too superficial with them. This allows me to avoid certain details, and just think of the overall form and shapes. I am also trying to keep the time spent on these down so that I don't get sucked into this long art process which can get draining and demoralizing. 15-25 min spent on each.

Another head study from over the weekend. Trying to pay more attention to tones, and lighting. Since I don't have my pencils and materials for traditional stuff, I tried applying the techniques I have been learning in a more digital fashion. Seemed to work out alright, but its really tempting to paint things up, and zoom in and go bonkers on things.

Cowboys for no raisens..

For some weird reason, after work today I started busting out some western style stuff. It has been a bit since I kicked out a cowboy.  When I got home I thought I would try some thumbnail exploration of different style costumes.  Still not sure if this is going to be for anything, most likely just for fun.  There was some times I got to free myself a bit and just add some funky designs that would totally not fit the old west, but had some cool aesthetics.

Some good arting listens:

Hoodie

Quick sketchy sketch from a work break. I am actually pretty happy with how this was turning out.

A little too Raph...

It's quiet.
A little too quiet.
Hey, it's Raph!
A little too Raph.

Sorry for being so inactive as of late. October was nuts, filled with some crazy zombie schenanigens, costume building, house fixing up, etc.  I participated in the Run For Your Lives 5k Marathon, as both a runner and a zombie.  I scared the shat out of a few people I am sure.  I didn't hold back, screaming my head off, throwing a zombie fit, and chasing people up and down a hill all day like a lunatic.  All in was a great time, and I will surely be going back next year.

On to the arting! It has been a bit slow lately.  I feel like the past couple of years I have just been spinning my wheels, and not really finding that traction I need.  So when I get a small bit of it, I get pretty damn excited.  I have been trying to find my technique or method that will be my stepping stone to learn and study other artists, execute at a fast pace, and be satisfying to do.  I realize I have made some critical mistakes in my practice.  Expecting my stuff to look like all those amazing inspirational artists, and trying to get closer to their level of skill.  I got focused on their level of polish, without really considering the subject matter and the ideas, or the process and personality which got them there.  Getting caught up in the technical side of things, as opposed to the creative (fun) side.  I have found myself enjoying drawing again, and really trying to allow myself to get lost in it, as opposed to forcing myself to do it, or fitting it in my schedule.  I haven't really pinpointed the exact process or direction I will be heading, but will adamantly be searching for it for the next few weeks.

Enough with the jibber jabber, here's some shit to look at:

I am still tera-bad at env and mood pieces..but they are still fun to kick around every now and then.

I just finished this piece for my buddy RJ.  Go peep his work and go cop his digital sketchbooks.

Just some random sketches from the past few weeks.

This one was a warm up I did during a lunch break.

Another work sketch, just trying out a different technique.  #2 is my fav, and will probably take her design further.

An inspiring read: Chris Oatley - Free yourself from Perfect

A motivational watch, note: its about an hour long..so strap in!

Malcom Gladwell - Why do some succeed where others fail?

Drawing Dojo

Again with the bald head, just getting that comfortable out, so I can experiment more. Do you guys ever do that? warm up in your comfort zone, or do you guys just hit it hard and go right into the gold?

Lately my buddy AJ has been giving me some great feedback and it's inspiring to see what he's been kicking out. I was practicing some of the techniques he was showing me and then I decided to stage up the designs a bit.

Floating saturation line tracers ftw!

Trying to put in that life drawing work. The last couple of critiques I have gotten from people have mentioned some proportion issues.  Not only that but I feel like my figures have been looking stiff, and it has been difficult to pose figures in interesting poses.  So you know what time it is baby, naked time! Time to get to drawing them nakkies!  Day 1 was pretty humbling and I quickly remembered that figure drawing was one of those things that is hard to just jump back into. Day 2 my flow started coming back a little, at least I loosened up a bit.  I think really reminding myself it is okay to go off model and exaggerate a bit is a good thing.  Not only does it really sell  the gesture as I see it, but it also exercises my brain to imagine turning the form in a 3D space.

If you would like to get busy drawing your own nakkies or clothed figures, hit up Pixelovely's figure drawing tool, it is a superb resource.

And last but not least, a little motivation!

Head Study, WIP, Toned Sketch 1

some head shat, chick is photo reffed

3poc crew, just a WIP from a livestream

Toned sketchbook :3 How I have missed my coffees hop sessions!
That dood was chillin like nobody's business.  He hit up about 12 different poses getting comfy in that chair. I decided to give him a moves list and a game title, cause he was down  right fierce!

Livestream WIP

Here is the progress on the livestream from today, thanks everyone who made it out!

Samus n Sci Fi

Various sci fi helmet shats from different doodle sessions.

My Sweet Nora...

A somber Victor Frost.  I liked the original version (right) but decided to mess with some under lighting.  I can't decide which version I like better, what is your guys' take?

Studies n Simplifying my process

I dug up an old random Rage of the Dragon's 2 sketch, put my quarter in, and continued. I just felt like painting and eventually began thinking about what I have been doing wrong.  I have been needing to simplify my process a lot since I tend to overwhelm myself and get mediocre results and loath the result.  This however didn't turn out that way. I stopped and thought about what I was doing which actually has been a pretty nice change.  I still got caught up in spending too much time on areas and making my brush small and getting way ahead of myself, but eventually checked myself.  I still have a bit left on this, and hopefully I can continue to push through my process effectively.  I must must must remember to work smarter not harder

.

These are just some random studies and a bonus WIP doodle.

For you house heads, I have been vibing off of this:

Some old and some new

fucking with some brushes from way back.

This is an older character from a few years ago...freaking ram horns still elude me.

This was going to be for an art show, but It slowly started getting out of "hand".

Her hood makes no sense...but that's alright...just a practice piece.  I think Marco would beat me down for this nonsensical hood physics.

awww yeaaa

his pants don't match his top...what a fashion nightmare.

Valar Morgulis...by far one of the coolest characters in GoT....freaking bad ass.

I don't even know...just wanted to try out some painting techs...I think I've worked on it enough. to get down what I wanted.  Man that monsters design is wiggity whack! haha.

Quick Char Doodles

some quickie WIPS

Movie Studies

some studies from snapshots.  I was pretty happy with the minimum brushstrokes in the 2nd one.  My paints seemed to be less mushy in that one.