People People People

Recently, I have taken to drawing people around the Marta Arts Center Station in Atlanta, Georgia.  The sketches are for a sketchbook assignment in my Animation class.  The assignment is to draw people from life and study their movements, mannerisms, faces, etc and it all should be centered around a theme. The sketches below are mostly loose quick drawings that show the basic form of people but should have some construction and form.

For the sketches below, my theme is people and their personality: from their movements, hands, shape, etc.

The lady on the top was wearing a beautiful bright red dress. She was so pretty.

I really need to work on the hands.

Summer Sketches!

A few sketches...

A redraw of an old character (Below).  This was also a sketch on human anatomy from Posemaniacs.com.  

A character for the Mult story.

Sketch-a-day #2

I had a little trouble taking a photo of this sketch.  The resolution is low and the picture is grainy and difficult to alter in GIMP.

Still working on Briell Featcher's character style.  I might go back to that long coat style. Also, this is the first time in months I'd drawn a full figure character that's a human (??)!

First assignments for the Winter quarter

I got my first assignments from the Winter quarter this week!  For Drawing II, I need to draw a self-portrait from a mirror on any paper with any medium and, for Design I, I need to look for visual examples of "visual analogy".  The first assignment is pretty straight forward.  The "visual analogy" assignment requires me to look for unrelated objects and compare them by their features, for example: an apple, a globe, and the human head.  All totally unrelated but all three have some sort of layers (apple crust, apple pulp, apple core with the seeds; earth's crust, mantle, and outer/inner core; the human skin, skull, and brain).  Right now I'm doing objects with "faces" (cars, electric socket, and a purse) and  that "spray" (spitting cobra, spray can, water hose).

Anyway, here's my self-portrait (wip):

I'm very proud of this drawing right now.  I used some sighting-and-measuring techniques I learned from the last quarter.  Shading was a little difficult but I'm getting there, I just need to go a little darker in some areas on the left side of my face and scarf.

Upcoming Class time and Sketches

Early Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 After this Sunday, I  have only one week left before classes! For the 2012 winter quarter, my classes are Drawing 2, Survey of Western Art II, and Design 1.  So, for the remaining week I have left, I'll practice drawing and go back over my drawing notes from last quarter.

Also, I won't be updating on the 24th, Christmas Eve.  I need to spend time with family and friends, open presents, walk with God, make sure the cats won't destroy the house (I swear they do that for fun, seriously), and draw stuff!

Anywho, here's some very belated sketches:

New Character...not sure what to do with her...

Perhaps a human/angel version of Vistalgia?

Or a guardian with a heart of stone...

Important things from I have learned from Drawing 100: My Strengths and Weakness

In Drawing 100, I noticed that I have certain strengths and weakness in my artwork.

My Strengths:

1. I used a variety of objects in my drawings with different textures, shapes, forms, etc.
2. I don't draw a predictable merry-go-round composition (its when the subjects are arranged in a circular pattern; it makes for a very boring composition). Instead, I create a composition that covers the entire picture plane, has variety of rhythm and objects, and engages the viewer to explore the artwork.
3. I can see how lines around and within the objects (contour and cross-contour lines) bend around the objects form.
4. And I used the theory of chiaroscuro to understand how light and shadows act on objects.

My Weakness:

1. I need to vary my line weight ( which lines define a sudden change in space, the shape of the object, which areas bulge or recede in space, etc.)
2. I need to create accurate and symmetrical ellipses.

To further improve my artistic skills I must practice, practice, practice! I understand now that it not just talent that creates art, but it is about my understanding of basic concepts and applying that to my artwork.  How am I going to be a successful artist if I don't have a firm foundation to build off of?


Anyway, I wish the camera works so I can show you some sketches tonight, so here's a picture of clovers instead:

Right from the backyard.  Beautiful too.

Finally, Winter Break!

Yes! My first fall quarter at SCAD is over and I get to enjoy almost a month long winter break!  Anyway, I had a good time at SCAD.  I met some talented artists, made some great friends, and learned how I can improve my artistic skills. Once again, I would like to thank my God, family, teachers, and old and new friends for encouraging me to draw, dream, and improve my art.  God, thank you for giving the spark of creativity and showing me the near infinite possibilities in human creativity.  Mom and Dad, thanks for never giving up on me and helping me to pursue  a career in art and animation.  Thank you art history Professor Leader for encouraging me to explore how understanding art history is beneficial to human society today.  Thank you drawing Professor Clifford for improving my artistic skills.

I really felt my artistic skills had improved.  I know my strengths and my weaknesses and how to improve them for the better.  Here's my drawings from the beginning of the quarter to the end:

First Line drawing!

Second  Linear line drawing with contour lines and cross contour lines.

First Ellipse drawing.

Second ellipse drawing.

Third line drawing on ellipses and studying detail and line weight.

(Not a good picture) Midterm Linear drawing on perceptive and ellipses.

Final Drawing on Value.

I am still going to talk about linear perspective next week along other helpful tools I learned this quarter.  During the break I'll continue to study over the material and apply it to my artwork.  I'm also going to take a break from fantasy art to draw and study from life for a bit, just to improve my skills.

All these ellipses...how do they work!?

I'm still alive (and drawing awesome stuff).  It's been a while since I last updated this blog (understatement I know) but attending FREAKING SCAD, doing my first projects, and studying for my first exam took a lot of time out of my hands.  Then that is to be expected when I get a job for animation....drawing forever.............{insert overused internet meme here}

Anyway, I had fun in my Drawing and Art History classes, my two classes for the fall quarter, and met some very interesting people (artists unite!).  Both my classes are foundation classes meaning that each freshmen and transfer student needs to take these classes if they haven't already.  Art History is the study of historical artworks (redundant is redundant) and understanding how such knowledge can help us understand art today and ourselves and our culture.  Drawing-100 deals with the basics of all art and design, how to organize a composition, understanding the elements of art and design (line, shape, texture, value, space, color), etc.  Some of this I learned from earlier experiences but it is incredibly helpful for me to go back to the basics of art.  Expect lots of sketches of still lives from this class because this is what each and every assignment is going to be based on.

There are two assignments each week, exercises and projects.  Exercises are short sketches (2-3 hours) and studies based on in-class lessons and projects are long (10- 15 hours) drawings and are complete versions of exercises and thumbnail sketches.   Drawings are done with direct observation, no photos whatsoever!

Here what projects I did so far (sadly the camera died on me so project one is not shown, exercises I'll show later):

Project two...linear still life.

Project three...ellipses are HARD TO DRAW.

Project four (wip)...ellipses are still HARD TO DRAW.

Updates might move to Saturdays only...I'm just having trouble managing time here so bare with me...derp.

Some changes...and Derp

Hello again!

I'm going to do some changes on my blog...'cause it needs it.  Anyway, this Friday I'm going to post more sketches and also some more links to my blog. I'll try to keep up a regular schedule by updating once every week starting this week (so to draw traffic and become more dedicated to improving my art...'cause it needs it) .  The updates will contain studies and sketches done over the course of the week. They will contain studies of human anatomy, animal studies, character design, and some occasional random madness and/or crazyness...depending on my insanity.

Anyway, I'll see you Friday. (random puff clouds of awesome)

PS. Kinda sleepy right now...non-art related randomness will ensue.