altuixde's learning to draw thread

[altuixde]

This isn't finished yet either, but I couldn't wait to get it out the door... I started working on this because I wanted to see if I could skip paper and pencil and just use a drawing tablet. Seems like it is possible. Does her face look alright? I had trouble getting it right. To me she looks like someone cosplaying as Luka, not Luka herself. If you look at the high-res version (see attachment) her left eye (the one on our right) looks a little scary. The pose in this drawing is from Luka Luka Night Fever.

[ChocoCats]

Please post the time stamp for the video you posted because I can't seem find it...

Anyways, her face does look a bit strange, but it's mostly because of the way it's drawn. Try looking yourself at a mirror and do the pose you drew there.
I also recommended that you watch videos like this to see how a face is drawn. Hope that helps to you.

[altuixde]

Here you go:

I'll watch those videos you linked to. Thanks!

[Yui]

Nice sketches.
About that last one, I dunno which part of her face you could redraw, since perspective is my weakness. But her left arm (on the part of the armpit) looks a bit strange comparing to the other. Like... it's "height" I think.

[altuixde]

Thanks, Yui!

About her left arm, here's a frame that I used heavily as a reference:

I tried to make the sketch look like the hologram, but maybe the hologram itself is incorrect in regards to the armpit.

On an unrelated note, I just noticed that I forgot to put a 03 on her arm!

[Amazing_Grace]

It has been a VERY long time and I missed you guys. <3

I agree that her face looks a bit off, but perspective is definitely my weak spot as well *pokes Yui* Unless her face is supposed to be tilted, make sure her eyes are even and level with each other. That might help.

[altuixde]

From this angle we're looking up at her face. So the nearer eye, when translated into 2D, should be a little higher. I guess that the way to fix it is for me to practice drawing faces (especially eyes) more, but it's so easy to get sidetracked.

I really should get around to finishing this drawing of Luka. Actually I did color it but the quality of it looks like something I could've done in kindergarten with crayons. I borrowed an art book from the library that I thought might help, but it was a little too advanced for me. One thing I did learn from it is that when drawing in black and white, it's about the forms and shapes; but when using color, it's all about the colors (the author put it more eloquently, but this is what I remember). It's tempting to just avoid using color because I haven't really been mindful of color when looking at other works or the world around me. I think what I'll do is try to learn how to use color but continue to do some (but not all) drawings in black and white.

But anyway, welcome back! I missed ya too, Grace! It can be pretty quiet around here... some days there's just a single post on the entire forum! Thankfully it hasn't been like that all the time, though. And thanks for your feedback on Luka!

[Amazing_Grace]

In that case, you were right and I have absolutely no idea what to do. xDDDD
I am really bad with perspective and I apologize for not having anything more helpful.

Yeah, I like coloring my art, but I do it with colored pencils so it always looks really elementary. Sigh. But hey, getting an art book is a good idea. I should probably get to my library and try that some time.

I'm in so many other forums now that it's getting almost overwhelming. I don't like that feeling. ;-; And especially since the only im@s-related conversations I can participate in are the ones having to do with the main cast, and no one talks about them anymore.

[leafstro]

First of all I'd like to say from what I've seen in this thread your drawings so far are really good. You're probably a lot better than me in terms of fundamentals, I can't even copy anything if I wanted to. I really liked your Miku drawing a couple pages back. You should really continue that Ritsuko drawing too, it was off to a great start! Looking through all these drawings are really getting me inspired and motivated, I'll have to make time to draw some today too.

I really need to draw more. Can you give me any tips on how to be more motvated? I find myself listening to music and surfing the web when I could be drawing.

Motivation is really a big problem for me as well. Especially since I'm uncompromisingly impatient. When I start a drawing I'm already looking for ways to finish it. No pacing what so ever. So a good way I've learned of getting more drawing done is by timing myself, I set aside maybe 15-30 minutes every day to draw, and only to draw. Within those 15-30 minutes set benchmarks or checkpoints. For example: @5min (gesture, action line) @10min (initial sketch, proportions etc...) @15min (secondary sketch, laying in the body musculature, details etc...) @25min (add clothing finish up) @30 (wrap up the drawing). < Just an example outline, you can make up your own benchmarks/checkpoints to suit your own technique and method.

When you do this I think it helps build the habit, and you won't have to motivate yourself as much anymore. Granted, there will be some days where you won't feel like drawing at all. However, those days are the days most important/crucial for you to draw on. If you don't draw on those days, I find it, you won't feel like drawing on the next, and it becomes harder and harder to get back into it. You have to keep drawing!!!! That is probably the best advice I can give since I'm not that far along on the drawing journey myself, but I hope it helps. ^^

[altuixde]

I'll definitely continue the Ritsuko drawing. Should I do it in a paint style or a more digital style? I don't have experience doing either, though. I'm glad that my drawings inspired and motivated you! I think that's one of the best compliments you can give an artist! But you should know that I erase and try again many times (I am slow). I usually know when things look wrong, but I don't always have the ability to make them look right.

Thanks for your advice on motivation and for sharing your timing method. Setting goals is something I haven't learned how to do—I just randomly throw time and effort at a task and hope that it gets done—so accomplishing something (or completing a step in a drawing) in a certain amount of time is daunting. Also, I think that I work better when I'm not under pressure, whether it's outside pressure or pressure that I put on myself. Setting aside some time every day for drawing, however, seems doable for me. One definition of a habit is something that feels strange when you don't do it; I'll try to get to that point with drawing.