Amellia

Putting some of my recent practice into application, I was able to pull together a pretty decent character concept in a reasonable timeframe.

Click for full size.

This was about 6-7 hours, Photoshop. Takes some discipline, but it's absolutely worth it to spend some more time on art foundations. I'm also getting more comfortable shooting my own photo reference when I need it. It's not as hard as you would think. :)

More to come soon! I have a few really fun things in the works.

Really Awesome Painting Resource

Story, Composition, Value - these three things are my primary focus as I am creating new art right now. I need to get back to my roots and learn the basics. I got the photoshop part down good, now it's the stuff of the masters that I must pick up.

In that quest, I've used my lunch hour to browse videos and websites, and today I found a gem!
http://emptyeasel.com/art-tutorials/painting-tutorials/

I went looking for some foundation-education; the stuff that's been around for hundreds of years and what they teach in art skool (which I didn't go to, I trained as a designer). ;)

Things in particular I learned that I am really looking forward to applying:

Value:

Notan - Japanese for "Dark-Light"
http://emptyeasel.com/?s=notan


http://emptyeasel.com/2008/08/19/using-notan-as-a-painting-strategy-a-step-by-step-painting-tutorial/

http://emptyeasel.com/2008/12/09/two-reasons-why-values-lights-and-darks-are-so-important-in-paintings/


Composition:
http://emptyeasel.com/2010/12/10/how-to-create-the-illusion-of-distance-in-a-picture/

http://emptyeasel.com/2008/10/21/6-time-tested-ways-to-create-visual-paths-of-interest-in-your-paintings/

http://emptyeasel.com/2006/11/24/9-steps-to-creating-better-compositions/

http://emptyeasel.com/2009/02/10/repoussoir-a-classical-and-contemporary-art-technique-for-better-compositions/

http://emptyeasel.com/2008/07/24/8-rules-of-painting-you-shouldnt-live-by-and-why/

Things I don't want to forget:

This post is encouragement when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and think I'm not good at too many things. :)

For me, with art I go into highs and lows. I feel great about my work, think I'm 'good' and 'talented', and crank out some new stuff and then the high goes away and I feel the weight of 'all that I have yet to learn'. But, it feels more like 'everyone is so much better than me' - which I know isn't true, any more true than everyone in the world is smarter/thinner/prettier/priveleged than I. It's a silly perception and something that will drive you to the ground if you let it get into your thinking.

So this post is to remind myself that I'm really good at certain things;

Things I really like:
Drawing People (especially women), Faces/Expressions, Color, Shiny Things, pin-ups

I'm not so great at (right now):
Environments, Depth, Extreme Values (shading), huge scenes or storylines


That's not to say I should ignore the second list, but to remember that I enjoy and have more skill in the first, and I should put my focus on the things I enjoy and get better at them, while gradually adding in the things from the second list.

Here's some great words of wisdom from this post:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=178582

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.”
- Confucius

This isn't a step-by-step list, but rather a reminder that there are always different approaches to the same thing. Some people seem locked into thinking you have to approach this thing in this way or that thing in that way but never think to approach this thing in that way or that thing in this way.

If you're trying to learn perspective, for example, you're not stuck just reading books (reflection). You can also try looking at perspective drawings from other artists and either replicating them or overlaying perspective lines (imitation), or you can try setting up the perspective points on paper or draw on sheets of glass like the old masters and work it out yourself (experience). Heck even if you feel you really understand perspective it may be worthwhile to try other approaches if you never have, you may gain some deeper insights you had no idea about.

- Anid Maro

I think it's fairly common understanding among more experienced participants in any discipline that practicing a variety of skills related to your discipline is essential for improvement, but being conscious not to study such a broad variety of things as to over stretch yourself without gaining sufficient proficiency in any of them.

Finding out what you want to do and how to do it through experimentation and whatnot should be the first step, then when you find that one part of your discipline that you want to master, you focus on that while prioritizing additional skills.

Focus on your primary, while giving less than equal attention to secondary skills, and paying cursory attention to tertiary skills, being careful not to under-study those additional skills, since all skills play on each other for advancement. To me it doesn't make a lot of sense to become a master of human anatomy if your primary focus is on landscape paintings where there are few, if any human actors present in the painting. Still one should have a good foundational knowledge of all other aspects of their art, as these "lesser" skills will ultimately come into play into your art at some time in the future, and in the future your focus may shift to some aspects of art that you had preciously deemed lesser, or unnecessary to your advancement.

the ability to keep a wide-open mind to different possibilities is a hugely beneficial tool to have in your possession when undertaking these kinds of tasks.

-Sepulverture

I think somewhere along the lines of "I just did 3 quick line drawings of this piece of drapery, now I ought to sit down and do a longer rendering of it to get a more rounded understanding of this thing I just drew".

It took me a while to see this, but there was a period earlier in my development where I made a truck load of progress in a very short time, and on reflection I realized that it was because I was mixing methods a little bit. Quick Quick Long Quick Quick Long. Something like that.

I also realized that for myself if I simply push and push and continually study that I will not learn as much as if I do a series of studies, then completely forget about drawing for a day or two, or if I did a lot lot of studies, even several days while I digest what I just studied and try to observe the things I just studied in real life. If I spent the last week studying drapery, then It typically would do me well to spend the following day or so sitting outside somewhere and just watching peoples clothes to see how they react to different movements. I also spend a lot of time standing in front of my mirror with some loose garments on making the same idiotic pose over and over again just to watch how the folds in the clothes react.
- also Sepulverture

"Intruders" - some practice work

This piece was supposed to only be a sketch - something to warm up and try something new. But then It evolved into this thing I spent about 20 some odd hours on, haha.

I sought some feedback on two popular artist forums, Conceptart.org and CGPad.org - which was really helpful and helped me see a lot in the picture I wouldn't have otherwise.

Here's the progress over the course of last week:

Overall, I'm at the point I usually am when I spend this much time on one piece of work - I dislike it. I see all the things I could have done with it and none of the good stuff. In 3 months I'll like it again and it will be fine as it usually is, but ah well. :)

Additionally, while I really enjoy spending time in those two websites I mentioned - great artists, really good learning experience, and good feedback - it's been a little discouraging as well, as I see just how much I have to learn.

Maybe I just need to focus on the things I really enjoy and expand from there - people, portraits, pin-ups. But definitely more original art. I have a few unfinished WoW pieces that are going to stay that way for a while as I work on some more original concepts. But man, that well is awfully dry. It's been unused for way too long.

Thanks as usual,
K

"Kiss Kiss"

I'm on an art-rampage!

Subject is Lady Nazjar - a random World of Warcraft NPC (instance Boss) that I found fascinating. :)

I had a great time with this picture. It was also a real test to see if I can make a mostly complete portrait under 4 hours. Why is this so important? For me, it's an exercise to think about the WHOLE image from the start. The time constraint is my personal fire to keep the composition in my mind as well as the detail. Plus, after 15 years of on again/off again art-ing, I know that anything over 6 hours starts to burn me out.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with it and picked up some techniques for next time.

Click for larger view.

The main reason I knew exactly how long it took me is because I recorded the whole thing from start-finish this time. I won't be doing this for EVERY piece I do, but I like to share the process so that other people might learn from my trial and error.

Lady Nazjar "Kiss Kiss" - timelapse digital painting from kristi b on Vimeo.

Video speed: 700% - total view time: 31:42 minutes
Actual time spent: 3 hours 40 minutes
Medium: Photoshop
Music: Dieselboy - East Coast Science Vol 1 (Side B)

Great practice in seeing a portrait to complete in under 4 hours! I did not sketch nearly as much as I should have, but I had a pretty solid idea of what I wanted the picture to look like from the get-go.

Enjoy and let me know what you think! Is it fast enough?

Shimitsu - Goblin with Explosives... what's not to like?

This is another WoW art piece, based off my Goblin Rogue I've dabbled around with. I really love the goblins in this expansion, I personally think they turned out better than the worgen (which is a shame!).

This took me probably 10 hours altogether due to the fact it's new years and there was partying to do. :) That said I'm trying to keep these portraits down to under 6 hours each, and recording them really helps gague my actual time.

Shimitsu - click for larger view.

I recorded most of the process this time! Hooray! Though, the software I used wasn't very good, and it crapped out on me about 75% of the way through. But! I have a MUCH better program now and the next one is going to be sexy. Promise. I'd love to get feedback on these as well if you watch them - I think some parts could have been sped up more.

shimitsu portrait - 0 to 75% from kristi b on Vimeo.

Thanks for viewing! More to come soon.