Character Designs

[Mic. Gee]

What is the best way to do work like this faster, and cleaner-looking? Tell me what you think needs improvement. The drawings aren't enirely percise and I know there are ten mistakes throughout all these character studies.

Let's start with the Vandal warrior. He's a member one one of the Germain tribes that looted and sacked Rome on its deathbed.
http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs16/f/2007/162/a/0/Frank_Wilikmar_by_sirg84.gif
I stay away from getting specific with the feet and clothes since I'm still trying to find a good reference for it.

The main character's boyfriend.
http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs16/f/2007/162/6/3/Nathan_by_sirg84.gif


Main character and said boyfriend.
http://ic3.deviantart.com/fs18/f/2007/162/5/f/Jessica_and_Nathan_Hibbs_by_sirg84.gif

The main character. I can't find the url link for her right now so bare with me.
Here's something else for now.

She awakens from a nightmarish dream. at some point in the story I'll be pencilling.. Although this is a tad bit tooo much "come hither" imo. I'll proabably need to reference the pose.

http://ic3.deviantart.com/fs18/f/2007/162/b/1/Jessica__s_Sheets_by_sirg84.gif

[William Blankenship]

I like that you're doing anatomy/ gesture work but you need more. Google Andrew Loomis and look for stuff from his books, or in some cases whole PDF's of his books as they are out of print. You'r heads are coming off a bit too blocky, but that last drawing shows promise, so I'd like to see you go with that. Anatomy is a bitch, but I'll tell you getting it out of the way and knowing it and proper gesture/ pose leads to alot more self-satisfaction in your work.

I learned to draw and color from tutorials, bootlegged drawing books and software, and information found online. I've stolen nice sketchbooks. Use lots of reference until you don't need it. I sketch over photos on a wacom to practice and loosen up sometimes, sketch gestures over photos of athletes using tracing paper if you don't have a tablet available. You can find a wealth of photos of fit young men and women showing off their physiques in dynamic poses on the internet, trust me. Use them. Sounds hard, sounds boring, but I look through my sketchbooks and look and the best and most inspiring stuff to me is my gesture work.

Here's some links:

Great inspiring gesture work: http://www.kharupt.com/index2.htm
Loomis Book: http://www.gfxartist.com/features/tutorials/7639
Loomis pages: http://www.fineart.sk/index.php?cat=13

Hope that get's you going.

Peace,
3'LL

[Mic. Gee]

Those out of print book are where it's at.
I'd like to reference single thing I draw but referencing everything can become time consuming especially when there's a deadline at hand. It's not that I haven't done what you're advising but it's that I haven't done it in a while.

[josephrey]

i think you're making excuses, mc.

you need to let go of the comic book style for a while. or, if not that specifically, then any stylistic approach. draw what you see, with emphasis on the 'seeing' part. if you can't see it for what it really is, you can't draw it. look at something. think about how it would feel to hold, then draw the shit out of it. not once, or twice, but dozens of times.

draw the feet. yeah, they'll suck at first, but so what? keep drawing and they'll get better. for every 50 sketches you do, MAYBE one will be a keeper. same with photography. back in the film days, you'd be LUCKY to get one good shot on a roll. not everything is a masterpiece. you need to get the crap out of your system before the good stuff starts coming, and you could have been 4 years farther along already. don't erase, go over it, mess it up, throw it to the floor, start over- do whatever. erasers are bad news for this stage of work.

reference? google image search, dude. no excuses.

basically, i don't think you've put enough time in. and don't come back with the 4 years of school not teaching you anything. i'm talking time IN. if i were to give you 4 years and someone else 4 years, i think the amount of work produced at the end would be quite different. i'm not trying to sound like a dick, but based on our chat just now, you need to start pumping out more material. REALLY drawing. it is the ONLY way you'll reach the point you want to reach. start now, man.

sincerest good luck, dude.



best,

joe

[josephrey]

give a reply if you want some homework assignments.

i'd be happy to do so.