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Post by jnight on Mar 16, 2007 22:34:43 GMT -5
Since we have several artist on this board I thought a thread about art techniques, troubles, methods, etc., would be useful.
Generally one of my biggest trouble areas is poses and stances. I usually do a mix of original poses or a variation of a reference pose. On a reference pose I almost always change things around in some form. One problem I run into is the limbs. I always nail three of them but the forth always gives me trouble. I can sit on a cool piece and I have one arm or one leg that doesn't flow right. I have had to shelve several pieces for week/months because of this.
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Post by Galius on Mar 16, 2007 23:30:19 GMT -5
Good thread.
I'd say my biggest problem is the drawing of women. I just can't get it right. The body is hard enough, but the faces are just way to much for me. They either looked deformed or butch. I'm to the point where I'm using reference photos from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit or Maxim or whatever. Helps out alot and I'll probably keep doing it till I get the hang of the anatomy.
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Post by jnight on Mar 17, 2007 13:08:35 GMT -5
Good thread. I'd say my biggest problem is the drawing of women. I just can't get it right. The body is hard enough, but the faces are just way to much for me. They either looked deformed or butch. I'm to the point where I'm using reference photos from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit or Maxim or whatever. Helps out alot and I'll probably keep doing it till I get the hang of the anatomy. I had trouble when I started drawing the females years ago. It just takes alot of practice and good anatomy references to really get what you want. I use to get Maxim years ago and have used a few of the poses as references. Beauty magazines which cater to hairstyles and such are great too. I guess it all depends on what type of female look you are going for. Early on my biggest trouble was getting use to drawing female hips and how they work with the flow of their bodies. I've learned to use the cylinder method of getting the pose down and that really helps over time. It took me forever to bring myself to do that though, but it makes things alot easier. Most artist I came across are more comfortable with either male or females. I haven't found too many that are equal on both. I prefer the females by far and have trouble creating new male characters....especially the young heroic types. Older characters are more fun because of the ravages of time can be cool to draw.
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Post by Kunoichi on Mar 19, 2007 10:35:48 GMT -5
What do you guys draw inspiration from? I could never get into the mood to draw when I was in school.
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Post by Galius on Mar 19, 2007 13:50:07 GMT -5
Well I draw my inspiration from a number of things; movies, video games, comics, novels, real life and of course whatever I can cook up in my own head. I think it's good to take what you like from what you see, be it walking down the street or reading a Wolverine comic. As long as you don't completely rip something off it's cool to pay a little subtle homage to something you like.
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Post by jnight on Mar 19, 2007 19:53:50 GMT -5
What do you guys draw inspiration from? I could never get into the mood to draw when I was in school. Good question. My inspiration comes from so many sources. Having done this series for now twenty-one years, I don't know where to begin. Growing up in the 1980's during the Ninja boom was a big one. I've always been a fan of martial arts, and was a martial artist for a short time and try to work as many arts into my series as possible. I have had a longtime interest in world politics and history and try to add that in as well. As for drama between characters, classic literature and oddly enough soap operas have a certain influence. Being a longtime martial arts movie fan, many aspects of these films, mainly the old school ones, have had influences. Wow, there are so many, I'll have to really think if any more stand out. I'm not much of a gamer. Hardly read any comic books until I was 28. I'm a bit of a hermet when it come to mainstream influences. I also have a very strong connection, feel, for many of my characters. I try to work the series around them in a way, but not to over expose any one of them. I do have a muse, a character that really drives the series for me.... If you really love your characters, your creations, it makes it so much easier to do. I wish I could spend all day working on this. I agree with Galius as to paying homage to something without ripping it off. Consumers will know if something is being copied.
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Post by jnight on Mar 20, 2007 22:13:19 GMT -5
Any artist use what I call the "fresh eyes" method. To work on a piece and then let it sit for a few hours or even days and then go back to finish it and change things you many have not noticed during your original work? I do this more and more as time goes on. The worst thing I could do (and I use to do this) is to rush through a piece just to finish it. I've found the longer a piece takes, usually it will come out better...well at least that's been my experience.
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Post by bayushigemma on Mar 20, 2007 22:15:15 GMT -5
Any artist use what I call the "fresh eyes" method. To work on a piece and then let it sit for a few hours or even days and then go back to finish it and change things you many have not noticed during your original work? I do this more and more as time goes on. The worst thing I could do (and I use to do this) is to rush through a piece just to finish it. I've found the longer a piece takes, usually it will come out better...well at least that's been my experience. That's good and has worked with me before but more often than not the piece remains unfinished.
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Post by jnight on Mar 20, 2007 22:36:46 GMT -5
Any artist use what I call the "fresh eyes" method. To work on a piece and then let it sit for a few hours or even days and then go back to finish it and change things you many have not noticed during your original work? I do this more and more as time goes on. The worst thing I could do (and I use to do this) is to rush through a piece just to finish it. I've found the longer a piece takes, usually it will come out better...well at least that's been my experience. That's good and has worked with me before but more often than not the piece remains unfinished. I hear that. I have probably a dozen or two of unfinished pencil works on my desk. My vibe on certain characters rotates on a nearly daily basis.
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Post by Galius on Mar 21, 2007 1:37:23 GMT -5
Any artist use what I call the "fresh eyes" method. To work on a piece and then let it sit for a few hours or even days and then go back to finish it and change things you many have not noticed during your original work? I do this more and more as time goes on. The worst thing I could do (and I use to do this) is to rush through a piece just to finish it. I've found the longer a piece takes, usually it will come out better...well at least that's been my experience. I do it all the time.
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Post by jnight on Mar 27, 2007 12:06:13 GMT -5
Art lulls! How do you break them? I usually go through a cycle of artistic inspiration and art lulls. I'm not to happy when this happens but I have learned that it is only a temporary thing. I usually force myself to draw something since my series is pretty wide ranging....somethings that work. Another one is to try to draw my favorite characters or at least do alot of sketches of them. I'm lucky I guess, these lull dont' last too long. Other times I just have to wait it out.
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Post by Kunoichi on Apr 5, 2007 21:04:32 GMT -5
How long have you guys been drawing?
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Post by bayushigemma on Apr 5, 2007 23:06:40 GMT -5
How long have you guys been drawing? I've been drawing since Kindergarten but not Ninjas that love was alittle later on.
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Post by Galius on Apr 6, 2007 1:01:59 GMT -5
Since six grade. so bout 9 years
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Post by jnight on Apr 6, 2007 20:43:43 GMT -5
How long have you guys been drawing? Since 1977!
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