Energizer [01/11/11]

My friend and I worked on some art at the coffee shop and I decided to draw him from across the table and to the side of him.

On my first iteration, the proportions were a little off, but I did manage to get the overall face and features quite accurately. Feedback was also received about the nose, which was unique to my friend's facial features.

Posing was all done while my friend was on his laptop working on his website, so there was minimal movement with slight variations.

On the second and third pose, I decided to use different angles but on the same page. This reminded me of a storyboard action where thought is in progress.

The second iteration wasn't as successful as the first, I must admit since we agreed that the second drawing looked more African American than Asian. It is a slightly awkward.

Medium: Ball Point Pen

The Chef [12/26/10]

My friend and I agreed to take turns sketching each other. Modeling wasn't an issue since we just watched TV... Seems like the best way to model for non-models to model.

This portrait sketch was my first iteration and I didn't feel that I needed another one since I was happy with it.

I used a ball point pen and applied different pressures to make marks that were sketches, guidelines, and final marks.

I feel that some faces are easier to draw than others.

This was a quick sketch done of the overall figure.

Sitting on the couch, sketching.





Medium: Ball Point Pen

Many faces of One [12/25/10]

I wanted to draw my friend's face last Christmas. He was watching TV as I was hopping around sketching at different angles.

It took me several tries, but somehow the drawing falls short and ended up little awkward. This is actually the first time I drew so many iterations of the same person on the same sitting.



Medium: Ball Point Pen

Modified Contour [02/05/11]

The models thus far in my figure drawing class have all been women and I've always wanted to draw better muscles on men because they make all the difference in world when muscles look accurate and believable.

I never wanted to post art of me copying anything, but this blog will help me to feel confident in displaying art that is for the purpose of learning and developing my human drawing skills.

Hopefully, some of these pencil marks will retain in my memory so when I draw from my imagination, it'll look more accurate, such as these that I copied from the magazine [not traced] I never trace unless its my own art.

I sketched these out in pencil, then I used pen to outline the lines that I wanted, scanned and post!

More to come!

Medium: Graphite Pencil 2H and Rolling Ball Pen

Modified Contour [2/3/11]

I decided to use smaller sized paper this class since the teacher seems very flexible with paper and drawing apparatuses. I made this decision after I ran out of space in my large newsprint and the model changed poses.

The 24X18 inch newsprint, I wish I can scan... I'll try later... even though I already know the scanner is not big enough. Photoshop Photomerge can only do so much! [updated: yes, scanning does work and I had to use "Interactive layout" instead of "reposition" under photomerge]

Since I have this blog now, I want to put up material that I did in the previous sessions... from the big paper that I used. New adventure to come! Most of them were done on charcoal so it may come off and dirty the scanner. I gotta do what I gotta do! [updated: It wasn't that dirty]

2 minute poses/sketches [small paper]

This was my second set of warmup sketches on small paper. I shall work on proportions

Two minutes goes by fast!




20 minute pose/sketch [newsprint]
Although it doesn't look like it was done on 18x24 paper, it was!



My final 20 minute sketch turned out really good!
Gordon decided that my drawing was worth showing the class at the conclusion of the exercise.

Apparently drawing the contours of the shadows was a technique lesson in the next few weeks. I drew it because I didn't know what else to draw - contour wise. This was also the first drawing I used my newly bought charcoal pencils from the value pack!

You can also see the way I scanned my newsprint paper and re constructed it with Photoshop - Interactive Layout command.

Purposely done to show the scanning process. I learned that I would need to scan every inch of the drawing, otherwise, when putting it together, some parts of the drawing may be missing.

Ah, the beauty of scanning digitally.




Medium:

1. Graphite Pencil - 2B [2 min]
   
2. Compressed Charcoal - soft
   
3. Vine charcoal
   
4. Charcoal Pencil - 2B
   

Contour [02/01/11]

Introduction to contour drawing, which I thought was pretty simple and somewhat boring. But this is a such a useful skill and foundation to drawing human figures.

Basically, following the edges of the model while moving the pencil on paper to "trace" what you see apparently fixes many of the problems encountered while drawing. Eyes must always stay on the model the whole time and never to the paper until it is finished. The drawing will look out of proportion, but we will concern ourselves with that later.

I got my lines to line up on the third try and it was almost perfect! Then somehow my proportions got more off. I experimented with starting at different point of the model, but that seemed unnatural to me since counter clockwise starting from the head is what I am used to for some reason.

I overheard that Gordon uses this technique every time he starts drawing a model. It makes sense because you are concentrating all your focus on the model several times, so when you start to draw, you'll remember some of the positions in relation to each other.

In other news, I had a horrible time looking for parking and was late for 20 minutes. That's what I get when I leave the house half an hour before class starts.

Medium: Graphite Pencil - 2B

Laney: first day: gesture? [01/27/11]

First day of class for me. Second day for the this course, but first day to draw for everyone.

I got lost... on campus... I didn't know what AC stood for so I asked someone where AC 125 was, but they said it was the same as Building A, which wasn't right because I was already there. I finally went to the library and asked where AC was and I went to the same area but further and finally reached the Arts Center [AC!] DUR!

In class, an older Chinese man [younger than my dad I think] was very friendly and helped me answer some of my questions like who is the teacher. He offered me a seat next to him, which was very cool.

For art instruction, I don't remember receiving any real instruction from Gordon, our instructor. I think we just drew however we knew... It's weird how I don't remember. He did talk, but not really about h0w to draw.


20 minute sketches:
I remembered that she moved and thought that it was a 10 minute sketch with slightly different pose, but in fact, it was the same pose for the full 20. I drew two and Gordon thought it was pretty cool. I think he said it was nice.

We had bagels that day [I'm assuming everyday since the girl has been bringing them in every class now] and my mouth was full while he made that comment over my shoulder.

20 minute pose: last of the day.
I drew too big and ended up only with the top half of her body. I will need to plan everything out in the future before drawing.
My sister called towards the conclusion of this pose and I didn't finish as much as I wanted, but overall it is still pretty good in my eyes.

note:
All my sketches are with the model facing the left is because I was sitting to the right of her... like way to the right of the semi circle.

Now I know why Andrei always says that he wants to go to class early to get a seat. Angles are everything especially in this class!


Medium: Vine Charcoal and Compressed Charcoal - Soft