[geraldine]

Hi

that's a 2 years old pic, but all the pics I start drawing end like this one... I never finish the pics I just draw sketches cause I don't know how to continue.. I know that this pic needs some shadows ... but I don't exacly know how to put them and where to put them as you can see....

Any comments are appreciated

btw what do you think of the pic/sketch in general? (I know you cannot see her eyes.. it's a bad scan.. )




Thanks,
Geraldine

[AndyT]

I think it's ok as a sketch.
But it depends on what you want to use the sketch for.
If you want to show how she is lit don't draw the lines that strong.

If you want to make the lighting up as you color it you don't need shadows in the sketch.
But even then I wouldn't use lines that strong.

I think the face is great (proportions)
but the torso could look more feminine. I think the shoulders are too broad and the boobs too low.
But maybe that's just me.



Maybe you should also draw the legs with very light lines. The bottom half kinda looks fake.
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http://www.conceptworld.org

[geraldine]

Hi and thanks for the answer AndyT

you are right the lines are too strong but I must say that on the original pic they are very light, even the eyes are very detailled... it's a pitty that you can't see it on the scan...

now that you mention ist... yes her shoulders are actually not that feminine .... but regarding her boobs I don't think that they are really too low but that the part between the neck and the boobs is too long .. if you know what I mean... so they really seem to be too low...

Comparing the two pics I see that she seems to be too "strong", to have to much muscles ... too masculin.. that's true...

Btw I dunno what to do with the sketch, just thoght that I should start doing more then sketches ... just wanted to "finish" the pic and afterwards perhaps color it..

So thank you very much for your help
now I think I am going to take a look at my other pics and see how the shoulders look like

Thanks!
Geraldine

[Drew]

That's a pretty good sketch for a beginner. If you don't know where to start, I have some suggestions. Get a book on anatomy for an artist and learn proportion, muscle groups, skeletal structure, etc. and then use that information when you draw from life. Draw from life a lot if you really want to improve. Drawing from your head is fine, and a lot of fun, but you'll progress much faster if you learn anatomy and study people and their motions.

On the sketch above, your lines seem very thick but I suspect that you have done a very small drawing. Draw large! Take up the entire page with one figure, or part of a figure. Use your whole arm to draw, not just your wrist. And if your sketch is a bit dirty, like this one is, clean it up a bit in Photoshop with the contrast settings and the eraser before you post. It makes a huge difference! Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[AndyT]

I'm not sure if I got that right ... you want the sketches to look interesting!?

Then maybe you should look at other artists drawings.
The daily sketchbooks @ conceptart for example are pretty inspiring
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=41

And KChen's thread: "More Figures & Class Demos" is pretty cool too (good advice)
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1432

Drew pretty much mentioned everything that I was going to add.
Especially that you should draw bigger.
Maybe make some experiments with scanner settings and different line weight.

And you wrote that you don't know where to add shadows.
Maybe you should think about how the body is made up of basic shapes and where the light source is.

Look at photographs and try to understand why things (or figures) are lit the way they are lit.

And keep posting your images!!!
_________________
http://www.conceptworld.org

[geraldine]

thanks Drew!

.... yes it's a small sketch and I know that I should draw bigger ones... that's what I'm trying on newer pics (but it seems so much easier to draw small pics even if it is wrong, i know..)

What you said is what many people before told be also .. to buy a book on anatomy and to start drawing step by step.. drawing figures by starting with the skeletal figure and so on... I never did that (and you can see that on that sketch) cause I thought that it isn't neccessary, ... and I changed my opinion...
Is there a special book you would consider as being really good/useful?

-Practising is everything- something you would agree with?! Well I must admit that I draw very very seldom (2 or 3 times a year)


Tanks a lot again!

[geraldine]

Hi again Andy

thanks for the links... very interestig!

Btw.. regarding anatomy books: i visited your site and the traditional gallery reminded me of a book I took a look at, a year ago or so... but I can't remember the title or the author... I don't even know where I've seen it ... it was a book about drawing human anatomy (mal and female bodies) and it seemed to be an older one... theres not left a lot in my brain about this

Did ou use one of these books to practise?

Geraldine

[geraldine]

ok got it
it was Andrew Loomis -Figure Darwing for all it's Worth

[AndyT]

There's Figure Drawing For All It's Worth by Andrew Loomis:
Save Target As

For example there are simple and more advanced mannikin drawings:
http://www.andyart.de/galerie/images/tradi/loomisold6.jpg
http://www.andyart.de/galerie/images/tradi/loomisold5.jpg
The skeleton:
http://www.andyart.de/galerie/images/tradi/loomis002.jpg

Infos about muscles, forshortening and lighting.

Hehe funny ... I just read your reply! I'm not going to change the text I wrote now . Hope the link helps.
Actually I never really practiced. I can't draw!
I somehow don't feel comfortable with pencils.
But I think the book is good for starters.

[geraldine]

hehehehe really funny

who told you that you can't draw? that's a lie

btw I agree totally about drawing and knowing the theory (was just something i heard once about practising)

geraldine

[geraldine]

So, I wanted to say thank you for all your help thanks a lot for your advices!

Now I have Loomis' book and I'm going to start with it today or tomorrow.

have a nice week-end,
geraldine