What is your method? (Drawing)

[wao]

Sometimes I draw with pencil on paper and then use this particular pen to outline them... I use this only because I don't know what esle to get, it's not particularly amazing. It's Sakura Pigma Micron.

But I suck at outlining with a pen; most of the time I am a lot better at getting outlines with pencils. However there's the obvious problem of it not being permanent, and I'm rather bad at using tracing paper without a lightbox (which I obviously don't have).

So sometimes I draw it in pencil to get a good idea of the pose and layout and expression and then clean it up by outlining on the computer - by drawing it out with the Brush tool. Can be very painstaking. And usually ends up as a failure.

A few years ago I used to use the pen tool in Photoshop (never touched Illustrator) and make a rasterised "fake vector" outline.
For example, this is what I did when I was 14. I coloured it a bit, and never finished it, but I learned a lot trying to do the outlines here.

But my way of doing things was rather tedious and I got too lazy to use that method anymore.

Sometimes I draw straight onto the computer but it usually looks bad because a. Photoshop simply isn't meant for that sort of thing (should get Painter one of these days already) and b. I've been using a tablet since 2003 but I still can't use it properly. Now and then I wonder if it's because it's A6 that lines won't come out as smooth as I like, but it's probably just me.


I think the method I'm most comfortable with now is the first one. And I think CS2 isn't a big improvement over Photoshop 7 and 7 not a big one over 6 either, but I use 7 because that's what's here though I'm perfectly fine with 6 too.

[Gundam Zero Force]

Ok here is my latest drawing . . .Last night I couldn't sleep so I decided to stay up and just draw . . . . so at uhh . . . well . . . 1:30 am I drew this and did all the digital work around 3:00 am . . . . I was tired but not tired enough to draw . . . I lost track of time

Like the last drawing I posted, I did not ink it, so it came out different due to the fact I also shaded with my pencil . . . . so here it is . . .

Lastly I want to apologize for the Japanese text, thier is a 80% chance I got it wrong. More than likely I put the words backwards or something. I tend to do stupid things like that

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...Drawing2-1.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...Drawing2-2.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...E/Drawing2.jpg

So yeah that's it . . . . I think it is the best I've done, but still, there is much I still have to learn and improve upon . . .

[Rodrix]

Hi there!
Yeah it's really nice drawing,
but as kayos says it's food idea to check on the proportions.
I would recommend you to start copying simple face outlines to study the proportions.

Cheers!
Rod

[Zero Shinohara]

I did a little redline to show some of the things I could point out in there.

http://www.kidoutenshi.net/random/Drawing2-1[1].jpg

When you have a position like that, the face will contract back and the nose and mouth will be drawn a little lower than normal, and you got that just right. However, the eyes also are drawn a little bit lower, and eyebrows a bit above them. Remember also that the top line of the eye usually matches the top edge of the ears, so they're not that high up. Normally, the lower area of the jawline that connects to the rest of the face is as high as the tip of the nose, note that for further reference, and so the nose is usually a bit lower than that same line when viewed from an angle above. Also, the top part of the head that gets exposed in that kind of angle is normally as wide as the top area of the face, and it's good to draw a circle first to get the basic idea of how it's going to look, especially for girls.
And note the little left-bent curve I drew on the viewer's left side of her neck. It's like I said the other day, when the face moves using the neck as an axis, the neck is maleable enough to bend in or out, depending on the motion. The shoulderline should also be a little higher, and remember that it's normally 1-and-a-half of the head for each side of the shoulder, although it will depend on your style, especially in Anime.

Besides that and the proportion part, I don't anything else that I can point out, just practice and practice, and you'll kick ass in no time.

[Rodrix]

Zero... wow... you are really good. Impressive!

Gundam, I just finished a tutorial for you that may help you out about drawing correct proportions of the Selena's face.
I hope it helps!
How to draw a proportional face Tutorial

Cheers!
Rod

[Gundam Zero Force]

WOW Thanks everybody for the awesome feedback!

HA yeah I knew I made the neck too long when I finished it but It was 3:00 am and I had done so much work . . . once I get the proportions right then I think I can send out some better drawings . . . like I said I've only been drawing the human face for like 2 weeks now so I still have a lot to learn.

I will take into considerations everything everyone has said and I promise my next drawing I post will be better!

Thanks again for all the feedback

[Gundam Zero Force]

Ok I just can't say thank you enough everybody . . . it means a lot to me that you are helping a newbie out . . . . you went well beyond what I expected and I really appreciate it!

[Zero Shinohara]

WOW Thanks everybody for the awesome feedback!

HA yeah I knew I made the neck too long when I finished it but It was 3:00 am and I had done so much work . . . once I get the proportions right then I think I can send out some better drawings . . . like I said I've only been drawing the human face for like 2 weeks now so I still have a lot to learn.

I will take into considerations everything everyone has said and I promise my next drawing I post will be better!

Thanks again for all the feedback

Ok I just can't say thank you enough everybody . . . it means a lot to me that you are helping a newbie out . . . . you went well beyond what I expected and I really appreciate it!

Well, I think that whatever you want to do, you have to start at a certain point. People who have the natural talent to draw quickly get the basics and do things that sometimes takes the common folk months to achieve, but that's a select group of people. The ones of us who struggle to draw have to rely much more on practice and the knowledge of what we're drawing than in our natural ability to draw. If you're drawing people, anatomy is a great must, and if you're drawing mechanical/technical subjects, then perspective is the key point.

And sometimes, even little tips can make SUCH a difference, like the jawline-nose and eyeline-top of the ear I talked about in that last post. It just takes some time and practice to get used to using them and paying attention, and after some time, they become completely automatic.

One of the things that I realized diminishes my ability to draw in more than 50% is the fact that I don't pay close attention to anything - I don't study people on the street, I don't pay attention to how a tall building appears when I look from below, I don't analyze how the branches of a tree connect to its trunk, so when I try doing something more elaborate, I have small or no idea of how they are in the real world. Professional artists study everything, even the smallest things no one would notice, but that do make a difference when you look at them, just like the usage of blue, instead of navy, for a shadow, will give you a different feeling. I think that not being a good observer is something to avoid when you're trying to improve your drawing.

Aaaalso, if you draw in a common table, I find it easier to adjust my chair so that I have a higher angle of sight of the paper. Because that, if you look at your drawing from a small angle, things might appear and feel right, but when you look at it perpendicularly, you might realize that your proportions may be wrong, this and that.

And I feel glad to help and to share what I learned with you and everyone else, and I think a lot of people in these boards think the same way.

[CeDeR]

the first thing i draw is the nipples then its all ez

[Gundam Zero Force]

Well . . . . I do a lot of observing . . . . once I put my mind to creating something weither it be on the computer, paper, or a 3D model . . . I start to analyze everything that has similar attrubutes to it . . . . like when I wanted to make a CG city buldings I looked at every picture I could get my hands on to see how each building differered and how I could make different variations using the same rectangle . . . . just an example though . . . . me being in College and going for a degree in Animation I kind of have a default mode to take a closer look at things and observe stuff closlely . . . .

I now have a passion and a HUGE desire to draw Anime . . . I already have a talent for the CG side of things (which i still have a lot to learn as well) . . . . but drawing has opened so many new Challenges and really cool things to try out . . . . just like the computer CG, practice is what it will take for me to get where I want to go . . . . the last picture I drew was like only my 30th drawing . . . . I don't think I have even made 50 drawings yet . . . . . What is even more encouraging is I keep all my drawings and I look back on my first drawing I did like 2 weeks ago and I say: "wow that is REALLY BAD, I have come a long way already".

[Gundam Zero Force]

That is true . . . . when I finish a drawing I think it looks terribble . . . . I see all these problems I think it has . . . . then I come back later and it looks ok . . . . I get so involved into my drawings I tend to make more problems than there really is.

[Gundam Zero Force]

Ok . . . . here is my first attempt of drawing arms and hands . . . even though she is far away it was very hard to make everything even look decent . . . . I think I made the head too big but I have been staring at it for a while so maybe it is not as bad as I think . . . . at least the buildings in the background look cool lol

This will be my last drawing that I will post until I improve significantly and can get my drawings closer to looking like Relena . . . She is not going to be the only person I draw . . . . I just want to focus on one character and get it right before i go jumping around creating my own characters or start some other project . . . . . I have got to get the proportiaons correct and I have got to learn to draw hands . . .

::sigh:: I am going to take a break tonight from drawing, I hink I am melting the lead in my pencil because I have been drawing so much lol

Cropped Version:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...E/Drawing3.jpg

Original Version:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...Drawing3-1.jpg

[celcius]

Gundam Zero Force, the body is still too small~ But don't worry, it's a big improvement from your first posted pic~ ^^
Generally, for the hand, it's a semi-oval shape for the hand with te thumb attached to the base of the oval. Then the fingers on top.

Spoiler:

*Actually, I'm not sure if I named the muscles correct ^^;

Here's some stuff I found bookmarked in my IMG resources tab, maybe it can be of help ^^
http://www.blazedent.com/tutorial_1_3.php

Zero Shinohara:
That's some nice redlining~ I hope you can correct mine too if I ever do something and not be too lazy to post it ^^;

[Gundam Zero Force]

well . . Either the body is too small or the head is too big . . . . LOL

I think I made the head too big . . . but I see your point . . . the head where it is positioned would mean the body should be bigger . . . .oh gosh I can't wait till I get it right . . . . .

[Zero Shinohara]

Zero... wow... you are really good. Impressive!

Gundam, I just finished a tutorial for you that may help you out about drawing correct proportions of the Selena's face.
I hope it helps!
How to draw a proportional face Tutorial

Cheers!
Rod

Thanks for the compliment D: Though I don't find much of what I do any impressive at all.

Sounds to me you need to take a walk with a sketch pad and plant yourself in a comfortable spot and draw away. Then again I have no right to say that, I have to work on mine as well.

Well, not necessarily. What I meant is that I don't get good references from paying attention to my surroundings. You know, some of the things you see stick in your head, and you eventually draw them better that way. For example, even drawing a trash can is a pain when you don't pay attention to how that specific trash can is shaped.

I prefer to hang it on a wall and walk around a bit, get something to eat and drink, relaxing your eyes from drawing, then come back and stare at it from multiple distances. Sounds like a lot of work but it's just to relax yourself, you'll be better focus in discovering your mistake. Or you could just ask someone to look at it.

Well, I'll definetly try that one next time I'm drawing. Seems like a pretty good thing to do, especially when you're sitting down for hours and hours trying to finish your drawing. I normally scan them and take a look through the monitor to get an idea of how good/bad it looks ( I must admit that 99% of the time it looks bad).

Ok . . . . here is my first attempt of drawing arms and hands . . . even though she is far away it was very hard to make everything even look decent . . . . I think I made the head too big but I have been staring at it for a while so maybe it is not as bad as I think . . . . at least the buildings in the background look cool lol

This will be my last drawing that I will post until I improve significantly and can get my drawings closer to looking like Relena . . . She is not going to be the only person I draw . . . . I just want to focus on one character and get it right before i go jumping around creating my own characters or start some other project . . . . . I have got to get the proportiaons correct and I have got to learn to draw hands . . .

::sigh:: I am going to take a break tonight from drawing, I hink I am melting the lead in my pencil because I have been drawing so much lol

Well, ain't you a quick learner? Of course there're things to work on, but the progress you've made in two tries is huge. You got the top of the head right, the eyes are on the same line and eyebrows are where they should be. You're getting the hang of the neck issue, so keep practicing it. Her shoulders are of the right size, too.

However, her left arm ( from the viewer's POV ) is a little too far from the body. Or rather, her torso is too small. Because the breasts start at the same height as the lower part of the arm, it's normally a good idea to bring her chest a little bit down and enlarge it to the sides. Now, I know that sometimes doing breasts can be a pain, because most of the time, you don't want to make them too big. However, even with small breasts, the ribcage would still appear behind the arms.

To show more or less how it is:

Spoiler:

( I did those in like, 5 minutes and I'm poor with anatomy, so please don't kill me. )

Now, to her hands. Hands are by far the most difficult part to draw along feet, in my opinion. So take your time studying them. They work just how celcius posted above, an oval-shaped form that does not bend, except for the thumb area. It takes time mastering it, so it's just practice.

Also, one thing I realized is that you have a pretty good sense of perspective, so that's awesome. Next time, just choose a point of view to draw your buildings from. For example, you choose a point in or outside the paper and then draw guidelines from that point into various areas of your drawing, and then use those to draw your buildings. It's a great tool. And using a ruler to make your straight edges and lines makes every drawing much better.

Though I understand why you might not want to post more, I'd encourage that, since sometimes it's through feedback that we can improve.

Here's the redline I made:

http://www.kidoutenshi.net/random/Dr...;1]redline.jpg

I chose to change the hands a little bit, because I just don't like drawing them from profile, but the basics is the same, although I think yours has a better flow to the picture than mine.

Gundam Zero Force, the body is still too small~ But don't worry, it's a big improvement from your first posted pic~ ^^
Generally, for the hand, it's a semi-oval shape for the hand with te thumb attached to the base of the oval. Then the fingers on top.

Spoiler:

*Actually, I'm not sure if I named the muscles correct ^^;

Here's some stuff I found bookmarked in my IMG resources tab, maybe it can be of help ^^
http://www.blazedent.com/tutorial_1_3.php

Zero Shinohara:
That's some nice redlining~ I hope you can correct mine too if I ever do something and not be too lazy to post it ^^;

The names are right, don't worry. Just a few S's in the end and you're just fine.

And sure, I'll be glad to redline for you when you get the chance to post. Or rather, you might need to redline for me, I don't know


Still, I got interested in how to draw that sort of position, so I doodled a bit on Photoshop and came up with this crap:

Spoiler:

It was pretty quick too, so I guess that result is to be expected. It would've been a nice picture if I ever finished anything, lol.

[Zero Shinohara]

You draw really good Zero, although the picture still looks kind of awkward. But it looks good.

Hah, thanks. I'm actually not very fond of photoshop to draw anything that's to actually be used, but I just thought I should post something I made so that I'm not just commenting on other people's stuff without giving the chance of being criticized too.

Wait, of which one are you talking about?

[Zero Shinohara]

Ah, in that case I need to change my comment a bit

[Zero Shinohara]

Well, just don't come to me and ask how you look if you're cosplaying as Great Saiyaman, cause it might not be pretty.

I have that sort of personality, I guess. I normally say what sincerely think, which is good, but sometimes bad in some circumstances. Like, for example, the day I worked as a volunteer in a Democrat convention, by recommendation of my Composition instructor. I was, later, asked "Did you enjoy the presentations? ^^"

And I said "Not really, I think some of these guys are nuts".
I had to struggle like hell to get a nice grade after that.

[Zero Shinohara]

Ov coursu, we're on teh interwebs!

Thing is, I've realized that it's better to assume responsibility for what you believe than just run from it. Of course, certain things you should keep to yourself, but others you're free to say - if people aren't pleased by it, then it's their problem for not accepting your opinion.

Anyway, it's almost 4 AM, and I need to get some sleep. Take care guys.

[nani]

Originally Posted by Gundam Zero Force

Original Version:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...Drawing3-1.jpg

Apart from the proportion problem which had already been mentioned by others, the hair don't look too natural. Try to draw "multiple-fine-strands" rather than a big chunk of hair. Here are some tutorials which you might find useful.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/34535785/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/6575626/
http://neondragonart.com/dp/tutorials/hair.htm

Originally Posted by Zero Shinohara

Still, I got interested in how to draw that sort of position, so I doodled a bit on Photoshop and came up with this crap:

Spoiler:

It was pretty quick too, so I guess that result is to be expected. It would've been a nice picture if I ever finished anything, lol.

Nice! Please spare some time to finish/colour it.