Master0: Well they are nice pens 
Not trying to sell you anything, but CGMA also offers a workshop by Peter Han. It goes over line control; basic shapes; contours; texturing; plant, animal, and mechanical examples of combining the above. It isn't super in depth because there is a lot of ground to cover in that time. But it does give you a nice overview of things to work on.
IHateDRM: The [i]Internet Archive should be perfectly legal. I did not think to link to there, but you are correct
https://archive.org/search.php?query...
Muraii: From the stills, it looks like everything but Techniques 1 has markers and pens http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/sto.... It would be a shame to skip the intro video though. You might be able to find some slightly cheaper DVDs on eBay.
Master0: Well they are nice pens
IHateDRM: The Internet Archive should be perfectly legal. I did not think to link to there, but you are correct
https://archive.org/search.php?query...Muraii: From the stills, it looks like everything but Techniques 1 has markers and pens http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/sto.... It would be a shame to skip the intro video though. You might be able to find some slightly cheaper DVDs on eBay.
All great info, Songbird. I thought I'd even looked at Gnomon, because I know Zhu had worked there. Oy, but maybe since I knew the pricing I didn't look too deeply. Much obliged.
EDIT: Looks like all the "Concept Design" videos are analog, and the "Techniques" are digital. I'd love to move digital at some point, but as I'm mostly a wannabe it's hard to justify the cost. Back in the day, when I first came across Zhu's stuff and the previous incarnation of Massive Black, I bought the Prismacolors and the guache pencil and have since bought more (assuming the others were old, not because I'd used 'em up) and good paper and a few pens. I have little to show for it.
Interestingly, Massive Black seem to have spun their concept art forums back out as ConceptArt.org. Time to catch up a bit.
That Peter Han video is great so far. It's aligning with what I'm after myself.
One thing I notice: lots of concept artists seem to have similar hand writing. Han's writing on the blackboard has a very similar style to what I usually see looking at concept art pieces. Is that a taught thing, a coincidence, or my selection bias?
So my phone got stolen, and I had to resort to non-electronic forms of entertainment for a little while.
Here's what I've been working on:
I posted an in progress pic in the "Something you created" thread, but this is a better place for it i think.
And I've started working on this one in my excitement to see the new Hobbit movie. (Supposed to go with some friends today.)
And my Christmas package came from Mom today. I couldn't wait til Christmas to open it since the customs form said there were cookies inside.
I had asked for Copic brush markers, but mom got the multiliners instead, which are like a smaller brush tip marker. Not quite whati had in mind, but they should be fun to play with.
Today all I've done is get back into digital painting, this time on the iPad. I'm using just my fingers and learning my way around ProCreate. As a long-time PhotoShop user there's a bit of a learning curve, but it is intuitive enough to properly work with. I was really surprised at how full-fledged you can be on the go, or rather, lying down on the couch. Drawing at the computer never came naturally to me. I did have to read the manual to figure out some things, but at least it's quick to browse through.
One afternoon's output is here. End of day update here! I was inspired by this Patrick Brown tutorial (wait until he gets to the coloring part).
EDIT: ProCreate also makes me think of getting a stylus to use with the iPad. Recommendations?
EDIT: ProCreate also makes me think of getting a stylus to use with the iPad. Recommendations?
Wacom makes a pressure sensitive stylus as does Jot.
ProCreate looks really cool. I wish there was a Android equivalent. I've tried a whole bunch of the drawing apps on the play store, but nothing sens to have what I want. ProCreate looks right up my alley, but I'm not going to go buy an ipad just for that.
Took my first ever figure drawing class yesterday. Was pretty cool. A little weird when the model has her business pointed RIGHT AT YOU but on the whole, pretty cool.
Took my first ever figure drawing class yesterday. Was pretty cool. A little weird when the model has her business pointed RIGHT AT YOU but on the whole, pretty cool.
Male or female, that region typical gets drawn either vague or blank in most drawing classes. Boobs are fair game but the nether regions typically resemble Barbie and Ken. Also, most models pose with their legs crossed or not overly spread apart and not directly in line of site of the artists. That is not the most constructive kind of foreshortening practice.
True story that one of my teachers loved to use a model with a bad case of elephantitis. You learn to deal with your discomfort pretty quickly.
I need to find this 3d sketching program. It looks amazing and simple. You sketch curves and then rotate the view and tweak them in 3d space. When a space is enclosed by curves, it interpolates the surface. (which you can then export as an obj file for import into other programs)
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?280498-sketch-based-subdivision-modeling
I believe it was called ILOVESKETCH. See here: http://www.dgp.toronto.edu/~shbae/il...
I can't find it for download, though.
No this one is better imho. You can just draw curves without setting a workplane. Check out the videos.
The author had a download on his blog but the blog is down. Though I would love to get my hands on ilovesketch too.
I am really pissed at the blatant squashing of competition in the 3d design and sculpting fields. Someone develops something revolutionary and the big guys buy them out and saddle us with frivolous updates.
I'll give some examples:
Sculptris - bought by the makers of zbrush and the only thing we have gotten out of it is (the very awesome) dynamesh and/or zremesher but that is only a fraction of what Sculptris brought to the table
Meshmixer - bought by autodesk and there is not reason why most if not all of the technology is not in mudbox right now
The program listed above and ilovesketch - similar features have been just implemented in Catia's Natural Sketch but that program is $15,000 per license and way overkill to have a monstrous CAD/CAM package attached to it
Oh and I forgot sketchup which was amazing and they keep coming out with empty point releases. *sigh*
BTW that 3d sketching program site is live again:
http://www.gunayorbay.com/tutorial/
There is also a free download =)
If I wanted to learn how to draw digital would I first need to learn how to draw with pencil on paper?
If I wanted to learn how to draw digital would I first need to learn how to draw with pencil on paper?
Yes and no. I imagine it would help knowing the basics, but at the same time, I'm still not completely used to drawing pure digital and like what I can put together on paper better.
No you don't need to learn on paper but you will benefit from taking a class and being around other learning artists. Plus a classroom setting provides focus and motivation which is even good for focused and motivated people. (not necessarily artist's strongest traits)
If you go your own then split up the week with two 2.5-3 hour sessions and then another 3-5 floating hours.
Any of the exercises in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain can be done digitally. And that is far an away the most recommended book for starting artists. Note that it may not click for you and that is okay. Sometimes struggling through it is worth it and that is another benefit for taking a traditional class. Sometimes you don't get the "why am I doing this?" without someone explaining it to you.
What that book won't teach you is coloring and color theory. Digital's strong point is accessibility to color. And don't think that if you were to take up analog painting that you wouldn't come close to paying for a new computer and software when buying supplies. Brushes, canvas and oil paints are expensive.
Tips for taking a class: It is not a competition. Learn from what others do or adapt from their approach. Think of it as training your eyes and working your lines. Confidence in lines only comes from repetition. If you can't break down what you see with any of the myriad of techniques it doesn't matter how good your lines are. Likewise, if you don't put in the reps, it will take you longer to convey what you are trying to express no matter how well you can break down your subject.
Anyone know of a drawing program that could use a pressure-sensitive tablet to generate SVG drawings?
Inkscape?
Inkscape?
Well, hot damn, that's what I've been using, just hadn't tried it with the tablet or dug into the features.
What fang said. All of it.
A class will get you into the right mindset to draw, (and sometimes it will guilt trip you into practicing on your own.) But having like minded people there to share with is the main thing. And onceyou get into it you learn to start talking to other artists about art.
A lot of the techniques will transfer over to digital as well. Just learning how to look at things with the intent to render it is a big part of it.
I actually just started teaching a basic drawing class on post here, and people come in saying "I just can't draw. I'm not creative, blah blah blah..." And I keep telling them, anyone can draw to one degree or another. If you want to draw better you just have to do it. The creativity comes from just exercising your mind to be in that state and exercising your hands to do the motions and get the muscle memory. The creative mind is like a muscle that just needs to be worked. Once you start using it things start happening. And if you draw every day for a year, there's no way you will be a worse artist than when you started.
And for the record, I need to take my own advice.
I would not call myself an expert, so advice with a grain of salt and all that: I would disagree slightly and say that it is better to start with traditional drawing material. There are not really any tricks to drawing with a pencil and paper when compared to working digitally. This means that you are not distracting yourself with all the tools available in drawing software, nor are you relying on them to try and fix what you have. With that said, you can certainly skip physical media and go right into digital. More than anything, mileage is important.
I got "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and "You can Learn to draw in 30 days"
I'm on day 4 of You can learn to draw in 30 days. So far I can see how the techniques can apply to digital stuff also but I'm mainly using pencil and paper. The main difference is just the tools. On paper I can use my finger to smudge blend a shadow. On pc there might be smudge/blur tool or a brush that does the same thing.
The book states that each lesson is about 20 minutes but lesson 3 took over 2 hours. I wasn't bored just noting the lessons might take more than 20 minutes.
Got to thinking about how cool a story it would be to have a bunch of aliens in a wild west town.
The hat didn't work out the way I was hoping, but it's not horrible. I dig the rough quality of it though. Kinda looks like an old wanted poster or something.
And pardon the cell phone pic. Didn't feel like breaking out the scanner, but I wanted to share.
Nice work. The rendering is right on. I think of Odd World, Abe's Oddysey (I think) for aliens and the West.
Nice work. The rendering is right on. I think of Odd World, Abe's Oddysey (I think) for aliens and the West.
That's Stranger's Wrath you're thinking of, I think. I agree with the sentiment, and if you go to the desert-y part of Abe's Oddessey it would work, too. 
Y'know, it's been so long since I've played or even thought about Oddworld, it just didn't occur to me. But yeah, now that I think about it I guess I must have been channeling that.
I am looking forward to putting up some material in here once I purchase my Surface Pro in a month or so.
muraii wrote:Nice work. The rendering is right on. I think of Odd World, Abe's Oddysey (I think) for aliens and the West.
That's Stranger's Wrath you're thinking of, I think. I agree with the sentiment, and if you go to the desert-y part of Abe's Oddessey it would work, too. ;)
Yep, Stranger's Wrath.
Y'know, it's been so long since I've played or even thought about Oddworld, it just didn't occur to me. But yeah, now that I think about it I guess I must have been channeling that.
I wasn't intending that. Just that what you mentioned reminded me of it, and that it was similar to your stated theme.
So, I'm trying to save up some money to buy a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 for use as a digital sketchpad. Anyone have experience using the Note as a drawing device? Anyone want to talk me out of it and into something else?
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