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blackmanjew posted:Does the CC have a list of books to get to learn how to draw? I'm currently terrible at drawing, but would like to get into cartooning, something along this style If you want to get good at comics, anatomy and construction drawing are probably going to be the most helpful. Nothing beats a strong foundation. Life drawing classes are the absolute best if you can take one or two at a local community college or art center too. A lot of people swear by the Loomis Books: http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Drawing-Andrew-Loomis/dp/0857687611 http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-All-Its-Worth/dp/0857680986 For anatomy I personally like Bridgman and Peck, but there are lots of good books out there so you have plenty of options here. http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958 Bridgman has a lot of books, just get anything dealing with constructive anatomy/life drawing. Check out used bookstores, Bookmans or the like if you have one. You can probably get most of these (maybe not the loomis books) there for much cheaper than places like amazon. There are some good tutorials on youtube as well, Proko is a pretty good starting place for some basics. Edited to add: Most books have something to teach, but I'd caution against any Christopher Hart book like the one in your link. Maybe this one isn't as bad as his manga books, but they have a really terrible reputation and you'd be better off with just about anything else. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 08:08 on Apr 8, 2014 |
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Sithsaber posted:Do we post our short stories and general fiction in the creative convention sub forum? Are we expected to keep it all in one thread, or can we split things up by topic? Works 1000 words and less can be posted directly into the fiction farm thread here. Any works larger than that require their own thread in CC but you can link to it in the fiction farm to draw more attention to it. Also, Thunderdome is a weekly flash fiction challenge that accepts anyone who wants to improve their writing. You'll have to do new stories for it based on the prompt, but you are guaranteed to get critiques and it's a whole lotta fun too. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Apr 9, 2014 |
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Apr 9, 2014 06:16
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CloseFriend posted:This might not be the best place to post this, but I know a lot of the better artists here have studied anatomy, so… My best guess is Depressor Anguli Oris since that one is heavily involved in expressions of sadness and originates from the jaw and attaches to the node of muscle at the side of the mouth. That still doesn't match all of the criteria though. He may be referring to a group of muscles and not just one, because I can't think of any one muscle that both pulls the lips up in a sneer, and pulls it down in a frown. Muscles can only contract or relax, so there is a limit to what one muscle can do by itself. Here's a craptastic scan of the muscle and the expression:  So maybe he meant this one and the Levator Labii Superioris muscles together. If both of them contract, that should expose the teeth in a snarl. And while I'm definitely not qualified enough to say whether it is a mistake or not, there definitely is a precedent for (otherwise excellent) anatomy books getting some facial muscles wrong. Problem is, when you look at a cadaver it's never as clean and nice as the diagrams show. If a tiny muscle is frayed for whatever reason, one muscle can easily look like two muscles, etc. So that's at least a possibility especially in older books. If you want to get into the nitty gritty details of anatomy, you might want a supplement to Loomis. Something like a medical professional's anatomy textbook like Gray's Anatomy or a more specialized art anatomy book like Goldfinger's Human Anatomy for Artists. That said, even the most meticulously researched books can have mistakes, but it shouldn't be anything thats a deal breaker. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 22:11 on Apr 13, 2014 |
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Apr 13, 2014 21:24
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Octorok posted:I'm looking to try my hand at abstract geometric designs, something along the lines of: This kind of stuff is gonna be infinitely easier on digital than traditional medium. But I've had to do similar exercises with acrylic paint for a class and what you'll need is a whole lot of tape, matte medium and a gently caress ton of patience. Those perfect crisp lines are easy to screw up. Lay tape to form the shape you want to paint, use matt medium to seal the tape edges and let it dry. Paint in your shape, rinse and repeat. Or do it digitally and save yourself the tedium.
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Apr 16, 2014 05:22
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Grouco posted:I want to learn to draw. I have copies of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and The Natural Way to Draw. I'm going to work through these books and practice as much as I can. Anything else I should know? Life drawing, do lots of it. Doesn't matter if its a model in a class, or some junk you had lying around in your house, or if you are just doing self portraits with a mirror, etc. It's all good. Just practice drawing from life with a focus on accuracy. As far as techniques, materials ,and everything else goes there are a lot of ways to go about things and they all have their pluses and minuses but life drawing is pretty much the foundation by which everything else gets built upon so don't neglect it. You can do other things in addition, but life drawing needs to be at least part of your studies.
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Jun 18, 2014 06:39
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CloseFriend posted:I read somewhere that muscle mags are good for anatomy practice. Do they have the same reputation for Photoshopping as, say, Hollywood rags? I don't want to practice on anything with the slightest chance of being anatomically inaccurate. (Yes, I'm planning to take a figure-drawing class, but it doesn't start for a month.) I think so long as you are drawing from a variety of sources (especially real life ones as you'll be doing in a month; that's awesome btw!) it's okay to include things like muscle mags in small amounts. Anatomy varies a surprising amount from person to person and getting exposed to multiple kinds of body types can be helpful even if there might be some exaggeration. Though I'm sure you could probably find actual muscled models online, maybe pixellovely? that are posing for artists and won't be Photoshopped. But the main danger of warping your style or sense of anatomy comes from studying one or just a few sources exclusively. So I think so long as you aren't always drawing from muscle mags, doing a handful of studies from them isn't going to be harmful even if one or two of them ends up being altered. Another option would be to go find a photo blog of someone who takes pictures of that kind of thing. A fashion example would be The Sartorialist but I'm sure muscle builders might have someone doing something similar. Those pictures likely wont be altered. Photo blogs can be really helpful if you can find a good one. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 06:36 on Aug 25, 2014 |
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Aug 25, 2014 06:34
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psychopomp posted:What's the term for when you use photoshop or another image editing software to create entirely new images from small pieces of other photos, and where can I find out more about it? Could it be a photo mosaic? If that is what you mean, I don't have any good resources for that kind of thing but chuck close is a painter who does stuff that's pretty close to a mosaic. If you can look up his process and how he decides to assign colors/shapes to specific tiles, you might be able to use that to help with selecting photos for your own mosaics. Other than that I suppose looking up specific artists that have done work you like and seeing if they've talked at all about their techniques,etc could be useful. Hell could even try sending a polite e-mail and ask em a question or two about their work. If you aren't talking about mosaics, could it be some kind of collage? It might be easier to identify if you could show a sample.
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Aug 25, 2014 22:41
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doctorfrog posted:I have a newborn, and instead of writing a lengthy diary of her first year, I'm writing and drawing little daily observations on playing cards. I plan to use two decks over 104 days. Is there a spray or something I can apply to fix the ink to the cards? I'm worried about it rubbing off or smearing. Krylon makes a Workable Fixative and a Matte Finish that are often used to protect charcoal drawings and stuff on paper (basically consider it the archival version of hair spray since they don't yellow over time). For paper products they prevent smudging which I know from personal use, though some of their the products also claim to work on other surfaces including plastic though I've not tested them on plastic surfaces myself. Out of the two you'd probably want to use the Matte Finish unless you plan to work on the cards more after you spray them, then you'd use the Fixative. Also, like the name implies, the Matte Finish will remove the sheen of any shiny surface so keep that in mind if you decide to use it. They also have a clear acrylic coating and some others and of course there are other brands of fixative and sealers so you don't have to use Krylon either. I'm sure others have their favorites. Definitely do a test run with whatever product you end up using to make sure it has the effect that you want before you use it on anything you are serious about preserving. Sometimes these products can be a bit hit or miss, or temperature/humidity will mess with the application of it, etc. So make sure it works how you want before doing something that will take a lot of effort to undo. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Sep 2, 2014 |
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Sep 2, 2014 22:41
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trolling idol posted:Is it possible to learn how to draw by taking college classes or do you have to be born with that gift/talent? Drawing is a skill that you practice and learn. Some people can learn faster than others, but anyone can be very good with hard work. And by hard work I'm talking years and years here. So yeah if it's a thing that you want, you can get it. Just know that it'll be a huge time sink if you want to get good with any sort of speed. Take a class and see how you like it.
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Sep 18, 2014 17:18
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Chipp Zanuff posted:A quick anatomy question; Since it looks like you are just starting studying anatomy and the figure, I'm going to try to be thorough. The short answer is, it depends. First, when you are drawing anything you want to get across the important lines that actually show the overall form instead of getting bogged down by details. So even if a muscle is visible, it may or may not be in your best interest to draw attention to it. Basically the whole, don't mistake the forest for the trees thing, you don't want every line, only the important ones. There isn't really a static list of "these are always the important lines and that's all there is to it!" a lot of it comes down to individual judgment calls. Also if you do life drawing you'll find that sometimes certain muscles are visible, sometimes they aren't. Depends on the build of the model, the pose, which muscles are relaxed and which ones are flexing,etc. Age also matters because muscles sag as you get older and some muscles are more vulnerable to this than others. The plastymsa for instance is very thin and ends up being subtle/nearly invisible in younger models but can be very prominent in older ones. Getting this right is important if you don't want an old character to look young or vice versa. Really the only way to get a good handle on this and develop a realistic sense is to get used to drawing nude models from life (pictures could work if funds/time are an issue). That said muscle knowledge (and you should learn bones first imo if you are learning muscles) is very useful, but form is the most important thing and that needs to be your primary focus at first. Don't worry about muscles in isolation just yet. So instead of worrying about what muscles to show, worry about making your characters look three dimensional. Pay especially close attention to light and value. Note where the body curves away from the light, hard edges vs soft edges, etc. Break up areas of dark and light into simple shapes/planes. The three things you need to pay the closest attention to at the start are the ribcage (egg shape), the spine(Very flexible curvy line that can twist and bend within reason) and the pelvis (kinda box-ish shape). If you understand and draw these three in any figure, you just figured out the torso plus you've also identified where every limb connects to the body for any pose. Also practice on a few simple shapes (spheres and boxes) and see how light affects them. If you want a challenge, try drawing some eggs lit from one side. It might sound dumb or simple, but trust me it will help a ton. If you understand light and form then you'll have a very good idea of what to show and what not to show to create a convincing figure. Muscle knowledge will build upon that, but muscle knowledge will never ever replace that. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Oct 19, 2014 |
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Oct 19, 2014 02:37
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Hammer And Pickle posted:I've been looking to get into drawing and creating digital images, and I'm wondering what apps for an apple computer people would recommend Adobe CS products are the industry standard for a lot of 2D stuff but they are also the most expensive option. Adobe CS is good but it's not the only thing out there. I kinda like Manga Studio myself. It's pretty decent as just a regular painting program even if you don't need any of the comic stuff. Krita/Gimp are both free and could be good photoshop alternatives for you. Inkscape is an adobe illustrator alternative that's also open source and free. ArtRage and Corel Painter have their fans and could be worth trying as well. If you want 3D stuff, try something like a 3 year student license (free) of Maya or something like Sculptris which is a free 3D sculpting tool. Most of the art programs I mentioned are available both on windows and mac. But ultimately, I'd try the free and cheap programs first, and only go for stuff like adobe photoshop/illustrator if you plan on getting real serious with this stuff. Something like Corel Painter or Manga Studio 5 might be a good middle ground if you want to spend a little money but not go for the most expensive stuff, but you might find that the free stuff suits your needs for the time being. Also, most of the programs that cost money, including the adobe suite still have free trials. So you can try some stuff before you buy.
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Oct 21, 2014 05:53
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Humboldt Squid posted:Well, each brand has different qualities, but generally you get what you pay for. Here's a site with a breakdown of things to look for. I use Sakura pan paints for sketching and Daniel smith for everything else (mostly because I inherited a bunch of them Yeah I agree. Never get student-grade paint if you can help it. Sometimes certain kinds of artist grade store brand paint like Utretcht brand can have a decently high ratio of pigment to filler and not be too bad if you are looking for a budget option. But not every store brand is the same, so do some research before you resort to that.
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Oct 26, 2014 09:33
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). Windsor and Newton is generally considered the best but of course is v. expensive. Anything "student quality" is hot garbage and a wast of time, though, even if you're trying to save money.
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pandaK posted:Am I missing something here or am I really expected to fork up ~$2 each for quality colored sketch paper? I just wanted something a little better quality than construction paper peach toned paper at not a ridiculous price, but I'm having a hard time finding anything. What size do you need? The one you have there is 19 x 25" so its a decent sized piece of paper for 2 dollars. You could cut out multiple 9x12s from one sheet of it. That also sounds close to what you'd pay for something like Canson Mi Teintes brand paper which is what I see a lot of people use for archival quality colored paper. But it's also 140lb (300 gsm) paper and unless you are doing a pastel/conte/charcoal/etc drawing that you plan to exhibit at a gallery or something you probably don't need something of that quality. It's definitely overkill for sketching. 80 lb should be significantly cheaper and is still many times better than regular old construction paper. Cardstock might also be an option if you are doing cut outs or planning on using the paper to mount something. Cardstock is smooth, very stiff and has no tooth just like bristol board, but is fairly sturdy and comes in both matte and gloss finishes depending on the kind you buy. You can also draw on it if you use pencil, ink or acrylics but I wouldn't recommend anything that requires texture to stick to the paper. But that's another cheap alternative. You should visit your local art store, especially if you can find something like a Jerry's Artarama, Utretcht or Dick Blick. They'll have lots of different kinds of paper and they might be able to help you find the exact kind of paper you need. Once you've found that, you can try ordering it directly from the manufacturer if you need a lot of one color. Or if you don't need too many, just buy some individual sheets from the store. Also if they carry the brand but don't have the color, ask them to see if they might order some. Some art stores will do this for you and it doesn't hurt to ask. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 12:44 on Nov 9, 2014 |
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Nov 9, 2014 12:41
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CloseFriend posted:Would a Surface Pro 3 have enough pressure sensitivity to where I could use it to master digital painting? I own a Wacom Bamboo, but as much as I practice I still have a hell of a time not seeing where my pen falls. I'm thinking of buying a Cintiq, but money's a factor and my computer's just outdated enough to where I probably won't get the full effect of a Cintiq. I've heard good things about the surface pro 2. Though I'm not sure it's going to beat out a reg PC + tablet. Someone in one of the art threads got a surface pro 3 and posted about their experiences it a few months ago if someone with search wants to pull that up. Though you have a few other options as well: Monoprice: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=113&cp_id=11314&cs_id=1131401&p_id=10707&seq=1&format=2 Cost: $379.99 Yiynova: http://www.amazon.com/Yiynova-MSP19...ords=yiynova+19 Cost: $499.00 I use the 19" Yiynova myself and like it a great deal. It's pretty responsive (uc logic drivers are loving solid) and works great in Photoshop and Manga Studio 5. No promises for any other painting programs like Corel or ArtRage as I don't use those but I'm sure someone out there has. So see if you can find a review that pertains to the software you are planning on using. But note that any tablet is going to have pros and cons so before you sink any money in this do a lot of research. For instance, the 19" Yiynova is pretty great for the money but the 22 Yiynova was a piece of crap for almost twice the price of the smaller one on release. They have a V3 now so it might be better now but just keep in mind that even companies that make good products will sometimes also make bad ones. Only trust info about the specific model you are buying. Monoprice is cheapest and has the same drivers as the yiynova. I've heard it has some quirks, but nothing that can't be worked around. Also if your computer is old and you decide that you don't want to go with the surface pro, you can still get a good tablet + a new computer for under the price of a cintiq. Though I think if the most intensive thing you are doing is painting in Photoshop, what you got is probably going to be fine unless it's really ancient. I'd worry more about computer specs if you were planning to do stuff with Maya or any other 3D software. If you do want to upgrade your comp though (600-800 can get you a reasonable setup easy) there is a thread for building pcs here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3671266 Only thing I'd be firm about, is that a Cintiq is probably not the most efficient use of money for you at this point. There are plenty of good enough alternatives, and that is something you can always buy later once you are making good money off your art. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Dec 1, 2014 |
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Dec 1, 2014 02:56
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EagerSleeper posted:Does anybody know a good middle-range brand of watercolors that are fade resistant? I've been trying to find that info on the internet, but it's been like trying to pull teeth so far. Well there are two things to look for in good watercolor. You want artist grade, not student grade (more pigment, less filler), and you want a color with a high lightfastness rating (Listed as ASTM on the tube). The best ratings are I and II and you should avoid anything III or lower if you are concerned about fading. Lightfastness usually depends on the pigment more than brand and some pigments are notorious for being especially prone to fading. For instance Alizarin Crimson while pretty, tends to fade quickly, so does Cochineal (the traditional crushed up beetle shell red) and any kind of paint based on dyes. Heavy metals like cadmiums are almost eternal, but are also more expensive and probably wont fit your price requirements. So in my opinion, I think you are best off buying the cheaper but most lightfast options from the better quality brands like Daniel Smith or Winsor Newton. Some store artist grades can be pretty good too, I've had good luck with Utretcht brand. Ultramarine Blue for instance is a relatively inexpensive color now, is a beautiful blue, and is I in lightfastness. Quinacridone colors are also very good and often cheaper than Cadmiums for your red. Maybe you'll have to buy one or two of an expensive paint (to get a good purple possibly), but if you are careful and look at what you are buying you can get some good paint for 7-9 dollars a tube. Look for sales and abuse coupons too. Artstores like to give out those 40-60% coupons so use those if you have to buy an expensive color. Also try to look up pigments if you can because paint companies don't always use the same pigments (or mix of them) for the same colors. But this stuff is standardized and each paint tube should have the pigments listed on the back somewhere, like PR 209 or PY 43. If those numbers match between two tubes, its the same pigment, otherwise it's not regardless of what they name the thing. This'll save you any unpleasant surprises if you are switching brands and are searching for a particular color. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Dec 10, 2014 |
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Dec 10, 2014 06:29
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raging bullwinkle posted:To get good arcs on a tablet, simply draw the same line 50 times. This is great advice and applies to traditional stuff too. If you struggle making good lines with a particular motion, just move the paper/canvas/whatever until it lines up with whatever motion you are comfortable with. No reason to learn 100 ways to draw a straight line when you only need one.
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Dec 17, 2014 20:15
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Al-Saqr posted:I have recently nailed a gig where I'm basically paid to monitor a weekly 3 hour long life model drawing session, with the benefit of being able to sit there and draw while on the job, this is my absolute golden opportunity to push myself closer to mastery of drawing the human form , do you guys know of any resources/exercises/work plans I can use to get as much as I can out of this? That is fricken awesome. It's kinda hard to recommend materials though since everyone has their preference and what might be best for you would depend on what you want to work on. Though if you want to get super picky about anatomy studies, especially if its long poses, I am very fond of this book http://www.amazon.com/Human-Anatomy-Artists-Elements-Form/dp/0195052064/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421017137&sr=8-1&keywords=goldfinger+anatomy and this one: http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421017170&sr=8-1&keywords=peck+anatomy Those might be useful if you are working on understanding muscle attachments/motion and stuff and it's a lot of long poses. Though something super detailed might not be helpful if you wanted to practice something more gestural or try to do more quick and fluid stuff. So I guess the best approach would be to take a look at your work, think about a very specific thing you'd like to be better at (like say, drawing better hands or shoulders, or getting a better sense of weight or whatever) then focus on that for a few sessions. Then pick something new and work on that, etc. What could also be cool is to do a few master studies like of a Rubens or Prudhon life drawing or something to get a feel for how they do things, then try to replicate their style/technique later during a life session. That's the awesome bit about life studies, there are so many different ways to approach them its hard to go wrong. Something to learn from doing just about anything.
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Jan 12, 2015 00:13
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Well here's one video showing some of his stuff that's free at least: http://www.proko.com/drawing-demo-glenn-vilppu/
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Jan 12, 2015 00:51
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landy. posted:I probably should've listened to soundmonkey and come to this thread first. Anyway, I've been trying to draw as a hobby, but I don't really know where to begin. I don't know if there's some kind of exercise I can practice at to get good at this? Or should I just go for it and see what mistakes I make and fix those? I could really use the advice. Draw everyday, draw from life. Cheap paper, pencils or charcoal. Some books (Can pick one of these to help if you want. Loomis is prob my favorite but they are all good and useful.): http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Right-Side-Brain-Definitive/dp/1585429201 http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Drawing-Andrew-Loomis/dp/0857687611 http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958 http://www.amazon.com/Bridgmans-Complete-Guide-Drawing-Life/dp/B00E6TNT0O If there are any life drawing classes in your area try them out. Don't forget to have fun. Draw everyday.
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Mar 25, 2015 06:40
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LORD OF BUTT posted:Is it viable to break into comics as just a writer? Can anyone speak to whether Image's submission process is worth going through or a grueling hell (since they seem to be the only publisher that takes unsolicited submissions for writing)? If it's awful, would my next best bet be finding an independent artist to work with? It is tremendously difficult to get into mainstream comics as a writer if you don't already have some kind of writing credentials/agent/etc. Though if you find respectable companies that accept unsolicted submissions and you are confident you have something that can get their attention then it prob wont hurt to try. However, If you aren't established in some way it prob wont be easy, no matter what you are going to have to hustle to get noticed in a creative career. Not trying to discourage you but just stressing that it can be very difficult to get your start. Best thing you can do is try to put out some quality work to get you noticed. Working with an artist can be a great way to do this but there are a few caveats you should be aware of. Writers/Idea people who want people to illustrate their grand epic for free or (potential returns/fame/milliooons of dollars when they make it big) are a dime a dozen. So, unless you already have a professional working relationship with an artist, getting one will not be a trivial matter. Any artist with the chops to execute your comic to your vision is going to be very wary about entering in a partnership that doesn't pay them by the page for their work. So given that, you have a few options that might help out: 1) Write short stories, maybe even novels and other kinds of written work and send them to places that accept submissions. Getting published gets you money and writing credentials. Getting stuff out there gets you readers and a market. If you have a market, you prove that your writing style is salable which will make you much more attractive to big companies. Not to mention if you have a big enough fan base, you can just work for yourself. 2)Get an agent. This can help you get writing gigs, which can include comics and illustrated books like children's books. They will be able to hustle on your behalf and get you out there. However you have to prove to an agent that your work is worth representing so this requires submissions and hopefully getting some publishing creds beforehand. Also there are predatory agents out there so do your research. (Remember, you NEVER pay an agent. They get a cut of the money when they sell your work to the publisher. If they make a living from fees from clients they are either an outright fraud or at least hack enough that they cant make a living by representing their writers/artists.) Mind you, you don't need an agent, but a good agent can be very helpful so it is worth at least considering the pros/cons of getting one. 3) Pay an artist whose style you think is great for your comic to draw it for you. Make a contract. This is going to be a long term collaboration and a good contract will make sure that both parties are protected in case something goes wrong. It helps a lot if they like the work and believe in the vision as it'll help your collaboration and lead to better work. Make sure the artist is capable of meeting deadlines and will provide quality work. In return you should compensate them fairly with actual money that reflects the considerable time and effort involved. Do a lot of research, iron everything out in the contract and leave nothing to chance. Going into comics for yourself means you need to get some business savvy, especially if you intend to one day make a living doing this stuff. The only other option I can think of is to try to do the art yourself. However if you only want to write, then I suppose that's not the most attractive route. It's worth mentioning that art doesn't have to be great for you to get a following especially if your writing is top notch. While its a dated example, Brian Clevenger got his start by using sprites and while I would not advise that for a comic in 2015, it's worth saying that simple art that effectively communicates your story can work. Hyperbole and a half, and order of the stick (whether you hate or love it, Burlew raised over 1 million on kickstarter so that's something worth noting) and others have proven you don't need fully rendered, super fancy art to get a following. And if you have a following you have a market and a way to make a living with your comics. That would also help with getting an industry job if that's your ultimate goal. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 08:32 on Mar 31, 2015 |
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Mar 31, 2015 08:04
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schmarson posted:Does anybody have any recommendations for tablet PCs? I'm thinking of purchasing a used Microsoft Surface Pro 2 because it runs Windows that I can (most likely) put Flash on and is compatible with the Wacom Bamboo Stylus. I hate using a drawing tablet for Flash on my laptop and I don't want to dish out the big bucks for a Cintiq, so the Surface Pro 2 seems like a really good alternative. I may consider the Surface Pro 3, but I don't think the Bamboo Stylus works for that. Yeah, you have it right. Surface Pro 2 is the one with the wacom digitizers so if that's the way you want to go that would be your best bet. Surface pro 3 uses N-trig, which aren't digitizers I've used but just cause it's not wacom doesn't mean it's bad necessarily (UC logic drivers at least are pretty drat good for being non-wacom though I don't know any tablet PCs that uses them). I know there are a few goons here who have a surface pro 3 so maybe see if they'll chime in to comment on how it performs. If you haven't seen it, here's a Frenden review for the pro 3 http://frenden.com/post/90779846937/microsofts-surface-pro-3-vs-wacoms-cintiq (I could have sworn frenden had a review for the pro 2 as well but I cant find it for the life of me. But here's another reviewer that is comparing it to a cintiq) http://blog.oneofthejohns.com/2013/11/07/surface-pro-2-vs-cintiq-companion/ JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Apr 7, 2015 |
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Apr 7, 2015 09:20
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neonnoodle posted:Still lifes still lifes still lifes This! and when you need to mix it up a little you can add in some self portraits and master studies too.
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Apr 19, 2015 18:45
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chthonic bell posted:
No worries, just do what you can that is easy with what you have. So if you dont have the set up to do a self portrait easily just wait until you do before worrying about it. Nice thing about drawing is so long as you are drawing from life, almost anything works. Crumpled paper even can make for a great exercise so definitely go with convenience. For master studies you tend to want to go for them with a specific goal in mind. For instance if you are looking at a line drawing with ink, you might want to examine how they hatch or how they vary line weight to define shapes, etc. Then once you complete the study it's good to try the technique you studied in an original piece and see how it works. Basically the idea is explore, experiment and have fun. Try things, keep the stuff that works well, discard the stuff that doesn't. Master studies are also an excellent way (arguably the best) to study composition. Noah Bradley uses master studies for that purpose and he has a very lengthy video on it if it helps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQfF-P70V2Q You don't need to watch all of it though, for black and white he covers most of the stuff fairly early on in the video the rest is a walk-through of the process and then a part addressing color studies which is good too but I'd start with black and white first personally. By the way, don't get tempted to sign up for his art camp. As far as I can tell its defunct now and not worth the money. This video is free so that's good but i don't think the high price tag is worth it for the other videos. Proko and the Gnomon workshop folks sell videos for much cheaper and their stuff is just as good if not better if you want the concept art atelier kind of instruction. Goodness: I got started on fusing and slumping glass recently and gently caress glassworking is super addictive. If you want some intro to color stuff, why not play around with : http://www.paletton.com/ You can set up various color schemes and it's pretty simple to use. Paint mixing (if you like painting anyways) is a pretty nice way to learn color if you got the time though. Rule for complements is basically, if you have any primary then the complement will be the other two primaries mixed together. (so red's complement is yellow + blue which is green) So if you need to find any color's complement, just look for the color at the opposite side of the color wheel and that will be it. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 08:10
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Also self-portraits are gonna be hard due to a lack of an appropriately-sized mirror, but I'll get over that hurdle at some point.
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neonnoodle posted:This might be an unpopular opinion around here, but I don't think online figure drawing reference sites are useful for those learning how to draw. They can be helpful pose references if you're doing a comic book or some other scenario where you want to check some details of a particular pose. For someone learning the fundamentals, however, drawing from photographic reference is harmful. It's better to draw ANYTHING from life--your own hand, your computer mouse, your chair, etc.--than to draw from a photo, even if the photo is of something more interesting. That might be sarcasm and my radar is off but I think you'd get a lot of agreement on that point. There are some things photos are good for but basic observational skills (being able to simplify a 3d shape into a 2d image and visualize that) is definitely not one of them. So drawing from life is really important especially when you are starting out. Photos also screw up values and color in really terrible ways particularly if the lighting isn't ideal (tends towards more harsh values, more washed out/flat colors, etc). You can lose a ton of complexity and depth from that. Here's an example: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2013/10/arkansas-river-painting-vs-photo.html Btw Gurney's blog is a great resource with lots of stuff on painting and pretty much everything else. Not to mention while you browse through it you find gems like this from time to time: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2013/11/high-speed-photos-of-dogs-shaking.html
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Apr 22, 2015 21:12
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Arcella posted:My dad's about to retire, and I'd like to get him a couple nice paintbrushes. It'd be for oil on canvas, and quick googling shows hog and sable are preferred natural-fiber brushes; does anyone have a preferred brand? Well if you are going all out, Raphael and Winsor Newton make some of the best brushes in my opinion. Also, I've heard good things about http://www.rosemaryandco.com/ but I've never bought brushes from them so I can't vouch for it. Might be worth investigating. Keep in mind, it doesn't really pay to use very expensive sables with oil (like say Winsor Newton's Professional Series No 7. Kolinsky Brushes) because oil solvents are pretty harsh on them. If you are going to buy a very expensive brush, go for natural stiff bristle (hog). Then you can buy some of the more medium priced sables or even synthetics (from the nicer companies the synthetics aren't that far off from sable) for detail work/smooth blending that the bristle isn't suited for. That way when the sables get worn out it won't sting as much. The bristle on the other hand should last a long drat time if well cared for. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Jun 3, 2015 |
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Jun 3, 2015 02:33
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GlyphGryph posted:Does this forum do any sort of writing "jams" of the sort that happens in the game dev forums for game development? Like "You have a week/month to write a story for this theme, then we judge it and declare the winners whoo (but really anyone who actually completes something for it is a winner)" sort of thing? Yes we do. We got the Thunderdome which is a weekly short/flash fiction contest with prompts, judges and all that. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3691539 And while you should feel good for just submitting, do understand that it's the norm for bad stories to get really scathing critiques. It's all part of the fun though and you learn a lot by seeing what people like in your stories and what they absolutely hate.
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Jul 5, 2015 02:41
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Shadow0 posted:No, the pens are always full of ink; they just stop working. I'm not sure it's because it's dry either. Maybe I should just give up on ballpoints. Hundreds of dollars for a pen sounds crazy to me. If you need a really good pen with consistent lines then you'd get something like a refillable rapidograph pen that costs you 20-30 dollars. That's a top of the line pen and an industry standard type of thing. So for quality you can't get much better than one of those. Unfortunately a rapidograph isn't the best pen for general writing because it requires a bit more care than a regular pen (have to regularly clean it out, use special ink, and are picky about the angle you hold them to the paper at, etc) but paying hundreds of dollar for a pen that's probably not going to be of a better quality than a rapidograph or other high end art pen is bit ridiculous. Though if your pen is good quality it shouldn't break from pushing and pulling alone, I guess maybe try not to put too much pressure on the pens and try multiple brands to see if there are any that work better than something like a BIC. I don't use ballpoints so I can't really suggest any brands. If you do decide to ditch ballpoints, felt pens might be a good alternative. They are more expensive, range about 2-4 dollars roughly depending on brand and whether you buy them as a set or individually, but they give pretty good performance while they have ink. Micron Pens and the Faber-Castell Pitt Pens are pretty good for art and I don't see why you couldn't use them for writing. If you go to an art store they'll usually let you try pens out to see how you like them. Maybe they'll hold up better with how you are holding them, maybe not. It could be worth a shot though.
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Jul 22, 2015 10:53
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Defenestration posted:I do a lot of looking at digital files of fine art for work. Assuming that I can get a quality monitor out of the department budget next year, what are some midrange models I should be considering? (Note: PC) There is a thread that covers monitors pretty exhaustively and it might be helpful in your search. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3372494 Personally, I'm partial to the Dell Ultrasharp line for IPS monitors, they aren't terribly expensive but they are far from the only option. I'm sure the thread will be able to give you a good recommendation if you tell them your exact requirements.
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Aug 5, 2015 05:26
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Lord Psychodin posted:Can anyone recommend a good graphics tablet like a Wacom available for roughly around $200? I've got my eye on one or two, reviews on amazon are good, but just want to hear a few other opinions. Thanks in advance! I like the Yiynova brand tablets though they go for more than 200. I've heard Huion uses the same drivers (UC Logic) and they sell some inexpensive tablets that might be worth checking out. I'm pretty sure they'll have some tablets way under 200. Frenden has a review of some of them here http://frenden.com/post/60704895108/huion-h610-k58-and-w58-tablet-review-round-up
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Aug 16, 2015 04:43
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Cool Calligraphy Stuff You could try some BFK rives. That's pretty good paper. I've seen other people tea stain them before and they turned out alright, could still hold charcoal (ink would be no prob), didn't buckle, etc. High quality water color paper like 140-300lb Arches might also work though those will be much more stiff than the BFK rives. They'll warp (at least 140lb does) if you add water without stretching them which could be a good thing in this case when you are trying to make it look beat up. Get Hot Press if you don't want the texture. Blick, Jerrys Artarama, Utretcht and Cheap Joes should carry them. I don't know if any of them have physical stores in Australia but they all have websites and online ordering. If there is one in your area, you can always stop in to examine various kinds of paper and ask them if they know any good local suppliers for paper in your area. Best advice I can give though, is buy small pieces of a bunch of different kinds of papers and do multiple test runs first. Test out all the inking and aging techniques you plan on using. Only way you'll be sure that you are gonna get the effect that you want. Also for a piece of paper approaching a meter by a meter size you might want to go to the home improvement store and get a piece of masonite (the stuff they usually make drawing boards out of) to tape it on. It'll keep it nice and flat and make it easier to move around, can prop it up on stuff to make an impromptu cheapo easel, etc.
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Sep 27, 2015 02:28
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Chipp Zanuff posted:I've started to transistion from pen to pencil, is this wise or am i making a mistake? People kept telling me how it was better to be able to erase mistakes but i've seen people online saying how it's better with pen as you have to commit to each line, rather than just erasing. The tools you use don't matter as much as what you do with them. Pen is nice because you can't erase so it forces you to think more about the lines you put down which is a very good thing, especially when you are trying to improve accuracy. Though you could just use pencil lightly (or charcoal which is my favorite medium for life drawing personally) and just not erase either. Personally, I'd use both. Use a soft pencil or charcoal for lifedrawing in the class, then use pen for your sketchbook (this can be a stack of cheapo printer paper or a bound book, doesn't matter) at home or when you are out and about. Biggest thing is just keep drawing with whatever you have. Make a habit of regular practice. A good thing to try to focus on early on is to get a good handle on pressure sensitivity and just handling your medium.
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Oct 7, 2015 07:18
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Tunicate posted:Go into his office and systematically burn every piece of paper inside it. This. Don't let that 3D dude get to you, he's an idiot. Has he worked even a single day as a professional illustrator, comic artist, concept art, or anything like that? If all he knows is 3D animation he has no business butting in on different disciplines that use different skill sets. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Oct 16, 2015 |
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Oct 16, 2015 06:23
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Vermain posted:Nah, just things like 3/4th views of the head, birds' eye perspective shots, etc. The absolute most difficult thing for me on the face is by far rendering distant eyes in perspective, for whatever reason. I have the conceptualization of them as 3D objects down in "regular" perspectives, but more uncommon ones are still brutally difficult. Try street photography blogs for references, you can find some interesting and varied people in them. Or if you don't like using reference that others collect, get a camera and wander around town a bit yourself. If you have the funds, buy a skull or an Asaro Head. If you have one of those, then you can choose the light source/viewing angle on the fly and just set something up to study. A lot of professional artists work that way, making Maquettes to help study a pose or particular lighting situation. If you prefer not to use Maya or something like that (it has a free student version) you still got options. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Nov 8, 2015 |
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Nov 8, 2015 02:34
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NancyPants posted:
I disagree with this part. Drawing from life is always superior to drawing from photo reference if given the option. A photo does a lot of the work for you, since you are just copying a 2d image (usually with hosed up values/colors). That's perfectly fine if you just want to know what something looks like, but that's not as good at teaching you how to see (instead of relying on symbols and what you think stuff looks like). Even if the gains are slow, just getting a better handle for charcoal, looking at human figures and keeping up the routine of going somewhere to draw from life on a weekly basis are all good things. I do agree that an instructor would be especially helpful however. You should see if you can find a local life drawing class at the local community college or art center. Google the instructor's name and try to find their portfolio, make sure they have some strong figure work somewhere in there before you take their class. These are the people who are likely to teach you good measuring skills, how to simplify planes/values, construction etc. You will make faster gains if you change up how you approach it but I think having someone there coaching and giving you good advice, immediate feedback, etc will give you the best gains. You might also want to try setting up some still lifes at home. Just put some random household stuff on a table and light it with a lamp (you can get good focused light from a cheapo IKEA LED lamp or something), something that creates strong shadows that will be easy to see. You can learn a lot about form by studying those and the best part is they don't move. But unless you're really hurting for money, I'd say keep up the life drawing.
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Dec 10, 2015 06:48
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Brazilianpeanutwar posted:
Well if we are talking "fine art" as opposed to more commercial/illustrator stuff one thing you can try is getting into a local gallery. This is a pro/con kind of thing but depending on where you are at it could be a good fit for you. Nice thing about a gallery is they'll have your work out where people can see it, and if they are worth a drat they will be able to help you out with promoting your work. Well established galleries will know their client base and if you give them a painting they'll likely know who the potential buyers for it could be and be able to do that networking for you. This does come at a significant cost. They'll take a percentage of each sale and usually a gallery expects to be the sole representative for your work for their particular area. They wont want you selling the same kind of paintings you give them at local art fares, or other galleries or even a website usually. They are however usually fine with you creating partnerships with other galleries in other regions/cities/etc. But the details will vary and this is one of the reasons why you always need to read any contract a gallery gives you before you sign it. Some deals will be better than others so make sure you do your research. It can also be difficult to get a gallery to take your work in to begin with. Though the fact that you've already sold a good amount of work and have had your own exhibition is pretty promising. If you find some galleries you know you'd like to work with then let them know and send them a portfolio. While you shouldn't be a "pest" you do need to be very persistent and make sure to remind them you are there. Even something like mailing a gallery a bunch of postcard sized prints of your latest pieces every 2 months or whatever can be useful. Self-promotion takes a lot of work and persistence. Its easier to do too little than too much so don't be shy. You could also consider finding an art agent, who might be able to connect you either to galleries or businesses that might have a use for your work. Also with gallerys and agents both, they get paid based on a percentage of what gets sold depending on the arrangement. You do NOT pay them to show or sell your work, so if they ask for money upfront from you then that's a huge red flag. Anyways, not saying this is the best route to go but it might be something worth investigating at least as a potential option. Also, be careful about donating your work. While I understand it was for a charity event, they ought to have paid you at least a small percentage for your pieces. If you are 100% devoted to the cause and the group and happy with the outcome then fine but even in the case of a charity event usually artists get at least some cut. Especially if other people involved are also getting paid for their time and services. I bet the combined time it took you to make those pieces was a pretty substantial amount. Your time and your work has value, and if you don't treat it like it does, then others won't either. Not saying you shouldn't have done it, that's your call, but just be careful about stuff like that.
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Jan 3, 2016 16:30
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Stefan Prodan posted:I'm learning how to sketch again. I know you're supposed to put something on the back of the piece of paper you're drawing on so that the pencil marks doesn't transfer to subsequent sheets. The pad of paper I'm using for this is getting furrows in it and it's honestly a hassle to keep tucked in while sketching. What do people do about this? The answer to both of those is that you are probably pressing too hard in general. Try to loosen up and vary the pressure some and make some lighter marks. You'll be less likely to dent the paper and the marks will also be easier to erase if you don't press as hard. Whiteout is sometimes used in inking work with comics but I don't know anyone who uses it for graphite. Doesn't mean others don't or you can't though. Depending on how thick your paper is (If you are getting furrows in it I'm guessing it's not very) you probably don't want to get it too wet though. Can try a gel pen or some tougher paper but if it's just a sketch I really wouldn't worry too much about covering up mistakes. Hell a lot of the time people don't erase while sketching at all. If you do really want to put white on your piece, it'll look 50x better if you use toned paper (Some Light Grey or Tan color, etc). Then you can use the white as your lightest value (be it white out, gouache, pastel, conte, gel pens, whatever) and it'll be a conscious design decision and not just a cover up that'll really show in that one spot you put it in. Mind you, it'll still probably show even with this, but it'll be a little better. As far as erasers of choice, that's a personal thing but I like kneaded erasers for light erasing (no eraser dust, flexible and last a while) and a tuff stuff eraser for stronger erasing and detail stuff. You could use something like a white mars eraser instead of the tuff stuff, or any quality counterpart to those. Some people really like pink pearls, you don't have to be too fussy about erasers. But if you make a mark hard enough it probably wont come out completely even if you use a really good eraser so getting good pressure control is going to help the most.
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Jan 20, 2016 06:52
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J.A.B.C. posted:feedback. Well networking and friends are the ways to get actual helpful eyes on your work these days. There used to be a lot of really good places for critique like CA, Cghub but many have died out. Instead, there are lots of small art communities out there, groups of friends and the like. You have to build your own community/network these days. In general if you critique someone they are more likely to critique you back in return, but I don't think the majority of gallery sites are going to be especially good for that. As far as critiques go: You do need to work a lot on your fundamentals, particularly line since that's really all you have in most of these. Your lines are scratchy and lacking in confidence and you'd benefit from learning to use your whole arm to draw. Life drawing is great for that, but there are other things you can do as well. There are plenty of tutorials online on improving line control and quality and those could be very useful for you. Also consider expanding your work flow. Right now it looks like you just have pencils that look rather unfinished for your comics. A sketch is a great place to start but you should then ink (either traditional or digital) your sketch. This will help with your lines as that forces you to commit to them. You can then experiment with line weight and contour to add form (even cartoony/videogame/etc styles have form) and add more strength to your drawings. After that you can shade, crosshatch, or add color or just leave it alone if you are just worrying about line at this point. Work on some exercises that specifically target your weaknesses and keep at it until you get better, one by one. In respect to subject matter, there's an audience for anything, even fan comics but the big danger with those is if all you do is emulate that one style or IP you really really like then you are limiting the ways you can grow. At best you'll be that one artist who imitates that one thing really well. That's fine if it's all you want or you want to work with the company that owns the IP but that is going to put serious limits on what you can do. I think you should consider branching out more and trying to find your own style and your own distinct ip for a comic. That will give you more voice and once you've honed your craft and are producing more confident work you'll be in a better position to market and promote your work if that's what you ultimately want to do. That's just my two cents at any rate. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Mar 12, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 03:35
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signalnoise posted:Where can I learn about making stencil-friendly art, and the stencils to make the art with spraypaint? Depends on what resources you have access too. One of the easiest ways would be to learn to use a vector based art program like Illustrator or Inkscape to create designs and then use a vinyl cutter to create a sticker that you can use as a mask for the spray paint. If you don't have access to a cutter (there are some that are relatively inexpensive (few hundred bucks) out there and some colleges/artcenters/etc have them available for use for a fee) then you could do the same by using tape and cutting shapes out of that. I've not used tape with spraypaint but I know with acrylic you can get nice sharp edges if you use a coat of matte medium on the edges that would seal them and prevent paint from seeping in. Spray paint might not need all that at least. I've bought some cardstock like "stencil" paper from the art store before but I remember it being awkward to work with, but if your surface is very flat then that could work too probably. That stuff is cheap and worth a try if you wanted a stencil that you could reuse. Nice thing about tape and vinyl stickers is they'll stick so you can have all your stuff in place before you paint but problem with them is they are one time use. Though with the vinyl cutter you can quickly make new copies of your designs as you need them. As far as the art itself, learn how to simplify things into shapes and how to create strong silhouettes. Study some graphic art stuff that you really like and look at how they've designed their images. JuniperCake fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Mar 18, 2016 |
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Mar 18, 2016 05:05
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SoulTaco posted:I was wondering about everyone's experience with wacom cintiq alternatives. I've been looking at Monoprice. If you are checking for cintiq alternatives look at Yiynova as well. I bought their 19U model a few years back and it's pretty decent and responsive for the money. Huion also makes inexpensive display tablets. I haven't used their products though so I can't tell you how they'd compare to the others. There should be some reviews somewhere though.
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Jul 21, 2016 18:29
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Your Dead Gay Son posted:Hiring an artist seems like a job a publisher should help you manage if they're truly interested in your design and game concept. At least helping you bridge the gap. Or am I being naive? Hiring an artist out of your own pocket for the concept part of the design seems dangerously close to going full vanity publishing. A publisher will have certain expectations and you'd want their hand in the formation anyway so they are more invested in it paying off. Right? My understanding is he wants an attractive looking mock up to show the potential of the project in order to better attract publishers. It's not intended to be the final art. But unfortunately there is no way in hell you will be able to get 200+ illustrations, 30 3d Models and whatever else you need for 300-500$. Like if you offered any artist that, they'd be really insulted.(I know you aren't doing that, I'm just stressing that what you want is utterly impossible with that budget. Like not even close to feasible.). Though if it helps, instead of trying to assets for the entire game you could instead just hire someone to make a few sample assets. So you'd get like a handful of designs for cards, a few models for pieces, etc. If you had a particular aesthetic in mind, then having a few samples could be enough to show what you are going for. How much you'll get for 300-500 won't be a lot and will depend on how complicated the assets will need to be and the time it takes for the artist to come up with the design, create the art, do revisions, etc. Either way though you'll have to come up with something else for the majority of your assets, unfortunately.
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Jul 29, 2016 23:22
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