@aheneha
India
Student. Passionate about drawing. It is my joy. I plan on learning and honing my skills.
@aheneha
added comment inAmbient Light Practice
2yr
I am not good enough with light myself to critique that but your paintings look fuzzy because of the soft brush you use. Switch to a brush with harder edges for a cleaner look.
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2yr
This is beautiful :) as for corrections, I think it you should use some harder edges in your work. Marco Bucci has an amazing video on it.
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Guidance needed for rendering day and night pieces2yr
I was to render this piece in two different hours of the day, daytime and nighttime. I was asked to keep it fairly simple, limit the colour palette, focus more on the fundamentals, laying a basic colour, adding shadows and highlights etc.
I am still a noob when it comes to colour, I don't think I did an awful job But I would really appreciate some feedback. Keeping in mind that this was to be done in a comic, webtoon (digital comic), cartoonish style, please critique these. It'll be a big help if you can point out the mistakes and what needs work, and anything you can figure out that needs work based on these.
ALSO, i had a bit of trouble figuring out where the shadows will go, the direction and stuff, based on the assumed time, so that too :')
I am adding the plain image in case you wish to render it yourself
2yr
Honestly I think your proportion and structure is pretty good,I do agree on the arm being tucked in,so I guess I advised studying the arm in different perspective
For the "I am too faithfull to my reference" The most effective solution to that I know is try to study from life,since with a photo you just need to copy the shapes,life is always changing so you need to always reinterpreted it(It is also good exercise to look at the big things since you only have a certain amount of time before the reference change)
If you do not have life model,I advised just doing more 10-30 second gesture studies.
As for color,I'm guessing you haven't learned of warm and cool light ?If so I advised watching Marco Bucci series on color harmony and color temperature (There's also a section on how warm and co effecr human skin in his character design series,it's in no 2 if I remember correctly)
(Also I forgot to mention here but the second picture actually have decent color,I think I actually advised you to learn about edges more since it seemed very repetitive)
As for what has helped me understand color. watching marco bucci color harmony series (as mention.above) and painting the skin on an egg,meaning I ignored human anatomy and structure and just draw an egg as if it was human skin by either warm or cool light (I would look at different artist for how they handle skin tone too and try to replicate them on this egg)
Well that turned to be a long tangent,again I'm sorry that it took too long,and may have overexplained some concept,but I hope there was something in there that's useful.
@aheneha
2yr
Hey, thank you so much for responding! and please do not apologize for a long response, its very sweet of you to take out so much time to help me improve.
I do agree with the drawing with life thing, i have noticed that I draw more freely and actually tend to like the lines I put down when drawing from life. I do not have access to live models or anything, I just draw my family when they are lounging around and my dog.
Marco Bucci is reallyy helpful, I agree, I have watched his stuff already and I will rewatch it now. And I think it would be beneficial to apply the knowledge i gain to paint or draw something out of imagination?
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2yr
Honestly,you ask for critique,but it seemed you already got a handle of what need to improve.The only thing I got is that your line quality need to improve,but you'll probably get that from just drawing and being concious of it.
Though I will say the drawings on slide on 3 on the upper right is really good,I think you captured the flow of that pose really well(Like you said on the post)
But yeah,just try to be patience and just practice and try to look at people who are good at gesture studies like Jeff watts and Tim Gula.
Also you talk the order of study being gesture,structure,mannquezatiin and anatomy.Which is correct.
And also yeah move on to the next step,those other thing after will make your gesture better
Well im sorry I don't have much to say but hopefully this was atleast useful
2yr
That was useful, thank you for mentioning line quality, I will look into that and hopefully the improvement is visible the next time I ask for a critique.
And thank you for appreciating that drawing, I am happy with it too.
Your comment was helpful :)
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Critique on basic figure drawing2yr
Hello, Proko community. I am looking for some helpful critique of this drawing I have done of my friend. Have I captured the pose properly? Is anything off structure or proportion wise? Have I placed any feature incorrectly? I personally think the arm on which the cheek is resting is too tucked in towards the chest. I had trouble placing the head in relation to that hand. I can see that the shoulder is bent forward (?) And both the shoulders form a slanting angle but am still having trouble capturing it.
Also, when I do full figure drawings like this one, should I follow the gesture, structure and mannequin steps? Would they help me be more accurate?
Also, i would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with process of colouring a line drawing. Like i have a general idea, you fill it with a base colour, then add the shadows and highlights for a very simple render. But I am still missing something.
I have done coloured drawings, example attached below, but even then it is obvious that I only managed to make it look pretty without having any idea of why I am putting a colour where I am. After a point I get lost in the smaller details and trying to make a colour look just right. I am new to colours in general and haven't played around with them as much.
In all coloured drawings I've done previously, I am trying to achieve a realistic finish. I think that is part of what holds me back because i try to copy the reference picture as closely as i can instead of knowing when to stop or what decisions to make differently. I think i am only now beginning to understand that I do not have to exactly copy what I am looking at and instead should focus on producing what I feel? Or like, should simplify what I am seeing, reduce the noise, pick what is important and choose carefully what to eliminate. I think i have trouble focusing on the bigger picture, the bigger shapes and hyperfocus on smaller details and making things look just right, right being exactly as what i am looking at. This is also why I can't paint the skin truthfully because 1. I do not have a fair grasp on why the colours look how they do in the reference picture and 2. well, it's 1, just that i do not understand a lottt many things yet, how to simplify things enough to not confuse my own self being one of them.
I am not a complete noob either, I have the basic theoretical knowledge of colour and stuff but yeah, theory is useless if i do not know how to apply it and that's my problem. Could someone point me in the right direction and list out the things I should practise step by step to get a better hold of it all? I hope I could explain my shortcomings in a clear way and you guys can pick up where I am slacking and what might help. I would love a discussion on what helps and has helped you, thank you♥️
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Gesture drawing- critique and thoughts2yr
I have recently started practising gesture. I watched Proko's tutorials on it, it wasnt going so well in the beginning but I've thankfully been consistent. I followed the videos with Tim Gula, the one where he does quick sketches with a live model and the one where he demonstrated the Riley method. That, with the force series of Mike Mattesi really helped me understand some things better.
I would really appreciate a critique of these gesture drawings I am attaching below, they have been done today and I've been at it for about 3 days now. I have numbered the drawings I was not happy with, enough to draw them again. A drawing numbered 1 will have a 1twice in the next pages, thrice means I attempted to capture the gesture thrice.
These were done in two minutes.
I would've attached the reference pictures but i am already at the 10 pictures limit. But if any pose is confusing or you would like the reference picture used, let me know and I will respond with the picture if i have it.
From what I can figure, other than the fact that I've just started, my issues lie in downsizing or oversizing the torso and legs, not having a clear idea of how the arms attach with the torso near the armpits, and drawing the male figure from behind. I think that is because i have majorly drawn the female figure so far (unintentionally, the world just seems to ignore the aesthetic appeal of the male figure heh) and look for the same flow while drawing the male figure, not focusing on what is in front of me. Is it very important to make the proportions anatomically correct for gesture drawings? I think it is not but there also seems to be a certain limit to what can be exaggerated and how much.
I have also noticed that it is easier to draw a figure when it is curled up (i also tend to make those smaller, maybe because of the closed off pose itself, as opposed to when the pose is more dynamic and the arms and legs are freely flowing and I automatically draw it bigger) or has apparent curves. I find upright, straight, and rigid poses more difficult, I tend to focus on the smaller details and disbalance the size of legs and space between them when i have to draw a model standing stiff and looking straight at the camera. I guess more practise will let me pick up on the subtle flows and exaggerate them?
I might be criticizing myself too much too and would really benefit from a balanced review. I will definitely incorporate any beneficial tips and post my improved drawings consistently.
This is already too long but i would love it if someone could list out the steps in learning figure drawing, like gesture drawing, structure, mannequinization, and then anatomy, is that correct? And should I move on to the next step already? I will of course keep practising gesture too.
2yr
I think you need to observe more and draw more mindfully instead of always trying to recall the methods? Because they might confuse you if, say, you are drawing the face at an extreme angle and the lines don't match the usual directions of where they should be.
That being said, the 1/3 between the brow line and nose line does work. In addition to that you can try getting a lot of good reference pictures and drawing the placement lines on it directly. You can switch between drawing the placement lines separately and then drawing it over the reference picture, to see how far off or close you are to the actual thing. Or you can draw it over the reference images a couple of times and then draw it separately.
Other than that, just be mindful of where the features start and end, what angles they are at to each other, and other stuff while drawing and you'll get the hang of it with enough practise. I hope that helps.
3yr
Hey man! very nicely done. Love the clothing and that you also added some fellow to the light. In my opinion the background is fine - check out Alex Hanuka's drawings, you'll like those. Regarding improvements: I would spend a bit more time on the non-clothing: head, hands and feet. The focus is a bit too much on the pants and as human we're drawn to the face so if that doesn't work the rest of you image can be perfect but we'll be bothered. So if you create the same hard edges in the face as you do in te pants it'll be more balanced. Does that help?
3yr
That helps a lott! Thank you, I do need to spend more time on the face and hands actually yeah. Thanks for that advice I appreciate it
3yr
Hey! I agree with Alexander except for one point. The Person in the image doesnt have any contact with the ground. In the sense that there is no shadow cast by his body so he is floating a bit.
3yr
Oh right yes, I hadn't noticed that before, it does look off. Thank you for responding and pointing that out! :D
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Critique required3yr
did this digital painting today and I would love some tips on how I can add some more to the backgrounds. My drawings are usually centered on the subject in the foreground and I have problem deciding what to do with the rest of the blank space except coloring it a color that'll match with the main drawing. Also any critique on any other element is welcomed :)
it is a good attempt :D
the problem areas I can identify would be that the drawing looks very faded to me and there can be sharper distinction between the light and shadow areas like the crotch area is of the same darkness as the legs or arms. Similarly with where the forehead meets the knee and the area of the chest which is in a tight space because of the interlinked arms and the knee and the tilted face, that area should be darker.
The lines need work too, the one on the left knee is way too broad and not dark enough. I think it looks out of place because you have lined the drawing very consistently. You could instead try to vary the thickness at places and use broader strokes where you need to create the illusion of depth, don't outline the whole thing.
I really like the shading you've done on the thigh there and I'd love to see more of your work :D
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I am so used to seeing mirror selfies that the blank space on the left made me think that was the phone for good 3-4 seconds till I looked properly at it heh.
Anyway, it gave me a feeling of chaos inside calm outside and trying to keep it together sort of feeling. Kind of a momentary intense feeling about nothing in general. Something fragmented, that's probably the white lines in the background.
I am in awe of your painting skills tho, I wish to achieve that level of skill with my shadows and painting faces covered in dark and bright lighting. And the contrast between the carefully rendered face and hair done with thick brushstrokes. I am nowhere near your skillset tho so feel free to ignore what you think isn't useful.
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3yr
Whoa is that a huge man napping in the mountain crevice there in the second illustration? That is so cool. And scary. I see two people on horseback passing through what seems like a terrain with long grass? I say that because the horses' legs seem to disappear into the grass below. The grass area on the mountain behind them seems a bit flat to me. It looks like they are on a quest to find something or leaving on some dangerous mission because of the foggy environment around them. Also, because it is so foggy all around them the only light patch of land they are on seems a bit too bright.
The second illustration is my favouriteeee. I don't know if it was intended but those two rocky pillars look like the legs of the resting man and that is an amazing effect, I really love how you have done that. The rocks look like folds of cloth and really solid at the same time.
The third illustration caught my attention too, it makes me curious about the story behind these pictures. It looks like the man is stuck on a hostile island and waiting for someone to come or just really downtrodden and beaten. This seems like a really cold place with all that water hitting the sharp rocks and the mist.
The fourth one looks hellish. Like a ruined sky empire (because of the cloud like surface it is resting on). It gives me the vibes that this place has something to do with magic and not the good kind. With those red vein like structures that also seem to resemble a thunder strike. Those red blocks, especially the one on the right seems to be broken but still hanging in air. The piece in the middle of them looks like a clock and a crown because of the spikes. I love your use of red and black, it leaves no question about the mood of the scene, looks like it is about the aftermath of some curse or a war that destroyed a place.
Great work man.
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3yr
Hello :),
I note that you said you were confused and then decided to dive right in the making of a very complex scene. I know that the "just do it" method is kind of the standard way but I believe it to be a very brute force and inefficient way of working.
You are trying to replicate a very complex phenomenon, just right after hearing it exist, in front of a very blank canvas. I personally don't believe that the answer could come out of nowhere.
I also think that following someone else step by step guide is a bad idea as we're all different and what might take me a month to understand could take you a week. I know that it is very tempting, we've all done it.
What I suggest you is to have a different method or approach.
You will feel confuse when you learn something new. Maybe instead of fighting it and bring it to almost predictable frustration, give time to your brain to process all that.
Personally when I watch a video about something that is very new to me, I put zero pressure and just watch it casually. Then I come back to it the next day and it's a bit easier,I get more bits of information. I might come back to it several time .I make lots of <5min sketches around that, I take some notes also, and write down questions I have and stuff that are confusing to me.
I still watch some videos that I first encountered years ago because they were so dense in information.
Get curious about light, also watch non-art related videos talking about that subject, after all, these are physics phenomenons. You'll never get everything from one source.
Be aware that it is like food, it takes time to digest knowledge and you can only ingest fixed quantity before you feel full and have to wait the next day. But your brain will catch up as it always catch up, just give it time.
It was not a review but I hope you'll find something helpful in that :).
3yr
Thanks a lot for taking the time out to leave a friendly and helpful comment. I am fairly new to the Proko community and I love how incredibly kind and supportive people are here.
3yr
haha yeah I did decide to just dive right into it.
I do understand what you are saying, now after a day has passed I feel less confused and more at ease with the theories that I came across earlier and watching them again will surely help more.
And yes heh I know the person who reviewed before provided the step by step guide only as an example, I will watch more stuff on this topic for fun and work with what suits me the best.
3yr
Hey @aheneha! When rendering a reflective surface I would recomend splitting the different stages up! A Ball is already somewhat advanced if you just started practicing that! Maybe consider shading cubes first? Nonetheless I would allways recommend splitting up your process. So in this example the way I would approach this is:
Step1: Shading the ball as thou it doesnt have any reflections from the surrounding area. So just the way the shadow is cast by the sun.
Step2&3&4: Start including the reflections of the other objects in the surrouning area one after another.
When you think about refletions allways keep in mind that only what is directly infront of the particular surface will be reflected.
Image 1 is me trying to explain how the refelctions would work for your example. Of course shaded in a shittyer way then how you did.
Image 2 is a exert of the Book: How to Render by Scott Robertson which I strongly recommend if you want to learn the logic behind surface reflection and Object Rendering/Painting
3yr
Thank you so so much @Jeremias Fritsch :D I am so grateful you took the time to explain and I will surely check out the book. And I do think I should simplify it for myself by shading cubes first. Thank you for dividing the process into steps, I will practise more and upload it here again for advice.
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Lighting and shadows3yr
Hello everyone :) I would really appreciate some critique on this painting of a ball I did digitally, I watched Proko's videos on light and shadows and how to recreate their effect in drawings, also stuff about ambient light and occlusion and surprisingly it started to confuse me so I decided to just apply the knowledge.
Please let me know what you guys think about this rendering and where it needs work.
By night, he is a mild mannered Elvis impersonator, but by day he is LARD MAN!
With the outstanding abilities to secrete super slick oils from his skin (which allow him to slide at ridiculous speeds) and his amazing contortionist skills he has proven a slippery opponent to many a foe!
His catchphrase? "IT IS I, LARD MAN, COME TO SAVE THE DAY AGAIN!"
(Weather or not he has ever "saved the day" is up to debate, but he has unintentionally livened up many parties, weddings and New Years Celebrations in his career.)
3yr
ahahah I love this idea, reminds me of how invasion worthy my skin looks in the morning with all the oil
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