David Colman
Burbank CA USA
Illustrator working in film as a designer and storyboard artist- known as the "animal guy" for my passion for doodling animals. insta @davidsdoodles
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Kassjan Smyczek
added comment inFantasy Reference Assignment
5mo
Asked for help
I picked Cull Obsidian as the ape like fantasy figure and did some tracings. Was really fun!
21d
Very cool... I would like to see you now draw this character out of your head... that will show what you learned and what you need to work on
4mo
Asked for help
Stage 1 ... some exploration on animals with "bubble" parts(fish bird) and different kind of apes/primates (mostly baboon). Some tests of combinations.
2mo
Interesting I admire you thinking out of the box. The thought is great but implementation isnt reading as well. I just think the gland idea becomes a little foreign to the viewer despite being correct. Ask yourself how can I make this part of the design in a more appealing way. Is it used as a defense mechanism- like a blow fish? And maybe its around the gullet of the ape like some birds. I look forward to seeing how you take this further.
4mo
Asked for help
After I added lion studies to the ape and monkey studies I started again to make sketches for my lion/mandrill cross-over: The Mandrillion. :)
So the first picture was trying out to find the right posture. It was a little tricky since on the one hand I wanted it to feel really dynamic - like you are being attacked. On the other hand when you face the mandrillion head-on you can't see much of his features (like his lion like legs). So I added a little explanatory sketch depicting the length of the arms and his lion legs. I hope this is showing some progress compared to the other sketch, where you said the mandrill and the lion are too close to each other.
@David Colman are you planning to do more classes? I really enjoyed this one.
Regards!
2mo
YES planning on doing more classes. We have some in the planning stage but we wont film until next year. Stay tuned. More info coming soon. (Thank you for your kindness I am happy you enjoyed the course and sharing that sentiment. )
2mo
Thisis great... IT does feel dynamic. AND I LOVE that youre thinking this way. For submission t a client you would definitely benefit from showing these. Now youre losing the connection from head to body. The mane is acting as a crutch for lack of thinking the neck attachment through. Design it with full body in mind and then layer the mane over that- its becoming less dynamic and believable because the head/mane feel disconnected from entire body. Make it more cohesive and find a harmony
3mo
Asked for help
More Explorations and Orang Utan poses.
2mo
I love how committed you are. Just need to deep dive further into structure - to make definitive choices. The exploration on page 4 bottom right seems to be the one that inspired the final design. The shape relationships and proportions work better here than in the final because you pushed the volumes and went for dominant shape sizes even with a realistic creature.
3mo
Asked for help
This is my stage 2 drawing.
@David Colman Thank you so much for this course! Especially the feedback was invaluable. I think of all the drawingbooks and courses i have taken so far(and most of them where great), this one has helped me the most! I am very much looking forward to future courses. I personally hope for big cats or bears (but I really like all animals).
2mo
I LOVE hearing this. Wow I am honored. Okay so the body feels good. I like he is a setting. One that works for his angular ecology but the lightbulb appendage feels stuck on. It took me a minute to register what was going on. Needs to be more cohseive. And ask yourself would it be this long ? how could he survive with this length? Maybe he has to slam his face in water and has gills allowing him to breathe under water but also typical mammal lungs to survive outside of the water. Think through the creatures evolution- to make it convincing you have to create a life that can actually exist. I look forward to seeing you in the next class
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2mo
Asked for help
For this assignment I tried combining the ape with…. frogs. The first stage has helped me explore and study the animals loosely without worrying too much to make it like the actual reference picture. The last picture is the finished design. Will definitely implement the exploration stage for more creatures in the future. Thank you David for the course and the feedback!
2mo
Super fun combo- smart choices. I love the final. I think you could push the length of the arms to be more ape dominant. And maybe using frog feet but give them the dexterity and spacial relationship of apes- so can latch on its environment. The exploration sketches need to be more extensive. Loose is good but they lack the information needed to make the proper design choices. I think you did a great job in this course. See you in the next one.
4mo
Asked for help
Here are some drawings that I have done.
2mo
Very fun. I do feel you need to get into the volumes more extensively.- the drawings are a little superficial. Try breaking it down into objective forms. And build from the inside out. Not literally just from a foundational thought process. You got the details but there is no form design or structure to latch on to
2mo
Asked for help
I tried combining a daisy like flower with a chimpanzee.
2mo
What a great idea but what about really embracing the "bloom" of the flower into the ecology of the creature. I feel now its just set dressing. Additionally the drawings are getting a little soft- they are charming but lacking structure- get some blocky forms in there.
5mo
Really good lecture. I went straight to photoshop and started putting some abstract shapes together thinking of a character buuut I caught myself being super stiff, not rhythmic enough, not drawing with that flow that you draw with in the demo @David Colman. So I tried a couple others, thinking more about the narrative and and trying to have that initial flow with the posing. Though a little embarrassing, I wanted to share both of the pages so you can see where I'm at with it and my change from the stiff dead lines to what I hope is more energetic and descriptive.
4mo
Youre making the right choices by thinking about the shape gesture. Dont just settle for any abstract shape. Let the narrative drive the poses as much as the shape vocabulary. Also clarity- the pose on right although funny doesnt read very well. Additionally although stiff second from left is most appealing because you achieved a visual balance with the features- LArge yes, small nose, medium mouth. You need contrast to find balance
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David Colman
4mo
David Colman
4mo
4mo
Asked for help
These are my explorations of an orang utan - anglerfish. On the last picture are the referencepictures i used for the breakdowns. On the first page are the breakdowns.
@David Colman I tried to follow your feedback to really workout the forms and to take the necessary time, to take it a step further, and i think it is very helpful!
Looking at my explorations now I think that in some of them the attachment of the legs and pelvis to the upperbody seems a bit weird, I will give more thought to that in future drawings.
I think I will start to work on a finished design next. Any Feedback would be very welcome!
4mo
Hey Linus- apologies for the delay in replying. I admire your challenging combo but its the right way to go. Two completely different species.I think you should go more ape dominant with the head being more angler in structure- maybe a fin down the back and def the lightbulb trait of that source. I am really speaking to the second page lower left. I think you have something there. Spend more time exploring that one and take your time. It only takes one to get it working- but to get it right it takes many explorations . Look at more orangutang poses to help mitigate the oddness of the pelvis. And since I suggest keeping the body more ape like it should help. Find the flow- search for harmony so as to avoid frankensteining...
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5mo
Asked for help
Here are some of my newer breakdowns.
I started with the breakdown, than did some breakdowns of some of the details, when i felt that it might help. Than i drew different angles or poses from imagination.
I tried to follow the feedback and make the breakdowns more clear, and tried to take my time with them. For some reason it was hard for me to not go too fast (I often had to remind myself to take the necessary time) but I tried to do my best.
Feedback is always very welcome.
4mo
breaking the mold is good for you.... how you grow
7mo
Asked for help
David,
Hereby my final assignment. I’ve chosen a comic style, for comics is the destination I am aiming for. Drawing two characters make the drawing more interesting, I like to see some story emerging.
Still a lot to learn, but your lessons and the assignments have helped me a lot in growing as an artist, so thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge and giving us the critiques we needed.
4mo
LOVE the narrative.. and youre doing what you want. When dealing with a little more of a cartoon it still needs to possess some evidence of basic structure( like where is his neck - even from this angle you might see a "hook" communicated with sterno muscle to pit of neck- by "hook" I mean a 2D trick to hook or connect two forms together) Also form design- especially with more cartoon styles the forms take on a specific design and not just drawn. Glad you liked the course. I love your loose sketches- so much life
6mo
Asked for help
I will submit my stage one in the next week or so! Here is my stage 2... Thank you for the course, it has been fantastic! I am sure I will be revisiting this course frequently in the weeks, months and years to come! Thank you!
4mo
Well your last combo sketch was great I would like to see your explorations. I do think you have the skill to make a more dynamic pose that is fully alive and more engaging. This is good but I know youre better. The tattooing etc is nice but it feels flat And the expression can be more engaging even in his resting position. Seated poses can tell stories too. Whats he feeling- whats his story...
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6mo
Asked for help
This is stage 1 will have stage 2 soon.
4mo
hmmm Okay but it very formulaic computer approach of creating iterations. Its not realy exploring as much as just drawing over and changing minor details. Find it...draw it form various angles... dont lock it in this early. You cut yourself off at knees by approaching variations this way. ITs okay to be uncomfortable and unsure- thats how you grow
5mo
Asked for help
Stage 2. I really enjoyed the course. I would like to thank you David for the course and all your feedback. Thanks!
4mo
even thought you cant see it doesnt mean its not there... would at least see some smaller pat of the form
4mo
Thank you Samuel for the personal comment. Glad you liked the course. There are more in the planning stages. I think in your final piece you lost some structure- screen right shoulder
8mo
Asked for help
I did my work on a 8.5 x 11 inch printer paper with a blue ballpoint pen.
4mo
good objective form breakdown but need to take it further because you can see in your combo pieces your potentials are limited evident in the very basic breakdowns. Solid drawings just the iterations feel way too similair.
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8mo
Asked for help
a Markhor and Chimpanzee mix. Pencil sketches. Trying to play with different head shapes!
4mo
OH my goodness.. these are great. Solid breakdown of the Markhor.... Just masterful. And your combo species is unique.. feels authentic. Love the expression on the right too. Now lets see the full body!!! You have the chops- Jeff...show off a bit- explore it and charter undiscovered territory. (I know I behind on feedback but glad I saw this one)
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8mo
Asked for help
Should have sticked to the assignment, mostly drawn by fantasising, so no useful reference pictures. Nevertheless a fun excercise.
5mo
I WANT YOU TO HAVE FUN!! Whats the point otherwise. I do this as a profession because I love it. Even the hard assignments and ambiguous films are a welcomed challenged Generally speaking in any design, whether realistic or stylized, there needs to be a dominant shape- What is the one for this character? See how even he is throughout. Is it the upper body of the centaur- the horns? etc
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