The Eternal Drawing Novice

The Hiatus Eulogy

2011-11-14T21:01:00.001-06:00

Gimme a smile!

Today we have a big toothy grin. At the time, I was working on different angles. This actually started out quite differently. His eyes were a little opened, and his grin was sharper and evil. But the eyes really made him look creepy, so they had to go. Anyway, this one isn't too bad. The ears are a little strange, especially that left one. And the nose could use some work, though I can't see exactly what yet.

Some positives... It's simple. That's becoming more and more appealing to me lately. And the shading is subtle. That's all.
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Abruptly moving along, here's a little comic I made last January when a blizzard was coming to the town I live in. The best part is, I had to do an extra job that same week. So that was fun. Anyway, this was supposed to be my reaction to said blizzard. And hey, that's my car! Kinda. Again, this was simple stuff, and a dabble into chibi style again. So I do like this. It's a little messy, but I'll deal with it. Oh, and I don't wear scarves. I would look dashing in a scarf, but the world just isn't ready for that amount of awesome yet.

... Wait, come back! It was just a joke guys!

Tip - Taking It Easy: Slow ride. *ahem* I'm having a harder time finding the time to do this. This particular post took 4 days to do. I do more writing than this, so this is what you would call my 'recreational' writing. And right now, it's feeling like a chore. So the tip this week? Yes, taking it easy. I've found that just taking a break once in a while can help a great deal in both inspiration and technical skill improvement. That's right, you get skill ups for being lazy. What do I base this off of? Experience, for one. Also, a whole lot of fabricated evidence. That's the most important aspect.

So I've been busy with a lot of stuff. And there's a few daunting tasks that I've been putting off, so I'll be focusing more of my attention on that. Therefore, I'll be going on a hiatus until I feel it's been completed to near perfection.

My apologies, and thanks for reading!

West 23rd Street

2011-11-08T20:36:00.001-06:00

First of all, a bit about how I name these posts.

I enjoy random phrases, paradoxes, nonsensical gibberish, and the like. So I typically make up things that have no relation to each other for my titles. Today, I decided to use a random street name (kinda random though - the number 23 is ingrained into my head, thanks Lost). I wondered, "Huh, I wonder if this street name exists somewhere?" Yes. Yes it does. It's in Manhattan, and it's a hugely popular spot - domain of the Flatiron building. Anyway, I just thought that was oddly coincidental.

Today we have some profile practices. I wanted to get cracking on more creative distinctions between characters. I'd say this first batch isn't bad. Nonetheless, here's the negative: The far left guy has a strange jaw-line and very thin hair. The middle guy is lacking just a little bit of neck, I think. And that girl on the right might have too much hair. Or it's too lumpy. Like a wet towel.

Here's the positive: That's a real fancy shirt Mr. Red is wearing. Middle has a dashing little hairdo. And Ms. Red on the Right? Well... she's got an open mouth - can't say I've done that much. Which brings me to today's Tip: Mouth Structure - So you've got to make a statement, an emotion, or what-have-ye and that mouth is the only way to do it. You're out of luck, mate - I'm the drawing Novice. But, I'll share what I know. Obviously, there's a lot to be said through usage of the mouth (awful pun awfully intended). The best advice I can give is to start off with closed mouths. They're leagues easier to draw in the beginning. The next step would be trying toothy smiles, keeping in mind that manga doesn't typically delineate all those teeth. After that, you might move on to opened mouths. This is where things get tricky. If you've got color, try to think of what the inside of your mouth looks like - a kind of red tint maybe? If it's a sketch, try to balance the depth in the mouth with the rest of your shading. For me, open mouth shading is the pits and keeping it consistent with shading elsewhere is difficult. I've found it detracts a little if the inside of the mouth is really dark and everything else is just lightly done. I'm still pretty lost with that one. Also, think if you'll show teeth (the tongue isn't really shown). How open will that mouth be? As a starting guide - the more exaggerated the mouth the more expressive it can be. That lends towards less realism, but who needs reality anyway, right? Lastly, something actually practical: I found out recently that many artists start out with a (mostly) horizontal line and to make a smile or frown they'll just change the corners. I should end this before the paragraph becomes big enough to take over a small country.
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Next up: ...oh. More heads. Mr. Red Hair was good progress in one aspect: smaller eyes and accented noses. However, his hair isn't really pronounced on the right side. It looks like it's lopsided to the left. Like his wig is blowing away after a strong wind! Green shirt isn't so bad. Not sure where his other eye went, but hey, he makes up for it with attitude. And spiffy hair to boot! Continuing clockwise we have another blonde girl. With a ponytail as well, eh? She wasn't much for eye progress, but I think the anatomy turned out alright. And the simple bangs are something I have a hard time with now oddly enough.
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I suppose this post is a little overdue. After evaluation, I've found I don't have a lot of free time to do things like this anymore. I think it took me 4 days to make just this one post, little by little. Ah well. It's here, isn't it?!

Thanks for reading.

Bring About Decay

2011-10-29T23:17:00.000-05:00

Yeah, we're back to random titles. It keeps me on edge.

Let's see, for today I'll throw around some more progression. These date back to the end of January. Up for dissection first is Mr. Puffy Sleeves. Honestly, I was going for the big sleeves, but that right one just looks puffy now. He's got neat glasses, I'll give him that. And that hair is passable. Someone said he looked a little chubby too. My biggest concern though, is that weird shirt he's wearing. That thing veers off to the left like nothing else, man! Honestly, that's either an awful new style or it's one laaazy arti- oh. *ahem*

Really, I do like more than what's been mentioned so far. The shirt is actually one of the more detailed ones I've done. And those pants aren't huge and baggy - a revelation to my normal male drawings. The shoes, while simple, seem to give hints of an action pose. Like he's sweeping in that right leg to give a nice right cross - in a face! Good progress, just needs some more life.
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I was thinking, "here's some life! A jumping pose!" Then I looked at it a little more. Yeah, he's jumping. Or skipping. Not sure. Maybe it's that vague feeling I'm not liking about this. But for wanting dynamic energy in this skippity-jump, I was lacking some serious movement.

Which brings us to an alternative Tip - Showing Movement. (Notice how it's all like, in the middle of an analysis? Who knows what'll happen next, right? Will there be candy? I don't know!) For movement, I haven't found a lot of insight. I haven't really looked but that's irrelevant. Just a few things to keep in mind: 1) Figure out where the object or character is moving, and what the light source is. The light source is surprisingly helpful for breathing life. 2) If needed, put 'motion lines' in places with the most action. The more unrealistic the style, the more you'll probably end up using them. Not a rule, just an observation. 3) Remember those motion lines? Well, this is a little like those, but for the background. Your backgrounds can have a surprising effect on what's happening. Say a character is falling. You could use a still background, which would add an 'in the moment' effect. But if your background is contorted in a way that shows perhaps blurry environments going in the opposite direction, it could help to give the illusion of falling. A common example would be 'fast clouds.' Like your eyes can't catch up with what they're seeing.

Anyway, this picture doesn't have much of that going on. All we have is depth in that right leg. And an expression that, honestly, I use way more often than I should.
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I call her Pudding Cup. She can be a real handful. First, what I don't like - and it's staring me right in the face - that eye on the right. It's smaller than the left. How I didn't see that in the final once-over will be a mystery. I do like a lot of what this has to offer though. For one, the facial proportions (an accident) are something I've been trying to replicate for a while. Finally got it without a reference. The hair is sloppy, but that one wisp across the forehead helps with some personality. A friend of mine said he liked barely exposed ears, so I sneaked one in. It's anatomically impossible, but whatever. So are eyes like that, right? Lastly, the colors and shading are impossible for me to enjoy now. This was back when I was using a strange shading tool - so the shading is choppy. You'll see in a few posts where I find a very magical brush. It's neato burrito.
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One final closing thought: I'm a janitor, and I clean a public place. One night I found discarded pants on a table. I tossed them in the trash without hesitation but, reflecting on it now, I have to wonder - is someone out there not wearing pants?

Thanks for reading!

Inception Event

2011-10-25T18:37:00.000-05:00

To start off, I'll mention that all of this is fan art of the movie "Inception" by Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. Anyway!

On the left here is technically the third drawing I've done for this movie. In the film, there's a scene in a hotel hallway that's well... pretty intense. It had been a little while since I saw it last, so my mind made a different setting than what was originally presented. I knew there was an elevator - that was about it. So, I'll say this is loosely Inception based, though the Arthur character is still intact. Mostly.

What can I say, hmmm... criticisms... Well, despite the details I tried putting in, it's still pretty bland. The colors aren't as warm as I'd like, not to mention the light and shade I tried using is splotchy. Definitely a leather couch... And I don't feel there's a lot of movement in the character. Or life, really. He's just kinda standing there. Nevertheless, this was good for me to do. It's one of the larger scale pictures I've done and took some effort. It would be fun to try again, to be sure.
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Here's the second Arthur drawing I ever made. Simple, really. Not a lot of color to it. Maybe I was going for the less is more thing again? However, I do like that pose. I don't know that it entirely fits the character, but it's there to look neat anyway. There's a couple things about the anatomy that are iffy. That left shoulder for one. I must have been trying exaggerated wrinkles and went too far. You'll notice there are some wrinkles going the wrong direction in his left armpit - like his shoulder is sticking forward, but his arm is reaching back. The lesson? Keep your wrinkles consistent, please! Again, the random wrinkles work for a time, but they're simply not enough later.

Let's see, I suppose the simplicity of this one is it's stronger suit. Oh oh, one last snide complaint - are those shoes or black socks?
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Tip: Today is all about light and dark. Darkness is the absence of light. Or is the world really light based and darkness grows, like weeds in a garden? And we just fight with all of our tools and devices to keep the darkness at bay? Uh... yeah. Anyhow, there's a balance to be had with the two. However, I'm gonna go ahead and make a statement about what balance is: Balance does not mean equal parts. Balance means both are present, not necessarily in equal amounts. You could draw a piece that has a black background and only the faintest of white outlines or shimmers. As far as I'm concerned, that would still be art. But that's another lesson, eh? The point? "A lamp sends out it's light to ships on the horizon. But the lamp still casts shadows under the lighthouse."

Many months ago I slammed one of my PC speakers into the flat-screen monitor I use. A few little pixels died that day, and I was sad. What was once a tiny speck of black has turned into a large blotch of disappointment - about as big as a pen cap. Actually, now the original speck is turning blue. Kinda odd how that wor- ... doesn't work.

Now that I've successfully wasted your time with my little story, I'm away! Thanks for reading! *walks away, cape swirling*

Practice: Layering A Single Character

2011-10-21T00:47:00.000-05:00

Exhibit A - Rough Draft

This marks the first 'guide' I've done. I'll test the waters and see what all I can offer. Might not be much, so hang on to your monitors!

First up, Exhibit A. It's the quick, rough draft almost everyone starts with. A few things to keep in mind here. One, it's rough, so don't go into detail with it just yet. Two, try your best to at least indicate (tip o' the hat, Mark) all the details you want in the final product in your rough sketch. That's way easier said than done, in all honesty. For example, if you want the character to sit down on a couch, try thinking of the entire setting, ie. books, coffee tables, hanging pictures and the like. Third (and not so important), you might want to use a different color other than the one you'll use to make final lines. It makes things a little easier to distinguish is all.

Exhibit B - Final Lines

Second to the plate, we have our final lines, Exhibit B. First red flag - this looks pretty different from the rough! I know, I work in a strange way. In my final lines I'll add extra stuff. In this case, more hair and a different outfit. You might notice the arms are a little shorter now as well. She also has a number, which makes her some sort of sports player. Why 12? It's a favored number of mine! Moving on, there are a few different ways to do your final lines. These are all closed off. This helps make coloring easier, as you'll see in a second. Another way is to actually include the lines in your light and shading. Meaning they have break off points where the light essentially 'eats away' at them. I'm still pretty new to all that.

Exhibit C - Coloring

Arriving at Exhibit C. This is where I color everything up. You might notice right away "hey, there's black lines in there!" Yes there are! There's a certain function done in Corel (the program I use) that can copy a layer and everything inside it into a new layer. It's... more or less 'copy and paste.' Anyway, this is why I enclosed all my line work. I just pick a color, and fill it in with the bucket tool. It's very lazy, which is right up my alley. I'm not very good with color schemes, so I couldn't tell you much about that. I just pick what looks presentable and roll with it. In this case, I went with the gaudy sports jersey most athletes are forced to wear. Effective in visibility, not so much in aesthetics.

Exhibit D - Shading

This is the secret layer, Exhibit D. I found a pencil tool in Corel that basically allows me to shade any color without messing up the base. This layer goes above Exhibit C, naturally. Notice this is where I choose the light source. In this case, the light comes from above. So I had to pay attention to the curls, forehead, eyes, neck, upper torso, etc.. Also, the pencil leaves a grainy effect, which I negated most of with a 'Soften' function in Corel. Very useful.

I might add, while this 'technique' is simple for me and terrific for coloring quick sketches, it's not for everyone. There's not enough going on in it. For instance, in red hair - it's not just red. There are a lot of secret colors that go unnoticed when you glance through. Being able to pick up those colors and accurately develop them is something far out of reach for me. Once you can do it though, it makes a huge difference in quality.

Exhibit E - Background

Exhibit E is a background made in 5 minutes. This practice isn't really about that.

Here's how I did it: 1) Chose a green and used 'Auto-Impressionist' back and forth with it. 2) Picked a blue and teal color and scattered them around for sky. 3) Swirled the sky up some (another tool). 4) Used a lighting effect and pointed it down. 5) Used a low-opacity Auto-Impressionist as black for shading.

Extremely quick, and let's be honest, doesn't look great. But hey, it's better than just white, right?

...Guys?

Exhibit Fiona!

Here's the finished product - Exhibit F. Hmm... F... Fiona. The first thing you might notice are the little white highlights in her hair. Those actually were a different layer as well, but ah... they're white. So... white background and... anyway. I used the smooth function again, ever so slightly. That's about all I can think of.

I actually enjoyed making this one. It didn't take much time, which is a big deal for me, sadly. And guess what? I made this two days ago! So we get to wade through stuff leading all the way up to this in future posts.

Side note - this marks my 201st post. So call this a rise to new beginnings. Or maybe just another number.

I'm pretty tired now, so I'm gonna call it a night. Thanks for reading!

Painting The Wind

2011-10-18T01:42:00.002-05:00

Intro? Intro?! Who needs one of those? A hardy 'Pshaw!' to that, good sir!

Today we have some painting stuff. This staircase here is slightly what I had in mind, though it's a little goofy. How? The lighting just doesn't really make much sense. The strongest light is coming from the left, yeah? Then why is that light from the other opening so strong? At least, strong enough to take away some of the shadow. Oh, and those odd lines to the right were supposed to be some form of pillar. Well... that didn't really work, since I have to explain it to you. Don't get me wrong, this one just reeks of lessons learned. And maybe I did like it... once? But that has passed now. Now it's to be viewed as (drum-roll please) progress.
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Next image, hm... Ah. This one has a little background. See, wanna know why this blog died for a while? I joined facebook. And part of what I wanted to do for my friends was draw them all a picture each day. I mean, let's be honest, pictures of other people's kids every day can be a little uh... what's the right word... oh - BORING. Haha, call me heartless, please. So I was busy doing that and the ol' blog just got ignored. Eventually I couldn't juggle the two and the blog died. And 4 months later, facebook died! Death all around!

Let's see... I had a point I was getting to... where did it go? Man, I know it was JUST here. Ah, there it is. Sneaky worm. On facebook, I encouraged my friends to give me requests. I told them to make the requests as weird as they could - to challenge me. This image is one of those requests.

I can easily say this is the best facebook request drawing I ever made. However, I didn't make a whole lot after this (people lost interest, or I chased them away) and the ones I did make before, I made without proper tools, so it's only by a matter of deduction that it gains this rank. Since I'm feeling lazy, I'll go with pros and cons for analysis.

Pro: I actually made a background! Con: It looks like an 8-year old drew it for school.
Pro: The wind effect is accurate. Con: It doesn't translate very well into the water.
Pro: That shading isn't half bad... Con: ...too bad there's only shading on the girl and like, nowhere else!
Pro: Hey, I actually got a decent water reflection down! Con: Is there... wind in that water?

Okay, so maybe that actually took longer to make than just saying it in a paragraph. Had to rip off Late Night though, right?

Tip: Today, it's gonna be all about layers. This pertains to digital drawing, since I've distanced myself from traditional drawing, which is a BAD thing. As a reminder, don't be afraid to create a lot of layers. I used to think it was inefficient to have more than 2, but overall, it speeds things up when you have multiple layers. For what? Oh, all sorts of stuff. To simply name it off, your guidelines, ending line-work, object coloring, background guidelines/coloring, and maybe even one for highlights and/or shading. Remember: layers are your friends. And who doesn't want more friends, right? ...Don't hit me.

I might actually make a tutorial post next. What WILL it be about... hm... You'll have to wait and see! Thanks for reading.

Strobe Light Tax Assessment

2011-10-13T23:51:00.000-05:00

"I toooold you!"

Howdy howdy!

This time, we'll get into a little of this goofy western cartoon/anime hybrid I've created. It takes some getting used to, but well... I'll be cramming it down your eyes for a while. How long is a while? I'm still making them, so who knows!

Let's take care of blondie here first. Uh, in my head she's blonde. I was taking the whole, 'less is more' approach. Simple eyes, simple clothes, simple hair, but all about the expression. I wanted that smart person that you know is right, but you hate to concede to it. Always first to point a finger, eh? The expression here is what I intended, but not quite as full as I wanted. That, and she's a little long in the torso, her head seems a little off (though that could just be one of those 'Mmmhmmm' head wags) and her finger looks a little more like a pretzel. But, overall, less really IS more!
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Here's the girl from down the lane. The one that grew up and went on to be a motorcycle mechanic in a different little town from the one you were both raised in. But she managed to retain her charm after all these years.

Again, less is more here. Very simple facial features, and standard clothing design. The coloring is where this one stands apart. I tried giving it a little more life, rather than the old 3-tone color scheme I usually adhere to. Wanna know what helps? A low-opacity brush aligned with a very dark (or light) variation of the base color. In this case, I probably just used black and white and went over it. This can work for a lot of coloring, however, be warned: You Can Not Get Away With It Forever. I've tried, ha. But it seems coloring takes more than just a light source and base material. That jacket, for instance? It should probably have some hints of green in it, or maybe even some bluish-purple. Some of it has to do with your secondary ambient light - which is a pain. But, it's worth the time to look for the hidden colors. In real life, green grass isn't just green all the time, right? Anyway, this girl is alright, but the coloring leaves me a little disappointed.
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Last one. Huh. More brown hair. Seems there's a pattern here. It's all here - winter clothes, big shoes, big hands, big head, and a fluffy innocence to top it off. I do like that little cap - one of the rare times I've drawn a hat. And that fluffy deal is something I don't do enough. Notice the fringes of the pant-legs and the ball on the cap don't have outlines. At one time, they did. But it seemed to reduce the desired amount of puff. Maybe that's something to keep in mind - try removing your outlines if something is getting in your way. You might find that life without (literal) barriers suits you more!

Moving on, I don't like how varied the shading is. It's defined in the torso, but the legs and feet just seem to be missing it. I suppose the redeeming factor is the eyes. They're simple, sure, but they stand out. I used to like this one a lot, and I think I still do!
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Tip: A continuation of the last tip. If you have become adept at copying a reference, why not try influencing that with other styles? There are a lot of manifest styles out there to pick from, but an important note is - what are the building blocks that make up this reference/character? Some characteristics to keep in mind? Chin shape, mouth location in relation to the nose and the tip of the chin, nose shape (crooked, rounded, pointed), cheekbone structure, eye shape (remember, this one varies a LOT in cartooning), eyelashes (some can be defining, oddly enough), hairstyle, and all that jazz! There's plenty more, to be sure (clothing). But once you can easily interpret those basic forms, then you can manipulate them to fit whatever style you need. Common ones that most people are familiar with: Simpsons, Disney, Anime (generalized, I know), simplistic, realistic, and the like. Check out deviantArt for some memes of different style collages. Every single one I've seen seeps with creativity.

That's about it. So... see ya. Thanks for reading!

Heart of the Kingdom

2011-10-10T01:26:00.002-05:00

To begin, I might mention that absolutely none of these character designs belong to me. It's all from (or based off of) Kingdom Hearts by Square Enix/Disney.

As a new direction, I'll start including at least a couple of images in these posts. In particular, if they are related in some way. Also, I'll up this to bi-weekly. Weekly just seems so distant... or something. *ahem* Anyway!

Here on the left is the main character Sora. Ah, but something is awry. This is nowhere close to what his clothing designs are. Due to their (A.) Complexity, and (B.) My lack of devotion, what you see here instead is a mishmash of grey and red. While I don't mind it, it begs to be tampered with - or at least given another prime color. The point is: it leaves much to be desired.

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This is Axel. At first he's kind of a villain, then he's not, then he- ... Okay, so ah... I never actually finished Kingdom Hearts II. Remember that lack of devotion thing? Yeah... it spreads around to other areas. I must have gotten sidetracked. So, it's on my to-do list. Which, to be fair, isn't so much a list but feels more a burden.

Getting sidetracked again... I suppose the interesting part for this one was the zipper. I don't know that I had ever drawn one before. Alas, I focused too much on getting the hair right. While it's close, I missed the face and body proportions. The clothing itself is actually just about as simple - very black and not a lot of detail. So I suppose that's accurate? My main complaint is that mouth. What was I thinking? The character is a good-natured fellow that has just been led astray. This interpretation just makes him look like a... clown.
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Here's where things get a little odd. Yes, I enjoy these character designs a lot. It's a great mix of slight chibi (which I believe I explored a little before) and manga. Some characters retain their full-fledged realistic manga look, while others take a different, more stylized path. This image attempts to follow the latter.

Unfortunately, what we have here is a a character that resembles no-one. This is purely fan-based and only uses fragments of what little I remember in other canon character's clothing. Put simply, this is the only place to see this guy. Anyway, I do like this design. The shoes were really fun to make, and the clothing was one of the more intricate things I had done. One snag: that arm feels a little long. But otherwise, this is exactly what I was going for.
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This is actually the first one I drew out of all of these. And guess what? He's another person not included in the games at all! He's a Nobody! *rim-shot* Oh-ho, I crack myself up. (Apologies to those who haven't played the game to understand the awful joke)

Moving on, the dual Keyblades were something I really enjoyed in the games, so I had to replicate it. I mean, that was almost as cool as dual Lightsabers in Star Wars Episode II! *cough*... yeah, I got a little lost with nerdery there... Oh. The trick in this one was the odd angles. That right hand is extended away so I couldn't show all of it, which made for a challenge. I tried to make the depth more noticeable with the different hand and feet sizes. Hopefully it kinda worked. I enjoyed the color scheme for him as well. Though you'll notice the clothing itself is very similar to the previous image. And whoa, that left Keyblade is a little off. Man, wish I saw that in post. Ha, I almost made that sound professional.
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So, what's there to learn from all of these? For one, practice makes passable. At least for some of us. Sad face. For two...

Tip: What I haven't really explained yet is the chibi/super-deformed aspect of most of these drawings. I can hear some people saying right now, "Dude, these are NOT chibi!" And they're exactly right. These drawings are not. However, I can't ignore the influences from chibi that they carry. Before I go on, I'll briefly re-explain what chibi is. It's an incredible style that takes a character and reduces it down to it's bare characteristics and raw emotion. In the process, most artists give the body little attention and make it a fraction of the size of the head. This varies from artist to artist, naturally, as they see fit. Some retain larger hands and/or feet, which results in what's more commonly referred to as Super-Deformed. Anyway, the point is - a lot of characters in Kingdom Hearts have exaggerated heads, hands, and feet in comparison with their torso and limbs. It's not full-fledged chibi, but it's definitely not real either. What's the point? Don't be afraid to mix styles. I'm sure I've said that before, but I dwell on repetition. For example, if you've become adept at copying from character references, why not try taking the same reference and giving it a twist? What kind of twist? I'll go into that next time! Mwahaha!

Boy, I haven't made a post this long in quite a while. Did you manage to stay awake through it all?

Thanks for reading!

Clipped Wingspan

2011-10-06T01:11:00.000-05:00

And here I thought I could ascend. Well, it would seem Google wishes for me to continue, what with their fancy new designs and templates. But you gotta finish what you start, right? Just, in this case... finish again...?

Anyway, I've learned a lot in the last (looking back now) ...wait, almost 9 months?! That's incredible! This post is like a newborn or something. Yikes. Ah... yeah, so where was I? Right. I learned stuff. The predominate lesson is that I STILL don't know what I'm doing! Zing! Where would this blog be without a little self-deprecation.

Let's get on with it, shall we?

Today we have some flowers. Actually, my original intention for this one in particular was to depict the same flower, just at different angles. You can see I was very consistent with the falling petal placement (and there goes the sarcasm). Also, check it out! A background! Not much of one, sure, but it's there.

Moving on to the next one. Maybe you can tell, but it's older than the previous. Surprisingly, I enjoy this one more though. I really don't know why either. The colors are pretty bland and the petals make no sense. But the outline and the faded sketch look gives it more character.

Or I could just have terrible taste.

Hm, I included tips before didn't I? Well, I'll try to manifest one from thin air.

Tip: Bold. Something you can notice is the difference in shading between these two pictures. At the time of the pink flower, I was very reluctant to shade in. I was afraid of ruining the whole thing - which I have done before! But there are two things to keep in mind with digital drawing: 1. It's digital. There's always room to go back. (Unless you save, but well, that's just too bad). 2. Layers are your friends. Most programs contain layering options, which can be turned on or off in a click. Some brush tools can add shading if you cover over your base layer or canvas. That's a safe way of shading without the potential hazard of messing up your drawing when mashing 'Undo' just doesn't go far enough. And if you're doing traditional drawings? Well... Have fun with that.

That's it for now. I know, I know, "Where's the anime?" I'm getting there! I wanted to get these goofy things out of the way first. Simmeh-down-na! Ha, yeah that just happened.

Thanks for reading.

Ascension

2011-01-11T01:08:00.003-06:00

Here we are again. I'm at a loss of words. Well, here are the words. Some of you won't like them, so buckle up.

The past few months have been nothing short of a nightmare. Not the kind where you're about to be murdered, by any means. But the kind where you have a long presentation to give and guess what- you forgot your presentation outline and materials. And of course, your pants have eluded you as well. So yeah, kind of like that. The house got flooded, and is still under construction. And the kicker, the reason you're all here - all the files I ever drew on my computer got erased! So realizing that made for a bad day, but we all get over it.

Which brings me to the point- my realization. While I do enjoy drawing and sharing what I learn with my friends, this is not the avenue I wish to use any longer. So, it is with self-justified lament that I say this will be my last post on the old blog. It has been an interesting year, and I'm glad you all could join in the ride.

"But, you always have an image to share!" You're right, and since this is my last post, I'll share 5. Selections of my work from the past few months. Some demonstrate the SD (Super-Deformed) style I was talking about before. I'm still using that style occasionally. In fact, follow me on deviantArt if you really want to see my work after this is all done.

Well, I suppose I should have some critique on this work. But, I won't bother with that for this reason - my opinion does not matter! Took me long enough to realize that. My work is what it is. And if people like it, great.

At this point, I'm trying to fit more text in here so the images don't overpower text. So I'll add a few more closing remarks.

I've always had an interest in drawing. My entire life, actually. Brief history of Zack- in the 2nd grade at school, I found a dinosaur book. And I started tracing the dinosaurs in the book. Kids in class started coming up to me and told me it was really good. I tried explaining all I was doing was tracing over the lines I saw. They all started trying it too, and I want to say we had a good day with that activity. It was raining outside, and I believe it was a Tuesday. Why... do I remember that... Seems so trivial. I take that back - it is trivial. The point is, I've always enjoyed drawing. Last year, about this time is when I tried my hand (pun VERY much so intended) at drawing again. I became obsessed with anime, and browsed through YouTube for tutorials. That's where I found Mark Crilley's amazing line-by-line guides to drawing manga/anime. They helped tremendously - still do! So, a big thanks to him.

I suppose this about wraps things up. I feel like I should have a final word. Like 'bagel' or something. Maybe I'm not supposed to have a final word. In fact, profound final words are overrated, wouldn't you agree? So...

Thanks for reading!

Cycle Delay

2010-12-26T13:37:00.003-06:00

Hey, I've been absent for a little while now! So, I apologize for that. Want an excuse? Of course you do.

See, a couple weeks ago our household experienced it's second of what's becoming a semi-annual 'Flooding of the House.' So I've been just a little preoccupied with salvaging what's left. Enough talking about that, though. I'm living it.

Today we have a red-headed girl looking at something. There's not much I can see to complain about. Again, the lines are choppy. The head seems a little big. Also, the hair on the forehead could use some touching up. Seems more like a hat than actual hair. I do like the color scheme. I will be using it again. Moving along...

A tip? A tip. I'm at a loss here. How about... the usage of different skin tones. Typically, I use the skin color found in today's image. I'm most familiar with it, as it's very close to my own. However, there are so many variants out there. Most skin tones and colors follow basic rules of pigmentation, as in - there aren't any blue or green humans. However, some skin has undertones of orange or red. I know that was something that never occurred to me until I saw a reference on deviantArt. The point? Don't bother listening to me, and if you want to learn real tips, go to the deviantArt section relevant to your style. There are plenty of great visual aids in there.

That's all for this week. I'll try posting again soon. Thanks for reading.

Ruben's Stride

2010-12-06T00:23:00.003-06:00

I'll bet you thought I forgot today, didn't you? Well, for your information, I did not! I just had no time or internet availability. But now I'm here to make it all better. I come bearing an image, which should be no surprise. This one? He's a dude. Let's break him apart.

Well, I have to say that this is loosely based off a video game character. Big shocker there. Anyway, the main thing I want to point out is the slightly long arm. There's about an extra finger's length to it. So there's that. Also, the highlights in the hair just look kind of thrown in there. Looks more like a spider made a nest on top of his head to me... Regardless of those things, I guess I like the outfit. And maybe the overall design. This was one of my favorites a time ago, after all. Good progress.

Tip: As with most features, the more detail you put into it, the better it will look. Something I neglected to do in today's image was detail with the fur-lined collar of his jacket. Two things I should have done: indicate stray strands of fur jutting away, and correct shading/toning with the fur. To me, good fur would have less outlines and more shading dispersed throughout the affected area. Light behaves differently with fur, since it's not exactly solid. Of course, when drawing this type of style, most people won't really care about that and they'll get the point.

I should really get to sleep now. Thanks for reading.

Dark Complex

2010-11-28T13:41:00.003-06:00

Well, my situation has calmed down slightly and my mind is slowly catching up with everything that has transpired. So, hopefully today's update will be more enjoyable than last week's. Oh wait. That's assuming these are actually enjoyable. (Where's a good drummer with one of those 'ba-dum-tsss' things when you need 'em...)

Anyway, self depreciation aside, I do like this one. Naturally, I have to poke at the things I don't like first. Let's see, I don't like the awkward look of her chest or the strange contortions of her arm. The chest area looks slightly male at times and then reverts back to female. It's just... lopsided - if I may use such an expression. And her arm just doesn't flow like it should. It's far too thin at the wrists or too thick at the elbow, I'm not sure which. However, I do like the colors and clothes I chose for this one. Those tiny sweater/shawls add a little bit of personality and variety. It appears I may have tried to indicate lace around the collar and waist. The shading all around is one of my better attempts. And lastly, the hairstyle is one I enjoyed doing, as it implements one of my banes: bangs.

Tip: Lately I've been trying to mix realism with deformed cartooning. It hasn't been going over so well. On the one hand, I want to go into detail with the eyes, hair, shading, etcetera. But on the other, I know I must keep things simple and use strong lines to make the character come alive. So that's becoming a challenge I need to work with. Another plateau, as it were. So my tip for today is simple: always challenge yourself. If you feel like some challenges are too difficult, analyze them and see if there's another way to approach them. Sometimes, all you need is a break to stop thinking about it and 'start over' in a sense. That has helped me tremendously before. I didn't draw at all for a few days and it seemed like I figured out a few things that previously gave me trouble - almost overnight. I'm sure I've said all that before.

Thanks for reading.

Something Trivial

2010-11-21T20:08:00.003-06:00

This week I have run out of time. In fact, I've done too much this weekend. I'm tired. So I'm going to kind of rip everyone off this week. Sorry about that...

Let's just get into the image. I call this one "A broken nail?!" This is yet another one I drew before finding drivers for my tablet. I don't particularly care for the size of her arm. Could be a little smaller in general. I do like her expression though. And the inkling of a pattern I made on her dress. Not my best, to be sure. But it was decent progress anyway.

Tip: Don't put off buying a used car until you have to because winter is coming and your current car has no heater and leaks anti-freeze into the cabin so you have to keep the windows down. I'm pretty sure that was a run-on sentence. And not remotely a tip about anime or manga. Oh well... I'm really tired.

That's about it for now. My apologies for the lack of a real post. I'll try to make it up to you guys soon. Thanks for reading.

Contrast and Trepidation

2010-11-12T16:50:00.004-06:00

Today we have another dual sketch. This was a test to myself to see if I could fit 2 characters in one of my typically sized files. The colors aren't outstanding in any particular way, but I do like the outfit on the female. Her hair could be a little more structured I suppose. As well as more defined legs. These legs seem a little sloppy to me for some reason. Moving on, the male design isn't too bad. That being said, there isn't much to criticize. I didn't draw enough. In fact, originally his head was turned to the left, as if the two previously had a relationship, but were now torn apart by conflicting views and lives. But instead, he's staring into blank space. Why? Because I could not wrap my head around the concept of looking to the left. Anyway, I do think these designs could be scrapped for use later on.

Tip: I've recently discovered a style called 'Super-deformed' (SD for short). Some cultures also call it 'chibi.' I'm enjoying it very much right now. What is it? Well, it's essentially manga-styled characters, but with heavy influences of exaggerated cartoons. This could range anywhere from the head being ten-times the size of the body, to the arms and legs being wavy and performing feats inhumanly possible. The style in particular I'm trying dwells on slightly larger heads, hands, and feet. My deviantArt page has more of that, if you wish to see examples. Anyway, here's the point: exploring this different avenue of art is really revitalizing my creative mind. So I highly recommend (if you're feeling stuck in a rut like I was) that you try your hand at a different style of art. Nothing in particular. Just something you're not used to. This can help expand your repertoire as well as give yourself a challenge.

That's all for this week. Thanks for reading.

Junction Fleet

2010-11-05T14:17:00.005-05:00

Here we have yet another attempt at full figures. While I do think the top portion of this character is accurate and cohesive, I can't say the same about the legs. They retain thickness for too long past the hips. The anatomy is just incorrect. That, and I believe she might be too tall in that region as well. The clothing is something borrowed from a game, and I actually enjoy it. The very large collars are a weakness of mine. I use them a lot now. Let's see... What else. Her hair still seems to be feminine despite being short, which is difficult for me to apply. This was good experience.

Tip: Never forget the power of a brush-stroke. It's only now, when looking at these older digital images, that I realize how strenuous they were to make. The lines I used never varied in size or depth. It's the contours of the brush-stroke that give off the sense of personal hand-craftsmanship. Otherwise, it looks like any computer could have generated the image. So, what's the point? If you move to digital drawings, don't neglect your roots - pen/pencil and paper. Maintain your proficiency with those tools. I've found the two mediums sharpen each other when kept up.

That's about it for this week. Soon we'll get to see some of my more recent stuff. Thanks for reading.

Lunatic National

2010-10-29T17:44:00.003-05:00

This week we have another attempt at full figures. This character is supposed to be some sort of female pirate. I don't see those enough anymore. Anyway, I do like this one. It has decent shading to it, and the color scheme is just fine to me. However, there is one thing I don't care for, as usual. The size of her hair. It's extremely tall, which was not my intention. I enjoy the hairstyle, don't get me wrong. But the size of it is just too much. Like she's wearing a second wig. Oddly enough, I've actually seen some anime with these types of heads. That is, small faces and large hairstyles. I myself can't realistically wrap my head around it, so I'm trying to stray away from that style. This was good progress.

Tip: I used to say that there are 2 extra tones (lighter and darker) to every 1 color you use. It seems I have broken my own rule in this image. It's particularly noticeable in the legs. You'll see where the light is shining most makes the leggings much brighter. Gradually, the shading comes in towards the right. For the leg furthest away from the viewer, however, I had to make an even darker tone. This was to avoid possible confusion with depths. Unknown to me at the time, it also helped with adding better shading in that area. So, the point? Use more than 2 tones to a color. Where possible, make shading as dark as you can, without it being overbearing to the entire picture.

That's all for this week. Thanks for reading.

Blinding Strategy

2010-10-22T21:23:00.003-05:00

Today we have a portrait I made for a friend of mine. While I can't say it's my best work, by far, I can say I enjoyed it at one time. The shading was better than what I typically do. Also, the highlight is strong. However, because my style has changed significantly in the past few weeks, I see all the flaws of it. Mainly, the blotchy lines and crude coloring. By no means have I gotten better recently. But I do believe my latest work is easier on the eyes. So, in conclusion, I don't regret making this. And my friend did enjoy it, so I suppose that's all that really matters. Good practice.

I'll try to be more thorough next time. And I may post a tip later on over the weekend. But for now, I'm afraid I have run out of time. Thanks for reading.

King Scarlet

2010-10-15T22:46:00.005-05:00

Unfortunately, while I wanted to draw a tutorial on different head shapes and maybe even line by line examples of how to draw a face, I realized something today. I have absolutely no authority in the art community to even give tips. So for now, the tutorials will be suspended. Even though they never really began... But that's besides the point.

Today we have a test I did on strictly black and white tones. I don't really care for it. The main thing that I don't like is the color of his face. It's very pale. But, I have no idea how to fix it. Also, I'm beginning to see how different these older graphics tablet drawings look to me now. They're pretty crude. The drivers I finally got for the tablet really make a big difference to me. I'll be posting some of that work later on. For now, I suppose I'll focus on this guy. I like his outfit I guess. The jacket he has on is something I saw in an anime, and I actually would like to wear it for myself. It's still more cartoon-like than I prefer, but it was progress.

Here's a small tip for you. Baggy clothes make everything better. If you're having a hard time drawing defined and exposed legs, arms, or whatever, but really want to practice full body portraits, throw on some baggy clothes. They helped ease my transition by helping me get proportions more balanced. Earlier, I would end up drawing a head and a tiny, tiny body. But when I threw on baggy clothes, I was forced to make larger shapes and limbs. All I'm saying is, this helps as a precursor to real proportions. It won't help in real character creation, by any means.

That's all I have time for today. Thanks for reading.

Ahead in Strides

2010-10-08T20:40:00.003-05:00

It's been a little less than a week now. And here's my Friday post, as promised. Let's get started then.

I said I would do a tutorial, but unfortunately I never got around to actually making up some. However, it will be much easier to do so. See, I finally got drivers for my graphics tablet. Now it behaves the way it should, which I might say, is amazing. So that will be coming your way soon.

Today we have another portrait. This one I actually like. The eyelashes are thicker than I typically draw. The facial structure seems sound, with the jaw being in good standing. The highlights were a little odd, however. It was yet another experiment with new styles. This one was borrowed from one of Mr. Mark Crilley's recent tutorial videos. I didn't quite pull it off correctly, as the source of these highlights are in front of her. My shading, however, comes from the left. That would be an error on my part. So, always remember this simple rule: keep your shading consistent!

Tip: I'm finding that to make hair really come alive, there needs to be character to it. Ask yourself, "What defines my character's hairstyle? Is this unique, or recycled? Is this something I can duplicate multiple times?" Questions like these can keep you guessing. Also, keep in mind, your character does not need to have a particular hairstyle, or outfit for that matter. After all, a typical human being doesn't wear the same thing every day. The concept of a static outfit is just so a reader can readily identify the character. Also, this helps ease the artist's production, as it's consistent. I guess that's the word of the day.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Nova Ripple

2010-10-03T19:26:00.003-05:00

So here's the last post to wrap up the week. This one was a little test on super-heroes. Well, in this case, heroine. You may notice I actually used shading from the right side this time. I do like this one, mainly because of the strange orange coat. It's shiny. My main complaint is the legs. They're a little thick and I could not figure out how to fix them. Other than that, this one turned out alright.

Next week, I'll try throwing some guideline pages together. Just some things that have helped me along the way. Don't expect to learn anything remotely advantageous to actual drawing skill. Anyway, that's for next week. For now, I'll leave you alone. Thanks for reading!

Careen in Visions

2010-10-02T17:25:00.002-05:00

Hey, it's been a while since I made one of these! Can't believe it's been exactly half a year. Anyway, let's get started.

On the top left is a character a friend of mine calls 'cat lady.' I suppose it's the odd, yet inviting, yellow eyes. I was running out of colors, what can I say. There's something wrong with this one. I think it's the location of the left eye. It's too far down. But, this was still progress. I like that word.

On the right is a glaring dude. He could be mad that no one appreciates his orange shirt. Or he could be furious that he's having a bad hair day. This one was pretty normal for me to do. Your standard mad child.

Lastly, we have what the same friend mentioned earlier calls... 'turtle girl.' I suppose that's because of her eye color. They are unusually green. This one is probably my favorite out of these, though. I think I spent the most time on it. I was trying to replicate a different artist's style. It turned out alright, I guess.

Well, seeing that it really has been half a year since I started this little trek, I will undergo a format change. This includes changing this to a weekly updated blog. I'll finish out the week with an extra post, but for the most part, I will update this on Fridays. Seems to be my least busy day. With this format change, you can expect higher quality image analysis, perhaps some tutorials if I feel like taking off my humble mask, and maybe some extra surprises. Like cupcakes.

With that, I'll sign off for now. Thanks for reading!

Force Lightning

2010-10-01T22:14:00.004-05:00

Hopefully it's obvious what this is a reference to. Yes, Star Wars. Which character is it? I have no idea. He looks like a Sith, actually. But the color of his lightsaber gives more the Jedi impression. Anyway, I suppose I'm nerding out a little bit here. I do like this one. Too bad it's not my own original concept. Otherwise maybe I could have been a multi-millionaire. Regardless, I suppose what I would work on is the shading on the coat.

I'm thinking about making this a weekly blog. I'm finding that I keep putting off posting until the end of the day when I actually have time. And now, I'm getting to the point where I don't have much to say anymore. So I'll give it some more thought, but for now I'm thinking to use the 'quality over quantity' approach. We'll see!

Thanks for reading.

Memory Pie

2010-09-30T14:30:00.003-05:00

I wanted to draw a tough guy. Here he is. The sunglasses always help. They make everything impersonal. He will most likely be an extra in Pretend. Maybe a fellow officer in the evil empire aspect. Though the sunglasses would be hard to explain... And the clothing style. I'll give it some thought. Regardless, I do like this one. That cold demeanor comes across through his cold gaze. A friend of mine said he looked like he was hiding a crossbow behind his back.

Tip: A short one today. Sunglasses have varied depth and opacity. So, to make sunglasses like the ones found in today's image require a little more than just darkened rectangles. Highlights are required to make sunglasses really work. And, the nice thing about sunglasses: you can place the highlights almost anywhere. Well, in more places than you could with an eye. Some make the highlights span across the ridges of the frames. I took the easy route and made random splotches of shine on the lower left corners. So tinker with it and see what you come up with.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Human Strain

2010-09-29T16:33:00.004-05:00

It's the same old story.

Anna Grace and her sister, Sarah, were brought up in a small suburb town. As time passed, they learned of a conflict that only siblings can understand. Where Sarah excelled in her studies, Anna developed strong social bonds and friendships. Always the more hasty of the two, Anna soon abandoned her home and lived where she felt there were no boundaries - the metropolis. Anna left her sister to care for their ailing mother alone, much to Sarah's displeasure. Meanwhile, Sarah continued with her studies and forsook all that her sister achieved, claiming it as the cause of her foolish, irresponsible antics. Sarah learned much about the world through her books and articles, while Anna learned from experiences - both good and bad. The two communicated infrequently, and it remained so for years...

Until their mother passed away. Thus a life had faded and a chapter was closed. But a new chapter glimmered. One of sisters - forgiven and found again.

I also had a short story that was essentially a 'what-if' scenario. Basically, it would have been 2 lives of the same person if she made different choices. Pretty standard stuff. Anyway, this one was a lot of fun to make. I wanted to make one with 2 characters in the same frame. So here it is. I suppose something I would do differently is make the one in grey a little less masculine. This was definitely great progress though.

Thanks for reading.

Borders of the Sea

2010-09-28T15:19:00.004-05:00

Here we have another request from a friend of mine. He wanted "someone looking at a mirrored image of themselves in a grocery store." This is what I came up with. This was not easy, and you can tell I got frustrated after a while, since it's all sloppy and unfinished. This was definitely a challenge for my head. The main gist is there, I suppose. But it's all so messy. The tomatoes look thrown together, with the highlights being the only thing giving them an ounce of life. I just can't say I like this one. I can say it was good progress, however.

Unfortunately, I have come down with a cold of sorts. So, my only tip for today is this: boost your immune system when there's a rapid temperature change in your area. This is especially important for asthmatics and people with allergies.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Cyan Waning

2010-09-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

I have always enjoyed the steam-punk, Victorian look in clothing. So this was my try at that type of style. It's not quite the elegance I wanted it to be. But it has some of the ruffles I enjoy. As well as that lady-vest, which really does need to come back in style. Anyway, the pink hair makes a recurrence, as you can see. I'm not sure what she's reading, but seeing that evil teacher glare, it must be something important.

Tip: Here's a small one for you. In the hair of today's image, you'll notice the highlight on the left side of the head. There used to be dark outlines indicating strands of hair where the highlight came in. However, I erased those lines, as they detracted from the overall brightness in the highlight. That really did help make it all pop out, making a good contrast of light and dark.

That's all I have for today. Thanks for reading.

Dejected and Waiting

2010-09-26T19:46:00.003-05:00

Today we have a sad profile. See, this girl was promised an engagement. Her love never actually told her so, but she thought that this special day in their lives was going to be a turning point. A point that would lead to an everlasting commitment. Alas, her true love never arrived in the park that afternoon. The sun was beginning to set, and she knew that he had moved on. Yet another sad tale of forgotten love.

Some of the brush styles in this Corel program helped out with the odd effects the sky has. I do like this one. I suppose what I would change is the outfit she's wearing, along with some of the shading on the grass and path. But this was definitely good progress for me in detailed images.

Tip: I think I'm going to start making tips when I can actually think of something. Unfortunately, I have exhausted my knowledge. So I'll just throw something random in here. Wrinkles. Wrinkles can look a little more realistic when the jut out away from their source. Say, in pant-legs. The simple thing to do would be to make straight lines, contouring to the legs. This can work at times, even adding a real sense of style to a character. However, wrinkles can help the realistic factor, as I mentioned. So when making your pants outlines, try adding small bumps to that outline and forming wrinkles around them. A diagram would probably help this tremendously...

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Music Surrender

2010-09-25T22:30:00.003-05:00

I felt I was missing some original clothing designs. So I made this guy. His orange coat is somewhat unique. But what's odd are his large arms. They're thicker than I would like. He's supposed to be somewhat tough, so I must have had that on the mind when drawing this. He's supposed to look injured. I'm not sure how well that's portrayed. This was good progress with clothing, though.

Tip: I'm still out of actual drawing tips right now. So I'll continue a little bit more with character creation. Characters with motive and a destination are commonplace. A general demeanor and influence your audience can agree with and enjoy is sometimes hard to come by. Typically, the hero in a story will have a positive, moral, and justified personality - with the audience backing up his every action. This is fine. But anymore, it won't cut it. It seems that now, with such a saturation of the market in fiction, a single-minded character like that is 'boring' to the public. To be interesting, they need a dark past, a haunting memory, or something that keeps them going despite their own internal resistance. I'll call it a broken hero, though I'm sure there's an actual term for it. Antihero is a term that comes to mind. What's the point? Simple. Choose which predetermined character paths you'll take. Or think outside the box and create your own!

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Further Down the River

2010-09-24T15:25:00.003-05:00

Here we have another attempt at new angles. This was the obvious choice, as I drew the opposite angle only days before. I like where I was going with this. But It still looks messy and parts of it look too large. That right hand would be fine in size if the rest of the body followed suit. The legs should have been larger to help put things in perspective. Again, the clothes are uninspired. But I suppose the face is one of my better ones with the graphics tablet.

Tip: A further continuation of story-making. Again, I'm not an authority on this subject. I only repeat what I have read and seen for myself. Character builds are very common these days. Therefore, it's becoming more difficult to be unique in a world full of stories. I can think of only a few themes that can be helpful to creating one that stands out. For one, the setting. Say you make a drama and have great characters and terrific dynamics between them. That's good and all, but the setting you place them in is vital to making your story really open up. For a drama, the most obvious thing to do would be dark tones and shady areas. Perhaps a city - impersonal and maybe depressing. Something that can add to the general mood of what the characters are experiencing. The point? Typically, a setting should support the characters and not conflict with their themes.

This is it for now. Thanks for reading.

Planet in Suspense

2010-09-23T22:59:00.002-05:00

Landscapes are not my specialty, so I keep trying to practice them. It's not obvious to me, but this is a river in a rocky canyon. It's all very messy. I can't say I like this one. But it was effort, I suppose. One thing I was not consistent with was the shading. The left wall is deeply shaded, thus a long shadow would be cast - likely running up a portion of the right wall. This would mean all that work I put into brightening up the river really makes no sense. That's the problem for me and landscapes. I can't wrap my head around all the different shading aspects. Well, I guess that's a lesson to myself.

Tip: A continuation of yesterday's tip. Character arcs are essential to a story to be relevant. Most characters are ones that your audience can relate to. However, there are some exceptions to this. Some villains, for example, have no 'dark background' and are villains purely for being the main antagonist of the story. While this seems rather ambiguous - and some may say cheap - it also adds something to a story. In essence, the evil-for-evil's-sake villain is a monolith. When the hero is forced to uphold his virtues against something so deeply entrenched in badness, it can add a real sense of despair to the conflict. Like an impossible quest. Whether or not the hero wins is up to the writer. Including a single-minded character like that is not easy. There's no room for any lenience in the path they have taken. They are the embodiment of that characteristic, therefore they must be completely consumed by it.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Courageous Spiral

2010-09-22T20:06:00.002-05:00

This time I wanted to try a new 'camera angle.' Thus, I tried an aerial shot - looking down on the character. This one turned out alright, I suppose. It's still messy. And the clothing isn't very original... at all. But I feel that, for a first attempt at this angle, I succeeded in it's portrayal. It's just not a pretty success.

Tip: This tip doesn't have much to do with drawing, so much as it has to do with character creation. Typically, I've noticed my characters carry the same moral compass I do. So, when it comes to their creation, they tend to be like me in many instances. What helps give each character their different personality, and thus their appeal, is thinking outside the box. Ask yourself, "When faced with this circumstance, what would I do? What's a reaction I would never do?" Having a contrasting viewpoint could sprout to an interesting character being born!

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

Staff Prism

2010-09-21T17:13:00.002-05:00

This is the full shot of that character in Pretend I have shown earlier. Notice the red coat, the pink hair, the solemn demeanor, and of course, the katana. These are all part of the design and I'm actually satisfied with this concept. It contains all the elements I was going for. What's the A for? That's a secret. Anyway, my main complaint is really with the arms. The one on the right is a little thick for the way she's posed. Otherwise, I would say everything is proportional. Now if I could just start getting down a tangible story arc I might actually have a decent tale to tell. Alas, I'm lazy.

Tip: Something that can add substance to a character is found in the face. While you can have a general idea for the eyes, mouth, chin size, etc., you can also take away things. A prominent feature that comes to mind is a scar. Some of your 'wounded' and many 'tough' characters may carry battle scars. Another aspect that comes to mind is tattoos. These, of course, could be applied to any character. Only, what the tattoo contains is something to be consistent with. A gritty, unshaven, cruel thug would most likely not have a tattoo of a kitten. Keep your character's personality in mind if you feel like adding ink or placing scars.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Chance of Rays

2010-09-20T17:39:00.005-05:00

This one was a study on older characters, as well as strong light indications. You might notice more bright highlights across the face, near the nose, and earlobe. This gives a little more of a roundness to the earlobe, oddly enough. And it makes the skin appear more tight. Though, I suppose that wasn't a very wise idea, since this is an older character. My main complaint is the size of the chin and the messy hair. The eyes could use a little more life as well. This was decent progress, nonetheless.

Tip: Always. No... never... Forget to check your references.

Anyway, movie quotes aside, that tip could be practical for this. Say, you wish to learn by copying reference works like photos or drawings. Always remember to credit the original authors, as it's the polite and responsible thing to do. Most artists have a hard enough time making ends meet. The last thing they need is someone plagiarizing their work. So give credit where it's due. Hey, it could even save you a lawsuit in the future!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Quantum Eradication

2010-09-19T18:13:00.004-05:00

Today we have another request from a friend of mine. He wanted a head-banging guy playing some heavy metal on a cello. So, this is what came out. The fire... was extra. I felt it needed something more, I guess. With a still image, it's hard to indicate 'head-banging.' So I just made messy hair. Not exactly the way I wanted it, but it will do for now. There's really not much else to say about this.

Tip: Oh, there's not much to say in this section either! But I'll see what I can ramble out. Ah. Always remember when a light source is exiting and entering. Take the fire in today's image, for instance. I added that last while working on it. So it's a new light source. Therefore, I had to add shading in the (approximately) appropriate places. This adds to the glow the spontaneous fire exudes. So just keep it in mind if your character is traveling between settings.

That's all I got for today. Thanks for reading.

Viscous Mist

2010-09-18T17:32:00.004-05:00

This is another villain in Pretend. The point was to make a character everyone can hate. I guess that can't really be told by aesthetics alone. I wanted him to big and fear-inspiring. He's definitely big... But I think his head could be a little bigger to sort of balance out everything. Those gorilla arms could be a little shorter as well. Lastly, I'm not a big fan of the color scheme I chose. The red is essential, as he's in uniform, but the orange and strange shading must be eliminated and fixed, respectively.

Tip: Painting digitally can make things very cheap on material costs. Also, with digital art, you can undo things you weren't particularly fond of, without consequence. That being said, it's still easy for me to get lost in all the options digital art provides. A side effect you can see today is the poor shading I used on this character. The colors are not consistent with their bases. Meaning, I didn't follow my own rule (to stick with a base color and choose lighter and darker tones). In the coat, I used reds that are not in the same color 'pool.' They branch out too much, thus leading to a mess. So my tip is simple: stick to your color schemes.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Tragedy of Victoria

2010-09-17T14:00:00.003-05:00

This one is concept art for a character of mine. A loyal villain working for the big bad government. Typical complex, really. That being said, you'll notice she's wearing a uniform. Later on you'll see the rest of the uniform. But this is most likely what I'll stick with for her design. I like the pink hair. I guess I am obsessed. Something I will most likely change is the eyes. They look bland to me. Anyway, this style was unique to me and I'll develop it more.

Tip: Last night I actually tried making a full scale outline before adding clothing, colors, facial features, etc. I found it to be a little more time consuming, but the end product turned out to much better than what I normally draw. So, I'll try to do that more often. Oh right, the tip. I would recommend using full scale outlines as preliminary work before you get started on finalizing. It's worth the extra time! Rather obvious.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Light and Dark Symphonic Dread

2010-09-16T16:52:00.007-05:00

Yet another request from a friend. This is supposed to be a swan dive, though it's not apparent without motion. The color scheme is probably my favorite part. The water wasn't exactly easy, but it was fun to try. It's all still choppy though. The lines aren't as clean as they could be. Also, the shading could be more steep. But this was definitely a new aspect for me. So, good experience.

Tip: Something I didn't do very well in this was the application of depth perception. The idea was, have the character jump off a building or cliff into the water - which is much farther down. As I'm still inexperienced with such odd angles, I don't have much for tips on this. But I do know something extremely simple. Objects farther away should be smaller. Also, one last thing I noticed is that the farther away something is, the more it fades out. At least, when seen with human eyes.

Here we are, at the end again. Thanks for reading.

Chord Progression Skip

2010-09-15T16:36:00.003-05:00

This was just another quick drawing I made for some friends. It's rather sloppy, so there's not much I like about it. But I do like the hair shading. It was really just random strikes, but it turned out to be more unique than my typical highlights. The colors are pretty basic and bland. The glasses were interesting. More cartoon-like, as there's no indication of eyes. Lastly, if you're curious, this looks a little like me. Guess I really am a narcissist, ha!

Tip: I'm running low on tips again. Something I've noticed that helps when drawing is exaggerations. When I started drawing, I tried making everything small and compact because I didn't want people to see it and I didn't want to commit myself to a large drawing. Now that I look back, making exaggerations would have been helpful early on. For example, when making arms and legs, I would start with the head, then work my way down. This was decent, although a good full outline would have been more effective. That being said, I would draw the head and the rest of the body would end up being very small in comparison. So when I say 'exaggerations' I mean, larger than you would typically go. You might find that your 'exaggeration' is actually a normal, realistic size!

That's about all for today. Thanks for reading.

Flying Machine

2010-09-14T16:32:00.003-05:00

This was another request from a friend of mine. I'm glad he asked, as this was quite the challenge for me. I never tried a mirrored image like this before. It turned out alright I suppose. The hand was more or less a trick I used to keep it all in perspective. Otherwise, my head couldn't really keep up. Some of the lines are jagged, and it doesn't seem very clean, especially around the mirror's frame. And the right arm is a little thicker than my intention. But this was definitely great progress for me.

Tip: Gotta make up for yesterday's lack of tip, so let's make this one good. Alright, notice how the colors in the mirror'd image from today are faded out a little? This doesn't really happen in real life, but it seems to help create that distinction in manga. Also, when using strictly black and white, sometimes dotted outlines are used to indicate a reflected object. Almost like you're indicating a haze with a very rough, incomplete outline. That's all I can think of for today.

Here's the end of the post again. Thanks for reading!

Even Stretch

2010-09-13T17:55:00.002-05:00

Today we have another samurai-like character. I do enjoy drawing them, particularly their different armors and stances. This one was a rather standard, wounded look. The shading could be better around the leggings. And I should have tried to make the sword more eloquent, like an actual katana. This was progress, nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I have run out of time today, so I'll have to skip the tip. Not like they're helpful anyway!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Destruction Stiletto

2010-09-12T13:43:00.005-05:00

One of my friends wanted to see a picture of Doc Brown and Marty McFly from "Back to the Future." And another friend wanted to see a picture of a car. So I combined the two requests! This is definitely one of the most cartoon-like drawings I've made so far. I do enjoy this one as it was a real challenge for me. It looks a little sloppy, but I suppose that adds to the cartoon effect. At first, I tried drawing the lead characters more realistically, but that was proving to be difficult. Their faces are just so unique! At any rate, this was great progress for me.

Tip: You'll notice I added motion lines in today's picture. In the beginning, I didn't really care much to include motion lines in a drawing. They seemed too strange, since they don't appear in real life. But I'm finding now that they add so much more life to manga and animation. So there are a few different types to keep in mind. Lines to indicate wind, lines to indicate vibration, and lines to indicate direction of movement. One last thing: an excess of motion lines can detract from their entire point.

That's all for now. My thanks to the creators of Back to the Future. Thanks for reading.

Welcome to Counseling

2010-09-11T15:35:00.002-05:00

Today we have more concept art for a character in Pretend. The supporting female. I didn't want to waste space with just one profile, so this is a slight compilation. The eyes are the main ingredient for this one. Not to be forgotten, the hairstyle is important as well. My main complaint with this is on the larger face. For one, the mouth seems too wide. And, the left eye is a little lopsided. Otherwise, this is basically how she will look. Odd thing is, I can't even draw the main character correctly yet. Go figure.

Tip: When creating a character, there are things to keep in mind. While aesthetically, you can take many liberties and be outlandish in some instances, you have to be consistent. For example, say you have a shy, cold, distant character. Obviously, his eyes would be diverted away most of the time, rarely making eye contact. Also, an outgoing hairstyle like a mo-hawk would not be cohesive to someone who doesn't want to attract attention to themselves. Same goes for clothing. So make sure to keep in mind the personality of the character you're creating when forming their appearance.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Stray Whisker

2010-09-10T20:39:00.003-05:00

Here we have another attempt at accurate lighting. Not sure who it's supposed to be, or what. Just another soldier. I did enjoy making the visor. The varied reflections really makes it pop and look shiny. I wish I would have done more with whatever the weapon is on his back. Looks like it might be a katana handle. I still don't feel like I can correctly interpret metallic surfaces, but this was definitely good practice.

Tip: Pure white can make great light indications. While I have said that a light and dark tone of a primary color is helpful, I'm finding that adding a streak of white in bright spots helps give that extra shine. Inversely, I thought adding a black streak on a darker spot would help with shading. I wouldn't recommend this. It looks rather awkward as typically a character's outline is black/dark grey.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Jazz Slide

2010-09-09T13:07:00.004-05:00

Today we have another attempt at new things. This guy is rather intense, what with no irides and two swords. Looks like he wouldn't hesitate to use those. Though they look a little awkward to handle. I do mostly like this one. My only real complaint is the color scheme. The red and green don't really scream 'vengeful maniac' the way I wanted it to. Progress nonetheless.

Tip: Indicating light sources isn't easy. One that's particularly strange is light that appears to be coming directly from the viewer. So in a shot like the one used in today's image, the light source is directly facing the character. This is a challenge as you want to indicate this, but you also can't just brighten up the entire character. Something I've noticed that helps is keeping the edges darkened. And taking advantage of wrinkles and the shadows they cast.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Trapped Over Earth

2010-09-08T19:15:00.003-05:00

In today's image, I was going for more detailed clothing. The actual figure was time-consuming as I don't draw clasped hands often. The hairstyle was a little new to me as well, but I enjoy the covered eye look. Less work to do! The dress itself could use more detail, but the basic pattern is there. So this one had some good progress in it. And I like that face, so I'll try to incorporate her into more.

Tip: Here's the concluding thought in the series of landscape tips. Detail as much as you can. Most landscapes cannot afford to be without details. Say a character is on a beach. You might indicate waves, wet sand where the tide has rolled in, boats in the distance, docks, any sort of marine life - where applicable, perhaps a lighthouse, etc. There are many things to keep in mind that aren't necessary but can really bring out the life of a setting.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Golden Shards

2010-09-07T13:57:00.003-05:00

What do we have today... Ah, an attempt at a new stance. I was trying to make it look like a sword was pointed directly towards the viewer. Now it more looks like he's missing a robotic arm with only a metal stub left. So that will take some more practice. But I do like the colors in this. And the clothing choices. I might try to modify this guy and use him again later.

Tip: Continuing with landscapes... A good color scheme is good to have, but I've noticed good lighting can have an incredible impact on a landscape. Depending on the daylight, shadows could be cast almost anywhere. Clouds are good to keep in mind, as they tend to darken everything and negate most shadows. Indicating moonlight is almost impossible for me to do now, so I don't have much of a tip for that at this time.

That's going to be about all for today. Thanks for reading.

Mark of the Insatiable

2010-09-06T20:20:00.002-05:00

Today we have one of those 'cute' pictures. This one was made to be a little fun for some friends. The jar was actually interesting to shade. The sparkles help it shine a little. And of course, multiple highlights in the girl's eyes were required to help show how amazing cookies are. The hair was basically thrown together, but I do like the little orange ties. Another example of how small details can add to a character, I guess. Good progress.

Tip: Creating a landscape or setting for a character is an entirely new challenge to me. There are only a few things I've learned so far. One is to align the characters and objects to the correct horizon. That is, in a realistic setting, everything should point to a certain spot. A diagram might make more sense. That's just one thing I've learned. I'll go into more tomorrow.

That's all we have for today. Thanks for reading.

A Dream Within a Dream

2010-09-05T13:08:00.002-05:00

...Within another dream and somehow fall into limbo as well.

It may not be evident, but today we have fan art of Arthur from the recent Christopher Nolan film "Inception." I am rather obsessed with the movie, so I drew this as a sort of tribute. I do like this one. It just doesn't look much like Joseph Gordon-Levitt's face, but I suppose the general idea is there. The tie, the dress shirt that never gets stained. The slicked back hair and that snazzy vest. So, in summation, I applaud Mr. Nolan for a refreshing film. Crime never did look so eloquent.

Tip: Correct proportions aren't easy, as I've noted many times before. When leaning more towards a realistic style, always keep in mind what clothing contours to a body, and what clothing is loose. For example, a vest will likely stick close to the body, as most are tightly fitted. A loose shirt, on the other hand, will most likely hug only portions of the body, perhaps around the shoulders. Elsewhere they could puff out and wrinkle. I cannot stress enough the importance of using surrounding references when drawing a realistic style. In these references, look for specific areas the cause the most wrinkles and try transcribing those onto the page.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Derision Uprising

2010-09-04T16:04:00.002-05:00

Today we have a red hair reprise. Looks like he's gotten himself into quite the fight this time. I do like the direction I was going in this. The stance and dynamics between the varied depths was great practice. That being said, I didn't flesh out the details very well at all. The hands look pretty fat, which was not my intention. Something about the shading seems off as well, but I've no time to find out what.

Tip: Something I tend to forget when it comes to depth perception is absence. That is, absence of drawing what's in the background when what is in the foreground is more prominent. A good example would be the image for today. The hand on the left covers over what would be a portion of the arm and chest. Keeping these varied depths in mind will save you a lot of time in the long run. Now if only I could actually listen to myself.

Thanks for reading!

Embers in Chaos

2010-09-03T14:11:00.002-05:00

Here is something that was an experiment in different angles and expressions. I tried to make this cartoon-like. It's very basic, but it seems to be leaning more towards what my style is becoming. I can tell I need to work on hand placements and structure. These aren't terrible, but they could definitely use more life. Good progress, though.

Tip: Odd that today we have an expressive character. Continuing with yesterday's tip, I'll go a little more into a startled expression. A basic one contains constricted pupils, the irides not covered by any eyelids, and very high eyebrows. Some artists use the 'cross-eyed' look. This adds to a more disturbed look, while retaining the surprised features.

Here's the end again. Thanks for reading.

Nuance Dance

2010-09-02T14:43:00.003-05:00

Today we have a simple profile. I don't really mind it, but it's not one I can really say I enjoy. The head is a little too tall. That ear is very choppy. I do like the shine on the hair though. Seems more bold than what I typically do. And the jaw structure doesn't seem too bad. I can't say I like those eyes though. They seem a little dead.

Tip: Expressions are pivotal in making a character really come to life. As noted in today's image, dead eyes can bring the entire character down. One trick I've noticed is having the eyes focus on something. Another person, an object, whatever. Eyebrows are also key in conveying expression. One last thing that's helpful is how squinted the eyes are. A good relaxed look has, perhaps, the upper and lower edges of the irides covered by the eyelids. I might continue this subject tomorrow.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Iridescent Hourglass

2010-09-01T18:25:00.002-05:00

Here is yet another attempt at a detailed drawing. This time, a swordsman... woman. She seems to be contemplating something. I do like this one, though it does look rather sloppy. I believe I'm obsessed with pink hair at the moment. I'm not really sure what brought that on. The dress looks a little frilly, which was my intention. My main complaint is the sword. It's much too choppy and needs to be straightened out. Perhaps more shine would help as well. Otherwise, this one was great progress.

Tip: Fortunately for you, I'm in a hurry today, so my tip will be brief. Fingers are very difficult to place. A good starting point is trying to sketch your own hands. Look for new angles and new depths to try. Most likely, it will come in use later.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Pessimism Ascension

2010-08-31T15:01:00.002-05:00

This time we have a dragoon of sorts. The knight using a lance with a nifty red cape. While I don't much care for how sloppy it looks, I do like some of the shading I used. Metal is difficult for me to portray, and this was one of the first times I tried. That ponytail was an idea from my brother. I'm still unsure of how well it fits. Anyway, this one was a good challenge for me, as it's one of the more detailed things I've drawn with color.

Tip: While I can't be an authority, or even a voice in making a hero/protagonist I will state what I've noticed. A typical, teenage hero has the goofy hair, the unbelievably strong muscles that don't look very big, the bright optimistic eyes, and of course, the cool attitude. This isn't really something I would personally strive to create. It's been done. Over and over. So when creating a main character, I have this simple tip. Think of ways to make yours unique. In aesthetic design, as well as personality. Sometimes I forget that the characters in fiction can still be human. So try and portray that. Easier said than done.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Surrounding Safe-Light

2010-08-30T16:40:00.003-05:00

I was in quite the rush when I drew this. I didn't see it at the time, but this one isn't very good at all. Let's find out why. The head shape is considerably odd, namely the extension in the back. Her right arm is too large as well. The stance she's making is possible to do yes, but looks awkward. And finally, the lines have reverted back to being sloppy. I guess what I like is the outfit, though it's borrowed from a game.

Tip: I cannot stress enough the importance of a good anatomy check on human characters. Today's image is a great example of what not to do. See how I didn't listen to my own advice? I didn't indicate a break at the elbow or wrist. Therefore, her arm looks like a giant log. Something that can help mask it - if you're having trouble - is throwing large gloves or puffy sleeves on. That will take away any worry about correct anatomy. I've learned it won't work forever, though. Have to get used to it sometime.

That's about it for today. Thanks for reading.

Burning Glacier

2010-08-29T16:33:00.002-05:00

This one is a little bittersweet. While I do like how cartoon-y it is, I can't help but point out what I don't enjoy about it. The main thing being, her forehead is extremely tall. The darkness in her mouth probably should have been more of a gray base as well. Also, she seems more muscular than what I intended. I do like the hairstyle though. It's different from what I normally draw. I never have liked bangs. Only a handful of characters can really make bangs look great to me. She is not one of them.

Tip: I mentioned a little bit about muscles earlier. Something I've noticed while drawing them is how important it is to indicate the portion of the arm that 'caves in' at the elbow area. Instead of making an arm look like a giant muscular log, this will help tone it down and look a little more real. This is also true for legs. Human anatomy is really confusing to me, so hopefully this is a little helpful.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Twelve Degrees of Redemption

2010-08-28T18:46:00.004-05:00

Today we have a style I would really enjoy going further with. The large eyes aren't exactly something I'm comfortable drawing, as my head tries to make things more real. For this one, I kept in mind the technique of Hiromu Arakawa. She uses the large eyes quite a bit on females, along with the rounded out eyelashes. The clothing she's wearing is something more of a suit I guess. I do like the direction I was going with the hair. Not too elaborate, but also has some graceful moments. Overall, I like this one.

Tip: Choosing skin colors can be tricky for a character. While on paper and pen, a character can really be about any color you wish. But when it comes to coloring I find myself at a loss sometimes as to what tones to use. I don't want to use the same skin over and over, as I want to use variety. Something that can help is looking through references to find great flesh tones. A good mixture of the many diverse tones humans carry is a great way to add more of a realistic view to a story.

We're all done for now. Thanks for reading.

Synchronized Self

2010-08-27T14:58:00.003-05:00

Today we have one I enjoy quite a bit. Perhaps it's how loose all the clothing looks. Maybe it's the hand placements and size. Or that strange hair color. I like almost everything about this. The lines are all pretty smooth and not so choppy. My main complaint is a lack of feet. And maybe a little more could be done with the face. Otherwise, I will most likely use this one again in the future.

Tip: Don't fool yourself, vests are coming back in style. I don't know if they actually left, but that's besides the point. A vest can add quite a bit to a character, the most prominent being a more elegant look. A vest can also be used on female characters, which I tend to forget sometimes. Therefore, the tip for today is simple: a vest might be what your character is missing.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Lay Down Variable

2010-08-26T16:29:00.003-05:00

It's yet another character with red hair. I must have been going through a phase. One thing really stands out to me in this image: the hand on the left. It might be one of the better hands I've drawn. For it's strange dynamics, I can't really believe I drew that myself. Anyway, I do like this outfit pretty well. The rolled up sleeves are making a comeback, folks. Although I don't know if they really left. My main complaint is, yet again, a lack of feet and choppy lines. And that highlight across his head looks a little more like a headband. So I should work on all that stuff.

Tip: Jewelery and accessories can be great additions to a character. Of course, their inclusion means even more things to draw, or in some cases, animate. However, with their inclusion you can give off very good movement effects. Say a character is jumping off a tall ledge. Naturally their clothing and possibly hair would trail behind them due to basic physics. With say, a necklace, around his/her neck, you have yet another object that can trail behind the character. This can even further help the illusion of falling.

That's all we have for today. Thanks for reading!

Circle of Vocals

2010-08-25T16:04:00.004-05:00

This time we have a character that's the rebel in a story. He's in uniform, so that could be a cause of his actions. Or he could be that kid in school that just doesn't want to conform. Either way, he's a bad dude - at least in his head. Though that dagger would prove his true character in an instant if used improperly. How to use a dagger properly, I have no idea. Anyway, this one was a little break from my normal stuff. I like it, so maybe he'll come back with his 'cool-guy' red hair.

Tip: Indicating wrinkles in clothing is one of the hardest things for me to do. So I don't have much to offer in the way of advice. Just try to think of where the wrinkles originate from. Most wrinkles are caused by two things: stretched clothing and loose clothing. So try to analyze where a wrinkle would be realistically if say, you were to be in the position your character is.

This will do for today. Thanks for reading.

Open Flight

2010-08-24T18:38:00.005-05:00

This one is called "Flying Lessons" on deviantArt. Obviously, another fairy type drawing. It was kind of strange to do. It all seems very hazy now that I'm revisiting it. Almost like there's actual sunlight in there. I used the paintbrush tool again to color. While I do like the effects it gives, I don't like how empty some of the tones can be. Sometimes a good solid color is what's needed. Anyway, I do like this one, especially the wings. Good progress for sure.

Tip: I have yet to try this for myself, but I've seen other artists do it. When indicating a very bright light source, try not even putting an outline where it's heaviest. Typically, yes, you want to outline the entire character to get a better understanding of where things start and end. But in this case, the light source is so bright that it - in a sense- erases the outline. It seems like a great way to get the viewer's imagination into play. To fill in the gaps, so to speak.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Rain Hour

2010-08-23T17:16:00.003-05:00

These images are going to start getting larger, so apologies for the possible slow loading times.

On deviantArt I called this "Katana Fire." In reality, I was still obsessed with making goofy backgrounds and just happened to concentrate more around the katana. I do like this one, however. It reminds me of something from a video game. The face is rather simple, but I suppose that's a good thing. It draws attention more to the rest of the sketch/painting. My main complaint is the strange use of highlights. They seem more random than anything else. So I gotta work on that.

Tip: Some styles lend towards very cartoon-like depictions. For example, some artists will make hands and feet abnormally large. Why they do it, I'm not sure. But it adds more of a sense of fantasy, and in some cases it can make an entire character flow more smoothly. I'll have to look more into why some characters lend themselves to that style. For now, I'll only say that it could be what's missing in your own character.

At the end again. Thanks for reading.

Hinder Skeleton

2010-08-22T14:33:00.003-05:00

Today we have another digital image, however this time I used a new tool for my bold lines. Before was a rather boring tool that had no variance in width. This one contours more towards a real sketch look. Enough of that, though. This one is evidently when I started getting used to the tablet more, as the lines aren't as choppy. The facial structure could still use some work though. And something about the hand on the left is off. It might be curved down too far. I do like the colors used in this. The yellow stuff is supposed to be clouds I guess. Maybe he's flying.

Tip: Most places contain a certain color scheme. For example, whereas a typical optimistic city scene might have white clouds and light colors, a deserted depressing slum might have more yellow tinted clouds and darker shades. Almost like a way to change the mood of a particular portion or scene. Many directors do this in movies with correct lighting. In a manga, typically you're stuck with just black and white. This is where the magic of gray and shading comes in handy. In the correct placements, the right lighting can make all the difference.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Amber Corrosion

2010-08-21T16:11:00.002-05:00

Today we have an interesting attempt at painting. You might notice on the right side of the hair, I tried to give off the impression of curls with light waves fading in and out. I do like the shading used in this one. It seems to be heavier than my typical shading, especially in the face. This one is looking more like the type of work I'm doing now. Except I've begun to exclude the odd backgrounds. Notice the blue-orange contrast? Anyway, this one was good progress for me.

Tip: I'm learning that varied light sources can be extremely hard for my mind to process. Something that might help is trying them on simple shapes, like a box or sphere. And when you get proficient at a single shape, add more shapes. Soon it will flow naturally. Again, practice makes... well, not perfect. But it does make most things much better.

That's all I have for today. Thanks for reading.

Wretched in Earnest

2010-08-20T14:35:00.003-05:00

Today we have one I worked on for quite a while. Looks like I probably should have worked longer on it. Some of the lines near the face still look pretty choppy. But it seems to be getting better. Maybe. Anyway, this was an attempt at a more fancy looking dress. And you might notice her lips are the 'puffy' style. I don't feel I really drew those accurately. I should have toned down those lines. One last thing, her forehead could be a little shorter. Good progress I suppose.

Tip: Clothing design can be a real nightmare. While you would want to be original, a typical audience might not appreciate outlandish, fairytale clothing styles. So my tip for today is simple. Start with the basics, a shirt, a blouse, pants, whatever. And take away/add on to that clothing. It has helped me a little when designing clothing.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

Calling a Giant

2010-08-19T17:11:00.002-05:00

It's more concept art for my main character in Pretend. I was a little obsessed with the paintbrush tool at the time, so you'll have to deal with the strange orange background. Again, the lines are pretty choppy still. Looks like I was getting slightly used to it. Maybe. The color scheme was rather basic. Go figure, this is the main character and I can't even draw him the way I want to. The one thing I do know is his age range, his hair and his peculiar eyes. Well, the eyes are going to look much different later. Anyway, last comment: the cheek on the left looks a little swollen. I should probably get that worked on.

Tip: You'll notice in a few of these colored images I've made boundaries without using dark outlines. This is particularly evident where the skin meets the whites of the eyes. I indicated only the upper eyelids and eyelashes. I find this helpful, as bold outlines of an entire eye tend to make the character look like a raccoon. Which I'm not a big fan of.

That's all we have for today. Thanks for reading.

Break all the Right Times

2010-08-18T16:01:00.003-05:00

Today we have another early tablet image. Why did I want to draw a faerie? I'm not sure. I probably saw something on television. The wing was probably the most fun to do. It's one of those things that has endless possibilities. So I went with the the strange white branches spreading through the wing. For a while her clothing was colored in a strange yellow. It didn't blend well, so I had to change it to boring blue. Why she's wearing jeans, I will never know. Anyway, good progress towards expansion.

Tip: When it comes to making up something without references or a real idea in mind, I tend to keep 2 things in mind. The first is the least productive: don't do it. The second is this: just start drawing/creating. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, just start going and something might form. Like cloud watching. Except you're making the clouds and hoping a shape will come out of it somewhere. It's very difficult for me to take my own advice, but I'm finding more and more that it works best for my practice sessions.

We're at the end again. Thanks for reading.

Fiery Deployment

2010-08-17T19:08:00.004-05:00

Here's yet another image from the graphics tablet. I suppose that should be obvious from the fact there's color to it. Anyway, this is an attempt at a secondary female lead in Pretend. As I'm looking at this now, I can see everything I messed up. It's become extremely obvious that this is, without a doubt, one of my early tablet works. The lines are very choppy. The ones that aren't choppy are far too wavy. While I do like the 'rough sketch' look, this doesn't have enough. However, I like the direction in shading I was going with. Very heavy in some areas. Lastly, this outfit isn't the one I'm going to use. It's a little too... fantastic.

Tip: I've noticed lately that I tend to make the upper left corner of my drawings the light source. So to break free from patterns, I would recommend the following tip: vary where you place your light source. Of course, in a manga scene, the angle of light will most likely stay the same. But with practice images like this, using different angles will open your mind to new light possibilities.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Massive Dissociation

2010-08-16T18:08:00.004-05:00

Until I'm able to get a scanner hooked up I'll be advancing the graphics tablet images. When I get the scanner I'll pick a time to revert back to the older yellow images. Just to keep things slightly in order.

Today we have another attempt at a cute character. You'll see I actually tried to do some shading in this time. My main complaint is how choppy the lines look. And the slightly odd placement of the neck. I do like the colors used in this one though. Just another one of the early tablet works, so I'll call it good progress.

Tip: Some people use a thing called the color wheel to get good color contrasts in their work. Certain colors are 'polar opposites' and thus, go well together in the eye. These are as follows:

Red - Green

Blue - Orange

Violet - Yellow

There's plenty of room for leniency in this. In fact, this is not an actual rule to me. As I'm still learning, however, I use these guidelines. This is really a very basic structure to go by, as I probably learned this in 5th grade. But it's proved to be useful even now.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Poll Dunes

2010-08-15T16:01:00.002-05:00

Here's another one of my trial projects with the graphics tablet. It's a baby elephant crossing the desert. Alone, for some odd reason. I really wanted to expand the colors I used, so I tried making a larger background. The elephant itself seems rather simple. Perhaps a grainier texture would have been more appropriate. Anyway, it was good progress and got me more used to the tablet.

Tip: Colors add a whole new aspect to shading. While it could be easy to just darken in with black, it also looks strange. So I've found that using 3 color tones is best for simple shading. A neutral color along with one dark and one light. The neutral would be your starting base, and the other 2 would show where the highlights are and where a shadow is cast. Simple enough concept. Just putting it into practice is the part I have trouble with.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Orange Laceration

2010-08-14T22:32:00.002-05:00

As I would like to keep this in relatively chronological order, I present to you the very first painting I made with the Wacom tablet. It doesn't really look like manga to me. In fact, it looks rather strange. It's supposed to be a wandering swordsman of some sort. I have a little better understanding of layers and coloring now. So this was essentially me going crazy with the paintbrush tool in Corel, the art program my tablet came with. So here it is, a colorful mess.

Tip: I'm finding more often that happiness in anime and manga is not merely suggested by a smiling mouth and raised eyebrows. The closed eyes are becoming more essential in my portrayals of the emotion now. So there's the 3 keys to happiness. Well, the outward appearance of happiness. If you want tips for real happiness, you'll find that somewhere else.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Track Inducement

2010-08-13T22:49:00.002-05:00

Today we have a sample of what I've been doing with my new Wacom Bamboo tablet. Did I mention that I love using it? It's terrific, and I highly recommend them for jumping in to tablet work.

Anyway, I like this drawing a lot mainly because it's simple, but also because I like the color scheme. I suppose I could have done a little more with shading. It's progress nonetheless.

Tip: I'm finding that strands of long hair are what define my hairstyles more often these days. Their placement, that is. Hair swept across the face is great for a more mysterious complex. Ponytails are great for the adventurous, upbeat characters. The ones with a real outgoing personality. So, today is a simple tip: keep your hair conducive to your character.

That's it for today. A late post again... Well, thanks for reading!

Simple Kindle

2010-08-12T18:44:00.002-05:00

I'm in a big hurry today, so I'll be brief. This is yet another old image. I don't really like it because the neck is too thick for my tastes. The eyes aren't too bad though. And the hair is slightly unique with that little wisp of hair. I guess I'll call this good progress for now. Even though it was drawn months ago.

Tip: I can't emphasize enough how important a slender neck is to produce feminine qualities in a character. Seems like the thinner the neck and jaw structure, the more female a character will get. Avoiding jagged lines and replacing them with graceful curves can also add to female characteristics.

That's it for now. Apologies for making this shorter than usual. Thanks for reading.

Rush Carol

2010-08-11T15:45:00.005-05:00

So today we have another older image. I never did get a chance to scan new ones in. Anyway, this was an attempt at drawing a more innocent looking child. I drew from the movie A.I. for inspiration. This was closely modeled after the main character David. I can just picture this kid saying "Is it a game?" So, this one is okay to me. The only thing I don't really care for is the shoulder width. Too broad for a child. Good progress though.

Tip: Feet are very rarely shown in manga I've noticed. Most of the time, the panel doesn't include the feet, or if they are shown they're covered by socks or other footwear. So the inclusion of bare feet is something I don't get to practice much at all. A quick tip to keep in mind then, is make sure your ankle width is reasonable while bare. Shoes will often make the ankle area appear thicker. So making a transition between the two is tricky, to say the least. Practice is necessary. As with most things.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

(A.I. and it's characters are a copyright of their respective parties and NOT my work)

Hint of Bravery

2010-08-10T18:08:00.003-05:00

I have run out of scanned images, so I'm throwing some on here that are a little older. I'll be scanning later tonight.

This one I chose not to upload before because I do not like the pose. It's rather awkward. Is she picking something up? Or does she have a bad back? I don't know. But it's perplexing enough for me to disregard it and move on. So, in summation - I will praise the fact I tried something new, but loath my attempt at doing so.

Tip: Human anatomy is difficult to describe in words. There are so many curves and subtleties to it. Most people start out drawing stick figures and move on to thicker stick figures to symbolize humans. The practice of getting realistic dimensions and real form is something that takes time to cultivate. That being said, I'll make my tip for today very simple. Keep your wrists thinner than your arms. I tend to make them thick and that isn't how wrists really work in the natural world.

This is all I can offer today. Thanks for reading.

Fatal Strain

2010-08-09T18:38:00.003-05:00

Today we have another tribute to Hiromu Arakawa. This is an extremely minor character from her series Fullmetal Alchemist. I believe she appeared in a grand total of 1 episode. However, she was rather memorable, so I found a reference and drew her face. This was actually difficult for me to do. The mouth was much smaller than I typically make, while the eyes were much larger and more oval in shape. I did glean from this character the use of rounded eyelids. Also, notice how the mouth and nose are much closer to the eyes and not as evenly spaced. Yet another reason why Arakawa's work astounds me in all it's brilliance.

Tip: Notice the lines around the upper cheek area of today's image. These lines are typically used to indicate blushing. The blush effect great for the innocent, shy character. Or any character for that matter, as long as they're embarrassed. It's a great way to express that emotion or characteristic.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Remedy Honor

2010-08-08T13:50:00.002-05:00

Today we have an image I actually like. It does have flaws, but the direction I was going made for great progress. Namely, the added dimension of depth, a reasonable outfit, a noticeable expression, and a fair amount of shading. Anyway, the character itself is probably not one I would use later. But I do like those clothes, so I might recycle those again.

Tip: I'm still not good at adding the 3rd dimension to my work. But some things I've learned are the importance of shading and correct placement. Shading is rather obvious, as it helps most drawings come to life. But placement was difficult to get used to. Take the hand in the foreground in today's image for example. I had to rework my mind to not draw it the same size as the other one, as it's closer to the viewer. What helps a lot is extensive trial and error. Fingers can really add challenge to an otherwise simple drawing as well. I'll go into that more tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

Sever Castle

2010-08-07T13:34:00.004-05:00

It's another attempt at a new stance and a full body shot. You might notice she's holding a card in her hand. It's the King, but I don't know of which suit. Anyway, I like the direction I was going with this. The hair is very wavy, and it all seems very simple. My main complaint is the neck size really. It could just be a slightly thinner. Sure, the clothing is a little dull, but I expect that from myself anymore. Good progress, nonetheless.

Tip: We'll go into the translation of living characters becoming manga ones today as well. Something that works well as a concept in my head is exaggeration of what stands out most in their face. Say if the person you want to transcribe has large lips. Focus on those and the rest of the face may follow better. Also, when it comes to body proportions I would not get too involved with how tall or wide the person is. Most humans are similar in size. Obviously, if being tall or being thicker is something that identifies the character, by all means try to portray it.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Conscience Stays Together in Time

2010-08-06T17:17:00.003-05:00

Today we have something more like a fan art. This is my depiction of Daniel Faraday from the show Lost. There are already quite a few things I can see that I did wrong. I suppose at one time I thought it was accurate. But it doesn't look much like him at all. His eyes are too long, his nose is too big, his head is too tall, and he's not wearing a tie - just to name a few. In fact, I wouldn't really call this Daniel Faraday.

Tip: So as you can see, the transcription of a real life character into a manga one is quite the challenge. Well, for me it is. So here are some thing to watch for that I've found helpful recently. One, pay attention to the nose size and shape. Second, any facial hair, hairstyles, makeup and the like is pivotal in having your audience recognize the character. Lastly, to keep this short, pay attention to the eyes. Most actors have a general look in their eyes that distinguishes them from all others. Try to imitate that from references. I might go into more later.

That's about all I got for today. Thanks for reading.

Uproot and Burn

2010-08-05T14:44:00.004-05:00

First of all, I don't like this one so look out. What's wrong with it? I'll tell you! Those tiny, tiny eyes! It's like I drew one face and slapped the eyes from another in there. How did I ever let myself do this? Simple, I was experimenting again. I wanted to see how far that gap between the profile outline and the eyes could stretch. Clearly, it can go too far. I think I would like this one if the eyes just played with the rest of the face. The rest isn't actually bad to me.

Tip: I'm starting to believe more in the absence of lines. It seems when I'm trying to shade, if I just leave a certain spot completely alone I get a much better highlight. In contrast with my other technique, which was outlining where the highlight would be first. The point? Absence makes the lights grow brighter.

That's all for today. Rather short. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Known Breeze

2010-08-04T16:38:00.003-05:00

Today we have another elderly character. He doesn't have much hair left. It seems to be thinning out pretty badly. But that's not getting him down. Just look at that grin! I don't mind this one actually. His eyes are rather large for an elderly character. And I suppose his hair could have been done better. Overall, it's good progress to me.

Tip: When it comes to clothing, I'm at a loss as to what to do. I've already mentioned the use of references as a key. But coming up with original styles is a different task altogether. Something I've found helpful is stretching the boundaries. Ask yourself, how far down do these pants go? How long can these sleeves be? Can I make this shirt ridiculously puffy? And of course, does this dress make me look fat? All of these can help with designing clothes. There are plenty of other things to keep in mind, I'm sure.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Vicious Constant

2010-08-03T17:36:00.005-05:00

Here we have another attempt at a character from Pretend. I do like how this came out. His chin looks a little more narrow than previous takes. Maybe this could be a younger version. Anyway, one more thing I noticed is the distance between his eyes. They're just a little too far apart. Lastly, I'll give myself points for ears that don't look like I threw them together. That one on the right actually looks like I spent some time on it!

Tip: Mouth sizes can vary for every character. A very wide mouth is great for, you guessed it, the loud character. You know, the one that's always yelling and giving orders. A small mouth works wonders on a shy female and some children. I find a lot of examples from real life helps define a good mouth size for characters in a story.

That's all for today everyone. Thanks for reading.

Barricade Net

2010-08-02T18:30:00.003-05:00

Alright, we have two images today so let's get started.

Top: Here we have another attempt at a hat wearing character. I suppose it's an okay rendition. I like the feather! The hair could definitely be better, and the facial structure could be smoother at the chin. But overall, I do like this one. There's actually a small amount of character in those eyes.

Bottom: This one I like a lot. The hairstyle is recycled, sure. But the eyes give off a lot of emotion and they're not so dead - something I tend to do. So I would call this one good progress.

Tip: Alright, I gotta make this quick. When shading in an opened mouth, don't go too dark. If you do, it will look like a mess of chocolate on their face or something. So you'll see I did a lighter shade today. The farther back into the mouth you see, the darker it will get. So I suppose that's an exception.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading!

Glass Cell

2010-08-01T13:37:00.004-05:00

Today we have a pose I actually like. The execution you see here isn't exactly what I had in mind, but you get the idea. Anyway, the clothing isn't very interesting, though I do like the baggy ends to the sleeves and pants. Reminds me of something more eloquent. Or maybe it's more hippy-like. I tried to give a girl a short haircut again. This one is better than most of the shorter haircuts I make. Though it could still be more feminine. Maybe if I made it less choppy... So, I like the way I was going in this and I'll probably try this one again. Points for that sword; the rapier is one of my favorite makes.

Tip: I briefly mentioned the puffy lips style yesterday, so I'll go a little into that now. There are 2 things that kept getting in my way when attempting it. The first being too much use of dark lines. If I made it too dark, the lips started looking like a pencil mustache. So I ended up using very light strokes, and few of them at that. Second, I had a hard time shading. In my reference, the lips were a distinct pink in color. So translating that into black and ...yellow was difficult for me. Too much shading just looked strange, like a very dark lipstick. But without the shading, it didn't look much like a mouth. I found an even ground that appealed to my senses though. I shaded only the portion where the lips meet. Even then, I used very light shading. The point? If you must use the puffy lips in a character, I would recommend going lightly at first until you get the hang of it.

I suppose that's it for today. Thanks for reading!

Law Annex

2010-07-31T18:46:00.003-05:00

It's another experiment showcase for today. This time I was going for the puffier lips. I find these very difficult to do. For reference, I used Olivier Mira Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist. Hiromu Arakawa put very distinct lips on her, so I tried relaying that on this character. I guess it turned out okay. The hard part was not making it look like a mustache. Anyway, let's move on to the rest of this image. The eyes are a little too far apart to me. The hair could use some work, though I do like the single wisp. So I suppose I could use this one again, just after some refinement.

Tip: I said I would go into more about the cleft chin today. Now, it's simple to just slap a vertical line on there and be done with it. But an alternative would be to define each 'side' of the chin. This would include good shading and a darkening of the separation. This would just add more tone to the chin and perhaps more character. If only I would practice what I just said...

That's all for today. Thanks for reading!

Pique Peak

2010-07-30T18:01:00.003-05:00

Don't know why, but one day I decided to draw a silly character. This is the result. He looks really strange actually. He's got the goofy grin going on, but his eyes seem too normal. I like those little stars around his head though. Like he's glamorous. I guess this is more leaning towards the 'cartoon' side. While it's nothing special to me, I like that I was able to sort of branch out from my normal zone.

Tip: You might notice in today's image I added a small line to indicate a cleft chin. It's not something I see very often in manga, but I think it's a good addition to some characters. Some that come to mind are the older mentor, the comedic relief or an antagonist. However, I don't see it much on females, if at all. It can detract from what some call 'pretty.' Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So if your character is lacking something, it might be a cleft chin! I'll go into this a little more tomorrow.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading!

Waste Overmind

2010-07-29T13:34:00.004-05:00

We have another angry dude on our hands. Someone must have called him cross-eyed again. That wasn't very nice. Well, I don't mind this one, but it's not one my favorites. I went in a slightly different direction with the open mouth. That was a small challenge. Other than the strange eye placement and lack of real hair, this one is passable. Another addition to the progress pages.

Tip: I'm not an actual artist, so I don't know how to draw landscapes or other inanimate objects. I'm very lost when it comes to those things. One thing I do know is that the term 'inanimate object' is not necessarily true. Trees, for instance, are an exception. Typically, yes, they're still. But with a storm or strong winds, a tree will move. Just remember to indicate that movement, perhaps with blurriness, straight lines indicating a wind shift, or a bending of the limbs. Basic stuff - that's what I'm here for.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Beyond Metropolis

2010-07-28T17:27:00.004-05:00

This one almost looks like me. Kind of strange. There are big differences, but the general idea is there: glasses and dark hair. Anyway, this one isn't too bad. Just another quick scratch. He looks kind of bored. Perhaps that's why I'm not so enthused about it. I just noticed his eyes are different sizes. Big surprise. They could also be a little closer together. But the glasses help round them up. Hey, that right ear isn't half bad. Looks realistic to me. Must have gotten lucky with the shading or something. I might use this guy later if I don't get too weird about seeing myself again.

Tip: The corners of the eyes are a little more unique in today's drawing. You'll notice they almost look the the points of a crayon or something. Yet another small change you can use to make your character stick out from the rest. Some use very graceful lines while some look more jagged like this one. Just a small tip today.

That's about it for now. Thanks for reading.

Night Joust

2010-07-27T14:57:00.003-05:00

Hey, what do you know, it's a bored girl! Seems to be a few of those around here. Well, I don't mind this one. Though her hair is strange. It curves away from her face. I didn't get that right at all. Maybe she's falling. Yeah, that's it. She has one of those faces that could be male. Just change around the hair and get rid of those eyelashes. It's too bad, I think I liked this one a lot before.

Tip: See those little lines below her eyes? For some reason, those add a degree of, shall I say, cuteness. Almost like the cheeks have whiskers. Or maybe it's to indicate the roundness of a face. Or maybe it's to show the cheeks are used a lot in constant smiling. I don't really know why people started putting them there, but I do like the effect they give.

That wasn't much of a tip. More of an outward reflection. Well, it's there to stay! Thanks for reading.

Lake Trace

2010-07-26T20:06:00.002-05:00

Today we have something of an experiment for me. I was going for a dynamic pose, which I believe I was able to achieve. At least, it looks more dynamic than my typical drawings. Anyway, the hair is a little sloppy, and the outfit could use some work. But I do like how this turned out. It definitely took a while to do.

Tip: This is relevant now. See the legs in today's image? Notice they're a little long. Also, the feet seem almost slanted. This is an effect used in actual manga. It shows how action can be perceived in motion. Some artists will add what looks like a motion 'echo' or, indication of where something was originally. Other things that help are dust clouds, wiggly lines, and straight lines indicating wind. I'm not experienced with those at all, so I'm just vomiting out what I've seen in other comics. Kinda smells bad, I know.

That's all for today. Dry yourselves off before you leave, and thanks for reading!

Invitation to Share

2010-07-25T12:35:00.006-05:00

Today we have another contrast post. One of these images was made with a reference, while the other I drew from memory the next day. I'll say which one is which at the end, though if you're familiar with my work, you should be able to tell.

On the top we have a few problems. I alloted too much facial space. You might notice it seems as though the facial features are isolated towards the middle. The eyes seem a little dead, and the neck seems slightly thick. Too thick for a child's depiction, that is. Lastly, the hair looks more like a cap. But I do like how simple it all seems. Very thick lines that seem random. Don't know why, but I kind of like that rough sketch look.

On the bottom we have a few problems as well. The hair is pretty sloppy, with the bangs looking more like poorly cut pieces of chicken. This one definitely could use more shading. Without it, the eyes look pale. I do like the outline of the face though. And the expression in the eyes.

Should be pretty obvious now. The second image was made with a reference. The reference? Some background character in Fullmetal Alchemist. Just goes to show how much work Hiromu Arakawa puts in to her creations. She presents quite the challenge to me.

Tip: You will see the eye shape from today's image in a lot of manga. The almost half circle eyelash indication is typically very heavy. And the irides are mostly oval in shape. A difference between the two from today is I had a little bit of space in between the upper eyelid and the top of the irides. You'll see this in the bottom image. For some odd reason this added quite a bit of emotion to what she was saying. Like an anticipation. Not so much that it would seem she's scared, but just a small amount to show she's slightly excited about something. A small space can make a drastic change.

That's all for today, folks. Thanks for reading!

Lonely Carpet

2010-07-24T17:48:00.003-05:00

It may seem like this guy is peeking around the corner with a disgusted look on his face. Well, he's not. That's just how I scanned it in and I don't have a program sophisticated enough to rotate it in an accurate way. I do like this one though. The hairstyle was a little sloppy, and borrowed from Fullmetal Alchemist. Seems to be a pattern of that going on... He's got this pretty intense look on his face though. And I think the spectacles are great on him.

Tip: I've noticed that backgrounds have a remarkable ability to detract from or add to drawings. Having a simple background color can make, say, the eyes of a character really stand out. There are certain color contrasts that work very well together. A color wheel will show you these polar extremes: blue and orange, purple and yellow, red and green. While there are no rules saying you should use only those contrasts, they do seem to work for novice coloring - my style as of right now.

That's about it for today. Thanks for reading.

Pandemic Symphony

2010-07-23T14:05:00.002-05:00

Here we have a depressed guy. Pretty straightforward. His hair is a little strange, but I like it. I don't much care for his lower lip though. Looks like he's pouting. You might notice I made a simple ear - just a few lines. Lastly, his nose looks a little big. But hey, I could have just designed him that way, so how would you know!

Tip: I've noticed I'm having a hard time with drawing the profiles shown in today's image accurately. Look at the eye placement. While I don't mind eyes being a little farther apart while a character is facing the viewer, they should not be so far apart when the face is turned away. I believe the right eye should be moved in more towards the nose. Anyway, the tip for today is simple. Always keep in mind the angle of your character when placing, well, everything.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading!

Burning Field

2010-07-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

The image today reminds me of someone I know. I think it's the lips and glasses combination. I can't quite put my finger on who it looks like. Anyway, I do like this one. I suppose I could have done more with it. The cheek areas could use a little toning down. And the right eye/lens could move down just a little bit. This hairstyle is one I have been using a lot recently. I'll have to start changing it up.

Tip: A single wisp across the forehead - as in today's image - can really make a character shine. Of course, this isn't really a good example. But something I've noticed is you want to keep the strokes indicating that wisp very light. In real life, a single wisp of hair will have a lot of light going through it. So shade would be almost non-existent, thus showing why you would to use light lines.

Alright, that's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Outside Lucidity

2010-07-21T15:57:00.002-05:00

Today we have that character from Pretend I keep putting up here. The mentor one. Sadly, while this is him in my head, I can't say it looks like him now. He has the features - the hair and stubble - but his forehead is too big. Also, his hairline is lopsided and his nose is too sharp. He might be too fat in the neck as well. Can't say this is my best interpretation.

Tip: While I can definitely say it's a good thing to try and be 3-dimensional with drawings, I can say it's a real challenge for me. Take the nose in today's image. It really juts out there and somehow it looks (to me) like it's coming out from the face. However, the rest of the drawing doesn't really seem to follow that pattern. So I would say if you're trying to implement a 3rd dimension in your drawings, be careful with placement and of course, shading.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

River Scold

2010-07-20T17:18:00.002-05:00

I'm not really sure what got this guy so angry. Look! He's even clenched teeth angry! That's a very special type of anger.

Anyway, I do like this guy and his expression. I suppose his eyes could be more intense to follow the rest of him. I mean, even his mustache is mad. I think his jaw and mouth area could be a little bigger, but that's about all I see that I would change.

Tip: Something I'm having a hard time with is drawing ears when a character is directly facing you. I tend to curve out the upper half too much. Lately, I've been making ears very simple on the sides. Just a half-circle (more oval in shape) and a small amount of shade. The less I focus on it, the more it just blends in. However, all that might change in the next day. So, who knows what I'll say next.

Well, we're at the end again. Thanks for reading!

Sand Dragged

2010-07-19T20:19:00.004-05:00

Let's see what we have today. Ah, this one means a little to me. Want to know the history behind it? Of course you do!

See, I had to make a main character for my story. I guess it's not required, but for this story, it is. Regardless, it's some young punk with a strange past. I needed him to have strange eyes that make him stand out. The eyes you see are what I came up with. However, the hair and facial structure have all changed to something more simple. So I'm not going to use this design, just the eyes. Speaking of, those things are drifting apart pretty badly. I used to like this drawing too. Anyway, you'll see the result I came up with later. I like that one much better.

Tip: Hmm... I suppose eye placement is relevant for today's image. What I did here was wrong. The eyes are too far apart. Or are they? I've noticed that if I were to draw the entire head wider/bigger, the eyes would actually look a little better. However, the way they are now makes them look out of place and rather large. The point? Keep a good balance between eye size and head size. Otherwise you'll get this hammerhead shark.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

Chain Whispers

2010-07-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

The image for today is something of an experiment. You'll see the lips are a little different from my normal style. Their outline is defined more, thus giving a fuller look to them. Thus, her lips seem to be her defining characteristic. Her darkened strands of hair happened mostly by accident. I was having trouble making the left eye and getting the right placement for it, so I ended up shading it all. That looked strange, so I put a second darker strand to even it out. Seems to work fine, it's just another testament to my laziness. Anyway, I do like this one.

Tip: As I've run out of time my tip is simple today: Different angles for portraits are practically essential in drawing. It not only helps define your character and give it more aspects, it gives the viewer more to see - rather than a typical frontal portrait. Remember, variety is the spice of life!

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Broom and Needle

2010-07-17T16:05:00.004-05:00

Today we have a character from Pretend I have shown before. This one is pretty basic. I noticed his eyes are unique to what I normally draw. The white portion is big, while the irides are smaller. I tend to make them more even in size. I do like this look though. It makes for an intense gaze. It would be more intense if that right eye wasn't wandering. Just doesn't seem to want to play with the other one.

Tip: Let's find a tip in the old bag of goodies. Hmmm... None in there. Guess we're reaching in the bag of bad goodies. Ah, there's one. You'll see in the near future that coloring is an entirely new aspect for me. Something I can say is there are limitless possibilities with what direction to go. So if you're anything like me, you go everywhere. The tip? Get a color scheme in mind before you venture into coloring a character or whatever. Yeah. Real groundbreaking tip.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

Crowded Shoes

2010-07-16T13:06:00.003-05:00

So this tablet will take some getting used to. So will the painting program it came with. It's like switching from analog to digital.

Today we have a character I thought would be in Pretend. But I switched around the hairstyle on her, so now the person you see today is no-one. She could be a seat filler. Anyway, I like her eyes and how simple the rest of her is. The hair is a little odd. It might be the hairline that's strange to me. Or the large wisps of hair running across her face. I would like to have done more with the clothing. That's about it for this one.

Tip: Something I have been trying recently with female characters is making a small triangle to indicate the nose. That is, it's a small triangle to show the shaded side of the nose. I find that a very small triangle is good for females and a longer one running up the nose works for young males. Simple tip, I know. I'm running out.

This is it for today. Thanks for reading.