My Expanding Portfolio...

[TedShatner10]

Self-portrait:

 

[Maurice]

TedShatner

Here is something I wiped up quickly in Photoshop to help you out with process and proportion. Now, I admit it's a not a very good pic...

It's perfectly fine for this purpose.

Notice how I start with a stick figure sketch to establish the proportion. The figure stands about 7 1/2 heads high. His crotch is the middle of his body from top of his head to bottom of his feet. His fingertips of his hand ought to fall about to half way down the length of his thigh.

Actually, arms at sides, elbows tend to line up with the navel, and wrists tends to end up conveniently lined up with the base of the schwanzstucker.

After the basic pose and proportions are mapped out with the stick figure, I can rough in the meat of the character. This also need not be very elaborate. It's only to help you quickly establish the position of the figure.

More importantly, it lets you judge if the figure needs adjustment before you commit more work to it. One way to see if something is "off" is to hold the drawing up to a mirror. Anything lopsided tends to jump out then.

Well I hope this is helpful. This is a common way to draw and I know of plenty of pros who follow more or less this exact routine.

Animators tend to do something similar, but in many cases they establish a line of action and build the shapes of the figure along it to impart life and energy.

I'm noticing that Ted's not really replying to if he's groking or trying the suggestions made here. He just keeps posting new drawings. I'm happy to provide tips and encouragement, but only if he's engaged.

 

[TedShatner10]

I'm reading through the tips and drawing guides, thank you. And I tried to make my last drawing as realistic as possible.

Here is another drawing, I'm practicing with the colouring:

 

[Albertese]

So ... I guess she ran out of bullets huh? I am reminded of the trash compactor scene in Star Wars:

"Shoot it!"
"Where?"
"Anywhere!!!"

--Alex

 

[Maurice]

I'm reading through the tips and drawing guides, thank you. And I tried to make my last drawing as realistic as possible.

Here is another drawing, I'm practicing with the colouring:

Ok, Ted, the drawing above tells me something about your drawing, because I can literally see the indentations from the drawing below in the image above!

And in THAT drawing I can see imprint of yet another drawing!

What this tells me is that you're drawing your lines heavy instead of sketching. There's no good reason for pushing down hard when drawing, and it tends to make your line stiff instead of loose. If you want darker lines, use a softer pencil.

Actually, here's a good question: What kind of pencils are you drawing with? And do you have differing lead types?

 

[TedShatner10]

I see what you mean, DS9Sega, but here is Tom Hanks!

 

[Maurice]

Did you see my question about what kinds of pencils you're drawing with?

 

[TedShatner10]

Did you see my question about what kinds of pencils you're drawing with?

How rude of me! I'm using a Dark Wash 8B, a Light Wash HB, and a 2H, for the most part.

 

[TedShatner10]

A dark comedy/sci-fi piece:

 

[TedShatner10]

 

[Maurice]

^^^Is that the sun on the horizon? If so, the shadows are all wrong. They should be drawn in perspective based on the sun's position relative to the horizon.

 

[Albertese]

However, the proportions at least on the little Greek guy are showing some improvement.

--Alex

 

[TedShatner10]

A battle droid who works for Skynet.

 

[TedShatner10]

A crude drawing of an underground base:

 

[TedShatner10]

A elephant drawn siege tower:

 

[Albertese]

So, on your underground base, I'm seeing some gigantic hydraulic pistons that seem to.... Here's where you need to fill in the blank. I can't tell what they are supposed to be doing in that cavern. Are they just neato chrome pillars? Then why need they be hydraulic? what is being lifted and lowered enough to need ginormous hydraulic pillars?

Help me out here!

--Alex

 

[TedShatner10]

They're same sort of prefab industrial pillars that are seen at the Harbinger Facility in FEAR 2: Project Origin.

My take on a Spacing Guild Heighliner:

A yuppie serial killer:

 

[TedShatner10]

Sean Connery in a thankfully little known movie role:

 

[Gepard]

Zardoz?

 

[TedShatner10]

Yeppers.

A Romulan Star Empire trooper: