My Kirk Drawing
- Thread starter highlyillogical
- Start date
What an awesome critique. I wish I could post it on my page. But I don;t have premium membership. XDD Thank you though. It's so helpful and that's all I care about. ^^ <3
Wow you really know what you're talking about. I had my doubts about the back of his head, but i wasn't sure if had to lighten it or darken it. But darkening behind his ear makes sense since the back of his head is further away from us that the sides of his head. Also, i think i shouldn;t darken all the way to the border because of the backlighting.
And yeah i never would have thought that a background makes that much of a difference. Even if the subject itself is drawn really well, a background just makes it better. Police sketch, haha! ^^
Sounds like you got a lot of great pointers from your mom. I always kinda knew that's what you had to do with hair, but sometimes you see other people's drawings and the hair is SO detailed...it makes you doubt yourself. But I think you are right. A lot of my earlier drawings are of people with "wheat field" as hair.
I'm almost done with my Bones drawing, but I'm not that happy with it. I don't know why I have to make it harder for myself, but I couldn't find a reference pic that I liked and I've attempted to draw him from my tv. o.O And as if he isn;t already hard to draw as it is, I've chosen to draw him smiling. (I just think he has the best smile!) So for the past few days I've had ups and downs and I've almost wanted to rip the drawing to pieces. And I've come to the conclusion that smiling people suck. >.> I'm still gonna finish it though. XD
Well anyway, sorry for rambling on. Thanks again, DF. No doubt you got art talent from your mom! Do you work with art? Or is it a hobby?
Wow you really know what you're talking about. I had my doubts about the back of his head, but i wasn't sure if had to lighten it or darken it. But darkening behind his ear makes sense since the back of his head is further away from us that the sides of his head. Also, i think i shouldn;t darken all the way to the border because of the backlighting.
And yeah i never would have thought that a background makes that much of a difference. Even if the subject itself is drawn really well, a background just makes it better. Police sketch, haha! ^^
Sounds like you got a lot of great pointers from your mom. I always kinda knew that's what you had to do with hair, but sometimes you see other people's drawings and the hair is SO detailed...it makes you doubt yourself. But I think you are right. A lot of my earlier drawings are of people with "wheat field" as hair.
I'm almost done with my Bones drawing, but I'm not that happy with it. I don't know why I have to make it harder for myself, but I couldn't find a reference pic that I liked and I've attempted to draw him from my tv. o.O And as if he isn;t already hard to draw as it is, I've chosen to draw him smiling. (I just think he has the best smile!) So for the past few days I've had ups and downs and I've almost wanted to rip the drawing to pieces. And I've come to the conclusion that smiling people suck. >.> I'm still gonna finish it though. XD
Well anyway, sorry for rambling on. Thanks again, DF. No doubt you got art talent from your mom! Do you work with art? Or is it a hobby?
Thanks, Nicole. See what you inspired me to do yesterday? I decided to put what little money I have where my colossal mouth is, and whipped up a quick self-portrait. I'll be using it for my new blog, which I won't say more about here lest Ptrope give me a warning for spamming.
Anyway, yes I did grow up in an art studio, so I couldn't exactly get away from art. That said, I chose writing/editing as a profession, for better or worse. My daughter just turned 13 and, in honor of Mom (who passed away in '04), I'm teaching her oil painting. That way I can try to remember myself how it's done.
Enough about me. Yea, De Kelley's face is a real challenge. Some years ago for a Trek BBS art contest, I drew his face in a mock book cover. I chose a frame from "City on the Edge of Forever" where Bones is doped up with cordrazine and bounding for the Guardian like a crabapple about to explode. And because there wasn't much detail in that shot either, I got away with drawing him in a kind of ethereal fog.
If you're trying to find something that looks a little less...well, sick, you might peruse this Web site that has collected a truckload of old Trek publicity photos. While some of them are grainy, you'll find a few black-and-whites that are quite beautifully and dramatically lit, and that may give you some ideas. You'll see that the good photographers drew the same conclusions you're discovering for yourself: To capture De Kelley's character, you need a strong, distant light from one side and ambient light for the rest. He's really more like an old Western hero than some space ranger, and that's probably one reason he ended up being so lovable.
DF "Perhaps a Better Nickname Would Have Been 'Stones'" Scott
Anyway, yes I did grow up in an art studio, so I couldn't exactly get away from art. That said, I chose writing/editing as a profession, for better or worse. My daughter just turned 13 and, in honor of Mom (who passed away in '04), I'm teaching her oil painting. That way I can try to remember myself how it's done.
Enough about me. Yea, De Kelley's face is a real challenge. Some years ago for a Trek BBS art contest, I drew his face in a mock book cover. I chose a frame from "City on the Edge of Forever" where Bones is doped up with cordrazine and bounding for the Guardian like a crabapple about to explode. And because there wasn't much detail in that shot either, I got away with drawing him in a kind of ethereal fog.
If you're trying to find something that looks a little less...well, sick, you might peruse this Web site that has collected a truckload of old Trek publicity photos. While some of them are grainy, you'll find a few black-and-whites that are quite beautifully and dramatically lit, and that may give you some ideas. You'll see that the good photographers drew the same conclusions you're discovering for yourself: To capture De Kelley's character, you need a strong, distant light from one side and ambient light for the rest. He's really more like an old Western hero than some space ranger, and that's probably one reason he ended up being so lovable.
DF "Perhaps a Better Nickname Would Have Been 'Stones'" Scott
Thanks Rulius! ^^
Great drawing, Scott! And fast too! And great smile! I tried drawing myself once and it didn't turn out well. One of the problems was that I couldn't stand starring at myself for a long period of time. XD (oh if it's an art blog i would be interested to receive a PM once you've finsihed it)
Yes I am not surprised that you have been surrounded by art your whole life because you talk with such experience. You daughter is very lucky! I enjoy art too, but it is not what I want to do as far as a career or something.
Well I posted my McCoy drawing. *I'm trying to link but it's not working* It's on the front page my of page. I'm still not sure how I like it but people seem to like it. Ohhhh McCoy in The City on the Edge of Forever is great. I would love to see your drawing if it is possible!
And yeah I was recently made aware of TrekCore! >.< At least I know about it now! It sure does have a lot of great pics! Thanks!!
Great drawing, Scott! And fast too! And great smile!
I tried drawing myself once and it didn't turn out well. One of the problems was that I couldn't stand starring at myself for a long period of time. XD (oh if it's an art blog i would be interested to receive a PM once you've finsihed it) Yes I am not surprised that you have been surrounded by art your whole life because you talk with such experience. You daughter is very lucky! I enjoy art too, but it is not what I want to do as far as a career or something.
Well I posted my McCoy drawing. *I'm trying to link but it's not working* It's on the front page my of page.
I'm still not sure how I like it but people seem to like it. Ohhhh McCoy in The City on the Edge of Forever is great. I would love to see your drawing if it is possible! And yeah I was recently made aware of TrekCore! >.< At least I know about it now! It sure does have a lot of great pics! Thanks!!
Holy Sh!T that is some crazy good work with an extra helping of f*#king awesome on the side!
damn that's awesome!!!
Hopefully you're sending some stuff out to potential employers.
thank you lensman and kiwi!
Borgminister, firstly i love your screenname. XD and secondly, ...uhh...no. i only enjoy drawing what i want....i don't want to be employed for it.
Borgminister, firstly i love your screenname. XD and secondly, ...uhh...no. i only enjoy drawing what i want....i don't want to be employed for it.
There are so many things I like about your McCoy drawing, Nicole, that beginning the list itself is harder than playing blind chess. I'll start by saying this: Your skill demonstrated here with McCoy is several steps above and beyond where you were with Kirk. So much so that if you were to start your Kirk all over again, with what you've collected into your drawing consciousness now, you'd discover all those improvements yourself and I wouldn't need to make out a list at all. You'd say to yourself, "Oh yea, I get this now, and I didn't even know about it last month."
That's not to downplay your Kirk (believe me, it was that one which inspired me to start responding). But you know so much more now that doesn't need to be said.
I will point this out, though: You took a gamble by stylizing De Kelley a little bit, by presenting a portrait that was not so photographic and more expressive and impressionistic. Which is very, very good. For anyone who wants to see what I mean, take a look at the frame of McCoy from this page on Memory Alpha. You absolutely captured De's spirit, and there's no way anyone in the world with at least one working eye wouldn't say, "Wow, you've really captured McCoy's character!" But it's not a spot-on, Xerox copy of the frame of the film; rather, it's an impression of the whole person you're portraying.
So you've made him look, um. . . somewhat younger. His hair is all dark, his skin isn't pockmarked, his neck is young and vigorous. He feels like he's in his early 40s; when I look at De on film, he looks like he's in his early 50s. (And 30 years later on the big screen, he'd only aged 10 years, so that's pretty nice.) If De were here to see your portrait, he'd probably say, "Well, don't I look gorgeous?" And he does.
Looking "photographic" should not be the goal for any artist, even for a realist. But I would advise that when you do employ impressionism, stay in control of it. Don't fall into the trap of drawing dark hair because you haven't practiced with salt-and-pepper hair. Don't get stuck with drawing a style simply because that's the style you've honed for yourself, and that's "your style," and you're stuck in a rut now. Draw an older man younger because that's what you meant to do.
My vote for the portrait I want to see next: Nicole.
-DF "Mirror, Mirror, as in 'On the Wall'" Scott
That's not to downplay your Kirk (believe me, it was that one which inspired me to start responding). But you know so much more now that doesn't need to be said.
I will point this out, though: You took a gamble by stylizing De Kelley a little bit, by presenting a portrait that was not so photographic and more expressive and impressionistic. Which is very, very good. For anyone who wants to see what I mean, take a look at the frame of McCoy from this page on Memory Alpha. You absolutely captured De's spirit, and there's no way anyone in the world with at least one working eye wouldn't say, "Wow, you've really captured McCoy's character!" But it's not a spot-on, Xerox copy of the frame of the film; rather, it's an impression of the whole person you're portraying.
So you've made him look, um. . . somewhat younger. His hair is all dark, his skin isn't pockmarked, his neck is young and vigorous. He feels like he's in his early 40s; when I look at De on film, he looks like he's in his early 50s. (And 30 years later on the big screen, he'd only aged 10 years, so that's pretty nice.) If De were here to see your portrait, he'd probably say, "Well, don't I look gorgeous?" And he does.
Looking "photographic" should not be the goal for any artist, even for a realist. But I would advise that when you do employ impressionism, stay in control of it. Don't fall into the trap of drawing dark hair because you haven't practiced with salt-and-pepper hair. Don't get stuck with drawing a style simply because that's the style you've honed for yourself, and that's "your style," and you're stuck in a rut now. Draw an older man younger because that's what you meant to do.
My vote for the portrait I want to see next: Nicole.
-DF "Mirror, Mirror, as in 'On the Wall'" Scott
Do artists use some sort of special pencils? Because my art always sucks when I use a trusty No. 2 Ticonderoga. Awesome job!
highlyillogical:
Wow! I step away from the board for a few months and then I come back to see this! You have exceptional talent. The portrait of Spock is, hands down, THE BEST Spock I've ever seen. I've drawn stuff since I figured out one end of the pen could mark on paper as a toddler and I think I'd have to work pretty dang hard to do what you've done with pencils here. I might be able to get pretty close with chalk and charcoal pencils on colored paper (more my medium of choice for this sort of thing) but I humbly bow before you and your skill with pencils. The Kirk drawing is great too, I really like how you did the hair, but as DFScott says, your drawings just get better and better!
I look forward to seeing more TOS characters from you. You know what might be a challenge? You seem to draw mostly portraits of people, and they're great, but I'd like to see you attempt drawing the Gray Lady herself: the Enterprise! For me, she's no less important a character on the show, and Matt Jefferies sense of future engineering and sculpture is, to me, timeless. I don't know how you feel about drawing more architectural forms, but your style has a sense of character and emotion that is tied up with how you draw that I think would make for a vibrant take on the ship. Of course, if it's not your thing, I can respect that. I do very much look forward to following this thread.
itisnotlogical:
Indeed there are special pencils. You can get sets of drawing pencils which have various grades of graphite inside them. I have a set of pencils made by Staedtler (though until recently I haven't used them much) which includes 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, and 4H leads. Those are listed in order from softest to hardest leads. H, I guess means "hard" and I always supposed B to mean "black" but I could be wrong. That just helps me remember which is which. Don't ask me what F means. Anyway, I think the Ticonderoga No. 2 you've been using is roughly equivalent to HB or F, I forget exactly though. The point of it is that the softer leads make bolder, darker lines and the harder pencils make finer and ever lighter lines. This makes it easier to control the grayscale value while your shading the drawing. Get a set of drawing pencils and try them out, just don't fall into the trap of thinking that better equipment equals better artist. That mindset can get very discouraging. But better equipment can make it easier to get the results yo're looking for.
DFScott:
I believe I've said it before and I'll say it again: You are a golden god. Every time I see your posts I pay attention because you are one of the few people on this board who (1) knows what he's talking about, and (2) can articulate what he's talking about. I've learned a lot from your truly constructive criticism of people's work on this board. Keep it up! We appreciate it!
--Alex
Wow! I step away from the board for a few months and then I come back to see this! You have exceptional talent. The portrait of Spock is, hands down, THE BEST Spock I've ever seen. I've drawn stuff since I figured out one end of the pen could mark on paper as a toddler and I think I'd have to work pretty dang hard to do what you've done with pencils here. I might be able to get pretty close with chalk and charcoal pencils on colored paper (more my medium of choice for this sort of thing) but I humbly bow before you and your skill with pencils. The Kirk drawing is great too, I really like how you did the hair, but as DFScott says, your drawings just get better and better!
I look forward to seeing more TOS characters from you. You know what might be a challenge? You seem to draw mostly portraits of people, and they're great, but I'd like to see you attempt drawing the Gray Lady herself: the Enterprise! For me, she's no less important a character on the show, and Matt Jefferies sense of future engineering and sculpture is, to me, timeless. I don't know how you feel about drawing more architectural forms, but your style has a sense of character and emotion that is tied up with how you draw that I think would make for a vibrant take on the ship. Of course, if it's not your thing, I can respect that. I do very much look forward to following this thread.
itisnotlogical:
Indeed there are special pencils. You can get sets of drawing pencils which have various grades of graphite inside them. I have a set of pencils made by Staedtler (though until recently I haven't used them much) which includes 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, and 4H leads. Those are listed in order from softest to hardest leads. H, I guess means "hard" and I always supposed B to mean "black" but I could be wrong. That just helps me remember which is which. Don't ask me what F means. Anyway, I think the Ticonderoga No. 2 you've been using is roughly equivalent to HB or F, I forget exactly though. The point of it is that the softer leads make bolder, darker lines and the harder pencils make finer and ever lighter lines. This makes it easier to control the grayscale value while your shading the drawing. Get a set of drawing pencils and try them out, just don't fall into the trap of thinking that better equipment equals better artist. That mindset can get very discouraging. But better equipment can make it easier to get the results yo're looking for.
DFScott:
I believe I've said it before and I'll say it again: You are a golden god. Every time I see your posts I pay attention because you are one of the few people on this board who (1) knows what he's talking about, and (2) can articulate what he's talking about. I've learned a lot from your truly constructive criticism of people's work on this board. Keep it up! We appreciate it!
--Alex
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