To clarify, since there's been a couple question - I really am making four brand new pieces each and every single day.
I started off with a collection of about 10 drawings, using two or three of those a day until I got into the pace - but I used that up awhile ago. Everything after about day four or five is totally brand new each day.
What's even crazier, once I got into the pace of making and uploading four new drawings each day, I started painting, and so now my goal is to create and upload four new *paintings* each day.
I'm still drawing massive amounts of drawings though, so... I think a good idea would be if I just painted four new paintings a day for six days in a row, and then for Sunday I'll post four drawings. That's only 24 new paintings a week, but I've got some fun drawings I've got to upload too, especially since I'm starting to get into all kinds of fun with ink and oil pastel. Right now painting is still more fun, and I'm comfortable with the effort required to create three new ones each day - the fourth painting takes more effort, but it's the sort of effort that tells me I haven't peaked yet, because I can still push myself further, so... it's an enjoyable effort.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Day 17 of 4 New Pics a Day!
Three paintings and a drawing of an old beer mug! I'm really getting into painting now, there's a ton of stuff to explore here. Have to severly tone down my chroma though, the dominances in these are all far too towards favoring the high-'brightness' (as opposed to dullness) end of things.
More neutrals would serve to balance out my compositions... I'll explore that next.
61) Path
Started off with using up some very dilute dairylide yellow paint I had leftover for the background. Started using up some other leftover paint, got a fairly uniform vertical background, so I started added some spider branch effects with some other colors, keeping in mind the tones for depth.
A new thing in this one is the ground pumice stone I used on the path. I couldn't find a way to get a photo of this picture without glare from the surrounding ambient light, so the colors are off just slightly - the shadow part of that path there doesn't glow quite so much in reality. And the texture really is noticible, even from a distance. Great for the sort of drybrush effects I have on there.
62)
Used paint from the next painting I'm uploading here, I'm sure you'll recognize some of the colors. Also included here, some of those greys and greens, are remnants of the ground pumice stone I used for texture on the path to the other painting I'm uploading in this set, "Path", found here: http://lbassett.deviantart.com/art/Path-83742184
Not sure what I'll do with it, but it's an interesting effect. Maybe a waterfall... Any suggestions?
63) LostGhost
Another experiment with using up leftover paint here.
Myself, I see an alien sort of figure there, that top right circle the head, leaning, perhaps crawling... what do you see?
64) BeerMug
Quick sketch of a beer mug - I'm getting into figuring out reflections, and how light is seen and distorted through glass.
More neutrals would serve to balance out my compositions... I'll explore that next.
61) Path
Started off with using up some very dilute dairylide yellow paint I had leftover for the background. Started using up some other leftover paint, got a fairly uniform vertical background, so I started added some spider branch effects with some other colors, keeping in mind the tones for depth.
A new thing in this one is the ground pumice stone I used on the path. I couldn't find a way to get a photo of this picture without glare from the surrounding ambient light, so the colors are off just slightly - the shadow part of that path there doesn't glow quite so much in reality. And the texture really is noticible, even from a distance. Great for the sort of drybrush effects I have on there.
62)
Used paint from the next painting I'm uploading here, I'm sure you'll recognize some of the colors. Also included here, some of those greys and greens, are remnants of the ground pumice stone I used for texture on the path to the other painting I'm uploading in this set, "Path", found here: http://lbassett.deviantart.com/art/Path-83742184
Not sure what I'll do with it, but it's an interesting effect. Maybe a waterfall... Any suggestions?
63) LostGhost
Another experiment with using up leftover paint here.
Myself, I see an alien sort of figure there, that top right circle the head, leaning, perhaps crawling... what do you see?
64) BeerMug
Quick sketch of a beer mug - I'm getting into figuring out reflections, and how light is seen and distorted through glass.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Day 16 of Four Updates a Day
To randomly celebrate the 16th day of this project, and to make up for da's rando maintaniance denying me my 14th, have four paintings!
There's fun in line, shape, mass, and texture, certainly, especially with variances in tone, but to add hue and chroma to the mix adds two entirely new dimensions to the play. What is that, seven dimensions now?
57) Background
Decided that using up the leftover paint I had on my palette was better than throwing it out - this stuff isn't cheap. This is the result - an interesting background, or a finished piece? Haven't decided yet, though I'll likely add to it later.
58) Face
Mostly playing with creating backgrounds from layered acrylic here - got the impression of a face, so I played with that for awhile.
59) Ocean
Another ocean piece. I'm having a lot of fun with a severely reduced and limited pallete - this here is simply burnt umber, paynes grey, and titanium white. Might add tree silhouette's to this later.
60) RedTrees
Experiment in using a severly limited colour palette in a limited area in an abstract fashion, then building a scene out of it. The red here was deliberatly intended to look almost alien, out of place - that centre of the sun tying in only to the red trees, the yellow of the sun matched in the tree's highlights. Experimenting with strong colours on a fairly netrual background.
Those bits underneath are playing around with color mixing and comparing how colors laid adjacent on the canvas play off each other.
There's fun in line, shape, mass, and texture, certainly, especially with variances in tone, but to add hue and chroma to the mix adds two entirely new dimensions to the play. What is that, seven dimensions now?
57) Background
Decided that using up the leftover paint I had on my palette was better than throwing it out - this stuff isn't cheap. This is the result - an interesting background, or a finished piece? Haven't decided yet, though I'll likely add to it later.
58) Face
Mostly playing with creating backgrounds from layered acrylic here - got the impression of a face, so I played with that for awhile.
59) Ocean
Another ocean piece. I'm having a lot of fun with a severely reduced and limited pallete - this here is simply burnt umber, paynes grey, and titanium white. Might add tree silhouette's to this later.
60) RedTrees
Experiment in using a severly limited colour palette in a limited area in an abstract fashion, then building a scene out of it. The red here was deliberatly intended to look almost alien, out of place - that centre of the sun tying in only to the red trees, the yellow of the sun matched in the tree's highlights. Experimenting with strong colours on a fairly netrual background.
Those bits underneath are playing around with color mixing and comparing how colors laid adjacent on the canvas play off each other.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Day 14/15!
Well, I do remember posting about 'daily updates, barring extraordinary circumstances' - yesterday, Deviantart was in "read-only mode" for maintaniance, blocking me from uploading anything. Instead of waiting whatever random time that might be, I'm claiming 'out-of-my-control' for that one.
Rather than posting twice in a day, I'll use the reserve to start a backlog, so in another case of my being prevented from updating via regular means, or if something happens and I'm unable to draw for awhile, I'll stuff have stuff ready to post.
Tommorrow: More paintings! Recent acrylics have just been excercises so I haven't bothered to post them, but that'll change soon.
53) ClothPile
Pile of cloth I had a fun time deliniating the edges and masses of. I'll do more like this, though I likely won't upload many of them. Great for working out your shading and tones.
54) Pose2
Buying expensive Starbucks coffee is only worth it if you can sit in an unobtrusive spot and draw what's going on inside and out. Here I took the opportunity to sketch up a few random people, more of a gesture sort of thing than conture or structural.
55) Pose3
Buying expensive Starbucks coffee is only worth it if you can sit in an unobtrusive spot and draw what's going on inside and out. Here I took the opportunity to sketch up a few random people, more of a gesture sort of thing than conture or structural.
56) Fanart
Yeah, fanart. I figured, since I'm on da, the home of random fanart, I might as well toss one more on the pile. If you ever want to practice your patience, try drawing Lisa's hair accuratly. I tell you, it isn't as easy as it looks. Marge was easier, and Bart's head is really just a tin can with eyes.
Hope they're recognizable for first attempts, drawing stuff without a reference still feels weird in my head. I like it, but it's just a different way of doing things, going by memory and construction instead of observation.
Let me know if you've got any fanart requests, I'll welcome the opportunity to practice on new shapes.
Rather than posting twice in a day, I'll use the reserve to start a backlog, so in another case of my being prevented from updating via regular means, or if something happens and I'm unable to draw for awhile, I'll stuff have stuff ready to post.
Tommorrow: More paintings! Recent acrylics have just been excercises so I haven't bothered to post them, but that'll change soon.
53) ClothPile
Pile of cloth I had a fun time deliniating the edges and masses of. I'll do more like this, though I likely won't upload many of them. Great for working out your shading and tones.
54) Pose2
Buying expensive Starbucks coffee is only worth it if you can sit in an unobtrusive spot and draw what's going on inside and out. Here I took the opportunity to sketch up a few random people, more of a gesture sort of thing than conture or structural.
55) Pose3
Buying expensive Starbucks coffee is only worth it if you can sit in an unobtrusive spot and draw what's going on inside and out. Here I took the opportunity to sketch up a few random people, more of a gesture sort of thing than conture or structural.
56) Fanart
Yeah, fanart. I figured, since I'm on da, the home of random fanart, I might as well toss one more on the pile. If you ever want to practice your patience, try drawing Lisa's hair accuratly. I tell you, it isn't as easy as it looks. Marge was easier, and Bart's head is really just a tin can with eyes.
Hope they're recognizable for first attempts, drawing stuff without a reference still feels weird in my head. I like it, but it's just a different way of doing things, going by memory and construction instead of observation.
Let me know if you've got any fanart requests, I'll welcome the opportunity to practice on new shapes.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Day 14 of 4 New Pics a Day!
Two weeks already! Wow.
Unfortunately, as of right now, deviantart is "Currently in Read-Only Mode for Maintenance.", so I'm locked out until whatever maintenance is going in is finished. Because that could be hours from now, instead of staring at the clock and refreshing the screen for an unknowable amount of time, I'm going to claim this as extraordinary circumstances, and make up for it with a double update tomorrow.
Unfortunately, as of right now, deviantart is "Currently in Read-Only Mode for Maintenance.", so I'm locked out until whatever maintenance is going in is finished. Because that could be hours from now, instead of staring at the clock and refreshing the screen for an unknowable amount of time, I'm going to claim this as extraordinary circumstances, and make up for it with a double update tomorrow.
Day 13 of 4 New Pics a Day
More experiments with abstraction - it's interesting, but I'm going to pull back from it. It's interesting like candy, and a diet of candy is neither healthy nor satisfying. Delicious in moderation, but I'm going to balance it out with some more serious explorations.
49) AnimalLines
Random page out of the sketchbook. I thought the effect of the equalization on this image was interesting, so I kept it as it is. The sketch themselves are attempts to begin to simplify a random assortment of animal shapes, inching towards a more foundational set of fewest possible yet still recognizable lines.
50) Faceoff
More abstract rarndomness, two of faces here, experiments with different lines, shapes, masses and textures than the ordinary.
51) HandSketch
Equilaziation kept because of the interesting effect. It's been awhile since I've drawn my own hand. The practice is a valuable one. Barring extrordianry circumstances, you should always have two hands with you - one to draw, the other to hold the mark making tool. Hands are endlessly poseable, and able to hold their own prop. Handy thing, that.
52) Spheres
Similar to Cylinders: http://lbassett.deviantart.com/art/CylinderBaseAndLight-83253325 I've been playing around with the concept of a lit sphere on a square stand, and some different ways that such a simple object can be newly interpreted.
49) AnimalLines
Random page out of the sketchbook. I thought the effect of the equalization on this image was interesting, so I kept it as it is. The sketch themselves are attempts to begin to simplify a random assortment of animal shapes, inching towards a more foundational set of fewest possible yet still recognizable lines.
50) Faceoff
More abstract rarndomness, two of faces here, experiments with different lines, shapes, masses and textures than the ordinary.
51) HandSketch
Equilaziation kept because of the interesting effect. It's been awhile since I've drawn my own hand. The practice is a valuable one. Barring extrordianry circumstances, you should always have two hands with you - one to draw, the other to hold the mark making tool. Hands are endlessly poseable, and able to hold their own prop. Handy thing, that.
52) Spheres
Similar to Cylinders: http://lbassett.deviantart.com/art/CylinderBaseAndLight-83253325 I've been playing around with the concept of a lit sphere on a square stand, and some different ways that such a simple object can be newly interpreted.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Day 12 of Posting 4 New Pics a Day!
Day 12! That's almost 2 weeks! How did this happen so fast?
Interesting how my own perceptions are changing - much as I percieive the bulk of lazy abstract painting to be, well, lazy, I am delving deeply into the foundations of it's more successful examples, and extracting some fascinating methods of control over the visual image. So far almost entirely with line, shape, mass, and texture - I'm holding off in introducing hue, tone, and chroma to this way of thinking until I've better established my mind in its domain.
45) Cat
Figuring out how to draw a cat that doesn't look like every single cat ever drawn, but still have it look like a cat, isn't easy. The face and forelimbs need to be better tightened into the body, but otherwise I'm satisfied with the style.
46) BlindContourBase
Something else I've been playing with. Since I'm doing so much blind contour drawing as it is, I've had the idea to use them as the foundation for other things, either abstract, or more representational. The blind countour 'look' is difficult to achieve without doing actual blind contour drawing, and I'm learning that there is potential in it for very interesting visual images.
47) CylinderBaseAndLight
This was fun! Reality is boring, isn't it? Take one of the most boring 3d basic objects you can get - the cylinder, here resting on a square cubical base, with light coming from the right.
Look at it in different ways.
What if your eyeball was in the shape of a cube, what would a cylinder look like then? What if you could only see in 4d space, what would a 3d cylinder look like?
What if you turned a cylinder inside-out, and what is its most basic form if you look at it in a non-euclidean space?
Everybody knows what regular geometry looks like. Create a new geometry! Then put the cylinder into it, and see what it looks like.
Isn't the cylinder much more interesting now?
48)
Another really fun piece to create! Learning some very interesting things about different ways of representing observed reality, dominant and subordinant relationships between line, shape, mass, texture, angular, curvilinear forms, then adding representations of basic light, tone, depth with hatching and pointilist techniques and deliberatly applying some of the techniques useful to creating the illusion of depth such as density, surface, overlap, contour, foreshortening...
It is somehow like a feast, this kind of drawing.
Interesting how my own perceptions are changing - much as I percieive the bulk of lazy abstract painting to be, well, lazy, I am delving deeply into the foundations of it's more successful examples, and extracting some fascinating methods of control over the visual image. So far almost entirely with line, shape, mass, and texture - I'm holding off in introducing hue, tone, and chroma to this way of thinking until I've better established my mind in its domain.
45) Cat
Figuring out how to draw a cat that doesn't look like every single cat ever drawn, but still have it look like a cat, isn't easy. The face and forelimbs need to be better tightened into the body, but otherwise I'm satisfied with the style.
46) BlindContourBase
Something else I've been playing with. Since I'm doing so much blind contour drawing as it is, I've had the idea to use them as the foundation for other things, either abstract, or more representational. The blind countour 'look' is difficult to achieve without doing actual blind contour drawing, and I'm learning that there is potential in it for very interesting visual images.
47) CylinderBaseAndLight
This was fun! Reality is boring, isn't it? Take one of the most boring 3d basic objects you can get - the cylinder, here resting on a square cubical base, with light coming from the right.
Look at it in different ways.
What if your eyeball was in the shape of a cube, what would a cylinder look like then? What if you could only see in 4d space, what would a 3d cylinder look like?
What if you turned a cylinder inside-out, and what is its most basic form if you look at it in a non-euclidean space?
Everybody knows what regular geometry looks like. Create a new geometry! Then put the cylinder into it, and see what it looks like.
Isn't the cylinder much more interesting now?
48)
Another really fun piece to create! Learning some very interesting things about different ways of representing observed reality, dominant and subordinant relationships between line, shape, mass, texture, angular, curvilinear forms, then adding representations of basic light, tone, depth with hatching and pointilist techniques and deliberatly applying some of the techniques useful to creating the illusion of depth such as density, surface, overlap, contour, foreshortening...
It is somehow like a feast, this kind of drawing.
Day 11 of Posting 4 New Pics a Day!
You know, I never before now realized how terribly the automatic anti-redeye feature of most modern cameras can mangle a painting that has a alot of, y'know, red.
41) AbstractJaws
Working on practicing and implementing some of those deliberate controls of the emotional impact of design, I've been doing dozens of little almost motifs, abstract pieces like this. Random one here, I might post others later, or find some way to bunch them all together if there's interest.
42) CurvedFigure
Another abstract piece, trying to sense the masses of the form while ignoring pure anatomy for the moment, the large planes, rounded depth of form without resorting to much shading - I like the style, there's potential here for some more interesting figure drawings, as well as paintings.
43) Gesture4
Another random page from about an hour or so of gesture drawing the human figure - I'm getting better.
44) RedLand
Ack, this hellish piece. The failed paintings in a row I just kept painting over them. Eventually I decided that there must be something wrong with me, so I limited myself to a strict three color palatte, and forced out this nightmarish alien landscape of dead bone trees partially lit by the last nuclear gasp of a cold and dying star.
41) AbstractJaws
Working on practicing and implementing some of those deliberate controls of the emotional impact of design, I've been doing dozens of little almost motifs, abstract pieces like this. Random one here, I might post others later, or find some way to bunch them all together if there's interest.
42) CurvedFigure
Another abstract piece, trying to sense the masses of the form while ignoring pure anatomy for the moment, the large planes, rounded depth of form without resorting to much shading - I like the style, there's potential here for some more interesting figure drawings, as well as paintings.
43) Gesture4
Another random page from about an hour or so of gesture drawing the human figure - I'm getting better.
44) RedLand
Ack, this hellish piece. The failed paintings in a row I just kept painting over them. Eventually I decided that there must be something wrong with me, so I limited myself to a strict three color palatte, and forced out this nightmarish alien landscape of dead bone trees partially lit by the last nuclear gasp of a cold and dying star.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Day 10 of 4 New Pics a Day!
It's my tenthdayversary! To reward myself, I'm going to go to bed early tonight. Maybe going to do four paintings tommorrow and no drawings... think that'd be fun for you guys?
As always, this is also posted over at http://lbassett.livejournal.com/ for your convenience.
37) Cubes
Just working out some plans and angles, cubes and cylinders, foreshortening and depth, lighting and things. This sort of practice will get more interesting, but it's neccessary to get these sorts of foundations in place first.
38) SketchingPoses
After all this gesture drawing, it's time to start working stuff out of my head - I'm getting better at this. Sorry for the weird contrast issues here, I don't have access to Photoshop on this comp, so about the best I can do is 'equalize' the image, which does weirdness like this - that, and I'll use a darker pencil next time. In the original image the lines were almost invisible, which why I had to force it like this. Ah well.
39) SashimiAndPlant
Piece delicious salmon Sashime (raw salmon), and some plant flower I just invented. Little sketch, but fun.
40) MountainLake
More playing around with light, depth, scale, foreground->midground->background, non-blue skies, and different sorts of water. Sort of a cold, wintry feel to thtis one, despite the green bits of field. I really should start signing these.
As always, this is also posted over at http://lbassett.livejournal.com/ for your convenience.
37) Cubes
Just working out some plans and angles, cubes and cylinders, foreshortening and depth, lighting and things. This sort of practice will get more interesting, but it's neccessary to get these sorts of foundations in place first.
38) SketchingPoses
After all this gesture drawing, it's time to start working stuff out of my head - I'm getting better at this. Sorry for the weird contrast issues here, I don't have access to Photoshop on this comp, so about the best I can do is 'equalize' the image, which does weirdness like this - that, and I'll use a darker pencil next time. In the original image the lines were almost invisible, which why I had to force it like this. Ah well.
39) SashimiAndPlant
Piece delicious salmon Sashime (raw salmon), and some plant flower I just invented. Little sketch, but fun.
40) MountainLake
More playing around with light, depth, scale, foreground->midground->background, non-blue skies, and different sorts of water. Sort of a cold, wintry feel to thtis one, despite the green bits of field. I really should start signing these.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Day 9 of my 4x a Day Challenge
Day 9! How did that happen so fast?
Well, next challenge I suppose is to see if I can keep it up for a month, until May 7th. That'll be a solid month of daily updates, and if I can do a month, I can do two months, a quarter year, half a year - a full year?
Step by step, that's my intention.
33) ToonProps
I'm good at drawing anything I see with full accuracy, given enough time - but drawing stuff out of your head, with no reference, is a different skill entirely than pure representational drawing. I'm not very good at it yet, so because it's a weakness of mine I've been putting a lot of work into figuring out perspective, lighting, volume, mass and form of 3d objects on the 2d plane, entirely made up out of my head. In other words, no references - I can feel that it's using a different, more active part of my brain than the usual right-hemisphere dominance of representational drawing. Drawing like this is a much more active use of the brain, combining the rational critical deliberation of the left along with the more creative right hemisphere in a much more cooperative way than simply translating the optical nerves signals to the arm with as little intererence as possible. The signals for something like this, rather than originating at the eye, originate from the interior brain. The optical perception of drawing purely from imagination seems to be secondary in relation to the drawn image, rather than as in representational drawing, where every motion of the mark-making tool is governed primarly and purely by the reflex of the perception of the optic nerve as translated through the angle of the eye and the contraction of the cornea.
Or a different analogy - drawing from imagination is like writing from imagination, whereas 'drawing-what-you-see' much more akin to summarizing a pre-existing written work. Not transcribing - that would be a photograph.
Regardless, this is too long already, but I hope my point is clear; for me it is revelatory, and something I will be paying greatly active attention to in the future.
34) Gesture3
Some more random gesture drawing samples - I've realized that doing an hour or so of pure contour drawing before these, to get my head in the right space (beta or theta wave, whichever one is just below full concious awareness) would greatly improve these.
35) ColourDifference
My daily painting! This one I wanted to point out how different using flash (the main part of the image) or not using flash (the bottom-left inset) can really change the feel of an image. I'm very keenly becoming aware of just how extrordinarily different peoples perceptions of color can be - for example, try doing that dark room experiment of Newton's, where he took a prism, allowed a pinhole of white light to refract from it into a full-spectrum rainbow. Do that, and mark of either side of the limits of the colors you see. Then have someone else mark off the limits of their color perception - you'll find they vary quite a bit; for example, I'm certain I see at least a full color into the ultraviolet past indigo, and I know of others who can see further both into the ultraviolet and the infrared.
Back to this particular painting, neither one of the combined images here what I see when I turn my head to look at the painting sitting on my desk. Interesting stuff, this ocular perception.
36) DesignControls
Because the preview image is so small, I reccoment you click the image to arrive at my deviantart page, then click it a second time for the full version. This works for all the images I'm posting here, but is particularly useful for this one, where the detail is difficult to discern at this resolution.
Briefly, this is a couple random pages of an exploration I'm making into very specific, deliberate controls of design that can be used to intentionally affect the emotional response of the viewer.
Here, for example, I think they may all be shown, but in this image are examples of Nine seperate controls that can be applied to image creation. They are:
1) Overlapping Planes
2) Counterchange (alternation of hue, value and/or chrome in a controlled alternating fashiono)
3) Line over Mass (most of these are exactly what they sound like)
4) Implied Line
5) Interlocking Rhythm
6) Open Colour/Offset Conture (basically, coloring outside the lines, deliberatly and for intentional effect)
7) Transparency/Translucency
8) Forced Edge (emphasis of a particular edge greater than others in the image)
9) The Dynamic Trellis (useful for handling dynamic linear forces - it provides the maximum linear opposition within an ordered design. Lines are limited to six directions: balancing diagonals, perpendiculars to each of these diagonals, and optional verticals and horizontals)
Once you've memorized that, and begun to apply these very deliberate and specific controls with intentional effect, you'll very quickly achieve the ability to more intentionally create the images you desire, with control over the emotional response and guidance of the eyes over the page.
Well, next challenge I suppose is to see if I can keep it up for a month, until May 7th. That'll be a solid month of daily updates, and if I can do a month, I can do two months, a quarter year, half a year - a full year?
Step by step, that's my intention.
33) ToonProps
I'm good at drawing anything I see with full accuracy, given enough time - but drawing stuff out of your head, with no reference, is a different skill entirely than pure representational drawing. I'm not very good at it yet, so because it's a weakness of mine I've been putting a lot of work into figuring out perspective, lighting, volume, mass and form of 3d objects on the 2d plane, entirely made up out of my head. In other words, no references - I can feel that it's using a different, more active part of my brain than the usual right-hemisphere dominance of representational drawing. Drawing like this is a much more active use of the brain, combining the rational critical deliberation of the left along with the more creative right hemisphere in a much more cooperative way than simply translating the optical nerves signals to the arm with as little intererence as possible. The signals for something like this, rather than originating at the eye, originate from the interior brain. The optical perception of drawing purely from imagination seems to be secondary in relation to the drawn image, rather than as in representational drawing, where every motion of the mark-making tool is governed primarly and purely by the reflex of the perception of the optic nerve as translated through the angle of the eye and the contraction of the cornea.
Or a different analogy - drawing from imagination is like writing from imagination, whereas 'drawing-what-you-see' much more akin to summarizing a pre-existing written work. Not transcribing - that would be a photograph.
Regardless, this is too long already, but I hope my point is clear; for me it is revelatory, and something I will be paying greatly active attention to in the future.
34) Gesture3
Some more random gesture drawing samples - I've realized that doing an hour or so of pure contour drawing before these, to get my head in the right space (beta or theta wave, whichever one is just below full concious awareness) would greatly improve these.
35) ColourDifference
My daily painting! This one I wanted to point out how different using flash (the main part of the image) or not using flash (the bottom-left inset) can really change the feel of an image. I'm very keenly becoming aware of just how extrordinarily different peoples perceptions of color can be - for example, try doing that dark room experiment of Newton's, where he took a prism, allowed a pinhole of white light to refract from it into a full-spectrum rainbow. Do that, and mark of either side of the limits of the colors you see. Then have someone else mark off the limits of their color perception - you'll find they vary quite a bit; for example, I'm certain I see at least a full color into the ultraviolet past indigo, and I know of others who can see further both into the ultraviolet and the infrared.
Back to this particular painting, neither one of the combined images here what I see when I turn my head to look at the painting sitting on my desk. Interesting stuff, this ocular perception.
36) DesignControls
Because the preview image is so small, I reccoment you click the image to arrive at my deviantart page, then click it a second time for the full version. This works for all the images I'm posting here, but is particularly useful for this one, where the detail is difficult to discern at this resolution.
Briefly, this is a couple random pages of an exploration I'm making into very specific, deliberate controls of design that can be used to intentionally affect the emotional response of the viewer.
Here, for example, I think they may all be shown, but in this image are examples of Nine seperate controls that can be applied to image creation. They are:
1) Overlapping Planes
2) Counterchange (alternation of hue, value and/or chrome in a controlled alternating fashiono)
3) Line over Mass (most of these are exactly what they sound like)
4) Implied Line
5) Interlocking Rhythm
6) Open Colour/Offset Conture (basically, coloring outside the lines, deliberatly and for intentional effect)
7) Transparency/Translucency
8) Forced Edge (emphasis of a particular edge greater than others in the image)
9) The Dynamic Trellis (useful for handling dynamic linear forces - it provides the maximum linear opposition within an ordered design. Lines are limited to six directions: balancing diagonals, perpendiculars to each of these diagonals, and optional verticals and horizontals)
Once you've memorized that, and begun to apply these very deliberate and specific controls with intentional effect, you'll very quickly achieve the ability to more intentionally create the images you desire, with control over the emotional response and guidance of the eyes over the page.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Week 2, Day 1
Really, the more I do this, the more fun it is to do. Crazy, eh?
29 ) GestureDrawing
Now this is from a cool fun thing that http://rekul.deviantart.com/ Rekul linked me to over here http://www.posemaniacs.com/pose/thirtysecond.html. What it is, is 30 seconds of a randomly posed skinless human figure - hugely and fantastically valuable to people who don't happen to be seeing naked skinless people around them all the time that they can draw from. This is kinda crappy for a first attempt on my part, but tommorrow I'm going to spend a few hours on this, and we'll see what results of it.
30 ) OldHat
Old hat of mine I drew from 3/4 rear lighting. I'm decently happy with it, though next time I do something like this I'll get a bunch of different hats and things together instead of just the one.
31) RedSeaSky
I'm happy with this for the sunset coastline sunset rocky beach color and lighting experiment it is. That said, I've got to work on my waves and clouds. The fact that I have much to improve is gratifying, as that means there is still fun to be had here.
32) YellowedHatShell
Another hat here, that I'm wearing right now over my giant headphones - I was having a bit of trouble emphasizing the tonal v ariation in this one, until I decided to really push the lights hard with some yellow charcoal, and turn it on edge so that it's less of a hat, and more of an almost shell-like abastract shape. Really, it could be either a shell or a hat when it's on it's side like this, it's a fun effect to play around with.
29 ) GestureDrawing
Now this is from a cool fun thing that http://rekul.deviantart.com/ Rekul linked me to over here http://www.posemaniacs.com/pose/thirtysecond.html. What it is, is 30 seconds of a randomly posed skinless human figure - hugely and fantastically valuable to people who don't happen to be seeing naked skinless people around them all the time that they can draw from. This is kinda crappy for a first attempt on my part, but tommorrow I'm going to spend a few hours on this, and we'll see what results of it.
30 ) OldHat
Old hat of mine I drew from 3/4 rear lighting. I'm decently happy with it, though next time I do something like this I'll get a bunch of different hats and things together instead of just the one.
31) RedSeaSky
I'm happy with this for the sunset coastline sunset rocky beach color and lighting experiment it is. That said, I've got to work on my waves and clouds. The fact that I have much to improve is gratifying, as that means there is still fun to be had here.
32) YellowedHatShell
Another hat here, that I'm wearing right now over my giant headphones - I was having a bit of trouble emphasizing the tonal v ariation in this one, until I decided to really push the lights hard with some yellow charcoal, and turn it on edge so that it's less of a hat, and more of an almost shell-like abastract shape. Really, it could be either a shell or a hat when it's on it's side like this, it's a fun effect to play around with.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Day 7, Week 1
25) AbstractAndPaperPallette
Here's a neat little abstract thing I built off of a contour drawing of a piece of a tree that almost hit me in the head when it rotted off the main body. Nothing hugely special, but drawing stuff like this based off contour is a great way to lay a foundation for interesting abstract stuff.
Also that there on the right is something called a paper palette, which is exactly what it sounds like, and is great for mixing acrylic color on without having to worry about cleaning it off after.
26 ) Abstract Tree Fruit
Eh, figured I'd try my hand at a totally abstract piece. A couple of tree-things on a weird backgroundy thing with a green sun and a... well... abstract... thing.
27) ToonType
Random toon characters I pulled off this http://www.venisproductions.com/angelmoxie/index.php website - the comic is finished, currently in reruns, but I love the minimalist-cute style of it, it's something I'm wanting to figure out.
28 ) Toothpaste
Haha, now this was fun!
Decided to pick out the most boring ordinary thing I could think of, which turned out to be toothpaste, and see what I could do with it. Focusing on really ramping up creative type drawing, really ignoring everything else except that it had to be toothpaste, and it had to be creative and interesting.
Gotta do this with something else, maybe I dunno, spoons or something.
Here's a neat little abstract thing I built off of a contour drawing of a piece of a tree that almost hit me in the head when it rotted off the main body. Nothing hugely special, but drawing stuff like this based off contour is a great way to lay a foundation for interesting abstract stuff.
Also that there on the right is something called a paper palette, which is exactly what it sounds like, and is great for mixing acrylic color on without having to worry about cleaning it off after.
26 ) Abstract Tree Fruit
Eh, figured I'd try my hand at a totally abstract piece. A couple of tree-things on a weird backgroundy thing with a green sun and a... well... abstract... thing.
27) ToonType
Random toon characters I pulled off this http://www.venisproductions.com/angelmoxie/index.php website - the comic is finished, currently in reruns, but I love the minimalist-cute style of it, it's something I'm wanting to figure out.
28 ) Toothpaste
Haha, now this was fun!
Decided to pick out the most boring ordinary thing I could think of, which turned out to be toothpaste, and see what I could do with it. Focusing on really ramping up creative type drawing, really ignoring everything else except that it had to be toothpaste, and it had to be creative and interesting.
Gotta do this with something else, maybe I dunno, spoons or something.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Day Six
21 ) CloudSketches
Just sketched up a couple of clouds here, really rough and contour kinda thing.
22) ComicFaces
This is actually something I just pulled out of a sketchbook from last August, when I was just learning how to draw stuff out of my head by figuring out the faces to a couple of random comics I pulled off google.
23) TonalFaces
Basic rough tonal study I did of a couple of faces I pulled out of a newspaper.
24) Forest
Eh, I'm sorta happy with this I guess. Really quick sketchy forest kind of think I did in about an hour, playing around with mixing colors more than anything else, really.
Just sketched up a couple of clouds here, really rough and contour kinda thing.
22) ComicFaces
This is actually something I just pulled out of a sketchbook from last August, when I was just learning how to draw stuff out of my head by figuring out the faces to a couple of random comics I pulled off google.
23) TonalFaces
Basic rough tonal study I did of a couple of faces I pulled out of a newspaper.
24) Forest
Eh, I'm sorta happy with this I guess. Really quick sketchy forest kind of think I did in about an hour, playing around with mixing colors more than anything else, really.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Day Five!
17) Plant
This is a neat old plant I found with new leaves just getting started - basic shadows, it's more or less a modified countour. I think it's some kind of onion or garlic or chive plant, though I'm not sure.
18) SilverPlateAndDrapes
This was awesome to draw. Almost lost it too, it was starting to become way too symmetrical, until I added those handles and invented some drapes and that background behind the plate to give it some depth, visual interest, and more interesting visual tonal variation.
19) SkullHatching
Exercie in pure hatcing here, using something a bit more interesting than eggs or boxes. Pretty easy actually, if you want to do it yourself:
1) Get a skull
2) Draw the outline of it
3) Put in the lights and darks
The hardest part, really, is getting a human skull, but come to think of it, there's tons of those just walking around every day.
20) Tin
Cookie tin! Not really an old one, just one I had around to keep receipts in. Figured it'd make an interesting model, and I'm going to do this again, spending more time capturing the texture of tartan. Was actually easier than I was expecting, though you'll see by my note there that creating the basic shading first, before placing the texture, would have been wiser.
This is a neat old plant I found with new leaves just getting started - basic shadows, it's more or less a modified countour. I think it's some kind of onion or garlic or chive plant, though I'm not sure.
18) SilverPlateAndDrapes
This was awesome to draw. Almost lost it too, it was starting to become way too symmetrical, until I added those handles and invented some drapes and that background behind the plate to give it some depth, visual interest, and more interesting visual tonal variation.
19) SkullHatching
Exercie in pure hatcing here, using something a bit more interesting than eggs or boxes. Pretty easy actually, if you want to do it yourself:
1) Get a skull
2) Draw the outline of it
3) Put in the lights and darks
The hardest part, really, is getting a human skull, but come to think of it, there's tons of those just walking around every day.
20) Tin
Cookie tin! Not really an old one, just one I had around to keep receipts in. Figured it'd make an interesting model, and I'm going to do this again, spending more time capturing the texture of tartan. Was actually easier than I was expecting, though you'll see by my note there that creating the basic shading first, before placing the texture, would have been wiser.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Day Four
Day four comes and goes, and I'm really starting to enjoy the fun pressure of having to create this stuff, and the sense of pride and satisfaction that keeping the momentup up is bringing me.
13) ForestNatureScene
How about some color to start off day four? Forest scene, more abstract than representitive, my goal here was to get a feel of the colors, the warmth and coolness of the light and shade, and impression rather than a recording.
14) Perspective&Light
Just messing around with perspective and light, really trying to push some interesting whitespace and tonal valuations here. Sideways because I wanted to get a fresh look at it - it was more frustrating to put together than it looks, I'm not yet used to drawing stuff out of my head. It's a bit of a different use of the brainmeats than just drawing what you see, and I'm still adapting to it.
15 ) PrayerStudy
Quick, large scale study of an old woman at prayer. Humans aren't easy to render, especially at the sort of low contrast light and head angle that's going on here, the ear gave me trouble. The hair was fun though. At an angle to make people look at in a different light, instead of just allowing the subconcious to click with it's automatic 'oh that's a person' feature.
16) PumpkinAndBag
It's a pumpkin! And some kind of... bag! Heh, the pumpkin was the easiest part, the bag the most fun. Tried to add some highlights with pastel, not sure if I'm going to try that again in cheap paper.
13) ForestNatureScene
How about some color to start off day four? Forest scene, more abstract than representitive, my goal here was to get a feel of the colors, the warmth and coolness of the light and shade, and impression rather than a recording.
14) Perspective&Light
Just messing around with perspective and light, really trying to push some interesting whitespace and tonal valuations here. Sideways because I wanted to get a fresh look at it - it was more frustrating to put together than it looks, I'm not yet used to drawing stuff out of my head. It's a bit of a different use of the brainmeats than just drawing what you see, and I'm still adapting to it.
15 ) PrayerStudy
Quick, large scale study of an old woman at prayer. Humans aren't easy to render, especially at the sort of low contrast light and head angle that's going on here, the ear gave me trouble. The hair was fun though. At an angle to make people look at in a different light, instead of just allowing the subconcious to click with it's automatic 'oh that's a person' feature.
16) PumpkinAndBag
It's a pumpkin! And some kind of... bag! Heh, the pumpkin was the easiest part, the bag the most fun. Tried to add some highlights with pastel, not sure if I'm going to try that again in cheap paper.
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