Click to embiggen
Featuring Arthur Darvill as the image of Sebastian Moran.
Click to embiggen
Featuring Arthur Darvill as the image of Sebastian Moran.
And another WIP
Feb. 6th, 2012 07:19 amI did a tiny bit of work today in between all the icons I made.
Click to embiggen.
Click to embiggen.
Metalock WIP
Feb. 1st, 2012 06:29 amDoing a bit of art. Featuring ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
consulting_detective and not_thatbill's dog, Junior. Eventually, Sherlock will be reaching into the fridge, and probably feeding Junior gherkins or something. IDK.
Click to embiggen.
consulting_detective and not_thatbill's dog, Junior. Eventually, Sherlock will be reaching into the fridge, and probably feeding Junior gherkins or something. IDK.
Click to embiggen.
I'm one of a handful of people who go over to FA's Crit Board to offer critiques, assistance, redlines, and any number of other ways to help people improve their art. I do tend to enjoy it, but lately, it's just been pissing me off, and I may stop doing it soon.
Yes, I appreciate that art is hard. I've been making art in one form or another for nearly a quarter of a century. I am definitely not the best, and have epic pen control issues sometimes, but I know enough about it to be able to offer help.
But the people that come in asking for help lately have just been getting on my nerves. It's getting to the point that I can fairly accurately predict what their response will be just by their OP.
Most common: post a completed picture, and ask for critique. Picture has been fully rendered and posted to their gallery, so the chances of them actually changing anything is slim to none. Optimistically, they're asking for what they did wrong and what they did right so they know how to apply this to the next one. Instead, they either
Every time. I tend not to even comment on finished pieces any more. It's a waste of my time, especially if I do a paint over (which is often the case for finished drawings).
Just after that: post a quick two sentences asking for crit, and then link to their gallery. I HATE these. It's against the forum rules because one of two things always happen:
Rarely: They come in with a WIP that they're having problems with, and ask for a very specific sort of help. This is exactly what this board is for, and I love when they show up. We've got different people for different sorts of help, but we all know enough to be able to offer something for every sort of help that's needed. These sorts of posts always get really awesome responses, redlines, links to other sites that have tutorials on what they're trying to accomplish, and more. These ones are always really hard to predict what will happen.
Are you seeing a pattern?
Every so often, they'll actually listen to us, take in our advice, and post again with an updated version. Sometimes, they'll post an updated version and then do one of the above, which is always really baffling. Fairly often, the people coming into the board are looking for some sort of quick fix that they can do to make their art become awesome overnight. We get lots of questions asking about which software/tablet/brand of marker/pencil/whatever to use, and how despite using these brands, their art still isn't improving. Oh, I hate these posts. So much.
I just... guh. I'm sick of spending time to do something for people only to have it kicked back at me. If you're going to ask for help, accept it, even if you don't like the answer. We don't have to offer the help, and loads of people have stopped doing so because it just gets frustrating. I'm sick of it, and I may stop doing it, myself. A couple of days ago, I spent about an hour giving a detailed anatomical breakdown of a character, which included a paint over and loads of links of where to go for more information. So did two other people. The thread is slowly working its way down the board because the OP has vanished.
About a week ago, I did the same thing on a post that was deleted because the OP was apparently upset that a question he asked didn't get answered quickly enough. WTF? We're volunteers. We don't always check the board every day. Give us more than 12 hours to see your question and answer it. This piece was for a commission, which means now that they're probably going to wind up delivering sub-par work. Oh, dear.
I'm done whinging. I'm going to go give my remix story a quick once-over, and actually email it out to be beta-read. Why am I so slow at this? D:
Yes, I appreciate that art is hard. I've been making art in one form or another for nearly a quarter of a century. I am definitely not the best, and have epic pen control issues sometimes, but I know enough about it to be able to offer help.
But the people that come in asking for help lately have just been getting on my nerves. It's getting to the point that I can fairly accurately predict what their response will be just by their OP.
Most common: post a completed picture, and ask for critique. Picture has been fully rendered and posted to their gallery, so the chances of them actually changing anything is slim to none. Optimistically, they're asking for what they did wrong and what they did right so they know how to apply this to the next one. Instead, they either
- Fuck off and never respond to a single person in their thread
- Insist that everything that is 'wrong' is just 'their style' and that's how they always do it (really? You always draw your characters with one arm having two elbow joints? Interesting)
- Blame the programme/materials they used.
- Delete the post
Every time. I tend not to even comment on finished pieces any more. It's a waste of my time, especially if I do a paint over (which is often the case for finished drawings).
Just after that: post a quick two sentences asking for crit, and then link to their gallery. I HATE these. It's against the forum rules because one of two things always happen:
- Fuck off and never respond to a single person in their thread
- Back track, and claim that the one picture you chose from their gallery was actually off-limits for crit and ignore everything you said
- Delete the post
Rarely: They come in with a WIP that they're having problems with, and ask for a very specific sort of help. This is exactly what this board is for, and I love when they show up. We've got different people for different sorts of help, but we all know enough to be able to offer something for every sort of help that's needed. These sorts of posts always get really awesome responses, redlines, links to other sites that have tutorials on what they're trying to accomplish, and more. These ones are always really hard to predict what will happen.
- Fuck off and never respond to a single person in their thread
- Insist that everything that is 'wrong' is just 'their style' and that's how they always do it
- Blame the programme/materials they used
- Argue that we don't understand what they're trying to do/insult our intelligence on the matter
- Delete the post
Are you seeing a pattern?
Every so often, they'll actually listen to us, take in our advice, and post again with an updated version. Sometimes, they'll post an updated version and then do one of the above, which is always really baffling. Fairly often, the people coming into the board are looking for some sort of quick fix that they can do to make their art become awesome overnight. We get lots of questions asking about which software/tablet/brand of marker/pencil/whatever to use, and how despite using these brands, their art still isn't improving. Oh, I hate these posts. So much.
I just... guh. I'm sick of spending time to do something for people only to have it kicked back at me. If you're going to ask for help, accept it, even if you don't like the answer. We don't have to offer the help, and loads of people have stopped doing so because it just gets frustrating. I'm sick of it, and I may stop doing it, myself. A couple of days ago, I spent about an hour giving a detailed anatomical breakdown of a character, which included a paint over and loads of links of where to go for more information. So did two other people. The thread is slowly working its way down the board because the OP has vanished.
About a week ago, I did the same thing on a post that was deleted because the OP was apparently upset that a question he asked didn't get answered quickly enough. WTF? We're volunteers. We don't always check the board every day. Give us more than 12 hours to see your question and answer it. This piece was for a commission, which means now that they're probably going to wind up delivering sub-par work. Oh, dear.
I'm done whinging. I'm going to go give my remix story a quick once-over, and actually email it out to be beta-read. Why am I so slow at this? D:
Tutorials and Stuff
Mar. 11th, 2011 08:22 amAs most of you are no doubt aware, I do art as a hobby. I've done a few tutorials for FA's critique board, and am considering taking those, along with a few other tutorials that I've done, and re-formatting them to upload on my website.
So, for those of you who are interested in art, and would like a bit of help, now's your chance to make any requests for tutorials/guides on anything you feel you need a bit of help with. If you request anything in the technique area, keep in mind that I mostly fake any skills I may appear to have, and just make stuff up on the fly. But, if nothing else, I suppose that does count as a sort of technique.
So, for those of you who are interested in art, and would like a bit of help, now's your chance to make any requests for tutorials/guides on anything you feel you need a bit of help with. If you request anything in the technique area, keep in mind that I mostly fake any skills I may appear to have, and just make stuff up on the fly. But, if nothing else, I suppose that does count as a sort of technique.
Colours and Stuff
Mar. 10th, 2011 11:12 pmRight. I've been poking at my picture again, since I have a working tablet again.
Click to Embiggen
I've still got a lot more to go, but at least I've figured out ways to fill that negative space. I've missed being able to mess with this thing. Like you have no idea.
Click to Embiggen
I've still got a lot more to go, but at least I've figured out ways to fill that negative space. I've missed being able to mess with this thing. Like you have no idea.
Yes. Tablet ist kaput. Won't work on either computer. The little light just kind of does that thing where in the sci-fi film, the robot is dying, and his eye-lights kind of just barely flicker in his last few moments. My tablet is a distant cousin of Marvin the Paranoid Android. How have I not realised this before?
ANYWAY. Here's what I was working on when it packed up and left me.
Click to embiggen.
I can do a fair amount of inking in vector mode, which uses the mouse and keyboard. And if I'm really patient, I can use the mouse to do some of the remaining flats. As for the rest, it will be at the insanely optimistically best, a fortnight before I can consider replacing my tablet. Realistically, and unless I get really lucky and find something on eBay, I'm looking at having to save up for quite some time to afford something new.
Until then, I have a super cheap off-brand tablet in my closet that might still work. If the stabiliser doesn't work with this other tablet, I will not be finishing this piece for several months, as I need the stabiliser to ink and shade.
Fuck.
ANYWAY. Here's what I was working on when it packed up and left me.
Click to embiggen.
I can do a fair amount of inking in vector mode, which uses the mouse and keyboard. And if I'm really patient, I can use the mouse to do some of the remaining flats. As for the rest, it will be at the insanely optimistically best, a fortnight before I can consider replacing my tablet. Realistically, and unless I get really lucky and find something on eBay, I'm looking at having to save up for quite some time to afford something new.
Until then, I have a super cheap off-brand tablet in my closet that might still work. If the stabiliser doesn't work with this other tablet, I will not be finishing this piece for several months, as I need the stabiliser to ink and shade.
Fuck.
I think my tablet has had it. :-/
Come watch me draw!
Feb. 22nd, 2011 09:37 pmhttp://www.livestream.com/notusingthezword
Working on a very cranky consulting detective. I plan on going until I get bored with this, which has lately been around 5am PST/1pm GMT.
Working on a very cranky consulting detective. I plan on going until I get bored with this, which has lately been around 5am PST/1pm GMT.
I know I've said this before, but
Feb. 22nd, 2011 06:41 pmBenedict. Your face is impossible. I have never had so much difficulty drawing a person in my life.
Will be on Livestream
http://www.livestream.com/notusingthezword
Higher room caps, higher quality.
If you have any questions about art, technique, anatomy, or anything of that nature, stop by in one hour (from this posting), and ask away!
Will go until people run out of questions.
http://www.livestream.com/notusingthezword
Higher room caps, higher quality.
If you have any questions about art, technique, anatomy, or anything of that nature, stop by in one hour (from this posting), and ask away!
Will go until people run out of questions.
Come watch me draw!
Feb. 11th, 2011 09:20 pmDrawing: cowboys for a tutorial
Listening to: Cabin Pressure
http://www.livestream.com/notusingthezword
Listening to: Cabin Pressure
http://www.livestream.com/notusingthezword
I'm doing a bit of boredom sketching, and trying to get a better grasp on this guy's face. All I seem to be doing is making things worse.
Seriously, this guy has GOT to be from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. He's got that crazy ginger hair (when he's not being Sherlock), his eyes are at an impossible slant, he smiles way too broadly, and let us not forget those cheekbones.
Seriously. Who am I describing, here? Cumberbatch, or Ford Prefect? They're semi-half-cousins. That's the only explanation. Betelgeuse has already gone Supernova, with the Betelgeusians having spread far and wide across the galaxy, and one of them has landed on Earth.
Tell me, Benedict: Do you know where your towel is?
Seriously, this guy has GOT to be from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. He's got that crazy ginger hair (when he's not being Sherlock), his eyes are at an impossible slant, he smiles way too broadly, and let us not forget those cheekbones.
Seriously. Who am I describing, here? Cumberbatch, or Ford Prefect? They're semi-half-cousins. That's the only explanation. Betelgeuse has already gone Supernova, with the Betelgeusians having spread far and wide across the galaxy, and one of them has landed on Earth.
Tell me, Benedict: Do you know where your towel is?
haha Oh, man.
Feb. 10th, 2011 10:48 amYou guys want to see something hilarious? I was poking around my dA account, because I noticed a new feature that wasn't there the other day, and now I want to show you something.
This is what my art looked like in 2004.
This is what my art looked like in 2010.
God, I sucked. See how terrible that is? It's terrible. Don't lie and try to make me feel better about it. I look at that compared to what I was up to last year, and I can't believe that I did both of those. That's what years of practise will do for you, though. I got from that to this on my own with no formal training at all. I just look at art that other people do, look at photographs, look at real life, and apply it all to what I draw.
I can't even claim to have good pen control. The software I use -- Paint Tool SAI -- does all that for me. I just know how to cheat to make it look like I know what I'm doing, really.
This is what my art looked like in 2004.
This is what my art looked like in 2010.
God, I sucked. See how terrible that is? It's terrible. Don't lie and try to make me feel better about it. I look at that compared to what I was up to last year, and I can't believe that I did both of those. That's what years of practise will do for you, though. I got from that to this on my own with no formal training at all. I just look at art that other people do, look at photographs, look at real life, and apply it all to what I draw.
I can't even claim to have good pen control. The software I use -- Paint Tool SAI -- does all that for me. I just know how to cheat to make it look like I know what I'm doing, really.
