Art Quest Update 5-1-24

Trying to keep that pencil moving.

 

That’s the name of the game right now. Of all the various art teachers I’ve come across, that seems to be one of the most common pieces of advice.

 

Practice as much as you can. 

 

As Art Quest continues, I try to do just that. A little bit of concentrated practice every day. Easier said than done for me.  With a fam to hang with, a full-time job, trying to write novels, and other hobbies calling my name, it’s a struggle to find time to draw. 

 

Yet, like so many of the other things on my to-do list, I find that if I prioritize it I can usually find an hour or 30 minutes to get some practice in.  Don’t get me wrong, there are stretches of days where I don’t get near my sketchbook, but it’s always in the back of my head, knowing that I should be getting after it so I can get closer and closer to stuff like this.

 

All credit to Karl Kopinski, Richard Whitters, and Larry MacDougall (from left to right)

 

When I am making time for it of late, I’ve been able to finish up the second part of Unit 1 of the Solo Artist Curriculum and take Love Life Drawing’s course on figure drawing. 

 

I found his method slightly easier to grasp than what was taught in Loomis or by Proko as he has some great analogies and examples of how to approach drawing key landmarks in the figure.

 

But goddam, I wish my line quality was as nice as his and some of his other students.

 

 

Though not formally on the solo artist curriculum, I’ve made note for myself to focus on checking out some videos and practicing line quality.  Line weight, line tapering, and knowing when to use each seems to elude me, and most of my drawings seem to use a lot of the same ol’ strokes.

But I hope that a couple of weeks of concentration will improve it and allow some variations that give my pics a little more pop.

 

Before I go there, though, I want to finish the unit on composition and storytelling.  

 

As of writing this, I haven’t plunged too deeply into the world of design and picture construction, but what I’ve done so far has opened my eyes. 

 

There are so many things to consider when laying out where everything is going to go in a particular frame. 

 

Spacing, emphasis, unity, and balance. Not to mention about a dozen subpoints beneath each.  

 

I’m told that eventually, as you practice more and more, these become second nature and you don’t need to think about them before getting into your art. But right now, it’s overwhelming as heck! 

 

I’m currently taking the Creative Composition course by Will Terry from SVS learning that i have found to be an excellent breakdown of these principles and is coupled with some fun, easy exercises to help engrain these ideas into my noggin.

 

See below for some of my output. A lot of it probably doesn’t make sense, but thumbnails are indeed the name of the game, and these small frames have already helped me think more about how to set up my drawing before diving right into it.

 

 

I’m excited to take these to the final form by the end of the course and will share my results afterwards.

 

What’s next after visual storytelling and composition? 

 

Anatomy of the head!  This one I’m really excited about. My faces have always had the same maligned look to them, and I’m excited to spend some time trying to draw portraits and figuring out a style that will match the rest of my artwork.

 

I can already tell there will be frustration abound with the amount of detail and the steady hand that needs to go into it, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.

 

It’s been one of my most frustrating challenges as an artist, and I’m hopeful that with some proper practice and patience I’ll be able to get to a good spot.

 

Alright, off to do some more thumbnails. 

 

Keep an eye or antenna out on this blog for updates or follow along the journey on Insta.  

 

Thanks for questing with me, Fellow Creatures! 

 

Stay snazzy,

 

-Jeff