Atomic_Knight

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Oh, I LOVE teasers!

PS, just FYI, ** doesn't wear a belt. But, feel free to adjust the costume some if you want. I am not that picky.

=^_^=

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Y'know, I came THIS close to adding a multi pocketed belt to Feral Kat's pic. Thought it would be cool and unitarian. And it does look good in the sketch!

Liked what BattleWriath did with it! Any you're day will come TA...

oh yes, it will come....bwah-HAAAA-haha...

Arrgh!

Screwed up the link!

Heres the proper pic, I hope. Feral Kat

A quick re-do...

I wasn't happy with Feral Kat. I was going to make just to upper half, and the legs were just placement doddles. Well, you can kinda see the legs and I think it lessened the pic. So, I redrew the bottom to include the legs in a proper position. And I edited the above link for the right pic.

Things bug me all the time when I draw...I'm like that...

I'll be resending you the new proof, Katfood!

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But basically, you know those V5 and V7 pens? I don't know what specifically they are, they're Pilot brand...

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Those are Gel Pens. Proving once again I know way too much about office supplies...

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I started out in Ballpoint pen. My buddy in highschool had a bagful of assorted Bic' sticks. The best part is when the "ball" in the nib gets all clunked up so you get line-BLOT-line-line-BLOT.

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(this may freak out some of you that I know office supplies so well...)

What ya got there with the blotting is probably a Gel pen. Gels make a nice dark line, but can not only blot, but smear. Standard ballpoints can do a nice line, but it's uneven and sputter when old. I suggest a nice rollerball like the Tul brands. Dark line, even flow, non-smearing.

(too much info...huh?)

in my sketchbook, all i use are pens, if possible. Using a pen forces me to get the lines down right the first time. If you use a pencil, you be drawing and erasing forever, and getting farther and farther way from what you wanted each time.

I also recommend instead of anatomy books, first go to a mall, and just draw people. Quick draw, theres no need to finish a drawing. It's your sketchbook! Your tryouts and experiments. Drawn them any way you want, then change it up. Exaggerate. Use the pen to see if you can quicky find and capture the feel of the subject. Draw circles untill your hands cramp up (excellent for loosening up, by the way).

Feral kat, here you go!

thanks for the nice PMs. I kept it clean so your friend can color it. Found some time today to actually do it!

Feral Kat

Notes: i wanted to show the cat like traits more than just a static pose, so here's a pounce, like you're her favorite chewtoy. The claws I wanted to go a bit away from wolverine (and personally, i would have made them short talons like a cat), so I made the claws more bone/cat claw like. I also made the eyes feline-ish...

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Anyways, how did I learn? Line mileage.


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I love this quote! You speak truth, brother!

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*koff* Imachick *koff*

Heh. Glad to be of assistance XD

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eh...soul sistah?

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Anyways, how did I learn? Line mileage.


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I love this quote! You speak truth, brother!

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Learn to draw so darn well? I would lik to start so I can draw some ideas I have for some heroes. But I suck. I don't really want to go through an art class (complicated reason. Don't want to get into it). Were you all just self taught. Are there any books or websites you can go to?

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Every artist sucks, my friend, it's the drive to improve constantly that motivates us all. I don't think any artist worth their pencil lead will tell you that they're so excellent, they can't learn anything more.

So the sucking? No, you don't. you're learning...

I took art classes, but I really was self taught. In fact, I can really say that I fought many class lessons, and did my own thing...which is what art is really about.

Now for books. I'd avoid any book that wants to teach you "how to draw" in a specific style. Someone mentioned Drawing on the right side of the brain. Excellent. Books on figure drawing, to learn the human body, and learn WHY muscles are where they are.

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The funny thing is even with a lot of training, an art form like Manga & Anime is so easily learnable... that anyone can pick it up. And I mean pick it up and even master it within a year if they put their minds to it.

Manga & Anime is not fine art. It is and can be fine art, however in general it a simple structure tool to showcase someone's imagination. I was watching Howl's Moving Castle the other day, and was just amazed at how much story can be told just from the simplest lines and color.

But what I'm trying to say is, teach yourself this style, and learn the basics. And then teach yourself how to draw normally and apply that back into your Anime work. You'll find that it greatly influences it, because the details you pick up from real life observation only serve to enhance your imaginary images.

This is the difference between any okay drawing and a better one, the amount of details, and how those serve to create a certain style.

Good luck.

LJ

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i'd have to disagree here.

I think you should never set yourself to learn a specific style. You should Find you own style, whatever it may be. If you stick yourself to one style, you might just never mature the excellent creator inside of you. Experiment! Draw! And Draw some more!

I speak from experience.

Learn your craft. If you're serious, it's gonna be a hard long trip, but well worth the ride to get there.

And the amount of detail is never what makes or brakes great art. Art is the act of illusion. You're only hinting at things with a drawing. I've seen some spetacular drawings formed from just a few pencil strokes. Art that will make you cry with joy at it's simplicity! Some of the best animation is founded upon that.

If you copy a style, you really need to understand it implicidly and completly. But if you create your own style, the understanding part is already done...because it's you.

But this is only an opinion.

It's finally up! (whew..)

Atomic Knight's DeviantArt Gallery!

You'll not only find the sketches you've seen here, but also concept sketches, layouts, and everything from about a decade of chicken scratches!

And there's free pony rides and balloons for the kids!

I gotta dig around for my old stuff from elementary school, but jeez, it's gonna be embarassing!

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Holy necroed post Batman!

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I, myself, don't mind

Yep, the forum here is sloppy with quality highly talented artists of all styles and types! Look around. See others who have their work showcased. Ask people who have worked with said artists. Send PM's.

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Who woulda thought that Master Chief was a WOMAN?

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Not only that, she looks just like my myspace pal, DieAnna. She's even too cool for me! I made her promise that if i drew her, if I ever end up in her rifle sights in game, she has to hold up off the trigger. I think thats a fair deal.

Hello again, People!

Since I have some free time, I thought i'd reinvigorate this post once again. Just so you guys can see i'm still drawing, here's a pic I did for a friend when she made the top 5 of 5 catagories in Halo2. It may not be a Superhero, but it is comic bookie:
DieAnna. Spartan supreme!

I'll be posting more soon... Great to see all of you again!

Everything you draw, no mather what you think of the quality, is a step in the right direction. As many have said above you, never stop. Practice comes from just that, Practice.

Everyone here whos drawing skills you admire, had to learn them from scratch...and many of us consider ourselves STILL learning...

Anyway, good luck and welcome! Don't be afraid to show your stuff, and ask any question you wish.

See ya around!

i am going to be away for a while, But i'll being catching up with all your submissions durring that time. And hopefully, this post wont be buried by then!

See ya all soon, hopefully!

And if anyone needs to send a request or a question, I can alway be contacted through the Legendaries, in my sig below.

Thanks for a wonderful time all! Keep a candle in the window.

Edit: One more before I go...
Gravebinder

One of my favorite concept heroes i've encountered.

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quick sketchbook idea

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Just out of idle curiousity, what do you use to draw / shade with? (I've just been using a mechanical pencil, I used to hate 'real things' for some reason.)

The detail you put into his hands boggles me too. I can't visualize them half as well. I'll have to study how you drew them when I get out of work...




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I use a simple .05 mechanical pencil for the things i've done here. Nothing fancy. I used to use many pencil types, (B, H, HB, H2, etc.) But always seemed to go back to only one. I also use disposiable technical pens or a tul black ballpoint.

Hands can be as expressive, and sometimes even more so, than the face. I use the hands to help convey, and I plan them out with great care. I also drew thousands of hands in sketchbooks, and even use my own as a model.

And I say it was a quick sketch because I didnt plan it out. I just started with the helmet and drew out from there to the foreground, and background.

Oh, and here's another reprint from a previous post:
Mr. Mighty, Leader of the Legendaries

I think when I say that tracing isn't a good thing, is that by going over someone elses work, you only draw what is apparent...and not know "why" you should.

Lets say you copy a drawing of the hulk lifting a girder. You draw that thing untill you got the perfect copy. You think, "well, I mastered the hulk!"

But did you?

Why is there a line on the inderside of the arm? Is that a muscle? Would it be there from another angle? If I draw Spider-man in the same pose, would he have that line there as well? What behind his leg? What does he look like without the irder and his arms down?

If you try to draw the Hulk any way other than what you traced, you won't be able to. Thats because you haven't understood why an artist chose to draw what he did...

When I used to teach figure drawing, sometimes a person would say he's done learning, because he just drew the perfect figure. All I have to say is, "Okay, now draw the samething...from behind".

It's the same thing with drawing an outline of a shape. you're not using the shape at all. What is supposed to be a sphere is just a flat circle.

Having said that, as a child, I used to copy John and Sal Buscema comics. Years later I think a little of what I copied rubbed off on me on my own style. So perhaps a lil' tracing is okay...Just don't stay there and stretch beyond.

I've done some pretty horrendous drawings in my time, and for my own sanity, burned them. But Every mistake was a step at understanding what I should have done to make it better.

If you want to trace, thats up the the individual. But if you want to grow beyond what someone else did, leap off and make your mistakes. Soon, you wont need to see something already drawn to draw something new.

I really like it! Like above, get some typing paper instead of college rule, and it'll really really shine!

I eventually want to draw Atomic Knight. But, playing him almost everyday, I wanted to do something different...not to mention, he has a hard costume with the circuitry and details.

So, I was playing with this idea...

Atomic Knights Workshop

This sketch idea shows not only that AK is a human in a metal suit, but also his love for toys and 50's sci-fi. It also allowed me to show his various armors.

If I were to draw this in a comic, I'd not render it so much, and just lay down the basic line. Then, let the inker do it justice. But, Like I said, this is just a quick sketchbook idea.

I tried to render something else subtle as well. I tried to make AK's human face look like the armored one. trying to show they are one and the same, armor on or off.

I think you're capturing the weight of form, and thats excellent!

If you turn the drawing upside down, it'll LOOK upside down...thats the real test! I also have to say you're staying consistant with the shading and light source. Nice job on the face. And it does show an attitude and personality (IMHO, the hardest part of drawing). Anatomywise, it's really good. No "floating" limbs or head.

Finding your style is the hard thing. Took me years, and several style changes to find it. You may even draw one way for a decade, only to find that you can do a better way later and change all that. Just keep on drawing, drawing, drawing, and it'll start to shine through.

And now the critique. Try varing the shading. I see you're doing this already, and kudos to you, but the negative space is as important as the positive. A lot of new artists shade to darken a piece, not realizing that the highlights are just as important. They usualy end up with a completely dark drawing. But, you're watching this, I see, just a reminder.