tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13544202299724621372024-03-13T09:04:43.979-07:00Ashley Walters' Art BlogAshley Waltershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05460270245246759376noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-63928790955108447592015-07-15T15:25:00.001-07:002015-07-15T15:25:35.252-07:00My Blog Has MovedMy blog has moved over to my main domain,<a href="http://ashleywalters.net/"> ashleywalters.net</a>. I've completely redone my website where I plan to offer brushes, prints, and giveaways. You can also find me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ashleywaltersillustration">facebook </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/AshWaltersArt">twitter.</a> Be sure to like and follow me for the most up-to-date info and artwork. Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-62194093589703076412012-10-31T12:04:00.001-07:002012-10-31T12:04:18.101-07:00Artist Spotlight- Hamsterfly (AKA Viktor Titov)Happy Halloween everyone! Every artist
benefits from looking at other people's art. As my college sculpture
professor would say, you can't have good output without good input.
In my journey of personal discovery, I have come to admire many
people in the industry. This is certainly true of <a href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/">Viktor Titov</a>,
whose brilliant use of painterly strokes juxtaposed with accurate
form catches my eye among a sea of other fantasy artists.<br />
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<object height="622" width="450"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1"><param name="flashvars" value="id=141772559&width=1337"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="622" flashvars="id=141772559&width=1337" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/art/Book-cover-again-141772559">Book cover again</a> by *<a class="u" href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/">Hamsterfly</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">deviantART</a><br />
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What makes his work so unique is his
ability to add artistry into every piece without overworking it. In
<a href="http://www.imaginefx.com/02287754333357588260/viktor-titov.html#null">an interview with Imagine FX</a> Victor attributes this affect to his
practice of “<span lang="en-US">trying to emphasize some details
and then [rubbing] them off because they’re too obsessive and they
occupy the central part of the composition.”</span> Regardless of
how he does it, it comes off as effortless. It's not easy creating
art so loose and yet so detailed.<br />
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</div>
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<a href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/art/Uncle-Eear-155409165">Uncle Eear</a> by *<a class="u" href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/">Hamsterfly</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">deviantART</a><br />
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<object height="385" width="450"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1"><param name="flashvars" value="id=191853216&width=1337"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="385" flashvars="id=191853216&width=1337" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/art/Slavemarket-191853216">Slavemarket</a> by *<a class="u" href="http://hamsterfly.deviantart.com/">Hamsterfly</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">deviantART</a><br />
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I couldn't help but see a lot of
another favorite artist in his work, the celebrated <a href="http://www.goodbrush.com/">Craig Mullins</a>.
Indeed he has stated Craig to be an inspiration in some of his work.
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In my own journey to enhance my loose
skills like Viktor, I have come across some amazing resources. First off, I tried
<a href="http://fav.me/d31to6m">Marta Nael's Digital Impressionism tutorial</a>. Here's the result:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iLnuFS5GdiU/UJF0MhONoxI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/EYMuwiOD-Yc/s1600/loose-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iLnuFS5GdiU/UJF0MhONoxI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/EYMuwiOD-Yc/s1600/loose-painting.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I must confess though, it would have
not been possible without some amazing brushes by some amazing
people: <a href="http://fav.me/d4njpa4">Titus Lunter's Brushes</a> and
<a href="http://www.artoflevi.com/?page_id=1674">Brushes by Levi</a>
(scroll down to the end of the page for the link). The other secret
I have discovered is the Unsharpen Mask filter in photoshop. Try it sometime-
it creates instant detail! It really makes it pop.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I feel kind of like a hypocrite because
I frequently tell people that there is no secret brush or secret
filter that will automatically make your work great. No I take that
back, I don't feel too bad about it because the problem is not using
tools as a means to an end, but using tools to make up for you lack
of skill. In this case these tools enhanced the ability I already
possessed to help create a looser look. Try the tutorial if you have
some time.<br />
<br />
<b>So tell me, who influences you? </b></div>
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In other news, I was ecstatic to
receive my copy of Expose 10 and find that I had been given an
Excellence Award for the steampunk category on page 276. It printed
pretty well, which was great because the proof they sent looked a
little odd.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xEv38NHIttg/UJF01eO50YI/AAAAAAAAARE/34NcgPT6Jy8/s1600/steampunkdragonbyashleywaltershires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xEv38NHIttg/UJF01eO50YI/AAAAAAAAARE/34NcgPT6Jy8/s400/steampunkdragonbyashleywaltershires.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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And to the friends and family on the
east coast, I am sending warm thoughts your way. Stay safe!</div>
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Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-33485632751343381242012-09-29T14:38:00.000-07:002012-09-29T14:38:05.568-07:00The Dangers of Working For FreeAs an artist, I've had my fair share of people asking for free work. I try to respond kindly with a thanks but no thanks. Sometimes they reply with an, "oh I understand, thanks anyway". Sometimes the person responds with self righteous anger, balking at the thought that something like a few character concepts should be paid for.<br />
<br />
Perhaps you have been in the same situation. It usually consists of promises of unicorns and golden rays of sunshine that will come once the project is complete. "See, we aren't making money yet" the person will tell you, "so we can't pay you anything now but when the project starts making lots of money we'll all share it". <i>Riiiiight...</i><br />
<br />
Let me outline the dangers artists face by falling for these types of projects. First we need to outline the types of people that come knocking. They usually fall into one of the following categories:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>They are doing it just for fun with some friends in some basement and therefore aren't serious enough about it to pay for anything. They are doing for the lulz and surely an artist like you isn't in it for money either. <br /></li>
<li>They truly believe they have a guaranteed next big multimillion dollar hit and expect you to bring it to life so that one day both of you can sip margaritas on some paradise island toasting to your new life of luxury even though they have no prior experience in the field they expect to break into (what I like to call, delusions of grandeur). <br /></li>
<li>They work for some non-profit company and hope that they can pull on your heartstrings enough to guilt you into working for free. <br /></li>
<li>Or the worst of the worst- They work for a "start up" publishing company and promise you exposure and lots of future work (not necessarily paid work either) if you agree to work on a few projects for free. Essentially, they want a sucker and a slave. </li>
</ol>
<br />
Now don't get me wrong, I am not knocking on artists who give their time to charitable causes. After all, there are a few <a href="http://shouldiworkforfree.com/clean.html">perfectly legitimate times</a> when you may want to say yes to giving free work, but be careful. I'll go into this later.<br />
<br />
Let's get back to the problem here. The reason why people ask for free work in the art industry is simple- <b>they under value the worth of art</b>. There is this false belief that somehow skilled artists are magical people who can just "whip something up" and it's no big deal. They think it doesn't take time, and whatever time it does takes simply isn't worth paying for upfront because art is everywhere.<br />
<br />
<br />
These "unfinanced entrepreneurs", as comic illustrator <a href="http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL209.htm">Mark Evanier</a> refers to them, simply don't realize or appreciate the sheer amount of work they are requesting for the <i>mere chance</i> of getting paid at a later date. In his words, "Unfinanced entrepreneurs don't have any money — or, if they do, they're not dumb enough to risk it on their own projects. They want you to assume the risk." So true. What's funny is that it's <i>these very people</i> who don't see how true it is.<br />
<br />
Imagine for a second the following scenario. You are contacted via e-mail by a guy who claims to have this amazing idea. He starts off by telling you how great the project is and that once it takes off, you will have a share in the profits, all he needs is someone to bring his vision to life. Think for a minute, if it's that great of a project and sure to make money, surely he could front a little of his own money to hire professional work and get his money back when the project takes off no problem. But no, the minute you suggest the very thought of investing in his own project he starts making excuses as to why he can't. Then he starts throwing out phrases like "couldn't you this or that", "in your spare time", "whip something up" (as if illustrating a complex scene takes only 30 minutes). So, what he really wants is for YOU to forgo paying projects to spend time on HIS project for free. It's not like he's asking you to put your own money into the project or anything. (Cue rolling eyes). <i>Essentially he's asking you to hold all the risk. </i><br />
<br />
It's during situations above that I want to ask the other person what
he or she does for living. My response may be something like this:
"Oh, you work in construction? Hey, since we're buddies here, I need a
fence hole dug in my yard. I mean I can't pay you, but could you do it
in your spare time, like on the weekends or something? When it's all done I may win the monthly best yard award and then I could pay you. It's only a couple of days worth of work after all. Better yet, why not just offer your services
for free to everyone? I mean surely you must be in the construction
business because it's your passion. Money shouldn't matter to <i>you</i>, right?" I can only imagine their stammering response.<br />
<br />
Perhaps
in a perfect world we wouldn't need money. I would love to work for
free but I can't eat for free and I can't live for free. What's more, I
spent money to go to college to earn a 4 year degree in art. It wasn't
some magical skill that just appeared one day that took no time to
acquire. When someone hires me, they are paying for my expertise and
knowledge and the blood sweat and tears it took to earn it. <b>Don't undervalue your worth.</b> The other guy will always want to get the most they can for the least amount possible. <b>If you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will.</b> <br />
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<br />
If I could get more people to see the ridiculousness of even asking for something like this artists all around the world would have more time to be productive instead of answering these crazy proposals with another monotonous, "thanks but no thanks".<br />
<br />
So what are the dangers of accepting such offers? There are plenty. <br />
<ul>
<li>Let's go back to the first client example, the guys making a game for fun.
You are into to games and it seems like it would be a good match for your portfolio. Also, it does kind of makes sense that if they aren't making money, they can't pay you right now. Maybe you could work it in. I mean, what if it hits it big and you missed on an amazing opportunity to be noticed? You could have been doing the concept art for the next Halo game for crying out loud! <br /><br />Hold on there sparky. These guys aren't professionals. The chances of their game even being finished when it's done in everybody's "spare time" is so remote it's not even funny. And if in the one in a billion chance they do make it big, you better have something in writing or fat chance getting any slice of the pie. You did it for free after all. (Cue sarcasm) Obviously you just wanted to do it on your own so they don't owe you royalties or rights to the characters. If they don't seem like serious clients, chances are they aren't going to take you seriously either. Trust me, you don't want to go there. <br /></li>
<li>Now let's look at the second client- the guy who has the golden idea. We've already talked a little about this but let's say it again- most big ideas are not so big. <b>If they aren't already in the field they profess they are suddenly an expert in, tread carefully.</b> Actually just go the other way unless he makes it worth your time. If his idea isn't worth his own money, it's not worth your time end of story. Also remember, all he has is an idea. He's relying on you to make it happen and no doubt plans to pay you a fraction of what he earns because after all it, it was his idea. He wants you to do all the work and take all the risk so that HE can have all the reward. Even if someone like this is willing to pay, be sure you get a solid contract.
<br /> </li>
<li> Now let's talk about doing work for the non-profit cause client. Be careful here. <b>Just because a business isn't profitable doesn't mean that the business is "non-profit". </b>If you are contacted by a third party like a marketing firm or ad agency working for a charity you are entitled to ask if they in fact are doing their part of the work for free. If they are getting paid, they should have it in the budget to pay you too. Also, if you don't agree with their cause don't do the work. You don't want your name plastered by something that makes your skin crawl. If it's a great cause, and you want to do it, be sure you clearly outline what you are willing to do so that there are no surprises.
<br /> </li>
<li>And lastly- the start up publishing company. They promise exposure, they promise the world, all for the low price of only- your soul. Don't do it. You will become a slave. The companies are in the business of making money and they should know better. "Start-up" or not, if they want professional talent they need to be willing to pay for professional talent. If they don't use professional talent they aren't likely to stay in the business for long. If they promise to pay you at a later date you better have a solid contract that includes a phrase akin to- <i>I'm getting paid regardless of the success of this project on this date.</i> </li>
</ul>
<br />
There was one common underlying theme from all the scenarios above- <b>don't underestimate the importance of contracts</b>. If they squirm at having in writing getting paid at a later date, RUN. Legitimate project managers and companies have no reason to be scared of a piece of paper. It's the people who want to promise you the moon and throw out words like "trust" or "why bother with contracts" who plan to skip out on you who don't like to be tied down. I strongly suggest you ask for 50% upfront and 50% once the project is complete. Most clients aren't going to have a problem with this.<br />
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Now I realize there are artists of all levels who read my blogs. Some of you may wonder if any of the above applies to you. Here's the real question- if you want to work as a professional artist you need to ask yourself if you are at that level. If you are, you should be paid for your work. If you are not, spend your time getting to that level. If along the way you want to take on some free projects to help boost your portfolio, tread carefully. You will likely get burned. Your time is of value. Don't waste it. <br />
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In the words of Mark Evanier, "You have a limited amount of creative energy. It's finite, if only because there are only so many hours in a day. Value that creative energy. Because if you don't, no one else will."
Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-59294669673830397732012-07-07T19:29:00.003-07:002012-07-07T19:30:06.578-07:00The Learning CurveEver look at your art and realized it stinks? Like <i>“how could I have ever have drawn that”</i> kind of stinkage? I had a moment like that recently. I did this piece last year and tried to enter it in a book.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PTuct6A3xlk/T_jn7cnAMPI/AAAAAAAAAQg/Hkc8A8_K-GE/s1600/colorprint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PTuct6A3xlk/T_jn7cnAMPI/AAAAAAAAAQg/Hkc8A8_K-GE/s400/colorprint.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Naturally it didn't get selected. I totally can see why now. The face is anatomically incorrect, the colors are blah, and I was trying emulate somebody else's soft style and it just never quite worked.
<b> </b><br />
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<b>While studying the work of people you admire is a great way to discover new techniques</b>, in this case I felt hindered the entire time. It just never clicked. As much as I like <a href="http://zs1985.cgsociety.org/gallery/">Ruoxing Zhang's</a> super soft style, it's just not me. So I've been reworking it slowly in between projects. Here's a sneak peek:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MFW5_IE8HFM/T_jrwJvH3HI/AAAAAAAAAQw/9hBt7gumTL0/s1600/colorblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MFW5_IE8HFM/T_jrwJvH3HI/AAAAAAAAAQw/9hBt7gumTL0/s400/colorblog.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
Much better. It's slow going as I am really focusing on the tiny details. I have found that varied brushes have really helped this piece evolve. I have also learned not to be afraid of hard edges and texture. I really think my use of texture is what gives my work it's realism.<br />
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The whole process had taught me a lot.
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>First- don't get cocky.</b> You think it's hot but really it isn't. Sometimes it takes an honest buddy to tell you the truth. If you can't find one I suggest <a href="http://conceptart.org">conceptart.org</a>. They'll hand your butt to you but at least you'll have a fresh pair of eyes. Be humble and accept crit with grace. You'll get better much faster when you realize you aren't all that.<br />
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<b>Second- step away.</b> If you are like me this is hard. I tend to get “in the zone” and nothing else matters until it's done. The problem is your eyes get accustomed to seeing the piece and you lose your ability to detect mistakes. In my case, it took months of leaving the piece alone before I could see what was wrong with it. You don't have to wait that long but give it a day or two. Flipping the image also helps you to see things in a new light which can point out mistakes you otherwise missed.
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Third- sometimes it better when you don't make the cut.</b> Boy am I glad that image didn't get selected for publication. The last thing I want is to turn off a client because of a poor image. It also pushes you to do better when you get knocked down once in a while. Some of my most painful art experiences have driven me to new heights. I've come to know my own ambitions much better after having them tested.
<b> </b><br />
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<b>Fourth- your ability to see mistakes increases as you get better.</b> I was surprised by how much was wrong when I did this piece just last year but that's a good thing. <i>It means I have improved!</i>
For most of us, the process of getting better takes a long time. Stick through it. Sometimes you can see your mistakes but you just don't know how to fix them. Times like that are the most frustrating of all. I stumbled across <a href="http://forrst.com/posts/Ira_Glass_Quote_Poster-9OF">this profound quote</a> on facebook which seems to sum it up well:<br />
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<a href="https://forrst-production.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/snaps/78037/mega.jpg?1304289786" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://forrst-production.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/snaps/78037/mega.jpg?1304289786" width="450" /></a></div>
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If you are an aspiring artist please take it to heart! In the words of Galaxy Quest- “Never give up, never surrender!”<br />
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That doesn't mean it won't be a difficult process. When I decided to try digital painting at the end of 2009 I knew it was going to be painful. Hours of work got me sub-par results. I've come a long way. I still learn new things every time I paint. So keep it up!<br />
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What keeps you going when times are tough?Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-21408754477553069382012-02-29T20:41:00.022-08:002012-03-02T23:03:22.747-08:00The Art of MarketingSo as you could probably tell, I've been hiding in my lair working like crazy. (Well perhaps you can't tell- most of my work is under non-disclosure at the moment but that's another story). While this has kept me busy, I have realized that I have let my "presence" slip. It's my hope to keep this blog updated at least once a month. Look at me posting the last day in February to try and keep to the schedule- and leap day no less. Ha!<br />
<br />
At any rate, it's time to step it up. I am ready to move into the new phase of marketing. I haven't been advertising myself to the public because I have enough repeating projects to keep me busy. However <i>hiding in a tar pit of endless work is not the way to expand your clientele. You never know when you dream job is going to pop up so put yourself out there. </i> For me, that would be painting cards for Magic the Gathering, doing concept art for Riot games, or anything at all for Blizzard. <br />
<br />
So here's a start. I know it's not groundbreaking, but I've made business cards! Last week I found myself in a situation where I wish I had one to hand out. Fate favors the prepared. <b>You never know who may wish to use your services or who a client may know. </b><br />
<br />
So here I have two designs and the back which will work for either card. Please give me some input on these. I would love some CC on what you think is working and what I could do better. <br />
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<img border="0" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em; border: none;" src="http://ashleywalters.net/images/businesscard1.png" /> <br />
<img border="0" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em; border: none;" src="http://ashleywalters.net/images/businesscard2.png" /> <br />
<img border="0" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em; border: none;" src="http://ashleywalters.net/images/businesscard3.png" /><br />
<br />
So here I have two designs and the back which will work for either card. Please give me some input on these (but bear in mind they are calibrated for print and blogger has overly saturated them the compression is atrocious, blah). I would love some CC on what you think is working and what I could do better. I couldn't pick between the two pictures as each one caters to a different possible client. The close up of the eyes speaks to the client who wants something captivating and mysterious while the concept art shows my figurative skills to a potential art director for a video game company. <br />
<br />
I went through several designs of the card (text, before picking this one. I new from the beginning the card needed to mimic my website in appearance. This was for two reasons. First, <b>it is important for marketing imagery to be consistent across all platforms</b>. This is so that clients are more easily able to put a name to a face. Second, I already had files in place so theoretically it shouldn't have taken so long to design. That one didn't pan out. I still spent all day on the thing.<br />
<br />
Next my goal is to branch out and purchase some overhead expenses for conventions and selling prints online. It's time for me to offer my work to the world. Eventually I want to make a deck of cards, calendars, and puzzles. I can then sell them at conventions or on online stores like <a href="http://zazzle.com">zazzle</a>. If you didn't know, you can technically purchase some of my work at <a href="http://lithriel.deviantart.com/store/">deviantart.com</a>. I don't sell much there as I don't promote it at all. The biggest thing keeping me from reaching this goal is that I have not allotted time for personal projects in my schedule. This is counter-intuitive as I am not able to sell prints of the majority of the work I have been creating lately. <br />
<br />
So if you were sitting on the fence about making a presence for yourself just do it. You can have a quick blog up like this in no time. Blogger is great for that. And business cards are a very affordable way to say <i>here I am</i>!<br />
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What do you do to market yourself? Share your tips and tricks with us!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-63375874758200915592012-01-02T19:40:00.000-08:002012-01-02T19:48:52.394-08:00Sketching with SketchupEver heard of the free 3D program <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsketchup.google.com%2F&ei=B3kCT8TAKYfTiAL-ltCFDQ&usg=AFQjCNFyg79iBasV4G-caPW1KFlHaKqePQ&sig2=Amy1P3Lflh-GWaxl8bVtrQ">Google SketchUp</a>? A couple of months ago I ran across the term in the description of work on deviantart. It looked similar to this:<br />
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<object width="450" height="328"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1"><param name="flashvars" value="id=273217285&width=1337"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="328" flashvars="id=273217285&width=1337" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://KaranaK.deviantart.com/art/Raven-273217285">Raven</a> by *<a class="u" href="http://karanak.deviantart.com/">KaranaK</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">deviantART</a><br />
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Not bad, eh? It sparked my curiosity which lead me to the <a href="http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com">SketchUp blog</a>. <br />
Apparently illustrators are catching onto it like wildfire. The GS blog recently <a href="http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2011/10/pulse-pounding-visuals-from-hollywood.html">featured a prominent illustrator in the field named Harold Belker </a> who describes how he uses the program to aid him in the creation of his jaw-dropping work. What convinced me to brave the painful learning process was his comment: "I literally use SketchUp the way I used to sketch with a pencil". I was awed that working in 3D could be faster than working traditionally. <b>Any tool to increase my productivity is worth a bit of tinkering</b>. And free too? Sold.<br />
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Now I'm no 3D expert but <i>even I</i> can work my way around the program. The software isn't bloated and the tutorials are easy to follow. I can mock something up fast and use it as outlined perspective reference instead of having it do ALL the work for me like other programs. After all, as a concept artist there is a limit to how much work I should be doing in 3D when it is about to be put in 3D anyway. Am I right? <br />
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The biggest reason why I like it: it's an excellent time saver. Now I am used to having to draw things by hand using the see-through construction drawing method learned in my college days (no rulers allowed), but these drawings take time- precious time when you have a deadline to make. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oFJsx--hiBM/TwJbtHpwGPI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Xv2LUrtD3EQ/s1600/perspective-study2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="159" width="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oFJsx--hiBM/TwJbtHpwGPI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Xv2LUrtD3EQ/s200/perspective-study2.jpg" /></a> <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y_RKHrUBMq4/TwJbs1L-4II/AAAAAAAAAOc/lo-HrRNroVc/s1600/perspective-study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="126" width="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y_RKHrUBMq4/TwJbs1L-4II/AAAAAAAAAOc/lo-HrRNroVc/s200/perspective-study.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><br />
So when I had the chance to mock up a lovely tank for a book cover I jumped on it. I was able to move to the painting stage much faster. Now I still have a lot to learn about Google SketchUp but once I get past the learning stage this program will become an even greater efficiency booster.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IviXlPL1gsw/TwJ2Icte6YI/AAAAAAAAAO0/IWJvX9cdXWo/s1600/tank3d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IviXlPL1gsw/TwJ2Icte6YI/AAAAAAAAAO0/IWJvX9cdXWo/s320/tank3d.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KcalTgbLeKQ/TwJ26KJPvJI/AAAAAAAAAPM/mAxTSkeQdME/s1600/etaliascene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="219" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KcalTgbLeKQ/TwJ26KJPvJI/AAAAAAAAAPM/mAxTSkeQdME/s320/etaliascene.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Remember <a href="http://ashleywalters.blogspot.com/2011/04/im-back-daz-studio-and-wip-podcast.html">my article about DAZ</a>? Since then I have been getting better with the program every time I open it. Except for it's massively high crash rate (save frequently folks), it does a fair job of capturing great angles I couldn't otherwise capture. AND I have just learned how to put GS models INTO DAZ and incorporate them into scenes. Not bad huh?<br />
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So far, I prefer using these tools as a means to an end- in other words I am not going to be jumping into 3D work any time soon. I prefer 2D and I prefer drawing things out by hand. I don't have a problem occasionally painting over things I have mocked up in GS because I have built the shapes myself from the ground up and they are unshaded and simple outlines, but I don't over-paint DAZ figures. I think that would limit the gesture and grace in my work. I don't want my skills going dull on me. So yes, I suggest these programs but I do so with some fine print attached. <b>Don't let any artistic tool become a crutch.</b><br />
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I am a firm believer that one should <b>gain all the basic skills of art before taking any shortcuts</b>. This is why when people ask me for advice on learning how to draw I always suggest <b>working from the ground up in traditional medium</b>. First learn the principles and elements of design, then learn perspective by doing construction line drawings, then learn value and light-sourcing by drawing spheres, cones, blocks, and eggs, then draw objects from life, then faces, then figures. Then learn to paint still life and landscapes, then faces, then figures, then illustrative scenes, AND THEN move to digital medium. I highly recommend art school for anyone who is serious about becoming a professional artist. The amount of time, devotion, and guidance needed to achieve a professional level in a portfolio is nearly impossible to attain on one's own in the same amount of time. Yes, there are many self taught artists out there who do fairly well but they will always be limited by what they don't know. Landscape artists may have trouble painting a realistic figure with accurate proportions, portrait artists may find that creating a scene from imagination is difficult, etc. These artists are perfectly fine when they don't step out of their box but someone in the commercial art field is required to draw just about anything from nothing. <b>You don't have to be limited. It is up to you to know your weaknesses and decide to fill them. </b>I find that most people who ask me how to draw don't really want to know the truth. They want a quick and easy solution to being a professional. There isn't one. The portfolio speaks for itself. <br />
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So while I advocate DAZ studio and Google SketchUp, <b>it is <i>not</i> meant to replace the valuable process of learning construction drawing and figure drawing but serve as a tool to enhance what you already know.</b><br />
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What programs and tools do you use to help your art?Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-12003404920741668682011-10-21T11:01:00.000-07:002011-10-23T23:06:41.132-07:00More Crits!I will be updating this post as I get more crits in. I will try and do one or two a day for the next week until we are all finished up.<br />
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Our next lovely image comes from a long time friend of mine, LA-Fairy. As her name implies, she enjoys drawing fairies. Before I begin I must say that her art has made a great improvement over the years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B9ay89y6-tQ/TqGtNZQjTII/AAAAAAAAANI/cN9QRL54ZRM/s1600/lafairyoriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="309" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B9ay89y6-tQ/TqGtNZQjTII/AAAAAAAAANI/cN9QRL54ZRM/s400/lafairyoriginal.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1u8eHzXAdRQ/TqGtWmrm-KI/AAAAAAAAANU/9Twhcz7IkEE/s1600/lafairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1u8eHzXAdRQ/TqGtWmrm-KI/AAAAAAAAANU/9Twhcz7IkEE/s400/lafairy.jpg" /></a></div><br />
That being said here are the changes I would make. First, you are thinking <i>linearly</i> instead of <b>in terms of light and shadow</b>. There is no clear light source and there seems to be conflicting shadow areas in the face versus the rest of the body. So I decided to go with the body shading and take it from there. That means there is a lovely primary light source to her upper right, our left. <b>Light source is very important because it determines how the form will be rendered. Be sure to have a clear light side and a clear dark side with consistent values on either side.</b><br />
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One other thing, the first thing I noticed when I saw this image was that the <i>contrast was very very low</i>. If you put a layer of black turned to saturation mode you will see very quickly that your figure is hard to distinguish from the background. With that in mind, I separated her from her background onto her own layer and popped the contrast immediately on both layers. <b>Contrast is very important. It helps guide the eye to know what to look at and to better understand what is being seen.</b><br />
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Here is the finished contrast difference:<br />
<img src="http://ashleywalters.net/images/help/lafairy.gif" height="211px" width="138px"/><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKPexN1ApZI/TqGyCcRp_3I/AAAAAAAAANg/d-wCTtTkPrs/s1600/value-sphere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="158" width="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKPexN1ApZI/TqGyCcRp_3I/AAAAAAAAANg/d-wCTtTkPrs/s200/value-sphere.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Taking what you already did in the legs, I fleshed out the forms more to show roundness while thinking about core shadow. Core shadow will be perpendicular to the light source and in this case ought to hit about halfway in her thigh and legs with variations based on the volume and roundness. From there I added some cast shadows hitting her thighs. I altered her shoulders and chest to make them more painterly instead of fully outlined. This gives the illusion of depth and will make your work more realistic. From there I changed the hair to include a clear light and shadow side instead of just strings of light and dark. I also added some large chunks fanning outward from her face as that is what would happen if she were really flying around. Also, as I played with the light source I could soon see that the shadow was in the wrong place. The shadow will be at the same angle as the light source. In this case, it is slanting in from the left so the shadow needed to be moved to the right.<br />
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I did alter some proportions as I went along. Mainly, the shoulders were a little out of place and the hands and fingers were too small. I didn't bother with reference so you may want to find some or if you do have some, think about proportion and size in relation to the rest of the figure to really get those areas down. Lastly I added some soft green rim lighting to define the form on the other side of her. One thing I did not play with much was the background. You will want to spend more time thinking about how it relates to the figure. You'll notice I did crop the image as there was too much empty space and the composition was getting a bit boring. Perhaps in the future you may think about having a more dynamic pose. Studying <a href="http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2006/05/animation-school-lesson-5-line-of.html">line of action</a> may be of help. <br />
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Overall, I think you just need to think about light source and contrast. I would also think about the purpose of each image you create. Is it meant to be on the front of a greeting card? Should there be more of a background? Or is it a quick character concept? These are things that will change how the work evolves and what should be included.<br />
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While doing this critique I realized that in the future I will want to live stream these so I can explain exactly why I am doing what I am doing when I paint over them. I think it will be a great resource to everyone who wants to know why I make these changes.<br />
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Our next image comes from Chris.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PRWwy5TNb34/TqUAZm1JDUI/AAAAAAAAANs/19WESqIaBBU/s1600/chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="350" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PRWwy5TNb34/TqUAZm1JDUI/AAAAAAAAANs/19WESqIaBBU/s400/chris.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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As this image is coming from a beginner, as he called himself, I will keep my critic simplified. What I do see are some large blocks of color which is good for starting out. It looks to me like you used some sort of photo for reference. This can be okay to do from time to time but I have found that in the beginning stages of learning art, drawing from life helps you to see shapes 3 dimensionally. This allows you to understand the correlation between spacial planes to a higher degree than drawing from a 2 dimensional photograph where you have only one flat view of the object/subject matter. Also, starting by drawing cones, blocks, and eggs are a great way to focus on learning how to render value without worrying about complex shapes typically found in the face and figure. This is what I recommend for most beginners. Once you have mastered that, drawing portraits would work the same way. Basically, you would want to think in terms of light and shadow and not in terms of drawing the eye, the nose, and the lips. What I mean is, instead of drawing element by element, draw the general blocked in shapes of light and shadow. Turning your image upside down will also help you see these relationships without thinking about your predetermined notions of what an eye or a nose should look like. As this particular piece is in the early stages, and I don't have the reference you used to look off of, I think a paint-over may not be helpful. I will however recommend that you show some sort of a light source as this will help you give some depth to your work. As it is, the large blocks of color don't have enough range of value and look a bit flat. For a beginner however, the proportions look to be in about the right place. If you can do this freehand, you will have a far greater advantage than if you trace, so try to do it freehand whenever you can. It will keep your skills sharp. ;)<br />
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Thanks so much for your patience! Expect another one tomorrow!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-76888793160551162672011-10-14T20:50:00.000-07:002011-10-14T20:50:27.792-07:00Perfect Perspective Every TimeSo I was browsing some <a href="http://conceptart.org">art forums</a> lately and I came across <a href="http://freddieart.com/QuickTools/index.php?page=detail&get_id=1&category=2">an amazing perspective tool</a> from <a href="http://freddieart.com">freddieart.com</a>.<br />
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It's a tool that adds instant perspective to your canvas by adding path lines radiating from a circle. The simplicity of it is ingenious. These circles are easily re-sized or moved to fit the perspective you have already established or to quickly build it up from scratch. I recommend watching the <a href="http://freddieart.com/QuickTools/index.php?page=detail&get_id=1&category=2">video tutorial</a> as well.<br />
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It came during a particularly useful time. After spending hours mocking up a ship for a book cover using a mechanical pencil, a long metal ruler, and several computer papers taped horizontally to see my distant vanishing points, I realized it wasn't receding drastically enough for the composition. Luckily, I was able to plop the vanishing point tool directly into my canvas, line them up the way I wanted, and draw it again digitally with much less hassle. Whew.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLW56RMstq0/Tpj-RVhZHpI/AAAAAAAAAM8/BeJSb5Nf7SQ/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="366" width="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLW56RMstq0/Tpj-RVhZHpI/AAAAAAAAAM8/BeJSb5Nf7SQ/s400/blog.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I recommend this tool for just about anything! I can't wait to use it in more environmental works. It's easy to forget about perspective in character art but it's still an important principle to remember, especially when rendering cylindrical objects and ellipses or feet. (If you aren't going to use perspective in your portraits at least be mindful of your <a href="http://ashleywalters.blogspot.com/2011/06/word-on-eye-level.html">eye level</a> as I have discussed before.) <br />
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And yes, that is why I haven't updated with all of the remaining crits. I have been working really hard on this new steampunk periodical called Clockhaven Chronicles due to be published mid November. I've done 3 illustrations for the project and I am very excited. It's all done so expect the rest of the crits shortly.<br />
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And in other news, Ballistic Publishing contracted me to do a tutorial of my Elven Concept piece which will be featured on page 130 of Exotique 7. It will be included in the DVD for those who pre-order the book. In it I narrate my process including line of action, keeping your values close in range, and light sourcing. A quick step by step video can be seen in the <a href="http://ashleywalters.net/resources.html">resources section</a> of my website. It was a bit weird trying to put it together as I have never used video production software before, but I was tickled to death when I heard back from the folks over at Ballistic. They said it's probably the best walkthrough they have ever received! =D My trial version of camtasia is already up, but after feeling my way around it I think I may try an open source program and make more tutorials. <br />
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Speaking of resources, I posted <a href="http://ashleywalters.net/resources.html">four free texture</a> packs on <a href="http://ashleywalters.net">my website</a>. These are free stock images with no usage restrictions. My camera is crap, but I've still found them useful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ashleywalters.net/images/grunge-textures-by-ashley-walters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="http://ashleywalters.net/images/grunge-textures-by-ashley-walters.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Stay tuned for more crits and thank you all for your patience!Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-87228689897887188752011-09-11T16:10:00.000-07:002011-09-12T07:48:05.850-07:00Crit Day!Hello hello! It's time to begin our crit day extravaganza!<br />
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Our first piece comes from Jonathan A Moore who graces us with some lovely Star Wars/X-men work (click for full view):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x9U-h5FpVKY/Tm1GSt1pcmI/AAAAAAAAALU/PC7fIeVKpCY/s1600/deadpoolsolofinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="343" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x9U-h5FpVKY/Tm1GSt1pcmI/AAAAAAAAALU/PC7fIeVKpCY/s400/deadpoolsolofinal.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The first thing I noticed about this piece, aside from it's epic subject matter of course, was the strong lighting throughout. The lighting was rendered with confidence and I am impressed. This is a good example of showing <i>the difference between cast shadows and form shadows</i> as cast shadows (like that shown under the assailant's arm) are sharper than form shadows (like the gradual shadow on Han's cheek). A lot of digital art I see nowadays have shadows with soft transitions and it ends up looking a bit blurred. <br />
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That being said, I do see some room for improvement. I feel there isn't enough mid-tone in Solo's face and you may have gone just a tad too far with the sharpness. The transition from the dark side to the light side (haha) is a bit drastic. I also wish there were more saturation throughout to really make the image pop. It looks to me like white was used to brighten, and black was used to darken. In general, I don't recommend this as your colors become dull quite fast. Instead, try using a slight tint to your highlight and for shadows, add more saturation as you go darker. In this case, I think the highlight color would work well with yellow and orange hues to reflect the desert environment outside. Adding a slight overall color will really help pull it together and make the whole illustration look cohesive. <br />
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The area with greatest contrast is Han's face, which is great as <i>you always want your focal point to be the area with greatest contrast</i>, but the background has so many different light and dark values and details it's getting a bit busy. I would add a layer of soft color over the background and reduce the opacity until I got to a good balance of foreground to background. A way to avoid having this problem in Photoshop is to check your values as you create the piece by starting a new layer on top of everything, fill it with black, and set the layer to saturation. This will give you a great view that can easily be turned on and off to show you how your values are working.<br />
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Here's my "after" (click for full view):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9dt_TojtKw/Tm1IAz8SnHI/AAAAAAAAALk/NC4NbNgIwU4/s1600/deadpoolsolofinal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="343" width="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9dt_TojtKw/Tm1IAz8SnHI/AAAAAAAAALk/NC4NbNgIwU4/s400/deadpoolsolofinal2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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And a side by side:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear:both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n2veTX-A94Q/Tm0-p1U8xkI/AAAAAAAAAK8/EPi_6H2v8hI/s1600/deadpoolsolofinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="172" width="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n2veTX-A94Q/Tm0-p1U8xkI/AAAAAAAAAK8/EPi_6H2v8hI/s200/deadpoolsolofinal.jpg" /></a> <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfZypl8TadM/Tm0-xP3ONiI/AAAAAAAAALE/eTC6ojNCgYA/s1600/deadpoolsolofinal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="172" width="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfZypl8TadM/Tm0-xP3ONiI/AAAAAAAAALE/eTC6ojNCgYA/s200/deadpoolsolofinal2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="clear:both;"></div>And here you can see the difference in contrast:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ashleywalters.net/images/help/deadpoolsolofinal.gif" /></div><br />
Our next piece comes to us from MeMilly:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLINDisREU/Tm4aQ9hLM9I/AAAAAAAAAME/MrLc_huyHhI/s1600/junglepleasures1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLINDisREU/Tm4aQ9hLM9I/AAAAAAAAAME/MrLc_huyHhI/s400/junglepleasures1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The first thing I noticed was the lack of strong light source. It seems more of a soft ambiguous light. Instead of thinking of things like individual objects, a leaf here, grapes there, a face, etc. think of everything as having planes and shade accordingly. Like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqMiNBu_hew/Tm4W2fOmtyI/AAAAAAAAALs/BpGuZG8c_DQ/s1600/junglepleasuresblock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqMiNBu_hew/Tm4W2fOmtyI/AAAAAAAAALs/BpGuZG8c_DQ/s400/junglepleasuresblock.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Now you can more clearly think about where light and shade should fall. It looks a little like the image has a light source is coming from the front, a little up, and to the right. With that in mind, I would shade the face a little bit differently. I would focus on the highlights where the plane changes shift causing specular highlights that catch the light just right. With frontal light, the sides of the face should darken to help them recede into the background so I added some shading to either side of her face. I also enlarged her forehead as it looked a bit too small (typically, the forehead is the same distance from the brow to the hairline as the brow to the tip of the nose in a frontal view). I added a little texture, and I changed her hair quite a bit. It seemed to me like it would make more sense to have her hair be wet like her face. Wet hair clings to the head and is darker throughout with sudden specular highlights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOoMHfFKp88/Tm4Y2JchdSI/AAAAAAAAAL0/95-8z_cat2A/s1600/junglepleasures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOoMHfFKp88/Tm4Y2JchdSI/AAAAAAAAAL0/95-8z_cat2A/s400/junglepleasures.jpg" /></a></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>The background didn't have a lot of form. It looked like leaves just drawn in without regard to form. Again, think of plane changes. The sides of the grapes needed shading to show the overall curved form a vine of grapes would have. Likewise, the leaves should have shading to push the tops of them back into space and show some cast shadows from the leaves above them.<br />
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Lastly I added some more color variance to give the picture more interest. I realize this was a color challenge and you had a limited color pallet to work with, but I felt this gave it more interest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" width="150" style="float:left" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSLINDisREU/Tm4aQ9hLM9I/AAAAAAAAAME/MrLc_huyHhI/s400/junglepleasures1.jpg" /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfsvangRWck/Tm4ZjMoM90I/AAAAAAAAAL8/lGfRxFRpOuk/s1600/junglepleasures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em;" ><img border="0" height="200" width="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfsvangRWck/Tm4ZjMoM90I/AAAAAAAAAL8/lGfRxFRpOuk/s200/junglepleasures.jpg" /></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div>Now I didn't really spend enough time on this to call it done as it stands, rather this is a starting point for MeMilly to take it to the level she wants. I hope it was helpful.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-72053893599314187942011-09-03T12:43:00.000-07:002011-09-03T12:43:06.150-07:00Crit Day! Post before the 11th and get cc!Hello hello! It is a glorious day (and no I am not just referring to it being my birthday). The sky is blue, the air is a cool 76 degrees, and life is good. Thanks for all the warm messages. Let's celebrate with my first ever crit day! <br />
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Post a link to one original artwork of yours and I will offer my critiquing services to the first 10 who post artwork here (I'll be surprised if I get more requests, but if I do I will try and get to yours as time allows). You have one week to post your work. On Sunday the 11th I will begin critiques. It's okay to post works in progress although I would prefer the image be at least somewhat complete. Loose sketches are too early of a stage.<br />
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If this goes well, it's something I will try and do often. It's a small way of saying thank you to all my followers and watchers. Truly, I am very glad to have had so many people take an interest in my work and my blog. My ultimate goal for my website and blog is for it to be a resource to other people. I can't tell you how much critic has helped my work improve. I wish I could get in depth critic on all of my work but now that I am working for commercial clients I find that non disclosure agreements have heightened my respect for some good ole cc. <br />
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So go ahead and post away! ;)Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-35151660356116462572011-08-21T16:27:00.000-07:002011-08-21T16:30:49.396-07:00Ways for hopefuls to break into the industryIt's a curious thing to me to see so many people ask about <b>how to break into the industry</b>. I may not be a well known name in the industry, but I have my foot in the door and <b>there are some great bits of truth I have discovered in my short journey</b> (mind you I've only being serious about digital illustration since February of this year). Despite my short time in this field, I've suddenly found a pouring of illustration offers coming my way. I am ecstatic. I wish I could post what I have been working on, but know that I have been working hard.<br />
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One thing I have found to be true from all of this is that <b>people take your art as seriously as you do. </b> I first came upon this phrase while reading <a href="http://skinnyartist.com/5-fears-that-can-destroy-an-artist/">an article on the five fears that can destroy an artist</a>. First and foremost, <b>a serious artist spends some serious time working on art</b> but that alone will not get you work. After building my portfolio, I realized <b>I needed a professional web presence to be competitive</b>. Soon after creating <a href="http://ashleywalters.net">my art website</a>, revitalizing this art blog, and posting on <a href="http://conceptart.org">conceptart.org</a> I found illustration offers pouring in. I couldn't believe it. What I gather from this, is that by creating a professional space to showcase my work and declaring myself an illustrator boldly on my homepage (granted I had only done a few personal commission at that point but you have to start somewhere), I showed people that I believed in myself. I also let my family and friends know what I was up to. I wasn't just doing art as a hobby anymore. I was serious about it and working hard. It was an attitude adjustment and people can tell that I have changed. I used to be embarrassed to let my friends see my work. Not anymore. It is what it is and it was time to own up.<br />
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That isn't always enough. The next step was getting my website seen. That's where <a href="http://lithriel.deviantart.com">my deviantart account</a> and posting on art forums came in handy. I wrote a journal to let my watchers on deviantart know where to find my work online, but what really has helped me branch and network has been <b>the simple and yet powerful act of posting critics and offering insight</b> on <a href="http://conceptart.org">conceptart.org</a>. People were curious about this person they had never heard about. I've always been of the mindset that <b>you have to give a little to get a little</b>. Helping others and cheering at others accomplishments is a win win. By commenting on other people's blogs and taking part in online discussions you become visible. You aren't going to get much traffic by getting your website up and twiddling your thumbs. And you never know who is going to be a good referral. Networking is very important when it comes to this industry. Another great way to get your work seen is to take part in challenges and contests. My work is in the current ImagineFX magazine again for winning the monthly challenge and this time my new website will be printed beside my work. With so many people scouting for new talent such a thing could only help, not hurt.<br />
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Now there are <i>even better</i> ways to get your name out there. Putting yourself on networks like <a href="http://elance.com">elance.com</a> or <a href="http://www.coroflot.com/">cloroflot</a> are great ways to get your work shown to potential clients right away. Setting up tables at conventions and meeting people in the industry is also a great way to get your name out there, or so I hear. I want to do this soon, but I simply don't have enough work to sell at this point. It is something I hope to do in the near future however.<br />
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So to sum things up, how do you break into the industry? First, make good art, second, create a visible web presence, and third, network. So get out there and make it happen!<br />
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Do you have any tips on how to break into the industry?<br />
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Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-1386603424676461862011-07-28T14:36:00.000-07:002011-07-28T14:38:42.818-07:00Ah sweet internet, it's so good to see you again!Ever get cut off from the internet and feel absolutely lost? My internet was down all day yesterday and while the frustration was eating away at me I was able to hunker down and do some drawing and my productivity was much better. Makes me want to sign up for that <a href="http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/31289/selfcontrol">selfcontrol</a> app I heard about but sadly it is only for Macs. For now I'll have to try out a similar extension for Firefox called <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/leechblock/">leachblock</a>. Distractions are dangerous and I am guilty of surfing news sites when I should be drawing. <br />
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With a lot of commissions pouring in at this time (yay), I really want to up my productivity and the speed at which I work so that I can get more art in every single day. I was supposed to get up this morning at 5:30am and get to drawing, but after the hubby woke me on his way out the door for work I soon fell asleep again. Drats! I didn't used to try and get up at ungodly hours of the morning. It wasn't until I read this mind altering article on the <a href="http://skinnyartist.com/9-warning-signs-of-an-amateur-artist/">differences between professional artists and amateaur artists</a> that I decided it was time to make a change. Still, it hasn't been easy being a stay at home mother to two very young children and get art in, but if <a href="http://cryptcrawler.deviantart.com/">Brad Rigney</a> can be a stay at home dad and do work for top clients like Massive Black then I can find a way! <br />
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Maybe I need to create a <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v403/MrDelicious/Artwork/schedule2.jpg">crazy schedule</a> like <a href="http://daverapoza.blogspot.com/">this guy</a>. What I like most about it, is that he always puts time in for studies to keep learning every day. That is something I yet to do- once I start on a commission it is usually my only project until it is completed. But by following a schedule like this I might be able to work a couple of projects at once AND still get in some practice speed paintings. <br />
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My next problem is speed. I want to be able to make a decent income doing this but I can't get in enough projects in a month to make it work yet. I know that part of it comes down to how much I charge for my services, and with time that rate will increase. Until then, I need to draw draw draw and push myself to get past working on details at an early stage. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bx4myyvOgO8/TjHVSZs4Z3I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/kdhZONmmkbM/s1600/steampunkdragonda2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="148" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bx4myyvOgO8/TjHVSZs4Z3I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/kdhZONmmkbM/s200/steampunkdragonda2.jpg" /></a></div>My last steampunk piece is a great example of how NOT to do a piece. I started out planning to make a very soft elven maiden drawing for <a href="http://www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/exotique_7/callforentries/">Exotique 7's call for entries</a>. I soon realized that I can't do uber soft like <a href="http://www.melaniedelon.com/">Melanie Delon</a> and it was time to do my own take. Problem is, it took me nearly 20 hours to get to that point and I had only worked on the face. Then I decided to take it in another direction and spent countless other hours trying to fix artistic problems that should have been solved early on in the thinking process. All in all, the piece took entirely too long. During that time I could have been working on another concept portfolio piece (these pretty characters are fun to do, but they aren't your typical commercial type of art). Sometimes it's best just to move on and get to the next project like . Oh well, lesson learned. <br />
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I'll be creating my own schedule here soon and try to stick to it! So how do you balance art and life?Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-63358593527750643802011-07-17T21:47:00.000-07:002011-07-17T21:50:44.335-07:00The sincerest form of flattery perhaps? Copying vs ReferenceAs many of you probably know, there is a well known fantasy artist who recently was accused of pasting elements of several other peers works into her own and painting over them. This artist has since sold these images in her books. Now this news did interest me as I was a fan of her work, but it interests me even more as one of the artists she is now accused of stealing from. Whether her affirmation that she hand painted everything is true or not, it did get me thinking that perhaps this is a great time for healthy discussion about the use of "reference". <br />
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Now there is a large divide in the world of art. Those who happily use reference images they find online and those that shun the practice. In case you wondering, I put myself in the "happily uses online ref" category. Let me explain why.<br />
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I define reference as some sort of imagery, whether perceived naturally or through photos/videos, which is used to help draw/paint/sculpt a new piece of art. Referring could mean a quick glance to establish a similar mood, color combinations, or to brush up on creature anatomy, or it could be in depth copying with methods such as "gridding" where the image looked upon is copied almost exactly. (Tracing is a different method and involves copying and pasting, projecting, and painting over other imagery and is another discussion altogether). <br />
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Now the debate isn't so much about either method, but whether or not the person using said imagery happens to have permission to use copyrighted images for reference or tracing/painting over. The answer may surprise you. Under most copyright laws in the world, as long as the imagery created is a "derivative" work and not a copy, it can be used as reference but copying and pasting someone's work into your own without permission is a much more dangerous practice. However it is important to mention that what is allowed under law is not necessarily looked upon with acceptance in prominent art communities. <br />
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Now I had a professor in college who does commercial art for clients based in California including Disney and other big name movies. As someone in the field, he explained to us that art directors don't care if you don't know how to draw a turtle from memory or not, if you have a project due at the end of the week you had better have an anatomically correct rendering of a turtle. Say there are no turtles around- you had better humble yourself and find some online reference. So how do you use online reference <i>and</i> still feel good about yourself at the end of the day? I find the key element to all of this, is <b>to what extent</b> you refer to something. <br />
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Referring to me, means looking at something, learning from it, and making something new. It means creating something similar with different angles and perspective, lighting, or mood. It's okay to look at online reference, and even other artwork. For example, below I have two images, one a reference image I used to create the other.<br />
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<object width="450" height="572"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="id=150133165&width=1337" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" flashvars="id=150133165&width=1337" height="572" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/150133165/">Character</a> by ~<a class="u" href="http://akizhao.deviantart.com/">akizhao</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">deviant</a><a href="http://www.deviantart.com">ART</a><br />
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<object width="450" height="668"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="id=204077502&width=1337" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" flashvars="id=204077502&width=1337" height="668" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/204077502/">Elven Concept</a> by `<a class="u" href="http://lithriel.deviantart.com/">lithriel</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">deviant</a><a href="http://www.deviantart.com">ART</a><br />
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Now if you look the images are almost identical in mood and color combinations but they are entirely different in every other way. This type of referring is usually called inspiration but it is reference all the same. <br />
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The best way to use exact reference, as my professor explained, is to build up your own library of stock photos, or buy them online if you must refer to something directly. No amount of reasoning can save your hind end should you use something copyrighted and get your publisher sued. <br />
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Now there are some times when copying directly can be a good thing, like when doing master studies. However studies are used for learning and not for making money. Even fan art, which I have done my fare share of in the past, can be a fun release provided you give credit where credit is due and don't profit off of your work. <br />
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So where do you draw the line with reference?Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-89445480462396682162011-06-09T10:35:00.000-07:002011-06-09T10:35:04.697-07:00Simplification and it's grand rewards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zxlNGIwNOC4/TfD45nidEuI/AAAAAAAAAJE/DgAXAXTY_OE/s1600/inalandfarfarawayfinal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="246" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zxlNGIwNOC4/TfD45nidEuI/AAAAAAAAAJE/DgAXAXTY_OE/s320/inalandfarfarawayfinal2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Greetings all! Guess what? I won the ImagineFX challenge again this month! :D Now I think it's time to step aside and give it a rest. I might still do the challenges but I won't post them in the finals. Here's the final winning image (but you can <a href="http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=222387">give me some crit</a> over at <a href="http://conceptart.org/">conceptart.org</a>).<br />
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It's nicely rendered, but I'd really like to loosen up my style. I think if I had a more defined style I would be a lot further along in getting into the industry. As it is, I border on being forgettable. Looking around some art sites, I've been greatly inspired by works like this:<br />
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<object width="450" height="586"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="id=149448001&width=1337" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" flashvars="id=149448001&width=1337" height="586" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/149448001/">FAFN forest defenders</a> by ~<a class="u" href="http://pervandr.deviantart.com/">Pervandr</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">deviant</a><a href="http://www.deviantart.com">ART</a><br />
And this guy who blows me away- <a href="http://www.ruanjia.com/">http://www.ruanjia.com/</a><br />
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I love how each stroke defines the form and yet doesn't over define it. It reminds me of the very powerful statement I read recently in a great <a href="http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm">art tutorial</a>- <br />
"The advantage art holds over photos is simplification. In a photo you'll get distracting details. When drawing, you can remove objects that aren't relevant to the scene. "<br />
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<b>Each and every stroke should add something to the piece. If it's not needed, you shouldn't add it. </b> That is a substantial thought. It really made me think. Hope it makes you think too. ;) <br />
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And here are a few quick sketches I've done in the past week trying to loosen up. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="float:left; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-weE7JlB-At4/TfD5e7Yu-SI/AAAAAAAAAJM/bROyOaN7Ktw/s1600/tornado2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="138" width="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-weE7JlB-At4/TfD5e7Yu-SI/AAAAAAAAAJM/bROyOaN7Ktw/s320/tornado2.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S_O3aYNzGhE/TfD5lw-HjvI/AAAAAAAAAJU/rqM8HHxHbIo/s1600/elf-chick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="160" width="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S_O3aYNzGhE/TfD5lw-HjvI/AAAAAAAAAJU/rqM8HHxHbIo/s320/elf-chick.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgNRbZXdeMo/TfEBeuVfHeI/AAAAAAAAAJs/cz8M-WqqSds/s1600/fantasyportrait3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="220" width="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgNRbZXdeMo/TfEBeuVfHeI/AAAAAAAAAJs/cz8M-WqqSds/s320/fantasyportrait3.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PAZIL9bBZ0c/TfD6WOD1rII/AAAAAAAAAJc/wEVy1yae5Yg/s1600/elven-male.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="220" width="134" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PAZIL9bBZ0c/TfD6WOD1rII/AAAAAAAAAJc/wEVy1yae5Yg/s320/elven-male.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Ref- <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.fashionica.com/summer-fashionable-accessories/">link</a><br />
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I still have a ways to go as you can see but I am trying.<br />
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During my studies this week I have discovered a way to replicate that really nice hard brush look I see in concept art. My hard round brush just wasn't doing the trick. So played around and discovered that the "oil heavy flow dry edges" brush set with low opacity and low flow gets close to the effect. Anyone else have a different technique? I used it for the tornado speed paint above. Here are my settings:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XdAoNhfwWnA/TfD8Aas3ksI/AAAAAAAAAJk/osUBsV96V-A/s1600/brushsettings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="340" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XdAoNhfwWnA/TfD8Aas3ksI/AAAAAAAAAJk/osUBsV96V-A/s400/brushsettings.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And as stated I have joined some more art communities. Leave me a message and we can hook up:<br />
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<a href="http://lithriel.cghub.com/">http://lithriel.cghub.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://conceptart.org/forums/member.php?u=314321">http://conceptart.org/forums/member.php?u=314321</a><br />
<a href="http://lithriel.cgsociety.org/">http://lithriel.cgsociety.org/</a>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-27193875504168870872011-06-02T11:11:00.000-07:002011-06-02T11:11:59.319-07:00A Word on Eye LevelMany times in illustration we need to draw several subjects and objects in one scene. One mistake I have seen even the pros make is having multiple eye levels in one piece. <i>What’s the big deal,</i> you say? Well if your entire scene has the same perspective then <b>eye level should be the same across the entire piece</b>. There should only be one eye level.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aZVyvAP1UQ/TefO1ANSvfI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/QkC_Hh6u0g4/s1600/eyelevel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="138" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aZVyvAP1UQ/TefO1ANSvfI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/QkC_Hh6u0g4/s200/eyelevel1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
What does eye level even mean? <b>Eye level is the point at which you, the audience, is viewing something straight ahead.</b> So if you were looking at a telephone pole at just 2 feet away you would have to look down to see the bottom of the pole and up to see the top but if you looked directly ahead you would see the middle of it. <br />
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How does that translate into the art world? If you are drawing a medieval dwarf up close at typical eye level (most people are about 5 to 6 feet tall) you would need to draw him as if the audience were looking down on his head. If you were drawing a tall monster terrorizing that same dwarf at close range, your eye level would hit maybe at the monster’s knees and you would be looking up at said monster’s chin. <b>The problem occurs when you are looking down on both the monster and the dwarf because that’s not possible</b> unless you as the audience is viewing the scene up in the sky, get me? You need to draw the monster in perspective in relation to the perspective already established in the rest of the scene. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPXUXzfYRfA/TefPJFEMUqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/KhhU-Zuquok/s1600/eyelevelwrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="185" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPXUXzfYRfA/TefPJFEMUqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/KhhU-Zuquok/s200/eyelevelwrong.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--3HnPyjcfeM/TefPOA91vVI/AAAAAAAAAIg/sC5XgcyGRl4/s1600/eyelevelright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="158" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--3HnPyjcfeM/TefPOA91vVI/AAAAAAAAAIg/sC5XgcyGRl4/s200/eyelevelright.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Another time I see a problem is when I am looking at say, an illustration of a group of really cool people all standing behind the hero in an awesome v formation (because in the hero world everybody stands like this naturally). The illustration is looking so awesome, until I look at their feet. <i>What’s wrong,</i> you ask? <b>I’m seeing everyone’s head at eye level and their feet too. </b> You can’t do that remember? One eye level only please. I only have one set of eyes and they happen to be right next to each other not at my feet too. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIVlsgpEo_w/TefPi7txBeI/AAAAAAAAAIo/ny3Q_ICPf9w/s1600/eyelevelfeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="104" width="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIVlsgpEo_w/TefPi7txBeI/AAAAAAAAAIo/ny3Q_ICPf9w/s200/eyelevelfeet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the case of looking at feet at eye level the bottom of the feet would be straight across. But if I am already looking at their heads at eye level, the feet should not be straight across. It’s either/or not both. If their feet are straight across then we need to be looking up at their heads.<br />
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Think of it like taking a picture of really tall buildings from ground level. <br />
See that crazy perspective? Figures are the same way when you are looking up from feet level. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQ_PTqeSDz4/TefQ_th-StI/AAAAAAAAAI4/eZ7t2UI8bmU/s1600/eyelevelbuildings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YQ_PTqeSDz4/TefQ_th-StI/AAAAAAAAAI4/eZ7t2UI8bmU/s320/eyelevelbuildings.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs5/i/2004/346/3/6/buildings___by_kafirwall.jpg">Stock Link</a></div><br />
The effect is reduced the further you stand back. If you were looking at the tallest man in the world face to chest, the effects of perspective looking up would be drastic whereas if you were looking at him from 50 feet away, it would be more subtle. If you happen to be looking at him from miles away and from up on top of a hill, you would actually be looking down on him <b>because the eye level is the horizon. </b><br />
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Another quick word about ellipses. Just FYI- they follow perspective too. Go get yourself a cup, yes really, go grab one. It will help you understand this principle. <br />
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Now hold it right in front of your eyes. You should be seeing the cup straight across. Now hold it at elbow level and closely watch the shape of the opening. It goes from a straight line and morphs into an ellipse. Now set the cup at your feet. The shape of the opening is now a full circle. Now pick up the cup and hold it above your head. Look at the shapes of the ellipses. You can’t see the opening anymore. <b>Remember that as you illustrate. </b>All too often I see the tops of cups I shouldn’t see the tops to. Any cylindrical object above eye level you won’t see the top to unless it is tilted forward. And notice how the ellipses are wider the more you look down. Most people draw them in reverse. They draw the top of the bottle sitting on a table with a nice wide ellipse and the bottom nearly straight across. This is wrong.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_XPz2LjRcg/TefP9qNMeXI/AAAAAAAAAIw/r3u5l3CNCbg/s1600/eyelevelcup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="157" width="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_XPz2LjRcg/TefP9qNMeXI/AAAAAAAAAIw/r3u5l3CNCbg/s320/eyelevelcup.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Let’s recap.<br />
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There is only one eye level.<br />
If you have already established eye level with one figure, the other figures in the scene need to be in perspective relative to what you have already established.<br />
Feet should never be straight across unless you are looking at feet level<br />
The eye level is the horizon.<br />
You can’t see the tops to cylindrical objects above eye level unless they are tilted.<br />
Ellipses get wider the further you get from eye level.<br />
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Yes, you can break the rules. Just make sure you know you are breaking them and break them on purpose. Happy illustrating!<br />
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AshleyAshleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-58422691319432185502011-05-25T15:41:00.000-07:002011-05-25T16:36:58.543-07:00Evolution of an Artist- the advice of Daarken AKA Mike LimEver feel like your art isn't good enough? We've all been there. I'm there right now at this very moment, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Digital Illustrator Mike Lim shares his long journey as an artist with us in his recent blog post, <a href="http://daarken.com/blog/2011/05/23/evolution-of-an-artist/">Evolution of an artist.</a> <br />
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He talks about his ever changing art- from his humble beginnings to his latest and greatest work. Along the way he gives fantastic advice about how to keep pushing yourself, and even offers a few well kept secrets about breaking into the industry:<br />
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"The reason I was able to get work without having to go out and find it for myself was because I had a very strong online presence"</i> Mikes states. <i>"I posted on many different art forums, I had a website, a blog, and I made a lot of friends and contacts in the industry."</i><br />
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I have always believed that having an artistic network of friends is vital not only for the sake of your career, but for the sake of inspiration, motivation, and critic which helps to push you forward. These things may seem small but as Mike has demonstrated the payoffs can be huge. So if you are new to the art game I suggest joining all the biggest art communities:<br />
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<a href="http://theartorder.com/">The Art Order</a><br />
<a href="http://www.conceptart.org/">Conceptart.org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.cghub.com/">CGhub.com</a><br />
<a href="http://imaginefx.com">ImagineFX</a><br />
<a href="http://deviantart.com">Deviantart</a><br />
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Participate in the challenges, give critic to others, and accept critic with an open mind. This has helped to bring me to the level I am at currently, but I have a long way to go still. Just to give you an idea of my own progression, here is my first digital painting in August of 2009 (which I am totally embarrassed to even show), and here is my current work in progress:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66zDecqNPlk/Td18Fb1789I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/h1srbPUD2wY/s1600/Sprite_by_lithriel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="193" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66zDecqNPlk/Td18Fb1789I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/h1srbPUD2wY/s320/Sprite_by_lithriel.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUPMOkpwY3s/Td184W7lz8I/AAAAAAAAAGY/LpCCUNqH4sQ/s1600/darkelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="207" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUPMOkpwY3s/Td184W7lz8I/AAAAAAAAAGY/LpCCUNqH4sQ/s320/darkelf.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The biggest difference I have seen from then to now is my transition from painting "typical pretty girls" to a more storytelling approach. This is a marked improvement because I have gone from a very reference heavy approach to a "make it up from your mind" take. <br />
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But remember how I started this post about saying how I don't think my work is quite where I want it to be? Give me three years and I know I could blow your socks off. Even in three years I will feel the same because there is always room for improvement.<br />
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Like Mike Lim states,"never give up... If being an artist is something you truly want to do, be prepared to put everything else aside in order to achieve that dream." And that ladies and gents is why I have been crawling into bed at midnight and getting up first thing in the morning to get in as much art as I can. I am committed for the long run. And if you are too, then get out that tablet and get drawing. That is the best advice anyone can give you.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-61831351256299217672011-05-11T17:17:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:31:36.685-07:00Another Win Another DDSurely one of these days someone is going to say something about how many <a href="http://lithriel.deviantart.com/dds/">DD's</a> (daily deviation features) I've accrued. I'm up to 4 already as of today and it won't be long before people have had enough of me, I'm sure! =p My failed <a href="http://news.deviantart.com/article/118049/">FEZ contest entry</a> held by Deviant Art was chosen for the honor today and while I am quite proud at my contrast work with this piece it has several flaws. It didn't even make into the semi-finalists.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4qRf6Z6wrc/Tcsof_RRYvI/AAAAAAAAAF4/b3jsJT38tGY/s1600/fez3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="328" width="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v4qRf6Z6wrc/Tcsof_RRYvI/AAAAAAAAAF4/b3jsJT38tGY/s400/fez3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I wish they had just waited a little longer because I was seriously thinking about revamping this piece for my portfolio. There is such nice contrast and lighting going on and it's one of my most successful thumbnails or "reads well from a distance" pieces. Again I owe a shout out to the guys over at <a href="http://www.fzdschool.com/">FZD School of Design</a> for their amazing tutorials which frequently go over this very concept. However it's very low resolution, and I desperately want to rework some areas that I just ran out of time to address.<br />
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And would you believe it? I also won the April Monthly challenge over at ImagineFX? That means I will most likely be published again which is way way cool. :D At the same time though, my current monthly challenge (which I had the honor of choosing), has a much more complex and epic entry in progress which I feel merits publishing over last month's entry hands down. Here's a sneak peak:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0pyWSkqIW8w/TcsrP9_BFGI/AAAAAAAAAGI/nKY-ZtRFqnk/s1600/inalandfarfaraway5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0pyWSkqIW8w/TcsrP9_BFGI/AAAAAAAAAGI/nKY-ZtRFqnk/s400/inalandfarfaraway5.jpg" /></a></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-84981512622429992752011-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:002011-04-28T11:50:56.831-07:00The Secret to good lighting- Beyond the DarknessI have decided to enter the ImagineFX monthly challenge with the theme of "Beyond the Darkness". Along my journey of creating this piece I have pushed myself and have seen the fruits of my labors. You too can learn the secret to good lighting.<br />
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Several ideas popped into my head for this great theme and I sketched out several variations of different ideas. However, I realized I was entering the competition very late in the game (with a little over a week to go) and with a newborn in the house it would be better to do something less complex and more closeup. In the end I chose a rather typical image of an angel looking up into the light. The reason why I chose this is simply because I was itching to digitally paint a child and it seemed to <b>fit the magazine's usual imagery</b> well with emphasis on sci-fi and fantasy characters (<i>which you should always think about when entering a competition</i>) and it seemed to fit the theme best though rather straight forwardly. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qOnAk30nOsY/Tbm1uLNstmI/AAAAAAAAAFo/HL6-mZX0FJw/s1600/beyondthedarkness5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qOnAk30nOsY/Tbm1uLNstmI/AAAAAAAAAFo/HL6-mZX0FJw/s400/beyondthedarkness5.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The theme of "beyond the darkness" was the perfect opportunity to stretched my lighting skills even further. In my studies I have discovered that <b>the secret to great lighting is <a href="http://painting.about.com/cs/paintingknowhow/a/shadows.htm">knowing the difference between cast shadow and form shadow</a></b> and NOT being afraid to create hard lines in your illustration. Don't be afraid that the shadow is going to look weird, just DO IT! You'll soon find that hard shadows in the right place makes your illustration look far more realistic.<br />
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I plan to do a tutorial very soon on lighting as it is one of the most successful tools in my arsenal. It was one of the most important things I learned during my classical art training in college but I didn't know how to properly implement it in an illustration setting until recently. <br />
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Next I want to push my illustrations to show more depth like the works of <a href="http://arsenal21.deviantart.com/">Glen Rane</a>, <a href="http://unidcolor.deviantart.com/">Patrik Hjelm</a>, and <a href="http://fav.me/d1xo0g3">Steven Argyle</a>.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-32052226338871931262011-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:002011-04-13T15:30:08.952-07:00Some Yummy Concept ArtA recent speed painting concept of mine:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNjs8m1gKb4/TaXLPNZ_CBI/AAAAAAAAAFg/fx9vDikHwOk/s1600/desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNjs8m1gKb4/TaXLPNZ_CBI/AAAAAAAAAFg/fx9vDikHwOk/s400/desert.jpg" /></a></div><br />
As I have begun building up an illustration/concept art portfolio, I have wondered, what makes a good concept art piece? Concept art in and of itself is vastly <a href="https://mollyrocket.com/1609">different than illustration</a>. As an artist is it sometimes good to have a solid grasp of both. From my research I have discovered the following:<br />
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Concept Art establishes mood, atmosphere, and scale. It should show value, space, and composition. Concept art should read well from a distance. Use value to establish a focal point and a clear idea. Perspective also is of great importance. Concept art is a means to an end. It isn't meant to be shown directly to an audience like illustration but handed to a team of 3D modelers and texture artists. Therefore if your perspective is off, it is harder for someone else to work with what you have. It may be confusing, or be impossible to replicate in a 3D environment. <br />
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Concept Art subject matter varies and so should your skill set. Concept art can be anything from character design, creature design, storyboards, machinery design, and environment design. Films usually have the budget to hire artists for each specific category of concept art but game designers usually need fewer artists with a wider range of skills. It's also a good idea to show both organic and inorganic elements.<br />
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A great resource for concept art is the site <a href="http://www.fzdschool.com/">FZD School of Design</a>. They have several video tutorials which go over everything I have just described above. Check them out if you have a chance.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-86576278853418293992011-04-09T15:01:00.000-07:002011-04-09T15:48:58.952-07:00I'm Back!! DAZ Studio and W.I.P. PodcastSorry for the long absence. I switched over to <a href="http://lithriel.deviantart.com/">deviantart</a> as my main art account for a while but I am back. I'll be posting art and links to great resources on here as I continue to build my art portfolio and find useful links.<br /><br />Speaking of which, there's a great group of artists who get together and critique artwork the first Wednesday of every month- <a href="http://jeffreyhimmelman.com/wip/">W.I.P. Podcast</a> I posted my work last week and got some great critique on my latest piece. Here's the before and after pictures:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Annx7061wo/TaDZxmy-_wI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2rKXRXhh9E8/s1600/elvenconcept.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:20px 0px 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 181px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Annx7061wo/TaDZxmy-_wI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2rKXRXhh9E8/s320/elvenconcept.jpg" com="" img="" gifalt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593710183445364482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35LBRJf0NyI/TaDaEnwwZPI/AAAAAAAAAEU/pOu-wMMSfAs/s1600/elvenconcept2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 189px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35LBRJf0NyI/TaDaEnwwZPI/AAAAAAAAAEU/pOu-wMMSfAs/s320/elvenconcept2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593710510121968882" border="0" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As you can see, I changed the hair and finished the legs. Much better. I tend to fall into the trap of making my subject matter "pretty" instead of realistic and the most helpful comment was to give the hair as much dynamic movement as the rest of the piece. It's ALWAYS good to have another pair of eyes catch the things you don't even notice.<br /><br />Check out the <a href="http://wippodcast.com/forums/">forums</a> as well. There's a great little community over there for people to post work. It's a great stepping stone for beginners just getting into things who want to get critique. Also building a network of artistic friends is a great way to get your foot into the industry. Plus, you can't go wrong by offering others some helpful comments. The podcasts are very informational as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-538M7aOQ2R0/TaDiPWhHsgI/AAAAAAAAAEk/E_HKDbDSJSo/s1600/action%2Bpose.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-538M7aOQ2R0/TaDiPWhHsgI/AAAAAAAAAEk/E_HKDbDSJSo/s320/action%2Bpose.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593719490564567554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Another great resource I stumbled upon was a link on <a href="http://thearteducatorsblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/daz-3d-studio-review-great-reference.html">The Art Educators Blog</a> about <a href="http://www.daz3d.com/i/software/studio">DAZ Studio</a>- a great 3D resource for posing. I've played around with it a little bit and it looks promising for getting reference for poses that are hard to catch (like action poses) and for getting reference of body types that are hard to find. I'll play around with it some more but I'm not sure how useful the program will be when my 30 day trial is over. Plus you really need to buy a couple of packages for it to really be useful and I'm not keene on putting a lot of money into something that is supposedly free (but all the content costs money). The picture to the right is a quick snap shot I took of an action pose. Cool stuff, no?Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321498743654787428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-7160525017765001672007-06-26T20:26:00.000-07:002007-06-26T20:50:32.121-07:00Some Sketches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ashleywalters.net/images/gallery/figure3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://ashleywalters.net/images/gallery/figure3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I thought I would upload a sketch from my current figure drawing sketchbook. This work is a Master study (done from another master artists work).<br /><br />I found a wonderful online resource for figure drawing at <a href="http://figuredrawings.com/index.html">figuredrawings.com</a>. They have amazing drawings posted from some of the greatest figure drawing artists since the Renaissance. Warning- Don't go there if you are offended by artistic nudity.Ashley Waltershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05460270245246759376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-84226049756827918312007-06-22T20:24:00.001-07:002007-06-22T20:44:27.892-07:00Recent Artwork<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_FzqyNptSt_Y/RnyTS3RAF2I/AAAAAAAAAAU/lY5LMtWCWM8/s1600-h/head-study4.jpg"></a>This was a head study I drew today in the Friday model sessions up on campus. Anyone can come and draw. I wanted to try out a new technique today so I made myself get up on a perfectly good Friday morning and drew for 3 hours straight.<br /><br />I enjoy this technique. I might even do the same thing now and again.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.ashleywalters.net/details.asp?imageID=21"></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.ashleywalters.net/details.asp?imageID=21"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079096689747302258" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 253px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 287px" height="297" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_FzqyNptSt_Y/RnyTh3RAF3I/AAAAAAAAAAc/MeSuIoEhXOo/s320/head-study4.jpg" width="253" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">Colored pencil & charcoal on Canson paper <br /> © Ashley Walters</p>Ashley Waltershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05460270245246759376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1354420229972462137.post-28762789740759436002007-06-22T20:22:00.000-07:002007-06-22T20:24:20.788-07:00The Blogging BeginsI finally have a blog! Here I hope to post plans for future projects and show my progress along the way.<br /><br />My first order of business will be to redesign my homepage. After I finish that, I plan to redesign this blog to my liking. Being a webdesigner I feel obligated to create my own template. =)Ashley Waltershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05460270245246759376noreply@blogger.com0