Forums » Art Critique
blunt criticism, please
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Hi
I'm Kathy! I'm a high school junior looking at calarts character animation. I highly appreciate comments, criticism, suggestions-- all input is welcome! most of all, i'd like complete honesty. don't hold back--please nit pick absolutely EVERYTHING.
http://www.animatedbuzz.com/albums/view/1450
i'm especially concerned about conveying character, force, and "drawing the verb and not the noun." hw are my strokes? how is the shading? also, experimentation?
thank you very much!
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Well, I'm sorry I don't have much to say but as a high school junior these are excellent. You're super talented. Photo 7 is really good.
My only complaint is that these are done on a half of a page or a third of the page, and none of the figures are actually complete. Try fitting the entire figure on one page.
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ah!! it's been such a long time! i totally didn't see these replies.
thank you guys so much for the critiques! i'll be drawing the entire body from now on. :]
my art teacher has pointed out that a lot of the heads i draw are way too big compared to the rest of the body--in addition to other proportional issues. i'm trying to work on that, but i'm worried about losing the character of the poses if i focus too much on proportions. is there anything you guys would recommend doing? or...are exact proportions not super important for the CA portfolio (because i've heard that floating around somewhere too...)?
i've check out both of your art and i love the expressiveness and the inventiveness in your drawing approaches!! :DD
This post was edited by Deleted Member at May 22, 2012 6:59 PM PDT -
-yes, in general watch proportions. Just skimming, the head is an issue but so is the torso at times. Maybe give sight measuring a try with your pencil and see if that can help you with accuracy and break past some of the conventions your mind is putting on your drawings. Accurate proportions might not be entirely necessary, but you should be aware of them and capable of using them. So practice accuracy. Also practice deliberate distortion. How far can you take something before believability breaks? What visual relations tie together distorted images and which ones break them?
-watch your forms, how they layer, fit together, and relate in 3d space. Some of your forms don't relate well, feel cut off, etc.
-Don't get hung up on making outlines - and don't let lines restrain expressiveness if at times they conflict. In the abstract you are looking to portray the energy/idea of that unique model in that particular pose at this point in life - that goal is different from the goal of a representational drawing.
-This more classical stuff is good, but push yourself outside of that area too. Try drawing with different goals, methods, and media to broaden your skillset, ideas, and the way you observe. Experiment. Not that this stuff isn't good - keep working on this sort of drawing, it's in a good place but you need to get better at it, but also set aside a chunk of this drawing time to experiment and play - see where it takes you.
This post was edited by Elizabeth McMahill at May 23, 2012 3:09 PM PDT -
ooh ok! i'll try out distortion at the next workshop.
is there any way of doing life drawing that you would recommend, like: on an easel, on a drawing desk, or on a drawing board on your lap? i've mostly been drawing on a desk because it gives my more control with the media than does an easel, and i'm guessing that it might have an effect on proportions etc. -
worry first about image, second about control.
Drawing with a desk or lapboard setup can affect your proportions because you'd be looking at your paper skewed instead of flat on - so you're not accurately perceiving what you're drawing. Drawing at an easel is great, especially for anything larger than your typical piece of paper. Plus, it makes you stand up, be more physically engaged and aware, and draw with your arm and body. You can also ready take a step back from your work that way. Taking a step back will help you better judge your accuracy and the image as a whole - so it's nice to be able to do while working.
That being said, do what you're most comfortable with! I like working with a lapboard or prop my sketchbook up on the drawing horse vertically while drawing, kind of like an easel so I can get that range of motion with my arm. But yeah, try drawing a different way for a day, you might find it helps.
