Baph - Art School Journey

[baphpal]

Hello, I'm Baph!
I'm here to improve my art. I feel I've done so with years, but I still lack the fundamentals to be consistent and the order to learn, basic or not. I've always drawn, only taking it more seriously before leaving school. However, because my own issues I never wanted to take a real art class then, so I hope I can sort them with this being online instead.
Also I hope this class helps me to keep in track, as studying by myself is almost a lost cause. I tried to follow multiple online tutorials but I just forget I was doing them and the lack of companions is very notable to me.

About my art.. As a kid the most drew were animals and only tried humans when in highschool, so it helped me to find many more fixable
mistakes on animal art than in people ones. I used to draw with lead or color pencils, and pigment liners. Nowadays I only use a wacom a friend has been lending me for a decade already [loveyouG].

I haven't touched a forum in so many years, I could end sending all in a bunches...sorry.
[My mother tongue is Spanish, so if you see a language mistake that doens't seem to be a pun, please tell me ]

[daceronine]

Welcome to the forums Baph! Bests of luck with your art journey here!

Espero te la pases bien por aqui, hay otros que tambien hablamos espanol

[baphpal]

[Grxgrx, DaCeroNine. Espero que por allá también todo genial =D]

Term 1, week 1 - Pen pressure & Image adjustments
I'm working on Clip studio, and I used G pen brush and Oil paint brush [an old version] to try to emulate the basic circle brush.
Only by the end of the first one I realized it maybe needed more speed... In the middle second exercise the pen was shaking [a thing it loves to do from time to time] ..but I love the result? They look like zebra stripes.

I was happily surprised of how well I got to match some colors in the first part. I think it was mostly because the pen decided to kaput and I had to click -+1 for hue/sat/bri [no mouse here and the touchpad hurts a little to drag the bar], but I'm very happy anyway!!
The rest of the excercises made my brain work lots.

[mitsuki-youko]

welcome to the forums!

[snakker]

Welcome aboard mate, yo también hablo español! XD

Anyhow, what kind of wacom tablet are you using? I feel technique-wise it's good to build good habits from the beginning, that said if you've been at this for a decade maybe ignore me entirely XD i'm very much an advanced beginner myself

So about the habits, I feel working from the shoulder with a propped up canvas is one of the most significant details in terms of technique that I have learned. Also, it helps if the canvas you use is as big as possible (the largest tablet you can afford and using all your screen to have the most room to move your arm freely). When using a screenless tab I use a Parblo stand I got on amazon and sometimes I draw traditional and for that I prop up on my knee or using a "readily" book stand

cheers!

[baphpal]

Holaaa

It's a Bamboo - I'm still shocked they stopped making them. Sad. But don't worry, even if I've have been using it since forever, I have no idea about digital tablets xD I only know this one was good, and the ones I tried before were a little too awful.
I like that. I've trying to use drawing from shoulder more. I can't have a bigger canvas though, I have my pc fighting room with my tablet on the table.

OMG I had no idea those things existed and had names!! I only knew about the... and arm like for super big screens and the triangular stands for normal tablets. I'll see if I see some sale for something like that. I only use my table with an angle, but it compromises my pc because the fan it's on is also angled, and some erasers to elevate more the tablet. It's not enough but better than nothing.

Thank you!!

[baphpal]

I was able to check just yesterday the term 7's video [I realized what the discord message meant only after seeing a post here] and I wondered if some of you have an idea of a not super personal [like fav music] way to get in a good state to work/draw. Apart of not being interrupted each minute.
I've only been able to identify that I really work well with a supposedly music
for ADHD from [Greenred Productions - Relaxing Music] in youtube [it's a orange BG with a veil boat]. I shared it to a friend and she only got headaches from it, but adored a video with an animal on the thumbnail instead.
So I think if you are in the same situation, it's worth to check other music of the kind if one didn't work. Thankfully it work for the first one that poped randomly to me.

I can totally vounch for learning better when thinking to teach it to someone, we had a study group who used it and was the best. Sadly, I didn't thought it before as just go to a class with the mindset of needed it for something. I can see it now, and I wish I had done so for regular classes, as now I understand why teachers ask to review the subject before the lessons.

-
What I've been struggling the most is the deliberate observation exercise.
Lets keep trying again, like just after clicking to post this!!

Term 1, week 2 - Combining images & Selections/Liquify/Healstamp
For the second exercise Clip only have the basic stamp tool but I wanted to try it anyway.. Color balance to fix it.

[daceronine]

I think everyone has a drastically different approach to zoning out into drawing. Me personally, I usually listen to podcasts (Asmongold), videos, or just orchestral OSTs or JPOP. I usually stop every 30 mins or so to go do chores though, which is actually good as it gets me to stand up and move aorund in between.

Those are good combination exercices mate! seems you are already fairly familiar with the tools to crop, combine and adjust.

[baphpal]

Totally. Still, I wanted to hoard ideas and see if one worked for me too, so many thanks =p
Oh, I like to use the times to stand up to do chores. Lately I've done them in big chunks of time and I get tired. I'll try that.

Thanks!! Yes, I loved to play with Ps years ago, so I wanted to try the exercises now with Clip, I really missed having the magnetic lasso. I never met the healing(?) stamp, it sounds really like magic.. what the, photoshop, how much have you grown??? xD

[baphpal]

Term 1, week 2 - Figure drawing [3]
I liked making the stick figures too much, I'll suffer when have to draw the whole body again xD They look cute!
Now to eat and then see if Mr. Pen wants to work again and try today's pen pressure exercise. [it stopped just before it].

[mitsuki-youko]

, I'll suffer when have to draw the whole body again xD They look cute!

i used to draw stick figures doing all sorts of silly things XD u can draw both!

[baphpal]

No, no.. now I'm required to only have prehistoric art on my walls. Better and better in gesture and leave it to it!!! [<33]

[I'm not sure I drew many stick figures... I remember I tried some weird alien/elf things and they were very slim, but then my drawings were really, really static, so I can tell I never took them very well xD]

[baphpal]

Edit: I posted firstly to say how hard still was to try the deliberate observation and I totally forgot to add it to this.

I think I'm going well with the excersises, a little faster maybe -- but damn circles. Why circles exist xD I've been glaring at cilinders too though.

Term 1, week 3 - Pen control & Gesture drawing
The first pen control and today's gesture.
Gestures also fight me. I did upload it now because I felt them more readable today.

[mitsuki-youko]

ooh these look really nice!!

[baphpal]

Thankkkss- - Now if only I'm able to replicate it xD

edit: the results*

[baphpal]

These weeks have been super busy, so I've mostly done exercises, even if I feel faster though.. Only 2 drawings apart of it. How it goes for you?

Term 1, week 3 - Character study (5)
Explainded in case someone also struggles knowing what to do as I did xD :
I tried marking head and stick figure, and general outines -in different degrees- over the art. Then I tried making the figure and grid over the art, draw over the marks, then compare diferences between grid and mark lines on the reference to see where goes the real line.

I'm pretty happy with them, but I really, really liked the results for the gridded studies. I was able to notice much more or faster the curves than I hadn't realized made me like the like some details.
So, in case I'd want to emulate them, I know now I can study them like this.

I wish to have 2 screens, because my arm ended hurting when I got too close to being able to see the differences. Remember stretching, take rests! [I'm ok !!]

Now I'll let my arm rest a little more and focus in rewatching the videos for now.
I hope you had a good week there -- byes

---

And, if anyone wants to check the art
1. Honghong-er, Heaven Official's Blessing's fanart.
2. Elementalist Viera, Final Fantasy Tactics advance's official art.
3. Wei Wuxian, Modao Zushi's official art.
4. Ryuu, Akagami no Shirayuki-hime's chapter 115 cover.
5. Past Tomoe, Kamisama Hajimemashita -- no idea the chapter--

[mitsuki-youko]

eyy these studies all look so good!

[daceronine]

Amazing studies man! You captured the original forms really well!

[baphpal]

Hi, there. Sorry for going MIA for so long [it's really, not that long.. but I had just started here, so in %s...], I have a serious question in case anyone can help me with it.
I had a few awful months here and lost the track I was in for this course, then I finally at least felt well enough to try drawing but I had a project to finish and poured all my energy there. I did finish it in January, and I was very proud for it!, but decided to use February to rest from art too. Now it's bakto'scool time and I want to resume this course too. I feel super awful with myself and feel I betrayed other people here even if just a couple even knew about me doing this.

My question is: any of you have any advise of how to face the course? Should I start all from 0 like never started, warm up with the exercises I made until now, take from where I left?
I know it's a personal thing, but I struggle too much with personal decisions, I wish to see if someone has ideas, having or not passed by the same. In case it helps someone to poke me, my idiot brain is like this:
- I struggle with inspiration and motivation, I usually do better when working for someone's request.
- When I get inspired I can work lots-- a day or two moody, sick or forced to make another thing and I will completely forget what I was doing and even less remember I was motivated to work [in general, not just art]
- I try to get track of what I do, lists, Habitica, a dairy sometimes - I forget about them too even if I like them.
- I do get bored repeating the same things, and that scares me to start from 0.. but I want the order of it too.
- I know we use references for a data library and create new things, but I feel I have 0 creativity unless prompted [hopefully, a whole book of descriptions for it] --/then/ I can use the references. [ex. some challenges don't work for me cos to broad.. like.. "cats"? sure, what about cats, which cat, what feeling for them???]
- My better time drawing was when I had a daily doodle made without much care for anything [very difficult!] in a tiny paper, by around 10 minutes [I tried to make it twice, to not forget, like duolingo really xD]. It was themed as happy domestic life of a couple and dog, and living with my partner then helped to fill the idea gaps. I stopped because someone kept me asking for months to improve my paper, even after telling them I was using it to not feel pressure... I just broke down at some moment.

I really hope someone can check this and poke me, I'm very ashamed I'm not that good in moving by my own, I know I'm very ...outsiders pressuring me motivated.. sorry.
I hope everyone there a good day anyway. Be goodwell!

-Baph

[Violante]

Hi Baph, great work so far!
Don't be too hard on yourself when life (or yourself ) gets in the way of your progress here. That happens sometimes.
It may take a little while to get yourself into the right drawing-vibe again, but you'll be back at this at no time.

I was absent for over a year, mostly due to work and changing jobs.. I did watch all the videos of Art school, but didn't draw myself. Now I'm totally motivated again!
Art school is a big course. I make sure to do something every week, even if it's small. I'm a very slow worker and this definitely will take me a long time, but there's a reason I bought the course. I guess for you as well.

I hope you find something that will keep you going, at your own pace. Be kind to yourself and most of all, have fun with it!