Gordon - Art School Journey (Term 3)

[Gordon003]

@mitsuki-youko , congrats for finding fun in cooking. I'm cook to basically survive independence and then question myself when I'm cleaning up all of my garbage. XD

My art style is fully based on Total Drama but that's what the commissioners want me to do lol. But I can see some nickelodeon style based on strong line art and dynamic weird shape.

Good to know you have the same book lmao. Have you implement any of those tips/methods to your current life to supplment/aid your art works / career?

[mitsuki-youko]

Good to know you have the same book lmao. Have you implement any of those tips/methods to your current life to supplment/aid your art works / career?

in life in general - kind of but i need a re read since i forgot some of it XD

[Gordon003]

Sprint Retrospective #15 (17/7/23 - 30/7/23)

Sorry about the lateness! This is because I was stuck in office as my teams from all over Australia came to my town (Sydney) to meet and discuss about our upcoming project. All in all, I was dead tired after the 3rd day. XD

That's why I'm doing this blog on Thursday night rather than Monday early morning lmao.

Also heads up, I'm gonna be getting ready for AWS Certification Exam which will be mid-August. Thus, this sprint will be heavily limited to focus on this short-term committment.

Past Sprint's Goal & Other Work

Facial Studies

I took it easy and done basic deconstruction on Chinese female subject. Don't think I'm gonna be continuing this in next sprint due to upcoming exam.

Cartoon Commission

Getting more better at my lineart as I have accepted more art commissions than ever in order to buy new NBA jersey. So far so good and I aim to continue doing art commission while studying for my exam.

Also started the 3rd car commission. This time, it's much smoother as I get more clearer feedback on my draft rather than getting it at the final stage. I feel more confident about the progress.

Facial Expression

I have went through most of TD male facial expression and note down the defining features that made those expression work.

With those reference, I have decided to do cartoon facial warmup before I do my art commission. Here's one for example - takes around 20 mins.

Others

Done a logo for a Discord friend. I kept it simple and understood that I'm not gonna making a special never-before-seen logo. No. Just a simple logo with extra features my friend likes to have.

Continued to do daily TD Doodle although I couldn't do much in afternoon due to work overload lol.

What could have gone better?

Focus more on art warmup. I feel I can be more productive if I focus on warming up my hand before doing actual work.

Improvement to make in next sprint

JUST FOCUS ON AWS EXAM!!!

Sprint Goals towards the next 2 weeks

• Continue warm up on cartoon facial expression before doing art commission
• Continue working on art commission
• AWS EXAM!!!

Thx for reading! And of course, I'm open to any feedback!... if there's any work to show next

[mitsuki-youko]

nice doodles and studies

good luck on the AWS exam!

[gregorya]

Nice sketches, the line commissions look close to the total drama island design. I like the logo. Is it a vector image? The car looks very nice.

[Sthingz]

Awesome work! I like the facial expression studies. Also, Tyler seems to be in a "tight" spot lol

[Gordon003]

Thx for the kind comments!

@mitsuki-youko - Thx! Hopefully after my AWS exam, I found out how much I miss doing facial art studies.

@gregorya - The commissions are definitely Total Drama design because that's the only cartoon I'm really good at and can do commission. And yes, the logo is a vector image like my friend requested.

And glad to know you like the car, lol. Have basically no car cartoon reference to go by lol.

@Sthingz - Welcome back! Thx for your kind word and yeah... that's what the commissioner was very specific about.

[Gordon003]

Sprint Retrospective #16 & 17 (31/7/23 - 27/8/23)

Welcome back from the dead! Literally still recovering from study mode as I'm slowly getting back into art hobby. That explains why I was out for nearly 4 weeks.

Another unfortunate or fortunate event is I'm gonna be out for my Asian holiday from mid-September to mid-October! However, it won't be fully art-out as I hoped to meet with one of my online art friends at his country; something I'm really looking to. But it should be mainly relaxing from BOTH software engineering and art work; instead working on my poor Mandarin skill to my bewildered relatives and friends.

Anyway how, let see what I have done.

Past Sprint's Goal & Other Work

AWS Studies

As mentioned before in my last blog, I was full-on 100% mode on preparing for AWS Certification. Lemme describe how I have studied 2 weeks before the exam:

1. Done 6 practice exams on Udemy at least 3 times (Though it was meant to be 2.5 hours, I did it in 30 mins without re-checking)
2. STOPPED EVERYTHING NON-AWS STUFF - Art, Chinese, Exercise etc. (Except Work)
3. Maintain a big notes of all the mistakes I made (A4 128 Pages)
4. Watch every possible YouTube video on AWS Certification

All of this to ensure a minimum passing score of 720 out of 1000 (Scaled mark). And after I have done it and waited for a day for the scaled results...

With a final mark of 790, I have gained this certification so I can tell people that I know my crap on AWS! XD

However, it put a heavy toll on my life and health as I was only focused on my exam preparation; affecting not only my hobby but also my responsibilities and altitude toward others (I get grumpy when in test mode).

So in retrospective, I cannot be in that mode again as I have more responsibilities and this isn't really end of the world if I don't passed.

Art Commission

Wasn't doing my art comm while studying for my AWS exam but after that, resume working on my comm and aims to finish my current one before I'm off to my holiday.

For that 11 chars comm, I did a quick doodle for each character which is all approved by my commissioner. I later do a refined draft before doing lineart. Here are my works so far.

So 10 more left to do....

Also working on another comms - duo. Here's a refined draft before doing the lineart.

Car-wise, haven't made much progress and I may need to stop it for the time being to continued focusing on those 2 comms I shown above. So yeah, those 2 comms are my main focus.

Facial Expression

Aimed to do those cartoon facial expression as cartoon art warmup. Played around with perspective angles though I should stop doing that and focus more on facial expression.

Others

After further restrospective, I feel I don't have a good understanding of the skull which may explains how I sometime don't understand the positioning of particular features (e.g. mouth). Rather than copying the skull in details, I decide to do a simplified version of the skull to help me draw it easily in different angle.

That will be something I want to continue to help me understand the head structure.

Also resume deconstructive facial plane.

What could have gone better?

Nothing. THAT AWS EXAM STUDY IS DONE!!!

Improvement to make in next sprint

BURN MY AWS BOOK!!! DON'T WANT TO SEE IT ANYMORE!! (Actually, I gave it to somebody else who's doing his exam within 2 months)

Sprint Goals towards the next 2 weeks

• Finish art comms before my Asian holiday
• Continued skull and facial practice

Thx for reading! I'll try to be more active and comment on other people art blog but no guarantee.

[mitsuki-youko]

noice! congrats on passing the AWS Exam!!

Have fun on your asian holiday!

[patrycja.lerch]

Congratulations! Get some rest and have fun

[kohkeeree]

Congratulations on passing!

[daceronine]

Hey congrats! No small feat becoming AWS certified (I should know!)

Must be refreshing to be able to get back into drawing. Those are good studies. Head proportions can definitely get challenging when you start rotating the head around.

[gregorya]

Congratulations on earning your AWS certification Your facial expressions are pretty good.

[Gordon003]

Sprint Retrospective #18 - #21 (28/8/23 - 22/10/23)

Long time no see! 2 weeks ago, just came back from my Asia holiday and just as thought I can relax a little bit, work and a huge work event in Sydney forced me to go outside for the last 2 weeks which has been a huge strain for me as I have little/no break; let alone doing art at all.

So kinda funny that today is my first day I don't need to worry about anything at all. Work is stabilising and I can finally do something art-worthy - this art blog.

Despite the fact that I haven't done art for nearly 2 months, I feel it's a much needed break (also from computer work too!) as I get to enjoy nature and not being worried about the need to continue progress with both art and work.

So as a warning, this blog is more about taking a break and not about art concept/thing I learnt.

Past Sprint's Goal & Other Work

Asian Holiday

Spent nearly a whole month away from my normal life. This is the first trip outside Australia post-COVID so it has to be very new for me getting on the flight lmao.

I was initially thinking of bringing some art book to learn some art while on holiday but I eventually reject it in favour of just relaxing and not worrying anything related to my health (unless it's mental health, duh)

After I came back, I believed that I made the right choice to not do anything during holiday as I need to relax my brain from basically working for nearly a year straight! My manager told me that I forgot how to take a long-term break and just forget about my stuff for the time being and I took heed of it.

I did bring an sketchbook in case I saw something cute and like to draw it but do it for fun, not for work/exercise purpose.

Anyway, here are sketches during my holiday (mostly when I'm bored in a car or train)

Overall, when I came back and reflect on my holiday, I feel refreshened and have a fresh mind not only on art but also my technology engineer work too. Now, I have learnt to take holiday as an actual break rather than an opportunity to do more art, lol.

Art Commission

I have finished my art comms before my holiday, meeting one of my sprint goal.

This year, gonna take a break in art comm and focus and research more on my future technology career.

Others

This upcoming 2 weeks will more easing back into art. I haven't touch my digital tablet for nearly 2 months so although I maintain some skills via paper drawing, it will take some time to get used to drawing digitally. So goal wise, not setting any art goal till I feel more confident and back to normal.

What could have gone better?

Nothing. I have a lot of events I have to attend so I wouldn't be able to do art anyway.

Improvement to make in next sprint

Go back to sprint mode.

Re-energise myself to be more active in art school and read other people art blog.

Sprint Goals towards the next 2 weeks

• Remember how to use digital pen
• Remember what I have done so far
• Take it east

Thx for reading! I'll mention some user who congrats me for my AWS achievement. Been some time ago but boy it was the hardest and most effort I put myself into so it's nice to get some recognition.

Thx you @mitsuki-youko, @patrycja.lerch, @kohkeeree, @daceronine and @gregorya for your kind words!

[snakker]

Welcome back mate, nice work on the commission piece

cheers

[daceronine]

Heyo! Welcome back! Sounds like you had a good time! Those are some very nice comissions! very nice and bright colors.

[mitsuki-youko]

Welcome back! Nice comms!

have learnt to take holiday as an actual break rather than an opportunity to do more art, lol.

a lesson i still need to learn XD

[Sthingz]

Welcome back! It is always good to take a lil break. Nevertheless, your TD comms never disappoint.

[gregorya]

Nice work on the commissions

[Gordon003]

Sprint Retrospective #22 (23/10/23 - 6/11/23)

Gotta keep this quick and simple as I was basically trying to remember how to get back into digital art after my holiday. Plus, just came back from heavy work and procrastination so I won't blog much for this one.

Past Sprint's Goal & Other Work

Remembering how to use digital pen

Looking back at my past digital sketches, I feel that I'm way too messy as I continuously redraw the same line over and over until it's too dark and makes it messy; most likely due to the fact that my hand is moving faster than my head.

Not really a solution but I decide to basically force myself to slow down and if FOR ANY INSTANCE I draw any quicker, I IMMEDIATELY STOP and take a break. So far so good as my car commission sketch looks more neater.

Here's an example of my messy sketch. just too many same smaller lines.

Remember what to do

Back to TD Car Commisssion. Gonna need to finish this year lol. The left one is the more refined version of the car and the commissioner prefer that, thanks christ.

Others

• Went back to read and comment on other people blog. Nice to see so much improvement made over the time before and after my holiday.

What could have gone better?

• Perhaps facial anatomy practice but that's too much for those 2 weeks lol

Improvement to make in next sprint

• Nothing. Feel good to be back to do digital art.

Sprint Goals towards the next 2 weeks

• Finish car art commission
• Restart on my facial anatomy practice
• Perhaps start on term 3 (finally!)