Grant Sauer - Art School Journey

[catsforsnacks]

Hello!
My name is Grant and I am an artist based in the United States looking to level up. My goal is to improve enough to be able to work in the video game industry as a concept artist. Happy to be here!

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/catsforsnacks/?hl=en

[mitsuki-youko]

welcome to the forums!

[patrycja.lerch]

Welcome Grant!

[ZekeDraws]

Glad to have you with us!

[olashamala]

Welcome Grant

[Pattu_w]

Welcome to the forums, great pieces on your instagram, looks like you knows quite a bit already, looking foward to see more

[catsforsnacks]

First week's assignment! I've been using photoshop for awhile so this seemed a bit silly but I don't want to skip out of any assignments.

[catsforsnacks]

Thank you!
You've made some crazy progress on here, that's awesome!

[catsforsnacks]

Week 2 and (most of) 3.

This one diddn't get a clean line pass.

That's all for last week!

[catsforsnacks]

Forgot about this lil guy.

[mitsuki-youko]

woah these studies all look soo good! esp the mech ones

[catsforsnacks]

This week's image dump. Work got crazy busy this week so I didn't get nearly as much done as I would have liked to. Anynoodle, here we are.

1 minute gestures

That's all for now!

[mitsuki-youko]

nice perspective study

[catsforsnacks]

Big honk'in pic dump time. I have to get better at posting regularly haha.

2 min gestures

James Daly III "Paladin"

Rock D "Exorcist New Guy"

Robbie Trevino "Odds and Ends Doodle"

2 Point Perspective room study. I kinda forgot the part about doing a room in your house. My home most definitely does not have a library haha. The shading was rushed and sloppy but it needed a little bit of depth.

Anynoodle, that's it for now!

What method do you guys use for the line art copys? I've been using grids to make sure the proportions all line up but it seems like I'm focusing more on precisely where the lines go and not getting much out of the image as a whole. Maybe constructing the image first then correcting with a grid would lend to faster learning? I don't know, what do you guys think?

Thanks for checking it out!

[queeniemp]

Cool library room!! Would definitely want to spend a lot of time here reading

For line art studies I think you probably want to stop using a grid. Studying line art is generally about training you to observe how an artist does their work so you can incorporate that knowledge into future drawings and with a grid it tends to become more like you're copying the image rather than actually studying it. You have the right idea, construct the image first but instead of correcting it using a grid I recommend you instead try putting your work on top of the original so you can see where you were off and then making note of that to improve in your next study. This way you also train your observation skills along with your art skills

[catsforsnacks]

Thanks! I'll try that for the next few.

[catsforsnacks]

Photo dump time.

2 Minute gestures

Nude figure assignment 4

Matt Rhodes "Tellurion 287"
Used a grid, it was done back when I was still relying on them.

Jen Zee "Megaera"
Used a grid, it was done back when I was still relying on them.

Edouard Guiton from "Massive Darkness 2"
Traced this one, wanted to try different methods. It felt like it wasn't bad for learning the artist's use of shape and line quality, but still probably not the best for learning.

Herman NG "Rift Gyell Fortress"
Just eyeballed this one with no grid.

Patryk Stefaniak "Hightower City"
Another eyeball, trying to be more loose with these studies.

That's it for now!
Just out of curiosity - what do you guys listen to while drawing? I feel like podcasts are great for keeping me going because they are entertaining on their own, but they are also distracting. Music can only keep me going for so long haha. If any of you say you prefer silence you are a monster (but I respect you haha.)

[mitsuki-youko]

ur environment studies look awesome!!

Sometimes i listen to epic music when i draw but sometimes i dont listen to anything at all

[patrycja.lerch]

Great studies! Environment look nice.

Traced this one, wanted to try different methods. It felt like it wasn't bad for learning the artist's use of shape and line quality, but still probably not the best for learning.

Tracing isn't bad. If I cannot do something just by observation I will trace it and then replicate it on my own.

If I can focus on doing something more I will listen to art talks. Mostly music unless I am so focused on work that I forget to turn it on. I need to listen to something because there is too many distracting voices around me

[catsforsnacks]

Thanks!
I like epic music to get me in the mood but I usually have to change it before long because the intensity will wear me out haha.