MattD - ArtSchool Assignments

[MattD]

I thought I would just create one space for all of my Artschool assignments going forward so I don't have to create a new topic for every term. So I'll be starting with some assignments from Term 4.
A few draw overs to start.

Applying muscles over an imagined skeleton is something I've really struggled with so I've decided to put more effort into this part of the assignment. For the next set, I'm going to push the perspective and foreshortening some more.

First part of the color and light assignments, this is another area where I struggle a lot so I'm going to do these a few more times. The drawing is from a commission I did a few days ago for the goddess of absinth, who guides drunk people back to there homes at night. Since absinth has a green tint to it and often comes in bottles that are also green, I decided that green would have to be in each color scheme. I like the first and last ones, the first has a slightly sickly look and her dress is sort of a vomit colored yellow-green, which feels pretty appropriate. The last one has a much more friendly look that I like. Of course, it could just be that her dress is the same color as Megara's from the Disney Hercules movie

[dangras-almeida]

Hey @MattD,

Amazing work so far!
Other than the options you mentioned, I really liked the second one as well. The colors feel very well balanced and they don't still away from checking the character's expression as well.

Excited to see a final render of this 😍

Quick question about commissions: how did you start out? And where do you get your requests from?

Cheers!

[MattD]

Thanks! I liked the second one too, really the only one that I didn't like was the third one.

For commissions, I started out getting them on DeviantArt years ago. I've had some success with things like Fiverr and sketchmob. Most of them have come through Reddit, there are a few subreddits where artists can post that they're looking for work. I've never been able to do it full time though but the jobs are becoming more frequent so I'm hoping in the next year or two I'll be able to make it my full time gig.

[MattD]

First part of my lighting assignment. I'm feeling good about creating shadows for cubes so I'm going to draw some more complex shapes and do this again

[ghostmonster]

that does not look like a struggle of muscules over a skeleton. WOW. those are really good anatomy studies.

[MattD]

@ghostmonst3r Thanks! It took a while to do and definitely felt like a struggle so I'm glad it doesn't look like it was a struggle.

Some noncube shapes with some lighting. I'm hoping to finish the third assignment of the color and light class tomorrow and then move onto lesson 5.

[MattD]

Done with the final lighting assignment! Moving onto lesson five tomorrow, I'm still going to do some of the imagined skeletons with muscles because those have been really helpful even if they've been a struggle. Adding in foreshortening has definitely made them a lot harder

[dangras-almeida]

Wow, these look amazing! Congratz!
I can imagine how this can level up one's game of light and shadow for characters as well, and how nice to see knowledge like perspective put together with this one. Turned out awesome! Congrats again!

[ghostmonster]

the cleanliness of the gradients, edges, and selection masks you used really gives me the vibe of older physical airbrushed works.

[MattD]

I feel pretty good about these poses, so now I'm going to try out playing with proportions and move onto term 5

[dangras-almeida]

They all look really good man! Congratz!

There a few of them that I feel like they are missing part of the neck (of the trapezius muscle feel a bit short, I guess?) but overall they look amazing!

[ghostmonster]

very brave angles to tackle

[MattD]

@dangras-almeida Thanks, I see what you mean about the neck muscles. I didn't really define them very well or in a couple I just didn't even draw them

@ghostmonst3r Thank you. They took me a long time to draw, foreshortening is hard even when there's reference. So much of my time was just getting the skeleton to look correctly proportioned

Playing with proportions and muscle size a bit. I'll push the next ones I draw a lot further, these are pretty simple.

[chiara.arcidiaco]

Your anatomical studies are sooo good especially the woman with exagerated proportions!! these three seems characters in an early stage
I started the arms yesterday and I'm feeling a bit lost hahah any advice? How long does it took to you to master it? Sorry to bother you but you are really good at this

[MattD]

Thanks! So for arms one of the things that helped me was to think of the arm muscles as links in a chain. The biceps and triceps attach around the deltoid, and the muscles of the lower arm attach on the side of the muscles of the upper arm.

I did a (very) quick drawing on my tablet that I think will show what I mean. It has helped me a lot with placing the big muscles of the arm.

It took me a long time to get to this point. About half of the art books that I own are about anatomy. One thing that really helped me a lot was a YouTube channel by Proko. His classes are really great and he covers every bit of human anatomy, its all free too.

Hope thats helpful!

[chiara.arcidiaco]

Ohh yeah I think that Proko is the master of anatomy And I saw this arm structures in some sculpture books, I must try them hahah I always think about every muscle structure without reflecting to the overall shape.
Thank you so much This was really helpful!!

[ghostmonster]

whoa thats a truly nifty way to wrap your head around the volumes of the arm. Thank you, thats actually going to help me a bunch. It immediately clicked it my brain! If I could ask a favor, If you could look at my last homework I posted for 4 pt perspective I tried doing a woman because its my weak point. Any critique would be helpful.... Im tuff no need to hold back if a lot is bad or wrong. thanks in advance, if you have time.

[MattD]

First few animal studies. Its been a while since I've done a lot of animal studies so I was a bit rusty. I tried my best to draw the skeletons just by thinking about what was in the lesson but I referenced my notes a few times when I got stuck.

[systemsoperator]

Those animal sketches are great! Really nice forms.

[MattD]

Some more animal studies with the skeletons.