Destra's Daily Drawings

[Destra]

I thought that in the interest of improving my at the moment rather limited abilities, I would draw something every day for as long as I can. Hopefully about a year. I started on Monday, and to avoid making a post for every day I'll probably update this every Monday with a week's worth of work. However, just to get this thing started, here's the first two days so far.







So yeah, comments would be nice along the way. What with this being about my getting better and all. Next Monday I'll post the other five from this week and we can get on track from there.

I apologise for the hand without reference in the first image. I pretty much just wanted to fill that corner of the canvas with something and as a result I kind of rushed it.

Here's the directory where it's all stored if you just want to browse through it for some odd reason. http://destra.gavinowers.com/daily/

[Liam Brocklehurst]

I like the hands, apart from the obvious no reference one, although it's still sorta good.

And the face is pretty scary, though good... Middle aged woman?

[Fredrick]

It's Clinton!

These are pretty good (except for the aforementioned with no reference). In fact, you've inspired me to do the same. Let me just finish up my exams first.

[bl0ppin]

Hilary Clinton.



Destra do you draw your hands just using outlines or do you construct them with balls and sticks? The latter is much easier.

[Destra]

When I'm making them from scratch I prefer to have a skeleton down first to help (the balls and sticks). But if I'm drawing from reference I find it easier to draw what I see directly. That way I can observe how each part of the hand folds into itself and the way light travels through it.

I think you'll find the reason the non-referenced hand was so crappy is as I said, I rushed it and I didn't lay down a skeleton or anything.

[Mabdog]

I like the hands. the face kinda freaks me out, though

[Aaron Haynes]

Your hands are getting better, although you still draw the creases of the fingers a little too dark. Vary the line weight and pressure more as creases and folds come to a point and blend in with the solid skin (and on the outlines too, which are often one solid line width and that kind of flattens the image a little).

To be bluntly honest, something about your drawing style has always bugged me and I think it's the above. These show a lot of improvement from the 3DMM sketches I've seen in the past though.

[Dominator Dan]

i did this once! it was more of a visual diary though, if i was mad at a game i'd draw a picture of me smashing a monitor, i should scan some in, since i can't be bothered to do something like this RIGHT NOW.

but erm...it's been a day right? WHERE'S THE NEXT ONE

edit: you're actually really good at graffiti i was just replaying the recent ones you drew on my wall, you should try and get some of that into these!

[Destra]

As I said in the first post, I was going to post the past week's every Monday. But I guess I can edit the weekly posting each day so I can post them daily without making pages of posts containing one image each or one initial post with shitloads of images in it.

So yeah, original post has been edited with today's.

[Aaron Haynes]

You should put dates in above them so people know what's new when they start piling up.

Edit: I see they're dated on the images. NM.

New one's good and creepy as always. Looks familiar somehow.

[Destra]

Decided to take a little break from sketches and do a little drawing from scratch. Didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped, but it's not too bad I don't think.

EDIT: I'm pretty terrible at colour/lighting. I should probably move onto a few studies of that for the next few days.

[Destra]

Seeing as I got no comments from anyone, not even in IRC about the last one I decided to go back to sketches. As I said in the image, I really need to get a hang of the brushes in photoshop. Also the face looks a bit off because I wanted to get it done by midnight so instead of sketching the actual face I improvised.

Oh yeah, it has nudey-bits. So it's NSFW.

[Dominator Dan]

Originally Posted by Destra

Seeing as I got no comments from anyone, not even in IRC about the last one I decided to go back to sketches.

!!! Don't let that be the reason to stop doing anything, unless you feel you work better in sketchings for now than that's fine, admittedly i prefer them, but that's because the one you did in colours pretty small and not much to it SO THERE ISN'T REALLY MUCH TO SAY

EDIT: new one, the left leg and the left hand could be better, just because stuff is in the distance (like the left hand) doesn't necessarily mean you can cut corners on it, well, you can normally it's just this is the ONLY thing on the page there's white space all around it, so anywhere you cut corners on something like that people will NOTICE

[Destra]

The left leg/arm were why I left the message about the Photoshop brushes. The instant it comes to shading, it all goes to hell. So I'd say it's more an issue of me finding a good way to shade in Photoshop without resulting in an indiscriminate blur or something so stripy it looks like exposed muscle. If anything I spent more time on those limbs than the ones in the foreground, because I just could not get them to look right.

[Destra]

Back to more hands, today. I'm getting slightly better at them, and I'm definitely getting faster. Today took me around 25 minutes as opposed to the usual 40-60.

[Destra]

Today's one was pretty crappy. But I've done much worse.

I've made it to one week so far. I might be the only one posting in this thread, but that isn't going to stop me. Sure other people might get a horde of people lavishing or lamenting over their every post, BUT I DON'T NEED THAT! Oh no. You'll see. YOU'LL ALL SEE! AHHH-HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

[Liam Brocklehurst]

I look at this thread everyday and think "ha. Awesome. Wish I could draw like that." then don't post. Be ashamed.

[Kevitus]

Hahaha same here.

[Jesterfoot]

very nice! I might try drawing something soon. I haven't really tried in years.

[Destra]

WEEK 2!







A friend requested Indiana Jones fighting Rambo both as old men, so today's is made from scratch. The only references were their faces, which I didn't copy very well. It took ages and he still doesn't really look like Harrison Ford.

[Mabdog]

aaaha

[Destra]

Please don't do that.

Today's one should be rather boring for everyone. It's just me practising some skeletons. I've got a fair way to go. The one on the left was done with a skeleton (rest in red over the top) and the right one was done by eye.

[HMC]

Your skeletons look waaaaaaay off. I would strongly consider looking for some real anatomy references.

Also, you have a tablet, right? Why are all your lines so rushed and scribbly? Also, work on your ability to suggest form and volume. Almost none of your drawings have any real lighting, or if they do, not nearly enough contrast or definition.

[Destra]

This doesn't count as a real anatomy reference? http://www.posemaniacs.com/pose/randomviewer.html I was going to try drawing skeletons over the actual bodies to get an initial feel for it, but that kind of felt like I was cheating.

With the lines, well I couldn't draw a straight line to save my life. I don't know if it's a setting in Photoshop or what, but every line ends up looking like a seismograph, no matter how long I spend on it. Guess that one will just have to come down to practice. Because I can get lines down pretty well with pencil and paper. It's definitely not my tablet, because that thing is a good 12x9 Wacom Intuos 3.

Also yeah, I really suck when it comes to shading and making anything seem 3D. I'm ever so slowly getting there. Slow being the operative word.

At least I'm finally getting comments on the many many places I'm going wrong.

EDIT: After looking back at 27/05/08 a few hours after the fact: Holy hell did I fuck up good. His shoulders are so wide the guy probably can't even get through doors. So yeah, I really need to work on that there the anatomies.

[Phariseus]

threads like this make me regret getting rid of my scanner