And now here on A-WIP...

[lady_t_220]

Actually, less of a WIP this time. I thnk we're just about done.

The camera flash washed out the middle of the picture with all that annoying light-reflecting graphite type business, but *feh*
This is what happens when you can't fit something into your scanner. I'll see if I can get a better shot in daylight tomorrow, but for now...





Oh, and for mys1985... she wanted a close up of the hand.



I had to dick around with the contrast on the hand a bit from the photo cause my scanner's still burried under a mountain of crap... But I hope it's decent enough for you to see whatever it was you wanted to see. ;)

Comments

[cloudsurfing.livejournal.com]

That's just ... amazing. Completely, truly.

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out actually... which is unusual for me.

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

guh! just guh!
this is amazing!!!
the feet, and the back and the hair, absolutely love the hair!!

and thanks for the hand :D
I'm just absolutely in love with good drawn hands, cause mine are always horrible! ;)

guh!

*points at icon*

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

Hands and feet get me every single time. I think the trick of it is to have a good source photo to start from and just draw exactly what's there. No matter how wrong it looks to start with it's usually ok by the time you're done shading. Just persist and most times it'll come together.

I usually end up drawing them too small the first couple of times around...

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

I think the trick of it is to have a good source photo to start from and just draw exactly what's there.
yeah, you're right.
mostly there are some weird shadows over the feet, or the hands are blurry, and that's not exactly making things easier *lol*

I usually end up drawing them too small the first couple of times around...
*lol*
see? that's always where I give up.
when I draw something, have the outline, it looks perfect from the form and everything,I start shading it and notice afterwards, when I've been away from the picture for a few minutes that it's too small or too big *grrrr* oh well *sigh*

eep!
post at participate ? *looks cute*

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

it looks perfect from the form and everything,I start shading it and notice afterwards, when I've been away from the picture for a few minutes that it's too small or too big

I've had that happen to me and it's annoying as all hell. Sometimes though you just gotta' swear loudly and rub it out to do all over again.

Usually though I try and compare the sizes with other parts of the picture. Like on the photo maybe his hand is the same width as the space between his ear and shoulder or his fingers are as long as the shadow across part of his chest or something... If you're fairly sure the same area on your picture is right, then use that as a kind of size guide.

Also I'll tend to draw the outline then leave it for a while before going back to shade it in. By the time I get to hands and feet usually you can tell if they're the wrong size and can change them before you shade them.

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

Sometimes though you just gotta' swear loudly and rub it out to do all over again.

yeah, until the paper's THAT thin *lol*

If you're fairly sure the same area on your picture is right, then use that as a kind of size guide.

I think I'm just really bad with comparing, cause even when I take the pencil to take the length of something, it's mostly too short or too long in the end.. *lol* I'm weird.

Also I'll tend to draw the outline then leave it for a while before going back to shade it in. By the time I get to hands and feet usually you can tell if they're the wrong size and can change them before you shade them.
thanks for the tip! makes sense :D

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

The hands and the feet... they are all just a matter of practice.

Really though, good source material is the key. Without that you're buggered any way you look at it. ^^;

It's one of the things I look at first on a potential soirce picture. Good contrast, clear detail, hands and feet in focus.

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

It's one of the things I look at first on a potential soirce picture.
where do you get your pictures from, anyway?
cause they're seriously yummy!! *lol*

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

Ah, these are all from the Taschen book "The Male Nude" edited by David Leddick. It's a book that's basically about the history of photography concerning the male nude, but it's a HUGE thick book almost entirely made up of pictures.

There's 2 versions of it actually, there's the full version and a much, much smaller "icons" series version.
The full one's a good inch and a half, 2 inches thick.

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

*hmm* I *love* coffee-table books (is that actually what you say? I had to look it up and it's a really funny word *lol*)
doesn't even matter what they are about, the pictures are always amazing but this one sounds REALLY interesting ;)

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

It's not exactly a coffee table book. Those are usually really massively sized. This is just really thick.

I found it in the art section of the book store, but it was right on the top shelf next to the "Erotical Universalis" and all the *naughty* art books... because apparently naked people can't go on a lower shelf where I can reach them. XD

I can find the the ISBN number for it though if you want to see if someone can order it, but waterstones website seem to think it's out of print (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/3822857610/qid=1069195748/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_3_4/202-3723012-3550241)

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

It's not exactly a coffee table book. Those are usually really massively sized. This is just really thick.

so you do actually say that?
I love that word *snort*
but yeah, I see what you mean. I think I even know that book now that I see the cover *hmmm*

but it was right on the top shelf next to the "Erotical Universalis" and all the *naughty* art books... because apparently naked people can't go on a lower shelf where I can reach them. XD
*lol*
well, they didn't know you were planing on doing art with it... you could have done bad nasty things with that book!! :-p

I can find the the ISBN number for it though if you want to see if someone can order it, but waterstones website seem to think it's out of print
I'll have a look around in the bookstore. have to go to one tomorrow, anyway ;)
thanks though, now I know what it looks like ;D


*off to bed* *yawn*

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

so you do actually say that?

Yup... because it sits on a coffee table and makes you look clever when people come over and see it.

well, they didn't know you were planing on doing art with it... you could have done bad nasty things with that book

Well if they didn't expect me to do art with it, they shouldn't pit it in the art section!

It came plastic-wrapped too, y'know. :p

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

Yup... because it sits on a coffee table and makes you look clever when people come over and see it.

*lol*
damn... that sucks... we don't have a coffee table... no one is ever gonna think of me as smart... *lol*

Well if they didn't expect me to do art with it, they shouldn't pit it in the art section!
I've worked in bookstores.
Believe me. no matter if there's "art" or "cooking" written on it, it doesn't actually mean anything *lol*

It came plastic-wrapped too, y'know. :p
see! that's so nothing will stick to... erm...

gonna go to bed now *lol *

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

we don't have a coffee table

Neither do we. We just have lots of books to make up for it. :p

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

I like that better : D

[roguewords.livejournal.com]

Usually though I try and compare the sizes with other parts of the picture. Like on the photo maybe his hand is the same width as the space between his ear and shoulder or his fingers are as long as the shadow across part of his chest or something...

something I learned when I was taking costume design, the hands and the feet are the same size as the face....

doesn't mean I can draw them the same size....

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

Yeah, only problem with that is when the hands, feet or face are foreshortened...
Bane of my damn life, that is, foreshortening. ^^;

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

eep! post at participate ? *looks cute*

Oh, forgot to reply to that part.

Yeah, I will do when I can get a better photo in the daylight. ;)

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

and here I thought you were ignoring me :-p

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

Heeee, no, just being scatterbrained. :p

[whimsicalnotion.livejournal.com]

I know we've talked about this briefly before, when I asked you why you didn't do more and exhibit some of it or take commissions and you told me something along the lines of you couldn't be arsed. Well consider me on your case now.

When I first looked at it I was filled with an inexplicable need to cry, which believe it or not is always a good thing with me and art. I don't believe it's just the pose even though on first glance he looks cowed or submissive. On closer look he reminds me of a dancer, the way he's perched on his toes, and even though you can see strength in his physique, he holds himself with such grace.

Truly wonderful!

Any chance you might print me a copy and sign it if I ask really nicely?

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

Any chance you might print me a copy and sign it if I ask really nicely?

*raises hand and looks cute*


can I stand in line?

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

LOL...

If I can find somewhere that does decent prints... :S

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

wheee! *pounces* *snuggle* *smooch*

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

XD

lol, yeah yeah whatever.. ;p

[myska-x.livejournal.com]

*points at icon*

*looks cute*

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeeeeee...

[lady-t-220.livejournal.com]

Well consider me on your case now

Trust me, you're not the first. But it's less a case of can't be arsed, exactly. It's more a case of lack of motivation when someone wants something specific.
Oh, don't get me wrong, sometimes I get an urge on me and I'll work for days and days and days on something, 12, 14 hours at a time... but they don't happen often enough to leave me comfortable taking on the obligation involved in comissioned work. As soon as I know that I have to do something "good" for someone in particular I just lose all desire to do it.

If a start a piece and halfway through decide "Yeah... that'd be a really nice thing to give to suchansuch" then that's ok. But if I start out with a specific person as a goal in mind I tend to start obsessing over imperfect details rather than working on the picture as a whole. It looms over me and disturbs me to the point where I don't want to do it any more, because I feel obligated to do something rather than doing it just because I want to.
Consider it just an intense dislike of feeling pressured into meeting someone's expectations.
I spent way too long trying to live up to everyone's expectations that now I try to avoid having to live up to anyone's. I'm much, much happier being an enigma.
So when I say I can't be arsed, what I mean is that I don't want the feeling involved with having to maintain an expected standard. I do what I do when it pleases me, and I don't like not having the option of saying "sod it" and ignoring it for 6 months.

Any chance you might print me a copy and sign it if I ask really nicely?

If you have any idea where to get a half-decent print made, then consider it done... It's not something that's ever arisen before soooo *looks around* Where does one actually GO for that kind of thing?