EL's New Art Thread

Sorry for not replying to your posts sooner guys! But here we go:

Originally Posted by DekuQueen

While I have seen some sketchbooks which aren't much more than computer paper, it is indeed nice to use higher quality paper. I like sketching on thick mixed media paper... I just like the texture. However I often use computer paper just when I get ideas out or 10 second sketches, vs. using up nice quality paper.

I agree.

I only use computer paper for some rough out planning - like the roughest plans and sketches towards a detailed painting/drawing that I will do on higher quality paper.

Also, if you plan on making nice sketches, it's best to even head for sketch paper instead of computer paper. Because you never know if the sketches you draw will look out magnificent and you definitely want them printed out on higher quality paper.

I like your new sketches you posted up, the mermaid looks very different (not that your other stuff is less special) from what you usually draw, which is nice and refreshing.

The ducks are of course, super cute too!

Thanks DQ! I figured that some people are bored of the constant Zelda artworks I mainly do. A nice change is indeed resfreshing.

Originally Posted by Peekay

Also, EL.

I LOVE EVERYTHING IN THIS THREAD.
<3
Gosh.
I typically shade light to dark, which is kinda what I was taught.
But the dark to light system seems to really look nice for you!
I also was curious as to how your shading always looked to nice and smooth.

Hey thanks heaps Peekay! And yes - that's the main road I follow when I shade with graphite pencils. It's almost always from dark to light shading.

Since you brought up with topic, I will be putting up a step-by-step diagram of how I work through my traditional coloured pieces for a better insight on how my art progresses. This will be happening soon as I start the artwork first.

By the way, I really like your Skyward Sword fan art.
It looks like legit artwork and gives me the jealousies. xD
I am also using it for a wallpaper!
x3

Omg wow! Using it as your desktop? I am honoured! ^^; <3

Gah - Don't be jealous! I merely put my artworks here to help inspire people and to show that being dedicated to what you love doing the most can really make you improve greatly with it.
And hey - even I get jealous too at times (especially looking at professional artists)! XD

Originally Posted by Florina

I use a mechanical pencil. I cannot imagine using any other pencil for drawing. I also have an eraser that is made for rubbing out so it doesnt leave all those pesky lines when youre done erasing. Mechanical pencils help with making finer lines.

Agreed. <3 And what eraser are you using, btw?

Originally Posted by HeavensDemon

Great. Gone for more than a week and Ms Awesome with a Pencil goes out and done this?! How wonderful! I love them all! I love your shading! Your sketches make my friends artwork look like baby work.

XD

Thank you very much! <3

Originally Posted by Vynrah

I don't have much but praise, so I'll keep it short:

-Love your mermaid, super cute and and wonderfully made. Your sketches are always so clean, it amazes me.
-Love the colors of your Skull Kid picture, absolutely lovely, like moreso than usual.

Thank you Vynrah. I really appreciate it. <3

Originally Posted by Astalion

I adore your artwork, EL. <3 I can see that you've been putting a lot of work into colour theory, because your coloured drawings are so magnificent and rich in detail. I especially like your interpretation of Skyward Sword Link's steed - it'd be fantastic if the actual in-game transportation turned out to be something like this!

Thanks Astalion! <3

I do hope SS will have something like this - or something similar to my concept art. If not - it doesn't matter. I have faith that Nintendo will blow us away with what they have planned (as they always do with their Zelda games. <3

The only thing I can really find to critique is the mermaid sketch - I think her right arm (our left) might be a little too thick near the wrist. That's only a small and nitpicky detail though, because everything else is just spot-on. I'm looking forward to seeing what you post next!

I was waiting for someone to pick this up! xD (as I noticed it as well soon after it was scanned).
I usually don't really pay close attention to my sketches because they are - well... just sketches basically. But I should learn anyway.

Originally Posted by Shaelyn

lol! no, it's mostly because it pulls away from the mermaid's face and hand, not to mention the other sketches on this one sheet.

Ahhh... I see now. I will try to avoid this problem in future. Thanks for the critique!

Ack, I do need to update this thread more often. The problem is that the more details you add in your artworks, the longer they take to complete.

Anywho, here is an oldish sketch I did a while ago (probably three - four months ago). I figured to put this up while my other coloured pics are almost done and still need a bit of work before they can be submitted and presented.



Link and Navi




This was drawin using a 0.5 HB mechanical pencil on sketch paper. Something quick and something which I totally forgot that I did until I looked under my bed (don't know how it got there).

As this was done a while ago, I see a lot of areas that need improvement. But I don't like going back to old artworks to fix them. They're finished when they're declared finished (one of my lame art rules). This rule just applies to my sketches though.

Another coloured rendered drawing/painting is almost done, so hopefully this sketch will stop the wait a bit.

Very handsome!

<3



Glad that you posted this instead of throwing it out.

His hair is too far above his forehead. It also looks a little too long.

Other than that, it looks very nice, EL. :]

~gasp~

seriously. yes, I did just gasp. out loud.

...and after the initial shock and ~squee~ passes, yes, I do see quite a few errors or things to work on. Link's pose is a bit awkward, by the angle of his legs in comparison to his body. I'd probably angle the sword behind Link a bit differently.

I agree with Palomino too, but I think maybe Link's forehead needs to be extended a little to meet the hair, rather than the hairline lowered to meet the forehead.

geez, the tunic... I love it! <3

aaaaaaaand...I have some food for thought on the fairy. personally, it bothers me to see fairies/balls of light drawn on white paper, because you have to shade in immediately around the ball of light. ...that throws off the shading of the whole picture though. Link's cheek and arm are now the same brightness as the bright light shining from the fairy, as is the background. I know this is a common way to draw them, but I've never cared for it. I like to draw them on toned paper so that I can add in a brilliant white value, whiter than the rest of the piece.

the fairy also looks two-dimensional, and it's an odd juxtaposition next to Link. I don't think there's a whole lot you can do, but I'd make Link's fingertips much lighter, or disappear completely into the light. you did this a lil bit with the thumb, but I think it could use more. (EDIT: and maybe add rays coming out around the hand, like you'd see when sun shines through trees and clouds.)

and...I've been trying to figure out about other light sources, but I hadn't been able to peg 'em. the placement of shadows seems a little weird. I like the play of light in spite of that, but it's just a matter of how realistic you wanna go.

lovelovelovelove LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!! sometimes, I hate to be so nitpicky over stuff to give quality critiques, cuz it's just so utterly fantastic!

~squee......~

Originally Posted by Eternal Legend

[words]

Link and Navi

[/words]

This is utterly amazing.
This was all with a mechanical pencil?
The level on intricacy is incredible!
The shading, obviously with the clothes in particular, is phenomenal.
And this was a quick sketch? How long?
I'm really glad you posted this.
The clothes and folds look dynamic, fluid and natural, the musculature is nicely defined, the hair is lush and flowing, and his face is wonderful. Nice, angular and masculine! Seriously refreshing with all this constant, increasingly more feminine Link Nintendo's kicking out.

And Navi is luv. <3

I really admire your skill with the pencil, EL dear. You have a knack for being able to "paint" a masterpiece with a pencil!
The Link drawing is superb. Just-- wow. Yeah. The only critique I can offer is that yeah- his hairline is a tad too high for where his forehead is placed. But that is easily forgotten when I notice the subtle crosshatching and I can just stare and stare and admire some more. (what I mean is -I loooove the crosshatching)

So your pencilwork is crazy clean. Are you spraying fixative on your stuff when you're down to avoid smears, or are you cleaning it all up in Photoshop/etc? Your graphite work is continuously clean and professional

If this is the kind of stuff hiding under your bed- I'd be perfectly fine with some more 'under the bed discoveries!' :>

I really admire this new, well old picture, that you posted. And that's with a mechanical pencil? Shiz! My **** doesn't even look neat with mech pencial! You earn my respect with the mechanical pencial Ms Awesome with assorted markworth! <3

BTW: Navi, very cute.

Originally Posted by Eternal Legend

Ack, I do need to update this thread more often. The problem is that the more details you add in your artworks, the longer they take to complete.

Anywho, here is an oldish sketch I did a while ago (probably three - four months ago). I figured to put this up while my other coloured pics are almost done and still need a bit of work before they can be submitted and presented.



Link and Navi




This was drawin using a 0.5 HB mechanical pencil on sketch paper. Something quick and something which I totally forgot that I did until I looked under my bed (don't know how it got there).

As this was done a while ago, I see a lot of areas that need improvement. But I don't like going back to old artworks to fix them. They're finished when they're declared finished (one of my lame art rules). This rule just applies to my sketches though.

Another coloured rendered drawing/painting is almost done, so hopefully this sketch will stop the wait a bit.

This is fantastic! I love his expression! Its great! Very touching! Its like when hes getting ready to go into Ganon's Tower and needs a pep talk from Navi! <3

Agreed. <3 And what eraser are you using, btw?

Oh its just some blue rub away eraser. Its nothing fancy at all but it does the job better than a lot of erasers ive had.

Originally Posted by Sophie

Very handsome!

<3



Glad that you posted this instead of throwing it out.

Thanks Sophie!

I would never throw this one out. But how I lost it in the first place is beyond me.

Originally Posted by Palomino

His hair is too far above his forehead. It also looks a little too long.

Other than that, it looks very nice, EL. :]

Yeah I figured. Epic hairstyling or what. XD

Thanks Ranny.

Originally Posted by Shaelyn

~gasp~

seriously. yes, I did just gasp. out loud.

...and after the initial shock and ~squee~ passes, yes, I do see quite a few errors or things to work on. Link's pose is a bit awkward, by the angle of his legs in comparison to his body. I'd probably angle the sword behind Link a bit differently.

That is true. I do notice that something looks odd between the angling of his legs to his torso + the angle of the sword as well.

I agree with Palomino too, but I think maybe Link's forehead needs to be extended a little to meet the hair, rather than the hairline lowered to meet the forehead.

geez, the tunic... I love it! <3

I agree. I went overboard with his hair a lot (as it tends to be a bad habit).

And thanks! <3

aaaaaaaand...I have some food for thought on the fairy. personally, it bothers me to see fairies/balls of light drawn on white paper, because you have to shade in immediately around the ball of light. ...that throws off the shading of the whole picture though. Link's cheek and arm are now the same brightness as the bright light shining from the fairy, as is the background. I know this is a common way to draw them, but I've never cared for it. I like to draw them on toned paper so that I can add in a brilliant white value, whiter than the rest of the piece.

That is true. This drawing would work well if it was drawn in pastels on skin-coloured paper so that Navi and the lighting could stand out more. But I never planned for it since I was only expecting it to be some kind of sketch and nothing more.

the fairy also looks two-dimensional, and it's an odd juxtaposition next to Link. I don't think there's a whole lot you can do, but I'd make Link's fingertips much lighter, or disappear completely into the light. you did this a lil bit with the thumb, but I think it could use more. (EDIT: and maybe add rays coming out around the hand, like you'd see when sun shines through trees and clouds.)

and...I've been trying to figure out about other light sources, but I hadn't been able to peg 'em. the placement of shadows seems a little weird. I like the play of light in spite of that, but it's just a matter of how realistic you wanna go.

A great tip! I'll remember this towards future black and white sketches/graphite artworks. Thank you. <3

lovelovelovelove LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!! sometimes, I hate to be so nitpicky over stuff to give quality critiques, cuz it's just so utterly fantastic!

~squee......~

XD

I'm glad you love it that much though! Your critique was also extremely helpful. Thanks for your time Shaelyn!

Originally Posted by SuperDecimal

This is utterly amazing.
This was all with a mechanical pencil?
The level on intricacy is incredible!
The shading, obviously with the clothes in particular, is phenomenal.

Your comments tend to make me speechless SuperDecimal! But I love them all and thank you! <3

And this was a quick sketch? How long?

I would roughly say around... half an hour to do this? It was less than an hour and more than 15 minutes to draw up from what I can remember.

I'm really glad you posted this.
The clothes and folds look dynamic, fluid and natural, the musculature is nicely defined, the hair is lush and flowing, and his face is wonderful. Nice, angular and masculine! Seriously refreshing with all this constant, increasingly more feminine Link Nintendo's kicking out.

And Navi is luv. <3

Wow! Thanks again! <3 I guess you could call this practice towards a massive project that I am about to undertake.

Originally Posted by Calliope

I really admire your skill with the pencil, EL dear. You have a knack for being able to "paint" a masterpiece with a pencil!
The Link drawing is superb. Just-- wow. Yeah. The only critique I can offer is that yeah- his hairline is a tad too high for where his forehead is placed. But that is easily forgotten when I notice the subtle crosshatching and I can just stare and stare and admire some more. (what I mean is -I loooove the crosshatching)

Thank you Calliope!

I have never heard of that expression of "painting" with a pencil before!
And I will keep an eye out for hair lines. I did get carried away with it on this piece.

And I do adore crosshatching as well. They seem to create a more dynamic effect than smooth and regular shading at times.

So your pencilwork is crazy clean. Are you spraying fixative on your stuff when you're down to avoid smears, or are you cleaning it all up in Photoshop/etc? Your graphite work is continuously clean and professional.

When I draw artworks up with graphite pencil, I take extra care with the movement of my hand on the paper and where to start first to put an end to smudging on my works.

The technique is very simple: I use a clean piece of folded paper under my working hand as the natural oils secreted from your hand does tend to smudge and ruin your graphite piece altogether. Also, where you start and finish does play a large role in the smudging problems in your piece. If you're right-handed like me, start on the top-left corner of the artwork and finish to the bottom right corner to limit the amount of smudging. That way your hand doesn't go over dark graphite areas that have already been done.

I also use fixatives on all my artworks - regardless if they are graphite works, watercolour works, coloured pencil, acrylic painted etc... Not using fixatives will allow the marks you've drawn on your piece to smudge easily if you accidentally spread your hand or fingers on it - plus pigmentation will slowly go away as the years go by if you don't "fix" your artworks.

I barely clean up my graphite artworks on photoshop. I tend to avoid it so that the image looks as natural as possible. It's only if spots or weird marks appear that I do clean the artwork a bit.

If this is the kind of stuff hiding under your bed- I'd be perfectly fine with some more 'under the bed discoveries!' :>

I'll have to explore it at some point. xD Heaps of paper is resting under it.

Originally Posted by HeavensDemon

I really admire this new, well old picture, that you posted. And that's with a mechanical pencil? Shiz! My **** doesn't even look neat with mech pencial! You earn my respect with the mechanical pencial Ms Awesome with assorted markworth! <3

BTW: Navi, very cute.

Oh wow, thanks! And yes, all with a mechanical pencil alone.

Psh: Don't ever call your artworks ****! D:

Originally Posted by Florina

This is fantastic! I love his expression! Its great! Very touching! Its like when hes getting ready to go into Ganon's Tower and needs a pep talk from Navi! <3

Agreed! It does look like Link is asking for support from Navi.

And thank you! <3

Oh its just some blue rub away eraser. Its nothing fancy at all but it does the job better than a lot of erasers ive had.

Ahhh... The good ol' Kneaded eraser It's the only eraser I ever use in all my artworks.


Wow I hope I gave everyone a decent answer or comment back to their post! Thank you for all your wonderful comments everyone!

As I promised, here is the next coloured artwork:


Samahain




Created with watercolours, acrylic paint and coloured pencils on A4 300gsm watercolour paper.

This is an artwork based off one of my friend's wolf character - Samahain. He is a halloween ghost wolf of some sort (I really don't know that much about him). He is walking towards his bladed staff on a full-moon night. This drawing is a gift for her, as well as an art trade since she drew something for me ages ago.

This artwork is my most difficult one yet. I focused mainly on surfaces here (such as the wolf's fur and the rocks) and man did they take AGES to do. x_x Also the perspective of this piece was extremely difficult to achieve, as well as the lighting effects of the night.
I wasn't happy with how some of the watercolour effects turned out, but overall I am satisfied over this piece.

Wow, that has to be your best piece yet, EL. Well, one of them anyway. I think I might still like your Ghost Hunter of the West piece better.

But either way, this one is still brilliantly done. I just have a couple questions. First, what's that circle thing on the wolf's back toe? And second, what's the red thing below its mouth?

Originally Posted by Palomino

Wow, that has to be your best piece yet, EL. Well, one of them anyway. I think I might still like your Ghost Hunter of the West piece better.

Hey thanks Ranny! <3

But either way, this one is still brilliantly done. I just have a couple questions. First, what's that circle thing on the wolf's back toe? And second, what's the red thing below its mouth?

The circle thing - if you look closely - is actually hanging by a very thin piece of string off the little branch that sticks out midway from the base of the staff. It's a little pumpkin lantern.

And the red thing below it's mouth is a rosemary necklace. :3

Ohh. One more thing. I dunno why, but the wolf's other back leg appears to be missing. You probably meant to keep it unseen, but I still feel like it should be there.

Originally Posted by Palomino

Ohh. One more thing. I dunno why, but the wolf's other back leg appears to be missing. You probably meant to keep it unseen, but I still feel like it should be there.

I knew someone would bring this up! xD

During the beginning process of sketching the lines and images out first (before fixing them with colour washes), the back leg's position was in a way that his body would cover it. The back leg (if you were to see it) would currently be on it's way to hit the ground just beside the paw being lifted up. So it would be near parallel to the other front arm already touching the ground.

I had it all planned out from the beginning, otherwise it would be physically showing.

Ah, I see now. Thanks for clarifying.

:tighthug: I'm glad I can help! and yeah, I realized it was just a sketch and I was critiquing as though it was not...I figured it'd be more helpful to do so, though.

~chuckles~ I was just looking at this new one on dA. it took me a while to figure out what was going on with the necklace - I had to go to LotP's dA page to see what it was. even knowing it's a necklace, it still looks odd. I can't pin why.

what happened to the fur on the front legs? surely you didn't get tired of drawing fur...? after seeing you go so far overboard so much, this looks different XD to me, it looks like it should either be more textured with the fur or scrawnier, if it's just skin and bone...but I really don't know wolf anatomy, so I could be talking out of my ass.

the rocks and the background are fantastic <3 love the red-tipped tail...wow...

there's something about this...I dunno, I feel like I could find this in a deck of Tarot cards one day, with a full description of the symbolisms of the wolf and the scythe stuck in the ground and everything else going on here XD that is quite a character your friend has.

Whoa, thats pretty awesome! And creepy! His eye and his mouth are sewn shut! Cool!

Originally Posted by Eternal Legend

As I promised, here is the next coloured artwork:


Samahain




Created with watercolours, acrylic paint and coloured pencils on A4 300gsm watercolour paper.

This is an artwork based off one of my friend's wolf character - Samahain. He is a halloween ghost wolf of some sort (I really don't know that much about him). He is walking towards his bladed staff on a full-moon night. This drawing is a gift for her, as well as an art trade since she drew something for me ages ago.

This artwork is my most difficult one yet. I focused mainly on surfaces here (such as the wolf's fur and the rocks) and man did they take AGES to do. x_x Also the perspective of this piece was extremely difficult to achieve, as well as the lighting effects of the night.
I wasn't happy with how some of the watercolour effects turned out, but overall I am satisfied over this piece.

I like this, I really really do, but the background with the light colours, I think it don't mix that well in my opinion. Its pretty cool that you done this in watercolours, but that one bright area in this picture totally ruins it. A creepy wolf + a bright area= wtf? Well, I'm just saying this in my opinion. I really like it, I do, I really really do! Its just that area that throws me off. D:

Originally Posted by Shaelyn

:tighthug: I'm glad I can help! and yeah, I realized it was just a sketch and I was critiquing as though it was not...I figured it'd be more helpful to do so, though.

It's fine. Critiques always help me. <3

~chuckles~ I was just looking at this new one on dA. it took me a while to figure out what was going on with the necklace - I had to go to LotP's dA page to see what it was. even knowing it's a necklace, it still looks odd. I can't pin why.

Hmmm... Maybe I have to wait a while before the errors begin to pop up in this one (as they do with all my artworks). I think it just might be the position and lighting of the rosemary necklace at this point in time.

what happened to the fur on the front legs? surely you didn't get tired of drawing fur...? after seeing you go so far overboard so much, this looks different XD to me, it looks like it should either be more textured with the fur or scrawnier, if it's just skin and bone...but I really don't know wolf anatomy, so I could be talking out of my ass.

Nah, I did make sure not to go overboard with fur this time round. Fur on the front of wolves legs are supposed to be extremely short compared to other parts of the body (depending on the breed of the wolf and so forth). But this one is just a common wolf with a few alterations, but I made sure to follow the anatomy as close as possible. Most wolves have very short fur on the legs near the paws of their feet to allow better movement than having long hair all over the place.

the rocks and the background are fantastic <3 love the red-tipped tail...wow...

Thank you! xD Because of this, I won't be drawing fur anytime soon. I need a uh... fur break?

there's something about this...I dunno, I feel like I could find this in a deck of Tarot cards one day, with a full description of the symbolisms of the wolf and the scythe stuck in the ground and everything else going on here XD that is quite a character your friend has.

Yeah I know. She tends to like stuff like this (all the dark magic and so forth). I really can't answer any questions about the wolf apart from what it has physically. His personality and life in general are unknown information to me.

Originally Posted by Florina

Whoa, thats pretty awesome! And creepy! His eye and his mouth are sewn shut! Cool!

Thanks Florina!

Originally Posted by HeavensDemon

I like this, I really really do, but the background with the light colours, I think it don't mix that well in my opinion. Its pretty cool that you done this in watercolours, but that one bright area in this picture totally ruins it. A creepy wolf + a bright area= wtf? Well, I'm just saying this in my opinion. I really like it, I do, I really really do! Its just that area that throws me off. D:

Which bright area?

Don't forget that the moon is generating very strong light in the background, as you can see the beam effects on the outside fur of the wolf. I see what you mean though, but I never really see it as a problem.