Character sketches by Blakrana

[Blakrana]

Hi, Blakrana here.

Part of coming back after a prolonged absence, I found myself wanting to sketch the character concepts I'd been toying with for a while, from a short stint of fics I'd been working on few years back. Whilst wasn't entirely sure what to do now they're done, friend suggested I'd nothing to lose putting them on here, so...here goes I guess.

For these, was using a Faber Castell HB sketching pencil. Mostly refrained from much shading due to concerns over smudging, per being left-handed, whilst writing the character's name in the Tenno Script, so actual names are under their respective picture. Past that, not particularly good at noses honestly, so apologies on that front. Either way, appreciate any constructive input, if people have any they'd like to offer. I'm not going to pretend I'm anywhere near competent as yet, so help and advice is welcome.

Though this said, I'm not too sure what would be "next" if anything. Whilst I'd meant to do something like this for a while, general inability to draw faces at all well rendered it a pipe dream. Now it's done, and really don't know how to process that, having been struggling to draw at all for a few months...but I'm rambling here. Sorry. Stage fright.

Operator sketches

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Morgan

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Feng

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Echo

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Jun

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Kai

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Wren

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Kira

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Astra

Any rate, appreciate the time given looking at my amateur efforts all the same.

Apologies for going on, as always.

[(XBOX)EternalDrk Mako]

veyr detailed peices , though you seem very dependent on straight on view points, id suggest trying some angled views, just advice but keep it up !

[Blakrana]

28 minutes ago, (XB1)EternalDrk Mako said:

veyr detailed peices , though you seem very dependent on straight on view points, id suggest trying some angled views, just advice but keep it up !

Thanks for the advice and input, and yeah, do seem to be prone to just doing "straight on" if I've not been drawing for a while. Knock on from tending to do mask patterns, so need to press against the comfort zone to try and get a step forward.

Now to figure out what to draw next, really. Would also like to do colour at some point, but colourblindness makes it a little...tricky.

Any event, cheers for the encouragement Mako, appreciate it.

[(XBOX)EternalDrk Mako]

On 2018-06-24 at 10:39 AM, Blakrana said:

Thanks for the advice and input, and yeah, do seem to be prone to just doing "straight on" if I've not been drawing for a while. Knock on from tending to do mask patterns, so need to press against the comfort zone to try and get a step forward.

Now to figure out what to draw next, really. Would also like to do colour at some point, but colourblindness makes it a little...tricky.

Any event, cheers for the encouragement Mako, appreciate it.

no problem , usually i do project ones were i experiment with posed forms and try to shape it right normally

[Blakrana]

Just now, (XB1)EternalDrk Mako said:

no problem , usually i do project ones were i experiment with posed forms and try to shape it right normally

Fair. Spent today doing a lot of rough sketches, see what catches my interest for possible next thing to do; figured rather than trying to force an idea, I'd let whatever catches interest (gets worked on beyond simple lines) work as the metric. Got a few perhaps now, doing that, see what I can do with it come tomorrow.

Just glad the pencils I use now just do not break, ever. Lord knows that was frustrating, spending more time trying to get a point than actually sketching.

[Blakrana]

Well, after a bit of a low spell last few days, finally managed to draw something felt worth adding. I'm keeping shading limited, in case I decide I want to use fine liners to move into a colour piece at all. With any luck, it'll help me push against my negative thoughts.

Using Faber Castell HB pencil again, on A4 paper.

Any event, appreciate any input/feedback people might have, and nothing else, thanks for giving the time of day regardless.

[Blakrana]

So, back again with another drawing. Still need to work on facing, but making an effort to do shading as being honest with myself, colour work is a long way off for me compared to strictly tonal.

Pencil grade is 2B this time around, personal favourite to use all told.

As before, any constructive feedback/input or advice people have is welcome, and otherwise, appreciate giving the time of day in general.

[Ypirj]

advice (since you've asked)

 

1.draw in layers - meaning, put a light sketch of basic lines on the paper, then put clearly visible lines on the light sketch (this way you can correct drawing from sketch to finished in the process) don't fear of sketch lines to be there, in finished drawing eye won't catch it.

2.additional to layers - when putting clear lines, don't finish all the lines, make them fade here and there, as long as form is distinguishable.

[Blakrana]

11 hours ago, Ypirj said:

1.draw in layers - meaning, put a light sketch of basic lines on the paper, then put clearly visible lines on the light sketch (this way you can correct drawing from sketch to finished in the process) don't fear of sketch lines to be there, in finished drawing eye won't catch it.

To see if I understand this correctly; when drawing in the initial aspects, lighter pencil work so it's not as apparent, then add in more definition which will in turn correct the errors in the basic sketch as it develops? Won't deny I'm out of practice for sensitivity of line stuff.

11 hours ago, Ypirj said:

2.additional to layers - when putting clear lines, don't finish all the lines, make them fade here and there, as long as form is distinguishable.

Lines to suggest form, sort of like how negative space is developed?

Still, thank you again for giving the time to offer advice.

[Ypirj]

[Blakrana]

1 hour ago, Ypirj said:

Thanks, that helps clear up what was meant.

Again, really appreciate your going out of your way to help.

[Blakrana]

Another day, another drawing. Tried to incorporate the pointers that Ypirj gave above, and flow overall was markedly improved, which is always welcome. Still long way to go but provided I keep at it, hopefully I might get there.

Once again, appreciate any input and advice people have to offer.

[royallyTipsy]

Heyo. I've seen your replies in my own art thread, and the way you talked made it obvious you draw yourself, so I decided to see if you had any forum threads in the fanart section.

Tipsy's deductive skills vs the world: 1:0

 

Anyway, they say that the simplest thing is to give advice, but, since you keep on repeatedly asking... How can I refuse?

I will preface my torrent of nitpicks and criticisms from saying that, as a colorblind, the fact you even try in art is kind of inspiring. If you enjoy it, keep on going!

• I will start from almost formal thing, really. Get a scanner, an editing program, or preferably both. Using, like, three operations in Photoshop I was able to greatly improve the quality of the latest image

Spoiler

However, the lighting gradient is very hard to remove using editing tools only. This is why a scanner is preferred - but if it is completely impossible for you to get access to one, I can give you two tips how to get a better photo. One is making sure that your drawing is in the focus. I know it can be difficult to tell from the preview on the phone screen if it is or isn't, so the safest bet is just to take several shots. Second is to use a uniform light - sun is one of the best, and it is freely available during a good part of the day (though I agree that depends on your region 😛).

• Regarding sketches themselves - you are at this point where you need to learn anatomy. Go to youtube and binge on tutorials, or go to a park and draw from people, or steal a drawing or concept you like and try to meticulously copy it, any of these will do. Some things I can criticize myself just by looking at you faces - your chins are too small, your jawlines in general are too simple, and - while this is probably something beyond your level - your faces are too flat. This is especially noticeable because you give your Operators ample Somatic scaring, which could've been used to show volume.
• It might be a good idea to use a little shading to show difference in colors, perhaps. For example, you can make metallic details of the suits pop a little bit more if you shade the textile around it.
• I am less sure if it's a good idea to start experimenting with shadows, personally. It can be hard to make work when you are still struggling with basic lineart and texture. However, if you feel like experimenting go wild and don't let me stop you. Adding basic, obvious shadows like under the neck, under the arms could improve things, as is shadowing parts which are farther from the observer (like the right leg in the last one).

Hm. I think that's the extent of how much advice I should give for now. Hope any of this is useful to you.

[Blakrana]

16 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

I will preface my torrent of nitpicks and criticisms from saying that, as a colorblind, the fact you even try in art is kind of inspiring. If you enjoy it, keep on going!

Only in the event I get to working in colour stuff I'd say it matters. I intend to, certainly, though at present it's somewhat become a "basics need refreshing" project at present. Need to sort out replacing some of the pens and pencils though...have a tendency to employ a lot of blue and yellow.

25 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

• I will start from almost formal thing, really. Get a scanner, an editing program, or preferably both. Using, like, three operations in Photoshop I was able to greatly improve the quality of the latest image

However, the lighting gradient is very hard to remove using editing tools only. This is why a scanner is preferred - but if it is completely impossible for you to get access to one, I can give you two tips how to get a better photo. One is making sure that your drawing is in the focus. I know it can be difficult to tell from the preview on the phone screen if it is or isn't, so the safest bet is just to take several shots. Second is to use a uniform light - sun is one of the best, and it is freely available during a good part of the day (though I agree that depends on your region 😛).

Use a camera to take pictures as posted, and freely admit I'm quite out of practice on doing more than "scrapbooking" type recording, per being the main thing I needed it for when doing an art course last year. Drawing through the day, then recording around evening; bad habit, but it's a routine been trying to keep so I don't fall off again. Won't deny that's a lack of care that clearly doesn't help the end result, though using it as a "I can do this" compared to the last few months of "no you can't". Woo, self esteem.

37 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

Regarding sketches themselves - you are at this point where you need to learn anatomy. Go to youtube and binge on tutorials, or go to a park and draw from people, or steal a drawing or concept you like and try to meticulously copy it, any of these will do. Some things I can criticize myself just by looking at you faces - your chins are too small, your jawlines in general are too simple, and - while this is probably something beyond your level - your faces are too flat. This is especially noticeable because you give your Operators ample Somatic scaring, which could've been used to show volume.

Entirely fair and on point. Whilst the scarring is something of a knock on of my fondness for masks, patterns and general "why not", guessing this is another area where I should consider more curvature relative to where it'd fall on the face, than simply treating as patterning as I've done in the past. Least helps clarify part of what is causing the "I'm doing something wrong but not sure what" factor, so something to work on.

Still, compared to where I used to just outright avoid bothering with faces when drawing, least at the point where I'm willing to go "this is where I am, I need to get better". Though for record, fondness for masks isn't "so one doesn't draw faces" and more of a general "just like masks" thing.

45 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

It might be a good idea to use a little shading to show difference in colors, perhaps. For example, you can make metallic details of the suits pop a little bit more if you shade the textile around it.

So, to clarify if following right, shade the space around/near metallic parts, so they contrast more than simply shading them as with other aspects?

48 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

I am less sure if it's a good idea to start experimenting with shadows, personally. It can be hard to make work when you are still struggling with basic lineart and texture. However, if you feel like experimenting go wild and don't let me stop you. Adding basic, obvious shadows like under the neck, under the arms could improve things, as is shadowing parts which are farther from the observer (like the right leg in the last one).

That's fair. As it stands, been torn on whether to just do strictly line art, or to double down for tonal "finishing" and admittedly just yielding to whatever flows at the time.

53 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

Hm. I think that's the extent of how much advice I should give for now. Hope any of this is useful to you.

It's greatly appreciated. You didn't have to go out of your way to critique and advise at all, so thank you. And every vote of encouragement, be it from friends or kind people like yourself giving constructive input for improvement, helps keep the downward spiral stalled for a bit longer. Though that's perhaps getting overly personal and involved for a discussion over a borderline amateur's desire for input to improve.

So, once again, thank you for your input. Sorry if being too much in any case.

[royallyTipsy]

20 minutes ago, Blakrana said:

So, to clarify if following right, shade the space around/near metallic parts, so they contrast more than simply shading them as with other aspects?

Well, I think slightly misworded it. It's not untrue, it is just overly specific: metals tend to be shinier - brighter - than anything else around then, but the idea can be used to emphasize any lighter-colored detail. Even if it's just a little shading that fades the farther it goes from the designated part, it could be used to make that particular detail pop a little more.

My Excalibur drawing is a good example of making a white look like white when you also have other light-colored zones in the same drawing which you can't just block-shade into black. (Honestly that art shows that I am still using pencil techniques with an ink pen - that scrawl of lines in order to make a gradient is not really pen-and-ink by the book.)

36 minutes ago, Blakrana said:

As it stands, been torn on whether to just do strictly line art, or to double down for tonal "finishing" and admittedly just yielding to whatever flows at the time.

My advice - lean toward quantity over quality. When you try to do a quality thing, self esteem catches up to you and starts mauling you over this and that you did wrong. If you set up the goal of just doing "a thing" without expectation, it's much more likely you will actually finish it, and then start another.

It's not like you shouldn't try to make a good thing, just... don't make it the focus.

And also, perhaps now you only have time/patience/mood to do a lineart, but the more you do of them, the easier they become. Eventually you will draw a lineart and find that you have some strength left to experiment.

42 minutes ago, Blakrana said:

Though that's perhaps getting overly personal and involved for a discussion over a borderline amateur's desire for input to improve.

Nothing personnel, kid. 😀 What goes around, comes around.

It's true for both of us.

[Blakrana]

27 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

Well, I think slightly misworded it. It's not untrue, it is just overly specific: metals tend to be shinier - brighter - than anything else around then, but the idea can be used to emphasize any lighter-colored detail. Even if it's just a little shading that fades the farther it goes from the designated part, it could be used to make that particular detail pop a little more.

My Excalibur drawing is a good example of making a white look like white when you also have other light-colored zones in the same drawing which you can't just block-shade into black. (Honestly that art shows that I am still using pencil techniques with an ink pen - that scrawl of lines in order to make a gradient is not really pen-and-ink by the book.)

I see. Admit I find it fascinating how much of creating a whole piece can become an exercise in less is more: Negative space and contrasting shade, all create a whole image. Absence is as integral as what is. But then, that's the philosophy degree as much as anything at that point.

As for pen stuff: guessing you mean cross hatching to build tone? Can get some nice results with fineliners doing that. Least, from my dabbling here or there.

46 minutes ago, royallyTipsy said:

My advice - lean toward quantity over quality. When you try to do a quality thing, self esteem catches up to you and starts mauling you over this and that you did wrong. If you set up the goal of just doing "a thing" without expectation, it's much more likely you will actually finish it, and then start another.

It's not like you shouldn't try to make a good thing, just... don't make it the focus.

And also, perhaps now you only have time/patience/mood to do a lineart, but the more you do of them, the easier they become. Eventually you will draw a lineart and find that you have some strength left to experiment.

Won't deny, wonder how that would have helped to hear growing up, what with all the times it was "do it well, or not at all".

Still, that seems what I've ended up doing; drawing for the sake of doing it at all, just to give myself some kind of buffer from the overly critical elements of esteem. Much like how one throws stuff behind you to slow a pursuer in a horror flick or what have you. This being said...it has its uses at times, such as coursework; people often tell us to put our heart into what we do...but that doesn't necessitate passion. Ceramics is an interesting medium for that kind of catharsis, really.

[Blakrana]

Been a while, so trying to get back to it. Wonders of esteem and such.

On the other hand, did a couple of dumb doodles inspired of the idea of "Feline Paralysis" but with Valkitty.

Spoiler

For context: "Feline Paralysis" is a nickname for when one is unable to move due to the presence of a cat. Valkyr has feline traits, let alone an actual paralysis skills. Like said, it was dumb but eh...goofing helps at times.

 

[Blakrana]

Managed to draw couple more today. Nothing spectacular, but better to have done something than not.

As before, appreciate people giving time of day to have a gander. Advice and feedback appreciated as always.

[Urlan]

An interesting thread, love the sketches.

[Blakrana]

Finally done the last two, least for now. Honestly, more struggle than it should have been, though that was mostly trudging through esteem stuff than anything else. Won't pretend they're amazing or anything...at this point, want to more get ideas on paper at all, and try and build up from there.

Course, not sure what next thing might be...but at least I've "finished" the first step I'd set out to do. Need to breathe and move onto the second step. Appreciate any suggestions or the like for what to try, really.

Any event, thanks again for those that gave time of day to look over my amateur doodles, and sincerely appreciate any constructive advice and feedback have to offer.

_{PS: sketching can become interesting when your cat tries to sit on everything the second you put it down. Oh? You were using this pencil? It's mine now human.}