I’m looking to improve my traditional artistic skill and would appreciate a little feedback. Here are some images. Say what you like.
Thank you for your consideration and comments.
How big are these sketches? My guess is that they are all fairly small and that maybe one of them might be more than a few inches wide. If that’s the case, the best thing I can recommend is to draw bigger. Also, study light (not as in books, but look at things around you and how light plays off of them). You’re drawing the shapes that you know are there, but the light does not always reveal them in such a defined way. Always consider your light source when your shading.
I’d say your gesture drawings are probably the strongest of the bunch, thought the fatman portrait is pretty strong. But again, the lighting is pretty flat and you could probably do with more than a couple variations in your value ranges. Increase the contrast and take advantage of the fact that you can layer your pencils.
This is a strong start. Seriously study the world around you and see with your drawing eyes. It will improve everything you do.
Thank you for taking the time to review my work.
All these sketches are very small (5 in. high to 1.5 in. high) and were created only with an HB pencil (occasionally smudged). Because I’ve pretty much just begun drawing, I’ve focused mostly on form, though I’m now coming to lighting, which, as you mentioned, I have trouble with. Value has been a difficult thing for me to work with, partially because of my material, and partially because of my reluctance to draw very darkly. I think I’ll just work on some shading exercises on simpler objects with varied textures.
The gesture drawings were simply an exercise trying to show gender through body language without form.
Once again, thank you for your comments and critiques.
Anyone else?