First Shot at Digital

[nob_long222]

I just started messing around with digital art for the first time tonight. I went ahead and put up my first go. I haven't actually done any digital art before, and I know I could do a bit better on shading but I just spent a few hours learning the software.

[nob_long222]

Well I did a little bit more messing around and did one with decent (but admittedly not great) shadowing.

[Kim_vegas]

Very Nice Work!

[nob_long222]

Thanks Kim. I'm still working on getting shading right, but the whole digital thing does let me get a stylistic look that I like.

[KlaytonFrost]

Very nice. I love the look of these pieces. How did you do them? Are they freehand drawings or traces or converted from a photograph. The realism of the expressions is really quite stunning.

[nob_long222]

Originally Posted by KlaytonFrost

Very nice. I love the look of these pieces. How did you do them? Are they freehand drawings or traces or converted from a photograph. The realism of the expressions is really quite stunning.

Well I do a bit of a combination. I look at pictures for body placement and shadows. I haven't tried it yet but I want to see how I do working from a drawing mannequin. As for the curves and face I try to work almost all "freehand" but occasionally if I encounter a tricky bit I do look at pictures of models in similar positions.

[clippick]

The 2nd one is really good the details in it give a near realistic experience

[nob_long222]

Originally Posted by clippick

The 2nd one is really good the details in it give a near realistic experience

Thanks that's the most complete work I have right now, I am working on adding shadows and thereby depth to my other drawings. That does end up taking a while though and there are a few new things I'm trying to start working on.

[nob_long222]

I feel like there must be a lot of lurkers on this forum. Because my views keep shooting up, but only a few people ever reply. I would really like to hear what people think about the art.

Also for anyone who is following this, I will probably be getting something new up tonight.

[nob_long222]

Sorry it took so long to post anything new. Here are a couple more digital drawings I've been working on. The one bent over is basically finished. The other is still in progress, but I thought that I would post it anyway.

[Torrid_Lovers]

Very Nice Work!
What program/media are you working in?

[nob_long222]

Originally Posted by Torrid_Lovers

Very Nice Work!
What program/media are you working in?

Thank you. I actually have been doing these on a mac program called iDraw (I think you can also get it for the iPad). Doing this is not why I bought the program, but it ended up doing a decent job of getting me the look I wanted.

[Torrid_Lovers]

I sure wish I had an I-anything! Uses Macs all through collage and now I am reduced to a Dell PC. It runs my Photoshop and Illustrator so I guess I'm not doing to bad less I like the Macs much better.

So do you do the rendering in the program or is it imported?

[nob_long222]

Originally Posted by Torrid_Lovers

I sure wish I had an I-anything! Uses Macs all through collage and now I am reduced to a Dell PC. It runs my Photoshop and Illustrator so I guess I'm not doing to bad less I like the Macs much better.

So do you do the rendering in the program or is it imported?

Well I definitely wasn't going to be able to go up to Adobe programs. I went with the program I use because it also has some basic drafting abilities too. I'm not sure what you mean by rendering, I'm still pretty new to digital work. Everything is "freehand" but I have been looking at stock photo type things to get some of the lines better. It also is able to just export to image files like png and jpg.

[Torrid_Lovers]

rendering=drawing, or what ever media style your piece is in. Like a pencil rendering or a pastel rendering...You know just another 25 cent word to add to ones vocabulary. LoL I draw and paint mostly, do the adobe programs I mentioned but have done nothing like your work. My first year of collage I thought technology was evil. Just didn't understand it yet.

[nob_long222]

Ok thats what I thought, I'm more familiar with rendering as far as 3D CAD programs go where rendering means much the same thing, but the computer does all the "drawing" from the code or digital model I enter into it. I appreciate that you like it. I do a bit of pencil work too, but it never scans well and so it ends up looking terrible when I try to post it here. I have also recently taken up photography a bit.

[Torrid_Lovers]

It is indeed hard to make your pencil drawing look good digitally. It seems unless you make it digitally there is something lost in translation. Like my Love, she had an awesome 35mm camera but its "OLD" take the best photos but those are more for a scrapbook that uploading. I look to post some of my work soon for feedback, that will be fun haven't been publicly critiqued in a while.

[nob_long222]

I'm using a micro 4/3 digital camera right now, but I'm thinking about picking up an old canon 35mm, like an AE-1 or F-1. Mostly because they are nice old cameras, but also with an adaptor their lenses will fit on my m4/3 and are fully manual so I don't have to worry that the camera wont control any non-m4/3 electronic lenses.
It is nice to have people tell you what they thing of your work, and everyone on here has been pretty nice and supportive. They don't just be mean to be mean.

[Torrid_Lovers]

I use to do a lot of work for a game I use to play and it was a lot of fun posting stuff you weren't worried about someone pirating. I know some get very mad when their work gets bit and used for something else. But after a few years gaming and making awards and medals and things like that I got use to stuff getting ripped off and just had fun with it. Kinda why we are here right, get feed back and have fun?

[nob_long222]

Exactly, to have fun.

[Steel_n_Silk]

Originally Posted by nob_long222

I'm using a micro 4/3 digital camera right now, but I'm thinking about picking up an old canon 35mm, like an AE-1 or F-1. Mostly because they are nice old cameras, but also with an adaptor their lenses will fit on my m4/3 and are fully manual so I don't have to worry that the camera wont control any non-m4/3 electronic lenses.
It is nice to have people tell you what they thing of your work, and everyone on here has been pretty nice and supportive. They don't just be mean to be mean.

That is something I noticed here as well!
the people here are honest and like you said...not mean to be mean.
Makes it a good environment for sharing

I like your piece Spread Eagle the best... you really seemed to have the shading in it well. I would like to see the curvy piece again when you feel it is ready.

[nob_long222]

Originally Posted by Steel_n_Silk

That is something I noticed here as well!
the people here are honest and like you said...not mean to be mean.
Makes it a good environment for sharing

I like your piece Spread Eagle the best... you really seemed to have the shading in it well. I would like to see the curvy piece again when you feel it is ready.

Thanks. I think I might work on it more tonight. I obviously don't want it to be super photorealistic, thats not what I'm going for and that's why I don't worry about every shadow being perfect. I normally just don't want the edges to be to hard and I only add enough shadow to make sure everything looks as smooth as I like it and to give everything a nice depth.

[Steel_n_Silk]

Originally Posted by nob_long222

Thanks. I think I might work on it more tonight. I obviously don't want it to be super photorealistic, thats not what I'm going for and that's why I don't worry about every shadow being perfect. I normally just don't want the edges to be to hard and I only add enough shadow to make sure everything looks as smooth as I like it and to give everything a nice depth.

I am sure you will add just enough to soften the lines and enhance those curves.
Excellent beginnings all round.

[nob_long222]

Thanks again Silk_n_Steel

[nob_long222]

I have done some new work in the same style. I do have to thank FallenAngel7 for inspiring the work and providing beautiful source material.