[Matthew Haverly]

The photo reference looks like it is leaning to the over exposed side, but it looks like his painting corrects that.  Is that because he is actually drawing from life or?

I know that his other paintings in general have really nice color accuracy so I assume maybe so.

[Matthew Haverly]

This might be one of my favorite digital portrait tutorials I have seen yet.  I really appreciate that he chose to do a monochromatic portrait, and to do so with a single brush.  Worth noting that the “soft brush” he is using actually does appear to have a slight variance with pen pressure on opacity, and possibly even size (just slightly).  I also like the approach of getting tone down first, and getting a rough shape even with just soft edges of the entire form to start, keeping a tonal balance across the canvas right at the beginning.

[Matthew Haverly]

Great mention of Clip Studio Paint in the tutorial.  Just wanted to say as a portrait artist that does dry media portraits and digital portraits – Photoshop:  I am not a fan of photoshop for attempting fine art for many reasons.  I think you should know photoshop but as an artist you need to use a tool created for art, and to me that at the moment brings me to Clip Studio Paint.  I wish academia would get behind it a bit more.

So many many reasons for wanting to mention this.  I love Procreate on the iPad, but when I got a 32″ Wacom Cintique tablet, was forced to learn another app because Procreate is iPad only.  This led me to go the distance with Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint.  I now prefer Clip Studio Paint for many reasons.  The iPad product for Photoshop is a joke – nothing like the real photoshop on desktop.

[Matthew Haverly]

The “high resolution image” reference – seems to now only be 191kb.  I think it used to not be.  Is something wrong with the site all the sudden?   If my courses are going to have references this poor that would be show stopper.

[Matthew Haverly]

Really enjoying this course – thank you!

[Matthew Haverly]

What kind of charcoal was used for the tone background?

[Matthew Haverly]

Thanks Glenn – this is a really cool course and technique.  I had never seen the serrated eraser technique demonstrated.

[Matthew Haverly]

I took that course as well – and the advanced one – and the figure one.  Its been really good.  I’ve tried about 40 portraits over that time – in pencil, charcoal, and digital mediums – also fountain pen and even ball point pen.  I’ve benefited from those courses tremendously.  Still trying to incorporate a better sense of some of the concepts like you mentioned.  One of the things I just love is watching him draw – I feel like I learn so much just watching how he draws.  I’ve gone and rewatched many of his demonstrations.  I never drew with ball point pen prior to his course but seeing him do it so much, I started doing warm ups every day with ball point pen, and I notice those sketches are getting better and better.

[Matthew Haverly]

Wow nice job!

[Matthew Haverly]

This is something I struggle to find good examples of in photos.

The right leg (below):

This discussion and photo from the course reference material really really amplifies well the transition from light, into “core” shadow, shows its darker value getting lighter again as it noticeably transitions into “ambient light” within the same overall shadow, and then gets darker once again at the edge as neither the direct nor ambient light is found within the “cast” shadow right along the left edge of right leg and in between the 2 legs.

I’ve seen this in really good drawings but rarely seen it reinforced so well in photo as the one below.  It is easy to spot the “core” shadow and the “ambient light” within the shadow on right leg.

Awesome stuff – learning so much.

[Matthew Haverly]

Ok, it took a lot of tries with different approaches.  Once I sort of dropped the chest straight down from the neck and then made the curve, it started to improve everything a little.  I was really having tough time with what I couldn’t see – what was blocked.  Also kind of found out how to work the belly gesture line from both ends – from the chest, and the pelvis, and then kinda meeting the line in the middle of itself. I was trying to put more basic shapes in the torso – and although this started with just more gesture lines here and there, it did seem to end up being oval.  But when I did oval, it seemed to fall apart.  Hmm.  I did find Steve’s drawing of this and watched it.  He kind of did a LITTLE bit of an oval (kind of half – around bottom of ribs).  I know he could/would do it 5 different ways and all would work.  It wasn’t a real cut and dry pose for sure though.  I did learn a ton though just getting to this point.  Man, many whacky attempts. 

[Matthew Haverly]

In trying to draw along with the demonstration,

I found this post EXTREMLY HARD (Beginning Figure Drawing, part 2, section 21) to get the gesture/structure sketch.  Extremely.  I’ve been trying harder and harder more twisty poses and found this one the hardest so far.  Anybody else try this one?  It might be because the underside is just so dark maybe.  I’m just really struggling on this one.  I can’t get a “skirt” shape very well on the pose.  I can’t get a tube or coke bottle type shape on the torso to give me anything to lock onto.  It seems to me I just end up trying to copy this one because so few structures help besides maybe head/arms/legs.  My proportions just really fall apart on this pose.  I have tried analyzing it putting shapes into it tracing on my iPad – and I’ll think I have it, but when I go back to free hand – it just falls apart.  I’ve been getting good quality on a variety of other poses.  But anybody else find this one super hard?   Should I try to just work with more lit poses for now?

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Matthew Haverly.

[Matthew Haverly]

I just got Steve’s book right before starting this figure series also and I totally agree.   : )

[Matthew Haverly]

I love the “coke bottle” structure you used.  Had not seen that but it is one of those things that resonates with me in comprehending that complex twisted and bent torso shape and perspective as in that pic.  So many gems like this in your courses that really change how I draw almost immediately.  Love your courses.  Finished the head one and am now doing the figure one and also just got your book (displays so well on large screen via Kindle app).  🙂

[Matthew Haverly]

“Remember, it’s always, it’s probably the most important lesson I could teach you in
advanced drawing.
It’s always someone else’s fault.
If you’re advanced as you are, by definition if you’re watching this course, then it’s
never your fault.
It’s always somebody else’s fault, so find someone to blame.
Then you could also charge more if you’re a working artist for the pain and suffering.
It was their fault.
They did it to you.”

 

[Author]

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