AuthorTopic: Learning to see and not just look  (Read 7622 times)

Offline Obsidantion

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Learning to see and not just look

on: October 01, 2007, 08:46:40 pm


I'm pretty mathematical and I always resort to the same simple processes with art and I'm pretty sure it's stopping me from learning. Does anyone have an approach that I could use that might open my mind to more then what I'm seeing at the moment. I really want to get good!
« Last Edit: October 02, 2007, 09:12:46 pm by Obsidantion »

Offline Androk

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Re: [WIP] Dove

Reply #1 on: October 01, 2007, 10:55:27 pm
I think your process is fine as is to be honest. Only thing is you don't seem to reevaluate form after you are done cleaning it up, you may want to look into it, although its def. not needed for this particular piece.

I'm pretty sure everyone works by the same model, first sketch with a pencil then either scan and outline or just play sketch n computer, add colors, clean it p, add detail, reevaluate colors, reevaluate detail, reevaluate colors and so on and so forth until the piece looks good.

That being said, here is an aweosme website I found in someones sig while browing Pixelation today. The guys is pretty good, and has awesome step by step animations.
http://www.retinaleclipse.com/pixelart.html

Try and find more step by step animations like that, or just go to any of the featured threads. Those are the ones where people make most progress on their drawings.

Oh and finally, try to find more techniques to use. I see you already make good use of dithering and I think creative dithering (? not sure if you do this one), try sub-pixel animation and other crazy things, I'm honestly not any good yet but that's what I'm planning to do next to improve, well when I say "next" I mean after I learn how to find proper colors, how to do textures, etc /sigh.
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Offline Rydin

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Re: [WIP] Dove

Reply #2 on: October 01, 2007, 11:07:32 pm
Stop looking and see.  Stare, if you have to.
A big problem is that a majority of people draw what they want to see, not what they actually see.  Apples, silverware, chairs, people--don't worry about 'cool' yet--draw real life to build your skill and understanding of how light, color,and lines actually work. These skills and knowledge will then "rub-off" on the drawings you do from your head.

Another big problem is that the majority of people do not take enough time when drawing.  Try to remember that there is no time limit when making art. Don't rush; take an hour, take several hours, take the whole week, take months--there is no time limit.  Usually, the more time spent on something, the better it will be; you get what you give.

And a third problem is that many people do not practice or explore enough.  Beat your own studies into your head...repeat repeat and repeat...until you memorize them inside and out.  Then let them ferment.  Attempt something you know you will fail.  And explore, experiment, and break the rules you learned--you can always learn them again if you need to.

Does that help? ???
« Last Edit: October 01, 2007, 11:09:54 pm by Rydin »
Man cannot remake himself without suffering for he is both the marble and the sculptor.

Offline baccaman21

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Re: [WIP] Dove

Reply #3 on: October 02, 2007, 01:10:24 pm
Try to remember that there is no time limit when making art. Don't rush; take an hour, take several hours, take the whole week, take months--there is no time limit.  Usually, the more time spent on something, the better it will be; you get what you give.

You've obviously never worked to a deadline ;)

but good advice on the whole.
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Offline ptoing

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Re: [WIP] Dove

Reply #4 on: October 02, 2007, 01:33:47 pm
Usually, the more time spent on something, the better it will be; you get what you give.

I would disagree, there is a time you have to call something finished and there also is the danger of overworking.

As for the dove, I would try to give it blueish instead of browny/green shadows.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.

Offline Obsidantion

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Re: Learning to see and not just look

Reply #5 on: October 02, 2007, 09:28:33 pm
Thanks for the replies. WIP animations/videos are really useful, I implore for more. Please go here if you have any to upload - http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2144.0.



I know I was advised to look at real life but I got caught up in this doodle that turned into an octopus and I wanted to post it for a good reason that is relevant to my improvement in pixel art; I haven't a clue what to do next. This is because I've run out of ideas. I could just render the whole image with those dithering styles I've tried out, but it wouldn't look interesting. So what I'm asking is: What would you do to it, or more importantly, how would you experiment with it to come up with ideas for what to do?

Offline Rydin

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Re: Learning to see and not just look

Reply #6 on: October 03, 2007, 02:31:16 am


It's a very very bad edit--the colors for the dither could be optimized a lot more--just wanted to show that if you had such a strong light source on the top of the head, odds are, you'd be able to see it throughout the whole piece.  Now, this edit's just to show you; it's by no means where the light would actually fall--this is something you learn from studying real life :P
Also wanted to show that you might want to "dumb down" the white with a few more colors, sort of the way you did with the greyish color in the dark shades.  Also, you might want to look into dithering a bit more (http://www.monsoon2d.com/pixelart.html Monsoon2d's got amazing dithering)...because, I didn't illustrate it very well on the edit, but dithering is more than just

Code: [Select]
x x
 x
x x

Good luck to you man, I'm pulling for you  :y:
« Last Edit: October 03, 2007, 02:33:45 am by Rydin »
Man cannot remake himself without suffering for he is both the marble and the sculptor.

Offline Faktablad

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Re: Learning to see and not just look

Reply #7 on: October 03, 2007, 02:34:35 am
The key is to draw what you see.  Not what you know is there.  Try drawing a collection of darker and lighter shapes instead of the tree (or whatever) that you know is there.

For more, read "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".  That's an excellent book.

Offline Cure

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Re: Learning to see and not just look

Reply #8 on: October 03, 2007, 05:49:53 am
I read skimmed through that book.  It contained an exercise in which you draw an image that is upside down, so you focus on contours rather than your predisposed idea of what the image should look like.  Or something. 

Offline sharprm

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Re: Learning to see and not just look

Reply #9 on: October 03, 2007, 06:29:34 am
I remember when I was young I did that excercise but i misread it. I tried drawing a picture right way up from a reference upside down. And I kept thinking this doesn't help at.

Rather than reading books, I recommend copying from pictures that you like, that way you can learn the tricks that the artist uses, rather than discovering everything youself by trial and error. But it beats books imo because "people who can't do, teach".

With the bird, it looks more like a statue with stuff stuck on it. Its shaded well but you need to look up some reference for wing/ tail shapes. I don't like the final colors you used.

The octopus needs a beak and eyes. Are octopuses head's peanut shaped?

I would never experiment with a picture at the stage it is at. Draw a rough one until you have at least in your head what the picture would look like. Right now, lets say I thought a giant octopus attacking a pirate ship would be interesting. The octopus is at the wrong angle to do this scene though. So it would need to be scrapped. Thats no problem if you just roughing things out since you haven't spent much time.
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi