[spooge demon]

This is a drawing I did for the win-lose screens for Myth 2. It was done on spec. i did not get the job. Wonder why.

The technique is kind of interesting. Do the drawing on bienfang paper (the expensive slick kind), fix, rub some charcoal powder around with a cotton pad, and use various erasers to work the lights back in.

[Joachim]

VERY cool Spooge! Somehow I find paper sketches more appealing than digital ones..maybe because it's less undo and has to be more correct all the way from the beginning.
Anyway, it has a great feel to it, I wish I could do something like that. One thing, if you allow me say so , the characters standing closest could have a bit more of that body and face expression to them, if you know what I mean ?. But, as it is a consept with enviroment, not the character in focus alone, I guess it really don't matter that much.

Btw, don't forget to post those sketches you talked about, if you still want to share them with us. I just can't collect enough of that sort of thing -And just incase you forgot, I posted the whole disney portfolio in a higher rez: http://home.sol.no/~jbarrum/forum/portfolio/

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Joachim
web: http://home.sol.no/~jbarrum/

[This message has been edited by Joachim (edited May 26, 2000).]

[Nex]

When I tried to work with charcoal I always had the problem that most of it was on my hands and the surroundings than on the paper.

I heard some times that people use hairspray or similar stuff to fix the coal on the paper. I guess u didn't use that, otherwise using a rubber would be hard i guess.

Do you / does anyone have any tips on this technique?

Maybe I used the wrong coal quality or wrong paper?

[Doc Holliday]

Hey Joachim thanx for posting the portfolio. Wow this forum has become a great resource for art education. Props to all the pros contributing all the time.

[spooge demon]

hey glad you like it J...

Thanks for the disney stuff. I have mine buried around here somewhere, and I won't get at it till i get back (early July)

Nex, paper quality is important. I think the Fred school uses newsprint, but they do not use additive and subtractive technique, as the paper would not stand for it. They like to emphasize control anyway, so newsprint is great for that. Please correct me Fred if I am mistaken.

I would try any good quality cotton paper or vellum. Try using a razor blade to scrape some charcoal onto some paper(or just grind it on the paper) and use kleenex folded up to dab into it just like paint. If you really want a smooth buildup, mix a little baby powder in with the charcoal. It will not affect the value. Once you have spread this around, you may notice the grain of the paper has filled with charcoal and will not accept any more. use a LITTLE spray fix, outside only. This give the paper some tooth back and allows you to buld up a little more value. You can repeat this process until the paper is black, and control it all the way. That is the technique you see in those ACCD car drawings. markers and chalk. Yu can also do your drawing, fix it, and then put on some tone, so your drawing does not get smudged away. At each step, however, if you have some lights to pick out, you have to do this before you fix, cause you will have to realy grind it off once it is fixed.

On the above image, I did the drawing, if it can be called that, fixed it, put down one pass of powdered charcoal, then lifted my lights. I went darker with just a charcoal pencil.

Here's an example of this technique with a few extras thrown in. Just from my site, you might have seen it before.


selfportrait


I am off to kill cubes

[Nex]

Thanks, great tips. I will try that soon.

[freddy flicks stones]

What was the winning sketch.

Do you think the poses might have been too static, thus boring to an art directors eye? Regardless of how good the drawing is, art directors like what gets them going inside. Maybe this director was looking for more mood. Just an input...I like it personally.

The scale on the women are strange, the horizon line is obscure between which one is in front of which laterally. And I am pushing the hilt on this one, but if the art director was religious in any sort of way, he might see the girl in front of the night, her gesture as rather Phalic. HeHe.

I am trying to finish to quickly see the self portrait, I'll get back to ya...

[This message has been edited by freddy flicks stones (edited May 27, 2000).]

[freddy flicks stones]

Dude, I absolutely love the portrait. I think it is safe to say, you think outside the box, looking back in at everyone else. Far beyond original. I see why you are in such high demand from everyone, even the jobs that you may not like...it is praise my friend.

And to andswer your question, yes, smooth newsprint, and first thoughts only. There is actually many ways of applying the charcoal. Right now I am attempting, miserably at laying in charcoal lies, as entire planes one time only, like nicolai fetchin, if you have seen any of his charcoal drawings. Very pressure sensative control. Additive and subtractive is all part of the technique of finding the form, but there are abstractions involved, as in the demo quick sketches I posted on Mozeman's forum, which by the way Moze, many props for that forum. I am out and about drawing motion as often as possible. Very insightful too. Thank you for the forum teach'...If you go to my psuedo sucky geocities web page, there is a page labeled sketchpage, there are some portrait renders of the same technique as the quick sketches, only to a complete finish. All were long hours of plotting and thinking. If someone would be cool and post one maybe. I don't have access to my hard drive at work right now or I would post one myself. I love the technique. You can get fast, accurate results, and it is so flexible. I use it for just about everything I do in art, including sculpting. It's all about form. and how to find it correctly...Soapboxing again, I guess I just love what I am talking about. I will quit boring you all now...heavens to mergatroit...exit stage left...

[This message has been edited by freddy flicks stones (edited May 27, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by freddy flicks stones (edited May 27, 2000).]

[CapnPyro]

woo i like it alot, ive done some still life charcoal sketches really detailed like this, theyre really fun.. hmm.. mine never turned out this good the only part i think the picture breaks down is the upper right, other then that i love it and think the art directors insane.. i might have to reinstall myth 2 to see the final win screen..

-CapnPyro-

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http://home1.gte.net/capnpyro

[freddy flicks stones]

eep, didn't realize it was a win/lose screen. Maybe not so much that he was looking for action, but maybe he was looking for more active poses, as they tend to be a little rigid...I didn't read thoroughly...my bad...