[ceenda]

This is a study of a self portrait that was done by an artist called Rembrant Van Rijn. I made alot of errors early on, and hence the proportions aren't very well done. Also, I think I probably overdid it with the smudge tool. Anyway, crits much appreciated.



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Nicholas Anderson
email: [email protected]
web: Flying Islands
-- affiliates --
..::sketchboard.co.uk

[Rinaldo]

Wow that looks nice ceenda. the shadow side of hte face is a bit messy, not to a great ectent but because the rest of the drawing is so tight it kinda stands out. the shadow under the cheekbone is also a bit flat, to my eye it's not connectiing with the other forms in the face very well. I'm sort of trying to find fault tho, not seeing it first off. he's just shy of looking cross eyed as well did you think about putting a reflection on the eye. I can remember the painting but I don't have it at hand so I'm not sure about a lot of things. I would have said that his eyes are wierd but that's what the guy looked like

[waylon]

Yeah, looks really nice. It doesn't quite have that patented "ceenda" style like your other pictures... but then again, I think this is the first portrait I've seen you do.

I've been doing a few master studies lately too, though I don't know if Craig considers himself a master. It's really interesting to learn what details other artists think are important, and what details they just suggest with a big blob of light or shadow.

Anyway, no real crits beyond what Rinaldo said. Just wanted to say it looks spiffy.

[nori]

that's REMBRANDT :b

[ceenda]

Rinaldo: Thanks for the crits! I thought that it would probably be better to start the pic again than try to get the shadowed area right. Whenever I loaded the pic up I began to get a pattern for what I 'thought' was there. Flipping the pic horizontally tended to point out most of the errors.

nori: YES, IT'S REMBRANT!

waylon: Thanks for the comments. I often gaze into Craig's pics and think "How does he do this & how does he do that?".

waylon: BTW - the patented "ceenda" style? You mean like this?

(work in progress pic)



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--
Nicholas Anderson
email: [email protected]
web: Flying Islands
-- affiliates --
..::sketchboard.co.uk

[Rinaldo]

Hehe, hurry up an finish it ya lazy sod

I want my ceenda pics an' I want 'em NOW!


Just kidding, take your time. Hey you said you're a fan of Roger Dean (sp) right? have you got any of his art books. I managed to get the first one but the second has eluded me so far. have you got it? if so is it worth the chase? I thought the first one was very good.

that pic looks like it's coming along nicely.
I have a pic in the early stages that has a lot clouds...think I'll be needing your help a bit if I go ahead with it (assuming you have a spare minute when the time comes) you are the grand master of the cloud.

[Nex]

really like your portrait. has some nice mood going on

[ceenda]

Rinaldo: Regarding your pic - I will make time! I was so impressed by the last pic of yours I saw, the one with the beasty. Like I said back then, we need more of your stuff posted here!

I've been searching for Dean's books (Views and Magnetic Storm) in the UK for some time now, they are unbelievably hard to find, considering Views was once a bestseller.

I strongly recommend "Last Ship Home" by Rodney Matthews if you find it anywhere.

[This message has been edited by ceenda (edited November 04, 2000).]

[nori]

no not REMBRANT, it's REMBRANDT

[Rinaldo]

I don't know if you saw the painted version of the monsta I did for the artist of depth compo. I was planing to post it here with some other stuff. I thought that people would have seen it so I didn't give it a thread of it's own.

here it is if you missed it. I was playing around with textures and stuff. http://dove.net.au/~jbrasted/Monsta.jpg

I'm doing chracter concepts atm. Knee deep in sketches here I'll post some of them when they get to an apropriatly evolved state. should be soon.

beg, kill, or steal for those books I found mine in an old comic book/book shop. how come all the good books are out of print. don't publishers understand?
Maybe in the future we'll have a printing press-vending machine. you just pop your money in the slot and push the apropriate numbers and out pops a newly printed mint copy of any book you want. 'til then you have to get upto the elbows in dust and crappy old books to find that elusive gem.

thanks for offer to help with my pic. I'm still tossing ideas around, but after watching the cloud city bits in The Empire Strikes Back for about the hundredth time I decided that I just had to do a cloud scene.

[Fred Flick Stone]

ceenda-good to see more art around here by you. I think you posted this image before, it kicks ass once again if I can say. Did you study this from a black and white, or did you convert a color image to a black and white one? THe edges you used are beautiful.

ANd yes, another awesome image from your graphic imagination. It really does look Roger Dean influenced. Very awesome. Are you leaving the foreground objects silhouetted out?

I am really impressed at how much you have improved in such a short period of time. Really inspiring it is...

Rinaldo-I never saw that colored version of the creature you pencilled up. Looks crazy cool. Kinda reminds me of the opening title sequence for Spawn the movie. Very interesting blend of mediums. Can't wait to see some of those concept sketches you are working on...

[ceenda]

Hiya Fred! Thanks for the comments! Haven't seen you on the board for a while now... though if I remember correctly, you're currently a busy guy (in more ways than one ).

The reference pic was in a book I have and it's a black and white photo (the resolution isn't too good either). Doing a pic like that the Rembrandt portrait has certainly been insightful. It's all to easy to forget that there is alot to be learned from painting masters of the past. I'd like the opportunity to do some real life portraits under different lighting conditions and see if I can get the same effect and implement the same ideas without using reference.

Thanks for your comments about the other pic. I'd like for some advice if possible?

I'm kinda torn between the painted style of pics and pics like the sci fi one I put up here. I have a feeling that the way I've done the foreground is kinda bad practice. The foreground is silhoutted out because it is the only way I know how to get an idea for what I want to draw. I'm completely stuck as to how to fill in the silhouette there.

Rinaldo: That painted version is fantastic! Really dynamic too. BTW - do you have the Special Edition of The Empire Strikes Back? It has some extra cloud city bits in it.

[Rinaldo]

Yes the special edition in widescreen I got the box set a while back.

Concerining the silhouette I don't really know if it's bad practice. it assures a good shape. you should probably work up the details throughout the whole picture instead of leaving a bit till last. I think it actuialy works well as is. if you fade it out at the bottom and put some rim lights on it....... dunno.
I see things that cross over between the two styles up there.
Sometimes I might have a layer above something like a silhoutte and do some quick blocking out on it. this way I can guage the overall look and tonal variation so that everything doesn't go to pot after I start to render it at the last minute. you can easily do some sketching on another layer to work out what's there, get all the forms happening.
I think that people have recomended working with basic shapes in silhouette to start with. just work out the lightsource and do some spooge style box/cylinder rendering.
just an idea, not really sure.