Explaining the Reflect-y Ball... Betterly

I found a better version of this important point I tried to make a few weeks ago, about how reflections work. I drew this a few years back for a student who, I can almost guarantee you, did not incorporate the insight into his thoughts. It was all by way of urging him not to put highlights at the edges of objects--unless doing rim lighting, which is a specific situation, explained in the third sketch here.

Rim lighting can be quite lovely. They loved it in old pulp magazine covers. Note the very realistic use of it here on the face and skull.


JH

P.S.: 100% sure the artist worked with a model for both the man and the skull. Not just because the rim lighting is so realistic. Look how he captures the light passing through the thinner places in the bone! So nice. Not something one would automatically think to include...

An Experiment

Thought this might be of interest. Here's a drawing of Red Sonja I did...

I printed it out in blue on copy paper, editing it a little, especially the expression...

...And then inked it with the Sakura Pigma brushpens I showed you guys last night.

It worked out pretty well, I'm claiming, but for a couple places where I used a soppy Pentel brush pen and it bled.

I live for Science!

JH

We Go Figure

Hi, Everybody!

Thanks for turning up and taking part in our Oct 1 class, Francisco, Mariel, Jonathan, Daniel, Ellen, Ricky, Sketch, Martha, and Patricia!

I was a nervous teacher Saturday because my figure drawing skills are rusty, at least as regards technique...

I put a lot of concepts out there--more than advisable,  I think, considering none of them really mean a thing till YOUR practice, exploration and goofing around make them real. If, with your kind patronage, we can make the class an ongoing thing, together we'll put meat on the bones I threw at you Saturday!

Analysis!

Here, from Andrew Loomis's Figure Drawing for All It's Worth, is a better version of that ball I showed you last night. His seems modeled on a white plaster sphere.

Loomis

Loomis divides into 5 ½ zones what I encouraged you to think of in three. As a mental exercise, see if you can simplify these into the three I showed you in those nude pix:

1. Highlight, 
2. Mid-tone, 
3. Shadow. 

(Saturday I forgot to mention D., "Moonlight," which is a bit of faint reflected light "opening" the form shadow. It's bouncing off the surrounding white surface to the underside of the sphere and thence to our eye, so it can be weak.)

Inspiration!

I mentioned George last night, George Cwirko-Godycki. Please follow him on Facebook! His technique seems to spring from fearlessness and constant drawing.



Thanks!
JH

Change-Up on Saturday!

Important Announcement, you guys:

This Saturday, our regular Comics/Manga class is going to be REPLACED by our first LIVE FIGURE DRAWING CLASS--just this once. I'd strongly encourage you to come. Bring a big newsprint pad, some sticks of compressed artist's charcoal, a sandpaper pad, and no eraser! :)

Here's the email that Joseph, owner of Stevens Books, has released:

Figure Drawing Course with live models First class is FREE! 5pm - 7pm on Saturday - October 1st Get proficient in drawing figures with our highly qualified instructor John Heebink. Our sessions with live models (male & female) are extensive and fun. Through this class you will learn: - Ability to see and capture proportions - A drawing method that minimizes mistakes, erasing, wasted time - A feel for the dynamics of clothing folds - Increased knowledge of light on form - Comfort with the tools and practice of figure drawing Program Information: Age                         : 18+ Duration                  : 4 lessons/ month Subscription            : 4 months (payment monthly, credit card or cash) Schedule                 : 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Tuesdays Fee                         : $100 /month * Artists should bring their own supplies. Seats are limited, so please sign up before September 30 at sf@stevensbooks.com or call (415) 859-5371 JH

NOTICE:

I have a pen that I don't believe is mine: a Kuretake Zig Managka Flexible. It's terrific! I'll bring it in Saturday. Speak up if it's yours, or leave a comment here.

Speaking of such things: A reminder that you can find all sorts of great Japanese inking and sketching tools at jetpens.com

Change-Up on Saturday!

Important Announcement, you guys:

This Saturday, our regular Comics/Manga class is going to be REPLACED by our first LIVE FIGURE DRAWING CLASS. I'd strongly encourage you to come. Bring a big newsprint pad, some sticks of compressed artist's charcoal, a sandpaper pad, and no eraser! :)

Here's the email that Joseph, owner of Stevens Books, has released:

Figure Drawing Course with live models First class is FREE! 5pm - 7pm on Saturday - October 1st Get proficient in drawing figures with our highly qualified instructor John Heebink. Our sessions with live models (male & female) are extensive and fun. Through this class you will learn: - Ability to see and capture proportions - A drawing method that minimizes mistakes, erasing, wasted time - A feel for the dynamics of clothing folds - Increased knowledge of light on form - Comfort with the tools and practice of figure drawing Program Information: Age                         : 18+ Duration                  : 4 lessons/ month Subscription            : 4 months (payment monthly, credit card or cash) Schedule                 : 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Tuesdays Fee                         : $100 /month * Artists should bring their own supplies. Seats are limited, so please sign up before September 30 at sf@stevensbooks.com or call (415) 859-5371 Instructor Biography: Teacher John Heebink he has taught kids from all over the world. He taught for ten years in the Academy of Art Illustration Department, specializing in comics, figure and head structure and perspective, at graduate and undergraduate levels.Since 1991, he has worked as a professional comic-book artist, handling mainly penciling, also writing, inking, lettering and Photoshop coloring. His credits comprise Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD, Space Chicks and Businessmen, Power Rangers, Doll and Creature, Vampirella, and more. His work is characterized by lively expressions and body language. JH

I have a pen that I don't believe is mine: a Kuretake Zig Managka Flexible. It's terrific! I'll bring it in Saturday. Speak up if it's yours, or leave a comment here.

Speaking of such things: A reminder that you can find all sorts of great Japanese inking and sketching tools at jetpens.com

Some Style Experiments

Fellow learners:
You may be interested to see a couple examples of my current struggles--I'm trying to devise a "new" style of working that I can reasonably sustain through many pages, despite the fact that my hands are shakier than they used to be.

I'm striving to do that most impossible thing: keep it simple. I'm doing so-so on that score.

This is for a pet project that I want to present digitally. It's a futuristic story, but it starts in the past:

And this guy is a character I doodled in a sketch book. I'm gonna keep an eye out for an opportunity to put him into my project. I think he's got an interesting mug.

I've been practicing what I preached about grabbing Photoshop swatches from photos. The top two panels use a palette based on this photo of Aziz Ansar et al:

See you Saturday!

JH

P.S.:

I have a pen that I don't believe is mine: a Kuretake Zig Managka Flexible. It's terrific! I'll bring it in Saturday. Speak up if it's yours.

Inking drills!

Great way to warm up before inking on bristol. Get in touch with all your tool can do when you push it, and you'll ink more fearlessly, I promise.

P.S.: Check out jetpens.com for the best in Japanese inking tools!

JH