biermann

I like the idea of drachs coming into the realm like this. Aside from that, I assume those that did the initial quest can enter in this as well. But can't use their previous submission in any form? (to prevent me from buying paint, painting the statue and sending it. Seeing I would not really be copying anyone else :))

Erasers: there's the kind with 2 sides, a rougher and a finer grit, tend to be red and blue. They have a tapered end to each which is nice to allow you to erase with a bit of a finer line. Personally I erase very little, only in the beginning stages of a drawing where I use fine lines which are erased a bit more easily. I'm often guilty of just 'drawing over' errors later. If you draw darker things it's fairly easy to just take a strand of hair, a black belt or a flap of a cloak or such to draw it over a flaw. But this is partially due to my tendency to draw during lunchbreaks with a ballpoint (try erasing that) or using crappy printer paper when I just had an urge to draw and have nothing better in my immediate vicinity.

Well, it depends on what you want to draw ofcourse. But getting a set of 3b to h3 pencils will help. Mechanical pencils ( I am going to assume those are the ones with the thin little rods that come out by clicking the end) tend to feel a bit more like the harder pencils due to create finer lines by the nature of their design. I myself couldn't draw a 'clean' picture with minimalistic lines if my life depended on it, but for others, that's the style they enjoy and fine lines are nice for such (clean would be something like nadrolski's avie). Paper wise the stuff they sell in hobbyshops works better, allows for some easier erasing, it's a bit thicker and so on. That all said, I've always considered materials to be of a second or perhaps even third concern. I did my own avie with a ballpoint pen on some printer paper during work lunch breaks. So what would be the first two concerns. Creativity/inspiration/source material. I draw stuff from some mental image that occurs to me at some point . (I at times even just scribble some lines and then come up with what it should become). But having some good idea of what and how you want to draw, how much of your ideas you need to 'borrow' or how much you just come up with on your own. (Will I do these dragon scales like this artist did in this picture.... or here's my dragon, i will just start and see where it leads me scale wise). Anatomy and relational sizes. You can draw a perfectly shaded picture. Marvelous details. But if the head is a bit too big for the torso, or if that arm is twisted in a wrong way, it will look horrid. Unless it's cartoony style of course. It's a bit akin to the 3d cgi issue, the closer you approach reality, the more small faults will be recognized by the brain to be wrong. They have these anatomical dolls for such, I never used those (this is one of those talents I seem to be born with) but I have in the past posed before a camera. Yes, it will look stupid, but you got a nice picture of anatomy that works to start from, in exactly the pose you like. I suggest not diving into perspective poses at first (like a hand pointing towards the viewer, stuff like that) cause they can be a real pain i the ^%#. The big thing is, you need to get the measurements right at the START. Because if you're trying to fix things when half the shading is done it's going to be messy as hell, if not completely impossible. And finally, recalling how I learned drawing... no, perhaps not learned, how I improved drawing (because there's a certain degree of natural talent that people just have or don't have. And I have no clue if this can be trained easily) is by using tracer paper. So add that to the shopping list. Trace some picture, perhaps of some artwork you like or of a photo. Pick a facial one and a full body one. Trace contours, try to mimic the shading, just get a feel for the stages of a drawing, for the required techniques. After feeling comfy with the techniques, try your own. I think I posted some pics in my drawing topic with 3 stages of dark's avie. I tend to start out by drawing one of those anatomical dolls (even though I don't have one), fiddling with the body parts till happy, then a moment of roughly 'clothing' and outlining the body to finally detail it and shade it. So, that's about it. I can't really say if there's any grand tutorials, seeing I started drawing when i was 4. (and eventually stopped drawing for a long long time till I got into this place) But the inert skill always has been there. I know I practiced by copying some images. But in the end, it's just start with something. Hate the result. Find the flaws (see them yourself or ask for feedback). Start a new. Hate it again. There's always going to be someone better, always room for improvement and if you are anything like me, you will always be dissatisfied with the end result. Your own worst critic.(which is a good thing at times, because other people will often be to nice (which is nice of them) and say things like 'different styles' and such. But in the end, you will know your picture is not as good as x or y's picture, or the art you used as inspiration. And no amount of cuddly comments will help that feeling :) ) And do holler if you at some point want a bit of feedback. I promise I will point out what is done well (purely my opinion) and what looks bad (again opinions can differ).

Heya, though we've already talked before :)

There isn't anyone whom can do Lazarus' style. Not even me, otherwise I would have done it.

Ok, it's been a while. And I seem to have done very little dark stuff lately. But here we go, something I had laying around and just needed to finish up.

I have a swish knife with all sorts of proddy things. and paperclips. I shall improvise. It's mostly going to be my skill that's in the way. drawing is nice and flat. sculpting is not. And tools are nice...if you know how to use them. It''s going to be one big muddy clay mess, but who knows, I might have some undiscovered talent. Edit: I know I could find a ton of tips and tricks and what not, but like drawing or well, pretty much anything I do. I'll just start and see how it goes or doesn't go. Preparation is boring :)

there, bought clay. Haven't clayed since I was like 6. Nor do I have any of the special sculpting tools. So either I'll prove to be a natural. Or i'll have to explicitly tell people it's a drachorn Or i'll get frustrated, smash the attempt into a wall and then make an ashtray

Maybe perseverance. To overcome that viscosity holding you back, to keep pushing no matter how much it tries to hold you back. And that sounds a like like preservation. Topreserve those realities slipping away. To preserve the memory, the location into the here and now. SO maybe just glue them together Preserverance

Happy Birthday!

What, handcrafted! And I just bought a 5000 euro 3d printer, argh! :)

I have managed to get flash on my android working for firefox with a bit of a hassle. And then puffin as well, inbuild flash support, no hassle, costs 2 euro's or so. That said, annoying decision. This whole html5 stuff is all nice and progressive.... but it's a damned pain in the ass for me. I now have to ensure my own web software works in html5 no flash.....but, due to soooo many compagnies still running winxp with ie7...it also has to keep working in flash, gah!

*posts his happy bday on a completely different forum, being quite sure DST is listening anyways*

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