Study Journal: 08_June_2014 - Matte Surface Rendering and Shadow Plotting

I'v been working through more of Scott Robertson's Gnomon DVD's, mainly the Basics of Perspective and Matte Surface Shading (Planar) ones. I'm finding the techniques extremely useful for solving many of the problems I have when trying to draw things correctly (perspective, lighting etc.)

This weekend i've been studying the Matte Surface Shading lesson and learned about the Half-way to Black value assignment technique. It's a good starting point for learning how to decide how dark and light the different planes of a surface should be.

Assigning Values

Main things I learned:

• 1,2,3 Read is important.
• Form Change = Value Change
• The darker a surface is the less light bounces off of it.
• Light bounced onto surrounding surfaces is also tinted to the colour of the surface the light is reflecting off.
• The gradation of bounced light on surfaces has to be extremely smooth to avoid the value change looking like a form change.
• The brightest surface of an object is one that is closest to perpendicular/90 degrees to the light source. 

Plotting Shadows

Notes:

• Shadow construction is made up of 3 main components: Light source location, length of shadow and direction of shadow.
• Because the sun is so far away, it's light rays are almost parallel when they reach the earth. Meaning they all can recede to one point.
• When front lighting objects you only really need to determine the shadow vanishing point, wherever you feel the shadows should recede to and then drop the sun in 90 degrees to that point below the horizon line.
• Side lighting is the same: if the scene is directly side light though, the shadow direction can be parallel to the horizon and the light rays can be completely parallel to each other.
• Diagonal lighting provides the strongest 1,2,3 read + a good cast shadow out of all the possible lighting strategies.

I think i've learned enough of the very basics to start practicing applying all of these techniques on my own for a bit before I move onto more complex techniques.

Note: I understand that these posts won't be interesting to anyone apart from myself but I feel it is really useful for me to journal my "boring" study stuff, so I can keep better track of what i'm learning and so I can collate any notes/thoughts I have on it in one place.

W.I.P Helmet

Trying Zbrush out properly for the first time. I think it might be the best thing ever. I'm trying something generic and simple just to get used to the software. It's an armored bust that I'll hopefully be able to 3D  print soon. I <3 Zbrush.


Super W.I.P

Figure Drawing: Longer Drawings

I spent a bit more time on these drawings, tried to add in some basic shadows.

Figure Drawing

Some figure drawings/random doodles with a few corrections.

Aw yeah shadows.

Figure drawing.

Some gestures that I did earlier this week during a figure drawing class I'm taking.

I didn't draw the eyes on the above image (I wish I could). And the drawing on the right had corrections made to it. Really enjoying doing these and it helps a lot getting direct feedback on them.

Sketch dump from the last couple of days.

I've been working on some head stuff recently, I'm getting more comfortable with drawing the basic shape of the head now. I'm using QuickPose.com for my reference, best life drawing site I've found so far.

Also been messing around with game maker studio and trying to learn GML.

I learnt how to make aliens and a ship to shoot them with. 

Trying to code/script makes me feel very inadequate, mentally.

Gesture Drawings

Did a few gesture drawings today so i'll post a few of them:

:D

Perspective and ellipse practice.

I've just been doing more freehand perspective stuff the last couple of days, I've found it's helping my drawing quality a lot. Especially when I try to draw quick sketches.

I've also started to try and really apply the study to create things from my imagination.

This drawing doesn't really 'work' as a design at all but it's been great practice for learning how to plot simple shapes in perspective. Good rendering practice too.

Adventures in perspective land.

Some practice in transferring planes in perspective and freehand ellipse practice.

So excite.

Life Drawing - 10/4/2014

Hand Drawings (Stylized, realistic and animal.)

Really enjoying doing these hand studies, which is good because it'll take a lot of practice to get comfortable with drawing them.

Hand drawings from life using visual styles of other artists.

Aminals

Feets and things.

Didn't do a lot of drawing today unfortunately, since my brain is a little rattled from the 48 Hour Film challenge. But this is what I got, yo:

I also worked on a walk cycle in Maya that I'll post a video of once it's cleaned up.

Museum Trip Photos + Studies

We went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum today. There were so many awesome displays, it's a shame that some were so dimly lit, resulting in some not-so-great photos.

These are a few semi-decent photos I managed to get:

Flying fire-spit thing machine.

Rock that looks like it got pulled out of Darksiders.

#52

Pigeon skeleton.

I attempted to do some perspective studies of the pistols I found in the armory.

I learnt an important lesson about not putting the subject so close to the vanishing point. Because of the unnatural distortion it causes and also because I hate it.

These were done with Toner Gray Copic Sketch markers, a Sharpie Poster Paint Pen and a Pilot Hi-Tec C in case anyone was wondering. The paper is from a Hahn Kraft Toned Sketchbook.

PEW PEW

Remember kids, the more money you spend on unnecessary art supplies, the better your art will become.

Life Drawing From Yesterday + Hand Drawings

These are some life drawings from yesterday that I liked.

2 Minute Gesture Drawings

Line Contour Drawing

And some hand drawing practice, the middle one was giving me so much trouble. So I gave up. :D

MOAR PERSPECTIVE + 3 Point Lighting.

Did some more practice on basic freehand 1, 2 and 3 point perspective.

This is a screenshot of the 3 point lighting I did today. 

Bonus sketchbook sketch.

That is all.

Freehand Perspective Practice + Head Anatomy

Such fundamental. Very practice. Wow.

Some head anatomy drawings that I liked.

K bye.