posted
As an artist who portrays people, you have to realize that you are something like an actor (for every character you illustrate, unless you are drawing from models) and a director. One of the best tools for caching and examining expression is a tool that has been in mankind's inventory for thousands of years: a mirror.
Look in it and make faces. I'm serious. If you can do "mad" in a mirror, you can then recall that expression and (with practice) render it on canvas (or whatever your usual medium is). Get books on art, not just Boris Vallejo (and that crowd, though that's the sort of style you tend to project) but also check out the books in the library that show stuff by Tolouse Latrec (sp.) and Pablo Picasso and all the "big hitters" you can. Examine the detail of how they applied paint to canvas, charcoal to paper, etc., and that will inspire you to experiment with interesting variations on your own techniques.
Purchase (or borrow -- it can be expensive) a Gray's Anatomy. Knowing how the underlying structure goes together helps you create convincing illustrations of people. (And besides, if you want to illustrate a shambling corpse, you don't have to guess what's under the skin ).
My own area of expertise (apart from simple ship schematics) is comic art, not very realistic -- sort of like Johnny Hart (Wizard of Id, B.C) or Lynn Johnston (For Better or Worse), but there's a whole lot to be learned just by closely examining someone else's technique and, not copying it, so much as incorporating elements that suit your style.
--Baloo
------------------ "Against stupidity the very gods Themselves contend in vain." --FRIEDRICH VON SCHILLER Come Hither and Yawn...
posted
I used to be able to ghost other people's art fairly well, then i began experimenting with styles based on various forms of animation until i got my current style. And i am taking Human Anatomy for better undstanding of underlying muscle structure.
------------------ I am not responsible for the stupidity of other people.
).
Printer-friendly view of this topic
