Hey hey!
Incase you're new around here, I'm the guy on social media (specifically Instagram) that likes to share his learnings around art and character design.
And below is my bi-weekly newsletter that includes:
- Curated resources I've found useful around art / digital art and character design
- Curated resources I've found useful around the art of learning how to learn
- Thoughts / ideas I'm pondering
- Behind the scenes of content creation
- The occasional update on courses / tutorials
So, let's waste no more time and get stuck into this issue!
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Resources
Post - The art of Sinbad
This 140+ image post came across my feed the other day of the art of Sinbad, I particularly liked the breakdown of Sinbad's head I can never get enough of seeing others though processes.
I'm always a lot more interested in the 'making of' rather than the final product, that's where the learning nuggets are found, even if it's a little note next to a sketch, it can be a little 'aha' moment that can unlock a whole new understanding.
Worth a peruse!
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Video - Biggest Art Myths
This is a great little video by the Proko team, definitely things that have crossed my mind in the past.
My key take aways:
- Being a comic artist is a viable career!
- You're an artist because you make stuff there's not a point in time when you become a 'real' artist.
- Having credentials as an artist isn't going to make you feel any different (imposter syndrome can still be hanging around).
- Try not to compare yourself to others (easier said then done) there's always going to be someone 'better'
- Just focus on what you can control and improving yourself (I'm a big believer on focusing time and energy on things I can control)
- People romanticise social media success and don't take into account the work behind it
- Other people (family/friends etc) can have the perception that you're not 'busy' because you're 'just drawing'
- The whole 'starving artist' thing isn't true (learn how to promote and market yourself and be a business person)
- There's no software, pencil or BRUSH (shout out to the "What brush you use" gang) that'll make you better, it all comes down to the fundamentals.
- A lot of jobs/studios don't care about degrees, they're looking at your work (I can attest to this since posting on IG and have had companies reach out. I have no degree!)
- The AAA studio route isn't the be all and end all of what's possible career wise in art
- Don't get stressed about how many likes you get on social media, it can drastically fluctuate
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Web Page - Character Expressions
I fell in love with the art style on this page of 'Masters of Anatomy'. Not even sure how I came across this one and I'm in no way affiliated with them.
This page is 'technically' a landing page to their ebooks, but they give you 25 different character heads in different angles for free, right there on this page, so go go go!
I really love the line-work and 'dimensionality' (look at me with the fancy words).
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Post Atlantis Character Sheet
This post caught my eye, especially the hand breakdowns! I think that the hands can convey just as much expression of the character as the face sometimes. Again, this is one of those 'behind the scenes' kind of sketchy break down images where I'd imagine it was used in production to communicate the logic behind how the character is drawn.
Super useful.
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Art study thoughts - Expediting the 2D learning process
I've been toying around with Nomad Sculpt more and more recently on the iPad and using it as a 2D study tool.
For example, I started to do some likeness stylised studies of Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad (I'm re watching it and got inspired!) and there was something off about the 3/4 view I was drawing.
The far side cheek/eye socket always seems to throw me.
So I cracked open nomad sculpt, did a SUPER primitive sculpt (basically a sphere with an elongated rectangle attached to the bottom), and just started to analyse what happens when I rotated it in 3D space.
This actually really helped and it gave me and understanding of what's going on vs just guessing or trial and erroring my way there.
My theory is... If the core fundamentals of drawing/painting most things is grounded in understanding simple, geometric shapes and getting really used to manipulating them at will – why not use technology to our advantage to speed up the 2D learning process?
Now I'm not talking about sculpting and tracing. I'm talking about sculpting something, then studying that sculpt from multiple different angles and understanding 'why' things are looking the way they do.
There's also the residual benefit of diversifying your skillset by getting comfortable with 3D software.
Seems like a win, win to me.
A couple of sculpting options I recommend you try (no affiliation with either of these)
- iPad - Nomad Sculpt
- Desktop - Blender
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Updates
The launch of my first tutorial is near complete!
I've finished the final recording as well as the final draft of the companion 40+ page field guide that goes along with it (say whaat?!).
This will be my first tutorial/product I'll be launching on Gumroad taking you step by step, from sketch to painting on how I went about creating this character in real time.
Can't wait to get your feedback!
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Anywho, that's all from me.
And as always, stay consistent, use reference, have fun with it and remember, it’s only pixels baybee!
I'll see you in the next one.
Cheers, Ben
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Have any questions or just want to say "hey"?
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Email me at b.eblendesign@gmail.com or simply reply to this one.
