Week 1... November 2021...

I wanted to draw witches this month. I also was interested in telling tiny simple stories through single images. On top of that all, my focus this month was on learning Perspective and using the Golden Ratio.

Midnight Snack...

I liked the idea of a witch living in a normal enviroment. For this, the idea was a witch being judged by her flatmate for midnight snacking. 

(Clip Studio Paint)

I sketched out the pose and layout of the characters. There would be a 1 point perspective, the witch would have a flowy pose with a clear line of action. I drafted the positions using my own guides for how she would be positioned to use the golden ratio. I had spent a few days researching the golden ratio, and a few more days observing the ratio in real life, trying to see it wherever it arose. 

I wanted the witch (and the fridge she was raiding) to be a line of vision for the golden ratio, and the cat to be another focal point. She would be within the 1.61803398875 of the ratio, and the cat would be outside of it on the other end. She would be looking at the cat, and the fridge's light would lead the eye to the cat. So her position would be highlighted and his would also be a focal point. 

(Clip Studio Paint)

I went for a very simple witch design, a big witch's hat, a simple dress, rugid hair, and a large nose. Looking back, I could have pushed her pose further. There certainly is a line of action within her pose, I wanted her to point to the cat with her body language. 

(Clip Studio Paint & Adobe Photoshop)

I wanted magical smoke in the image, but I changed my mind as it cluttered it a bit. One of my more recent serious attempts at perspective. I used Adobe Photoshop to create the perspective guide. Clip Studio does have a tool for this, but I felt relying on a program to layout the kitchen would be unfair. While this image shows two perspective grids, I did not use both, I simply duplicated and flipped the perspective grids as I had used the same layer for the golden ratio grid. Earlier I used a rough one in Clip, but I adjusted and defined it more accurately using Photoshop's custom guides and a bit of maths. 

I changed the pose of the cat, I felt having the cat sitting down would show a more judgmental attitude to the animal. 

I tried to make the drawers of the kitchen, the window, and the fridge to add to the ratio. Having cluttered parts fitting within the ratios guides. 

Looking back, I really should have fixed the windowsill. I've learnt a fair amount of perspective from this and I will prefer to use the tools within Photoshop for it in future. 

(Clip Studio Paint)

I laid out the shading with textured brushes working in black and white. I made a focal line from the fridge's light, following the eyeline of the witch to the cat. 

(Clip Studio Paint)

Separately I laid out the flat colours of the kitchen, contrasting the witch's green skin and fridge to the brighter purple of the kitchen.

(Clip Studio Paint)

(Clip Studio Paint)

Finally with the multiply tools, I used the greyscale shades to shade the flat colours. I added some overlay layers of different hues of blue and purple across key points in the image to allow some colours to pop. I brightened the lines around the cat so he didn't blend in with the background. Some more darker overlays to add to the deep shades, some noise textures around the border of the image, and ofcourse, a few glow effects on the fridge to allow the deep shadows to work. 

Winter Witch...

(Clip Studio Paint)

(Clip Studio Paint)

For a personal image, I was still interested in drawing witches. I designed a witch girl who would be a Winter Witch. I wanted to convey in the image that she used her powers for mundane things, such as growing flowers out of season. Much like the last witch image, I was using the Golden Ratio again to layout my image composition. I tried to use the character, background, and sunflower within the ratio. 

In making this image I designed the character out first, simplistically exploring the design, using sharp shapes for her design, and then exploring colour. I then explored seasonal colours and designs to see which would inspire most, as the theme was already in my mind. 

(Design Exploration)

Highstreet....

(Adobe Photoshop)

After working on the perspective with the Midnight Snack image, I went back to basics. I found a few inspirational images from me peers and tried to replicate the simple styles, with the bricks and scuffs and line quality. I used a reference image of a highstreet to study perspective, and went out of my way to work solely in Photoshop for this. As much as I love Clip Studio, sometimes it feels a bit like a crutch. I used simple shading to add depth.

After this... I will continue to work on perspective for the rest of the month....

(07/11/2021)

Painting...

 I'm heavily in preference to linework in art. However, I've been wanting to branch out into simplistic cartoony painting for a while now. In the realm of social media there's this running theme from artists that we all have a 'natural art style' and that we should just be happy with what we've got. I don't believe this. I believe any art style can be learnt with enough dedication. After all, Animation exists! Digital Painting is not my specialty, and it never will be if I don't practice it. 

The truth is, sometimes the image in my head just has to be painted, and these days I'm willing to risk more mistakes to get there. 

This is the first painted illustration I did in late 2020. I don't have a breakdown of my process for it, but needless to say, I was in unsure waters. There were so many layers! For a painting, too! I should have taken more time to watch & learn from digital painters, many offer their knowledge through tutorials and speedpaints. But for this one, I didn't! Lesson learnt. 

Tutorials, perhaps not, but I did have an image library of references for this one. 

I treated it much like I would a lineart piece, which I don't believe you should. I was too focused on cleanliness and order when I've found since then that painting freely and being willing to make adjustments is better.

(2020 - Clip Studio Paint)

Regardless of what I've learnt with this one, I'm still happy with it for now... Which only means there's much more growth for me to pursue..

A follow up on the painting practice, and a more energetic posing. A lot of little details on the outfit and different colours made it a nice challenge. I certainly learnt the error of my ways with using too many layers to paint on this one. 

(2020)

I wanted to push myself with a more crowded image, contrasting multiple characters against each other without linework. 

(2021)

On the left is the first artwork I ever made in Clip Studio Paint, it was done to try and understand the program. At the time I had a clear vision, wanting to push the colour and graphic design capabilities. I was inspired by artist BitsOfCrom. The style is very different from his, but that's the inspiration at the time. 

Since I now consider myself well-versed, perhaps even an expert, at Clip Studio Paint, I decided to go back to it. I always liked the image in concept, sharp colours particularly but now I am more skilled and I wanted to show a growth by redrawing it, using digital painting instead of lineart to compliment the singular colours more so. 

(2017-2021 Clip Studio Paint)

For this one I really wanted to push the storybook style that digital painting allows. I wanted to show a book cover design. With simply the idea of a kid in the woods, focusing on the layout and composition, along with an alternative styling. 

(2021 Clip Studio paint)

When it comes to backgrounds, I've always loved the aesthetic of Sonic Adventure 2's level design. Overgrown forests that compliment a level. I think it's neat, so that's what I wanted to focus on. Recreating a level that seemed so clear to me in my childhood's mind's eye, but in reality, well it's an old game. A lot of the level is hard to see and the nature of such levels, goes by very fast. It was a nice challenge to recreate a level that I could find very few clear references for. 

(2021 Clip Studio Paint)

(2021 Breakdowns)

Similar to my earlier piece, Asuka, I do like simplistic painting, few colours but with light shading this time. I had the image of a girl blowing heart bubbles. Despite simplicity, this is the one I took time to research and study the most for. One of the inspirations was the cover for the Album SlimeGirls. 

(2021 Clip Studio Paint)

I toyed around with simple character designs for this. Some of these designs I really like, but didn't fit the vision as clearly.

(Character Exploration)

(Colour Exploration)

As you can see, much of my work has been done in Clip Studio Paint, so I've wanted to follow these up with artwork using Adobe Photoshop. As much as I love Clip Studio, there are benefits to other programs too, and some things Photoshop can do that Clip cannot. 

A New Leaf...

 I've thought about returning to my old student animation blog for a while, but in the age of social media and having a portfolio website, it felt a little irrelevant to do so. Yet, the yearning to continue with an animation blog for my own sense of progress continued on... And thus, here I am. 

I wanted to start documenting my progress on improving my art again. So I will do so. 

Sadly, this blog has been abandoned ever since I had a Dissertation to work on at University (which feels like a lifetime ago) so I can't document the in-between era of when I stopped posting and have began posting again now. 

Where else to begin but now.

In-between my work commitments, trying to ram my foot in the door of the industry (job hunting) and Covid-19 family related commitments, I've been focusing my growth on certain things, chiefly amongst those: Storyboarding, Background, Perspective, Anatomy, Composition and Rigging (2D). I'll go into those on individual posts. 

Sometimes I kick myself and put myself down, that I haven't been trying hard enough, that I could have used time when I was working to improve, but life takes turns we can't predict. 2020 taught me that (and many other things), and so long as I keep trying and keep driving for improvement of my self and my craft, I shouldn't fret over past time, that only wastes current time.