Animal Drawing - Final Week

To see previous weeks, click Week 1. Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5. Week 6, Week 7.

For week 8, the lectures were about prehistoric animals and some rendering.  Finally, I'll have my weekends back. It's been really challenging 8 weeks, because I didn't have much time to do more research and sketches to understand the process, with only the weekends to do it.  And yet, I still enjoyed doing these assignments.  The subject of drawing animals is really very broad, and for 8 weeks, it's just scratching the surface. There's just so many different kinds, types, species of animals one can learn about, that it's a lifetime's worth of study.

I also got sick this week, so I only managed to these.  Artrage 4 had been the program I've been using in doing all of my assignments.  Here's what I've done.

   

Animal Drawing - Week 7

To see previous weeks, click Week1, Week2, Week3, Week4, Week 5, Week 6.

Week 7 is all about birds. Understanding a bit of their anatomy, how their wings look, folded and in flight; and how to draw them using simple shapes.   But because I've been busy at work this week, including Saturday, I only get to finish 3 birds.

Here's what I've done. ( click to enlarge)

Animal Drawing - Week 6

 To see previous weeks, click week1, week 2, week 3, week4 . week 5

For week 6, the lectures and assignments are about  drawing  unusual shaped- animals.  These are the fishes, and reptiles. It's also about how much or less details, textures are indicated so as not to kill the drawings.   This is something I plan to practice on even after this workshop is done.

Here's what I've done. ( click to enlarge)

Animal Drawing - Week 5

 To see previous weeks, click week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4

For week 5, the topic and assignment was about drawing the individual and not the generic.  This means learning the different family genus and species. Or their different ages.  I focused on 2 species, dogs and tigers, specifically the Labrador Retrievers and Siberian Tigers. I decided to draw them in their different ages and observe how their appearances change.

After learning how to draw animals through the process of  gesture, construction, and anatomy it's now time to complete the drawing with some rendering. There are many ways to go about it. but since I don't have the time to explore different techniques, like crosshatching, I decided to just simply do a wash technique for the shadow shapes and a few whites in some areas. 

Here's what I've done... (click to enlarge)

Animal Drawing - Week 4

To see previous weeks, click Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.

For week 4's topic, it's about active and passive muscles, and animals in action, and being able to draw animals from gesture, construction, and with muscles overlay.  For my assignment, I concentrated mostly on dogs and a cat. I chose photos where there's interaction between animals.

Here's what I've done. ( click to enlarge)

        

Animal Drawing - Week 3

 To see previous weeks, click Week 1, and Week 2

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Week 3's assignment had been very challenging. It's about determining the muscles of predatory and prey animals.  Even though all we need to learn as artists are the superficial and simplified muscle groups, I found it really hard. There's just not enough time to study them, and I only have the weekends to do it.  It took me hours to figure out the muscles of just one animal in one pose.  Not even sure it's all correct. This is one of those times a good teacher's feedback is necessary.

Here's what I've done. (click to enlarge)

Animal Drawing - Week 2

 To see Animal Drawing Week 1, click here.

This week's lesson was about animal skeleton and basic construction.  This was one of those times when I really struggled drawing.  I have not drawn animal skeletons before so this week's assignment had been difficult.  If I don't understand what I'm drawing, I won't be able to draw it well. So, I took out all of my animal drawing and anatomy books as references. I think after this course is over, I will revisit all the lessons again and do a lot of practice.

Here's what I've done. (click to enlarge)

Animal Drawing -Week 1

I'm at it again! I'm presently enrolled in another online drawing workshop. Art education has always been something I wanted to continue and thanks to all these online schools, I'm now able to do it at my own convenience.

This time, it's Animal Drawing at CGMA 2d Academy.  Being a 3d animator, it's easy to neglect sketching or drawing after a long day's work. So, this is my way of forcing myself out of laziness to start sketching and drawing again.

For week 1, here's what I've done.... (click to enlarge)

Final Week - Fundamentals Of Character Design

      For the final week of the course, the topic was Appeal And How To Achieve It.  Clear and easy to read silhouette is the key.  Combining all the principles we've learned for the past 7 weeks, we're to do the following for the final assignment, focusing on appeal:
   1) A Raccoon that is a leader and a hero archetype, without costume,   Or a steampunk female that is a leader and hero archetype. Showing the rough and clean version.  I chose the raccoon.
   2) Rough design of two characters interacting: 
Female with an elephant- theme and story moment is students idea.  
Focus on making an appealing situation based on the clarity of silhouette of two characters as one complete strong compositional image and stimulating interaction, creating an intriguing storyline through a single image .All of this in order to make the viewer wanting to know more of what is going on.  Style is students choice.

     Here's what I've done..(click to enlarge)

Week 7 - Fundamentals of Character Design

      "Character Staging and Setup"  was the topic for week 7.  The assignment for the week was to do two master copies of Frank Frazetta's work in black and white, using only two values, and transitions.  And create two scenarios, that demonstrate  good composition, pose, camera placement,spacing, lighting,
1. Character detained, imprisoned, alone and hopeless (students choice of subject and setting)
2. Character heroic, victorious, superior (students choice of subject and set)
Plus a page of hands and feet.
    
     Here's what I've done.. (click to enlarge)

      
       

Week 6 - Fundamentals Of Character Design

     Design Details and Shape Breakdown was the topic for week 5.  Nico Marlet's work is the inspiration for the week.  Our assignment was to do a master copy of one of his work,  and we're to design a dragon and his rider, in two styles -  one is a more cartoony graphic style, and another in in a more realistic style. 

     Here's what I've done...(click to enlarge)

Week 5 - Fundamentals of Character Design

      "Creating Forms From Abstract Shapes".  Starting with a simple, appealing abstract shapes, we're to create three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional plane. This technique utilizes an understanding of the fundamentals of tone, value, form, lighting, texture.   Carter Goodrich's work best demonstrates this technique.  So we're to do a master copy of one of his work.  He's now my new favorite.   I copied his drawing of one of the rats in Ratatouille. 

     Combining our previous understanding of shape language of visual association, character personality using body/facial expressions, we're to design using this technique, two characters -  1)  a proud, confident, heroic cowboy/cowgirl.  2) an unmotivated, lethargic, depressed four-legged animal character.

     So, here's what I've done.... (click to enlarge)

Week 4 - Fundamentals of Character Design

     Week 4 was about Character Personality. Starting with correct gesture, a clear silhouette plus understanding the character from within would help design or draw the right body poses to express character's personality and/or emotions. So that week, we were given a number of descriptive scenarios to draw.  

     Heinrich Kley was the one of my favorites and the inspiration for that week.   We're also to do a master copy of one of his drawings while studying the loose and gestural quality of his characters' poses.   I chose his famous dancing elephants.  I've always admired Heinrich Kley's drawings, but not until I was copying them that I got to see it more clearly how much personality, energy and anatomy he integrated in those anthromorphic characters. Simply awesome!  I got a glimpse of how a master artist like him thinks. I'll definitely be doing more master copying on my own after the course. Simply a fun way to learn.

      So, here are my assignment drawings.... ( click to enlarge)