my doodle dabbles <NEW wallpaper - january 24>

[tarebear]

this is my first thread and i'm kinda scared

this is the first time i'm showing my work of art(?) to the world... browsing in this forum got me inspired to share my talent (?) too... i mostly use charcoal, colored pencils and pencil as my medium... these days, i'm mostly doodling bears (i love 'em!)

anyways, without further ado, this is my rendition of tara... my first time to try to draw her and my first time drawing people since college... obviously, i'm a bit rusty ... also, please bear in my mind that i did this earlier today while working (yes i was at work) coz i was sleepy hehe... i used a pencil so it's not much really... and i didnt have much in terms of time and effort to make this drawing look more like tara but here it is...



what do you guys think? constructive criticisms will help me get better...

[FineyMcFine]

I like it - something about the eyes and hair, you've captured something Taraesque here.

[urnofosiris]

I would like to see a larger version please. It looks very good indeed, I am impressed. I think the eyes are the most difficult part of the face to draw. You did a great job, there is no mistaking that this is Tara and her eyes seem alive. I like that you have shown only part of her face, somehow I prefer it over a full portret. This way the focus is drawn more to those beautiful eyes.

[Emms]

Ooooo very nice indeed sweetie! Very Tara'esque. You might want to see if you can edit it a little though and create a little more contrast....everything's kinda the same shade of grey (which is fine) it just makes it a little hard to see.

But I really super like it lots.

Thanks for sharing

[SJ]

Great drawing,thanks for sharing.

[tarebear]

wow thank you for all your kind words...

SallyMcFine... i'm glad you think i've captured tara with my simple sketch... eyes have always been a weakness of mine, so i'm really glad you liked how i drew them...

DrG... oh my a visit from a moderator..i'm nervous all of a sudden and i have this itch to be proper hehe anyways.. you were right about the eyes being hard to draw and the one part of a face i painstakingly draw and erase multiple times before i get satisfied... because i think if i don't get the eyes right, the whole image is a failure... anyways, i'm glad you think it's better that i drew only half her face... it is sort of dramatic that way (and also, i really didn't have much time to finish because i was sneaking in sketching this while i'm supposed to be dilligently working hehe... that's our secret )

Miss Kittys Ball O Yarn... oh my a visit from my idols! i'm just sooo happy that you like my little sketch... sorry about it being the same shade of grey, i'm using an ordinary pencil, so there's not much i could do... i would love to get your input on how i could make more contrast with pencil... more shading? like that? but i'm glad you like it super lots... that means a lot to me coming from you... viewing your gallery actually is one of the reasons i got inspired to take a leap and open a thread myself... thank you for sharing your talent with us.

SJ... hiya... i'm glad you like my sketch even if it's not that much really... i hope you will enjoy the future ones i post as well.

thank you again guys... i will post my next one later... i wont say who it is... make a wild guess

later!

[tarebear]

so, here it is... my next sketch... tell me what you think of it... i'm not completely satisfied with it, but that's what i get with sneaking around sketching instead of working hehe... i may change the subject of my thread to "my office dabblings when i'm supposed to be working but instead i'm drawing so i won't fall over from boredom," but i think that's too long and so i changed my mind and wont change it ...

[Emms]

Hi sweetie. Well, the fact that you are using a regular pencil is just a testament to your talent and ability.

i would love to get your input on how i could make more contrast with pencil... more shading? like that?

I would love to offer some tid-bits of advice.

Supplies all pencil artists should have:

Pencils. More than one lead is a must. Leads come in a variety of grades (though technically it's not lead; it's graphite) If you go down to your local artist supply shop and have a look at the variety of pencils, you'll see a letter ( H or B) and a number (2-9) on each pencil. The letter represents the hardness or boldness and the number is a sliding scale that lets you know as the graphite decreases or increases in hardness or boldness. Here is the list from hardest to softest: H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B, 9B

The higher you go starting from H the softer and darker your pencil mark is going to be.

Erasers: You want to have a Kneaded eraser and a white, plastic eraser.

the kneaded eraser is gray and squishable and apart form being fun to mold and make into funny shapes can be used to lighten areas or create highlights. The plastic eraser is great for erasing both large and small areas. Neither eraser will tear your paper.

Also...you'll need to get a few blending stumps and tortillions.

A blending stump is a compressed wad of paper shaped into a point that you can use to shade or blend your pencil lines. A tortillion is a spiral of paper who's tip is perfect for smudging small areas.

Well....drawing (the face in particular ) is a multi-step process. The first step is placement of features and blocking of shaded areas.
The second step is to shade. When shading it's important to work from the "10 values" a value scale can be bought (inexpensively) from the art supply store.

So after I've done an outline of the face and have all the features in place I will begin to shade. I like to start with the lightest areas first, (I usually use an HB lead to begin with) going over the whole face with a semi-hard lead. Next I move up to a 2B to start on the darker aspects of the face. I continue this until I've filled in all 10 values.

well.....that was my 2 cents on shading I hope I made sense.

but I’m glad you like it super lots... that means a lot to me coming from you... viewing your gallery actually is one of the reasons i got inspired to take a leap and open a thread myself... thank you for sharing your talent with us.

Awww you are too sweet! That's the nicest, sweetest thing anybody has ever said to me

I am so glad that you decided to make that leap to post your wonderful work here for us all to enjoy.

I think they are all very lovely. And if that's what you can do with a regular old number 2 pencil, I can only imagine what you'll be able to do with more than one lead. AWESOME!

I hope to see more from you soon.

Take care sweetie

xoxo
Emms

[tarebear]

oh wow! thank you thank you ms. emms for the advice... i will definitely have to go to an art supply store soon... thank you for taking the time and writing all that for me... i'm soo happy right now i can't think of anything else to say...

I am so glad that you decided to make that leap to post your wonderful work here for us all to enjoy.

I think they are all very lovely. And if that's what you can do with a regular old number 2 pencil, I can only imagine what you'll be able to do with more than one lead. grin AWESOME!

aww shucks i'm really glad you like 'em...

i'm gonna try and post some other stuff i drew over the years of the non-w/t variety in TiE...i would love to get your input on em too.

thank you thank you again and again!

later!

[urnofosiris]

Proper and moderator are not words that go together really, so don´t hold back on my account.
Did you draw these paintings on a white paper or is the paper itself light grey? Personally I like the lack of contrast in these drawings, it gives it a kind of dreamy/mysterious feeling. Different types of pencils can certainly help to add different kinds of shade/effects, but to your credit you managed to acchieve it with one pencil as well. The softer the pencil, the easier that is. I think your use of shade was just right, it was enough to suggest depth and at the same time it still made the faces look natural. Too much, too deep/dark shades or too much contrast can make a drawing look a bit too cartoony and less realistic if you´re not careful. If that is a deliberate style it´s fine of course, but if you want to draw in a realistic manner then your´s the way to go methinks.

As for your second drawing, I think in this case the eye is not quite right, the iris does not seem to be round and the lower eyelid is interrupted, it appears to have an angle now instead of a smooth curving line. It can be useful to look at the drawing through a mirror, that helps to bring out the parts that are just not quite right more clearly than if you look at it directly, please give it a go and see if it helps. The drawing as a whole is very good I think, I like it, I can clearly tell it is Alyson/Willow and to have the portrait clearly resemble the ´portraitee´ is always an accomplishment, drawing a face is hard enough, drawing a likeness even harder. The nose and mouth (I think Aly has a rather more difficult mouth to draw than Amber, Aly´s lips are thinner and there she seems to have this perpetual curvy half smile that is difficult to duplicate) are perfect. Keep on drawing, you already are very good and practice can only make you more perfect at it. I really look forward to seeing your other drawings.

[tarebear]

DrG

don´t hold back on my account

oh boy!... you just don't know what you got yourself into
JK!

anyways... thanks for the constructive criticism... thanks for pointing some valid points about the eye.. i really wasn't that sure about it either... i will definitely have to try that mirror suggestion... but for my part, i was copying a picture of her from my cellphone (as if that's an enough excuse hehe)

anyways... i will post more soon... just got to find a picture of them i wanna capture and draw...

i will shamelessly promote another thread i created yesterday in the inward eye, oodles of doodles, please do check it out... i would love to hear what you think of my other work...

thank you again for the encouraging words... you don't know how much it feeds my heart .

[lollipopgirl]

OK, before I start pouring out my praise, awe and jealousy of you I'll just say that I'm no artist so I can't help you out with the technical side of things ( I didn't even notice the little things that Emms and DrG were talking about...and all the different pencil types kinda scared me a bit ) but I am honest and will only say and comment on things that I truely like. Ur drawings, I love! The first one of Tara really drew me in and forced me to aimlessly stare it...stupid picture. I think you really captured the eyes and that is probably the most important thing when it comes to Tara/Amber, but I couldn't stop looking at how good the nose is either...is that weird?!?!
On to the Willow pic...I love the smile and the nose (again, weird). Once again it is so bluntly obvious who the picture is of and I also just continued to stare at your great job here aswell.
In closing, excellent job (in my opinion) &.....I WISH I COULD DRAW !!!

X-Katie-X

[tarebear]

hiya katie

really drew me in and forced me to aimlessly stare it

oh wow really??? i didn't know it had that effect on people... now all i need to do is put subliminal messages in my drawings and i shall rule the world *evil laugh*

so that means you liked them? yey! thank you! i'm soooo happy that i did justice with drawing them... this is the first time i attempted to draw them (heck the first time i did any drawing in a couple of years! i'm still a little bit rusty)... i've always loved sketching... it's just RL gets in the way sigh! but i plan on making more so i could even get better..

I didn't even notice the little things that Emms and DrG were talking about...and all the different pencil types kinda scared me a bit

hehe kind of overwhelmed me as well

I WISH I COULD DRAW

hey no need for tears... i bet with practise, you can draw even better than me... just go with your heart when your drawing... don't get pressured if you don't get it right the first time... if you ever do try it... show me ok?

thank you again for the kind words... you can see my other sketches at oodles of doodles in The Inward Eye *blatant promotion hehe*... hope you take the time to

[ambercissism]

These are just great! You almost captured Willow's smile. Ummm.... not almost, but you did! there's no doubt that's Willowgrin! So, when are we goin' to have the next drawings?

[tarebear]

hiya ambercissism! thanks for stopping by... i've been meaning to do some more willow/tara art, but RL is not allowing for it... i hope to have some time off this weekend to draw... we'll see... don't worry, as soon i finish, i will definitely post it here.

thanks again for the kind words.

[tarebear]

hiya guys! it's been a while since i've been able to update... anyways... i have something that i made tonight... it's not drawing though... it's something i've been experimenting with photoshop... i know i've got lots to learn still... but i do hope it's okay enough...

so, without further ado... i present to you my amber wallpaper.


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tell me what you think... what i could have done to make it even better, etc. etc.

i hope to do an actual drawing pretty soon....

later guys!

oh! and advance happy valentines day to all!

[Emms]

wow, that's absolutely stunning. Amber's looking totally amazing in those photos and I really like the lettering at the bottom. I'm so glad to see you're back with another wonderful creation for us!

xoxo
Emms

[tarebear]

wow ms emms! as usual you astound me with the fast feedback... you have the fastest fingers! i'm really happy you liked that one i made of amber... i just finished with an alyson wallpaper and am still thinking about posting it tonight... or maybe it could wait... what do you think?

anyways... thanks again ms emms! have a great day!

[Emms]

by all means, please post now.

xoxo
Emms

[tarebear]

ok! if you insist no arm twisting necessary here.

this one has been done in little time, but i hope it's okay enough... i just got the inspiration to do one more of alyson before i go to bed... and this is the finished product...

my alyson wallpaper.

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hope it's likable enough!

later!

[petal of roses]

Hey Cecile!!

So you finally made some wallpapers of your own huh?? I’m glad because they both look really great.

About the Amber one. A very cool colour and effect you used and a wonderful Amber pic btw, I do have that picture too but I’ve never used it in one of my wallpapers though, I don't know why. I also like the font and effect you used on it. Which font did you use btw? Great job .

Now onto the Aly one. Love the reddish kinda background you used and the Aly picture too . Although too bad about the dark patch on Aly’s face on the left pic but other than that a really great job too .

Please continue experimenting with Photoshop because that's the best way to get to know the program better which lead to new wallpapers. Btw which version are you using?

Looking forward to the next one

~Rosella~

[Emms]

I like the Aly wall paper too, but I must say, my favorite is still the Amber one....cause it's just too HOT.

I really liked the red on the Aly one though, it fits perfectly.

So miss C...when will we be gettin' to see more of these spectacular creations? or an update to your thread on TiE? Hmm?

xoxo
Emms

[tarebear]

hiya! i'm back with a new wallpaper... i've been meaning to do some willow drawing, i just hadn't had the motivation.... i'm experimenting some more with photoshop these days and what i'll be posting is what i came up with... before that though, some replies first:

ms emms... hey i'm glad you like my attempts at wallpaper making... that's not the first ones i made of them though, i found the earliest ones underneath some of rubble in my pictures folder... anyways... maybe i'll post that too... i'm not sure though, it might look too jurrasic compared to the newest ones i've made... i'm not saying that i've made any headway in mastering photoshop...

rosella... hey, i'm honored you took some time to give some opinion on my wallpapers... the font i used for that amber wallpaper is bauhaus 93... and regarding that dark patch in willow's face, it was already there in the original picture i used... i never even noticed anything out of the ordinary about that area until you pointed it out... i'll have to be more vigilant in my next ones... thanks for that heads up rosella...

anyways, here is my newest amber wallpaper...

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... it's no biggie really... i have no idea what i want to do here and i came up with this... if it's lame just tell me, so i can come up with better ones.... it's from pictures from a convention i cannot remember... hope you like it anyways.

[tarebear]

hey guys here is a new alyson wallpaper... hope you like it...

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just click on the picture for a bigger version[/center]


rosella is still the queen in my book though!

[petal of roses]

Really cute Aly wallpaper you have made Cecile!! and a very cool effect you used on the big Aly pic too, kinda looks like it’s painted. I haven’t used that effect so far though. I like the font you used for this one too.

rosella is still the queen in my book though!

Don’t know if that’s true but I’ll do my very best as always!! Much thanks for your compliment

Have fun working on some new wallpapers


~Rosella~

[Emms]

Ces, is it possible that I missed an update? I should be flogged appropriately.

The Amber one is good. I like the way you arranged the pics and blue is one of my favorite colors! so, yeah. I like.

Now, onto the Aly pic. Hm....YUM! Aly is my favorite. I just love her smile. and you picked two great pics. I have to agree with Rosella the big one of Aly does look painted. You and Rosella both are the masters of Photoshop. It's all I can do to blunder my way through making one little title graphic, but the way you put together these beautiful wallpapers blows me away. [/swoon]

xoxo
Emms

[tarebear]

hey guys got a new amber wallpaper... this is the only thing i did tonight... had a mishap earlier today and was feeling a little sore and crappy so i thought a new amber wallpaper might just be what my mind needed.

hope you like!

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just click on the picture for a bigger version[/center]


hey ms emms and rosella! glad you both liked my aly wallpaper... yup i actually used the artistic filter to make her face look painted. thanks for the compliments as always...

later! i'm gonna go check out rosella's wallpaper now.

[Emms]

Absolutely beautiful! Amber is so gorgeous! Great piece, Ces!

Xoxo
Emms

[tarebear]

hiya ms emms... thank you so much for your continued support of my work... you don't know how much they have helped to encourage me to do things i never thought i'm even good at...

anyways, i made another wallpaper last night and thought i'd post it even if i only posted last night... this one is dedicated to ms emms.... may she continue to be a beacon of light to wanna-be's like myself! you rock ms emms! may she forgive me as well for always being late with my feedbacks.

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[Emms]

Wow, how did I miss this one? I feel bad now....'cos I had no Idea this was here and it's all dedicated to me, and stuff... I really must try and stay on top of these things.

I love the wallpaper, Ces! I love the colors and everything about it. I'm sticking to what I said from the beginning. You are a GENIUS when it comes to graphic art!

Aly is of course as gorgeous as ever and I gotta love her style there with the watch ('cos I'm a big watch freak)I just set this piece as the wall paper on my comp. Thank you so much for sharing this!

xoxo
Emms