An attempt at drawing (tad large image)

It's been a couple of months since I last picked up a pencil with the intent to draw anything, so I was quite pleased when I finished the orignal of this image. The resulting product annoys me though, a lot.

I had a few problems with the scan (missing lines), then I couldn't quite figure out how to keep the lines, so I resorted to tracing them, with a mouse, as you do. Finally, I suck at colouring; does anyone know of a basic tutorial when it comes to Photoshop colouring and scanned image using? My Google searches are fruitless.

If I can get a camera maybe I can take a picture of the pencil version.

(Yes, I am quite wary of putting the picture in the post. I'm getting quite self-conscious about posting this )

Look pretty nice actually, the eye's are pretty nice. I myself never really messed with photoshop, kinda seems like fun.

I don't want to be an ass Tatile, it looks nice. But sure you can do better

I'm not gonna complain since your better than me hehe. Nice work man
As they say, practice makes perfect, so if you've got the interest. Keep up the drawing mate!

I once had a huge interest for drawing, but suddenly one day it all stopped...
Now I don't really enjoy it, but I'm thinking of dusting of my pencils and start drawing some landscapes.

The drawing looks great. Feels good when you pick up your pencil again doesn't it? I'm impressed that you started out with a line drawing. When I first took a sketch class, our teacher started off by telling us that recreating a person or scene with just lines is a lot more difficult than doing it with shading. She let us draw the way we were used to for our first class, then took us to the Getty Museum in Malibu with our sketch boards for the next and seated us all around the Greek urns. They were all decorated with women drawn in lines, and she told us to copy them. Even just copying them was difficult at first. So... kudos.

Regarding losing the lines in the scanning process... can you set the rez any higher on your scanner? That might work.

First of all, this is an average effort if you haven't drawn in awhile however a lot could be better.

The eyes look odd, especially the one on the right. The silver iris' look like a half arsed excuse to not draw proper eyes.

The lines/"details" on the neck look out of place and randomly placed to try give your drawing more detail.

I cannot tell if this is a female or a male character.

Finally with the red stuff, is that hair or a hood?

This could be a decent picture, just work on your proportions and if you're going to add small details, do them well with effort.

Holy crap I got replies!

The woman (I do have problems with facial proportions for differing between genders) is based on my own Necromancer, who doesn't have pupils but solid silver irises (it's one of the Nightfall faces). The red is her hair, I just couldn't figure out how to do it properly, it needs a lot more shading and high/lowlights to work.

Lakatz, I've always drawn using lines. My GCSE Art course didn't actually teach us anything in regards to art, they just assumed we knew everything. I'll look into fixing my scanner's resolution and such, when I can get to that computer (the scanner is a Printer/Scanner combo as well).

Murmel, I may be able to do better with a lot more practice and references. I'm acutally working on a nude at the moment because I saw this thread had over 150 views but no replies. Nudity always gets people typing.

Thanks guys, this mean a lot

I personally think the work is out standing, especially if you have not had the interest or desire to draw in sometime. I feel honored you were courageous enough to post your artistic talent.

Though-I am not impressed with certain critics. Lovely way to encourage someone. Then again, some people like to be little others to feel they have the upper hand, in which this case they do not.

Tatile-You may wish to try www.deviantart.com. Do a search on Photoshop-tutorials. I am an artist there, and their advice and know how is quite helpful. I'd also become an artist there (You). You'd be surprised at the response, people do give advice--though in a manner that's becoming. I dislike the way people on Guru, tend to put work down rather then encourage. Funny how they never post their "own" art work, or lack there of.

Great work-keep it up!

@SparrowHawk: While I agree that the guru crowd can be rough at times, they are also responsible for most of the improvements in my work. It's an artist's lot to be two people at once. Most of the world expects artists to be the emotional type that takes everything that's inside and makes it visible for the rest of the world. At the same time, an artist has to be armored against all manner of things, you have to be able to take the criticism before you can sort out the good and the bad of it. I'm an art major and I've seen other students break down in tears when they get their final critique at the end of the semester. And that's just the professors talking to them.

@Tatile: If it's something you're just picking up again for fun, you probably weren't planning on making a career out of it, so have fun with it. When you improve, and I'm sure you will (you'll look back on this as most of us do in a year or two and think "Just look what I can do now!" ) Whatever you decide to do in life, you'll still have this, which is more that alot of people can claim. If you are seriously planning on getting into art, listen to what critics are saying, but don't let it eat you up. You don't owe them anything, it was your gift to them that they see what's in your mind to begin with. Just learn to sort the good ideas from the bad, smile and wave and do what you want to do.

Star,

I agree with you entirely. I can understand another artist giving advice, or critiquing. I guess its the manner in which its done, or frankly by who. I often find people that don't have any art background, passing comment on the littlest tidbits to be well, well frankly..parasitic.

Artists need two things, imagination and a grand shield. You are right, we have to rebuff and absorb what others point out and state. I guess I am old school, meaning I tend to point things out with grace, because one--I can.

If some of the other commentators would have presented themselves in your style, perhaps people like myself wouldn't be so jaded.

-Sparrow

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About the critics and what-not, I'm none too fussed about the amount of criticsm I've had, I was actually expecting far worse (this forum is a harsh place). I'm just glad that people have something to say, such as advice and opinions. In retrospect, I should have put up a picture of the 'person/character' I was trying to draw aswell, so as to avoid the 'Why no pupils?' comments.

I've had a look at the tutorials over at Deviantart Sparrow, and I'll be spending a long time sitting there and getting confused about the Pen Tool. I need remdial Photoshop lessons

I think there's great potential in your drawing! You have the shapes, the style and colors right. And there's originality too. It's always good to hide ears as they're difficult

Try to take a RL picture of a face and work the "proportions". In your pic, look at those distances and compare them to your RL picture: chin to lower lip, upper lip to nose, length of nose, interior of the 2 eyes, length of eyes, height of the forehead. If you try to match these to more realistic proportions, you can greatly improve your artwork.

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