[NDHill]

edit #3

This is what happens when you move forward without a plan for how things will make sense spatially.

[NDHill]

Here's a creature design I did this weekend. Approximately 8 hours. This was for a commission. Now that I think about it, it's sort of looks like My Little Pony meets Avatar.

[andreasbech]

Hi NDHill,
I absolutely love your pencil stuff, both your wicked sketches back in the first couple of posts and you life drawing studies
Your digital stuff is quite impressive as well, however I miss some crispness in some of the images.. Maybe a bit more detailing combined with some atmosphere/variations in saturation to bring some areas more in focus could help, but I don't know

No matter what, keep up the good work, I'll look forward to updates!

[NDHill]

Thanks, man.

The figure drawing for the month of August marks the end of my first year in San Francisco.

[NDHill]

It turns out we had one more session on this one. This is it. I start a new one tomorrow.

[Fetsch]

Great lifedrawings Noel! How is the safehouse so far? hope you having a great time!

[NDHill]

Thanks. It's going well. It's certainly the best instruction I've ever received.

Here's some more creature designs.

[NDHill]

Here's a new figure drawing in the works. This is two sessions in.

[midknight523]

really like the figure drawing

[NDHill]

Okay. Well here's something I don't do enough of. I'm trying to step up my environments to round out my skill-set. I don't quite have a process for this yet and I'd love to hear tips anyone might have on how I could work smarter.

[LongJh]

Hey man, you got some real nice works here. Your figure drawing are great! Love the subtle rendering in them.

Quick questions! Um, how do you find such methods of atelier life drawing (the long, long process of drawing a single figure) in terms of improving your own drawing/painting skills? And what aspects do you focus on when doing these life drawings?

Hope you don't mind me asking. I really enjoyed looking at you works!

[NDHill]

Thanks. The atelier method of drawing and painting really emphasizes understanding form and light where as a more impressionistic approach might have you work the whole drawing all at once by trying to transcribe a value map. For me, a better understanding of light and shadow has allowed me to render more realistic volumes in all of my other work. The only reason we can observe volume is because light and shadow inform our eyes. The brightness of a single light source as it hits an object correlates to the angles at which it hits which describes rates of curvature and placement in space.

Another way atelier drawing continues to help me is shape analysis. Often when we see shapes and don't take the time to truly conceptualize them in our heads, we'll often idealize (over-simplify) or amplify what we're seeing. Breaking yourself out of this habit is tough and good angle assessment and measuring habits help train your mind to see and understand the shapes and accurately describe the space being occupied.

Here's a figure drawing update.

[MongerArt]

I really love the way you've captured the little swoops and sharply cropped edges in this guy's hairstyle. Great looking works on these figure drawings!

[NDHill]

MongerArt: Thanks. Observing hair can be tricky. I'm glad you think it turned out well.

Here's the finished figure drawing for September. When I say finished what I really mean is that I ran out of time.

[NDHill]

It's been a busy couple months. Between appendicitis, traveling to New England and freelance work, I haven't had a lot of time to do personal work. Here are moleskine brian farts. I guess the thing about NDAs is that you have to paint even more if you want to remind people you haven't fallen off the the grid.