[aibolit]

Hello, everybody. I've just realized that such sketchbooks are realy cool thing to communicate with each other and to log your skills improvent. So, here it is. And thank you very much for any comments!

[aibolit]

More defined picture of Joker. I guess, thats enough for value study:

[aibolit]

Another value study. Just watched "The Dark Knight Rises". I'm obsessed with Batman:

[aibolit]

Finished Batman value practise. Scene from "Dark Knight" when Batman fights against Joker:

[aibolit]

Little bit of line work and perspective:

[aibolit]

Rough sketch for "Bane":

[andreasbech]

Hi Aibolit,
No shame in being obsessed with batman.
However, in my opinion your value studies lack more contrast. (I think its called contrast at least). You seem to have a fine understanding of digital blending techniques. But you need to get more dark grays in there, and maybe even some clean black to spice them up a bit. Right now they're too light.

A way to force you to do this could be to put in a clean black where your reference photo have the darkest value (even if its not a clean black) and lay down pure white in the areas where your reference photo have the brightest value. When that is done, you can work on all the values in-between.

Hope it makes sense.. If not, please ask me to elaborate oh, and I am by no means pro myself, so please do take my advice with a grain of salt

Keep up the good work!

[aibolit]

Hello, Andreas. Thank you very much for your comments!

Yes, I incline to agree with you. There is some lack with contrast in these sketches.

Actualy I'm quite careful with pure black and white because as i have heard, these colors are not very common in real life. So at present I try to avoid such colors while painting.

But i should pay attention to your notice and I will try to use pure black and white in final sketch for "Bane".

[andreasbech]

You're welcome!
And you are absolutely correct and its only good you are careful. When it comes to real life study and realism, I imagine pure blacks are rare.
I still think, when used with care, pure blacks and whites are powerful tools for adding tension and atmosphere to almost any painting. That said, it isn't a necessity at all, I think its more about finding a balance between the values, regardless of how dark you darkest values are.
But it seems like you have a fine understanding yourself, and I am in no position to lecture you

[aibolit]

Finally, i get "Bane" done to more or less completed version.
I hardly can say that it is just a sketch because i spent plenty of time on it, especialy for the head.
Anyway it was realy fun and useful to work on it, particulary to mix human face with such artificial object like a mask.

[aibolit]

Quick study of constructive method for human face profile using Ron Lemen video lesson:

[aibolit]

Eyes study. Still not very confident with it:

[aibolit]

Drawn girl from imagination:

[aibolit]

another constructive study:

[aibolit]

Another one: