Full Version: Iron Man
Having a little trouble with this one. Cant seem to get the realism I'm looking for. It's unfinished and needs a lot of detail work I know but something just doesn't click with it. It seems unrealistic and I cant figure out why. Let me know what you guys think.
Hi Ninjas,
I think what's going on here is a common trap when you're drawing from a photo: in simply copying the the patterns of light and dark in the photo, one can lose sight of exactly what's being drawn. The result is that muscles slacken, tension dissipates, and generally, you end up with something that, although well-rendered and seemingly identical to the photo, "just doesn't look right." This is certainly something that I've struggled with myself. If you began by sketching (or tracing) outlines from the photo, you would miss drawing the "bones" underneath that connect the various parts of the drawing. I think for this reference in particular, the tension in the outstretched hand is really key to the drama that you want to bring to the drawing. You have to do at least some of the basic construction that you'd do in drawing from life if you want to capture the gestalt of the scene.
Another issue is that I think you've translated surface color in the photo into values in the drawing. Since you haven't shown us the reference pic, I can't give many specific examples of this. My main evidence is that all the non-highlight values in the hair are darker than all the values used in the skin, everywhere, even in areas in deep shadow around the armholes of his shirt. The skin has a generally compressed range: the shadows on his forehead as shown as being as deep as the ones under his nose, or under his chin.
There's an anatomical error (the kind that's easy to make when drawing from a photo) on the neck, on our left; the deep shadow continues up around the back of his neck in a way that doesn't read correctly.
Compositionally, I think you'd want us to look at his eyes and follow them to the beam in his palm; the bright background distracts the eye too much. Since the beam is bright by design, the background has to be dark if you don't want it to be a distraction.
I think what's going on here is a common trap when you're drawing from a photo: in simply copying the the patterns of light and dark in the photo, one can lose sight of exactly what's being drawn. The result is that muscles slacken, tension dissipates, and generally, you end up with something that, although well-rendered and seemingly identical to the photo, "just doesn't look right." This is certainly something that I've struggled with myself. If you began by sketching (or tracing) outlines from the photo, you would miss drawing the "bones" underneath that connect the various parts of the drawing. I think for this reference in particular, the tension in the outstretched hand is really key to the drama that you want to bring to the drawing. You have to do at least some of the basic construction that you'd do in drawing from life if you want to capture the gestalt of the scene.
Another issue is that I think you've translated surface color in the photo into values in the drawing. Since you haven't shown us the reference pic, I can't give many specific examples of this. My main evidence is that all the non-highlight values in the hair are darker than all the values used in the skin, everywhere, even in areas in deep shadow around the armholes of his shirt. The skin has a generally compressed range: the shadows on his forehead as shown as being as deep as the ones under his nose, or under his chin.
There's an anatomical error (the kind that's easy to make when drawing from a photo) on the neck, on our left; the deep shadow continues up around the back of his neck in a way that doesn't read correctly.
Compositionally, I think you'd want us to look at his eyes and follow them to the beam in his palm; the bright background distracts the eye too much. Since the beam is bright by design, the background has to be dark if you don't want it to be a distraction.
QUOTE (Ernest Friedman-Hill @ Feb 21 2010, 02:58 PM) 
Hi Ninjas,
I think what's going on here is a common trap when you're drawing from a photo: in simply copying the the patterns of light and dark in the photo, one can lose sight of exactly what's being drawn. The result is that muscles slacken, tension dissipates, and generally, you end up with something that, although well-rendered and seemingly identical to the photo, "just doesn't look right." This is certainly something that I've struggled with myself. If you began by sketching (or tracing) outlines from the photo, you would miss drawing the "bones" underneath that connect the various parts of the drawing. I think for this reference in particular, the tension in the outstretched hand is really key to the drama that you want to bring to the drawing. You have to do at least some of the basic construction that you'd do in drawing from life if you want to capture the gestalt of the scene.
Another issue is that I think you've translated surface color in the photo into values in the drawing. Since you haven't shown us the reference pic, I can't give many specific examples of this. My main evidence is that all the non-highlight values in the hair are darker than all the values used in the skin, everywhere, even in areas in deep shadow around the armholes of his shirt. The skin has a generally compressed range: the shadows on his forehead as shown as being as deep as the ones under his nose, or under his chin.
There's an anatomical error (the kind that's easy to make when drawing from a photo) on the neck, on our left; the deep shadow continues up around the back of his neck in a way that doesn't read correctly.
Compositionally, I think you'd want us to look at his eyes and follow them to the beam in his palm; the bright background distracts the eye too much. Since the beam is bright by design, the background has to be dark if you don't want it to be a distraction.
I think what's going on here is a common trap when you're drawing from a photo: in simply copying the the patterns of light and dark in the photo, one can lose sight of exactly what's being drawn. The result is that muscles slacken, tension dissipates, and generally, you end up with something that, although well-rendered and seemingly identical to the photo, "just doesn't look right." This is certainly something that I've struggled with myself. If you began by sketching (or tracing) outlines from the photo, you would miss drawing the "bones" underneath that connect the various parts of the drawing. I think for this reference in particular, the tension in the outstretched hand is really key to the drama that you want to bring to the drawing. You have to do at least some of the basic construction that you'd do in drawing from life if you want to capture the gestalt of the scene.
Another issue is that I think you've translated surface color in the photo into values in the drawing. Since you haven't shown us the reference pic, I can't give many specific examples of this. My main evidence is that all the non-highlight values in the hair are darker than all the values used in the skin, everywhere, even in areas in deep shadow around the armholes of his shirt. The skin has a generally compressed range: the shadows on his forehead as shown as being as deep as the ones under his nose, or under his chin.
There's an anatomical error (the kind that's easy to make when drawing from a photo) on the neck, on our left; the deep shadow continues up around the back of his neck in a way that doesn't read correctly.
Compositionally, I think you'd want us to look at his eyes and follow them to the beam in his palm; the bright background distracts the eye too much. Since the beam is bright by design, the background has to be dark if you don't want it to be a distraction.
You brought a lot of light on how I actually draw. I do tend to start by sketching outlines instead of the ovals and bone structures. I've tried that many many times in the past but they always led me astray. Over the last couple of months I have begun sketching main lines and adjusting accordingly. When drawing from life or from a photograph, I start by drawing basic lines that seem to catch my attention first and originally drew my eye to the picture.
The shading isn't completely done and a lot of it has to be darkened since its an unfinished work, and on this particular drawing I went back over it many times trying to figure out whats wrong. I usually work the whole drawing at the same time, but your comment on the shades not matching correctly is something I've been working on a lot, since my eye tries to put more emphasis what my unconscious mind thinks is the more important part of the picture such as the eyes, hair and the obviously big hand cannon he has.
This is a pretty nightmarish lighting picture that I chose, I'll attach it to give you a little more information. I've never taken an art class so your comments, even the basic stuff, is extremely informative and helpful. If I ever sound dismissive its not on purpose. Any criticism really means a lot, thanks.
Ernest gave you some great advise.
I'll wait till you're done with the mid-tones before I say, well, I'll say one thing.
Stop thinking so much about it. The lightest value on the paper is obviously the light on the glove. This means that EVERYTHING else in the image is going to be a darker value. Find the darkest values and push them. Be true to the mid-tones and stop thinking about it. Its your brain that not letting you keep it simple. If you see a subtle tonal change, like on his face, than keep it subtle on your drawing. Notice on your drawing how severe some of the tonal changes are which makes his face look more pronounced. This is just one example.
Look at the value you're trying to achieve on the reference, grasp just how dark it is by comparing its shade to that of the lightest and darkest values. Don't think of the "glove" and the "face"....
If I run into your problem, I turn the ref and the drawing over and work on it upside down or sideways. If it starts to bother me, I'll walk away from it. Another thing I found works is to take a photo of your drawing and the reference in the same photo, than, BAM something you just didn't see before.
Everybody is different in their methods, this is what I love so much about drawing.
I'll wait till you're done with the mid-tones before I say, well, I'll say one thing.
Stop thinking so much about it. The lightest value on the paper is obviously the light on the glove. This means that EVERYTHING else in the image is going to be a darker value. Find the darkest values and push them. Be true to the mid-tones and stop thinking about it. Its your brain that not letting you keep it simple. If you see a subtle tonal change, like on his face, than keep it subtle on your drawing. Notice on your drawing how severe some of the tonal changes are which makes his face look more pronounced. This is just one example.
Look at the value you're trying to achieve on the reference, grasp just how dark it is by comparing its shade to that of the lightest and darkest values. Don't think of the "glove" and the "face"....
If I run into your problem, I turn the ref and the drawing over and work on it upside down or sideways. If it starts to bother me, I'll walk away from it. Another thing I found works is to take a photo of your drawing and the reference in the same photo, than, BAM something you just didn't see before.
Everybody is different in their methods, this is what I love so much about drawing.
I really thing the fingers need to be a little longer, just in my opinion 
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