"Sploups"

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Sketchbook - November 2014

Sketchbook update with various stuff - been returning to croquis as of recently and it's been just as challenging as always in a good way. I've dug into dynamic poses much more as seen in the second picture - and doing dynamic poses from imagination - that's really the true test of where one's at and how much one can remember.

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"Baobab Swamp"

"Baobab Swamp"

My recent personal piece finally done! Was inspired by "The Little Prince" story about these Baobab-trees, and I wanted to try a different color-palette than my usual as well. Hope you like it! Thanks to all those who helped along the way with critique, paintovers and related!

And here's some work in progress-pictures w. early line art sketch and a color rough

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Italy sketches

Was on a lovely 6-day roadtrip with my dad in Italy, eating interesting seafood, enjoying the sun, bathing and having a good time. Got around to do a few sketches too. I'm quite happy with the boat-watercolor since I find perspective, boats and watercolor quite challenging, and having more patience in my process seemed to have a positive impact!

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Summer sketches

Been too long since I sat down with real brushes and sketchbook - every time I sit down with good music and begin I totally love it - gotta remind myself that! So this summer I've been having a few plans, targeting areas that I feel like I needed to improve in. First of all, I drew hands for a month and I realised that I might need to spice it up with a few other topics in between. For July and August I wanted to focus on perspective and compositions, as well as head construction and facial expressions. So here follows a variety of sketches:

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Hands:

(In my sketchbook I did a total 24 pages of hands - a mixture of sketches of my own hand, cartoon hands from ref, real hands from ref, photosketches of people in situations etc. - These were some of the betters ones)

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Compositions/Perspective:

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Faces:

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Left Hand Drawing pt. 2

I'm still stubbornly practising my left hand sketches, and I'm slowly gaining more control over my movements. It is indeed slower, but the results so far is encouraging to me. I don't get to do these left-hand sketches as often as I would like to - but still it's a steady proces. I'm particularly happy about the last two "copy-drawings" 

My sister Emilie Bach

Copy sketch of Santiago Montiel

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Paris sketches

Sketches from a 4 day trip in Paris a month ago. Got the chance to see Louvré, Musée D'Orsay + Art Ludique's Pixar-exhibition with clay-sculptes and original pieces of art. Great stuff!

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Left Hand Drawing pt. 1

Realizing my right hand have wrist-problems from time to time from too intense painting and use - I've decided to start practising my other hand and become ambidextrous! (Michelangelo and Da Vinci was both infact ambidextrous).

It will be a long journey, and it's going to look crappy for quite some time, but I must admit I'm positive over my results thus far. It's a lot of about re-learning the mechanic thing that is drawing. And in fact, when I do a left-hand drawing - sometimes I wonder how I used to do "that" or "this" stroke normally, with my right hand. In that case I slide it over to my right, and try to imitate what I'd do and how I'd use the pencil. As soon as I've seen how I would go about it with my right, I know what to do with my left.

And on a second note, I must say I get some interesting different shapes, designs and happy accidents out of being "clumsy" and "unprecise" so to speak.

Anyways, a few left-hand sketches:

 

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Watercolor present

Just a little watercolor christmas-gift for my sister, Emilie Bach
Edited a little in Photoshop with various things.

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"Krugg" - The Witcher - Fanart

"Krugg"

The Witcher - Fanart

"Krugg is an elder witcher preferring the solitary life in the woods, well camouflaged and close to nature - typically seen wielding his massive homemade sniper-crossbow. He prefers to carefully and calmly plan out his attacks from atop, selecting his targets from long range before striking his target. Should he end up in close-combat, a silver sword, his dagger and the wildness of his nature makes sure his prey goes down. "

Process:

First of all, I felt it was time to do something thoroughly - and like really thoroughly. Also I wanted to do a full-figure character, practise poses and study materials more in-depth, and really render something to completion, since most of my works are loose and quicker.
 

Since there hasn't been a witcher from the Cat and  Gryphon-school seen in The Witcher-universe, I thought that was an interesting starting-point. Designwise I wanted to incorporate a lot of things that would resemble the qualities of a gryphon (lion/eagle): The beak-shaped headpiece, feathers, lion fur, eagle-details on knee pads and sword, arm guards and the gryphon medallion hanging from the crossbow.

So this is what happened in the actual process:

I did preliminary sketches for three weeks to really nail a good pose. Ultimately I ended up having a friend take a picture of me in the pose and use that - but the whole sketching process definitely made me loosen up, and was not in vain. Finally I had the good pose, moved onto some quick value/colortests and then I was ready to separate everything into masks. This is something I typically never do - I merge my things all the time - but this time I tried being super strict in my layers, keep them organized, colorcode them - and paint within each mask (see process pictures). 

Anyways, everything was ready and setup to ACTUALLY render the picture - and then I procrastinated. Postphoned. Got scared. It's pretty typical - you start having these conversations with yourself, wondering if the piece will actually ever get as good as you imagined and set yourself up to. For this piece I insisted that it had to be GREAT in every aspect - and that's high ambitions to set oneself up to. In the end I thought "Well it's gonna get as good as it gets" - and just began taking the painting piece by piece, step by step - spending 2 hours where I'm totally okay with only having rendered an arm and a bit of a chestpiece. Complete patience. I think that have been a good lesson for me, not rushing it to completion too early.

Towards the end I had rendered out everything in the individual layers, but it still felt a little "not lit", a bit flat, and a bit not fully pulled together as a piece. I got some feedback from people and let the piece rest for a week over christmas. When I came back, I had energy to finish up the last. Yay!

And here a picture of the process:

Finally, thanks to all those who've helped me with critique and ideas along the way!

And merry xmas and happy new year to all of you, my readers!

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Sketchbook - August 2013

A little collection of some of the better sketches recently. A few of these I'd like to take to a colored more finished stage for sure.

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Project Cream Lake

Hiyo! 

A personal victory has been achieved...I finally completed my self-study! 

http://www.flipsnack.com/7B78897EFB5/fdxkqtt7

It's been an ongoing challenge for me since end-February to complete this self-study project, for several reasons. I realised how difficult it was to put together a story, I realised how a styleguide is great but can also make one feel creatively locked down and I realised that sometimes one just gotta get something done, because it's never going to be perfect. Rather finish up the deal and the goal I set for myself, than give up halfway.

- Last note: I can recommend THIS soundtrack while viewing the art

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