That said - I always appreciate your view.Vizsla
Forum rules
You are allowed to post tasteful nudity. To avoid surprise or unwelcome comments, please indicate that it's a nude in the thread title. Also include a warning in the title if there's a possibility of the subject matter causing offence.
You are allowed to post tasteful nudity. To avoid surprise or unwelcome comments, please indicate that it's a nude in the thread title. Also include a warning in the title if there's a possibility of the subject matter causing offence.
-
Mike Sibley
- Site Admin
- Posts: 981
- Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2019 1:32 pm
- Location: York, UK
- Contact:
Re: Vizsla
I thought at first that this might be missing the mid-values. But when I'd adjusted the paper to near-white, I was mistaken. There's a lot of good work in this. It could be refined in a few places, but that's nothing that experience won't fix - and fairly soon, I expect.
I do have a couple of suggestions that might help.
First, I'd engineer a shadow for the ear - even if there isn't one in the reference. It not only throws the ear forwards, it also defines the shape of the side of the face. You have to keep a really sharp edge on the ear for this to work. You can use that for any flop-eared breed. The other refers just to this dog. We humans look for and recognise HUMAN emotions and facial signals in dogs. I'm quite certain the black patch under this dog's nose is part of the flew on the far side. BUT it looks like a pout. Or perhaps a partly open mouth. I think I would have pushed the flew back a bit and pulled the front lip forwards to hide most of the black interior. And then dulled any highlights in the flew, so it no longer attracted attention.
Finally, try to create a pinpoint of key highlight in the eye. Then expand it to either side as a reflection. Where the reflection (of the sky, usually) is never as bright as the key highlight. That way, you create an intense highlight right next to the black pupil that's guaranteed to immediately attract the viewer's eye.
I do have a couple of suggestions that might help.
First, I'd engineer a shadow for the ear - even if there isn't one in the reference. It not only throws the ear forwards, it also defines the shape of the side of the face. You have to keep a really sharp edge on the ear for this to work. You can use that for any flop-eared breed. The other refers just to this dog. We humans look for and recognise HUMAN emotions and facial signals in dogs. I'm quite certain the black patch under this dog's nose is part of the flew on the far side. BUT it looks like a pout. Or perhaps a partly open mouth. I think I would have pushed the flew back a bit and pulled the front lip forwards to hide most of the black interior. And then dulled any highlights in the flew, so it no longer attracted attention.
Finally, try to create a pinpoint of key highlight in the eye. Then expand it to either side as a reflection. Where the reflection (of the sky, usually) is never as bright as the key highlight. That way, you create an intense highlight right next to the black pupil that's guaranteed to immediately attract the viewer's eye.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: Vizsla
Mike! Your suggestions are as always spot on. I guess it will take some time before I notice these things myself. That's why I appreciate your view so much. Maybe when the drawing part gets easier and doesn't need much attention, then I can focus more on the artistic composition and free myself from the handcuffs of the reference. I am happy you mentioned the eye. I am working on the eye - every time. Trying to get it better. I have studied some of your drawings like Irish Water Spaniel #1 or Past-day Dreaming - English Spaniel and all the others. The eyes are done by a great maestro. And eyes are so important to get right. Just look at your Past-day Dreaming - English Spaniel. Those eyes catch one attention straight away. And it does not let you go. So the rest only play the second fiddle. My dream is - getting there. Well, time to plan my next project and get an inch closer to that dream 