[Artwork] Overwhelmed and Defeated

So I finally had time to pick up my graphics tablet and continue a WIP. Unfortunately, I got stuck on drawing hair again and I tried to watch some speed paint/tutorial videos...

Then I got overwhelmed =__= This always happens whenever I get stuck on something and try to look for references.. I was so overwhelmed I took 2 hours just to draw a chibi one.. *sighs*

I can't explain this without sounding like I'm bragging... but please bear with me a bit... I usually learn fast and I subconsciously expect myself to get things at the first try not because I'm confident about my skills but because I'm used to learning things quickly.

Whenever I'm asked about my strengths and weaknesses in job interviews, I usually say that learning fast is both a strength and a weakness of mine because I get exploited impatient when I can't understand and I try to look for the easiest way rather than practice for days, months or years. =_=

I also keep on saying, "As long as you have the right tools (doesn't have to be the best), you can learn or do anything." On the other hand, I have contradicted myself on this blog many times when ever I post about make up, painting and drawing hair on my digital works *khhhhhhh* =_=

*sighs*

Artwork Update: Looking Down

I have so many unfinished artworks since I started practicing different sketches of the eyes. I am currently trying to finish most of my practice drawing but this time I'll do it gradually. :)

Here's an update on my half open eye sketch I posted last time:

Cool toned version

Merging Styles

Here's another unfinished artwork for this month. I've been drawing a lot lately but I haven't finished an artwork T_T

Oh.. I messed up the left lashes =_=

Not my usual style, right? I was asking for advice from my friend who is a digital artist about how to draw a certain expression. He said  that I drew better than him and just game me a silly comment >_< I told him that we had different styles that we were good at and that he was better than me in coloring and anime style artworks. That's where I got really frustrated.

Unfortunately, I suck at line art and coloring so all my anime styled works are scrap. But this time I tried to merge the styles of my art references to make my own! I think it looks good.. better than my previous artwork, right?

Practice - Smiling Eyes

Most of my artworks look really stoic and lifeless because of the eyes. I can't draw expressions in the eyes because I don't know how to. Even in pen and paper/anime style art...

So I decided to start by drawing smiling eyes...

I didn't bother with the brows =_=

It took me a while to figure out what was different from normal eyes and happy looking eyes. I asked my friend about it and he said the eyes look like an inverted U... Hence the photo reference =_=

I cheated a bit in my drawing though. I drew slightly squinting normal eyes then skewed it to make it look "happier" lol.. then I duplicated the sketch~! I don't usually like duplicating my sketches so I can practice drawing both sides, but since I already cheated, I might as well duplicate the eyes right? Hehehehe!

I like the fact that I was able to draw happy eyes but I don't like how the picture turned out.. :( I wish it looked more... anime-ish T^T

[Personal] Take Me With You!

Since I started working in the IT industry, I have always worked with "certain people". I always hated their work ethics and how they talk. Through the years I have accumulated quite a lot of resentment towards them and eventually generalized that they were all the same.

I just had to write a post about this because I would never have expected that a person from the "people I resented" so much could make me feel like I am doing great at work and that I should do more. Not because they are doing so bad and making me look great but because of all the encouragement I got. :)

I Should Be Studying...

I should be studying for a test tomorrow but I just had the urge to draw something. I have been sketching half open eyes for the past few days and I really wanted to try drawing it digitally...

Still a work in progress since I just drew it on a whim with out any plan/concept in mind. I'll try to finish it once I can finally focus on other things. 3 weekends to go!!!

Finding My Style: Plain White Shirt

No, this is not a fashion post. :) It's an artsy fartsy one! I finally have an artwork to post~!

It's been three years already since I started drawing digitally! Unfortunately, I haven't improved as much as I wanted. There are so many things I want to do and so little time >_<

Late Post is Late, New Artwork

My first post for 2014 is a month late! I've been busy at work and I have been trying to adjust to my new office location. Trying to wake up 3 hours earlier than usual is such a pain but I hope I can keep it up. My sleeping hours haven't adjusted yet so I only get a few hours of sleep, because of that I had to postpone my coffee ban again... =_=

With that said, I haven't been able to do any artworks starting last month and I think it's about time I published another artwork to start my year, right?

Still a work in progress, I hate her hair and I still need to refine the edges of her face a bit more, however it's a great improvement from my old artworks!

Monday Artwork: Apathy

Initially, I was planning on posting a step by step progress on one digital art project for my Monday Artworks. Unfortunately, I got carried away and it feels like cheating if I still posted my "progress" gradually even though I completed the artwork (with several versions as well).

New Tablet!

I can finally retire my 10 year old graphics tablet~! My Genius MousePen i608x finally worked! I bought it last April and contemplated on how to dispose of it since I couldn't install it on my laptop... I was so disappointed about buying a glorified mouse that I really wanted to just throw it away out of frustration. =_=

Monday Artwork: What I Feel

Work...

WARNING: Rude picture + Rant post...

Doodles on Photos

I really like seeing doodles on photos, I dunno what it's called specifically but it's something similar to scrap booking only digital... It's hard to explain but I usually see it in Japanese, Chinese or Korean blogs and sometimes in Korean series (Flower Boy Next Door) and Movies like The Art of Seduction.

Some screenshots of the series Flower Boy Next Door

Most of the Credits in the series look like this >_<

Monday Artwork: Nameless

An officemate of mine told me that my artworks "should" have names. I normally name my files with the date I started or something like "Practice #123"

I told my officemate that I would name my artwork as soon as I finished but I still haven't finished this:

She started looking drag queen-ish to me but I did improve in doing the hair and the eyes. Actually, I could say that this is the completed artwork but I still see several things to fix.

1. I want a good background
2. She looks too pouty
3. She looks like a drag queen T_T

I still don't know what/how to fix these flaws, I wish someone could point it out for me.

Monday Artwork: Parted Lips

In traditional pen and paper, I absolutely suck at drawing lips. Even if I'm just doodling my chibi characters. However when I started playing around with SAI, drawing lips is one of the fastest features I can finish and the nose being the 2nd fastest feature I can finish. I WAS supposed to do a walk-through on how I draw the lips on SAI but I got carried away and stopped taking screenshots. =_=;

Monday Artwork: Messy Hair WIP

I suck at drawing hair

I still hate doing hair on my digital artworks! I tried to check if I improved after weeks of practicing on pen and paper. Huhuhu.. I don't think I improved drastically but I think my realism practice helped me draw better eyes... unfortunately, I didn't get the effect I wanted. I probably need to lighten the "eye make-up" a bit to match the contrast of the whole image =_=

Monday Artwork: My Realism Attempt on Sai

Creepy Eye~

Since I usually draw anime/manga inspired art, I thought I should practice a traditional style once in a while. Although realism is not my forte, it's good practice for shading my art works.

Monday Artwork: Profile

I focused on her eyes...

Just a quick profile sketch, I'm planning to ink her on SAI soon. That's why I didn't bother with the other details on her face and hair...

What should I try next?

[Random] Beanie Baboy (Piggies)

I wanted to replace my Facebook cover with something that I drew and I came up with these piggies. I really don't know what made me put them in tea cups =_= I was being as random as usual. Bean shaped pigs in tea cups, yay... =_=

Not sure if anyone has noticed but I have been drawing a lot recently... I needed a distraction from some overwhelming stuff, mostly petty issues though. I'm currently looking for a different outlet as I have exhausted my creative juices.

A Lighter Color Palette and a Year's Worth of Random Posts

I completed her~! I'm quite happy with how she turned out. I based my color palette on the Copic Markers Color Guide. It's easier to work with a lighter color palette, so easy it makes me want to draw more~!!

Artwork Update and Lemming for a New Art Medium

Well... I decided to post another update on what I have been working on for the past few days, which I have mentioned in my last entry (link).