You say, "The time is now 12 noon, let's get started shall we?"
You say, "Now, last week we went over how you can build yourself some simple models, to help you understand the hows and whys of drawing a face - especially at odd angles."
You say, "This week, we will look at one I have made, and examile the features and how they react to different angles."
You say, "This week we have a special model stopping by for us. His name is Wilson, please take a few minutes to look at him, then we will get started."
You say, "While I went over the importance of this last week, I'll touch on it once again to restate an important point. Using a rather featureless model like this is a good thing for your own style. If you copy another's work, you will do two things..."
Piccillo continues. "Now, to restate what I said earlier, there are two reasons why using a basic 'disposable model' like this is better than learning by copying someone else's work."
You say, "First, using someone else's work doesn't let you see every angle of the figure. You only see what they have drawn. If they've never drawn a picture with someone looking up and to the right, you won't be able to study it. So your figures will begin assuming standard poses - such as straight on or looking left. In short, you'll be hampering your flexibility."
You say, "The second reason for using a model like this: you'll begin to sacrifice your own style for someone else's. Right now, as a beginner, is the time when you are most impressionable - the time where you are shaping how your art looks, as well as learning how to draw. By using another's work to learn, you will begin to adapt his or her mannerisms into your drawing style."
You say, "That's ok, should you love someone's work and want to draw like them - but if you'd rather try and develop a personal style all your own the best way is to use models along these lines to help plot your pictures out."
You say, "As an aside, models like this also are a very nice treat for after your drawing sessions. You can rarely say the same about your favorite artist's portfolios. ;)
You say, "Now that being said, if there are no questions I'll begin going over the individual pictures - and what they can teach us."
You say, "No questions? Very well, let's all look at the 1), in the upper left corner."
You say, "Now as you can see, a pear makes a very good shape for a standard anthro head. Now I've added a few touches myself. First, I've cut eye slits and a mouth. Then added some toothpicks for the ears and whiskers."
Sslaxx hisses, "Do you think the shape resembles any species in particular, and if so does anything special need to be borne in mind as a result?"
You say, "Hrmm...good question."
You say, "I'd say this particular pear has a very 'canine' look to it. It has a long stem area, giving a thick muzzle appearance, and a low forehead."
ShadowWalker nods "It also has a good cervine look to it as well. But not an equine one.
You say, "If you want a differnt shape, you can try cutting out bits and peices of your pear - or even try other types of fruit. An apple might be more fitting for a human-style face."
You say, "I would recommend against going into your grocery store and asking opinions of the sales clerk as to which fruit looked most like which animal. :) This is just for general study, after all."
Piccillo continues. "Now as you can see in the first one, how some of the problems we've been discussing in previous classes can now be more easily seen. How the forehead and eyes are spaced out. Where and how the ears are elevated. One of the advantages of having a disposable model is that you can toss it if it doesn't look right, or isn't suiting what you are drawing, and make a new one.
You say, "Now for a more useful model, one that you could fool around with more, you might even consider buying something you could stick into it to represent rounded eyes - like push pins holding buttons in place."
You say, "You'll have to use your imagination, of course. By slicing the tip off the pear to make the nose shorter, and add longer ears. Or you could even try putting the pear up on it's end rather than lengthwise as I've done for this picture."
You say, "It's hard to say exactly what looks like what, Yasha. Not only are there a lot of animals you could draw, but also there are many different ways people do draw them. Some may draw them with large muzzles, some without any real muzzle at all."
You say, "You'll have to tinker a bit to find the perfect model for you - but that's the benefit of working with the fruit. They aren't too expensive, so you won't waste a lot of money getting something that doesn't suit your style."
You say, "Now I want you too look at the series as a whole. During many classes, we've had questions about how things looked at different angles - how to draw the eye when the head it tilted this way, how to line things up..."
Jace_Liger in a low purr, "(sorry about the spelling) what about the use of stirofoam?"
You say, "Styrofoam is another option. You can even get styrofoam cones and balls from craft departments in your local superstore chain. This is just the type of model we chose to go over this week."
You say, "Once you get a general shape you like with the temporary (but cheap) fruit, you could even build a more permanent one with styrofoam. It's up to the artist actually."
You say, "Now let's take a look at facial features over the series. First the eyes. Notice how big I made the eyes in the first picture? Now see how they are hidden as I angle the model. How sometimes, they vanish. Other times you can see only a small peice of them."
Emerald has disconnected.
You say, "Ears are the same. They are the same size, but when angled you'll notice how one looks larger than the other - as the curve of the head partially screens an ear from view."
Piccillo nods. "That's what this exercise is for. Even if you choose to learn from other's art, I recommend doing this once in a while Yasha. It will help you understand your pictures."
ShadowWalker purrs "Especially for perspective, and foreshorting
You say, "The point of doing this exercise is to start thinking of your pictures as a 3D object...to get it into your head all the little spacial relationships that make up a face. Breaking the 2D barrier is a hard part for fledgelings - and some mid-level artists like myself. :)"
Piccillo pats his tummy. "Many a model have I studied in my years - it never fails to help when I'm having problems getting a face to look right."
"Although your model works better, cause you can move it into an infinate number of positions.
You say, "It's also a good way to start thinking 'outside the box'...that is, to stop thinking about how everyone *else* does things, and start developing your own way of doing them."
You say, "Now a word about the mouth - in a muzzle, notice how it's low, and even hidden easily by the turn of the head."
You say, "I remember Yasha (I beleive) asking once why some artists draw the bottom of the mouth as a flat shape below the muzzle."
You say, "In a more animalistic picture, the lower jaw is long and flat to aid in the bite. This long pear shows that, as the shape is the same general shape as a canine's forhead. Although it is not perfectly flat, and does taper some to the neck."
You say, "Now for a more human drawing, you could stand your pear (or fauna of choice) in a way where the shape is all round in front - say stand the pear upright. Carving the eyes and mouth in it then would give a whole new set of angles to examine."
ShadowWalker purrs "I take it, that a good X-acto knife is preferred to carve that good?
You say, "Well, I used a butter knife on the fruit myself."
Piccillo nods to Rox. "Angles are the roughest part of learning. Look at all your favorite artists, a lot of them tend to use the 'straight forward' or 'to the side' look. Not because they can't do the angles, but because they are easier."
ShadowWalker purrs "This may be a good time to ask. What about using a duer grid to learn perspective, and foreshorting with say your pear?
ShadowWalker's easist tends to be a profile himself. From the side (Why my web site is littered with all sorts of horse head pics :)
You say, "I'm afraid I'm not sure what a duer grid is ShadowWalker."
ShadowWalker purrs "Uh..well just a grid in front of an object, and using grid paper
Piccillo ahs and nods. "Yes, that would help a lot. :)"
ShadowWalker nods "Good!
You say, "I have an excellent ruler, by the way, for that. If you can find a good fabric-craft section or store, you can buy a sewing ruler - a large block of clear plastic basicly with ruled lines over it for hemming. It works excellent for artwork however. :)"
ShadowWalker blinks, "yesh..and here I went though the headache of making a grid on transpaper paper. :)
You say, "This class went over the basics of showing how to view a picture in 3D. Using this or similar easy-to-make models, it should go a long way to helping solve problems with positioning features on the face."
You say, "Using this will not only prove useful, but also a bit fun as well. It is different, and will make you *think* about what you are doing - therefore causing you to learn both quicker and more surely than just reading how to do certain techniques in a book."
