You say, "It is now 12 o'clock, time for class to begin."
Yasha-Myr starts smiling as she takes notes
You say, "Students, please open your browsers to https://www.angelfire.com/art2/baac/ and click on the March 9th visual's link."
"This week, we will be studying faces - and how to build them from the ground up.
Yasha-Myr smiles... and loves the topic
You say, "As we've been learning, it's best to start with a base...a real life model. I've clipped a young lady from this week's batch of 'model sheets' (aka fliers) to build on."
You say, "The standard face is built along certin guidelines. Observe the basic lines I've added to the clipping. Eyes are about halfway down the face, and are equidistant head on - that is, they are spaced evenly apart. One eye-length from each other, and one from either side of the head."
You say, "For the nose, it extends to roughly half the remaining lower space...while the mouth below is centered in the bottom quarter."
Yasha-Myr raises her paw a second...
You say, "You have a question, Yasha?"
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Its not a q but just a point... theres a flier called Newport news that has some excellent pics to use for class, if you havent seen it, I can get you or anyone the addy for the magazines, theyre free"
Yasha-Myr sits again
You say, "That's good of you Yahsa. Would you please get the address ready for at the end of class, for those who are interested to copy?"
Yasha-Myr nods
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "certainly"
Piccillo thanks Yasha, then continues. "You'll note on the pure scetches below the clip, I've put guidelines in to show how the standard mouth is spaced out. Usually, if one draws a triangle from the bridge of the nose to the width of the nose's end, you will get the standard width of the mouth.
Kayrana looks around and hmmms...
Yasha-Myr nods and writes
You say, "Hello Kayrana, please turn to https://www.angelfire.com/art2/baac/ and go to 'March 9th visuals' to follow along."
You say, "Ears extend from about the eyes to the base of the nose. The chin is usally no larger than the width of the mouth.".
You say, "Now this is the 'standard' human. By altering these proportins, we can begin to design our face to more suit the character we are trying to build.".
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "raises her paw"
Piccillo notes the word of the day is 'proportions'...and not proportins. :p
Yasha-Myr raises her paw
Piccillo needs a cranial spell-checker. "Yes Yasha, another question?"
Yasha-Myr hands Picc her laptop with cable...
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Umm... In a lot of furry comics, I see a lot of jaws drawn like thick cardboard flaps... very flat... is tthat right?"
You say, "Well, we shall get to that in a moment, and discuss why that it done by some artists."
Yasha-Myr remembers one called Hepcats, from early to mid 90's that did that a lot
Yasha-Myr sits...
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "thank you"
You say, "You are welcome, Yasha. :)"
You say, "To continue, we can change the face to suit how we want the picture to look. Building the face the right way can suggest strength, or cunning, or brutishness."
You say, "Thickening the chin and jaws is useful for suggesting strength. Slitted or narrower eyes can be used to suggest a sly character. Widening the face in it's entirety suggests bulk, while a narrow face and pronounced cheekbones can be used to make one look thin."
Yasha-Myr hmmms
You say, "The next class will go more in-depth on various ways to change a face to give you just the look you are craving, although this class will touch on it. The subject is bit too much to cover in one go, I'm afraid."
Yasha-Myr nods
Yasha-Myr continues writing
You say, "But for now, we will grab onto the basics. Now even for a human - which is a pretty standard creature - this gives an artist a lot of variety in how to build a face to suggest character."
Anatia cjrps softly, just quietly listening, 's alive..
You say, "Anthro art has a *huge* amount of leeway though, allowing you to be even more suggestive with your epressions. And therefore, becoming more complicated."
Yasha-Myr pages, "what is the hardest thing between drawing hyooman's and furries?" to you.
You say, "A lot of how the next class will go, and what you get out of it, will depend totally on your personal style."
Angel_Bear says, "Hi. Don't mind if I sit in on your class, do you?"
You say, "Please turn to
https://www.angelfire.com/art2/baac/visual2.html ifyou wish to follow along."
You say, "Plese do, :)"
You say, "Now to go over your question Yasha, "what is the hardest thing between drawing hyooman's and furries?"...well, that's a question I can't really answer."
You say, "It all depends on the artist - I know what *I* think is hardest of course. But what I find most difficult isn't what someone else might find difficult."
Yasha-Myr paged it so she wouldnt keep interrupting
You say, "It's a good question Yasha, and should be shared with the class. :)"
Graytail finds muzzles hard to get right, and headfur
Yasha-Myr nods about muzzlesclass
You say, "It will even change over time. The hardest problem I have is finding a balance between showing an animalistic face and one that can show an expression readable by the person viewing it...something that translates well into human emotion."
You say, "That is what I think you'll have the hardest part with...showing expression on a face that isn't built along human lines, and accidentally getting the wrong emotion across by being too 'realistic' at times."
You say, "Let's take an ape, for example...being human's closest cousins they share a lot of similarities with facial build and expression."
Yasha-Myr woooos about expressions...
You say, "They do however have a very 'brutish' aspect to their face,which gets more intensified as they age. It's not because all apes are brutes, it's the way their face develops as they mature that suggests to the human observer 'power, strength, and crudeness'."
You say, "Thick eyebrows, hanging over the eyes...a lower forehead, huge jaws compared to human norm. Smaller ears make the head seem even bigger. Wide mouth compared to the nose."."
You say, "Now, let's try another creature, the fox."
You say, "The fox seems sly when you look at him. But why? I know I've seen some foxes in pretty stupid situations, so I know they can be pretty stupid as far as critters go."
Kayrana thinks foxies are more cute and handsome really... :)
You say, "They have sharp eyes, very large and sensitive ears, and a narrow muzzle...these physical features suggest to the viewer a certain clever aspect."
Sslaxx gives Kayrana a strawberry.
Piccillo continues, "So what do we know so far, anyone?" he asks the class.
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "That there are many ways to convey emotions between species, some easier than others?"
Piccillo nods to Yasha, "In part, yes. We are establishing the basics of building a face...and how by changing those basics, we can change the feeling the pic conveys."
Yasha-Myr nods and keeps noting
Rox can't draw good eyes, so most of his furries end up with tinted glasses...
You say, "Let's go back to the gorilla and fox examples. Now we have gone over why people would think of them in certain ways, but now how can we change the way people view them? How can the gorilla appear more sly and cunning, and the fox more brutal?"
Rox grins...
Yasha-Myr can get eyes well, but muzzles are hardest for her
Rox goes, "Wrinkles on the muzzle and HUGE teeth on the fox, and red eyes, too... Yah!"
You say, "Well, he'd apprear more cheerful to be sure...but his facial structure would be the same
Angel_Bear. He'd look like a 'brute' smiling...and not a sly cunning smile."
Yasha-Myr myyahhs
You say, "We will get to the fox next...gorilla shall be first."
Rox goes, "Okey..."
You say, "Try to visualise as I describe the changes...we are, basicly, going to try to make the gorilla more 'foxlike' basicly. Give him the features that translate into sly and cunning."
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Id say make the eyes slightly larger, shorten the forehead more?"
You say, "Good suggestions, Yasha! We're off on the right paw there. :)"
You say, "Now, first we can trim away some of the brute...forehead and eyes of course,but also make the face thinner. Ears can be made more large, to make the head look a bit smaller and less massive by comparison."
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Less thick?"
Yasha-Myr giggles
You say, "The mouth can be made smaller, and actually pronounce the nose more to make it seem even smaller."
Piccillo chuckles, "Well, not as wide, and a bit longer lengthwise. Giving it height, not width."
Yasha-Myr thinks of the A&W Rootbeer commercial about being thick headed and tries to keep from laffing out loud
Graytail Says quietly, "reduce eyeridges?"
You say, "Now there's no need to go to extremes...the object is to make the face still recognisable, but trim away things that say 'brute' and accent those that say 'sly'."
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Good point Graysan"
Angel_Bear says, "YOu still want a gorilla, though."
Piccillo nods to Graytail. "Well put."
You say, "Yes, it shoud still be recognisable as a gorilla...just one that suggests the features we want in this case."
You say, "Now on to the fox, clever and handsome fellow that he is. How can we make his face more brutish looking...say for a fox bodybuilder, who's not too thick. Or a prizefighter picture? That'd be even better."
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "thick jawwed, very angular?"
You say, "We have to decide on the emotions and build we want to suggest first. "
Rox was about to start listing stuff, but those stuff would make it a werewolf...
Graytail Says quietly, "Thick neck leading to Broader cheeks and a muzzle that tapers from a wide base?"
You say, "Very good Yasha...increasing the jaw size would help. But be careful, one of the fox's main characteristics is a narrow muzzle, you don't want him to look like a wolf."
Yasha-Myr kinda what we took off the gorrilla we can apply to the fox, but without the bananas
You say, "Quite right Rox...we'd end up with something that didn't look like a fox at all if we change it too much."
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Make the fox look hard to knock out even after being hit with a dumptruck?"
You say, "A fox is a difficult conversion...there are so many canine species, altering it can make it merely resemble another one. Therefore, you'll have to be careful not to change his 'trademark' appearance in his face."
You say, "So we have to decide...what can we afford to change and what can't we change? What facial features make you say 'fox' when you look at it?"
Rox scribbles more in his notebook...
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "Very large ears"
Rox goes, "Not too large..."
Yasha-Myr ahs
Rox thinks fennec...
Graytail Says quietly, "We're talking about your generic red fox?"
You say, "Yes, the 'generic brand name' Graytail. ;)"
Rox goes, "Yah..."
Graytail Says quietly, "First thing I'd notice is white fur under the muzzle and red on top, then the shape of the muzzle"
Yasha-Myr subtitles... "well the pointed muzzle is about it I think?"
Angel_Bear says, "Triangular ears."
Rox has rounded ears...
You say, "So the objective is to preserve these areas, and still suggest size and power. Without using the body - we are just doing faces now."
You say, "...which, in fact, brings us to this weeks homework. :)"
You say, "It's a little involved, so if you wish to do it prepare to take some notes."
You say, "First off, make a short list of a few emotions you'd like to see coveren in next class. Eamil them to me (my email addey is in my @pinfo)."
Rox goes, "How short?"
You say, "Second, I'd like you to try drawing the gorilla and the fox faces. Both the 'genereic' one and the 'opposite' we've discussed. Faces *only*, no using bodies or shoulders to help suggest things now. ;)"
ou say, "Let's say 5 maximum, Rox."
Rox nods..
You say, "Of course, there's always working with your 'models' to do as well...try using the breakdown of facial proportions we went over at the beginning of the class."
You say, "Now, are there any questions before class is let out? You can always stay behind to discuss it more if you wish."
