Dave's Digitals

I find it quite strange since we do usually have a strong connection here from my work. But it's definitely got a long pause before it reacts to anything submitted, either posting or maneuvering through the site.

Ok, so I have a dumb question... I have always been fortunate to have a great memory, and have been able to remember stuff nearly word for word, even years later. As well, I've been able to re-draw images I had done in past years, and have them come out nearly the same. Again, some many years before. - So why the hell is it that I cannot look at a freakin' image and simply sketch it out properly?

At lunch today, I pulled out my sketchbook and decided to spend a little time trying to sketch out some poses for practice. I also tried to really think them through more thoroughly than usual, thinking more on form, structure, placement, connection, etc. - I also had read a few different articles over the past week or so, and could remember some of the poses that were showed as refs. So did some of those I recalled, along with some other poses I just thought of, or simply wanted to try doing.

Then tonight, I actually thought to maybe try doing some more sketching. Basically thinking of doing a full sheet of skulls for practice. But decided to instead look on-line and see if there might some good refs that maybe show a bunch of different angles I might be able to practice on, instead of trying to draw them out as I think they may/should look. ... But no matter which one I picked and attempted to sketch, I could not get anything right? Some not even close! - Proportions were off, some not even close to lining up, looking slanted, etc. It was actually quite aggravating and I simply gave up. - Now I know I don't have any practice in doing this, but is there any techniques one should/could use to go about sketching an image properly?

I'm probably not the best person to answer this, but I think maybe sort of sketching out proportions first - like if you're drawing a skull, just subtly mark a box that would contain it, and mark where on the box the eyes (sockets) should go, etc.... When I was a kid drawing from celebrity photos (pretty much Madonna and Marilyn Monroe, though I did Michael Jackson once, for a friend) I always used a ruler to measure everything and make sure, but there are faster and less rigid ways, I'm sure

Thanks. ... I was actually thinking about when you had mentioned taking a sketchbook into the woods and sketching out trees that you saw and such...

So I thought maybe I should try sketching some skulls, and using an actual image so as to make sure I was getting all the elements correct and with more realistic details, etc. But it just wasn't happening. No matter how I attempted it. Tried working a basic outline and placing elements as they appeared, tried working from the center out. Nothing. I just couldn't fathom not being able to look at something right in front of you and have so much trouble just trying to get it even close. I just got aggravated after a while.

(Guess I should mention here that I don't think I've been in the best of moods here recently. Finding my patience wearing thin quite often and nothing like it normally is. - Think it's one of the reasons I wanted to get back to doing some Artwork and getting back to something I've always found relaxing.)

But your mention of using a ruler, reminded me of a guy I watched on YouTube some years ago. I was just watching some random art stuff, and happened to see his link with an image he did. So I watched as he meticulously worked the image, based off a photo he was working from. And he too said he uses a ruler to make sure he was getting everything down in it's proper place and have it exact. (It actually looked just like the picture when he was finally done, even the shading, but it did take him some time to get it done. Think he mentioned he was commissioned for it, so wanted to keep it completely accurate) But he also mentioned that if your not wanting to be that precise, you could use the pencil itself, simply using your fingers and the tip to get quick reference lengths, which made sense.

Well, this marks the 3rd? or 4th? weekend, where I've pretty much stayed and worked in my basement for the entire weekend. So I haven't done too much drawing, but have been getting a lot done with getting through all the stuff we still have on hand, and staying pretty tired and sore to boot. ... But I did sit down, and briefly sketched out an idea in one of the larger sketchbooks.

Well though I've been using it, and it does works... I'm not really digging the table I purchased for doing artwork. So I ordered another one I had looked at too, and just decided to give this one to the Wife to have to work with for her crafts. - Also, when ordered, apparently since it doesn't ship from Amazon directly, it therefore doesn't count toward the over $25 order for 'Free Shipping' - So my other stuff was around $18 so I either had to pay around $9 to ship, or pick something up for a little over $8 to get free shipping? So I just happened to see something I had looked at previously and threw it in the cart. Being it was just about $15 it actually only cost me around $7. ... He's a pretty cool little guy, who I named... 'Sketch'.

He also holds my glasses when not in use, watches me work, and provides me constant inspiration. - He isn't full size and I actually like that, he's about the size of my hand, opened. He also hasn't spoken yet, but if he does... I'll know it's time to wrap things up for the night.





Also, while cleaning/clearing stuff and going through boxes, I came across something I hadn't seen in quite some time. It was actually purchased for my Son by my Wife one Christmas. About 20 or so years ago, and for some odd reason, he never used it? Said he thinks it might have been too big? ... Anyway it's a cool Full Dragon wall light, that was still in the box and never used. Unfortunately, the glass dome that went over the light was somehow broken and after searching for hours on-line, we could not locate any place to purchase one from. - But I had an idea, and ended up taking one of my Wife's old Snow-Globes (One where the water was turning some and had also evaporated some.) I was able to heat it enough to remove it from the base, remove any glues... and it fit perfectly. The exact size!

So I hung him up on the wall temporarily until I paint. I have 2 more sheets of drywall to install, now that I got the backdoor replaced & ready to go. He's pretty heavy too, probably around 15 lbs. or so.

Sketch looks very smart in his glasses

I did a purchase on the newly opened Swedish Amazon.se... They had something like that too - shop for X SEK, get free shipping. But that thing wasn't eligible and that thing wasn't and anyway, I ended up buying 5 different things, three of them was supposed to come with free shipping, but they had to send them as 4 different packages, they said. So I was to pay two shipping fees and get 5 items in 4 packages. I got five items in five packages ended up charged at least 3 maybe 4 shipping fees AND it turned ut that they imported one of the items from the UK who had just brexited, so I had to pay an extra import fee. I'm probably never going to shop from them again...

Yeah, my Wife came down the other day and say him and said he looked good with my glasses on. They actually fit into the socket well enough they don't move, so it works good for that. Plus, they're my computer glasses, so I have a pair at home and work, so I don't have to drag them back and forth.

Don't blame ya on the not ordering thing. I'm starting to see more and more companies hitting up ways to add more charges, i.e., it's being shipped from someone else, that company charges the shipping fee, or they just add on new stuff or ways to nickel and dime folks. ... But if I'm ordering it all from one place, that shouldn't be a factor. - There's one place I ordered some stuff from & they said that due to new regs, there was a parental signature fee that had to be assessed of $6. So someone would have to be home to sign for the package. But the two orders I placed, I got the orders, but they simply left it in my mailbox, with no signatures requested. Just more BS to add on... I too will be looking around.

I never realised that I wanted a little skull until now.
That's SOOOOO cool!

Thanks... I'm actually glad I needed to add a couple dollars to that order now, since I'm not sure I would have purchased it straight out? Though I had indeed looked at some, and even threw this guy into my wish list for possibly later. - Though they do sell full size versions, I really don't think I would have liked any of those as much, plus, they just didn't look as good overall?

I should have placed something with it for a size reference, but didn't think about it. I just went down and took a few shots holding it. At least you can get an idea of about how big it is. I would guess it's about the size you might see with a Bobcat, Ground Hog or maybe a Beaver. Roughly fits my hand.









Now I just need to keep an eye out for a cool little Top-Hat, or maybe a Steam Punk Version?