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Sketchbook: sacboi

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  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Looks as though I'm going to fall at the last hurdle, anyway hoping to finish "Mando" by tomorrow evening : / but at least the background is nearly done.

    Attached ref was actually my third choice for this drawing:

    Curve Outline

  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Oh well, suppose 2.5 completed paintings in a tad over 6 weeks leading up to christmas eve isn't to bad and anyway got my workrate up a bit which was the whole point of this exercise.

    So I think I'll probably finish him off in the following week, after boxing day not forgetting of course including a portrait of "Kuiil", as well!


  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Last minute Christmas eve job (...basically pulled an all nighter)

     A Chrissie present for my land lady with whom I've lodged as a boarder since 2017, really lovely person so thought to express my gratitude, artistically. 

    An acrylic on canvas, of a Tawney Frogmouth and chick. In the backyard mum had built a nest up a gumtree about 3 months ago, they're still around, most nights can hear them hooting in unison while hunting for dinner because the property backs onto a small nature reserve.

    (excuse my big hooves peeking into frame :) )


    (excuse dodgy phone cam pics of the pair - was at max zoom when snapping them :) )

  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Mandalorian Portrait Series - Update:

    Still working feverishly away on finishing this set of vectorized drawings.

    Had initially thought, Din Djarin 'Mando' would be the easier illustration among the four to execute...silly me : / but nonetheless I think my fourth attempt, since xmas looks promising despite being 40% done.


  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    ...and a concurrent project, bit of a glutton for punishment one might say, lol.

    Primary shapes blocked out:

    Initial definition - Running gear

    Resources:
    Background and Texture guides/inspiration, authored by Nikolaos Kaltsogiannis and Vladimir Yaschenko respectively.
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Feb 10 2021




  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Vector/raster layer workflow - hard surface art is HARD!!

    Gave up trying to count the individually blended closed curve object's at around 200+...or something, generated too portray the above painting  O_o

    Combined Vector/Pixel outline (...at 60% complete - latest update)

  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Secondary armament object, base color gradient & shape blockout complete.
    Adding texture will be so "fun" :pensive: 

  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    On-going vector definition creating "Din Djarin's" Beskar armor, albeit trying too replicate it's reflective properties projected by the surrounding environment.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    2D Vector/Pixel Abridged Methodology:

    Probably at this point, a brief descriptive walk-through would be useful to document, especially when a personalized approach is applied drawing with Affinity Designer, any given mid level complex subject matter in 2D, while generally utilizing a closed curve technique.

    Now, put simply optimal layer management is key for generating in this case, realistically generic output.

    For example a few points of note:

    - As always, pre-planning is intuitively handy by mitigating perceived or indeed unforeseen bottlenecks.  
    - Typical naming convention, streamlining navigation (primary alongside sub-layer categories which can easily creep into the hundreds)
    - Ensure sub object vector layers are masked/nested appropriately whether ascending or descending order.
    - Color picking via parent reference image - usually I've found most helpful is to choose if possible a de-saturated region, whilst attempting to reproduce multiple tint/s.

    Workspace - Highlighted Layers Panel:

    Object Vector Outline:

  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Right then, sketched out all the relevant nick nacks on this MG .50 cal.

    Next, lets see if we can dirty her up a bit...


  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Slight deviation from drawing, woke this morning feeling an urge to model something, anyway need the practice.

    Also just want to see how much I can get done during a normal session - 8/10hr stretch, basically 'blow out the cobwebs'.

    1hr in so far: (will post final result, around supper time)


  • Ashervisalis
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    Ashervisalis grand marshal polycounter
    Sexy shape so far!
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range

    Represents about 12.5 hrs + breaks & revisions, really smashed finish up next sesh.
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    March 4 2021


  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range



    Saddened too note that the Voice of F1 has passed away aged 97, he will be greatly missed.

    As a fan of the sport, I grew up listening to the great man's commentary alongside his hilarious "Murrayisms":

    "Unless I'm very much mistaken... and yes I am very much mistaken,"
    "And now excuse me while I interrupt myself"
    "The first four cars are both on the same tyres"
    "Tambay's hopes, which were absolutely nil before, are absolutely zero now"
    "I imagine that the conditions in those cars today are totally unimaginable"
    "With half the race gone, there is half the race still to go".

    Including this famous 1996 commercial:

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    [Will accordingly pay tribute with an appropriate artwork, when time permits.]
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Well, as it turned out had decided to extend this subd modeling interlude a while longer. Probably aside from an innate affinity for pushing/pulling verts over hard surfaces but also hone albeit somewhat develop precision detailing which I'd struggled with on occasion in the past.

    So enter stage left, a Mr Chris Plush authored Master class: Car Creation Course in Blender (2.79) 

    {Will likely append a workflow post-mortem upon completion, potentially of ones polygonal rumination or actual progression?!...we shall indeed see}
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Current State.

    Shrinkwraped Base Mesh:



    Guide Mesh:



  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Body shell guide complete, moving onto the base fiddly bits:

    (Divisions x4)




  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Temporally put aside other ongoing projects over the past 3 mths just too get this Murray Walker tribute piece, done.

    Blocked most of the drawing out, will soon start adding blur and also some post later in Gimp:


    Vector and Text outline


  • Ashervisalis
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    Ashervisalis grand marshal polycounter
    That's cool! Are you big into F1?
  • sacboi
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    Ashervisalis Thanks man.

    Yeah, I'm a diehard "Tifosi" and the previous 13 year period has been terrible for us, since Kimi Räikkönen last won the championship for Scuderia...oh well we but live in the hope that Maranello will someday engineer a masterpiece too rightfully reclaim number one spot, from the Germans :#    
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Was initially notified by email in June which coincidentally was not long after I'd jagged a new bill paying job, that I'll receive a batch of commissions for a set of figurative portraits from a single client later in the year. At first pretty stoked but at the same time tentatively thinking if I could pull it off, since I've not attempted any serious paid work for ages, well 1998...! to be exact using traditional media via a genre without mincing words, had previously excelled when a working artist, during the 90s.

    So anyway, I'm guessing they'd hit on an old long forgotten post of something leading too sparking an interest. Therein over the preceding months amidst a plethora of day to day detritus whilst also week in/out preforming high risk duties as an essential onsite worker, throughout a series of nationwide covid lockdowns due specifically to the Delta strain, coupled with our low vaccination rate in my region...trying to get back up to speed practicing using either stylus or pencil, sketching like there's 'no tomorrow' :#

    Henceforth, finally taking delivery of relevant reference material several weeks ago, made a somewhat hesitant start, plus time-frame toward completion considering my usual workrate, at face value was a little tight (two & a bit months) however it's paid so needs must. Consequently, decided to lean heavily upon a digital format, hopeful in providing an efficient alongside effective solution meeting or indeed sliding under the agreed deadline.

    Current progress, first done, actually final edit was yesterday evening so happy to report the client's response was an approval of the finished result.  



    Vector Outline:


    Curve Segment Paths - [Blockout]



    Workflow Breakdown

    For those interested, a brief walk-through of the process I've been 'tweaking' for the best part of two years, drawing realistic content utilising Affinity Designer. Personally I think I've struck a balanced approach in terms of technique out-putting whatever subject whether organic or hard surface, basically not that dissimilar too 3D pipeline tasks i.e.

    • Background Ref's
    • Blockout
    • Base Sketch
    • Refining Details
    • Final Pass / Render
    • Post Processing / Comp

    Typically, when freelancing as a Portraitist back in the day I'd mostly work from photographs, simply because of a preference for painting at ones own pace and also suited my persona as an artist without the additional hassle of in situ sittings. Now this particular methodology is fairly straightforward, base sketch is blocked out by tracing an image, from the outset primary color gradients are initially layered down.

    Once appropriately edited, I'll toggle over to ADs Persona suite of raster tools for texturing. In my opinion they're fully featured for my present need, default brush sets are intuitively user friendly including a fleshed out settings menu, quite useful when changing properties on the fly while implementing effects such as blur, opacity, glow etc, as well.



    Although that all said, layer management is pretty crucial, when dealing with complex content, the layer stack especially vector / pixel combinations will propagate fast, quick! so keeping tabs on usable naming conventions is well worth keeping an eye on, probably mitigated to an extent by some forethought during pre-planning.

    Each Relevant Stage Highlighted via Gif:



    Generally, with some optimism can state I've 'ironed' out more than a few wrinkles drawing using this app which hopefully bodes well for  the remainder.                 

    Cheers.   
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Recently hurt my knee at work but still trying to stay productive doodling arty stuff with the time off covered by my medical certificate:

    In so doing just the other day, managed to finally finish the Murray Walker tribute piece I've been working on since March plus also mentioned earlier upthread, might be a probable addition. That being said, never ceases too amaze on occasion in the OSS world of OOP, people freely give of their time and expertise to author an extremely useful image editor addon like for instance G'MIC for GIMP. Which I fully made use of in post by leveraging the filter utility - Deformations > Textured Glass - in order to define a 'heat haze' effect or something as close to the ref  I'd sourced for this particular project:




    ...I don't mind saying so myself, is pretty neat  :#      
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Moar work on this Corvette, with panel cuts and thickness done will then move onto carving out insets, windshields plus other bits of  'ephemera' up next.



  • Ashervisalis
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    Ashervisalis grand marshal polycounter
    Slick! Looking forward to the rest of it :)
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Hey thanks mate, working with vertex groups on top of multiple shrinkwraps can be a humbling affair if you're not paying attention or just plain lazy :/
  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    Also grinding away at this updated version of the M26 drawing, too.


  • sacboi
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    sacboi high dynamic range
    A rabid F1 fanboi's Indulgent Concession :#

    Although, I don't particularly like the guy as a person by any means or rather how he conducts himself outside of racing but nevertheless one must acknowledge excellence in terms of achieving the supreme accolade for a professional driver, by snatching victory for all intents and purposes from impending defeat, on the final lap at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.

    Max Verstappen achieves his maiden F1 Drivers Championship Title :

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