Getting form help (Thanks Fox, and JM)

Alright, I need somebody with some sort of form schooling to officially tell me what the hell I need to do. The below image is actually a character sketch I'm beginning to finalize, but before I can do that I need to iron out some of the kwirks that are driving me INSANE. Please eleviate this burden for me.

The following picture is of a hybrid angel sent to recruit members to Heavens Army, to fight a building army of sinners to join the Dark Allies (Satan and his crew) to balance out the Holy War that is coming upon the world.

Obviously to do this they need to kill people and this fellow is their trigger man. He performs his tasks and eventually gets caught up fighting the forces of darkness around the world using his unique abilities, inherent in a symbiotic lifeform granted to him by the heavens. I haven't finalized the design of the character just yet but here is what I am aiming for:

- A body suit that sheilds him from harm. It stretches and morphs to his needs and will. (so if he need swings, the suit stretches from his back.) The material is not alive, it suits his purpose and that alone.

- He's huge. I know most of my character thus far besides Lapse have been muscle bound, but here it is imperative because he is the front lines operative. He doesn't sneak through the shadows. He can also possess people and turn in to a spirit as well (able to go through objects, etc and has telekenetic abilities to disarm enemies firearms and even swing the enemies in the air as a weapon).

- The face is predetermined. His eyes have to have to be cold when he is cloaked. He also cannot have a mouth and must be intimidating. His eyes show little emotion for the first part of the story, until he begins caring and questioning, etc.

I am having problem with form, but other suggestions are welcome/wanted to make him better. But the base of his character is set and the storyline is still being worked on, but it's pretty much solid and what I want. (it actually manages to stay light hearted by not going in to morals and such, just achieving goals, which is always good)

What I am having major trouble with his the torso. The pecs don't seem to be aligned, something is just asque and I can't figure it out. The one thing I plan on doing when I redraw him in this stance is to raise his right shoulder significantly, because I feel that this may realign some of his upper torso?

Anyway. Please, slander slash away. I want this to look incredibly good. And try to give me suggestions on how to fix problems, not just the problems because that's useless, really.

I plan on finishing him, because... well, I have to. Keep in mind that his suite is purely white with a little light/baby blue highlights in certain areas.... actually that doesn't mean a thing.

http://www.joystickadventures.com/im...nal/Apollo.gif

If you are want help with anatomy, check out Brune Hogarth's Figure Drawing & Dynamic Anatomy. This will help you out a lot.

JM

Do you think I could get that on Amazon.com?

I assume that's its actual label. I will search now. But I really would like some help for now with this image. ;)

I found 3 books of his. They're all like 15 bucks so I may just buy them all. Thanks, and please try to help me here if you can.

I'm definitely going to pick up drapery and form, maybe the face book.

EDIT: I've now decided to buy Dynamic Anatomy, Figure Drawing and Drapery & Wrinkles.

There are definitely some errrors in the form above, but I think it's fundamentally alright.

That guy knows his shit, My advice would be to just study all kinds of great art. Really study it, spend some time analyzing what you see. Do studies (copies) of the kind of art style you are going for. All of that will pay off, but remember this kind of skill takes years to cultivate, just keep at it & don't get discouraged.

JM

Well I can draw photo realistic. I am just trying to design this character. I have some skill, but not a lot of knowhow right now.

If I see a tree, I can draw the tree. But when there's no tree there I have a hard time drawing the tree, you know? I am ordering 3 of his books. Thanks a lot.

I'm also thinking about redesigning this character to be less muscular. I want him to be more lanky and awkward. Almost like he's not entirely solid. (Like if you punched him he would bend to your hand and shift, which is sort of the point.

Thanks for your help.

I'm actually pretty accurate with the anatomy on him, it seems. His muscles don't seem to be too convoluted. I'm just not sure about the form he's in.

Wow, JM, those books are already helping. I've only got the face chapter done and am on the neck, but I can already see huge gaps in the form.

I think the shoulders are too broadened and the neck isn't lateral, even though the figure it. The head is also small. Thanks alot JM.

I bought all 3 books and plan to read them all. (I bought a drapery one too)

I got them within 2 days of ordering... now that's fast.

Give him a massive codpiece. Nothing says 'soldier of the lord'like an extra large tool box.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Andrew
Wow, JM, those books are already helping. I've only got the face chapter done and am on the neck, but I can already see huge gaps in the form.

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No problem. I'm glad they are working out for you. Those books are the only instructional art books that I have ever found that were worth a shit.

JM

The guy even tells you to use this as a guide and develop your own style when form drawing and to notice nuances, no matter how little, in peoples faces to see how they're constructed.

Seriously man, this is the best help I've ever gotten since drawing.

Andrew, seriously, I recommended those exact same books and several others to you a month or so ago.

Still, glad to hear they're working out for you, I found them incredibly useful myself.

Okay Fox. I'll update the title to give you credit too. We all know that's what you want ;)

Damn straight.


Seriously though, one thing to consider is to not over-emulate Hogarth's style...just about everyone I know who's into art is familiar with those books, and can spot a mimic really easy. Hogarth's hands and feet are something that people get called on quite a bit, at least at the art school I went to.

I'm just starting the hand chapter, so I'll keep that in mind.

I'm not that impressed with Hogarth myself. I have his Dynamic anatomy book, and it's way too over the top.

One of my favorite figure drawing books is by Andrew Loomis, and sadly long out of print and quite rare. It is online however.

http://www.fineart.sk/page_01.htm

Any of Bridgeman's books are also great, and cheap.

Vilppu is a god, you should definitely buy his figure drawing book while you're at it.

http://www.vilppustudio.com/

At the end of the day though, there is no substitute for actual life drawing.

Eh, to each their own...Hogarth's books aren't really meant for gospel anyway, just a way to conceptualize anatomy on a structural level. That's what I meant when I said to beware emulating Hogarth, since his instructional books have such a distinct, and in some cases, marginally inaccurate look to them. Even Hogarth's actual art is quite different than the illustrations in his book.

The way forms and mass is translated in dynamic form though is extremely helpful, especially if you're into drawing super-hero stuff. I agree though that actual life-drawing is invaluable, and one of the main draws of enrolling in an art program.

I see your point about the superhero stuff, but I still don't find his drawings particularly pleasing to the eye.

Everything in his books has been idealized/ distorted so much that it loses value for me as an instructional tool. After seeing the Loomis book it's hard for me to take Hogarth's work seriously.

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Originally posted by FuryFox
Eh, to each their own...Hogarth's books aren't really meant for gospel anyway, just a way to conceptualize anatomy on a structural level. That's what I meant when I said to beware emulating Hogarth, since his instructional books have such a distinct, and in some cases, marginally inaccurate look to them. Even Hogarth's actual art is quite different than the illustrations in his book.

The way forms and mass is translated in dynamic form though is extremely helpful, especially if you're into drawing super-hero stuff. I agree though that actual life-drawing is invaluable, and one of the main draws of enrolling in an art program.

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You're both absolutely right, but there's nothing more to life in my room at nighttime then drapery over chairs, which I have done to death. Plus that doesn't make very convincing character art :p Although I could probably pull it off because I'm such a asshole.

Yeah... it's tarpchair man.

Anyway. Thanks for the help. The one thing I like about Hogarth is that he encourages you to find your own style. He also has a very good idea of how form changes with generations. The form of a woman in the 1940s is different then nowadays... and he mentions to experiment with the parts of the body to express your own ideals.