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Episode Thirty Three

So it has been a while since my last post- even longer since my last Draw the Marvel Way update! An impending interstate move and continuing university study means that although I have continued drawing- admittedly not as much as last year- my blog updates have fallen by the way side. I figured that completing the tutorial in issue 30 warranted a quick update so on to the pics: Even looking at…

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Episode Thirty Two

Lately I’ve been on a massive Twin Peaks bender. In the lead up to season three I watched pretty much all the Twin Peaks and David Lynch I could get my hands on. I’ve always liked more surreal stuff and the big stand out for me was the Man From Another Place- the little backwards talking dude. I believe there are reasons for him not being in the new season but regardless, I thought it could serve…

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A short while ago I bought a camera. I knew we had a family holiday on the horizon and it seemed like a good excuse to finally take the plunge on the DSLR I had wanted for some time now. I have always enjoyed taking photos- much more than I enjoy looking at them- and the intersection between the science, maths and creativity required to take a good photo appeals to me.

Having said that, I am well aware of just how fleeting my interests can be so I was loathe to jump in too deeply. This saw me picking up a Nikon D3400 which should be more than enough camera for quite some time without requiring many thousands to be spent. Unfortunately, it seems the days of the kits including two lenses are over so I did have to take a further plunge on a bigger lens, leaving me with the included 18-55mm and 55-200mm which seems to rate well for bang for buck. Most of what I have read suggests buying lenses suited for what it is you want to shoot and at this stage I couldn’t even tell you what that is- I’m simply snapping away, playing with settings and lighting. We’ll see where it takes me.

Prior to heading overseas I did a decent amount of reading so I wasn’t shy in shooting off auto and visited a couple of local parks as well as playing in the back yard. Most of these were taken with the 55-200mm using the aperture priority setting to blur the background.

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Nitro Circus provided a change of pace. This proved frustrating- in most cases due to not only the distance from the subject, but also the low light. Some creative cropping hides the issue.

On to Bali. I really enjoyed shooting at different times of the day to see how the light played a part. I tried to shelve the flash where ever I could- I don’t know much about what is technically appealing but I did find it was much more attractive to my eye in most cases. It did cost me a couple of photos of the kids but otherwise it worked ok!

First off – the Bali Bird Park and Bali Zoo:

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One consistent error I make is in getting tricked by auto focus- sometimes I picks out the foreground and no matter how much I try and force the point I still get caught out from time to time. It did result in this happy accident which is one of my favourites from the trip: I’m sure it’s a cliche but meh. And the poor guy was pissed – pacing, growling, generally not a happy camper.

Next, the Barong dancers. A couple of different locations (shit got very weird in one but that’s another story). Shooting past heads was frustrating!

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I fell in love with architecture and sculpture- specifically public statues- when I visited Italy a couple of years ago. There are some amazing statues in Bali that I unfortunately could not get photos of- they were at round abouts and the like. I did muck around within our resort and did get the odd shot while out and about.

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Like everything, I have a whole lot to learn about photography and I am really looking forward to becoming more technically proficient as well as learning more about good composition. It is no secret these photos are those of a very beginner but I can’t wait to keep working at it. With the exception of the Nitro Circus shots, these are uncropped and otherwise unprocessed- if anyone has any advice for photo management and processing I am all ears!

Thanks for looking.

M

Episode Thirty One A short while ago I bought a camera. I knew we had a family holiday on the horizon and it seemed like a good excuse to finally take the plunge on the DSLR I had wanted for some time now.

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Episode Thirty

I am finally though the Draw the Marvel Way speed run! That’s not to suggest I am not enjoying the magazine it is just my OCD wasn’t satisfied with having a whole collection sitting there waiting to be worked through.  Sure- there were short cuts, missed secondary tutorials and a more considered, diligent approach would have no doubt lead to improved results but there has definitely been progress…

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Episode Twenty Nine

Happily- I’m almost entirely through my Draw the Marvel Way backlog… and the uni trimester is about to close… and I’m about to take a break from work. To be honest, I’m already starting to wonder how I’m going to pass the time now I’ve finally climbed back on top of a whole heap of things. Maybe I’ll just sleep for a handful of days. Anyway- continuing the theme of late, it seems every time I…

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Episode Twenty Eight

I’m still trying!!  Between work and university (and other family stuff) I seem to be having all kinds of difficulty finding the time to actually draw.  I am still at it and still working through Draw the Marvel Way. I realised the other day I haven’t done my yearly review activities and I’m hoping to get to these during a period of time off work in June. If I get on top of other things I may…

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Episode Twenty Seven

March already and I feel like I am about six months behind with just about everything.  I have been working hard to climb on top of the ball, especially catching up with Draw the Marvel Way which, to be honest, has dominated my time drawing of late. It’s also caused a little frustration- my most recent, admittedly rushed effort, highlighting just how poor my hands and faces remain to do. I think…

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Episode Twenty Six

So it has been a while between posts so despite no new drawings this post, the below image sums things up: So far this year I’ve done the UAE, Darwin, Sydney (twice), Brisbane and I’m currently in Adelaide. I’ve been home for two weeks and that was only to move house. At least yesterday I actually started my quest to clear the backlog of Draw the Marvel Way issues. The blog isn’t dead- new posts…

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Episode Twenty Five

After a bit of a sook last post, it is back to drawing. Study of Robertson’s How to Draw is continuing but the focus of this post is with Draw the Marvel Way. I was looking forward to the more dynamic pose offered by the Falcon and right up until I noticed just how far off centre I was with the head, I really liked it. Not to worry- I think the hands really worked and I like the wing effect. Next…

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Episode Twenty Four

And we are back here again. Part of me knows I should be studying but it seems almost unobtainable at times. Where to begin, where to begin. This time away from home has kind of allowed me to reset- perhaps a reset I  needed more urgently than I thought. Like some zany fat camp I’m trying to break well entrenched habits, replace them with positive ones and embrace some kind of self improvement…

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Episode Twenty Three

Being away from home has certainly slowed down my efforts to follow Draw The Marvel Way but the good news is it hasn’t stopped.  Because I have to ration it a little bit (my wife has sent issue 10 though!) I decided to only get it out on the weekend with the rest of my time being devoted to finally cracking Robertson’s How To Draw. First up, the eye study. Full disclosure, this was done in less…

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Episode Twenty Two

More Draw the Marvel Way and not a whole lot of additional study lately. I have completely stalled on Robertson’s How to Draw and instead I have been reading Norling’s Perspective Made Easy. I say reading because I have elected to skip over the exercises the first time through and will go over them on a second reading. All in all, a much more successful couple of exercises this week- the change…

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Episode Twenty One

This is almost a cry for help.  I’m through seven issues of Draw the Marvel Way and although I am definitely improving I am still utterly hopeless when it comes to drawing the faces of the figures. I’m aware of both Loomis’ and Betty Edwards facial proportions and positioning rules, I’ve drawn a few portraits, but for some reason the moment I come to the faces of these guys I forget everything.…

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Episode Twenty

Not much to add- a Halloween themed effort that became a mash up of an Ed Roth inspired hotrod and The Hitcher from The Mighty Boosh… maybe not really meeting the theme but my first attempt at using references and deviating a bit with imagination. Full disclosure: the car itself was heavily referenced, old mate not so much. And prior to attacking it with the brush pen: Super happy with how it…

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Episode Nineteen

Buoyed by the last drawing, I decided to stay automotive but go back to where I started and came up with this: Perhaps I was too happy with it because I absolutely hated my Draw the Marvel Way worth this fortnight. I think there were a few contributing factors… drawing with a toddler kicking around my feet, drawing at night with a beer in hand… I did pick up a couple of new fineliners, what I…

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Episode Eighteen

This is a little unconventional for me, but I feel I made some significant headway with this one. Last week I decided to take a break from Robertson’s book and go back to the beginning for me- drawing cars. I had a picture of a Bugatti that I saved months ago but liked the swoopy lines and colour scheme which I thought would help me to better understand shading. I don’t use a grid system as such…

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Episode Seventeen

Issue five of Draw the Marvel Way saw a slight break away from the usual with the floating head being replaced by a tutorial focusing on three different hands- poses and styles. While I typically enjoy the heads, it was good to spend a bit of time on something I’m not at all familiar with. I also used the opportunity to review the earlier discussion of drawing hands. The main show revolved around…