#umbrvx.ask

[umbrvx]

You caused me to start HCing Anna Croft with green eyes like YESSSSS it goes so well with her color scheme

WHATT OMG... im flattered...

[umbrvx]

i like ur art. its great and interesting!! i really like your artstyle and i really like the way u draw hsy, yjh, and kdj. you captured them so well in terms of vibes/character. also i was wondering do u have any advice to improve on drawing anatomy/poses/faces?

wahh thank you so much...!! i feel like im still trying to figure them out in a lot of ways but i do really like ironing out my visual interpretations of them so im really happy to hear if people like what im coming up with

also anon you super activated the part of my brain that cant help but yap about art theory... i spent some time writing as many tips as i could think of. unfortunately i dont think i have the time currently to do a fully illustrated guide, but ill still try to include some visual examples:

[incoming wall of text lol]

ANATOMY:

to preface i think that like 100% of the time you should reference a real life photo for anatomy rather than other artwork or drawn references. the best way to learn the body is by… well, actually looking at the body! but also artwork is informed by a person's own artistic ability/stylization choices/sense of idealism, so while looking at art can help give you an idea on how to break down forms, i think you would be best served observing real life references. i labor on this point because i do think that having over relied on drawn reference material and avoiding photographic references on the basis of not being interested on realism hindered me as a largely self-taught artist as a kid, so i want to encourage live or photographic reference since anatomy is one of the foundations from which everything else is built on. that being the case, all of my doodles i'm doing for this are going to be for the sake of example rather than to strictly say how you should or should not be drawing something

-> when you are doing a study of a photo, just try copying it as best as you can. pay close attention to the natural lines and shapes of the body -- the S-curve shape of the leg, the triangular shape of the forearm, the trapezoid shape of hips/thighs when they sit, and so on. note where the body folds or squishes or pulls; how mass will shift to accommodate a certain position. if a form is hard to visualize, focus on the negative space and carve that out, rather than strictly drawing the positive space.

don't expect to get it perfect the first time. in fact, iterate on it multiple times to build understanding. try doing it to a timer of 15, then 10, then 5 minutes. doing this will force you to have to prioritize the most important shapes. you can help reinforce this by using a thicker brush or a brush with no pen pressure (no joke ms paint works great for this) to force you to be loose and not become preoccupied with details.

-> pinterest is a great resource for finding and compiling photo reference material

-> organic shapes are curved, so embracing/emphasizing that (particularly for the extremities) can help make your drawings look more natural or fluid

POSES: -> it all begins & ends with contrapposto… you've probably heard of the line of action, which is related. if you're offsetting the shoulders & hips, it: makes poses more natural, more dynamic, and helps the pose sort of "draw itself" -- the legs will follow the direction of the hips, and you can use the arms to reinforce the angles

-> context is key. don't ask: what pose should i draw? instead ask: what do i want this character to convey? what does happiness, anger, sadness, and so forth look on this particular character? how do they express that? consider these drawings: these are both ostensibly the same pose, but look at how changing just the shape of the spine recontextualizes it.

for more on pose design i recommend watching Tracer & Pose Design 101 - The Animation of Overwatch by New Frame Plus (i promise this is a genuinely super informative video).

to expand on this, in general, all of the components of a piece (background, composition, pose, etc.) are best considered in conjunction rather than separately. it is difficult to choose a pose and then choose a background because they are missing the context that would make a piece cohesive. when you are planning a drawing, try to begin with your general concept/idea/prompt and then do several thumbnails -- small and quick doodles that should take no longer than 5 minutes each -- developing it: you may find that the pose and bg will naturally fall into place.

-> silhouette: the degree to which you need to push this varies by style but generally speaking the pose needs to be readable; i.e. instantly recognizable. try to keep important elements of the gesture outside of the silhouette. for example, if the character is pointing, keep that arm out of the interior of the body. the same pose can be more or less readable or dynamic depending on where the character is pointed in relation to the viewer

-> exaggeration!! goes along with the previous point. push the pose as much as you can (and what makes sense for your style) to communicate your pose as clearly and as intensely as possible.

FACES: -> i highly recommend the app Handy Art Reference Tool by Belief Engine for all things related to drawing hands/heads/feet. its on both android and ios. it isn't free -- it costs around $3 -- but that is seriously such a small price to pay for the amount of utility you get out of it: the hands models are fully poseable (there's also pose presets), you can rotate the head models however you want, and there is 3-point customizable lighting. it is really helpful for getting those super tricky and hyperspecific head angles that you just can't find a real life reference for. that being said given that there's only a few different head model variants, bear in mind how differences in features can affect what exactly a face will look like in those angles.

-> i still recommend doing studies of real people. as with anything else, learning generalized proportions is important, even if you are going to later on bend or break this depending on style

-> as for my own approach... it kind of depends on the style i'm doing at that particular time. for my paintings (what id consider my main style) i approach a character with a few real-world features in mind and then apply them to the best of my ability. it usually will take a few iterations to land on an interpretation i really like as i try out different things. a lot of the face also gets developed during rendering rather than through my initial sketch too, as i adjust for lighting and correct proportions on the fly

(look how much this image changes between sketch and render lol)

if i were to recommend anything, i think it would be to nail down your most distinct features first -- the ones that will make your character's face recognizable, and could apply regardless of art style. in my case with kim dokja, i knew when i first started drawing him that i wanted to give him a longer face and down-turned eyes. when i decided to do the disco elysium inspired set, in which i was breaking out of my comfort zone by letting go of any idealizations focusing on conveying characterization/making them feel "real", i landed on some more specific traits (defined lower lids/perpetually tired eyes/eyebags(?) the crease there idk how to describe it) which i continue to try to evoke even if im drawing something much more cartoony

(pictured are my first kdj -> disco elysium style -> my post de-style kdj)

as a side note, this very same process changed yjh much more dramatically

(^ that first guy is mad someone else)

those handful of key features will be the thing that you can then take into a simpler style and simplify or exaggerate to whatever degree suits you. you can also play with shape theory (square = sturdy/solid, circle = natural/smooth/welcoming, triangle = energetic/dangerous). shape theory doesn't necessarily need to be so rigid -- you can combine shapes as you please to convey whatever vibe you're going for -- so please think of it as a tool that may help rather than a rigid law you must abide by.

-> expressions: exaggerate them. thats kind of it!! make it big!!! you wanna be able to really feel those emotions. the principles of squash & stretch help here: think of how the muscles move when you, say, open the eyes or mouth really big. as one side of the face stretches open, the other side squashes to accommodate it

even without changing the position of the jaw here, moving the nose and scrunching the eyes will sell the expression

you can also play with squash/stretch to break proportions to sell a feeling more

since expressions are just, well, poses for the face, everything else for poses applies here (and facial expressions & pose should also be considered in tandem). while the term contrapposto itself just refers to the offset of the shoulders & hips, the similar principle of asymmetry also carries here as that will help make the expression a bit more dynamic.

and i think... that's it!! all i can think of at least. i hope it helps anon!!!

[umbrvx]

Hello, I wanted to say that I really admire your compositions. I'd been trying to make a drawing about the type of painting a certain non-orv character would have in their office and when i hit a roadblock I went back to your piece "[The character 'Han Sooyoung' is curious about you.]" and discussed with my friends what about it made it so eye-catching and cohesive. It's really interesting to observe how you use perspective, value, and shapes to define the scene. it's really clean! it's dramatic! it's so so cool!

WHAT!!! this is so unreal to hear ;__;

i don't really know if i have the words to convey what this means to me but i am a little overwhelmed... the idea that something i drew not only could be remembered by someone but also actively studied is beyond my expectations, so im really flustered -- but i'm also really, really grateful to hear that!

(i'm also a little shy... if i'd known it would be looked at so closely later, i would've spent a while longer on that piece lol)

thank you very, very much for liking my art and taking the time to tell me what you thought about it ^^

[umbrvx]

Hello my friends,

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸❤🤍💚🖤

I am Mohammed Ayyad from Gaza Al-Shuja'iyya

,

I have sought refuge with you because of the devastating war that caused me to lose my home and my mother and we were displaced from one place to another and lost my children's future and there is a severe shortage of basic materials,

I have sought refuge with you so that I can provide a decent and safe life for me and my family consisting of my wife and my children Yasser, Omar, Maryam, Jana and Sarah, each of them has dreams but unfortunately they have lost hope and despair is controlling them,

I hope that you will stand by us either by donating if possible or sharing widely,

Thank you very much

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸❤🤍💚🖤

noting that my son Omar has a Tumblr account under the name @m430235341 and it was checked and I had an account under the name @mohammadayyad and it was also checked but I was surprised today that it was banned so today I created a new account under the name @mohammadyaser1980, please check it and thank you 5, @mohammadayyad’s fundraiser. As of posting they’ve been able to raise €12,143 of their €35,000 goal.This fundraiser has been vetted by @/inthefaceofada

https://gofund.me/e7c7528a

Yes, I will share!

This campaign was featured in the list of vetted fundraisers by @/inthefaceofadaffodil here (no. 5 in the list).

As of writing, €12,992 / €35,000 has been raised.

[umbrvx]

Hi! I'm a big fan of your art, esp your orv stuff. If you don't mind my asking, what program/brushes do you use? I really admire the grungy texture!

hii!! thank you very much!

i use a mix of csp and photoshop depending on the piece/brushes im using! here's what i use most often:

clip studio paint:

my main sketching/painting brush - 'it is a brush' by bunnyclvb

nekokonut's brush set (i sometimes like to paint with the sketch brush since it has a hatching texture/some translucency)

photoshop:

rake brush pack by Devin Elle Kurtz (also has csp versions!)

jingsketch all access+ by Jingsketch (has procreate versions -- smaller individual sets are also sold by this artist) <- this one has a lot of textural stuff

i also have a set i really like for when i occasionally do lineart that was in the Vocaloid 4 Charity set by chilichizu that was offered a few years ago but i think it's no longer available and i dont know if redistribution would be ok :(

hope this helps!!!

[umbrvx]

iam Leen from Palestine, Gaza, and I need help to get out of the war. We have a war of death and hunger for the sake of my children. I ask you to help me with any amount of money or help me publish the account

It is not easy for me to ask for help, but I lost everything. Do not hesitate to help me. $15 or $10. A little helps

Relly Need Your Help To Evacuate Them To A Safe Plece As Soon As Possible Outside Gaza

To donate please click here

https://gofund.me/6b57458c

verified by 90-ghost here

Of course!

Anyone who is able, please consider taking the time to donate -- as of posting, only €3,241 / €15,000 has been raised.

I wish you well.

[umbrvx]

sorry if i sound deranged but your hsy top surgery hc literally lifechanging. i am a new person now. you are so fucking right. (fits that in my transmasc hsy agenda)

YASS im glad it just makes so much sense 2 me and ive become very attached 2 the idea so im glad it resonates ehe....

[umbrvx]

I genuinely love your art so much I actually fell to my knees and clutched my head with my hands when I saw your latest kim dokja art ●|￣|＿

BWAAHH thank you soo much ;__; i cant even express how much it means to know someone thinks of my work like this

[umbrvx]

Just wanted to tell you I adore your art and am seconding the prev anon... Transmasc top surgery hsy is my dream. -🐈‍⬛

THANK U SM ;__; !!!!! 💕

[umbrvx]

Hey boss I just wanted to say that you killed it with the Umi art and I really hope you enjoyed it :3

bwahh thank you so much thats rlly sweet of you!!! 🥹🥹🥹🫶 i enjoyed it immensely. definitely wanna check out the manga too at some point

[umbrvx]

anon who asked for advice on improving anatomy/faces/poses here, thank you for the detailed advice and examples!! It is helpful ^_^!!

YAYY im so happy i could help!!!