JasonBrongel In reply to StephSpensleyArts [2012-01-22 08:29:29 +0000 UTC]

let's be honest, who takes ANY of my photos xD who HAS a camera and actually USES it. -sigh-

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-02 01:27:06 +0000 UTC]

yea no prob found your post about your sketchbook on conceptart.org You have some really nice stuff, so it'll be fun seeing how you progress from here.

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-02 07:31:09 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. I don't post as much as I'd like to though; it's really hard for me to stay motivated, especially since I don't have any friends who are into art to talk to. :/ You have a pretty decent start here on DA yourself. Keep it up.

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-02 13:34:16 +0000 UTC]

I hear you on that one. Hey I can be a friend but I'm betting you mean real life? heh, it would be nice for me to have friends as driven as me toward the profession I want in real life. Then again, you learn so much from others who did different things as well (and there is always the internet~)

And thanks I still have so many fundamentals to improve on.

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-02 15:07:07 +0000 UTC]

That would be great. <3 Nope, I mean anywhere! Online friends can be precious. :3
I've...just been craving a conversation with someone who is actually passionate about this stuff. Someone to get excited with. I don't really share anything with anyone anymore because my RL friends just kind of look at it and go, "Oh, that's cool." and walk away. Can't blame them though. There's not much to talk about when you don't know that much about art, about the principles and terminology and why things that look wrong *are* wrong. All they can do is give me a pat on the back. That's why I got really excited about conceptart.org and starting an SB...but there are so many SBs, it's easy for yours to get lost and ignored.

ANYWHO
What fundamentals are you working on currently? C:

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-02 18:29:25 +0000 UTC]

Haha okay, that's good to hear Friends are friend ^_^

And I know what you mean. I get really caught up in what I say sometimes when it comes to art.

Yea what you're saying sounds pretttty similar to how it is with my RL friends.

I noticed with the sketchbooks, every time you post something a good amount of people view it. Most are guests I think. You get maybe like 2-3 people comment, say keep up the good work and figure away to improve. Another good thing is to comment on there sketchbook and a few others. Some are nice to return the favor.

Right now I'm working on light/shadow and composition. I used to do a lot of work heavily in the comic/manga region. Recently, I made the jump to wanting to do fantasy illustration. However, I focused more on lines, stylized anatomy and quick shading methods. This easily suffices if I were to do comics. I found though, the gap in my illustration skills lacks greatly. I'm still experimenting a LOT with how to even just do a digital painting.

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-03 02:40:50 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, totally. I think that's what I have to do-- really churn out studies, post a lot, and comment on multiple SBs a day just to make connections with people and get the help I need. I just become overwhelmed by how amazing other people's SBs are XD and lose the ability to drop them a productive comment.

What are you doing to practice lighting/shadow? I know the best way is to draw from life because lighting in photos is rarely ideal. I can't wait to see you progress though. Since you've just now made the jump, it seems like now is the time your ability will blossom.

Painting is tough for me. I don't think I make the right color choices yet. I don't understand how to blend different colors together to make skin look...well, like skin for example. And texture is another thing. Were there any comics/manga in particular that inspired you to take up art? I'm creating a webcomic that's eating up most of my time. It's mostly a personal hobby and I doubt I will post it anywhere...

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-03 03:31:57 +0000 UTC]

Yea that's definitely the way to think. Heh, my problem is sometimes typing too much on forums, I like to know I didn't leave out anything I was thinking, which turns into rambling lol ^_^ but hey, I bet we only need about 3 sentences to make a good comment for SB: positive remark, constructive crit, and a word of encouragement.

I'm doing master copies right now. I am trying to study the awesome painters I know of and see how they handle a painting. But yea, I think what's best is to draw from life. It's the idea of translating 3D to 2D and maybe even more so understanding the conditions the subject is in helps the knowledge even more.

Here check out my sketchbook [link] My recent post is a bunch of stuff I did just today. A 3.5 hour study, a ton of gestures and a speed painting sketch.

Painting is tough for me as well D: I hear the best way to make color choices is do color studies. This can easily be achieved by blocking in color by mixing (or color picking) to get the desired one. It's just the mind perceives colors differently when up against another. One way to pick correctly is create a small little view finder to isolate the color. (this is all theory for me at the moment... I need to study light/shadow before color).

Ah and for me, I grew up with dc/marvel animation. When dragonball z came around it peaked my interested, but naruto and bleach were the driving forces for my artist endeavors. And hey, you should post anyway Creating comics is a good thing. Most upandcoming comic artists never do this I hear, and start off weak. You really need to churn out a good amount of bad before you start understanding what's good for you

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-03 08:26:19 +0000 UTC]

I like ramblings It almost feels more honest because you know the person just kind of let it all out and didn't self-edit. I'm going to focus on commenting on those three things; that's really helpful, thanks!

I would love to be able to sit down and copy, copy, copy. It really helps you look at the forms, imagine the underlying structures, everything. Sometimes, I manage a study for an hour but then I burn out. I was always drawn to art because it unleashes creativity, which is something I've always had in spades. If I don't do something creative for a long period of time, I go crazy. But when I do a study, I have to shut off that part of my brain and become an observer so I can learn...which is a bit challenging for me. I'm not complaining though. The fact that it's challenging is why artists are so well-respected.

Great, I'll look through it!

Hmm, how do you create a view finder? D:

That's great C: I got a little bit into Naruto a long time ago. I like how there is a vast array of characters with distinct personalities and motivations.

I think if I do end up sharing, it will be after I have a lot of content created because I wouldn't want to fall behind on updates and frustrate readers. It's in the early stages. I have about...six characters fleshed out and it's the first sci-fi themed story I've ever tried to create. Making costumes for them is my favorite part! <3

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-05 15:15:09 +0000 UTC]

haha I guess you could put rambling that way. Its not fun when some people hold stuff back. At the same time, I feel weird when i don't xD

Well, hm. When I do studies, I just shut off my brain entirely. It's kind of weird to explain but I'm usually not happy or sad. I think you should try to find stuff you like and draw that. Right now... master copies are fun because I admire the work, but I have to draw from life like twice as much I think

I'll need to find the sources to confirm this is a good idea. But a viewfinder is basically like a box cut out from a bigger box. You look through it usually to get composition (like in a camera). However a smaller one isolates more of the area. This can help determine the intensity and saturation of the color. For real life, (i think) cutting from like a middle grey cardboard and on photoshop, make a new layer with a grey box, make a small selection and cut from it. Then you can hide the layer when you're not using, and when you are, just move it to the area. TECHNICALLY this should be better than an eye drop tool since you're using your eye. Again, I need to find some sources to confirm.

Well I think you should still upload the pages, doesn't have to have text in the bubbles. Still art To be honest, if it's a personal project and not a primary goal to get a fanbase, I would not care about the upload dates. You're right though, a webcomic succeeds when it's updated on time at a weekly basis.

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-06 03:44:07 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the info on the viewfinder. <3 That's some helpful stuff right there and I had never heard about it before!

The way I feel about it is...if it's a personal project, just for me, there's no point in uploading it at all. XD And if I do upload it, it will be to tell a story to an audience and I would feel like I've failed if I've annoyed them with late updates.

How is the new year treating you? Any resolutions?

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-07 06:00:50 +0000 UTC]

Yea no prob I still have so much to learn haha but I know a few things. Color is such a bitch, it can trick you easily. I remember james gurney had a painting of two cubes different colors schemes completely and he points out two pieces that seems obviously different but they were the same color. But the relation that color had to the others around it made it seemed different. That's why if you cant figure out a color, isolate it. (I'll try to find hard evidence to support this tomorrow It'll be good for me to confirm)

And YOU'RE right~~ that makes a lotttt of sense. I would do the same thing, but haha I'd likely be using the internet to share it with some friends. Do what you will I'm sure even if you don't ever folllow through with it, people will still like it.

The new year? It's been a pretty good start I'm getting lots of art done that is LONG overdue. Last year, I had an emotional slump, stopped drawing around feb and started back up around october. The nice thing? I came back with a stronger resolve than ever! My resolution is to really jump start my art career. I'm going to be selling at an anime convention in chicago late april, get some money to take an online master class at schoolism, cross my fingers to go to illuxcon and above all else be active on CA by asking for critiques on all my art.

I've also relaxed quite a bit, it's nice! However, I'll be glad to go back to school just interact with the outside world again lol How's yours been going? and you got some resolutions?

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-08 00:37:06 +0000 UTC]

Okay, cool. It seems logical. If the eye views a color differently when it's paired with another color, it makes sense that isolating the color will let you know what it really looks like.

Hey, thanks! I really, really enjoy the character designs I have down so far so I hope someone else will like them too. That is, if it gets developed enough to share. I also think it will be a great chance to see how my style evolves, since this would be the first comic that I've attempted. I will be drawing the same characters over and over so the changes will be really obvious.

I had a similar slump, LOL. It happened during the summer. I didn't draw AT ALL and I regret it. It's really great to hear that you're coming back strong! You have some really amazing goals and I find that admirable. <3 Just stick with it no matter what and if you're feeling a slump coming on again, feel free to tell me about it. I will be your cheerleader! FO SHO.

Mine's been great. No real concrete resolutions because I'm currently focusing on my long term goals from last year. I'm slooowly building my art skills, learning Japanese, exploring comic possibilities, etc. Right now I'm toying with Sketchup, which is a surprisingly simple program to use. Normally, I'd want to figure out perspective for myself, but for this comic I'm going to create a few key buildings I'm going to use over, and over. So that way, I'll have a base to draw over, changing the perspective as needed.

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-09 11:31:23 +0000 UTC]

Yes there will be a pretty obvious difference when drawing a comic but I bet you anything, it will be as obvious if you were to compare your art a year from now or even a 3 years. In general we always keep improving. The things that stay constant are usually the things we like, while the things that change are the things we want to get better at. Style overall is just how we don't see life accurately. Also, the more you do something, the more you will notice certain flaws now and different flaws later. If you wanna become a good comic artist, good art isn't whats going to completely matter, it will be good storytelling skills. (I highly recommend going to a library and checking out books by scott mccloud and will eisner on making comics)

Heh I regret mine all the same >_< But thanks, if I ever feel down I'll know that I can talk to you about it. As should you. come talk to me if you ever feel the need arises (hell if you want add me on facebook )

Haha, one thing I found is japanese is not for me. I took a semester of it and at the end I wanted to (figuratively) kill someone over it. I mean it's cool and all, but I have no time to learn a language right now. So my new goal for traveling is to go somewhere they speak basically english xD

Ooo sketchup huh? i've always wanted to try. I still have yet to master perspective but I know the basic up to 2 point. But that's a good idea. I've found that dealing with comics, anything to increase your speed without lowering quality is a good thing.

Also check "Framed Ink" its a book about composition (I'm like a quarter of the way through it, decent stuff). If you need anymore recommendations for resources on comics let me know. I used to REALLY want to do it, but now I have a new goal as a fantasy illustrator. (I feel like if I lived in japan things would be different. They just have more opportunities for comics and they do better over there then in america)

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-10 10:24:54 +0000 UTC]

"Style overall is just how we don't see life accurately." <-- I love how you put that. It's so true. And that goes for when style is executed beautifully as well. It doesn't mean it's accurate or at all realistic, it just means the person found what is visually pleasing to the eye and exaggerated it, like a pose for instance. A certain female pose may be pleasing to the eye because it enhances her curves and you can get away with stylizing that pose, exaggerating it, but only to an extent. A good artist is very cautious with this.

Ah, storytelling. I think I'm a better storyteller than an artist, actually. Stories naturally come to me, whereas I have to work really hard to draw or paint. I've always been drawn to illustration over other art forms because there's a narrative there, and while it's hard for me to find a comic I thoroughly enjoy (I'm rather picky), it's a medium I want to work in because I get to tell a story with art. It's the best of both worlds, imo.

Thanks, dude! I would totally add you...if I had an FB. Deleted mine a year ago. Do you have a Tumblr?

Yeah, not to mention it's extremely difficult to retain a language if you're not surrounded by it everywhere you go. What I'm studying will be useless when I go to Japan because 1) unless you're in business where you have to use Keigo, everyone is going to use slang which they do not teach on websites or in textbooks 2) even the rare sites that teach slang are dated and no one uses those words anymore 3) IRL, away from lessons, everyone speaks rapid fast. Like crazy, scary fast. I'll have to live there for a while to adjust to that pace of speaking.

And don't worry about it! English is widely spoken...just about anywhere worth travelling to. You'll have a lot of options.

I learned 2-point a couple semesters ago when took a few art classes. You should give Sketchup a try one day. It takes two clicks to make a cube, two more to hollow it out to make a building. Then you add on the little finishing touches. I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it is to use.

Thank you for all of the recommendations. <3 What was your comic idea a few years back if you don't mind me asking? Maybe in the distant future once you've settled in your illustration career, you'll be able to comic as a hobby.

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-10 16:47:03 +0000 UTC]

haha I think I'm going to keep that quote then xD I'm trying to compile some info to teach to people. While, I don't really wanna be a school teacher, I think it's good to share some of the knowledge I gain and come to over time. Who knows, maybe make a book or video series online?

But yea, people who draw beautifully stylized stuff usually dont literally see it that way. Instead, they've seen beauty before and to sew together some of what they see through there eyes and some of what they see through their mind. Style and being able to harness is really what separates a drawing from a photograph.

Good! One thing I lacked with a recent sketch was the narrative quality. Just don't forget, comics have so many extra things you can harness.

haha that's cool. Not much of a surprise to me. [link] is just where I dump my sketches. Still dunno how I wanna use my tumblr but yea I'll follow you as well

Oh and easily! lol Try seeing it from the other end. How often would instructors of english teach slang? Not to mention, how old are these instructors? Think of one of your high school/elementary school teachers trying to teach you "hip" slang. LET ALONE trying to explain memes, jokes, etc. It's always changing.

haha good! A long term goal is to definitely travel abroad, visit some scenic areas and experience some new culture.

I'll see what I can do! I hear it is easy. I think i just need to take the time to watch some videos explaining it (i can be very impatient)

haha I had a few comic "ideas." Very few made it past the plan stage. One that did was an early one called bleeding interior, pretty lame in hindsight. It has an angels vs demons premise. With this sort of punk emo macho boy swooping in with a magical gun to save this girl who notices this demon spirit.

And yea very true, I'm considering trying to tamper with writing a novel and illustrating as much as I want from it. I'm still rolling around the idea but it'll be about an old school fantasy story where a slave with no family tries to become a hero from a myth and with sheer willpower does so except it turns out this myth is real and he questions why this "hero" never saved the world.

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-13 12:31:41 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, definitely! You could help a lot of people on their journey and make a lot of friends along the way. It would also be a good way to network.

Trufax. I watched this interesting lecture about heavily stylized artwork and it fascinated me. It's on youtube somewhere...but essentially, the lecturer was talking about how Europeans were entering India and were criticizing how exaggerated their statues were. Statues of goddesses who represented female sexuality had very...erm, wide hips and it sort of disgusted the colonists because the statues didn't look "natural" (they didn't understand symbolism at all) while European women were wearing corsets and giant skirts to enhance their figures and Indian women were much more natural looking. It's like they were okay with fashion that totally changed the way women looked...but weren't okay with that representation in art and Indians were the opposite.

Oh shi-- that's a great SB. -follows- Mine is like...a barren waste land. I can't get motivated at all.

Huh, that sounds like an interesting concept. I dunno if not-saving-the-world will be a big reveal, but it would definitely make a good hook. 'Cause from the beginning you're like...why wouldn't someone save the world if they could? Middle school through high school, fantasy was my favorite book genre. I tried nanowrimo last year and got...I dunno, relatively far. Then I realized there were too many plot holes. I bit off way more than I could chew, but I'm drawn to complexity.

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-22 08:46:27 +0000 UTC]

Haven't been on DA for a while. School just started so it's been a little hectic, sorry for the late response >.<

That's an interesting story about style with Europeans being opposed to the exaggeration of the womens hip. In general, I think to create a beautiful looking woman you must increase in what makes a woman different from a man. I believe this difference is what we define as sexy. Since humans are weird... they like having things they cannot have. This might be why men like women with large breasts? because it's so different from what they are..... unless they're fat themselves Also I'm kind of curious now when toothpick women were introduced as fashion forward.

AH! I need to get on my tumblr lol I'll add you if I can navigate that blasted thing.

Oh and I keep churning my story idea. Now it's a boy and his brother who are refugees taken in by a slave country. They cling to a legend that will save them so that the boy can have some hope during the tragic working periods. Naively, the boy says he will become that legend. When some big event happens, it awakens an untapped power similar in the legend in the older brother instead.

Maybe if it's going to be a comic, think smaller picture before the grand scheme. Don't think 3 part trilogy movie, think 3 minute short movie. Find a way to introduce a character, create a problem and have that character solve it. Look at pixar shorts, they can provide such interest in a short amount of time.

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akkibox In reply to JasonBrongel [2012-01-25 05:10:16 +0000 UTC]

Naaah, it's okay! I don't mind late replies <3...if you haven't noticed, I'm a bit slow myself. XD

That's a theory I've never considered. Hmm, interesting. Maybe there's something mysterious about things we don't have and mysteriousness is always sexy. I know the toothpick thing began with the flappers and wanting to maintain a boyish, androgynous shape. They were rebelling against their parents and guys of that era could now relate to women as friends who they could hang out with (gambling, smoking, drinking, dancing all night long) instead of just girlfriends to sit with on the porch. Which got boring. That was when it first became acceptable in the U.S. for women to get in touch with their masculine side and I wonder when it will be more socially acceptable for boys to explore their feminine side.

I'm akkibox on Tumblr :3 I think I added you! Mine is rather boring though, same old stuff from my CA.org sketchbook.

Cool! What's the overall tone when you think about it in your head? Dark, whimsical, adventurous?

That's...definitely the way to go. I agree. You have to practice A LOT before you can reach a more professional level that will interest an audience. And since I've never done it before, I will have to produce a few failures first. I'm taking a small scene and playing with it, testing my style, the color scheme I want, the way the panels will go. I'm going to make a few versions until I find one that I like. I learn best by trial and error.

Hope school is going wonderfully for you! Enjoy your classes!

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JasonBrongel In reply to akkibox [2012-01-30 08:27:42 +0000 UTC]

heh well seeing as I'm 6 days late, I REALLY don't care how late you are lol

Yea mysteriousness is sexy, it's almost alluring at times when given enough clues that it could be sexy. The mystery allow the viewer think of THEIR own sexiest idea and think that it's a possibility even if its not. That's why I also think mysteriousness is also the biggest let down cuz it will never measure up to the perfection in our minds

But wow those are some interesting facts I never knew about how flapper thing effected skinniness. Its interesting.

Ah! I'll try to add you now see what I can do. And ahh its cool, even if you don't update much just see it as an ego boost that you got one more follower

the tone for my story... probably adventourous, but I believe I write dark stories a lot better because I've watched/read so many anime/mangas dealing with it.

Speaking of failures, I've heard it takes like 10000 drawings before you are good, or 10000 hours. And I think even so 10 comics before you are good. Manga is a great example cuz you can see how the artist changes after 20,000-80,000 pages of writing the same series. I think once you realize that the comic won't ever be perfect, you can start improving. Better yet, once you realize that the comic you finish will be just a stepping stone for the next one to make it better.

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JasonBrongel In reply to crimsonbrony [2011-12-19 00:18:58 +0000 UTC]

thanks

yea, lol well art school is not super glorious. The stuff I do mostly is what I learned by myself.

Well, if it's in your head, you should put it on paper. That's honestly one of the best ways to get better at it. The more you do of something, the more you learn about your mistakes. ^_^

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JasonBrongel In reply to MightyMelleR [2011-12-12 10:04:00 +0000 UTC]

hahaa. I decided that account was lame? lol nah, i just like the clean slate feel. Each name feels like a different me.

And yep. I'm running and kicking at full speed.

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MightyMelleR In reply to JasonBrongel [2011-12-15 19:23:12 +0000 UTC]

that's awesome!

Best of luck! <3

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JasonBrongel In reply to Liuv [2011-12-12 08:24:48 +0000 UTC]

thank you very much

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JasonBrongel In reply to Legit101 [2011-12-11 04:46:39 +0000 UTC]

haha thanks glad you like it.

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