Another one hour speedy for my Studio's sketch group. This week's topic was 'Hybrid creature', so this guy's meant to be a rhinoceros/gorilla mixture.
Shane S
Even a princess needs a babysitter...
Having a lot of fun with lighting at the moment.
This is a banner image created for my studio sketch group, "The Bear Cave". In keeping with the sketch group limitations this was painted in an hour.
A little tip, if you want a picture of a live bear use a camera - not a sketchbook.
Shane S
Shane S
Sad, shiny lost gnome. I'm not sure why he's sad, maybe 'cause he has no feet.
Just a quick one for fun in photoshop.
Shane S
This is going to be a long one so get comfortable...
Back in September I took a course on Schoolism.com. Several months on I thought I’d revisit my experience and review the course for the benefit of anybody thinking about enrolling.
Course: Painting in Painter (instructor lead)
Instructor:
Length:
9 weekly assignments
Aim of course:
This is detailed on the course description on Schoolism.com website so I won’t go into it here, but the course title is pretty self-explanatory!
Course student level:
I would say the instruction (and course in general) caters for intermediate users and above. Ryan Wood doesn’t try to impress with too much artistic jargon or technical terms, so it’s easy to understand without needing a formal education in art. Personally I can’t fault the instruction, but I am a professional artist so was already familiar with Painter and the instructional language used.
If you’ve never touched a digital painting program before you might want to start out with something more simple, as the lessons do move at quite a pace with the assumption that you already know the basics of digital painting.
Course subjects:
Don’t let the specific course title discourage you from enrolling. Even if you’re not that interested in Painter this course is a wealth of artistic information and techniques. It covers everything from colour theory, lighting, composition and character design, all of which can be applied to any image, not just those created in Painter. Of course these techniques are all demonstrated within the context of Painter but their potential application is universal.
I myself am still primarily a Photoshop user, but nearly every technique I learned on the course has been transferable to Adobe’s popular program. I’m sure with CS5’s new wet brushes even Painter’s more painterly brushes can be emulated.
Instruction:
Ryan wood is clearly an experienced and talented digital painter. I’m not sure if he has any teaching experience prior to joining Schoolism.com, but from the quality and easy to follow structure the course takes, I assume he has. Everything is demonstrated, clearly explained and presented with examples from well known painters for reference and inspiration.
Any queries I had were quickly answered by Ryan via a personal message using Schoolism’s robust message system.
Assignment difficulty:
There’s no pass or fail with each assignment so it’s ultimately down to you to decide how much time and effort you put in, but, as I mention later on, there’s no point doing the course if you’re not going to push yourself.
Although there’s no pass or fail, each assignment is graded out of five stars. I assume this grade is personal to you and does not take the ability of the other students on the course into account.
Critiques:
The critique videos, usually between 10 and 15 minutes long, always resulted in vast improvements to my assignments.
As with the instructional videos, every suggestion was demonstrated and then explained. Most of the changes to my assignments focused on enhancing composition through the use of colour, lighting and structural tweaks and served to build on what I had already done.
Changes were always constructive and meant to build on my own style rather than Ryan’s. This always made me feel that I was in control of the image rather than just reworking it for the sake of someone else’s personal opinion.
The critique videos seem to be recorded in the same quality as the lessons themselves (see below).
Quality of videos:
Regarding image clarity and resolution, I was very impressed with the quality of the videos. I watched them on a 19” 4:3 LCD monitor at 1280 x 1024 and they were crystal clear. I guess they were recorded at this resolution as it looked like a screen grab from my own PC, it was that good!
I assume the voiceover was recorded with a standard PC headset/mic so don’t expect studio quality audio. Nevertheless it was at a good volume level and very clear.
I had no problems streaming the videos and was able to watch without being interrupted by any ‘buffering’ stoppages.
The Schoolism interface:
I worked in IT support for several years before becoming an artist, but it still took me a little while to get used to the schoolism interface as I didn’t find it very intuitive. There were too many menus for my liking and the video playlist was a bit awkward to navigate. I think displaying the user menus with the general website menus causes the confusion. Once I got used to it it was functional but there’s definitely room for improvement.
One major niggle for me, was that you can’t keep the video in fullscreen and work on your painting simultaneously, not even while working with a dual monitor setup. The default video window is also quite small and can’t be resized, meaning you can’t see a lot of the video details without going full screen.
This was very frustrating as I had to keep clicking back and forwards, often interrupting my working momentum. Short of using two separate computers, I found the best way to work was to watch a section of the video, pause, work on my painting, then repeat.
I believe this is a limitation of Flash rather than the Schoolism website, but for me it was less than ideal.
If the videos were downloadable I could have at least had them open in a large media player window while working.
Value for money:
There’s no getting away from it, $1000 is a lot of money in the current economy. But in my opinion it’s more than worth it.
I strongly believe that you get out what you put in, so unless you’re willing to push yourself artistically then I suggest you go elsewhere. After all, unless the instructor is judging your best attempt at an assignment, what’s the point of a critique?
If you’re not willing to push yourself and are only looking for some new techniques then maybe go for the self taught version instead. It’s half the price but there are no critiques.
Maybe another incentive to opt for the full $1000 course would be the ability to download and keep the videos. As it is you can only stream them during the course and for several weeks after, then they’re gone. Even to have a copy of my personal critiques would have been nice.
Room for improvement:
In my opinion several things could do with some thought;
- As I mentioned before, the Schoolism interface could do with some tweaking to make it more intuative.
- The ability to download and keep the videos would be a great addition. I assume this isn’t an option due to piracey, but if the files were DRM protected maybe some sort of scheme where you’re given a code to download them from iTunes could work.
- If you put a lot of time and effort into each assignment then the pace of the course can be a bit relentless. If you already work full time then expect your assignments to take up most of your spare time, and be prepared for some late nights if you have a family! Because of this I feel there should be a break in the middle of the course.
- iPhone/iPad/iPod compatibility would have been awesome!
Conclusion:
I feel that my skills have definitely jumped up a level, and not just within digital painting. My approach and execution to creating any image, both digital and traditional, is now much more advanced based on what I have learned.
Along with the assignments and videos it was also great networking with the other students and seeing their work and critiques (you can’t see their assignment grades though!). There were some very talented artists learning alongside me which, rather than discourage me, actually spurred me on to put even more effort into each painting.
I’ve also got at least four new portfolio pieces, and created this blog as a means to show my progress - all thanks to the motivation instilled by Schoolism.
In summary, I highly recommend this course and hope to take another schoolism class in the future, specifically Sam Neilson’s advanced lighting.
If you’d like to view my assignments just check the previous posts on this blog or go to the class blog where I’ve posted each assignment along with a short description of the lesson.
Oh yeah, this review wasn’t endorsed or funded by Schoolism.com in any way, the banner at the top is there simply to provide a link for anyone interested in checking out Schoolism.com.
Shane S
Wow, it's been way too long since my last post, but I have actual real excuses I promise.
I've been working on a huge project for work (which I can't show here for a long time), but the main reason is all the baby stuff I've been doing... that's right - we have a baby on the way! So late February I'm going to be a Dad for the first time and I can't wait!
It looks tough being a pregnant lady, so I've been helping my Wife out as much as possible, and along with the never ending construction of flat-pack furniture and nursery painting, my blog and galleries have fallen by the wayside. The upside is that impending fatherhood has opened up many new avenues of inspiration and as a result I have a few big projects in the pipeline which I hope to share soon.
In the meantime this little guy (or girl!) is from the invitations I designed for my Wife's baby shower.
I've been working on a huge project for work (which I can't show here for a long time), but the main reason is all the baby stuff I've been doing... that's right - we have a baby on the way! So late February I'm going to be a Dad for the first time and I can't wait!
It looks tough being a pregnant lady, so I've been helping my Wife out as much as possible, and along with the never ending construction of flat-pack furniture and nursery painting, my blog and galleries have fallen by the wayside. The upside is that impending fatherhood has opened up many new avenues of inspiration and as a result I have a few big projects in the pipeline which I hope to share soon.
In the meantime this little guy (or girl!) is from the invitations I designed for my Wife's baby shower.
Merry Christmas and Happy new Year,
Shane S
So here's my final Schoolism assignment - got five stars for this piece!
This final stage was mainly focused on bringing the piece together using all the techniques previously covered and polishing it a bit more.
I really enjoyed painting this and I think it's given my future work more focus; I've finally figured out that I enjoy rendering fairly realistically BUT on a cartoony/cute foundation. I guess I find it more satisfying creating characters with a wider appeal than the ever popular monsters, goblins and other unfriendly beings. That's not to say that I don't plan on dabbling in the grotesque at some point in the future!
As usual, all comments and critique welcome.
For the greyscale sketch of this painting click here
For the colour sketch of this painting click here
Shane S
P.S. Look out for my Schoolism.com review in the near future.
A few people have asked for a guide on the technique I used for my Guyver painting, so here you go!
It's just a basic description of my process so is far from an exhaustive tutorial, but feel free to ask any questions if you'd like me to elaborate on any of the points.
I used Corel Painter 10 for my painting and Photoshop CS3 for the final adjustments, but I'm sure the whole thing could be produced in photoshop if that's all you have to hand.
I can't take full credit as I actually picked up the foundations of this technique from a blog post by the extremely talented Sam Nielson. Please check out his blog, you won't be dissappointed.
Part 1 of that post can be found on the The Art Center Blog here and part 2 here.
I highly recommend reading them as Sam explains the process far better than me!
Shane S
I call this a Velociraptowl... it's some kind of owl/raptor hybrid if you couldn't guess by the name!
To see an earlier greyscale version check out this previou post.
Shane S
Guyvaaaahhhh!
I was dead set on not painting anymore fanart, but this was for a competition so I think I can just about get away with it
Plus I loved that show. To me it was kind of like an ultra-violent animated Power Rangers; very cool to a thirteen year old.
I've recently been rewatching the original 12 part anime, and apart from the terrible voice over I think the action scenes still hold up.
See below for some detail shots;
For a process/tutorial on how I painted this image click here.
Shane S
Nearly there!
This was the last assignment working on this painting, so technically I should be finished...but...there are still some techniques to be covered in the final two lessons so I'll come back to this one last time to make those improvements and implement any tweaks from Ryan Wood's video feedback.
This is the third work in progress version of this painting. Here's Part 1 and Part 2.
Two more assignments to go! I'm really going to miss such useful feedback every week.
Shane S
Here's a colour sketch of this previous greyscale painting.
I tried out a few new techniques for this one and tried to be a bit more adventurous with the colour. I also held back on rendering the details too much - always a challenge!
Shane S
Just trying something a little different from my usual style, this time using the linework to add to the image rather than hide it away under the rendering.
This is actually a twist on a creature I previously designed, the Velociraptowl.
Shane S
After a useful critique from Ryan Wood, I made some changes and added colour for the week 4 assignment.
The original greyscale (and more smiley) sketch can be found in this previous post.
For future assignments this image will be polished a bit more, so keep an eye out for it.
Shane S
I have a new love - textures! I've always seen them as a bit of a gimmicky shortcut, but after learning how to use them properly a whole bunch of new possibilities awaits.
If I ever have a daughter to call my own, I hope she's a little trooper like this. :)
Week 3 of Painting in Painter with Ryan Wood. Look out for a coloured version in the near future.
As usual, coments and critique welcome.
Shane S
Week 2 of Ryan Wood's painter course on schoolism. The assignment was to paint a furry or feathery creature using the techniques described.
I'm definitely learning a lot and, with the feedback from last week's assignment, hopefully it'll push my art to the next level.
Seven more to go!
Shane S
Last Friday I started 'Painting in Painter with Ryan Wood', a nine part online course on Schoolism.com. The instructor, Ryan Wood, is a super-talented concept artist in the videogames industry. Check out his personal blog here.
The first lesson covered the basics of the Painter interface plus a whole bunch of cool tricks and tips I simply wouldn't have discovered unless I used Painter on a daily basis.
I'm very happy with the opening section and am looking forward to the next.
The first assignment (shown above) was to create a black and white character using the techniques from the video. Before starting the course I was just getting into Read Dead Redemption, so it's my tribute to the greatest game I don't have time to play! Once I've completed the course I'll come back to this image and add some colour with my newfound Painter abilities.
Shane S
I'll start this, my first image post, by stating one simple fact. I love Pixar movies.
Now let me explain; When was a kid I decided that I didn't want to be a zoo-keeper, archeologist or dolphin trainer, figuring that I'd become an artist instead. But what does an artist really do? How do they do it as a job? My pre-teen brain couldn't quite figure those parts out, so I just carried on drawing dinosaurs and Ninja Turtles (actually is was 'Hero Turtles' here in Blighty) assuming things would work themselves out.
Fast-forward a few years to 1996 when I first saw Toy Story, and when my mind was completely blown.
Suddenly it all clicked into place. I wanted to make films like this, no matter what small part I had in the process, I wanted to do that. I wanted to draw those characters, design their world, their lives, their friends, foes and families - everything.
Fourteen years later and Toy Story is still possibly my favourite movie (fighting with Jurassic Park for the top spot!) and remains the only film I've seen multiple times at the cinema. I've owned it on VHS, DVD, and now blu-ray and it continues to inspire me with every viewing.
So what's all this got to do with the odd little creature depicted in the picture above? Well in case you didn't realise, it's actually one of the little green men from the afformentioned movie with a little stylistic twist of my own.
Wouldn't it be cool if those little guys got thier own spin-off? I'll let you figure out the story...
So consider this my tribute to Pixar - keep up the amazing work.
Until next time, To Infinity, and Beyond!
Shane S
Good day!
I introduced myself in my previous post, so now it's time to formally introduce my new (and first) blog; Shane Made Art.
I've started this blog for three reasons;
1, To get my work out there
Nobody's going to see the fruits of my labour if it's just sat on my hard drive gathering digital dust. Plus, I have some interesting things planned and it'd be a shame if my Wife was the only person that got to see them!
2, To get involved
I've sat on the sidelines as a silent observer for a few years now, listening to podcasts, reading blogs and browsing forums. In the last year, with the rise of Twitter, the social networking aspect of being an artist has exploded to the point of becoming essential. So along with this blog I've also created a bunch of other profiles, accounts and galleries, all of which I intend to keep up to date and consistent with each other. There are some links in the sidebar and more will be added as I populate them with goodies. All of this is done with the intention of becoming a part of these blossoming communities, of which I'll list some of my favorites in a future post.
3, A fresh start
My previous online presence was a lowly DeviantArt gallery filled with a mish-mash of different styles, subjects and mediums, dating back to 2003. It was, to be honest, an inconsistent mess! I felt my ability and style had moved on to the point where I needed to leave it all behind and 'rebrand' as such. So all the art you'll find on this blog will be new. I'll look back on some of my old stuff with fond memories though, some of those pieces helped me to get into the industry after all.
So that's all the formalities taken care of....the next post will include some of my actual art! Are you excited? No? Not even a little bit? Well, I'll have to try to change that won't I...
Shane S
I introduced myself in my previous post, so now it's time to formally introduce my new (and first) blog; Shane Made Art.
I've started this blog for three reasons;
1, To get my work out there
Nobody's going to see the fruits of my labour if it's just sat on my hard drive gathering digital dust. Plus, I have some interesting things planned and it'd be a shame if my Wife was the only person that got to see them!
2, To get involved
I've sat on the sidelines as a silent observer for a few years now, listening to podcasts, reading blogs and browsing forums. In the last year, with the rise of Twitter, the social networking aspect of being an artist has exploded to the point of becoming essential. So along with this blog I've also created a bunch of other profiles, accounts and galleries, all of which I intend to keep up to date and consistent with each other. There are some links in the sidebar and more will be added as I populate them with goodies. All of this is done with the intention of becoming a part of these blossoming communities, of which I'll list some of my favorites in a future post.
3, A fresh start
My previous online presence was a lowly DeviantArt gallery filled with a mish-mash of different styles, subjects and mediums, dating back to 2003. It was, to be honest, an inconsistent mess! I felt my ability and style had moved on to the point where I needed to leave it all behind and 'rebrand' as such. So all the art you'll find on this blog will be new. I'll look back on some of my old stuff with fond memories though, some of those pieces helped me to get into the industry after all.
So that's all the formalities taken care of....the next post will include some of my actual art! Are you excited? No? Not even a little bit? Well, I'll have to try to change that won't I...
Shane S
...and one giant leap for er...me.
So this is it, my first foray into the wide world of social networking!
Like I do with most things, I'm jumping head first into this, which hopefully explains the basic look of the blog and current general lack of content. Don't worry, it's a work in progress.
So, what about me? Who, what, why where and when? Let's get started shall we?
Who? - My name is Shane Smith. Hi there.
What? - I'm an illustrator/artist/ideas man/imagineer - whatever you want me to be!
Why? - 'Cause I love drawing, painting, sculpting and all those kinds of lovely things, and I might as well do it for a living right?
Where? - I'm an in-house artist for a greetings card company in the UK.
When? - Like most artists you will ask, I've been drawing ever since I could pick up a pencil. I've been lucky enough to do it professionally, full-time, for the last three years and counting.
So that's about it for now. I'm sure we'll all get along swimmingly, after all, that's the whole point of these twitterbookblogfolio things right?
If you have a moment please feel free to visit my other net-nooks listed in the right hand panel.
Cheerio, see you next post (there'll be another one soon, I promise)!
Shane S
So this is it, my first foray into the wide world of social networking!
Like I do with most things, I'm jumping head first into this, which hopefully explains the basic look of the blog and current general lack of content. Don't worry, it's a work in progress.
So, what about me? Who, what, why where and when? Let's get started shall we?
Who? - My name is Shane Smith. Hi there.
What? - I'm an illustrator/artist/ideas man/imagineer - whatever you want me to be!
Why? - 'Cause I love drawing, painting, sculpting and all those kinds of lovely things, and I might as well do it for a living right?
Where? - I'm an in-house artist for a greetings card company in the UK.
When? - Like most artists you will ask, I've been drawing ever since I could pick up a pencil. I've been lucky enough to do it professionally, full-time, for the last three years and counting.
So that's about it for now. I'm sure we'll all get along swimmingly, after all, that's the whole point of these twitterbookblogfolio things right?
If you have a moment please feel free to visit my other net-nooks listed in the right hand panel.
Cheerio, see you next post (there'll be another one soon, I promise)!
Shane S