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Obsequiosity — The Billiards Lesson
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Published: 2013-02-17 04:40:13 +0000 UTC; Views: 1132; Favourites: 37; Downloads: 25
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Rare, your bridge is a-quiverin' a bit. Here, lemme adjust your position a little...Didn't I tell'ye it'd be more fun to learn how to play the way Earth Ponies do?
Don't get me wrong, unicorn magic's fine n' all, but when you gotta in *so close* to the felt that y'kin smell the chalk, and ye get to *feel the impact* when ever'thing starts to *smacking* together... Hoo! You just start ta really *feelin'* the rhythm of the game. It just feels so...*real* that way, ye know what ah mean?
...Uh, Rarity? Are you listenin'?
***
#2 mechanical in a sketchbook.
Eventually I plan to do a more polished work of this, but for a half-hour's sketch this turned out really well for me.
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Comments: 13
Annnd this must be the original drawing you spoke of, nice... I see what you mean the shading alone makes this hard to replicate heh. Top shelf again Obsequiosty, top shelf indeed.
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Oooh is that charcoal I see in there? I like!
Ive only taken one art class, but charcoal seemed to be my best medium. Nice job on blending the background, but I wouldve maybe made the wall lighter or the cider sign darker, since it seems to be like, a shadow on the wall. Maybe a more definite outline, since the characters have one, i dont know. Just something about that sign..
Oh. half hour?
Rescinding that statement. Good job!
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There probably is a little charcoal pencil in the blacks, but most of it is finger smudged #2 mechanical pencil. The sign on the back wall was a last second thing, but really seems to anchor the setting.
There are two fully charcoal redraw of this floating around my gallery, I've never had formal lessons so any tips are welcome.
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Oh yeah, just stumbled on those. Nice job on the colored one. I like that one the most. the sign makes it amazingly realistic and I feel as though I can hear the coughs, laughs, and crack of the billiards as I stare! As for this one, I would try to maybe leave less lines in the manes as it gives thwem a very sketch-like appearance. try lighter lines, then smudge, then thicker lines, then smudge, etc.
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I'll have to try building the hair up like that. Hair is difficult to render, I tend to get frustrated and just kinda "suggest" it with the basic 3D shape and some scribbles...
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Yeah, its a difficult part to get down. I gave a charcoal self-portrait done, you could look at it and see how I got the hair to look.
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Oh my goodness! Such an impressive piece, and all done in half an hour? Crazy impressive! Must say I love this piece, and thanks to this, slowly discovering your other art I didn't know about!
Awesome work!
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It took half an hour to draw this. It took a year of drawing them both to get where I don't have to spend forever tweaking their proportions to get them on-model. So, technically it took a year and an hour.
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Ahh! So It is sort of like the old "Boulder and Hammer" tale/fable...: Where it is NOT the 1,000th hit that breaks the might stone, but the culmination of all the other 999 others that came before?
Still, I admire someone with the skills you have. I am merely a beginning, practicing pencil & paper doodles between breaks, going through sheets of sheets trying to get the perfect "wings" or leg bends the way I wish them to be. I am grateful for artist, such as yourself, because they give me a goal to aim towards! (Oh and all those wonderful others who put together tutorials as well!)
Anyway, don't want to take up too much of your time... but I shall thank you all the same!
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Don't worry about taking up my time; the most fun I have with these drawings are the myriad conversations with the folks who enjoyed them enough to stop in and say "hi".
In fact, it was about this time last year I was having a similar conversation with the ever-delightful White Diamonds ([link] ), who took the time to talk a little shop with me when I commented on one of her pieces [link] . I never have figured out how she colors yet (Color theory is *hard*), but it started me on a path to re-learn the basics. I have grown so much as an artist from the practice I've gotten playing with ponies and talking shop with other pony artists.
Now, if I may impart a few of the things I wish I knew way back when I started:
* Go find a copy of "Drawing on the Right Side of The Brain". It's ubiquitous, probably every library and bookstore in the US has one. Once you learn its single lesson: "draw what you see, not what you think you see", entire worlds open up.
* [link] Bask in the glorious wisdom that is Andrew Loomis. He went to the same art schools as masters like Joyce Ballantyne and Norman Freaking Rockwell, and wrote everything down. "Successful Drawing" is solid gold in pdf format. I am building a time machine in my garage so that I may go back to 1951 and buy this man a beer.
* Go to JohnK (of Ren and Stimpy fame) and learn hierarchy and construction. My major breakthrough last year was that I learned to get the big shapes right first, and then start the details. One, it saves you a lot of time drawing that perfect eye then realizing it's too far from the ear. Two, it teaches to start thinking of how the ear is connected to the head and getting all that placement right before you ever start detailing, which means you start thinking in 3D, even on a 2D drawing. Ponies start to take on solidity even before you start shading. [link]
Other resources I like:
* [link] Feng Zhu's Design (his early stuff is good at really driving home the basics on value)
* [link] (I've bought several books on color theory. This free flash tutorial has the same information and presents it just as clearly.)
* [link] (I dig his how-to books.)
* The Preston Blair Book [link]
I don't mean to overwhelm you, and you don't have to look at any of it. I just really enjoy all of this stuff, and you gave me the opportunity to geek out over it with somebody. Thank you for that.
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Oh my GOODNESS! Thank you thank you! I am always anxious for more material to learn, and better myself, so I didn't mind your vast source of information at all! (I am anxious to go to the Library Monday now! 
Honestly I hang with a bunch of, what I consider 'doubting' artists. I seriously find their works great, but they are either 1. Not "artists" but doing this for 'mere fun' and don't think much about themselves, or sadly 2. The guys who have GREAT skills and wonderful potential, but because of past missteps, they doubt they'll be better.
I appreciate both groups, and despite myself being more of a literary person (until recently, when I found how slow, or demanding EDITORS can be!
I still wish I could have done more for my art.. I consider my art bad... but she was soo happy, I didn't realize it was 'good' until she thanked me. From there, the story goes until now! I am challenging myself with pony foals, a Dark Souls dragon (seriously, Miyusaki(?) is a master at blending Japanese and Western fantasy... I admire it so!), and a few other things here and there.
I was given a wonderful present by one of those friends too: a drawing tablet! While I shall stick with pencil and paper for now (as I seriously want to doodle anywhere and just get inspiration anywhere) I shall dive into that realm as well.
I know... I am ranting about my own journey, and not about shop. I apologize! (feel free to skip that section!
I did want to say the 3D to 2D is something I constantly think about. with ponies I am finding my dachshund a great inspiration, for getting modified sitting position, lying prone, etc. Odd, I know, but It is driving me to learn, whle yes ponies look this way, maybe I should try a lil more 'real' approach? Also I helped my brother with a few OC customs, which I still don't think I did much, but making a pony from a 2D image, and turning her/him 3D? It's a learning process!
Bleh... anyway, I am thankful for the resources. I admit I am browsing some of the guides (from John K and Mr. Loomis right at this second). I am not a person with many strong words to convey thankfulness fully... but I am very appreciative, and loved talking shop (however briefly with my own rants!) with you!
Have a wonderful night!
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Ah, learning to draw to impress the girl. I dig. Best part of it is you get to keep the drawing skill no matter what.
Your dog is an *excellent* way to learn construction. I don't draw from life nearly enough because it is so much harder than copying an existing drawing (Real life doesn't have as many clearly defined lines); I really need to do more. But if you want to learn value (defining a solid with light and dark) and construction (thinking in 3D) and just plain find out "What does 'my style' look like?" you can't beat drawing from life. If your dog is holding still, use him as a model. Arrange a simple still life and try your hand at that. The tradition is bowls of fruit, but I do toys and beer bottles.
I have a tablet, and have come to adore Paint Tool SAI for inking and colors, but I still like pencil and charcoal for sketching. Like Applejack and her "no magic in billiards" rule, it's just more fun and more real to me as a fully tactile experience (most of that background was smudged with my fingertips to blend).
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Hehe, I know.. I am a fool. but I am glad she liked what I drew (despite know she wasn't interested before... oh well!) The skills are still mine, so I think I won out in the end!
Yeah, I am lucky to have Jack (the dog lay down for hours, if need be when I have practice legs lately (it has been my bane before I realized I had him as a living reference!) Obviously so changes are made but it works out. There are real horses here too I have taken pictures of, just so my mind knows!
Right now, I am trying and working on 2.5D type pictures. It is extremely common to see ponies on the side or straight on, it is another to have them angled and with a different perspective. This is introducing challenges, but, to me, a challenge is a good thing!
Yes, I am planning on mainly using digital works to add effects or make drawings pop out a little, as I fear my own old scanner doesn't like my colored pencils as well as I would hope. Still, I prefer the pencil approach, as a great way not to depend on the dreaded "Undo" button for mistakes! (Well erasers do the same thing, but with more labor than a click!)
Thanks for the talk again!
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