# my drawing(s) :D advice?



## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

Did the picture work?

Anyways, assuming it did, this is a recent (recent being last night at midnight hehe) drawing I did.

I was wondering what you guys on here thought of it? what can i improve upon? probably lots to work on, I know, but im curious to hear your thoughts.

If this picture works i'll upload more for you guys to see/offer tips on/ whatever if anyone wants. 

Its wierd because I won't draw for _months_ and then i'll randomly see a picture I want to draw or notice my abandoned sketchbook lying somewhere and start drawing like a madperson for a couple weeks and complete like three sketches a day and then stop again. 
I'm trying to improve so when i get out of high school I could make some money with commisions given my practice gets my drawings good enough by then. Do you think, based on this, it would be possible in the future?

Ah, sorry for so many questions and my babbling. (and watch, after all this the picture wont work :lol

So, anyways whadda think?


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Guess what? I can't see the picture!


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

Saw that one coming! Darn technology! How about now?


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Yep sure can now!

Well I am no expert but I think that the horses head needs to be a little more narrow and the bridle looking like it is wrapped around the horses head.. Also the bit should be in the horses mouth and the ears should be the same size.

But other than that I think you have alot of potential! Keep up the good work and good luck!


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

Haha! Oh dear you're right, the bit isnt in its mouth is it? -hides- It was late, I was tired.
Alright, thanks for your advice, I feel dumb but im glad you noticed..
Mind if I post a couple more?


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Go for it, I will do what I can to help, I draw a lot as well. 
I drew my avatar oicture and edited the words onto it using 
picnik.


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## Creampuff (Dec 1, 2010)

I think you did a really nice job, Paints.  

I concur with PintoTess, too. The bridle is a foreign object on the horse's face and there should be a lip (a "bump") where it wraps around the animal's face. I also agree about the ears. A good way to fix this is to look at the drawing in the mirror (seeing it backwards, upside down, etc. can help you see some mistakes yourself). If you're using a reference (which by the way, can we see that as well?), keep referring back to it. Compare your drawing to the photo(s) and say; "what looks that same, what's different?" The horse's head, too, should be a little bit more narrow; especially at the muzzle. As you can see in this photograph I took of one of the livery horses, the face narrows out quite a bit. Something else I noticed is how "flat" the mane is; it's laying against the horse's head, which unfortunately makes it look almost bald (oh noes!). Add a little more "hump" in the forelock and some simple shading and you're on your way to improving manes! 

Since no one is a perfect artist, there _will_ be anatomy quirks. Work around those, they're no big deal. You're young and have plenty of time to improve. 

You're on a great track; studying photos is a great way to start, especially when you're detailing the drawing and not just doodling something simple. Way to go! 

~ Carrie


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I think Pinto Tess had some very good points. She is a keen observer.
I agree that the symetry isn't quite there, and that is hard when the horse's head is coming toward you but also to the side. I have recommended to artists to draw a kind of elongated x, or rather a cross, one long line for the very center of the nose and the cross piece for the placement of the eye. As you rotate the cross in space you have to imagine how the cross piece would lay in space using perspective, right? Make sure that both eyes still line up on that cross piece.
The horse's right eye is top notch. Better than I can do, no lie. I always have trouble with the eye.
The nostrils are good, but again, they don't line up . They can have their own mini cross line to help you line them up, no matter how the horse's head rotates in space.

Your shading is very , very soft. I like to see some areas that are left white or are very dark. Brings depth to the picture.
although the bit doesnt' go into the mouth, you handled it well. Check again to see that the circle of the loose ring is correctly an oval, as it is not flat to the viewer but at an angle.
I think the drawing shows some technical skill and when you get better at laying things out in space, you will really shine!


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

Here are a few more for you guys to look at, if you dont mind.

I very much appreciate your helpful comments, im going to save them and reference them next time I draw. You guys are great


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Got a good start on shading the face of the black one. Really good, but again, the head tapers down a LOT more than that. The nose is about half as wide as the distance from eye to eye.


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

Yeah, that seems to be a repeating problem in every one of my drawings. Oh well, gives me something to work on. I'll practice drawing more heads until it improves.


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## Creampuff (Dec 1, 2010)

paintsrule said:


> Yeah, that seems to be a repeating problem in every one of my drawings. Oh well, gives me something to work on. I'll practice drawing more heads until it improves.


Do you use a base (circles and lines), or do you just start drawing? I sketch with a base; it's a good way to spot out any anatomy errors and to work out your proportions before you get really far along and into the "point of no return." 

Below is a tutorial by _silverglass19_ on DeviantART.com about breaking the horse down into shapes. This is a similar method to what I use.  I combine the lines (bottom) with the circles (over) to signify the skeletal shape (lines) and muscular shape (circles and such).


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

^^ Wow thanks for that CP!!


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

I dont normally use a base I just kinda go for it, but I will save that and use that now in the future. It looks like it will help alot. Thanks so much!


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Oh yes a base always helps alot


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## Caitlinpalomino (Nov 16, 2010)

i am no expert either!!! i think they look really good except i think that they aren't .....not sure what word to use but "narrow" enough.i think that if you have a look at some other drawings on here you will see what i mean!! but like i said they are very good your shading is great! defintly keep drawing practise makes perfect!! so KEEP drawing hahaaha you will get a lot better .......keep posting pics as well i enjoy looking at them !!!!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Everyone here has already pointed out the problems you're having with proportions so I'll just add my 2 cents nice and quickly 
I think you have made a very good start and have a good grasp of the basics here. In order to improve your proportions, I want you to sit down and study a bunch of horse heads, observe where the major contours are, notice that the range of tones varies to absolute black, to pearly white. You NEED to incorporate a range of tones into your work for it to become realistic and eye catching. If you just waltz around in the mid-tone range, your drawings will never become exciting to look at. So have a go at working on your tones. A good way to practice those is to draw a sphere - draw a circle, and turn it into a 3 dimensional sphere by using shading. You'll have to use all of the tonal range for it to work  

Practice drawing horses by timing yourself - give yourself 5 minutes to complete a drawing. This will keep it sketchy and quick, and I find that you will actually start to pick up the major proportions of your subject if you are pressed for time. 

Another technique for getting your proportions right, is to check your work in a mirror. It may look ok to you while you're staring directly at your drawing, but turn it around and look at it through a mirror - this will highlight any proportional errors that you have made. I do this with every commission work I have done, and I can tell you from experience, it helps enormously!!


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