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Monday, May 16, 2011

Develop Sketch to Illustration ; 3D Perception of Subject

This week, I'll show an illustration developed from daily sketches.
This is an example of my daily sketch.
 I sketched a girl watching a magic on a stage at the wine festival. Daddy loved it so much! I keep these references in stock and in files. Below, "Poor Shoe Shining Boy" is created from sketches or references. It is designed for a picture book use.In the finished illustration above, the two people have distinct characters. I set a young boy in trouble and an old man is a complainer. The setting is in public apathy. A sub character, the boy's royal friend, a dog is patiently and anxiously sitting beside the boy. A red is chosen for a carpet that implies the powerful and rich....and an arrogant hegemonic identity.
It's fun to check how an illustrator sets a mood.

Below, the work was just before finishing.
Shadows and values are checked and enhanced. Eventually, I put slight colours
on passer-bys.
Compare the original, "Black & White drawings" made two or three years ago. You find two people do not have specific characters. The sketch has neither settings, body language nor symbolic meanings in colours/devices. They are just plain sketches. 
Picture book illustration requires great techniques.

Apart from picture book illustration skills, how do you sketch a subject? Often people ask me, "Isn't it difficult to sketch moving kids(or subjects)?"
No. But I've wondered why I can draw moving subjects and why I can capture subjects freshly in watercolour.
Then, I've realized the key for successful sketching and drawing.

The tips is "3D understanding of a subject."
Sketching reveals my 3D perception of a subject. Even though a sketch is from one angle, in fact, I seize a subject as a mass. So, I can capture moving figures and put values correctly.Because already, I've sketched an object from different angles for many times in the past, with memories, I understand an object in front of me. Interaction emerges between an object and me. Very intimate relation. Then, a current object turns out to be "my subject," not a simple object any more.

Sometimes, I intentionally CHANGE an angle on paper, remaining at a same position. I practice it and enjoy sketching a subject in different angles from a same spot. Yes, with it, I check my understanding of the subject. If I know the subject well, I can draw it from a different side without looking it physically. It's fun, later, to check the drawing from an expected direction. See below. In addition, a photo reference often fails to show correct 3D visual information. Experienced artists compensate accurate images for distorted ones. Very interesting to observe how elegantly trained artists rebuild visual information from one simple photo.
The 3D understanding is critical for me to develop sketches into illustrations. especially, in a story board and at a stage of "rough."

Anyway, Friends, let us enjoy drawing and painting!
Have a wonderful week!




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50 comments:

  1. Very beautiful posts!!!
    Congratulations

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  2. Sadami, you have such beautiful technique. It must have taken you a long time to perfect to the beauty we see every time you post xx

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  3. Great post Sadami! But I am not sure I can sketch the moving object unless I take a photo first.. You have a good skill doing that.

    I love the Shoe Shining painting very much as when I looked first at the finished piece I have not noticed the background at all. All my attention was to the poor boy,next the man, and latest to the dog...

    Thank you,
    Irina

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  4. Thank you for the lesson, so well illustrated. So practice and experience are the key.

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  5. You have a great eye for detail and information through colors and shapes and your sketching and drawing has made you so strong that you see what isn't there!! Love this and the one of you with your model :)

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  6. This is great what you are teaching us today! Thanks!

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  7. La petite fille est merveilleusement "croquée". Trés intéressante explication qui prouve bien l'importance d'apprendre les bases du dessin et de pratiquer encore et encore. Bises.

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  8. Great post, Sadami......always a pleasure to stop by your blog and visit. Many smiles wished for you.

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  9. Sadami, I absolutely love the little girl watching a magic show. It is such a cute picture. You did a great job catching her sweet innocent wonder.

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  10. Dear Antoni,
    Thank you! You, too, make wonderful paintings!
    Cheers, Sadami

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  11. Dear Pat,
    Thank U and yes, indeed. Since childhood, I've trying and still learning.
    "To be a good watercolourist takes lifelong...
    plus thirty minutes"(*I cannot remember, but it's a very famous English watercolourist's say.) Cheers,ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Sadami

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  12. Dear IrinaSztukowski,
    I feel, ultimately, we do the same thing whatever methods are--3D understanding. I ask portrait clients to bring several photos, not one or I take photos from different angles in person.

    Thank you for the good feedback on the Shoe Shining Boy. Your say means I could successfully led you to the theme.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  13. Dear Irina,
    Thank you. I feel technically a slight difference between fine art and picture book illustration. The latter must tell a story and capture readers attention.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  14. Hi, Rhonda,
    Thank you! Practice, practice, practice, but fun and joy must come first. Yes, I do contradicted things : make detailed information & simplified it. In my eyes, simplified info is more eloquent to talk of the theme in a picture.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  15. Dear Judy,
    Thank you! Ahaha, not teaching but sharing my findings ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. Actually, often people move and I change a face angle from 30, 45, 90, 180, whatever on paper in sketching. Great fun.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  16. Dear Lydie,
    Thank you. Very happy to know you enjoyed my findings. And a sketcher's privilege is to make others happy ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ.
    Yes, practice, but joy must come first.
    Cheers, Sadami

    Lydie Cher,
    Je vous remercie. Très heureux de savoir que vous avez apprécié mes conclusions. Et le privilège d'un dessinateur est de rendre les autres heureux.
    Oui, la pratique, mais la joie doit venir en premier.
    Cheersʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ, Sadami

    >>>Lydie said...
    The little girl is wonderfully "crunched". Very interesting explanation which proves the importance of learning the basics of drawing and practice again and again. Hugs.

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  17. Dear Carol,
    Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are always appreciated.
    Kind regards, Sadami

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  18. Dear Jean,
    Thanks a lot!! That's what I wanted to show in the little girl work. I'll keep up sketching and illustration.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  19. すばらしくて綺麗な絵!さだみさんは良いアーチスト。絵を楽しんでいます :)
    ...aah, 上手です。

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  20. Dear Evelyn,
    ありがとう。エベリンも良いアーチスト。上手です! 日本語上手になりますねえ。感心!!
    Cheers, Sadami

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  21. Sadami you are better than a vitamin pill...always fun and full of life, love your weekly sketches. Have a nice week. xox

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  22. Dear Jane,
    Thank you! Your blog is, too, full of love and sunshine. Let us enjoy art and friendship!!
    Cheers, Sadami

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  23. I love the seated girl...she looks very engaged. I imagine all your practice has served you very well (so that you can paint and draw while people are endlessly moving). I am glad that you shared your preliminary sketches. Great post!

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  24. En tus dibujos dejas ver una Sadami sencilla, tranquila y muy trabajadora. No paras de sorprendernos. Un besote gorrrrdo!

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  25. Dear Celeste,
    Thank you. The girl never realized me, but her father. We had fun of watching the show. Sure you know the importance of preliminary sketches/drawings. I feel so many drawings exist behind your wonderful work.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  26. Dear Maria,
    Thank you. I love your watercolours, too. Beautiful and sensitive. Please keep up. I'll work on!
    Best wishes, Sadami

    Querida María,
    Gracias. Me encanta tu acuarelas, también. Hermosa y sensible. Por favor, seguir el ritmo. Voy a trabajar!
    Mis mejores deseos, Sadami

    >>>Maria said...
    In your drawings Sadami let see a simple, quiet and hardworking. You keep surprising us. A gorrrrdo besote!

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  27. Hi Sadami, great post! It is always a pleasure coming here. I like your fantastic sketches, particularly the first one. Ciaoooo!

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  28. Dear Tito,
    Thank you so much! Congrats on your success for the exhibition. I'll keep up.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  29. the first one is so nice, so colourfull

    I like all but the first one is a master work!

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  30. Dear Laura,
    Thank you! I love that work, too. And you, too, are the master of emotional portraits, particularly, a self-portrait. Stunning! I admire you.
    Kind regards, Sadami

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  31. Sadami,todo lo que explicas es demasiado complicado para mi. Te agradezco, pero con la traducción que me da google y la imaginación para interpretarlo...no consigo entenderlo muy bien.
    Pero lo que sí entiendo es ese dibujo maravilloso de esa niña primera que has dibujado. Fantástico!!! y con unos colores preciosos. El del "limpiabotas" (señor que limpia los zapatos) también está muy bien dibujado y pintado.
    Me gusta mucho todo lo que haces.
    Un abrazo.

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  32. Dear Tim,
    Thank you so much! Let us enjoy art!
    Cheers, Sadami

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  33. Dear Joshemari,
    I wrote just what we=artists, you and me, do in painting. Artists understand objects in 3 dimensions. I look at an object and perceive it as an entire=I do not look at only what I see, but also as a whole.
    On paper, we work on 2 dimensions, but 3 dimension information is still in our head. It helps us make paintings. Example, I draw a portfolio of a figure from 45degrees, but I can draw it from 90degrees(face to face), even though I stay at the same place like in the cartoon. So a moving child is not a matter for me. Why? I observed a child and understand it as a whole. I can draw it from any angle. So, I capture movements.

    Does it make sense?
    In your post, thank you for inviting me for your family get-together a next year!
    Hugs, Sadami

    Estimado Joshemari,
    Me escribió justo lo que = artistas, tú y yo, hacer de la pintura. Artistas comprender los objetos en 3 dimensiones. Miro a un objeto y la perciben como un todo = yo no lo veo sólo lo que veo, sino también en su conjunto.
    Sobre el papel, trabajamos en dos dimensiones, pero 3 información de dimensiones todavía está en nuestra cabeza. Nos ayuda a hacer pinturas. Por ejemplo, puedo dibujar una cartera de una figura de 45 grados, pero puedo sacar de 90 grados (cara a cara), a pesar de que me quedo en el mismo lugar como en los dibujos animados. Así que un niño en movimiento no es un asunto para mí. ¿Por qué? He observado a un niño y lo entiendo como un todo. Puedo dibujarlo desde cualquier ángulo. Así pues, la captura de movimientos.

    ¿Tiene sentido?
    En su mensaje, gracias por invitarme a tu reunión familiar al año que viene!
    Abrazos, Sadami

    >>>Joshemari said...
    Sadami, explain everything that is too complicated for me. Thank you, but to me google translation and imagination to interpret it ... I can not understand very well.
    But I do understand is that drawing such a wonderful girl first to have drawn. Fantastic! and with some beautiful colors. On the "shoeshine" (man who cleans the shoes) is also very well drawn and painted.
    I love everything you do.
    A hug.

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  34. dear Sadami!!
    I love all your drawings! are amazing!
    you have a total control and know where you want to go ... this is what you are telling us about how to illustrate a subject, a state of mind and body language, which is key!
    and a little detail can change the whole meaning of the illustration!
    and the draft is ALWAYS, the support of the illustration! =]
    thanks for telling us these valuable insights!
    a lot of kisses and hugs!

    [on 12/05 - due to the disastrous maintenance on blogger my post disappeared along with the comments ... but also how I get by email, I could copy and post again! hope you have not missed anything enm your blog ...
    and knows, day 12 was my birthday and I was enjoying, see my date in the post!]

    well, never mind! that's nothing! ;D
    'm just sharing with you, my friend ...

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  35. Dear Denise,
    Thank you! Yes, a picture book illustrator uses all what she has up to the maximum and tells a story. I have a feeling, you can illustrate a picture book, because you acknowledge the techniques.
    BTY, I lost some comments and without their avatars, I actually upload their emails. But above all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Bithday is a day to celebrate our existence. Great day. And what a miracle you and I could meet on the earth!!
    Best wishes,hugs&kisses,
    Sadami

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  36. another great post Sadami !
    the little girl is very very beautiful !
    I can understand that daddy loves it !
    just wonderful !
    bisous from france

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  37. Dear Marty,
    Thank you! Your photos and poems are always beautiful!!
    Cheers from Australia

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  38. ¡Maravillosos, Sadami!
    Tan frescos y descriptivos.

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  39. Dear Juan,
    Thank you so much! You, too, make fresh and lively work.
    Cheers, Sadami

    Estimado Juan,
    ¡Muchas gracias! Usted, también, hacer que el trabajo fresco y vivo.
    Saludos, Sadami

    >>>Juan said...
    Wonderful, Sadami!
    So fresh and descriptive.

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  40. dear Sadami,
    thanks for your attention and affection ...
    the birthday, used to be magical, today is more
    a feeling of gratitude! ;))
    Cheers to us!

    hopefully one day we meet, yeah!

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  41. Dear Denise,
    Yeay!!! One day, I hope we can meet in person.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  42. Magnífica entrada Sadami.

    Es evidente que el dominio en el dibujo y todo lo que ello conlleva, se consigue después de mucho trabajo.

    Un saludo desde Bilbao.

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  43. Dear Montse,
    Thank you so much. I know the same is true of your art work. We, artists do the same thing--"make effors," even though methods are varied.
    Cheers, Sadami

    Querida Montse,
    Muchas gracias. Sé que lo mismo puede decirse de su obra de arte. Nosotros, los artistas hacen lo mismo - "hacer effors," a pesar de que los métodos son variados.
    Saludos, Sadami

    >>>Montse said...
    Sadami grand entrance.
    It is clear that the domain in the drawing and everything that entails, is achieved after a lot of work.
    Greetings from Bilbao.

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  44. Hola Sadami, otro interesante post, primero enhorabuena por ser capaz de nadar tanta distancia, yo no llegaría a la décima parte, es un excelente deporte.En cuanto al tema de la 3D, lo explicas muy bien y sobre todo lo dominas muy bien, como dice la experiencia es lo que permite esto, a mi también me sorprendía que pintores pudieran pintar personas en movimiento, o pájaros, o otros animales en libertad , pero con la experiencia me doy cuenta que lo que se pinta del natural es las características propias del personaje, el ambiente donde esta situado, pero el dibujo del cuerpo humano, esta ya adquirido por el trabajo y casi se puede pintarlo sin mirar, tu lo dominas a la perfección se nota el trabajo.Magníficas ilustraciones.
    Saludos

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  45. Dear Francis,
    Thank you so much! Yes, swimming is ideal for me to keep muscles.
    Your comment brushs me up. I haven't mastered drawing or painting at all. Just a beginner. I agree with you regarding "the importance of capturing a character" and "context." (*As my post always has one topic/post, I did not mention them.) In my eyes, a good art work shows the "essense" of a subject's character in "its context." So, I try simplifying visual information and attempt to put only necessary information on paper. Sometimes, not easy, though. Let us enjoy drawing and painting. Keep learning!
    Cheers, Sadami

    Estimado Francisco,
    ¡Muchas gracias! Sí, la natación es ideal para mí para mantener los músculos.
    Su comentario me brushs arriba. No he dominado el dibujo o la pintura en absoluto. Sólo un principiante. Estoy de acuerdo con usted en relación con "la importancia de la captura de un carácter" y "contexto ". (* Como mi mensaje siempre tiene un tema / mensaje, no los mencionan.) En mis ojos, una obra de arte buena muestra la "esencia" del carácter de un sujeto en su "contexto". Por lo tanto, trato de simplificar la información visual y tratar de poner sólo la información necesaria sobre el papel. A veces, no es fácil, sin embargo. Vamos a disfrutar de dibujo y pintura. ¡Siga aprendiendo!
    Saludos, Sadami

    >>>Francis said...
    Sadami Hi, another interesting post, first congratulations on being able to swim such a distance, I would not go to the tenth, is an excellent deporte.En the issue of 3D, you explain very well and mastered all very well, and says the experience is what allows this, I too am surprised that artists could draw people in motion, or birds or other wild animals, but with experience I realize that what is painted from life is the characteristics the character, the environment where this is located, but the drawing of the human body, is already eligible for work and can paint almost without looking, you have mastered it to perfection note the trabajo.Magníficas illustrations.
    Greetings

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  46. your work is great. I loved the humor in the last images. Cute.

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  47. Dear Claudia,
    Thank you for visiting my blog. Your blog is very touchy and has beautiful art work. Please keep up and take care.
    Best wishes, Sadami

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  48. Great post, and wonderful paintings. It is great to hear about your process. What you say about the mis-information of photographs is very interesting and very true.

    Take care, Wren

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  49. Dear Wren,
    Thank you for encouragement and support of my view. You, too, have professionalism to creat work. Please keep up.
    Cheers, Sadami

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