Animal Drawing Week 6

Skipped week 5, could not complete the homework. Week 6 was about putting everything together and try to push the sketches to the finish. I have to say I am always very reluctant to do that, since I dont have fundamentals solid enough and rendering a weak drawing is like putting lipstick on a pig. But here you go, I did again a series on live cows.

These cows are a bit weird looking, but if you compare with my first attempts long time ago (for dynamic sketching 2), it's still a progress.

*update* here is a screenshot from the video feedback from Jon, the instructor. I really like how he pointed out the missing planes on the cow face..

Animal Drawing Week 4

After prey animals of the first 3 weeks, week 4 is about predators, canines and felines. Very interesting to understand the difference in structures between prey and predator animals. For homework, we had to do skeletal structures. Here are the pages I presented. They are from a short visit I did at the museum (pictures are to help Jonathan understand what I was trying to draw haha) . I didn't spent as much time as I would have hoped this week. 

Animal Drawing Week 3

Homework was about prey animal basic shapes construction. I used the cows grazing in front of my place.  Not very happy about the result but I have made progress understanding the volumes. The rear end is still a mystery tough.
Here is the page I submitted (5 least horrible).

Animal Drawing Week 2

Here is the stuff I submitted for the second week of the animal drawing class. We had to do at least twenty "skeletal gestures" and submit the best five

Caption:

"I went to different locations.
Monday at the circus zoo, lot of horses. Didn't draw much but I observed a lot. Tuesday wen to a local farm for the cows, struggled to draw some gestures, took pictures and drew some of them back at home(first image). Wednesday, went to the zoological museum, drew some skeletons. Thursday, drew some gestures from animal toys. And finally friday, went again to the zoological museum to draw ungulates. Here are my 5 favourites, except for the cow, they were all done from life.
I had a lot of trouble with the proportions (neck) and the gestures are way too stiff but I am happy with the homework, it was fun and I learned a lot. I have the impression I have a better understanding of the animal structure (before that, I had the barrel with sticks model in mind haha) and it will (hopefully) help me when drawing moving animals or from imagination."

Animal Drawing Week 1

I have started the animal drawing class at CGMA with Jonathan Kuo. This is what I handed over for the week 1 assignment. We had to do 20 traceovers of horse and show the 5 bests. It was about showing the main volumes and indicating the landmarks. It was my first time I worked digitally, just bought a cheap bamboo tablet and downloaded FireAlpaca. Results are quite terrible, it's like being 5 year old again. Very difficult to draw accurately.

The second assignment was more traditional: 20 pages of basic shapes, could only complete 11, here are the 5 best we had to show.

Basic Exercises

Here are some examples of the type of drawing I do these days: basic exercises, mainly perspective and texturing. I don't have much energy to do more nowadays.

Air Force Center

Finally found the time to visit the Air Force Center in Dübendorf. Very nice museum. Lot of military planes. I didn't know but they had a Fokker DVIII, very interesting to see it live after having spent so much time try to draw it from reference. Did only two pages. Was a bit overwhelmed. Will definitely come back.

Seki tractor

This is a small tractor I see every morning when I go to work. It has a snow plow attached. I really like the proportions of this machine.

CEV Te82 locomotive

Very old electric locomotive at the train station. Unusual proportions. Did also some cross sections exercise in the train ;)

Volvo BM Loader

Went to the construction site nearby to draw this Volvo Loader. Tried to be looser and do thumbnails without to much construction.

Biplane 2

Another biplane.

I am working on a WWII plane, the Messerschmitt Bf109.

Biplane

No proper drawing these days but I have been doodling here and there. Here is one small drawing that I like. Inspired by the Fokker VII.

Te 171 locomotive

Was on the train today. Stopped at luzern for 5 minutes took picture of this loc and tried to draw it on the train.

Stuffed Animal Heads II

Did a longer session at the zoological museum today. I focused on understanding the planes. I think think this an improvement over the last session.

Stuffed animal heads

Half an hour at the natural history museum in Zurich. Attempted some animal heads.

Not easy. But I like the bear.

Goliath Beetle

Still revisiting the stuff from London. When I have 5 minutes. This is me trying to remember how the Goliath Beetle looked like.

Octopus & yogurt

Back at home, revisited the octopus I drew in London.  Made special effort to have an interesting composition!

Natural History Museum London

Spent 5 hours at the Natural History Museum. 45 minutes per page, 15 minutes break. This museum is incredible. Quite happy with the drawings. Especially compared with the one from the British museum.
My favorite are the Cassowary and the Diplodocus skull. Here you go, in chronological order

There was also a part of the Images of Nature exhibition where you could draw stuff on cards..here is what I did. ;)

British Museum

Was wandering in the streets after work and by pure luck ended up in the british museum. Did several pages. Here is the least horrible, fromt he minoan section. I am paying the lack of practice!

Tractor with Trailer

First sketch in a long time. Finally found where to buy Pilot Hi-Tec C. Next saturday will spend the day at the Natural History Museum in London. 

Fokker DVII notes

Still working on understanding the proportions of the fokker Dvii. Will try a 3d view next.

(Done in the train)

Front loader

I revisited a front loader I sketched last year. Unfortunately, drank too much red bull and didn't plan the page properly. Then I overcompenstated by adding colors!