FA+
Shop
Tools of the trade
16 years ago
General
Since I've gotten a lot of e-mails and such asking about what references and/or media I use for my work, I thought I'd take some time to write it all down. So here we go...
Prismacolor Verithin Colored Pencils (fine lines, hard lead)
Prismacolor Colored Pencils (thicker lead, somewhat soft)
Prang Colored Pencils
General Graphite Drawing Pencils (various types)
General Chalk Pencils
Savoir Faire Gouache (assorted colors)
Miscellaneous erasers
Prismacolor Colored Marker Pens
Prismacolor Premier Fineline Pens (005, 01, 03, 05, 08 sizes)
Prismacolor Premier Pen Asst. (brush, chisel-tip, 005, 01, 05)
Staedtler Pigment Liner (01, 03, 05, 07 sizes)
Assorted technical/drafting pens
Various templates (circles, ovals, ellipses)
Various rulers
Various French Curve sets
Protractor
Ticonderoga Erasable Carmine Red Pencils
Various watercolors and acrylic paints, as needed
And here are the books I use for learning new techniques or for additional reference:
Art Simplified by Pedro J. Lemos and John T. Lemos (this book was "published" in the early 1900's; it was done in a way that allows pages to be added to the book as necessary. All the men are wearing turn-of-the-century style clothing or bowler hats, the only car shown in the book is a very early 19-teens racing car, etc.)
Colored Pencil Step By Step - Walter Foster Art Series, 2003 (details colored pencil techniques)
The Encyclopedia of Colored Pencil Techniques by Judy Martin, 1992 (details techniques for getting effects with colored pencils)
An Introduction to Art Techniques - The Dorling Kindersley Art School, 1995 (covers numerous techniques for all kinds of traditional media)
How To Sketch by various artists, 1954, 1960 (self-explanatory. A quick how-to book for getting forms down to their basic shapes)
Graphics For Designers by Robert R. Hartmann, 1976, 1978 (covers perspectives, lighting and shading; primarily covers home/product design)
Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil by J.D. Hillberry, 1999 (the title says it all)
How to Draw Cars Like a Pro by Thom Taylor, 1996 (mostly cartooning stuff, but gives tips on perspective and reflective highlighting techniques)
Cat Musculature: A Photographic Atlas by Gordon M. Greenblatt, 1980 (a photographic reference of the musculature and skeletal system of the domesticated feline-useful for understanding how their claws, tails and spines work)
Landmarks and Surface Markings of the Human Body by L. Bathe Rawling, 1920 (covers veins, tendons, and other surface markings of the body, as well as details the weight of various organs)
Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Peck, 1951/1979 (covers the human form in shapes, plus full detail on skeletal and muscular systems. Also includes details about skin, hair, facial features, differences in body types, races, ages, and expressions)
ABC's of the Human Body - Reader's Digest Hardcover, 1987 (details information about the body, and explains the hows and whys of the body's habits and abilities)
The HarperCollins Illustrated Medical Dictionary - various doctors, 1985 (covers ailments of the body, as well as damage caused by injury. Excellent illustrations of musculature, ligaments, tendons and both skeletal and nervous systems)
There are also numerous books I have on airbrushing, animation, cartooning and comic strip designing, but those listed above can be used in most any art situation. A lot of the books I have not actually read; I use them for reference or insight (for example, to figure out how to layer colors a certain way for an effect). It's often easier to consult the books than to putz around with the drawing supplies trying to figure it out. Several of these books probably cannot even be found nowadays, and their prices range from about 10 bucks to over 60 dollars. Now we know where the term "starving artist" comes from! The supplies and reference materials cost so damn much, you almost go bankrupt trying to learn the skill!
While I do not use photos for reference in either my anthro or mainstream work (unless it is a specific location or subject), I do have several manilla folders full of photos and reference sheets about things such as aircraft, weapons, buildings, people (cultures and costumes), animals (including in-depth information), outer space shots/planets, vehicles, furniture, etcetera. It's always good to have a collection of reference material to fall back on. This way, if someone says "Oh, can you draw a 1937 Cord?" you can say "I sure can" without batting an eye, even if you have no idea what a 1937 Cord looks like. The customer doesn't need to know that!
So there you go. Hope that was informative enough for you...
Prismacolor Verithin Colored Pencils (fine lines, hard lead)
Prismacolor Colored Pencils (thicker lead, somewhat soft)
Prang Colored Pencils
General Graphite Drawing Pencils (various types)
General Chalk Pencils
Savoir Faire Gouache (assorted colors)
Miscellaneous erasers
Prismacolor Colored Marker Pens
Prismacolor Premier Fineline Pens (005, 01, 03, 05, 08 sizes)
Prismacolor Premier Pen Asst. (brush, chisel-tip, 005, 01, 05)
Staedtler Pigment Liner (01, 03, 05, 07 sizes)
Assorted technical/drafting pens
Various templates (circles, ovals, ellipses)
Various rulers
Various French Curve sets
Protractor
Ticonderoga Erasable Carmine Red Pencils
Various watercolors and acrylic paints, as needed
And here are the books I use for learning new techniques or for additional reference:
Art Simplified by Pedro J. Lemos and John T. Lemos (this book was "published" in the early 1900's; it was done in a way that allows pages to be added to the book as necessary. All the men are wearing turn-of-the-century style clothing or bowler hats, the only car shown in the book is a very early 19-teens racing car, etc.)
Colored Pencil Step By Step - Walter Foster Art Series, 2003 (details colored pencil techniques)
The Encyclopedia of Colored Pencil Techniques by Judy Martin, 1992 (details techniques for getting effects with colored pencils)
An Introduction to Art Techniques - The Dorling Kindersley Art School, 1995 (covers numerous techniques for all kinds of traditional media)
How To Sketch by various artists, 1954, 1960 (self-explanatory. A quick how-to book for getting forms down to their basic shapes)
Graphics For Designers by Robert R. Hartmann, 1976, 1978 (covers perspectives, lighting and shading; primarily covers home/product design)
Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil by J.D. Hillberry, 1999 (the title says it all)
How to Draw Cars Like a Pro by Thom Taylor, 1996 (mostly cartooning stuff, but gives tips on perspective and reflective highlighting techniques)
Cat Musculature: A Photographic Atlas by Gordon M. Greenblatt, 1980 (a photographic reference of the musculature and skeletal system of the domesticated feline-useful for understanding how their claws, tails and spines work)
Landmarks and Surface Markings of the Human Body by L. Bathe Rawling, 1920 (covers veins, tendons, and other surface markings of the body, as well as details the weight of various organs)
Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Peck, 1951/1979 (covers the human form in shapes, plus full detail on skeletal and muscular systems. Also includes details about skin, hair, facial features, differences in body types, races, ages, and expressions)
ABC's of the Human Body - Reader's Digest Hardcover, 1987 (details information about the body, and explains the hows and whys of the body's habits and abilities)
The HarperCollins Illustrated Medical Dictionary - various doctors, 1985 (covers ailments of the body, as well as damage caused by injury. Excellent illustrations of musculature, ligaments, tendons and both skeletal and nervous systems)
There are also numerous books I have on airbrushing, animation, cartooning and comic strip designing, but those listed above can be used in most any art situation. A lot of the books I have not actually read; I use them for reference or insight (for example, to figure out how to layer colors a certain way for an effect). It's often easier to consult the books than to putz around with the drawing supplies trying to figure it out. Several of these books probably cannot even be found nowadays, and their prices range from about 10 bucks to over 60 dollars. Now we know where the term "starving artist" comes from! The supplies and reference materials cost so damn much, you almost go bankrupt trying to learn the skill!
While I do not use photos for reference in either my anthro or mainstream work (unless it is a specific location or subject), I do have several manilla folders full of photos and reference sheets about things such as aircraft, weapons, buildings, people (cultures and costumes), animals (including in-depth information), outer space shots/planets, vehicles, furniture, etcetera. It's always good to have a collection of reference material to fall back on. This way, if someone says "Oh, can you draw a 1937 Cord?" you can say "I sure can" without batting an eye, even if you have no idea what a 1937 Cord looks like. The customer doesn't need to know that!
So there you go. Hope that was informative enough for you...
"Draw Furries: How to create anthropomorphic and fantasy animals" (Jared Hodges and Lindsay Cibos, Impact Books, 2009, ISBN 978-1-60061-417-0, paperback)
According to the inside information, it's distributed in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. The authors create the manga/graphic novel "Peach Fuzz" and also "Digital Manga Workshop." www.jaredandlindsay.com
I've had a similar thought, but not in the broad strokes of a one-volume reference like this. Mine would be a series of references for authors and artists about what distinguishes one species from another. Volumes would address individual genera as much as possible and give examples of various species. Of course, I'm not a professional author or publisher, so that's all I've done -- think about it.
E-Knock stick eraser thingy
Copying paper
Paint Shop Pro 8
Wacom Intuos 3
OpenCanvas
Still you're very nice to do all of this for everyone!
But the information above is just provided as reference material. It seems many "furry" artists base their styles off of manga or cartoons, which is fine; I base mine off a variation of my mainstream artwork, which features humans and real-life props and locations. There's nothing cartoony about my newer stuff, though I did tone down the realism a bit since the "100% realistic" versions actually looked pretty damn creepy. Nothing cute or sexy about that!
hard to even get some of them heh :P
but cool idea to bring such a journal o.o
hm you know i'm still not proud of my pictures...
well i created 3 girls http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1078939/
i hope they will bring some good pics and inspiration for myself.
well you and some other good artists are the reason and inspiration
for me to get better at all - that i reach a level where my favourite artists
would do a trade with me - well a unreal dream but enogh to
keep me do my stuff
oh and i know you want to get a lot more realism in your pictures
i go the wrong way for this atm, but i dont give up time will come that i keep
the realism again more... but for now i need to build something.
Title: Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist
Author: Stephen Rogers Peck
ISBN#: 0-19-503095-8
For portraits, try Dr. Betty Edwards "the New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". Besides teaching basic drawing skills, some of the later exercises emphasize drawing portraits as a part of learning to draw. You'll learn the proportions of the human face from that.
I guess you don't need the book by Dr. Betty Edwards "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". That's how I've learned how to draw.