BB Bang Notes
Jun. 15th, 2009 10:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Notes on Big Bang...
I've never before drawn anything to a deadline. Nor have I had to draw anything other than for myself. I've taken 2 or 3 drawing workshops over the past *cough* 40 *cough* years, but the subject matter was almost always up to me and there were no grades or deadilnes involved. If I didn't finish--no biggie.
And that's just one of the things that was good about participating in this. I couldn't quit if I got frustrated. The art was for someone else who was depending on me. It made me work through frustrations that I would have quit from in the past.
Plus I am officially in love with my new Wacom drawing tablet. I bought one a couple months ago. Wanted one for years, but could never justify spending money on it. Then I just said what the heck, and bought one. While I don't get the same high I get from drawing with graphite, charcoal, or colored pencil--the tablet freed me from some of my angst over "making a mistake" *gasp* oh noes! While I know that you can recover from mistakes with graphite, I don't think I could have totally replaced Jensen's hair in a matter of minutes, the way I did with the tablet. It's amazing what I was willing to attempt once my fears went away of "starting all over again" after spending hours on a drawing.
Some things I learned while doing this:
Link to fic master post: Here
Link to art master post: Here
I've never before drawn anything to a deadline. Nor have I had to draw anything other than for myself. I've taken 2 or 3 drawing workshops over the past *cough* 40 *cough* years, but the subject matter was almost always up to me and there were no grades or deadilnes involved. If I didn't finish--no biggie.
And that's just one of the things that was good about participating in this. I couldn't quit if I got frustrated. The art was for someone else who was depending on me. It made me work through frustrations that I would have quit from in the past.
Plus I am officially in love with my new Wacom drawing tablet. I bought one a couple months ago. Wanted one for years, but could never justify spending money on it. Then I just said what the heck, and bought one. While I don't get the same high I get from drawing with graphite, charcoal, or colored pencil--the tablet freed me from some of my angst over "making a mistake" *gasp* oh noes! While I know that you can recover from mistakes with graphite, I don't think I could have totally replaced Jensen's hair in a matter of minutes, the way I did with the tablet. It's amazing what I was willing to attempt once my fears went away of "starting all over again" after spending hours on a drawing.
Some things I learned while doing this:
- Drawing Jensen is REALLY hard! I mean REALLY, REALLY HARD! He's features are so PERFECT...I mean millimeter perfect...that if you are off by even a hair's width it either does not look like Jensen or he looks like a total girl. Sheesh! I've drawn him a couple of times before and found the same thing. But this time the idea was cemented in my head. I cannot TELL you the number of times I re-did (ha! bad pun!) that man! One time I thought I really had him down and then the next day I realized a few things were "off", spent an untold amount of time reworking him; and he ended up looking TOTALLY different. Better, much better. But honestly, I still don't think I have him down.
- Whereas Jared? I LOVE drawing Jared! Maybe it's because his features are so unusual and perhaps forgiving. I'm betting I have proportions off on him as well--but it still really looks like Jared. I wouldn't link to other drawings I've done of Jensen, because...um...so not proud of those. But here's two I've done before of Jared that I really like. He's so much fun to draw. Here are two of my past favorite Jared drawings here and here.
- Less is more. The closer I got to deadline the more "controlled" I got. Which means I got tighter and I started paying attention to too much detail. My favorite pieces are all those I did earlier on and in which I wasn't concerned about deadlines or the outcome. So I was free and easy and I like that style a whole lot better. My favorites are specifically this and this. The kid drawing is really my #1 favorite and it was one that I considered a "throwaway" when I started. As in, it didn't matter if it didn't work, because it wasn't a necessary piece--it was extra.
- There's always more than one time in which I hate any particular drawing I'm working on. In the past, I would have given up at those times. As I said above, because of this commitment, I couldn't give up. What that taught me is that I can always work through the parts I'm struggling with and come out at the end with something I like. Not always that I love. But I can always get past the, "This drawing sucks." feelings if I just push through them. This, above everything else, is especially while I'm so glad I participated in this process.
Link to fic master post: Here
Link to art master post: Here