darwin9090

New Portrait

2011-11-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

Portrait of Korean actress Song Hye Kyo

I know it doesn't even look like her :P Aw well.. I tried haha
I need to sharpen up my skills!

I didn't make a video for this one. Usually when I make a speed drawing, the finished piece will look very scratchy/messy. This portrait is going to be uploaded onto my new website/portfolio. Hopefully I'll have the website up by the end of December :)

Oh, and sorry for not posting on the blog lately. I've just been busy with work hehe

Abu Character Study

2011-06-29T15:28:00.000-04:00

Drawing Abu from my favorite Disney movie, Aladdin.
Go to http://darwin9090.blogspot.com/p/daily-doodles.html or the Daily doodles link in the top menu to see more cartoon drawings.

Carmen Lee & Louis Koo Condor Heroes

2011-05-24T20:38:00.001-04:00

I drew this portrait about a week ago and decided that I wouldn't upload it. But in the end I did.
I should have stopped drawing when I finished Carmen Lee because Louis didn't turn out looking very "like" himself.

Time: 3 hours 30 mins (unbelievably long)

I had to redraw his eyes around 6-7 times. It was hard to draw him overall. I'm not so happy with the result of the whole portrait. I don't think I will be drawing portraits or adding any videos to my channel that often anymore because I'm learning illustration, doing digital work, and cartooning.

Update on the art lessons: I found an art teacher, but our schedules didn't work out, so I didn't get a single lesson with her :(

Raymond & Linda Portrait

2011-02-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, I really need to draw more often. I had so much trouble drawing this, that it took me 2.45 hrs to complete it. Yikes!

Thanks to Mike for the Kuru Toga pencil! You may have noticed, I used a new pencil for this portrait. It's a 0.5mm Kuru Toga mechanical with automated lead rotation (which is pretty cool!) It gave sharp, fresh lines which were clean for every stroke made.

Bernice Liu

2011-01-06T15:53:00.001-05:00

After 2 previous attempts...

Time: 2 hours

Man I was so nervous when I was drawing this. Thought it would turn out like the other 2. I used the same pencil, only I didn't press very hard. Had some trouble with the eyes and the bottom lip. You can see that there isn't much resemblance in the nose either. I do like the way my signature looks :P

Work in "Progress" ?

2011-01-04T11:45:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I've totally lost it or what! I tried to draw Bernice 2 times already and failed. I will try again until I succeed. Hopefully it's just a drawing block. Anyway, I'm going to take some portrait drawings lessons this year. I hope it'll be soon. I can't wait!!

Linda Chung Ka Yan

2010-12-08T16:12:00.001-05:00

After I drew this, I checked the poll and found out that Linda and Selina both had the same amount of votes. o_0 Anyway, Linda got the first 5 votes...

Time: 1hr 20mins

So instead of using photocopier paper this time I used Strathmore's medium surface, acid-free drawing paper. Every time I had to erase a line, it would not completely go away. If you pay close attention to the nose you will see that there is a curvy line above it. At first I drew the nose too short. When I erased it to make it longer it wouldn't go away. It was also harder to blend fine shading lines.

Tip: Don't press too hard on paper that easily picks up particles off the pencil.

25 Ways to Draw Better

2010-12-07T15:59:00.003-05:00

1. At first, do not attempt to draw every line and detail you see in a picture. Focus more on the larger forms rather than going for the finer details as you can easily get lost in doing so. The drawing could be easily mis-measured.

2. When starting out, stick to a simple drawing process. Sketch your work out first, then measure it, add the details, and then shade.

3. Draw what you see and not what you already know about the particular subject. Your perception of the subject in your mind can totally change the out come of your drawing.

4. You should be able to clearly see your subject. Make sure you have good lighting or if you are drawing from a photograph, make sure it has a good quality to it.

5. Keep your pencil sharp to prevent unwanted smudging or inaccurate lines. You can use a mechanical pencil with a 0.7mm lead as an alternative.

6. Don't forget to sketch lightly during the beginning of the drawing process. You can add weight on your lines when you are confident with the shape and various aspects of the drawing.

7. Choose a pencil that you are most comfortable with. It is very important to draw with comfort, as it could affect the way you draw and the way your lines turn out. You can add a grip to your pencil or change the way you hold it. Also make sure you are sitting and working in a comfortable position.

8. Do not hold your pencil too tight as it can cause stress in your wrist and fingers. Loosen up and take breaks if you have to.

9. Practice drawing whenever you can. Draw anything you see (don't stick to just one subject). Carry a sketch book with you. You can draw during long waits for appointments at the doctors office. Practice does make perfect. The more you draw, the more observant you will become.

10. Practice drawing upside down (turn the photograph upside down). This technique will force you to draw what you see opposed to replying on drawing from your memory and will help you to use the right side of your brain.

11. Because of the way we focus on a person's features, we usually draw them too big. Look at your previous drawings and learn to minimize those features which you usually exaggerate next time you draw, even if it seems wrong. Don't minimize them too much. Also learn about the correct head/ facial proportions.

12. Experiment with different types of paper. If you notice that your drawings are too pale, it could be because the surface of your paper has a sheen which is too smooth to grab the particles off the pencil. Try using photocopy paper, office paper, or sketch paper from the art supply store to bring out the darker tones in your drawings.

13. Familiarize your drawing materials. B, 2B, and 4B pencils are used for getting darker values. HB pencils are used for light shading. Test and experiment with different pencil grades to improve the quality of your drawings. The weight you apply using a single pencil can make your lines darker or lighter as well.

14. Use a variety of values in your drawings to make it more interesting. If your drawing is too pale, add some darker values and make it pop!

15. Don't restrict your value range. Often when shading, the shadows don't go past dark gray. If you want to add depth to your drawing and make it more interesting, don't limit yourself. Don't be afraid to go really dark.

16. Learn new drawing techniques such as cross hatching and contour drawing to find your drawing style. Don't be afraid to try new methods.

17. Learn about proportions so you can make your drawings more realistic. Often times we tend to distort images in our mind. Sketch guidelines first to ensure that features are on the same angle. You will also be able to draw faster without many mistakes.

18. Don't judge your drawing before you are finished. Many times you will notice that your drawing looks much better and has more resemblance to your reference after you shade. Don't discourage yourself or give up.

19. Pay attention to detail. Observe everything around you. Turn complicated shapes into simple triangle, circle, or square shapes in your mind. Trace objects with your fingers to improve accuracy and to train your eyes to "see."

20. Avoid using your fingers to smudge and blend because you have oils on your skin that could create permanent botches on your finished work. You can use tortillons for blending or roll up your own piece of paper to use if you can't get your hands on one.

21. Draw subjects which you take interest in. You will draw better if you enjoy what you are doing.

22. If you have trouble with shading. Turn your reference picture into a black and white picture. Sometimes colors do throw you off.

23. Put your pencil up in front of you (against the subject) so you can measure out proportions or angles. You may think that the door is straight up and down at a 90 degree angle, but it could be leaning more to the left. With practice, you will notice that your eyes are more accurate at estimating angles and proportions. Even then, you must always double check.

24. Practice contour drawing. This technique is when you draw the outline of your subject. It will help you focus on shapes and improve your figure drawing.

25. Take art classes. It is easier to learn and improve your skills when you are given feedback and constructive criticism from a professional. You will learn how to use different drawing techniques and you will be able to experiment with many different types of mediums.

Fala Chen

2010-11-18T17:28:00.004-05:00

Time: 50 mins

So it took me 20 minutes to draw the face and 30 to shade everything. I used only one pencil 2B (0.5mm)

Fala has a unique face shape which I have never drawn before, so it was hard for me to find a picture which I was confident I would be able to draw. It took me about 3 days to find the perfect photo. I was actually going to draw this one:

Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with the final outcome. I still have to learn how to draw hair though...

Kevin Cheng

2010-11-01T17:10:00.003-04:00

So, from the results of the poll Kevin got the most votes. I will put up a new poll with more tvb artists and suggestions.

Time: 1 hr 25 mins

I tried spending a little more time on this one and tried to get the camera to zoom in as close as I could. Hope you can all see the details. I don't have many angles to record from, but I'll try to make my videos a little more different than the usual :)

For this portrait I used a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil and a graphite pencil =)

Growing Through Life TVB

2010-10-21T14:48:00.001-04:00

Total time: 45 minutes

I'm trying to get the ball rolling again, uploading videos more frequently. I've been really lazy, hope to draw faster and better. At this rate I don't think I'll be going anywhere o_0

About the portrait:
I think I just made Ray look 10 years younger? haha I think it might be the slight chubbiness or I probably should have elongated the face more. Recently I've been drawing eyes too far apart and bleh. I'm tired of drawing in the same format and style. Does anyone have any ideas for me to try out? I want to make my videos more lively and pleasant to watch.. if ya know what I mean :)

Look What I Found!

2010-10-15T12:26:00.000-04:00

I found these drawings while looking through old files on my computer. I think I drew these back in 2003 or something? The first one is Joyce Tang, second is Leila Tong. I wasn't interested in drawing portraits back then. I was more into drawing objects and creating things with my hands :)

I think this one's ok, because I didn't draw her face lol
Now let me dig through my art from kindergarten...

Tavia Yeung

2010-10-13T20:16:00.003-04:00

Another "Realm of Conscience" drawing LOL

Time: 45 mins
Man! I'm so rusty! I totally messed up with a bunch of the measurements, especially her chin until the end of the video when I finally spotted it. Got to get back to drawing more often before I forget everything!

I used my new camera for this video, so no blurriness! :)

Legend of Po Sung Ling (蒲松齡)

2010-09-09T23:52:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time! Not only have I discontinued uploading videos to youtube, I also started to abandon by blog :(

Anyway, here's the newest addition to the family: a portrait from the 2010 series "Ghost Writer"

This took me a total of 1 hour and 23 minutes to complete over a period of 2 days. Many difficulties... Steven Ma was the first to be drawn, and was also the easiest. The hardest to draw was Linda because there aren't many shadows on her face, which made it very difficult for me to work around. I had so many troubles drawing the eyes of each of the characters. I either made them too big or to small which wasted a lot of my time also.
I'm quite satisfied with the outcome, although it is quite sloppy haha :)

I got fed up with my cr@ppy webcam halfway through filming, so I ditched it, and used my canon powershot camera for better quality and less hassle ( was constantly tripping over the USB knocking everything down )
I think I'll use my camera from now on. The only problem being, the video files are too big "700 MB for 14 minutes" Oh well! Anything for High Quality!

New Painting

2010-09-06T21:10:00.000-04:00

After seeing a bunch of my friend's paintings, I was really amazed by her talent!

I really liked the sailboats that she painted, so I tried to replicate it :)

It's a very time consuming process (took me about 4 hours)

I think I'll stick to drawing instead!

Niki Chow Lai Kei

2010-01-25T16:29:00.002-05:00

wow, i haven't been on here in a while!

My computer has been down lately, so I've been using my Mom's laptop. I don't get to use it very often~~~ :(

I just completed another portrait.. Niki Chow
It took me 3 days to find a picture to draw, I'm so picky~~
I liked the train in the background so I drew it too :D

what better to do on a snowy day?

2009-12-12T14:40:00.002-05:00

I was actually supposed to go Christmas shopping today, but I know that even if I go, I won't be able to buy anything. Why is it so hard to find the right gifts for your family?

~~~

Yea I drew another cat. This one doesn't look very cute though :P

I colored in the background because the portrait just looked really bland and boring. I admit, my coloring skills are very bad!!
I actually drew this twice. It didn't work out the first time because I got the measurements all wrong~

It's been a year since drawing Raymond! The first was a group portrait (Ray, Kev & Ron) They looked really deformed and cartoonish.

Myolie Wu

2009-12-07T13:52:00.003-05:00

My first time drawing a cat^^ I don't think it looks that bad.
It's facial expression makes me laugh! It looks somewhat irritated! HAHA

I ran out of lead near the end. After I got a new piece, i found out that it gives darker tones. That was just perfect because I had to color in her shirt and darken her hair! It also smudges more than the other lead.
(If you finish a portrait, you can put finishing spray on it to avoid smudges or dirt etc- But make sure you are completely done, otherwise you won't be able to make any other changes to it).

I just keep my portraits in plastic sleeves.

EDIT: I just found out.. the cat has no whiskers!! haha! I'm so forgetful OH WELL!

~~~~

Portrait Drawing Tips

2009-12-06T21:59:00.003-05:00

.

- If you're using a reference picture, make sure the lighting and quality of the picture are very good. I recommend drawing from a digital picture were you can zoom into the face to clearly see the details.

- Try drawing from black/white pictures if you have trouble shading

- Make sure you are totally relaxed when drawing to get good results.

- Don't stress over a failed portrait. There are always good and bad days.

- When you get stuck, take a break - It will help to clear your mind. Don't draw for hours on end.

- If you're right handed, draw from the left to the right. If you have to go back over your work, put a clean piece of paper under your hand so you don't smudge!

- Draw light, then progress in darkness

- Take your time- Every time I rush a drawing, I will have to go back and spend twice as much time on it.

Hope these tips help!!

~~will update!

:)

Born Rich

2009-12-03T18:40:00.004-05:00

Well, I said I was going to draw the cast separately but I couldn't find the pictures... so I stuck with the poster, which isn't that bad. The only problem is.. it's too small!

I had the most trouble drawing Sharon Chan. She was the smallest :O Anyone on the right side of the poster was also drawn quite badly LOL (I have no idea why!)

Anyway~~ I got a new desk! It's better to draw on because I have a hand rest! YAY!
I will also try making videos from "bird's eye view" and hopefully get a better camera too~

How to Improve Your Drawing Skills

2009-11-27T18:25:00.004-05:00

~

"I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true -- hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it." - Ray Bradbury

~How to Improve Your Drawing Skills~

- Practice daily. Keep a sketch pad with you. You can draw in the doctor's waiting room!

- Draw different subjects. Use different mediums and textures.

- Find out what drawing style YOU have and which drawing materials you are most comfortable working with.

- Practice outlining your subject to focus more on the overall shape

- Draw quick sketches. Make every line count (no overlapping)

- Draw upside down! Train your eyes to draw what you see

- Study the works of other artists

- Try to recreate/redraw art works in which you are interested in

- Don't be afraid to ask your friends for constructive criticism :)

- Keep all your drawings so you can look back at them in the future to see how much you've improved!

If I come up with anymore I will continue to add to this list!

Hopefully these tips will help you!

~

In-Class Drawings & Doodles! :P

2009-11-24T19:14:00.010-05:00

XD

I never got the best grades in school...
is this the reason why?

hahaa~ these are from my high school years^^

Inspired to draw this after watching Doomed to Oblivion

a sword...

Yes, I was obsessed with TVB series!!

Fishies!!

"Fruitopia"

I can't draw anime!!! why??!!

the girl that sat infront of me lol
I'm weird

~~~

What's Next?

2009-11-18T18:31:00.017-05:00

September

~~Ghost Writer (Steven Ma, Linda Chung, Fala Chen, Sunny Chan) "will be done within the week!"~~
~~Tavia Yeung~~
Raymond Lam

Tavia Yeung "wrinkled"

2009-10-30T17:49:00.007-04:00

~

I drew this a couple weeks back but it didn't turn out that good so I scrunched it up and threw it aside. I just found it and I don't think it looks so bad now that it's wrinkled haha. Good thing I didn't throw it out!

in green...

scary!

Tavia Yeung "Beyond" Speed Drawing

2009-10-27T22:29:00.007-04:00

This one took me roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete. Although I didn't draw the designs on the front part of the "shirt?" The design is too intricate I go cross-eyed just looking at it haha. I don't know if I was able to bring out that evil look in her eyes or not...

If you look closely at the clothes you can see how rough and sloppy my shading actually is. There are clear lines (I use a 0.9 mm mechanical pencil) I tried to smudge the lead but it appears the same. I don't know what to do... helppp!

I'm trying to draw with darker tones now. I used to draw hair the same color as the skin, but I didn't notice it until someone pointed that out to me. Thank goodness!

Beyond The Realm Of Conscience

2009-10-24T22:17:00.006-04:00

Charmaine Sheh in "Beyond"
This is my first time drawing ancient clothes. There are a lot of beautiful designs on the fabric. I had a lot of fun drawing it though, and surprisingly fast too. This portrait only took me 59 mins and 35 sec! Maybe because I was listening to the theme song while I was drawing it.

The theme song is really addicting! Susanna Kwan is a really awesome singer. I also love the Heart Of Greed theme sung by her. They both sound very good. She can sing with so much emotion!

Linda Chung Ka Yan

2009-10-18T21:47:00.006-04:00

I was flipping through a magazine and came across this beautiful picture of Linda Chung and I immediately wanted to draw it.

(click on the image for a larger view)

It took me about 2 episodes of Dicky Cheung and Esther Kwan's serie to complete it :) I really like her pose in this pic!

Karena Lam

2009-10-16T22:34:00.005-04:00

A portrait of Lam Ka Yan. A very beautiful and talented actress. She has worked with Ekin Cheng in various films. Her most recent one being "Claustrophobia"

Karena is known for her captivating smile. She has a very down to earth and like able personality. The first time I saw her was on a magazine cover. Although she is 31 she looks very young and fresh (no different since joining the industry at the age of 15).

It's very hard to draw her smile :)

Gallery 2009

2009-09-26T00:07:00.011-04:00

Drawings of 2009

tvb E.U. finished

2009-09-18T17:51:00.007-04:00

you can download this image :) just right click and "save image as"

I spent about 3 weeks drawing this because at the same time, I was also working on another portrait which I will be uploading to my other youtube channel "itsdarwin" (for Hollywood and Disney celebrities)

The hardest people to draw in this portrait were: Micheal Miu, Micheal Tse, Elanne Kong and Leung Ka Ki

I had to redraw each of them from 3 to 6 times LOL
I think it's the shadows and the size of the portrait that made it so difficult to draw. The rest of the cast were re-drawn 1-2 times.

I enjoyed drawing this poster and hope that I will have time to draw even more. If you have any suggestions for the next portrait plz leave a comment!

TVB Emergency Unit Portraits

2009-08-30T14:57:00.003-04:00

I'm drawing the whole main cast of E.U

I started a couple of days ago, and then I injured my left hand. I hope it won't affect my drawing. I'm right handed btw

I'm drawing from the poster. It's so hard to draw the details on the face because the portrait is so small. I think I'm gonna go blind! :P

I couldn't fit Samuel and whoever is on the right side of the poster onto one sheet of paper. So I'll have to draw them on a separate sheet. Yes, I'm making a video for this one.

Just A Rant...

2009-08-06T10:46:00.004-04:00

Why is it that whenever I'm drawing, I always get distracted?

I know my Mom hates it when I trap myself in my room to draw, but she doesn't have to constantly bother me. She calls me out to help her with this and that to keep me from going back to my room. It's not like I don't want to help her. Honestly, the only time when I'm in my room is when I'm sleeping ZZzzzzZzz

Yesterday after she went to bed, I went to my room and drew until 12 midnight!
Drawing in the dark actually makes the portrait look softer and there were no distractions, so I was able to finish half the portrait. yay

吉他

2009-07-19T13:38:00.008-04:00

I took a break from drawing to make a guitar. It was sort of an artist block. Using all of my free time on weekends and after work, I finally finished it. It's looks very much like a paddle!

The whole guitar is made from things I found from around my house (except for the tuning pegs).

- The frets are made from hangers
- The string guide is made of a scrap piece of wood
- The strap is from a messenger bag
- The strings came with one of my other guitars

The cost to make this guitar is around $12! Not including electricity... :P
It's a lot of hard work (if you don't have the right tools - like me), and considering it's the first guitar I've ever made... I think it's pretty good. I like it

Gallery 2008

2009-05-24T19:27:00.017-04:00

Drawings of 2007 - 2008

Fini!

2009-05-24T12:42:00.012-04:00

I finished it! PHEW!

link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O47xYqRjUJQ&feature=channel_page

I always have trouble with correct spacing of the eyes and distance to the nose. Here's a rough diagram of how everything should be placed:

- the eyes are the length of one eye apart
- the length from the eyes to the nose are about 3 eyes down
- the corners of the mouth are directly in-line (underneath) with the pupil
- roughly, the distance from the "eyebrow to the nose" is equal to the distance from the "nose to the chin"

you don't need a ruler to measure any of this. You can use your pencil :)

My 12th portrait of Rainie Yang

2009-05-15T17:26:00.007-04:00

i'm currently working on another portrait of Cheng Lin. So far I'm not satisfied with any of the 11 portraits, so I'll continue to draw until i get the result that i want...

this is the one:) lol

there are so many pictures of her that i want to draw! Here's a few

I don't think i'll be able to get to all of them though...

My First Blog!!

2009-05-10T17:53:00.006-04:00

Hi!

This is my first blog! YAY! lol
I thought I'd just make a blog to share some tips on portrait drawing and also what I've learned so far from my personal experience... and other random stuff. My English is quite bad, so bear with me!

I started drawing portraits about 2 years ago. So far i've drawn about 35 portaits and they have almost all been posted on youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/darwin9090
I love getting tips and advice on my drawings~

I haven't had any drawing lessons, but I hope I will get some soon! (I'm still an amateur lol)

For me, the most important thing when drawing is:

patience: I tend to loose interest in drawing celebrities who i dislike or people i'm not really into. take your time, don't rush. You should always sketch lightly first (I almost never do^^) and once you think it looks right, draw in the detail, darken it...

Measuring/ Proportions: this is really important. I didn't learn about this since a couple months back! I'm still learning and practicing it^^ Usually I'll be lazy and skip the measuring part - which is NOT a good idea.

i notice that whenever i'm angry or frustrated, my drawings will turn out looking like cr@p, which will discourage me the next time i feel like drawing

This is one of my bad drawings! ( i have a lot!)...

taaadaa!
it's not my worst... because they all end up in the garbage! lol

yea, it's supposed to be cherrie ying and lau ching wan... :( i drew it back in 2007?

my favorate is:

Choi Si Won, even though it doesn't look like him

That's all for now folks!!