Saturday, May 12, 2007

Episode 17 - Drapery
This tutorial is an attempt to explain the way fabric behaves and includes a short clothing drawing demo.






This episode was edited together rather than taken as one long cut. I also recorded everything at DV resolution. I feel this new format can teach more within the 10-minute time limit (less ramble, more content, better structure). I'm extra curious to hear everyone's thoughts on the new episode format.

17 comments:

Unknown said...

damn that was slick. Excellent work! Any chance of doing one on the concepts of lighting?

Yeah i know a big subject but one thats important to get right. I understand the concepts of the 'further away the light, the darker the shadow' My problem is identifying where shadows occur and how big. Especially on body or face, clothes or anything. Do you have any formulas or techniques you can show?

Cheers. Oh and keep up the work!

Mark Chong said...

sushi_bar_2000 >> Shading or colouring things can provide information about forms just as line drawing can, so it's a natural subject for the series to cover.

At the moment I can draw with tone, but I have to find a way to make it easy for me to explain. If I can't teach the topic in 10 minutes, there's very little chance that I can get the point across in an hour. :D

Next up is drawing circles in perspective...

Anonymous said...

Great episode!
and I liked the new episode format very much. It's a lot more direct, although I didn't have anything against the old format.
It seems this way you can put a lot more theory and still have time for a demo!

Keep up the great work.
Cheers

MiBi said...

Another great episode. I'd like to add in a link to an article that I've found to be helpful for drapery as well if that is ok.

http://www.animationmeat.com/pdf/waltstanchfield/19ws_drapery.pdf

Anonymous said...

Hi,

You have a very deductive take on illustration so I was excited to see if you had some insights for me. I'm trained as a fashion illustrator and I'm not that academic about how I draw.

But you lost me at 6m 30s. The seat would be pulled flat so there would be no creases across the crotch as you've drawn them. The creases should be radiating from the top of the leg where the fabric would be compressed.

Also, though it's obscured by the arm you have drawn, you have described the creases as "radiating from the knee" when they would actually radiate from the point of compression under the knee.

If you doubt this, please seat yourself in front of a mirror and lift your knee.

It's a good idea to analyze how fabric works, you've succeeded in showing observation in the first part of the video, but the execution in the final part of the video doesn't take that observation to the correct conclusion. I applaud the effort you've shown but this episode needs more work!

Anonymous said...

I went and examined my own pants crotch in the mirror. You are right there is one crease where you put it, but only one, and it tapers to nothing at the floor.

Mark Chong said...

Danielle >> Thank you for your insightful feedback. An academic approach is necessary in order to minimize understandings. A lot of drawing books I've encountered can be terribly vague. I cringe when I hear the word "feeling" and now I'm on a crusade to stamp it out of my future instruction.

The series is a work in progress just as my own learning is always a work in progress. When I'm asked to give instruction on something I don't know, I have to disappear for a while and figure out a straightforward explanation for it.

I wouldn't consider any of my drawing knowledge to be absolute, but all I can do is provide updated information whenever it comes out. I've reinvented my approach several times and some of the earlier episodes need to be updated as a result.

However, I hope that the series makes people think for themselves like you do, as well as explore the underlying factors that govern the appearance of things.

Anonymous said...

Wow, this is all I ever wanted!
Thank you very much indeed!

Anonymous said...

I like the fact that you can get more content in with this new format, but I also liked the more conversional, less formal format of the previous videos--I liked the rambling. I'd be cool if you could mix that old style with the editing to fit in more content

Anonymous said...

Good tutorial. I'm eagerly waiting for your hair one. One of the most difficult topics.

Anonymous said...

Great work, Mark. I like the new format . Look in your PayPal "tip jar" , I'm dropping something in . (which I encourage everyone else reading this and viewing Mark's tutorials to do as well.)

Anonymous said...

Hey Mark

Really informative episode, your a gifted teacher! I think the best feature in this new approach was zooming-in for a better look at the lines while you draw.

That being said, something I really enjoyed in the prior episodes was your conversational style in delivering the lesson. The way you talked through the drawing was really inspiring even if it was a bit less scripted. I loved seeing you erase, re-think, re-draw, and say "maybe it's more like this instead" sort of thing. Also, your enthusiasm for drawing and sense of humor make the videos super fun!

I hope you can find a balance between the new more academic format, and the older more human approach.

Many Thanks and can't wait for the next episode!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I've only recently discovered your blog through Blendernation.com. I just finished watching all 17 episodes, and I must say there has been some really helpful advice in most of them. Thank you for taking the time putting together something like this for us. I hope I'll soon be able to help you a bit through PayPal, you certainly deserve the help to keep it running.

As for the new format, it's more usable, quite sleeker and better looking (perhaps thanks to the better resolution) and the theory at first-demo afterwards approach is really helpful. For the peoplethat liked the previous rambling-as-you-draw approach :P you could incorporate that during the demo, while keeping it scripted for the theory part.

Anyway, incredible job, keep it up, and I'll see to informing some forums and blogs I frequent of you creation. Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the double post, but i forgot to mention that all of the "Digg", "Del.iio.us", etc icons in the Drapery post show up us the red-x placeholders for missing images.
Perhaps you'd like to know tha, if you are not aware of it already, to keep your blog looking good, as always.

Anonymous said...

Sadly this one is not available?
I'd be happy to watch this one too =) thanks!

Anonymous said...

I heard the first few comments, and thought, "he's turned into an android..." Even so, it seems like a workable way to do it. It starts out seeming a lot like an instructional video, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It caught me off guard, though. ^^

Oliver Wilmot said...

Is this episode no longer available? I cannot view it.