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More from *GregStevens

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The Most Basic of All Art

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February 24, 2011
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:icongregstevens:
The novel The Celestial Steam Locomotive by Michael Coney takes place in the year 143,624 Cyclic, at a time so far in the future that great civilizations have come and gone in multiple iterations, and humanity has evolved into 5 different races.

Manuel is a Wild Human, a throwback to more primitive times. Primitive humans hunt and live in small tribes, and have with large chests and lungs that have adapted to the oxygen-depleted air. Manuel is 19, and lives in a hut that he has built by the sea.

The Quicklies are another species of human: primates with metabolisms sped up so fast that they can barely be seen.

The other Wild Humans are scared of the Quicklies. But not Manuel. He is curious about them, and when he senses them coming toward him on the beach, he just stands, and waits, feeling their presence swirling around him.

"Then, as happened sometimes, some of the creatures began to stand comparatively still, just standing and watching, blinking with unbelievable rapidity so that their eyes seemed out of focus. The outline of their bodies was blurred, too, since it is not possible for Quicklies to stand completely motionless."

This is just one of a series of graphite drawings that I am working on of scenes in this novel. Others include:



Technical Details:

Graphite pencils (4H, HB, 2B) on standard sketchbook paper, with q-tips and tissue for smudging and smearing. I also did a lot of drawing with the eraser, to do highlights and white lines.

I deliberately wanted the style of this sketch to be rough and "artistic" as opposed to hyper-realistic. I don't think I succeeded in capturing motion the way that I wanted to with the Quicklies and their blur lines, but I am happy with the rest of it.

Does anyone have tips on how to draw blur lines that imply motion, or something moving 'too fast to be seen'?
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:iconmertonparrish:
*mertonparrish Feb 25, 2011
That sounds like a fascinating book, Greg. And, I think your drawing is lovely! :)
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:icongregstevens:
*GregStevens Feb 25, 2011  Hobbyist General Artist
Thank you very much!
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:iconmertonparrish:
*mertonparrish Feb 27, 2011
Most welcome :)
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:iconnatashaandrei4ever:
~NatashaAndrei4ever Feb 24, 2011  Hobbyist General Artist
I apologize, Mr Stevens, that I cannot give a critique due to the formatting, but I will endeavor to properly assess the merits, expression and impact of your posted work above to the best of my abilities.

The overall impact is restrained in a motion of both the still Manuel and the blurred speed of the Quicklies.
The sketch-esque style evokes a demurely Escher ambiance, yet this has an individual impression of a person overwhelmed by the speed and power of another foreign individual.
Manuel embodies the attributes of primitive civilization, esp the rugged physique and the toughened stature and mien.
The backgrounds imbues a slightly dystopian view and setting, yet has a natural structure that is realistic in detail.

Motion can be, as I have observed but have no gift to execute such, drawn through means of a moving pose, and/or blurred outlines.
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:icongregstevens:
*GregStevens Feb 25, 2011  Hobbyist General Artist
Thank you very much!
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