Ok So my Bestfriend has been bugging me since I started drawing again that she wants a picture with dragonfly's. I did this one totally by imangination and didn't copy anything from a refrence photo. So I have the rough draft down but now as far as coloring and details and making it look realistic rather than kiddish are my issue. (Had a friend stop over and said it looked cartoonish) So needless to say I really wasn't happy about it. So C&C is very much welcome. I thought about doing it in watercolor pencils? Or maybe trying just water colors? Or even more about trying to paint it in acrylics? I just don't know. Maybe I will try in all three? So any ideas are welcome. I have my coloring theme picked out though. (I think.. ) Thanks for reading and taking your time to help in advance all.

It only looks like a cartoon because you haven't foreshortened the flys. What would be the odds that all of them would be exactly at a 90 degree angle facing all of their backs directly at the viewer? Other wise looks really good especially having done it from memory only. Nice.

Hmm, can only say about this that if you want to add realism, you should make the wings a bit pointier, and as clavin said, to create a bit of depth by making the flies diffrent sizes and at diffrent angles. The cartoonish look probably comes from the thick outlines, but that can be covered by shading. If I were you, i'd start seeking some reference on the portrait of a dragonfly. See what kind of gradient and drawing they have on their back and wings. You've done a great job on doing this by memory only though!

Venus, I think it all depends on the look you're going for. To me, this looks like a charming ILLUSTRATION & not cartoonish at all. It would be great in a children's book or as a greeting card. Maybe that's your calling in art and there's definitely nothing wrong with that.

But, if you want a more realistic look, you're going to have to use references - either from life or from photos. Personally, I think artists put too much stock in "I did it from my imagination." If you want realism, you have to study your subject. You can do it from your imagination after you've drawn/painted the subject enough from references to KNOW what it looks like inside and out.

I'm not saying to copy a photo reference exactly. Usually, when I paint, I use several photo references and combine them into a pleasing composition. However, when you do that, you have to pay very careful attention to the shading as different references will have different shading.

Sorry for the novel. As I said, your drawing is utterly charming as it is - it's just what you want it to look like.

J

Here are some dragonfly photos that are free to use as art references:

DRAGONFLIES

Venus, I have to agree with J-Lynn's comments. Your final output will depend on what effect you are seeking. Memory is great for more abstract or free drawings, but for realism you need references of your subject.

Insects have a lot of detail and you can simply suggest it or go into an anatomical study. I would suggest perhaps to simplify the image, choose a dragonfly sitting on a leaf, very straight forward and it leaves you to concentrate on the insect itself. Also the wings are transparent so keep that in mind when drawing them as the viewer will see what is beneath or behind.

I haven't done much work on insects but I'll share what I have done and see if it gives you any ideas of how to proceed.

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Islander yeah I have noticed that my drawings are looking more illistrated than anything and am thinking maybe that is my calling. My friend was just telling me about Zazzle.com and how you make a gallery of your pictures and if they use them then you make 10% off of what is sold with your pictures. So I might give it a go and try it. You never know.
I also went and started stocking up on reference photos LOL...Its all J-Lynn's fault for giving me the link to that awesome site...THANKS HUN!!!! Thank you all for your advice and compliments also. I appreciate it. I still haven't figured out what I want to do with the picture though. I have a major headache today so I am not thinking I am gonna be doing much of anything except running my errands and coming home and probably going back to bed.

i love this picture .. would love to see some colour to it .. have you thought about taking it into photoshop and coloured it in there ..

J-Lynn,

How could you possibly think of sending such a nice person like Venus to such a seedy site as that? You should be ashamed of yourself. I am glad that I have sites containing acts depicted in the picture below blocked on my daughter's computer. I would be totally embarrassed if she would happen to put something like this up as her desktop wallpaper. You oughta be banned from this site!!

[attachmentid=177] And don't try to convince me that the one dragonfly is a hitchhiker!

nah he was giving his friend a leg up .. or was that over

OMG...LMAO Eric I never even saw that picture!!! LOL but take it for a man to find it
Oh and so everyone knows I think I am going to just transfer the picture onto another peice of paper and do it in watercolor pencils. Try that out. Then after that I will try going for a more realistic approach. I still need to finish my last drawing challenge picture in the process though. But you know if Eric doesn't like it I am afraid of what he'll make me do..........

If it's realism that you're going for, I would recomend spending some time examining photos of insect wings. They seem to have "veins" as some leaves do.

Also I noticed the curly antennas on your drawing. I think could be the most contributing detail that may make it seem "cartoonish" and your freind put it.

Even if your drawing didn't reach the realistic level that you intended, it's is still a nice drawing that could look great with some vivid bright colors.

I've attached a drawing of a dragonfly that I found on a quick ggogle search. Hopefully it will help as a reference.

I hope this is the kind of feedback that you were looking for. Keep up the good work!

Danny

Well!!
I never thought that i would see the day when there would be humping dragonfly's on the site, tut, tut, tut.lol
Venus, i cant believe this is the same person who came to us with so little confidence in her ability. Those dragonly's are great, they look like a stained glass picture, this would look great on a window in colour, (hope that makes sense).
I spotted this one in my garden during the summer hope this helps.
RJS

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hay venus,

like your art is it for your art course?


Well dont worry venus when i try and do my artwork mine all comes out like ILLUSTRATION aswell esp for childrens books well i have always wanted to do childrens ILLUSTRATION but i have looked into it and they need us ILLUSTRATers to beable to draw people and things Realitc aswell so i have a long way to go


this book that i read for my self has everything in it about becoming a childrens ILLUSTRATer
Its a must read http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Illustrating-Childre...1QQcmdZViewItem

oh and heres a very good website that will tell you whats what tell me what you think? http://www.underdown.org/

Good luck with it Venus .. am looking forward to seeing the end result


welcome to the forums Danny

My goodness! Don't you people know anything at all about dragonflies? In that photo Eric so kindly posted, the dragonfly in the back fell into some German beer and swallowed a great deal before the dragonfly in the front came along and rescued him. The kind dragonfly in the front was merely giving the slightly inebriated dragonfly in the rear a lift home. Tsk, tsk, such dirty minds around here! Don't you realize that we have some children on this site?

Welcome Danny!

sorry

Humping is a popular term used here in the uk for carrying,ie..
Humping my rucksack over the mountains, appologies to our younger members!!

Phew!!!
I mentioned it once but i think i got away with it!!

RJS

lol

That's RJS! Always quick on the draw ... er words! LOL

First of I wanted to say thank you to everyone for the references and advice.

Danny-Thanks for the photo and welcome to the site.

UkArtist-Thanks hun will definately look at those two websites you sent. I never really thought about becoming an illistrater for childrens books but it does sound fun. I know my kids love my drawing and my oldest daughter Crystal who is 9 told me earlier today she wanted to be an artist just like me when she grows up..sooo sweet!!!I started another dragonfly picture today that looks alot more realistic. So far I have only done it with a sketchbook and mechanical pencil but I think it looks awesome. Will scan when I am finished.

RJS- I plan on doing them over and doing them in watercolor pencils. I mentioned before that colored pencils were one of my favorite mediums to work with and lately watercolor pencils are even better.

Eric- Its your fault that RJS was quick on the draw to retract his words cause of your picture you shared with us...LOL

Woo- Thank you hunny!!! I can wait to start doing it in color. I just want to draw it realisticly in pencil to get a feel of how it will look once finished. If that makes sense. Still trying to decided on what colors.

You all are great and I am sooooooooooooooooo glad that I have you guys and gals on here as support and friends!!! Don't know what I would do without all of you's.

Your welcome
artists forgot that there so many! things that we can do when it comes to art if we all really think about there is art everywhere we look