Sketchbook drawings – /r/redditgetsdrawn
I mainly use reddit to keep up with whatever interests me at any given point.  I know it has a bit of a bad rap, but I think it depends on which subreddits you visit. There are so many, it’s not difficult to find a sub for a topic you enjoy. I’ve been aware of /r/redditgetsdrawn for a bit, but only lately have I had any confidence to post there. Â

That’s how I hope to use this /r/redditgetsdrawn, for learning, studying and improving. Â It also helps because I’m drawing for people, that I feel the need to be extra objective, even if these are just quick drawings. Â I feel a little more motivated.

This is coinciding a bit with my discovery of J.C. Leyendecker, an early-20th century American illustrator thanks to Ahmed Aldoori on Youtube. Â I love that I’m in my mid-forties and following art all my life, and I’ve only just become aware of Leyendecker. Â I’m sure I’ve seen his art before, but I haven’t given myself a chance to take a real look at him and his technique. Â You can really see why his art is studied so much.
It actually brought me back to lessons from the Classical Animation course I took at Sheridan College in the 90s. My teachers ingrained into me the importance of gesture, structure and defining movement lines. I feel like I’ve never perfected this as I favoured more static poses and stylized characters. Â It’s taken a while, but I’m starting to really break down my art and look at movement and structure a little more, particularly when it comes to lighting.
Watch Ahmed Aldoori’s Artist spotlight featuring Leyendecker:
[…] I mentioned that I’ve recently discovered J.C. Leyendecker, an illustrator from the turn of the 20th Century. He was known for magazine covers, and men’s fashion illustrations. Here’s a few images that I’ve been studying, hoping to absorb some of his sharp technique into my own work. […]