Unbalance and Symmetrical issues, Help?

[Quofalcon]

Hope I'm posting in the correct sub-forum category; this is my second post here.

Lately for the past few months, alot of my sketchwork has been showing results with some unbalanced, asymmetrical deal especially to faces. I've been trying to improve on the issue through quick practice-observational warmup drawings; I think there's a part of my brain that prefers the agitating 'cursive' angle effect.

I notice that the majority of this unbalanced, asymmetrical feature tends to be on the right side of a drawing (face portrait) especially when 'mirror-reflection' rules apply.

If anyone has any tips, opinions, words on experience, exercises/warm-ups or even a book please do share. I have been searching on the subject for a good while. I'd really like to improve on this issue.

-Quo

[fatmancomics]

The best way that you're going to get a helpful response is to post the artwork in question. Since they're sketches, the works in progress lab would be best.

[KrisDiaz]

i have that same problem of having my faces turn out a little uneven.....what ive been trying to do is layout the framework for a drawing and making sure that the rough lines are even and where they should be before i start placing eyes and ears and such.....

[Inkthinker]

Which is exactly what you should be doing. If you work out symmetry in rough, it'll help a LOT.

[Ed Quinby]

I'll usually put a light cross in pencil over faces. One line down the middle and a perpendicular line through the eyes. When the angle is anything other than straight on these lines would be curves. Of course,Kirby and other artists often made eyes 'unlevel' on purpose. As you said,it gives an agitated look like there's some inner turmoil or unbalanced quality to the character!

[50%grey]

Are you talking about straight on faces,and its leaning to the right?


If so, you need to angle your drawing surface more.Also you need to be turning your paper upside down as much as possible,and check in a mirror to correct those mistakes.

The other thing is standing up and looking at your drawing paper from a distance,then correcting what you see thats off.

Those are just some of the things that helps,but you can prevent alot of the skewing by drawing on the right angle.

[xadrian]

I have a leaning problem too. Everything I draw seems to skew to the upper right. I've tried changing paper positions, hand positions, angle of drawing surface. It only slightly helps. 50%'s got the right suggestion, you need to flip your paper over and see what's wrong and then make the corrections. There's unfortunately nothing you can do to correct it at first blush because your eyes and your brain will see it as "right." I have the same problem hanging pictures. I'm always making the frames or whatever hang crooked, but to me they look fine. Hung with a level they look bad so I'm not allowed to do it without one.

It could be that you're extremely right eyed (or left, depending.) You might try closing your dominant eye a bit while laying your figures out, see if that helps.

[Quofalcon]

Thanks everybody. By the way I meant to say Imbalance, not Unbalance .
I too use such cross grid layouts when roughing faces (frontal portrait POV). Once a while this helps, but often do I not even realize my roughing begins screwing at the layout or, curve at the right side at an angle.
I've noticed many of my mistakes by using a mirror or flipping the paper revealing by light; still difficult to fix certain issues when glancing over the drawing.

Xadrian: You may have something there about the eyes. For as long as I can remember, my right eye has been less focused, weaker and not as clear than my left. Could be a problem origin... And referring how I have a weaker right eye, and mess up/curve the right side. Just thought for consideration... Time for a new eye! (I feel like that Eyegore man. Whoopdee do.)

[Inkthinker]

I used to skew a lot, and then I became more conscious of it and worked to fix it. Now I tend to flip things in the mirror as I work (turning it upside-down can work too). If things look balanced when flipped, then they're probably all right.

[Tony Moore]

it's all about being conscious of the problem and actively addressing it every time.

Being aware of it at every stage of the drawing and flipping it to check it out as you go will make you more likely to catch it early and less likely to have the heartbreak of having to erase and fix once you're in the finishing stages.

The more you address it, the more easily you'll recognize when it's wrong, and pretty soon it'll be a weakness you've overcome.