It's time once again for another Open Critique Day!
If you have a HeroMachine illustration or another piece of artwork you've done that you'd like some help with, post a link to it in comments along with your thoughts on it -- what you think is working, what you're struggling with, etc. I will post my critique of the piece, hopefully giving some tips on how to improve it.
Of course everyone is welcome to post their critiques as well, keeping in mind the following rules:
- Make sure your criticism is constructive. Just saying "This sucks" is both rude and unhelpful without giving specific reasons why you think it sucks and, ideally, some advice on how to make it better.
- Each person should only post one illustration for critique to make sure everyone who wants feedback has a chance.
- I will not critique characters entered in any currently running contest, as that doesn't seem fair to the other entrants. You can still post it if you like for the other visitors to critique, but I will not do so.
That's it! Hopefully we can get some good interaction going here and help everyone (me included!) learn a little bit today.
I don’t know if I can ask you guys about things I entered in contests (this week included), but here goes nothing…
Lunar Lass:
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Zaheelee/Zaheelee-LunarLassV2.png
Dekko and Vita:
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Zaheelee/Zaheelee-DekkoandVitaV_2.png
My main problem with these two things is that they are some of the first attempts I have made at interesting poses. Before, I would only do them in the traditional pose. I just want to know if there is a way to make them a little more interesting. Also, this is the first time I have tried a widescreen image, and I wanted to know if it looks okay. Thanks so much for your help.
Zaheelee (1): As I said in the post, I can’t comment on currently-running contest entries so it’s up to the others on that one. Previous contests are fine.
So, I liked Lunar Lass a lot. I think you did a great job capturing that early Legion feel with the short dress, hairstyle, and pose. I didn’t select it as a finalist mostly because I thought the moon looked a little odd — I couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be, whether a prop on a stage or what. But the biggest thing is that while it was a really nice illustration, the character just reminded me too much of Legion member Shadow Lass, who had a very similar coloration and theme.
I think the pose on Lunar Lass is very good though, since you asked about that specifically. I like the way the clothing mirrors the sway of her body as well, it helps reinforce the whole concept.
Question: How do we post a link to a HeroMachine illustration?
Feeling a little uninspired for new ideas these days, I was going through my archive to try to get a spark for something new. With reviewing previous illustrations, the ever evolving HEROMACHINE and the experience to use it, I deciced to UPDATE some older but favorite characters of mine. When I look at these charcters, I see my own personal comic book story in my head. Many of my other creations seem to stem from these heroes.
So here are the 3 pics in all their glory. I`ve put them together starting with my first attempt with HEROMACHINE 2.5 and then HEROMACHINE 3. I enjoy seeing the evolution of each character and being able to add what I`ve learned with the program since first creating the original pics. I`m giving a shout out to ZYP for indirectly showing me how to use the pattern gradients to highlight and shadow my pics. I`m going to call it “ZYPING“!
I know Jeff says one per customer, so I’ll ask him to critique not his favorite, but the one that needs to be fixed! Let me have both barrels, Jeff!!!
Enjoy and cheers!
(sorry the last image is not a png)
STONEBOURNE http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77954&d=1306528119
ROSE http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78000&d=1306772691
WARHORSE http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78029&d=1306875395
And I need to ask since I`m awaiting moderation, what makes a post wait for moderation. Enquiring minds….
Thank you, Jeff. I will admit I had a hard time with the moon, and now that I think about it, I could give it a texture to make it seem cooler…
Anyway, I appreciate your willingness to help me 🙂
Here’s kind of a goblin / hobgoblin hybrid.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f349/singalongsong/BohgaTribeChief.png
This was one of my entries for the Capricorn contest. I thought I would make fun of the recent change in the dates for what constelations are prevailing at any given time.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI-Capricorn.png
Ninth in my croquet Pin-up Calendar, Miss September:
http://personbear.com/croquet/calendar/9-Sep-sleeves.jpg
Mebbe I’ll redo it when Jeff offers his own interpretation of the tied-under-bust shirt for girls.
Here’s a picture of our current DnD Party. On the left, we have Franklin the Imperious, a mage with “an ego the size of a small universe,” as his player put it. In the middle we have my character, Hector Rodriguez, whom many of you have already seen (his name was originally Heskan, but I changed it, in case any of you remember). The pile of rocks at Hector’s feet is actually a Dwarven Swarm Druid who likes to turn into a pile of rocks, though said rocks are usually flying. At the right, we have a Human Warlord who was raised by dwarves, which is why he looks like a taller dwarf. I don’t remember his name.
And no, I’m not going to shade this picture. Why, you ask? Because I’m lazy.
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78076&d=1307111960
Jake (5) Hey cool, you used my feather. Thank you.
Jake, this is a neat image. I like its simplicity for the most part though it doesn’t seem consistent. What I mean by that is that his head has a lot of detail but the body doesn’t. I would try to baance that out a little. Perhaps a very simple background may help as well. The bone seems almost to thick for him to hold as well.
I really do like his head, it seems very believable which can be hard to do for a fantasy race.
Zaheelee: For the two ladies, do you really want the archer to be pointing her bow directly at her… teammates? And for the arm of the one in the blue dress, the elbow doesn’t quite connect.
Jake: I like it. Is it part of his character that his arms are different lengths? Even if so, I’d zoom in and make sure the hands connect to the arms.
MMI: This doesn’t bother everyone, but I like when speech balloons point toward the mouth and thought balloons toward the head. Where you’ve got the thought balloons, it looks like he’s farting them!
Rosco(7): I’m gonna be honest and say that I don’t really think your image screams “September”, more like “March”. Don’t worry, it is still a very good looking image, and I think it’s cool how you always give your characters a different style. Keep up the good work 🙂
I’ll try posting links to my DeviantArt account.
Angel 1:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977#/d3gnzj5
No name for this character yet, I just felt like doing a warrior angel figure. I tried to get a “pre-asskicking pose” but the inability to mask things with female hands made it difficult. Hopefully a future update to HM3 will let me mask that sword.
Officer Brenda:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977#/d3gqk9d
This character was my attempt to make a female equivalent of the Chuck Norris-type memetic badass, with a list of facts and everything. She’s like Dirty Harry…if Dirty Harry a constantly cheerful 20-something woman. You can read the description if you want to hear more. The thing I’m most concerned about is the hands. I don’t think the left hand holding the gun barrel looks quite right and for some reason the salute looks off. I’d be interested to hear what other people think.
Assassin Recruit:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977#/d3hadjv
My attempt to recreate one of the female Assassin recruits from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. I like how this came out for the most part but I couldn’t get the legs in the position I wanted. I wanted them in that “walking towards the camera” pose that Ezio has on the cover of Assassin’s Creed II with one leg crossing in front. And yeah, there are a set of female legs that do that, but they just didn’t look right with any of the pants or shoes available.
Also, the wrist-guards are bugging the hell out of me. Like I said, I wanted to do the pose from the cover of Assassin’s Creed II and in that pose Ezio is standing with his palms turned outward. Unfortunately there aren’t any gauntlet or glove pieces (that I found) that work for that pose. I had to take some regular gauntlets and resize them and I don’t think they came out very well (it’s especially apparent when you enlarge the picture). I honestly have no idea how to fix that.
Dynamic Pose Practice: (note: I’m most interested in a critique on this one)
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977#/d3hp392
Not really a character, just my first attempt at creating a more dynamic pose. I think I got this to work pretty good (the trick is to use the colors to hide the seams) but the right forearm gave me trouble. I tried to get it resized and position in a way that would show perspective and foreshortening, but I couldn’t get it to work. Instead I just left the forearm off entirely and tried to use the fist to hide it. When I first saw it I liked the result, but in hindsight I’m not so sure. VERY interested in some other opinions.
@ rosco (7) – I can see what Zaheelee is saying with your September pic. The colors scream ST. Patrick’s Day and not Back to School. I would suggest going with reds or oranges for the fall foilage look seeing as October will probably be a Halloween themed pic. I also think her haed and shoes might be a little large for the body.
http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac111/Kicktar/HM/Kaalaman.png
An alchemist, actually based off a Minecraft skin I made.
So i bored myself and i make a manga char concept in HM.
http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/7463/tarkabarkamangaconcept.png
Only upper body because i don’t want to suffer the legs :D:D
Oh, and just for the lulz:
Rob Liefeld Man
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977#/d3ghodd
My silly satire on Rob Liefeld’s art style. He’s got everything. A grossly over-muscled body, pouches going every which-way, an inexplicable open-mouth grimace on his face, and of course a couple of hilarious oversized and overcomplicated guns.
@ jake (6) – Nice pic! What bothers me though is you put such great detail into the head and face and not so much for the rest. The facial expression is very strong compared to the body which seems kind of weak for such an angry face.
Something I did taking inspiration from Pyroviles from Doctor Who (lava/rock people) and attempting to make use of the widescreen format.
I’m not too sure about some of the colours. The oranges seem to blend in together, but the reds and yellows I’ve tried don’t seem to work.
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78030&d=1306875748
Here is my updated “Dekko and Vita”:
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Zaheelee/DekkoandVitaV_3.png
the only change I made was fixing the elbow
Zaheelee (1) one important detail about handling a bow is the end of the arrow with the head on it rests on top of the hand, not below. This is a sure way to hurt someone who you don’t intend to hurt.
Zaheelee: I think the poses in both your pictures are pretty good (though you do need to fix that elbow on the lady in the blue dress). But the heads and faces bother me a bit. For Lunar Lass, her ears seem a little high. And for the other two, the fact that they both have the same facial expression is odd, not to mention the bizarre scowly mouth you gave them. Though I do like the ingenuity you showed in figuring out how to display the reverse side of the shield.
CTHELVIS – Cthelvis with two Ann-Marget clones. This might end up being the cover for a short story I wrote. I’m looking for suggestions on how to make Cthelvis more Elvis-ish.
http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/cthelvis.jpg
@Zaheelee (18) MMI stole what I was going to say and I was going to suggest you put a quiver of arrows on her side instead of the gun holster you used.
Doornik1142 (3): Just cut and paste the link into your comment. The link you want to paste depends on where you have put the image — usually on sites like PhotoBucket or DeviantArt there’s a box somewhere that says “Share” or something, and it’ll have a link directly to the image. That’s what you want.
Sutter_Kaine: Ok I like the alien elvis, maybe he didn’t get abducted he just went home you know lol. I have one here that may not be my best but I think it is my fav, there is just something about it I like. see what you think
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee363/cameron_stanley_84/Akuma.png
AMS (4) – I love the Warhorse pictures. Very imaginary
Sutter_Kaine (19) you know one sure way to make him look more Elvis-ish would be to make him more . . . human.
Sorry, just being a smart ass and trying to kid around. That’s a hard one Sutter_Kaine, I’ve got nothing to make him more like elvis. Well, maybe having the hair so it doesn’t come to a point at the top?
ams (4): The reason I ask for just one image is that I don’t want to have to go through multiple images and have to think about which one I want or need to critique. That’s almost as much work as having to do the actual critique.
This is supposed to be about getting help on something that you are struggling with; it’s hard for me to decide that for you.
So I’m just going to take the first one from your list, the guy with the red top and chevron/triangle logo.
I love seeing the evolution from one version to the next, that’s really awesome. And I don’t think there’s much to critique in the final result, as it’s clear by looking at the middle one that you’ve identified the problem areas and solved them. That final pose is so much more dynamic, interesting, and clear than the other one — the colors pop, the stance is great, the beard is easy to ID, the eyes are super visible, the gloves are awesome, etc. It’s just great.
The only minor quibble would be with the knee area, where you see the kneepad behind the banded metal that’s over them, and you can see the bottom of the jeans not quite lining up to the metal either.
Minor, though, he looks great.
Tool (27) I think you give a lot of stuff for the alien. The few sometimes more enough.
@ Sutter_Kaine (27) – Great pic! May I suggest you change the color of the cape. It blends in to much with the weapons in his hand.
ams (5): I am not sure, that’s totally automated by WordPress. I’m guessing it’s mostly when there are multiple links, though.
Jake (7): Overall, very nice. He definitely looks the part of a savage.
I think the feathers in the headdress need some work, they don’t stand out enough and seem incongruous with the rest of the look. Maybe make them bigger and more uniform in color?
The bone hand seems off as well. The wrist doesn’t quite match up to the forearm and the bone doesn’t seem to be fitting in the hand. I’d scale the bone down vertically so it fits in the grip more smoothly.
Sorry about posting more than one image. I guess I missed that line above. Anyway, the image I most want a critique of is this one:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/#/d3hp392
I’m interested in whether you think I accomplished a natural-looking action pose, as well as advice on how to do perspective and foreshortening.
Thanks Jeff and sorry for the misunderstanding. One image from now on!!
Doornik1142 (14)
USe this type of the links
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/138/6/8/angel_1_by_doornik1142-d3gnzj5.jpg
http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/140/4/6/officer_brenda_by_doornik1142-d3gqk9d.jpg
http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/152/d/6/assassin_recruit_by_doornik1142-d3hadjv.jpg
http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/151/e/6/dynamic_pose_practice_by_doornik1142-d3hp392.jpg
And especially i like the Assasin Creed type picture but where is the eye????
MMI (8): I thought it was really good, I laughed when I first saw it! I like his expression, you managed to catch a very “surfer mutant” kind of vibe. The only thing I can think to tweak would (strangely) be the font. It’s kind of hard to read as it’s so bold and blocky. Do I have a more comics-looking font in there? If not I need to.
@Tool, I would suggest changing the color his blades from the same color of his cape to more of a gold or silver and the the 2 top hands to more of a trigger like hand.
Rosco (9): Good overall, as usual, but I don’t think it’s the strongest of the set so far. I’m missing the connection to September, frankly, and that’s probably what bothers me the most.
A few bits also don’t seem to quite fit properly. The shoes, for example, look like they’re maybe her dad’s, they kind of swallow her leg. The hairline part also ends up looking like a gap in her head, which I’m sure is the result of how I drew it, but I’d put a black strip behind it so the scalp doesn’t show through quite so much. The other nitpicky thing is that the collars on the shirt don’t quite line up to the shirt itself.
Finally, I didn’t even see the crucifix until the second or third time I looked at the image.
That’s a lot of negativity, but overall I do think it’s a nice addition. Just not as strong as some of the other really great ones you’ve had in the series.
@ Tarkabarka (28)- Thank you!
@ Jeff (39) – She’s a christian schoolgirl, September is Back to School for the kiddies! At least, that’s what I interpreted.
Jadebrain (10): Very nice! It reminds me of the old Erol Otus drawings from the very early days of D&D, lots of personality on all these guys. Well, except the pile of rocks. Hard to get personality out of a pile of rocks. I also have to ask about the happy-face stick … Also, I don’t think you really need to shade it. This has a more finished, pen-and-ink sort of look to it, which I think is nice.
I think the central figure is the strongest, with the main drawback being that I can’t tell where his teeth stop and the ridges on his head begin. Some separation there would be nice — either a drop shadow, or larger teeth, or something.
The figure on the left (the mage) is good, although I think his arms need to join in to the torso a bit better. They look a bit tacked on as it is.
I really like the upper half and hammer of the figure on the right, and I like the design of the boots, but the feet are awfully truncated.
Great job in it, your drawing has lots of life and personality, which I think is one of the hardest things to do. Anatomy and rendering skills develop over time, but you can’t teach personality.
@32 AMS it was my make i just was just saying something to kaine, theres just something about this pic i like and i see the problem with the blade color ill try and fix it, and the hands as well. I was going for a kinda ninja/knight/alien.
Captain Kicktar (16): Cool! Love the general “feel” of the guy. The whole middle section is awesome, especially the effect of using the gold filigree gloves masked onto the tech ones. Those look freaking fantastic. The belt and flared kilt-like thing are also really good.
I am bothered most by the line of the sleeves as they run into one of the lines of the torso armor. It makes me think that’s all one big continuous piece, but clearly it’s not. I’d either use different, more flared sleeves, or make these longer. Either way, I’d go with a different color duo on them, either just darker (or lighter) grays/blacks or a completely different scheme to further help separate them from the armor on top.
The shoes also, I think, need more oomph. They are awfully plain compared to the awesome gloves and the intricate belt.
Love love love those gloves, one of my favorite combos I’ve seen in quite a while. Really nice job.
@Doornik1142 (#14): Officer Brenda’s left hand is fine, but the gun barrel is at the wrong angle. Use your own hand and picture what it would look like if you were holding a thin cylinder like that. As it is, the barrel is penetrating her thumb and pinky (if I may refer to it as a pinky without pissing her off).I think you’ll find the butt of the gun needs to be closer to her feet.
Tarkabarka (17): Nice! Very innovative, and I don’t think you really need the legs. This is a very creative use of items to make the three quarter view work.
Honestly, I like everything except the chin area. It makes the face look like she’s missing a big chunk of bone.
Nice job though, I’m impressed you were able to get it this far. The tattoos on her torso in particular are very effective.
Trekkie (20): I love the setting, very evocative of an underground chamber. I do agree that the orange is maybe a bit too orange — something that’s still orange but with more red than yellow would probably work better. The use of the tree trunk as a lava flow is really cool and works great, except for the glow at the top which seems a bit too regular to fit.
The main problem I have with the colors is that the figures are the same combo as what’s going on in the background, so they get a bit lost. I think you can probably get by with the orange (whatever orange you settle on), but for the brown bits you need to get something richer and deeper. Or go deeper on the cavern rocks and keep the figures as-is. We need some tonal variation there to separate out the figures from the ground.
Thanks Jeff – I love that body position. – I think there is a lot of good idea in the future how to dress it.
@ Jeff (42)
The Smiley Face was inspired by the Watchmen… Basically, the in-game story behind the Smiley Faced Rod was that it was given to Hector by one of his father’s old adventuring partners, and the party’s symbol was a smiley face.
His teeth aren’t actually showing in this picture. The spikes on the edge of his mouth are, simply put, spikes on the edge of his mouth.
I know I need to improve on the mage’s arms. I’m used to drawing more muscular, broader-shouldered figures, and if I try to draw the shoulders to be more narrow, I end up rejecting it on every attempt, the shoulders getting broader and broader with each try until I’m back to drawing broad shoulders. Remember the drawing of the mage I did a while back? Yeah, same problem there.
I’ll have to look up the word Truncated when I’m done with this. Unfortunately, I drew the figure on the right without any clear memory of what the character was described as. Turns out, he’s supposed to be wielding an axe and shield, and wearing scale armor. And his beard is supposed to be braided.
Sutter_Kaine (24): Have I said before how much I enjoy your illustrations? Well, I do.
This is a case in point — tons of creativity in the concept, combined with excellent execution. I think it’s great, and don’t see anything I’d change. Too funny.
Ian T. Healy, who was a Power User Profile guy a week or whatever ago, has a novel called “Hope and Undead Elvis” he’s working on, this seems to be in that same vein. Very cool.
Tool (27): Very nice overall! I like the colors and the general design. The cowl over the lower part of the face with the insect eyes over it looks awesome.
I think the main problem in terms of composition is in the head area. With the tops of the two guns lining right up with the edge of the hood, and then two sets of hands right there as well, and then the blades lining up directly with the edges of the wings while being the exact same color, it all adds up to a bit of a visual traffic jam right in that area.
I think you need to separate out the items a bit more, so their edges don’t align so perfectly. And I’d change the color of the blades so they’re not the same as the wings, that will make them both separate and pop.
Cool character overall, though, nice job.
Doornik1142 (35): I think she works well. You’re right that there are a lot of limitations in the knees that make them very difficult to pose correctly, especially for females. Not your fault, that’s on me. But it is a problem in the image, though not a horrific one.
I think you got all the body parts positioned correctly and in the right perspective. It’s clear how she’s standing and it looks convincing. The line of her right shoulder (to the viewer’s left) is the most distracting bit in terms of the pose, at least for me. It’s a pain in the butt, but you can add a plain shape Insignia (square or crescent, probably) colored with all three colors to match the arm and positioned over the line to hide it. Crude, but effective.
Jeff, yeah sorry that’s a little of my OCD trying to make it semetrical like for everything to be perfect as possible and better each time. I’ll take another look at it later.
Tool (27) – Elvis might have gone home, but there’s still a little bit of him in all of us. Regarding your guy, it’s an interesting concept and I like the pose. The colors work well together too. I’m assuming based on the eyes and multiple arms, he’s some sort of insect or spider creature. All the stuff going on in the backplane is a little confusing. If he has wings I would get rid of the cape, not just for less clutter but because it would make flight impractical. Plus, the weapons he’s holding in his second and third pairs of hands “vanish” into/merge with the cape, though this could be fixed by changing some colors. Since he’s a futuristic/alien guy, I’d give him laser-pistols or something along those lines instead of fancy but conventional weapons. By the same token I’d replace the “bullet-belt”, either with a pouches belt or one of the “future armor” type belts. Is he a fugitive/mercenary/bounty hunter type who has cobbled his outfit/arsenal together as he went along? If so, I’d add a few clothing items to indicate that hs outfit isn’t a matched set but something that changes bit by bit. Maybe a loin-cloth and/or something tattered for starters.
Jeff (50) – Thanks. To be honest, I did go back and review Ian’s undead Elvis picture before doing this one.
Thanks SK I’ll try some of your suggestions as well
http://borlavlit.narod.ru/x_7d3677b8.jpg
Super-villain, telecinetik Moloch.
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/145/f/3/the_last_day_of_earth_by_malfar-d3h6w8i.jpg
Total Meltdown
Alright, this is the last time I am going to fix this image. I tried to take all of your advice, but I just wanted to let you know that they are supposed to have the same face because they are twins and I entered them in the Gemini contest going on right now. So, without further ado, I give you the Final Version of Dekko and Vita!!!!
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Zaheelee/Zaheelee-DekkoandVitaV_4.png
Struggling with this one, I’m not very satisfied, save by the head, right hand and floating rock 🙁
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5816/hm3nicolasjerbitonis.jpg
BTW, thank you for all you’re doing jeff, and thank all the wonderful creators that pioneer Hero Machine through their awesome designs. I’ve learned a lot just by watching them.
ama (4), this is really fantastic!
Right, I’ve changed Lava Caves by making the background parts darker and making those background oranges more red.
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78077&d=1307120407
I tried to make a ice skater pose. The biggest problem for me is that it should have more sense of movement. I also had a lots of trouble making the skates from pieces of blades and stuff.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=232492126768224&set=a.201686679848769.61050.100000223159388&type=1&theater
Jeff (37) Yes, I recall finding the selection of fonts to be a little awkward for this one. I couldn’t really find the font I wanted.
A throne room I created which I think turned out pretty well. Not sure about some of the colors though, maybe they blend together too much in some areas. I’m also wondering if overall there is too much going on?
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77915&d=1306216404
Hi again,
After the last critique day i took your advice to heart jeff and remade my Emergence scene. I added a few bits and redid line colours.
Hope you like it and can offer another opinion 🙂
http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k584/BloodlessRose/Emergence2.png
I really like the way this one turned out, and am just mainly sharing it, although if Jeff or anyone else wants to critique it fell free.
Liberty
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m189/acebase_2006/HM3%20-%20UGO/Super/Liberty.png
Also, Jeff you liked my original Hercules, thought you may like to see the updated version
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m189/acebase_2006/HM3%20-%20UGO/Deity/Herculesv20.png
This is a first draft of a pair of villains I’ve been working on for a roleplaying game. I’m definitely going back to fix some things and anything you guys see that I could improve would be a help.
I don’t really know who these guys are yet but there’s a weird monkey…tracker……thing…And his pyrokinetic handler.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w110/NeroAngelo2xt/TrackerandHandler.png
I’m going to change the colour of either the trackers outfit or his handlers legs as they blend a bit too much right now. Anything else.
Surprislngly I don’t think I have ever posted this to any contest or Friday critique.
I’ve had this character since before I ever knew about Hero Machine 1 even.
Malachite is a Satyr raised by Dwarves.
An ancient Green dragon, Mortemviridis, was awaken by the mining Dwarves of the huge mountain range called the Shadow Mountains. In her rage Mortenviridis killed almost everyone in the Mountain Shadow Forest.
The Dwarves took in the orphened Satyr babe out of responsibility and guilt. They treated him as one of their own, teaching him to mine.
Malachite got along well enough, drinking and singing with the single Dwarves after working in the mines 8 hours a day, but would occasionally go out of the Shadow Mountain down into Shadowshire and into the village of Shadow’s End where he drank, sang and listened to the stories of the days of the Dragon with the two elves of Shade (Elven thief) and Sweetwater’s (Elven Bard) Inn. who were also survivors and part of the party that had killed Mortemviridis.
He is also friends with Cedric, a young Druid, and former student of the now dead Druid, who also was responsible for helping in killing the dragon.
Malachite also became a frequent visitor of The Shady Lady, the brothel of the frontier town, whom he has “met” each of the ladies … on numerous occasions, as well as Giles, a young goat herder on the outskirts of town.
JEFF! The HM3 version 2 is what you probably need to see and comment on.
I just put the others to show the progress from sketch through the various HM versions for fun.
Original Sketch
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Malachite01.jpg
Hero Machine 1
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM1.jpg
Hero Machine 2
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM2.jpg
Hero Machine 3
I miss the “full” beard with the double braids, but this one is more like my original sketch.
This had several problem areas that I seen looking on it again.
The hand and tankard had come unmasked without me noticing.
I had used a Standard Male Face, which was a little flat,
I had purposely put the Hammer across his shoulders put in front of his left arm, which if ya think of the bulk of that hammer would have his head leaning forward
and his chest hair was off place.
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM3_001a.jpg
Close-up
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM3_001b.jpg
Revised:
I added separate facial features.
used the slit Nose as slight bags under the eyes,
made his nose a little bigger
used a separate and more ragged mustache,
I was able to use the new hoop earrings, which he was supposed to have from the beginning but was too lazy to use crescent moons to make them!
Added more horn rings which I wanted too before but got tired and lazy after working on it so long the first time.
I also gave him longer hair in the back,
made the gems in his beard larger using green with a white center for sparkle, instead of green center gem in a gold setting,
although I kept his diamond in his ear in a gold setting.
I set the hammer back from his shoulder, had to use a separate handle to get it right due to layering problems.
Added fur pattern to his legs, and made them darker
I didn’t change the background or foreground, thinking they are OK. That is for you all to tell me if I’m right 🙂
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM3_002a.jpg
Close-up:
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM3_002b.jpg
I would like to hear what you thought of my entry into the Legionnaire contest. Quake lad is a silicon based life-form which can cause earth shattering tremors.
http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx155/Vampyrist/Vampyrist-QuakeLad.png
http://zaraezyne.deviantart.com/gallery/25455062#/d2r0141
or is it this one: http://fav.me/d2r0141
same just not sure which link is right
Anarchangel (66)
First thing I noticed: it looks like he’s zapping his crotch. Maybe that’s why he looks so satisfied. I’d say move the chimp away a bit more. I’d definitely say change the colour of the chimp, so that he’s not the same colour as the guy’s pants. Maybe use one of the darker skin options. He also needs more flair, like another accessory of some sort, maybe a neck thing for him, and something that looks like a collar for the chimp, unless I just don’t get it and they’re like friends or something.
Here’s the next villain for my Kid Chaos series, posing as a major threat in a future timeline for our heroes. He has mystically empowered tattoos, which grant him a variety of abilities.
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l607/DiCicatriz/Kid%20Chaos/Future%20Timeline/Sigil.png
I wonder if he looks imposing enough to take on my team (some heavy hitters on there), or if the color scheme works.
Zaheelee (58)
I know you said you wouldn’t fix it anymore, but if you gave the code to me, I could fix a few minor details, like the fact that you can see the outline of the bow through her hand, and the lady holding the sword’s hand isn’t actually holding the sword, as it’s not inbetween her palm and thumb. It’s just defying gravity. I could also fix the fact that it looks like they’re about to gut eachother. The archer looks angrier though, as she’s aiming straight for the jugular.
@Dionne Jin(62): I think you should make a few stray pieces of hair kind of whipping around her face. It might make some movement. Or, you could find a way to use curved lines for emphasis that she is, in fact, spinning. Oh, and I really like how you used the insignia on the ice to make it look scuffed, why don’t you try adding a few more lines? Just to make it look like she has been skating for a few minutes.
P.S.: I love how you made those skates 🙂
Covered up the line on the shoulder of my Dynamic Pose Practice girl. Any other advice is welcome.
http://Doornik1142.deviantart.com/art/Dynamic-Pose-Practice-211122614
Also did some minor revisions to Officer Brenda:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/art/Officer-Brenda-209511697
If anyone else is willing to critique some of my other HeroMachine creations you can find them here:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977
Rozenstal (57): I like the basic look of the character, especially the mask and dreadlock combination. That’s very cool looking.
I didn’t get that he was telekinetic until reading the description, though — the items getting tossed in the air look like they were meant to fit in his hands, but don’t quite manage it. I was especially confused by the extra gauntlet flying loose up at the top of the picture — did that accidentally come off his hand?
I also think it might look better if it were the more standard pose with feet balanced instead of trying to make it slightly turned. He ends up looking off-balance.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1723282&l=fe308ba4ff&id=1589732210
the hangman, I drew him earlier, and this has to be my best paper to heromachine conversion ever, tell me what you think.
Malfar (58): Interesting! Can’t say I have seen anything quite like that before, very creative. I like the way you’ve matched the water item to the planet with the colors to make it look like it’s literally melting, that’s a neat effect.
Of course, the science nerd in me couldn’t help but think “Melting stuff doesn’t flow DOWN in space because in space, there IS no down,” but that’s because I’m hopelessly pedantic from time to time.
Arioch (60): Thank you for the kind words! Today has been a bit of a struggle — woke up grumpy and had to do a lot of very rushed errands during lunch — but kindness has a way of perking me up 🙂
I definitely agree that the hand, spell effect, and floating rocks are great, I love them. Very cool, kinetic effect. I think the ground works as well, and I’m glad that you did not put in a sky background — that would have cluttered things up while leaving it blank lets the figure and spell take center stage.
The basic color scheme you’ve picked works, but I do think tweaking it would help make it stronger. For instance, I’d make the cape the darker blue with the leggings being lighter, to help reinforce the illusion that the cape is further back. I’d also play around with some different cape backs, like the ones that flutter in the wind more, to help add some movement to the scene, playing off the hovering stasis of the rocks.
I’m not super crazy about the glow effects on the staff. I think if you were to use the two-tone circular gradient instead, and made the outer color 0% alpha, you’d get a nicer glow without the hard edge around it. For me, right now they seem too regular and solid.
Finally, I’d try making the jewelry a little more golden rather than the pure yellow you have now. They just really leap off the page against the warm blues and purples, to the point that they don’t read as metal so much as brightly-colored plastic.
He looks great though, a very interesting and cool magical scene!
This is my immortal character, Romulus, who happens to be a werewolf, though not the full moon type you usually see. He is the original founder of Rome, though in my story is the good brother and Remus is still alive. After saving the mother wolf goddess that had raised the to of them, Romulus was given the ability to transform at will between his typical human form, a werewolf and a white wolf.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kmFjnz0BsqeRB-WzMUblLA?feat=directlink
Let me know what needs to be changed.
Trekkie (62): The background and the glow look MUCH better, nice job!
What would you think about maybe putting a small boulder in front of the bottom of the lava tree? I think that would help plant it (get it?!) in the background more — it bugs me a little bit that the glow from it is over the rock that’s part of that floor at the moment.
I’d also be curious to play around with the brown in the figures a bit, trying something with more red in it. Or maybe applying a gradient to them or something — they just look kind of flat in those areas at the moment, and I can’t figure out if it’s the color or what.
But yeah, these changes helped a lot, in my opinion. Very nice!
Chisoph (72) The idea was that he’s heating the chain which is attached to the chimp. That would have been clearer if I hadn’t totally spaced and forgot to change the color of the chains on the chimp.
I wanted to add something on the chimps neck to show that he was a captive, but to be honest, everything I tried ended up looking out of place.
Thanks for the comments though. I’ll definitely move the chimp away, change up his color and try to add some more to his outfit.
Back to the lab I go 🙂
Dionne Jinn (63): The skates look great! The pose is solid, too, I definitely think it works. I like the star spangle pattern in the dress, that looks very ice-skater-ish. The little shape she’s carving into the ice is a great touch, I love that.
For me, I’d probably be curious to see it without the background, or at least with a much plainer treatment — maybe just a circle or a glow or something. Since there’s a big horizontal divide in it at the moment that bisects her at the waist, it ends up kind of dividing the whole picture into halves. And since the lower half of the figure is all flare-y with the dress and the turned legs while the upper half is very restrained with the arms tucked in, it ends up making the effect worse.
I’m also not sold on the big clunky bracelets, I’d like to see something a little more in keeping with the delicacy of the rest of her outfit.
But yeah, I like it, I think you did a really nice job on it (especially the skates!).
MMI (64): There’s a Comic Sans font in HM3 I usually use for anything I write in speech bubbles.
Here’s an example:
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/Hero%20Machine%20Contest%20Entries/myro-cranium_lad.png
I usually just find that’s the most appropriate.
headless general (65): Nice job! The layout works pretty well, and I dig all the extra touches like the shields on the wall, the throne made out of the Corinthian column, the mounted flags, etc. All very nicely done. You made great use of some of the floor pieces as filler like on the dais, which comes off looking very convincing.
I do think the colors are a little … aggressive for me. That secondary color in the front carpet in particular is pretty loud, especially combined with the red. Add in the figures with all of their color, and the blue/gold carpet, and the colors on the throne, and it gets a bit riotous for my taste. I’d be curious what it would look like without the figures and with a bit more of a cohesive or muted color palette. It’s hard to create a stage that looks good while still allowing the focus to be on the figures inhabiting it. I think here at the moment the colors compete too much with the figures, dominating and overwhelming them.
But color aside, I think it looks great, you did a wonderful job assembling it!
BloodlessRose (66): WOW! Love it! She definitely looks like she’s emerging from the smoke and clouds. I have to admit I’m not quite sure what the red and gold shape is behind her, but it frames the figure really well and sets her off perfectly, so I wouldn’t want to lose it. I just don’t know what it IS, but I like the effect a lot.
I love the way the staff goes behind the clouds, too, that’s a really nice touch.
Great, great update, this is a really powerful image now. Well done!
MartianBlue (67): They both look great!
Ummm…let’s think here. I guess I’ll go with the sketch I did of Invincible…
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/Sketch%20Work/Invincible.jpg
Still having a problem with anatomical proportions. Face turned out okay. Really, I should study Ryan Ottley’s sketches in the back of the graphic novels a bit more.
Anarchangel (68): Awesome! Love the way you’ve posed them together and gotten a fantastic level of dynamism and action. I see that you already commented on the chain color, but absent that, I think you’ve got a great image and character concept already. I would totally want to read more about these guys, which is the hallmark of a truly great illustration.
@ DiCicatriz (73) – That villian is sick! The only thing I’ll critique is his face. I like the expression , but either something is out of place or not the right size. Maybe the addition of eyebrows might make him look more sinister. try flipping the colors on his nose and add some of the male face wrinkles around the eyes found in the Head Items. Everything else is crazy good! Great job!
@Christoph(74): I appreciate the offer, but since I entered this in the Gemini contest this morning, I don’t think it would be very fair if it wasn’t my own work. Also, they are TRYING to gut each other, can nobody see that?
Cliff (69): Looks great! I like all the changes you made, they were spot-on. The subtle glow in the background works great too; little stuff like that makes a huge difference. I dig the tankard and the earrings, and the fur on the legs looks great. The setting in general works really well.
The only quibbles I have are very minor. First, the strap on the hammer should be pointing down, not up, no? And second, the haft of the hammer is crossing behind the head but in front of the neck, making it look like he’s got it tucked under his chin or something.
Those little nitpicks aside, I think you did a great job on it!
Vampyrist (70): I loved the concept a lot. And I love the pose, with him down on one knee and the front leg being all rocky. The face is awesome, and the costume is vintage Legion. Oh, and I love the spell effect around his hands. That’s awesome.
Where it wasn’t as strong, for me at least, was in the setting. It looks like he’s on an airless moon or something, which seemed a bit odd, but the vivid red and the sharp horizon line separating the ground from space comes across as too strong, especially given the sharpness of the planets in the sky. Having his shoulder right on the horizon line, with the moon almost right there as well confuses the figure-ground relationship, making it even harder to pull him away from that.
Basically, what I’m saying is that the setting overwhelms what is a very well done character.
Zarae (71): They’re the same link, one’s just shorter — I think that’s why DeviantArt provides it as an option.
I love the way the eye pops with the only color! Very nice effect. I think you did that on the one from last time too, right, maybe with blue? I might be misremembering. But I love it!
The hand is very strong and well done also. They’re hard to draw but you’ve done a great job on it.
The only area I think could probably have used some tweaking in the layout is where the curl of her hair comes close to the sword blade. They don’t touch, but they come close enough to create some visual tension. I think it might look better if that sweep of hair either went further to the viewer’s left, moving it away from the blade more, or if you were to curl it the opposite way instead so that it passes completely behind the blade. Either way would resolve the spatial relationship.
Great job on it, though! Are you doing these as part of a class, or on your own?
Anarchangel, I’m going to strongly disagree with Chrisoph in terms of the coloring. I like that their uniform colors match. There’s no visual confusion because of it, which would be the big risk, because they’re posed well and the lineart has enough contrasting spaces to separate them.
DiCicatriz (73): You’re awesome.
Love it, very reminiscent of one of the secondary characters (Fenris) in “Dragon Age 2” which I’m playing at the moment.
It’s fantastic as is, of course, but I’d probably want to play around with maybe a slightly less intense glow, or a slightly less aqua blue, as the fleshy parts are almost at the edge of being overwhelmed.
The only other thing I would tweak would be the cuffs on his feet. Right now they almost look like they’re upside-down.
ajw (78): Nice! Very striking image when you first see it, which is a big plus. I like the way the silhouetted figure in the background works visually, the black is very cool. I also like the way you’ve used the raggedy looking wings as part of his cape on his chest, that’s a great effect.
Unfortunately the hanged guy doesn’t look like he’s hanging due to the way the legs are drawn, he looks like he’s standing. That’s not your fault, of course, but it lets the effect down a bit.
Otherwise, great!
Of course you are 100% correct, the hammer strap should be down not up, and the hammer was going through his neck.
Two things I just did NOT see.
Which is why we have you!
Thanks Jeff!
And thanks for letting my little quick sketch see such a kewl realitiy.
At some point I am going to do a pic of Malachite in a more aggressive pose using the hammer on some enemy.
Fixed pic
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM3_002a
McKnight57 (81): Very nice! I can’t think of anything to change, you’ve pretty much nailed what you were going for.
sigh
it just hadda happen
http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/MalochiteHM3_002a-1.jpg
Myro (85): Yeah, that’s the one I was thinking of! I couldn’t remember if I included it or not. That’s actually the same font I use for the Caption Contest winner’s composite.
Myro (89): Nice! I didn’t realize you were doing hand-drawn sketches too, that’s awesome.
There’s actually an Ottley pic of Invincible in a very similar pose, here, that I thought might help.
I also put together a quick oversketch of what I saw as some of the areas that weren’t as successful as others, particularly in the join of the neck to the torso, and in the orientation of the goggles. Hopefully that’ll be easier than trying to decipher my writing.
Nice job, good to see you using the pencil! Keep it up!
@Zaheelee (92)
First: Chisoph, not Christoph, and second, I thought they were twins. Why are they trying to gut eachother?
::pant pant:: … I think I finally caught up … Phew!
Jeff (100): Should I change any of the armor? Rather than looking like a bulletproof vest, should it be something that shows his origins a bit better?
Hey Jeff, off topic, a quick yes or no, have you seen this site?
http://www.tencentticker.com/projectrooftop/
Some cool stuff here.
Jeff (102): That’s really helpful, thanks.
I’ve been dabbling with pencil off and on, and I started back in on it just before I went on vacation last week (actually put a sketch up a couple Fridays back on Open Bragging Day that I had done recently as well), and then quite a bit more while I was off. I’m actually quite happy with how quickly I’m picking up where I left off. Sadly, I haven’t done anything since I got back, but I’ll probably work on drawing some more this weekend.
And actually, that Ottley pic you posted is what inspired me to do the sketch in the first place.
thanks so much. sorry bout the rough day. chocolate does wonders…
anyway, old drawings i had i loaded online (once online there forever) so if i lost them i have a copy.
i just like to doodle
Well, I’ve put a gradient on the characters, and there’s a couple of boulders. I put a yellow glow behind one to try and make it look like the lava (or would it be magma, considering it’s a cave?) is coming up behind it.
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=78078&d=1307131708
Hey Zaheelee I like the way the picture came, looks better.
In the following picture I was trying for a doll on a bedroom floor, the big arm and hand belong to the little girl playing with her, the rest of the items are other toys.
http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h464/Kaylin88100/The_Toys.png
I don’t think the perspective and scaling are quite right. Any suggestions?
ams (106): Yes, love it and follow it regularly.
Love it Trekkie (109)!
heres a character i out together using a swinging post from the forum but used a lightsaber instead
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h385/R_A_F/HEROMACHINE/Sci-Fi.jpg
Kaylin88100 (111): I like the other toys, and the big-girl hand works well too.
The actual doll itself, though … I can’t think of a better way to put this, so I’m just going to say she freaks me out a little bit. She kind of looks like Transgender Hillbilly Street Whore Barbie, with those muscular legs and realistic arms and no shoes …
I get what you’re going for, and I like all the surrounding bits, but the doll effect is just not coming across for me, I’m sorry.
Tarkabarka (37)
I left the eyes off on purpose because I was trying to imitate the picture on the cover of ACII where Ezio’s eyes are hidden in the shadow of his hood. There aren’t any hood pieces in HM3 that can be stretched or moved down to cover the eyes without exposing the top of the head or clashing with the rest of the body. Leaving the eyes off was the best I could do.
Aaron (114): I like the pose and the general look of the character. I feel like the background symbol is too big, though, and dominates the image at the expense of the main guy, like he’s actually fighting in front of a huge hanging disc or something.
He’s also a bit plain, like he’s fighting in a body stocking. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m used to seeing these kinds of guys with a belt festooned with gear or a robe or something.
Finally, any time you’re doing an image with lots of red, you’re much better off saving it as a PNG instead of a JPG. The Flash JPG exporter is terrible with red, you end up with a really pixelated image (like this one).
Preciate it Jeff.
@ams(106) The tattoo on the second one is a really cool idea. One I may use later.
Thanks for the link.
OK folks, I’m going to cut this off a smidgeon early this week; my allergies are killing me and I just can’t focus any more.
Thanks so much to everyone who shared their work and/or their comments, we’ll see you again in two weeks!
i was goin for a training suit look which would be originally underneath his armor if i were to put it on him and thanks for the input
rock, paper,scissors:
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/154/a/7/rock_paper_scissors_by_karzykyle-d3hyg16.jpg
kyle (121)
You forgot the left foot on the rock guy.
Also, how did you do that half-and-half pattern?
Doornik1142 (122)
i didn’t notice he’s missing a foot on the left side till now.
for the half-and-half pattern for my rock guy i used a simple body from the standard body then multiply the rock body three times ,i mask the body to the arm an rotated ,masked the body to the standard body an moved it over to the left and finally i masked the last body to the face,i add on the rock eyebrow.
I think we need more crazy vehicle stuff….
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c153/jaybjoke/papakrok-ratfinalsmall.jpg
That’s pretty cool papakrok
kyle (123)
lol I think I’m gonna need a diagram to understand what you just said.
Old image that i´ve already posted here.(i give the link just to compare )
The phoenix light
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z456/asder0072/Open%20critique/Phoenixlight.jpg
This is what igot after taking the suggestions
The phoenix light 2.0
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z456/asder0072/Open%20critique/Phoenixlight2.jpg
Doornik1142 (126).!lol if this doesn’t help then ask hammerknight for a diagram .
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/1873/undo6.jpg
Doornik1142(14): Sorry for coming so late to the party. If you’re still around, here’s a link to image showing some changes you could make to possible improve on your Dynamic Pose:
http://forums.ugo.com/showthread.php?p=674581#post674581
I’ve attached a .txt file to that post so that you can load the character into HM3 for yourself and explore the different elements being used to make this image work. I made some major (more dynamic posing of the torso) as well as cosmetic changes (darker blue, different hair). The left side of your existing image is all pretty good, but the right side (as you commented on yourself) could be improved. The main changes you could look at applying to your existing image are these:
1. Turn the right fist at least 45 degrees counter clockwise. Stand in front of a mirror and try to hold you fist in the position your character is currently holding hers and you’ll see why I’m suggesting this change: it’s pretty hard to match that pose, and it’s uncomfortable to try.
2. For the right forearm, you can use a head image to help create the illusion of a foreshortened forearm. When you stand in front of the mirror to see why you need to make change #1 above, you’ll see why you need something other than just the fist showing in front of the right upper arm if you want an anatomically believable image.
3. Give the lady a booty. Again, you can use a head image to help give the illusion that your figure has buttocks. When you turn out her right leg and lift it, her buttock will become visible, you need to show that.
4. Make sure her calves are the same width as the wrappings that are covering them. There are gaps showing through the wrappings because the calves are much thinner than they could be.
5. Mask her ‘mask’ to her face. The mask covering the lower half of her face is made for a male jawline – square and angular. Unless your female character has a male jawline, her jawline will usually be smoother and softer. To make you mask fit her face, you can use the ‘Mask’ transformation in HM3.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Sean
Ok so I have done some revamping and took some of the peoples advice here and came up with a different version of my character. Also to clarify I guess you could call him an alien/drifter/bounty hunter from a postapocaliptic future setting. At least that’s what I was going for. There is still some semetry to him but I spaced stuff out and changed colors so I hope its easier on the eyes now. Thanks to the friends who gave good suggestions and I didn’t delete the old version this time so you guys can go back and forth and tell me if I did better or got lost in the moment. Well enough chatter see for yourself…
Old version
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee363/cameron_stanley_84/Akuma.png
New version
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee363/cameron_stanley_84/Akuma2.png
Liked this character design so much better than my others I decided to make up a back story. Read if your interested, the letters may be small I had to use paint program to turn text into picture.
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee363/cameron_stanley_84/Akuma2-1.png
http://fav.me/d3hoyqf
well I think I have some problems with my drawing ability… so please a critique will help me… 🙂
@Papakrok: Oh My Ceiling Cat! That is awesome!
Aahg! I somehow manage to miss this every friday!!!
OK, I know I’m officially done with this edition of OCD, but I had to pop back in with a few very brief comments:
kyle (121): I love that piece. May be the best thing I’ve seen you do yet. Really nice job. And thanks for providing the guide to doing the half rock body, that rules.
Papakrok (124): Awesome! You’ve inspired me to add “Vehicle Contest” to my list of possible themes.
Asder (127): I think the new version is much, much stronger than the previous one, nice job.
Tool (130): I actually think I like the original better. For my money, all you needed to do with that one really was to rotate the top set of arms out a bit so the gun didn’t align with the hood, rotate the middle set of arms out a bit so the edge of the blades didn’t run into the wings, and change the color of either the blades or the wings a bit so they weren’t the same shade. Everything else was really nice. In the new version I don’t like the position of the dog (color and position run into the feet), the red disks are too distracting, and he’s missing a set of arms. The original was, in my personal opinion, much better.
Kwnnos (132): Not bad! I can’t do a full-on drawing analysis like I did with Myro but it’s good.
Yeah it was hard for me to try and figure out what to do so I just tried a different approach, I guess I had it about right in the first place. I’ll go back and try a more simple change like that. Thanks.
SeanDavidRoss (126)
Thanks for the tips. I’ll try those.
About the fist, though. I have seen many pictures and video of real life martial artists adopting a stance in which their fist is turned outward away from the body. So the position is possible (and natural) to hold, it’s just that I couldn’t get it to look exactly like I’ve seen it done.
Here’s my updated version:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/art/Dynamic-Pose-Practice-2-211666102
I’d also be interested in your opinions on this figure:
http://doornik1142.deviantart.com/gallery/30262977#/d3hadjv
I wanted to get it like this pose:
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/956858_118383_front.jpg
…but I couldn’t get the wrist-guards to work right and I don’t know how to get the dark shadow effect that hides the eyes.
Doornil(137): The updated version is better. You might consider trying some other heads for the forearm: given the change in angle that you’re using now, you’ll want to try to use the chin (of whatever head you choose) to help pull off the suggestion of an elbow. Also, with the right arm being raised up like it is now, I’m thinking you need to make the right shoulder raise up a bit as well. I’m sure you can figure out how to do that.
Your follow on request doesn’t really have anything to do with the posing of the character – it’s about clothing and effects, something MartianBlue would probably be better at answering. For my part, I would suggest looking to Captain Kicktar’s entry to this post for ideas on how to get the gauntlets to work. For the shadows, there are so many ways to solve that… the easiest is to just use 4 or 5 copies of the same hood the shadow will get darker with each copy overlaid.
SeanDavidRoss(138)
I actually did try using a chin to simulate an elbow but it ended up looking really weird since all the head shapes are wider at the top than they are at the bottom. It made her look like like Popeye the Sailor Man.
Asder (127) – Cool image. How do you make that soft, fuzzy glow?
O.D.I.N. and his companions Geri and Freki:
http://members.cox.net/freethespam/odingerifreki.html
Ergh, wrong Tab… that’s supposed to be an entry for CC 65. ;p
Jeff (87)
Thanks very much.
The red and gold thing in the background is supposed to be a demonic type world that she’s actually emerging from. But i love the comments and i’m glad i improved it so much.
Kwnnos (132): There is only one thing I’d change, which is the length and thickness of the arms. As it stands right now, they’re a good bit longer than average. Unless that’s what you were going for. The forearms are the most obvious right now, because they should be slightly thinner. If you still want to deal with the length, however, I’d say make it to about just above where the wrist ends. Other than that, nice pose, face loks great too. Let me know when you get it finished and colored.