Been awhile since I made something...

[Sgt_Shligger]

Back to art. I have been busy with school and getting my grades back up that I have not been working much on my art. Summers almost here so I can work on my art again...

I sketched this in my notebook a few weeks ago but didn't get to inking it and coloring. Tell me what you think of it and I wouldn't mind a good critique.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/sgtshligger/fromancolorful.png

*edit* alomot forgot picture.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SgtShligger on 2006-05-25 14:03 ]</font>

[BeeYee]

looks quite interesting, meaning, strange

[Sgt_Shligger]

Um, that's not what I was looking for....

[FOAtHeart]

Just because gradients exist doesn't mean you should use them.

The effect is too plastic. Plus is just adds the the flatness of the lines.

Try fleshing out the shapes more.

[Sayara]

Your arms are very small. Compared to your otherwise massive body, your arms should be about the same size, not tiny little things. You could say his Right Arm is too short as well.

Interesting Shoulder pad though, and i dig the hair. XD

Plus what Fo says, for color/presentation terms.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Tingle on 2006-05-25 15:16 ]</font>

[Sgt_Shligger]

On 2006-05-25 14:48, FOAtHeart wrote:
Just because gradients exist doesn't mean you should use them.

The effect is too plastic. Plus is just adds the the flatness of the lines.

Try fleshing out the shapes more.


I know the color is a little strange. I know gradients are not tha great but this is my first time using them and I was interested in how it would look.... it's supposed to be cartoony, not realistic. I am still going for realistic proportions though and thanks to both for pointing that out.

[Sayara]

I got in trouble for not mentioning said things before hand, don't make the same mistake. If you're aiming at cartoony, it is still suggessted you have a fairly accurate know how of realism figure. Having a 4 fingered slap happy fairly body proportioned cartoon dood is alot better then a mishaped figure underdeveloped body character with the word "Cartoon" slapped on it.

[Sgt_Shligger]

I overlooked the right arm length and i can see that the left arm could be a little thicker but not much. I agree with the don't make the same mistake. That's why I ask for critiques.


*EDIT* Cartoon is my way of saying thicker lines and cheaper coloring.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SgtShligger on 2006-05-25 15:40 ]</font>

[Sayara]

You did not get my message.

You were saying you wanted a critique. FO and me mentioned things that you forgot to mention about your image. "This is my first Graident use/experement, i am not aiming at Realism...etc", When you say nothing we assume you're aiming towards some sort of style; yet thats completely wrong for you.

Posting back saying Actually this is ...whatever, got me into trouble before; and it'd be a shame for that to happen again.

On another note, If thats what your definition of Cartoon means, then you're aiming at realism with cartoony lines; meaning our critique stand.

[Sgt_Shligger]

Yeah, I forgot to include what I was aiming for... I'll do that next time. Is there an easier way to use gradients in PSP? I had to make one in swatches and modify it so it would "work" in the place I put it in... tricky to explain.

[Sayara]

Generally, Gradients are hardly used. Not by the majority of people i know. There are preset gradients in PSP as well, though.

[Sgt_Shligger]

I wanted to try a gradient... it looks OK but not really good. I don't really know how to shade on the computer.... I have some knowledge about it but I don't know how to do it.

[Sayara]

I'd suggest taking a course about drawing, they give you basic knowledge of shading objects. And if you take a human body as just objects then you can learn how to shade them too.

There are cheap ways to do shading is by using Multiply Layer Property
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/Snoopychan/mult.jpg
Where using the same color as the base color, under multiply layer makes it darker.

Or actually pick a color darker then the base color and work with that. the 2nd method gives it (to me) alittle more life because your perception of a darker shade of a color gives it more YOU vs the CPU picking your darker color.

[Sgt_Shligger]

On 2006-05-25 16:10, Tingle wrote:
I'd suggest taking a course about drawing, they give you basic knowledge of shading objects. And if you take a human body as just objects then you can learn how to shade them too.

There are cheap ways to do shading is by using Multiply Layer Property
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/Snoopychan/mult.jpg
Where using the same color as the base color, under multiply layer makes it darker.

Or actually pick a color darker then the base color and work with that. the 2nd method gives it (to me) alittle more life because your perception of a darker shade of a color gives it more YOU vs the CPU picking your darker color.


I know how shading works but I have trouble doing it on the computer.

[KuroNetsune]

hmmmmm, I've been meaning to do a tutorial on shading, perhaps this is the right time http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Sayara]

Go for it, i can't explain worth the dickens http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif What I tend to do is take my painting 1-2 skill and just apply that to my cging.

But not everyone took painting 1 and 2 with me >.>

[Sgt_Shligger]

Thank you for the comments and advice. Does the gradiant look really bad or is it the fact other methods look better next to it?

[navci]

On 2006-05-25 17:35, SgtShligger wrote:
Thank you for the comments and advice. Does the gradiant look really bad or is it the fact other methods look better next to it?



It is more of the fact that it was really overused. One gradient on one area is fine. The entire picture is filled with gradient is too much. Much like lens flare by itself is fun. Lens flare in every single picture is a no.

[KuroNetsune]

haha, that's funny for you to say it, navci X3

back in subject though, to put it simple, it looks cheap, it looks too flat to be realistic, and too elaborate to be cartoony, ends up dangling in the middle and that's not good

non shaded art can be good, you want a good example? take Lilo&Stitch http://lucky-stars.ca/liloandstitch/pictures2.html the animation is great, the environment and characters cast shadows, but the characters themselves are not shaded at all

and I must say, I really liked that movie X3



as Navci said, sometimes gradients are nice, particularly in certain ways on backgrounds or to shade metals, but it should be a big no when dealing with delicate things like hair or clothes

[Sgt_Shligger]

Huh. So use gradiants on backgrounds but not on everything. It looks flatter without the gradients and just color though.