CHOW 130 :: "My good Doctor..."

[S.C. Watson]

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii293/chowarchive/CHOW-LINES/CHOW-LINES-MEDUSA.jpg

ROUND #129 :: Dr. Watson

DESCRIPTION
Dr. Watson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Watson), friend, confidant, and biographer of Sherlock Holmes. Keep him to his period.
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DEADLINE
MONDAY, October 13th, 2008
Deadline is Monday, at 5pm Pacific Standard Time.
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:right: FOLLOW THE TOPIC.

:right: POST YOUR FINAL IN THE FINALS THREAD.


:right: SAVE YOUR FILES IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT. Chow##_Nickname
example: "CHOW#100_Oblio.jpg" ;)

:right: PLACE THE IMAGE IN A FRAME WITH YOUR NAME/TOPIC

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/ChowPics/frame.jpg
(you can add CA logo, etc).


POST YOUR FINALS IN THE FINALS THREAD!
Remember to include your nickname in the filename.

About quality - as general rule: if your shapes and values are not decent - you are out. Watch proportions, perspective etc. we need perfectly readable shapes and coherent, consistent values.

_____________

BE PROFESSIONAL - only finished and good quality entries will be taken to the poll. Oregano and Daestwen (yay!) will make the selection.

[S.C. Watson]

Please review these helpful reminders if you have not done so already.

:right:ON GETTING TO POLL (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1891823&postcount=15)
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:right:NEW ROUND RULE: WIPS PLEASE! (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1910999&postcount=27)
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:right:SUBMISSION FORMAT REMINDER (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1911002&postcount=28)

[Senira]

Some sketches.

[Dan!]

oh man, well, I'm putting the coffee on- anyone want a cup?

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0008-1.jpg
Quick sketch, I was going to have his hand on a desk, that's why it's floating. Then, I realized, you wouldn't be able to see him. So, I'll probably go a different direction.
DECYPL - I'll take a cup! :)

[Max Martelli]

DECYPL: Gimme the pot.

Preliminary sketch using some reference from previous thread for now. It'll probably change.

[S.C. Watson]

DECYPL: Gimme the pot.

Sorry. Just drank it :bashful:

~Oreg.

[daestwen]

Aw man, out of all the things to do when I'm otherwise occupied! Sherlock and Watson for the win. :)

Hope you guys are having a good time! Now that I'll be stationary for the next week (just got in half an hour ago!) I should be around a bit more to help out. Hope you've all been treating Oreg okay!

[Adele]

Oregano is a good egg!

MJ_Alcazar , I know youa re still working on the hand placement....but definitely get his left hand out of his crotch...not only may it look a little creepy, but it also can be seen as being afraid to draw hands...Im sure you will figure it out :D

[J]

whipped up some silhouette studies to get the feel for Watson.

[Aly Fell]

I should have guessed this was coming! Are we going to get Mycroft, Moriarty and Irene Adler too! :)

[Adele]

I know my sketch (not entered) for Holmes was in a more realistic style...but I couldn't help doing this style, its me-fav!
Watson just naturally came out like this and I put some Jude Law in there...and I stayed away from stereotype because the description is more of a strong build...i think i read correctly.

[Adele]

you would love to draw the woman wouldnt you Posh!

WOULDNT YOU!!!!!!!!

and i bet she'd look pretty too...

[Aly Fell]

you would love to draw the woman wouldnt you Posh!

WOULDNT YOU!!!!!!!!

and i bet she'd look pretty too...

Adele - He he! ;)

[Pixeltuner]

meh, last week was a serious art-block for whatever reason, but here we are again with a nice tuesday morning Watson sketch/painting/thingie. :)

[Kaizer]

J 90 I really like the silhouette in the middle of the second row.. The more round one. lol.

[Foofea]

Adele can you do Watson with Holmes? I loved your Holmes picture, it'd be a shame to not submit it at all!

[Aly Fell]

First roughs. I thought I might do a portrait study to match Holmes, but these are the first ones that sprang to mind. The second is Holmes and Watson on the moor in Hound of the Baskervilles.

Edit: Little b/w update. Watson's trusty service revolver! Going to be all misty. Not much of a character piece though... Going to change Holmes's leg.

Edit 2: I work with two wonderful artists who post here on CA, and both (mainly Paul) have take great delight in pointing out that it looks like a really big Watson about to shoot a mini-Holmes in the back. Bless them! So I have altered the composition a bit and I think it reads better. I suppose I could do away with Holmes altogether! Thankyou Paul, thankyou Rune! ;)

Edit 3: A bit of colour, although not much, and changed the composition a bit. I'm not happy with Watsons pointing arm. Also flipped it to see...

[buffichar]

Never tried a competition before (biting nails) lets see how this goes:lifedrawing: :S

[mcmatz]

wip 1

--Madeline

[Shard]

wasnt too excited for the topic but i thought i'd give it a try anyway..

posh: cool sketches, I prefer the one on the left!! the likeness is amazing in both sketches, you can tell its the same person :P

pixeltuner that's cool!! hope you get some time to refine it further!!

looking forward to see everyone progress. :)

[madhatter106]

Well, I was hoping for Dr. Moriarity - to do the Napoleon of Crime after having done the ultimate "good guy" of mystery fiction would have been a nice shift. But Watson's nothing to sniff at either...!

[cowboy surfer]

As I did watson in my Holmes image already I wanted to properly redesign him for this round.
So I have kept away from the tubbyness, taken away his hair and given him a monacle!

[buffichar]

I'm torn. The first sketch was very technical and informative but kinda boring. I had more fun messing around with this one.

[Adele]

buffichar , dont stress...this is not a competition, its a fun challenge for ourselves and we get feedback here so we can get better...and to give us ideas we may not of come up with ourselves. The poll is just a friendly after thought of which ones people thought rocked their world. :D

shardana nice work so far, just a bit unsure about the area around Watson's chin...is it a double chin or a beard or a scarf?

foofea, thanks! :) But if I did put Holmes in this one...I wouldnt do the same 'realistic' style...same pose etc...but in the style of Watson here...because I am too busy this week to lay down some solid time for hardcore painting and texturing :(

[Max Martelli]

Sorry. Just drank it :bashful:

~Oreg.

NOOOOOOO! Now I have to sleep..... zzzzzzzzzzz


(yawns) Updates on the sketch and crits a little later.

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0009-3.jpg

Another take. I'm hoping it doesn't look too much western gunslinger. I have no clue what guns were used in what era and if they were different in Britain and America so I'm going to reference that for his raised hand.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Pixeltuner - I'm liking it so far!

Poshspice - I'm liking both sketches. The one on the left is probably more characteresque than the right one. But, I my fav. story was always Hound of the Baskervilles, and the one on the right just strikes a cord. :)

bufficher - watch the hat. It's the first thing that jumped out at me how small it is and it looks like an extension of his hand instead of being held. I like the pose in the second one.

cowboy surfer - looking good so far. I like the doctor's bag.

Shardana - the coat looks a little odd to me. I think the buttons may go down to far or something. I like how you are showing him as a bit of a dectective in his own right.

Adele - Looking good, I like the style
mcmatz - I love how you are going the doctor route, looking good so far.

[Max Martelli]

looking good everyone.

Here's an updated sketch, some crits later.

I still have to work out the perspective of the books on the table. I'll have another stage later tonight.

Let me know what you think.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Thanks arthur! Great link.

I'm sorry Max Martelli I missed you! - It's looking pretty good. I'm a little confused by his right hand, I can't tell if he's gripping something or if there's something in his hand like a pipe. Maybe clear that up a bit?

[J]

this is what I have so far. He seems a bit boring for me. Any crits or tips on how to make him better would be greatly appreciated.

[Adele]

i added a holmes...for effect :D

[Max Martelli]

Crits, forgive me if I ramble, it's late and Oregano drank all the coffee.

Senira: Looking good so far. I would go with the less round Watson because I don't think that the image of a fat guy properly characterizes Dr. Watson, or at least doesn't characterize him in the right way.

Adele: Pretty funny. I like that you added Sherlock. I think that maybe you can put an expression on his face that makes him look annoyed at Watson or something like that. Maybe rolling his eyes at his humor or something. Keep it going.

Pixeltuner: Looks pretty good so far. It's a rather awkward pose. He looks a little tipped or that he is staggering. Perhaps play around with the positioning of his feet?

Poshspice: Looking great. You have such a good sense of any character you depict. Your illustration really makes me want to read Hound of the Baskervilles. I just finished The Sign of Four so perhaps I will. I can't wait to see the next stages.

Buffichar: I'll crit each one first.
First: A few things to watch for, The buttons on the coat look awkward. They come over too far. Also the hat looks like it is his hand instead of that he is holding the hat. For the coat, I would get some reference pictures of people from this time period. Search around in the thread for CHOW 129 (Sherlock Holmes). There were alot of good reference photos there.
Second: looks good. I think it needs a light source. Its looking a little too close in value all around. It needs some more contrast.

Ultimately I think that you should go with the piece that you will have A) the most fun doing and B) that you think will help you learn the most. This competition to me is all a learning process. I'm just trying to make a better image everytime while I learn how to better use the materials at my disposal. This is great practice and I think at the end of the week you should be able to look at your work and say I learned something valuable from this and I had fun along the way.

mcmatz: Looking good so far. That texture is interesting, I want to see where you go with it.

Shardana: The babckground looks really cool. The figure is a little stumpy. Make his torso shorter and his legs longer. Also he has little to no neck. The head doesnt fit with the body. The head he has seems like it should be on a bigger and stockier body. This can be fixed by making the head slimmer or the body stockier. Keep going.

cowboy_surfer: He reminds of something but I just can't put my finger on it. I like him so far. Watch the foot that is sitting on the ground, Its looking a little squished down there. Maybe you can put some more space between the edge of the paper and the foot. Also the foots perspective looks like we are seeing it more or less from the front whereas the rest of the figure is seen from a slightly higher angle.

MJ_Alcazar: Looking better than the seated pose. He looked a little creepy in the other one to tell the truth. (Hand in crotch, what was he doing?????) the only thing about this one I would watch out for is his free hand. It's looking a little awkward. Hands are pretty hard and rendering hands succesfully in awkward positions is difficult. Perhaps you can put it more behind him, or in a different position. He could possibly be holding something as well. Keep going with it. Also try and get some more reference on the clothes. The folds are looking a little too flat.

J_90: It's looking good. It's hard to make a stationary pose look engaging. If you felt inclined, you could change the pose but givin the amount of work you've put in already this might be piling on extra work that you might not have time for. Maybe adding another element into the scene will make it more interesting. He could have his hand doing something even if it's placed on a table or something. I say that you should keep going with it and in time something will come to mind. As far as what you have down there right now goes, it's good. his feet sit nicely. The only thing that looks a little wierd is his hand going into the pocket. I think it's the angle his forearm is at. You could maybe make his upper arm a little longer and angle his forearm a little more? Keep up with it.

Here's the latest on my sketch. I'm trying some different brushes and I like the look of it so far. Forgive my note across the top. Just wanted to remind myself to try the texture of the tracing paper in the background. let me know what you think.

[buffichar]

:yum:
Ah now i can relax.
Adele Thanks. I'm playing with my new tablet. 9 days and counting. It's been real fun but freaking out is something i just need to chill out with. Love your website by the way.

MJ_Alcazar Glad you mentioned the hat. That thing was bothering me. One of the reasons i changed the pose. I'll tackle that pose when i feel inspired and not irritated. :)

[Sforza]

Alright - I'm trying to keep Watson in style with my Holmes, so there's my first sketch. I knew I wasn't going to go the "bumbling idiot" route, but I'm quite the fan of the heavier Watson, I think it contrasts nicely with Holmes. I guess he's just been weighed down a little by the quiet good life after his soldier times. ;)
http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq92/lra_b/sketches/watson-1.jpg
Poshspice: Very nice mood in the Baskerville one! Exactly how I think Watson should "traditionally" be portrayed.

Pixeltuner: The pose looks looks somewhat contrived, but I love your Watson's face - very likeable.

MaxMartelli: Nice, but maybe a little too dandyish - it's probably the hairstyle and beard. ;)

[Aly Fell]

Max Martelli – Ha ha! I’m re-reading A Study in Scarlet at the moment. I went back to it because it’s where Holmes first meets Watson and just got into it. Conan Doyle writes in a very modern style, and I recommend anyone to read the Sherlock Holmes stories. Discovering them for the first time is a wonderful treat.

Arthur Two Sheds – I’m still experimenting with the technique. Don’t think I’ve really got it though, as it can involve a lot of repainting it seems. Oh dear the IFX article. I still keep thinking of that monster and being up at four in the morning. I'm so sorry...

Will crit later. At work now...

[buffichar]

:anime:
Did another sketch from another angle. Good thing from this. I drew somewhat consistent characters. Something I've wanted to do since birth..erm
what was i saying. Yes more sketches seem to be making the old doc more familiar so i guess now i have to decide what to do with the old chum.
:lounge:
I have time. If nothing else I'm getting a Watson portfolio and that was something i never would have done on my own

MaxMartelli Thanks again for your suggestions. I've had crits before and i think i prefer yours hands down. Well!
Back to some sketching. Can you see the huge smile on my face.

[Shard]

thanks everyone for the crits!! :)
it was looking a little too lame so i thought i'd go for something a bit more badass this time..

[buffichar]

Shardana: Hello Watson. "Say Hello to my little friend."
Very nice ;)

[Tommoy]

Not the most inspiring person but therefor a greater challenge.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t19/Tommoy/CHOW130s1k.jpg

[Clochette]

Shardana : You made a gun which reminds more Al Capone period than Sherlock Holmes period. :/

Adele : Haaaa love it! :D That's a hand! xD Yeah!

[buffichar]

I thought the posed doctor looking soulfully into the distance would be the way to go. He kept pouting when i was trying to think of another pose.
So far I've worked lighting to this stage.
I'm grateful for help here please..Buttons. What else can I do?
I muted the background to make it more neutral. I wasn't thinking about it before hand and it shows. last minute touch up.

Does the light source look messed up?

Tommoy Now this doctor is cute. Ah! Reminds me of those round uncles who always have sweets in their pockets. I wish i had one of those

[edujante]

a quick good doctor...

Try to approach to a vintage cartoon. Using desaturated colors and flat perspective...

http://edujante.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/watson1.jpg

[guggemmaneuver]

a whirling turkish twist
dervish with bad arm anatomy and big fuzzy hands

486636

great work everyone!

[Clochette]

Oh Edujante! Please this time don't miss the deadline! :D Your doctor is SO cool! :D

[Shard]

Shardana : You made a gun which reminds more Al Capone period than Sherlock Holmes period. :/

oh..I thought both of them are pretty much around the same period?

[Adele]

edujante nice!

[Clochette]

Al Capone (1899, Brooklyn, New York / 1947, Palm Island, Florida)
Sherlock Holmes (from wiki) "The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1907, with a final case in 1914."


Yes you're right, it's not far in time... but in space.
The culture is not the same, and I thought that the kind of gun you made recalls more USA gangster of the early 1900' than Sherlock Holmes stories. :)
Just my two cents! I'm maybe wrong!

[mcmatz]

I'm taking a different approach on this challenge. I usually start with more of a sketch and work smoother and flatter. On this one I'm using a textured brush and roughing in areas.

Here's what I have now:

--Madeline

[SocratesJackson]

So, I didn't read a description of Watson, and I haven't read any of source material, but I decided to get drawing anyway.
The result; Battle Watson, with requisite huge hands and bull neck. Also, he looks kinda old west. No matter, it's not like I expect to win this anyway. Painting begins presently.
http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/5/3/1043533/Battle%20Watson%20copy.jpg

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0010-2.jpg

I moved his hand and added the gun. Something in his stance seems a bit off to me at the moment, but I can't quite place what it is.

[Max Martelli]

Not much of an update. I worked around with what I had and added some more (vest and head). I'm satisfied so far. I really wanted to work more but I had alot of homework.

Also in case anyone was wondering what the books will be, they are going to be either 3 volumes of his reminiscences (perhaps a journal he keeps, recording the cases of Holmes) or 3 of his novels about Holmes (Study in Scarlet, Sign of Four, and Hound of the Baskervilles most likely)

Let me know what you think so far, and which of the two choices of what the books will be I should go through with, reminiscences or novels.

I'll get to more crits tomorrow if I can.

[Adele]

progress...

more progress...

[nirudafat]

edujante: Man i totally dig your pic!! awesome work!

[edujante]

Thanks for the comments!!

Adele: Good watson, maybe i dont imagine him as so goodlooking but anyway youre having a good character!!
Clochette: I think this round you could do a watson using the clochette style...could be awesome.Im sad cause this weekend, again, i go to the mountain where the net doesnt exist...
nirudafat:.....thanks...snif snif

[vineris]

All these stylized Watsons are great! :)

This is probably going nowhere, I'm not sure where to take it colour-wise. But it was fun to do.

[hungryan]

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo216/hungryan1/watson_sketch_WIP.jpg

This is my first ever post here (and any forum really). I've decided recently that I will do something other than work. Hopefully my enthusiasm holds until the end of this challenge.

[Cyr]

MJ Alcazar #54:
<i>"Something in his stance seems a bit off to me at the moment"</i>

Here's what came to me on a close look:

1) Watson appears to be in motion. However, a natural walking motion is almost invariably with opposing arms and legs moving at the same time. (Right arm swings forward when left leg steps forward, left arm & right leg ditto.) This drawing looks like left arm and left leg are moving forward at the same time.

2) The left leg, particularly the foot, look like they're twisted out to the left, rather than the foot pointing straight forward in the direction of motion. Part of this, I think, is that the left leg isn't as well-defined as the right.

3) The right arm, where it connects to the torso, looks too far inward/towards the front of the chest; it might help to move the arm out slightly to the left/back. Also, the seam of the sleeve, where it connects to the body of the coat, looks smaller than the left arm's sleeve.

I also want to add, MJ, that your work has improved significantly since you started posting to CHOW. Your first pieces were very "flat" and unconvincing, but your more recent work -- particularly since you've started to use color -- has started to "pop" out of the page and give that essential illusion of depth. Keep up the hard work!

[hungryan]

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo216/hungryan1/watson_sketch_WIP_2.jpg
continued...
By the way, Edujante, your Watson looks great, I've checked your blog and I can say that all your stuff is very fresh and funny.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Hungryan - I'm really liking your watson so far. Oh, and welcome!
edjuante - I'm sorry you won't be here. I liked your Watson. Always a treat to see your work.
Poshspice - I like this new version better. Keep up the good work!

Cyr - thank you so much for pointing that out. He's moving his right foot, but I put too much movement into his left leg, I think.
Unfortunately, I had rendered the bottom half before I got on here. I was able to try to fix his arms. I think it looks a lot better. Now that I think of it. I think that's what Max was telling me too, I just took it as lower arm and not upper. oops!
I may have to redo this, but I'll see if I can save this first with the legs.
Oh, and I'm trying out a new shading style. I've never tried to do the hatching thing with pencil, and I'm hoping it clears up a lot of that muddiness my drawings usually have.
Ok, I know, long post. Sorry about that.
EDIT: Hopefully the leg looks a little better. And thank you Madhatter for pointing out the lapels!
EDIT2: I should've blocked in all the colors on one layer, before going to the next. I'll know to do that next time. You live you learn.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0011-4-1.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0012-4-1.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/wipwatson1-1.jpghttp://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/wipwatson2-1.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/wipwatson3-1.jpg

[Adele]

edjuante My Watson is based a little on Jude Law...who is playing him in the new film...hence the good-looking-ness that you see I guess.

[ElleMadigan]

My first CHOW!
When I read this topic my first thought was actually The Great Mouse Detective - I loved that movie and I forgot all about it.

Lol. Anyways...
WIP:
487944

Update ( thx for the great crits! )
http://www.ofstorms.com/watson_WIP3.jpg

[Max Martelli]

Another update. Worked more on the character and his surroundings, no background yet.

I'll get to crits tomorrow.

Let me know what you think.

[Angel Intheuk]

Hi
This is my attempt at the affable Mr Watson. I was inspired by old portraits I googled of 19th Century Doctors and tried to make him look like a tough man who is good natured, don't know if this comes across. I'm not sure what to do with his hands either, I was going to have him putting on some gloves ready for action (In good ol' English style) but not sure if that's too boring...maybe a doctors bag or a gun? what do you think?

Cheers

P.S some excellent pieces :)

[madhatter106]

Angel - that last set of buttons looks awfully close to the bottom hemline of the coat - too close in my estimation - I'd move them up a bit, or get rid of them entirely.

Max Martelli - looks good, I like this technique you are using. Your fabric folds look great. His head and hand look a bit small to me, maybe just a fraction too small - it gives him a delicacy, though. His hair also seems a bit too long in the back, especially since he's a doctor - I'd imagine Watson with a pretty controlled and clipped coif. Is this one inspired by some of the ref photos I posted in the Holmes thread last week? Looking forward to the final result...

ElleMadigan - good start. Though I like the pose, I think the way he's wearing the clothes, particularly in that the vest does not come to the pant waist, makes him look more like a drunkard or a vagrant, and less like a doctor. The Victorian era was rather proper and restrained, and for someone of his vocation and social standing, it just looks a tad sloppy. And my guess is that pants were a bit more high-waisted at this time period, hence you wouldn't be seeing the shirt at all. I posted a bunch of reference photos of chaps during the late Victorian and early Edwardian era in the CHOW thread for last week, I'm sure if you took a looksie over there you wouldn't see much shirt creeping out from under the vest in any of those pics. ;)

MJ Alcazar - great start - I'd suggest taking a look some suit lapels - you'll find that rather than being one piece of fabric with a notch cut, there are two pieces joined together that form the notch. I would refrain from drawing the notch almost to the edge of the fold of the suitcoat front, as that's not how lapels are made. (A quick googling of suit lapels, or a gander at the pics I posted last week in the Holmes thread, will show you what I'm talking about.) Hope you can finish this one and that GIMP doesn't give out on you like in the last challenge... :)

[buffichar]

hungryan
I really like your watson. Above all i like the expression on his face. Could you make it a smoking gun please!! :D

[hungryan]

Buffichar: Yeah, I was thinking of a smoking gun, I will have to change the picture a bit, to make place for that. Let's see if I'll have time today to do some more work on the image.

[buffichar]

:carnifex:
I like my new tablet. I still don't understand it but i like it. We made up and did this sketch.

Thanks you guys. You guys work is helping me alot.

[Shard]

here's mine with some tweaks..doubt i'll have any time to keep at it..

lol arthur58..your watson is HOT!!! :)

[Blinckk]

Hey guys, nice work so far everyone!
I have a question, do we have to try to represent him in a "direct" way, or can we do our own interpretation ?
I already have this sketch, where I represent him as a "fat evil man" :P, just making sure if it is allowed, here is the sketch

http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/800/watsonwipkx1.jpg

take care everyone

[Kerberos]

Arthur is that supposed to be Dr. Watson? I think she might need some spectacles or something.

[ElleMadigan]

Epic fail, arthur58

Thx for the purple Avril - but I think this thread is for Dr.Watson.

[Blinckk]

ok, here is a little update

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/623/watsonwip3jy1.jpg

[daestwen]

Epic fail, arthur58

Thx for the purple Avril - but I think this thread is for Dr.Watson.

Fixed :)

Just as a general note, guys (though I know most of you know this already), Chow is for Chow only!

(Never thought I would have to point this out. :) )

[RevoLverZ]

Nice work everybody , tomorow I`ll be back with some crits.
My wip. Crits are welcome.

[Senira]

Here's my latest WIP. I almost skipped out on this round because I was having such a hard time finding a Watson design that I liked, but this one stuck out for me after some doodling. Thanks max martelli for suggesting that I stick closer to Watson's description. In this new design, I tried to make him look stronger so you get a better sense of him in his military days.

Hands? What are those?

[Max Martelli]

madhatter106: Thanks, I am using one of the photos you posted for reference. Thank you by the way for all of those great pictures. I'll try and clip the hair down some. I wanted it a bit on the long side but I think it got too long.

Great job everyone. They're looking good.

No time for crits tonight, sorry. I'll definitely fit them in tomorrow.

More work on the table and the books. Still needs some work all over and I need to do something with the background. I have some ideas for the overall texture of the piece. I'm going to try them as soon as I'm done with the contents of the piece. Hopefully by tomorrow night I can start experimenting. I'll post the results then.

Let me know what you think so far.

[hungryan]

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo216/hungryan1/watson_sketch_WIP_3.jpg

Taking it a bit further, losing something along the way... I'm not happy with a lot of stuff yet, and now I feel I should have done things differently. Like not working on 1 layer, or making the sketchy lines less visible at the beginning of the painting phase. Well, this is why I'm doing this now, to learn.

MaxMartelli: The picture looks good, but it's strange how the guy's elbow just touches the right border. It's not the best choice composition-wise in my opinion.

Blinck: That's a scary guy! I've checked your enviroment pictures and seem to have a delicate touch, they look awesome.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Hmmm, I may have gotten a little fog happy on this version. Luckily, every little bit, I saved a version. So, I can always go back. yay!
I have other, less fogged versions posted in my sketchbook if anyone wants to take a gander. Didn't want to crowd this thread up too much more than I already have. :)

Max Martelli - I'm liking the books. Looking good so far, keep it up!
Senira- Hey, maybe that's the horrible wounds he suffered during that last battle he was in? ;) I like his face.
RevolverZ - looking good so far. The pants look a little too smooth.
Blinckk - scary! Not really how I saw him, but nice way of taking him a new direction. :)

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/wipwatson7.jpg

[Max Martelli]

Sforza: Looking good. I think his legs are a little short. They seemed to be dwarfed by his torso. It almost looks like his jacket is too big for him. This could just be what you were going for but if not I would look into it.

Tommoy: He looks very jolly. His color looks a little wierd right now. It looks like it is sticking up when it should probabbly be faling around his neck.

edujante: Even though I'm typically against the idea of a funny, bumbling, jolly, fat Watson, yours make me laugh and make me love the funny, bumbling, jolly, fat Watsons of the world. Great job. The background colors look a little too close in value to the figure of Watson however.

guggemmaneuver: Looks good but I'm not getting Watson from him. He has a little too much "Turk" in him I think.

mcmatz: Very interesting method, I can't wait to see what the final looks like. Watson himself is looking good but I would try and work on the background a bit as it is seeming much too flat right now.

SocratesJackson: Looks pretty good. A few things to watch for would be his head (a little squished looking, too small I think. Needs more chin.), the arm holding the cane looks a little too long, and there is something funny about the way his feet are sitting on the ground. They are too flat, it doesn't seem natural. Try angling them slightly.

Adele: I like it so far, I can't wait to see the finished product.

vineris: Watch the angle of the opening of his coat, it looks like it is going too far to the side. Also his waist seems to come down too far. This can probably be fixed by making his legs a little longer.

MJ_Alcazar: Looking good. I think that his cane is a little small. Just needs to be lengthened a bit. I would try and angle the cane so it goes back in space instead of just making it longer as this would take up too much space and make the composition little funky. Your coloring looks better as well. It seems less blotchy. (I wrote the following before you posted again, I'm going to keep it because I spent some time typing it and I thought it would be useful to someone at least.) I would explore the background as well. One thing that is good to remember is that your background takes up most of your picture most of the time, to leave it out is to leave your piece unresolved in parts and could potentially hurt the piece as a whole. This of course can be ignored under the circumstances. If you are purely designing a character and wish to only showcase him, a background is not necesserily needed but addressing it in some way (design, texture, color) could help you to showcase the figure in the foreground. Forgive me if I rambled on. Keep it up.

ElleMadigan: Its looking good so far. I agree with madhatter106 about the vest. Also it seems that the bent leg needs to be a little longer. I would keep his leg bent as it is but make the parts of his leg longer so it results in a sharper angle if that makes any sense.

Angel_Intheuk: Looks pretty good so far. I would watch his legs. tHey seem a little stuck on and that they arn'e exactly part of the figure. I think that they are too far apart. Try bringing them together more in the center of the figure.

Shardana: Looking good. I still get American gangster from it but its pretty cool none the less. The total atmosphere is overall pretty good.

Blinckk: Looks good and creepy. Same as above in the sense of the atmosphere. I would watch the way he is sitting ont he ground. He looks a bit like he is floating.

RevoLverZ: Looks good so far. I like the face. I'm a little confused as to how his monacle is staying on. This could just be due to my lack of monacle knowledge. I thought that they fit into the orbit of the eye and were custom made to sit without falling. I think that moving the monacle back closer to his eye and getting rid of the bridge piece would make the monacle more believable. Also his hand is looking a little undefined.

Senira: Good start. His legs arn't siting quite right and of course he needs hands still (hooks,give him hooks. Just kidding. Although having hooks without eyes could be very creepy in a good way although it would be entirely un-Watson). Keep it up.

hungryan: Looks good. The light coming out of the lantern looks a little too solid. Also his left leg (the one nearest the lantern) looks a little thin. It could just be that it is mostly behind the other leg but it still could be a bit thicker I think. The foot could also come out a little farther. Otherwise keep on working.

Buffichar: Tablets are fun, also they are a useful ally once you become aquainted (I'm almost positive that is not how you spell that word). I need a new one myself, mines just a bit too old. I like how you are not sticking to one set design. It is good to explore a character in several different ways. I hope you have the time to finish one of them if you choose to. In the version with the moon, the moon looks a little too luminescient. tone down the glow of the moon. Also, making it smaller wouldn't hurt. The newest sketch is pretty good. I would just watch how his feet are sitting and the tilt of his head. They are a tad off. Also I would watch the way his jacket fals in the back. It looks a little too rigid. It would be a good idea in my opinion of finding some good reference photos (madhatter106 posted some great ones in the Sherlock Holmes thread CHOW 129) and rendering them. This would be good practice both in your observational skills and would be a good opportunity to get to know your tablet a little better. Good luck and keep going.

[Max Martelli]

My bad, I seem to have posted my crits three times. oops. sorry. I have deleted the second two to conserve space on the page. Of course, you can't see them now so this post is next to useless.

Anyway, good job everyone and I'm sorry if I missed anyone in my previous post.

[Max Martelli]

Fooling around mostly.

The first one is the image as it is so far (untampered with mostly, minus the color)

The others are a few different variations of me trying to get the feel of an old photograph.

I'm leaning towards the last image. I still need to make my lights lighter though (especially in his skin and his white clothing)

Let me know what you think.

[Blinckk]

An update, almost finished, just a few more touches
Nice work so far guys :) keep it up

[hungryan]

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo216/hungryan1/watson_sketch_WIP_4.jpg
Another update, let's see if I will have time to take this further, or stop here.
I think I will post some crits tomorrow.

[daestwen]

Guys, just a friendly reminder, but:

ONLY FINALS IN THE FINALS THREAD, PLEASE.

Please wait to leave comments until after the Poll is up! Thank you!

[Adele]

here is apparently a picture of Downey jr as upcoming Holmes :D

awesome!

[Max Martelli]

I didn't know Sherlock Holmes drank Starbucks!

That movie should prove to be amazing. I can't wait. I heard that 2010 was the proposed release date.

More updates. I think I'm just about done.

The first is just some touchups, I pulled out some whites and fixed the books a bit.

Next I got the photo looking a bit more like how I wanted it.

Finally Dr. Watson was kind enough to sign and date my picture. What a guy.

Let me know what you think.

[Max Martelli]

Here's what the final looks like. I probably wont get to some last minute crits but all in all they are looking pretty good. Great job everyone.

Good luck

[ArtAdonis]

Here's my final, came into this one late. I was thinking of Watson being forced into some kind of action to try something different with him.
Some great entries but I can't really type out crits as I'm in work, Will try later. Good luck everyone!

http://www.artadonis.com/Uploads/CHOW/CHOW130_ArtAdonis.jpg

[AUG]

Wonderful work and thoughtful critiques in this thread. I can see that I will not have time to finish this round but, I thought that I would post a WIP. I have followed along with the CHOW activity in the past but, have not participated before.

This started out as pastel on paper. Scanned and edited in PS and Painter.

[Tom Garden]

hi everyone, long time since i last posted a chow! here is mine for this week, wish i'd had more time for the colour phase, had to keep it simple. some wip shots also!
http://tomgarden.co.uk/Webpics/chow130_tomgarden.jpg

http://tomgarden.co.uk/Webpics/watson_wip.jpg

[Max Martelli]

Blinckk: Very creepy. I like the dark environment.

hungryan: I saw the final and it looks pretty good. I can't help but think the lighting with the lantern could have been even punchier if there was less light around the corner. Also his legs look a little less finished than the rest of the piece. Just things to think about and watch for in the future. Keep it up.

ArtAdonis: I like the sense of movement you have going here. It probably too late to fix given its the end of the week but it looks like his foot is a bit too small and the angle of his leg is a bit off. Just something to watch for in the future.

AUG: You should definitely start participating more. I would love to see somehting like your Watson fleshed out more. It's quite good so far. The only things that I think can be fixed (besides being unfinished) would be that the background looks a little too active. While the imagery is simple the "brushwork" or strokemarks seem a little too much. Also Whatever Watson is wearing could be more clear. I imagine it is a frock and that he is supposed to be holding some kind of medical instrument to be used on the girl? Keep it up.

Tom Garden: Looks great. Very funny. The only problems I have with it are that his back leg looks a bit short. It seems like his knee should come out farther if his foot is positioned the way it is or alternately his foot should go back farther if his knee is positioned the way it is. Right now it looks like if he extended it fully his leg would be at least a few inches (for him not us) shorter than his other leg. This next one is just a personal preference but I think the bowl of the pipe shouldn't come up as high as it does. I know that these pipes can in fact do this but like I said, aesthetically I just prefer it to come down below the mouthpiece. Otherwise, great job.

[Adele]

not sure about the speech thats suddenly appearing in some entries...great images...but was the speech in the initial pose and sketch? Thats what mine is based around and made it humourous...now its not so original...just thought Id bring it up. :)

and here is jude law as watson...released today.

[AUG]

Max,

Thanks for the useful critique. I'm not acquainted with any "art folk" so, I have become accustomed to the lack of thoughtful analysis. In fact, it has been over two years since I have shown artwork to anyone. Hopefully a presence on CA will remedy that situation.

Your input is appreciated and I will take your recommendations to heart.

[Tom Garden]

i hadnt seen any others when i put my speech text there! oops! felt i needed to make sure people knew what watson was up to! :)

[hungryan]

Thanks for everyone, I've really liked this thing.
And sorry that I didn't help everyone with crits, I've just had quite a lot of work to do, and I've rushed a bit my own picture too :(

[Adele]

i hadnt seen any others when i put my speech text there! oops! felt i needed to make sure people knew what watson was up to! :)

yeah, i was trying to imagine if your piece would communicate the message without the text...but i think you would have to see that it WAS Holmes on the ground...but then it would take away the humour it presents...so i guess the text is needed.

[sve]

Hello, Aug... I was surprised by your entry! I can tell you were progressing as an artist in some other place following your own path, not being influenced by artists of this site... But I can tell you are Toulouse Lautrec admirer ;).
So when I saw your entry, it was like someone pinched me and ordered to look deeper. :). Unusual in many way. First I kind of forget about charm of not exaggerated human proportions, not 1 to 9 or 1 to 10 or even one to 15, but conservative one to 8 and half. It increased presence of your doctor. Then meaningful, natural pose... again was striking, I got used to characters standing on their toes or in a moment of fall or jump or spasm... This simple choice eased me nerves and prepared me to a calm storytelling.
And many more things..

Like for example type of face or figure you chose for your doctor (thin face, with light fragile features, a light, fitted body, in a good shape ( used to walk a lot), more like a brainy type, than a sportsman, not an idle socialite, but a working man, very useful for society person,

or colors (warm and modest),

or place where event happened: his regular place: being busy, being a doctor, being useful.

Interesting that he is not heavy set: so should be pretty out-going personality. His mustache... reminder about him being a military doctor, his hands, pretty flexible, long fingered, thoughtful hands.
Only a bit narrow forehead and skull in general and the bird like profile make me think about slightly limited nature of intellect and probably narrow field of interests. He looks like a specialist, with a good but limited knowledge in certain field: medicine.

If you don't mind critique I would say that the t girl in the BG... I can't stop thinking that in this perspective her head looks a bit too big,and the whole figure should be smaller. I just imagine if she stood up near the Doctor she would be a giant.

The other thing, you hinted that the light above her is bright, doctor is preparing for autopsy...I think shadows under the close source of a strong light should be darker, deeper and sharper. and the rest of the room, more in the shade... To say it in another words... lighting looks indefinite between day light and strong electric light in a dark room.

The muted warm colors create wonderful sense of past, but the natural pose and realistic figure create a very strong presence.

[CUBICcube]

Max Martelli - John H. Watson? don't you mean.....
JOHN HUSSAIN WATSON!?!

hehe might get in on this but... a little late.

[ArtAdonis]

Great CHOW everyone, I got a lot of inspiration from the final entries.
Special thanks to Cowboy Surfer who gave me a great bit of advice on CHOWs.
Also thanks for the kind words from Foofea and Pseudocognition

Adele - Jude Law looks great as Watson!

[AUG]

Sve,

I appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to form such a thoughtful response to my post. I must admit that I did not give as much consideration to the narrative elements in the image as you did in your critique. Had I done so, the direction of the piece would not have changed course so many times and I would have made the deadline. Your words are encouraging and I will make an effort to flesh out the composition rather than to let it languish unfinished in some folder.

Your criticism is welcome and warranted. The girl was a deviation from the original design and her inclusion did nothing to strengthen the work as a whole. Also, the lighting was poorly thought out and made the environment seem artificial. Sometimes I think an emphasis on abstraction, rather than naturalism, would be a more effective route to follow.

Yes I am an admirer of Lautrec but, I am also a fan of numerous artists that post on this site, including you. The members of this forum continue to be a positive influence on my personal direction and outlook through the originality of their creations, constructive criticisms and their generosity in sharing knowledge of the art world. For example, I had not given sequential art so much as a passing glance in 15 years until I started reading some of the comic related threads on this forum. Now I perceive the likes of a Bernie Wrightston or Frank Frazetta to have no less intrinsic value than a Goya or Schiele. Subject matter or my projections of artists intent takes a back seat to execution and design. I was blind to these perceptions before I became acquainted with CA.

Again, thanks for sharing your observations. It really means something to me.

AUG

[sve]

Well, it is silly to argue with an artist himself, but I don't agree. A girl is needed, she (as a passive body) is a regular feature of the doctor's every day's routine. Another thing, that young girls and women, damsels in distress were an essential hook of the Conan Doyle's stories. So... for me personally it all suits the character.
I liked the empty operating room as well. I liked this wonderful subtlety of your entry.
Don't be hard on yourself, your entry is outstanding and truthful, and in my opinion spot on for the character. I love it. I really wish to see your other artwork, especially that you manage pastel so lovely.

With the rest of your thoughts I totally agree. I discovered something else for myself, something new when I started to read people's posts and look at art on this site.
The most fresh thought for me was that people can be very open, and trusting, and brave when they create their art, and that their enjoyment of the process and their personality are obvious through their art and very pleasant to witness. That was very attractive. I was prepared to the diversity of the tastes and genres already though.
But this enjoyment (almost like enjoyment of a gourmet by a process of eating) when creating some design or picture... love to details, definite vision of what they want, and this trusting desire to share yourself with the rest of the world are still striking and touching for me...
I realize we talk with you about different aspects.
Thanks for kind words, I don't think I deserved them, I'm a green horn.