Chow 133 :: Spike, The Dragon Dentist

[S.C. Watson]

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

ROUND #133 :: SPIKE, THE DRAGON DENTIST

DESCRIPTION

Ike goes by "Spike" and he's a Dragon Dentist. So you dread getting your wisdom teeth pulled? Spike offers wisdom while pulling your teeth! Many used to gossip that Spike was a dragon "slayer" based on the tools in his possession. A wanderer by nature, he's never had or needed an office.

-Spike is a Dragon Dentist without an office, he travels the lands answering house calls (carries the tools he needs with him at all times) No pictures of a dentist in an room with a dragon in his chair please

-Spike is old and wise, something of an ancient legend himself

-Time period could vary from ancient fantasy to modern day, but nothing about Spike is ordinary.

-Spike is human.

:medusachow: Thank you to Stephen_R for this absolutely wonderful character idea!
---------------------------------------------------------
DEADLINE
MONDAY, November 3rd, 2008
Deadline is Monday, at 5pm Pacific Standard Time.
---------------------------------------------------------
: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)
-------------------------
: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)

[OTTA]

Interested Topic One! It should be nice to try on this :)

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://www.bracez.com/zooDentist.htm

ohhh, sounds fun, here's a link. may give someone some inspiration.

EDIT:
here's one on equine's. One picture in particular looks REALLY painful.

http://www.gaitedhorses.net/Articles/EqD/EquineDentistry.shtml

[chaosrocks]

it does have the semantic ambiguity though

is he a human dentist who works on dragons? (who no doubt have dental problems which is what makes them so ill tempered)

or is he a dragon who is a dentist.? in a world where dragons are common enough to have professions....

either could be a great character

[S.C. Watson]

Just clarified - Thanks Chaos. Spike is human :)

All the best,
~Oreg.

[Relic]

Quick question:when is the deadline?

[S.C. Watson]

Quick question:when is the deadline?

Right below the description: Monday, November 3rd, at 5pm, Pacific Standard.

~Oreg.

[amaliax]

wheeeee! I might just have time to do one again! :D Excellent description!

[Asatira]

Oh, this sounds delightfully fun! I look forward to seeing what comes up.

[Relic]

Right below the description: Monday, November 3rd, at 5pm, Pacific Standard.

~Oreg.


But it still display "MONDAY, October 27th, 2008"

[c4l3b]

I may have to try another! I can only get better right?

[amaliax]

:teeth: hi.

[REAPERaKaALLBetter]

haha. this ones an awsome idea for a chow. good luck to everyone. im going to try and get this one done, sounds fun!
peace!

[Relic]

Does this guy have to be "Spike"? I mean,can he be an asian or whoever is not named "Spike"? :)

[REAPERaKaALLBetter]

hold on. is this a character that already exists or is just something we can make up from scratch.?lol. bcus i already started sketching.haha

[armando]

Does this guy have to be "Spike"? I mean,can he be an asian or whoever is not named "Spike"? :)

hold on. is this a character that already exists or is just something we can make up from scratch.?lol. bcus i already started sketching.haha


Serious questions? Damn.

[edujante]

WIP!

Spyke is a superhero an of course a dentist cause my friend has an strong Punch that knockes and clean the dragons mouth..Ah! the dragons in the spikes city are very very evil and they kidnapp virgins and grandmothers...uf


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

[Clochette]

I'm in! :D
Wonderful idea!

[Nutter]

Ha, love the superhero idea edujante.

wip

[Pixeltuner]

this is gonna be fun, looks like there could be some good humor involved.

[S.C. Watson]

But it still display "MONDAY, October 27th, 2008"

what the hell? I changed that! Aw, well. More twilight zone weirdness. Thanks Relic - it should read correctly now.

hold on. is this a character that already exists or is just something we can make up from scratch.?lol. bcus i already started sketching.haha

You'll want to follow the brief. It's fairly open, but there are specific points there that you will want to include.

Does this guy have to be "Spike"? I mean,can he be an asian or whoever is not named "Spike"?
He can be asian. But an asian named "Spike." Ethnicity wasn't specified - the name was. :)

All the best,
~Oreg.

[DSAzeppelin]

sounds like a fun one!


gotta sneak some sketch time while I'm at work

[edujante]

Love it Clochette!!

[Pixeltuner]

well, here's my first lunchbreak sketch. Just to get the general idea of the old, bad tempered grandpa guy with big a drill for a walking stick. The end product is going to be a lot more stylized because I feel like going a bit more 'cartoony' for this one.

oh btw: that giant toothbrush made me laugh, don't throw it away :D

[UCT]

HA neet stuff,

Arthur2sheilds - I like the little face mask touch, dragons breath is really gonna hum.

edujante - superhero! nice spin, the sketch looks sweet too.

Pixeltuner - cool, grat character and gesture/pose. I look forward to a more developed image, great start.

Nutter - I f'n love it. I really like rough work and that looks brilliant to me. :)

Heres my interpritation. ? :S

[Daray]

UCT: He looks a little too alien right now, even if it is just his clothing, he reads as an alien, sorry :)


A small quick sketch I did whilst at work and probably the cutesy direction Im going to take it. Going to rely on textures and add in some items/ details soonish. Nothing exciting right now, sorry peeps :(

Updated: I came up with this sketch, but its really bugging me. Im going to try something else I think :) Seems cutesy isnt my strong point :D


503947 504542

[UCT]

I was kinda going for a wizard angle on the hole dentist thing, since dragons are mystical I thought magic would obviously play into the hole process.

I get you. I might carry on tho, erg.

[Daray]

maybe if you make either just the upper OR lower half of his face visible, it could work :)

[Giorge]

Hahaha , I saw lots of dragons . Here's what my imagination ejaculated just now
No refs , no model ... all pure fairy dust
504009
More details when i forward the finished piece

[ikuru]

Best concept Idea I heard of in a loong time...

[artiphats]

here is my 90-second sketch just to get an idea up, going for some action here with the dentist in the dragon's mouth pulling out a tooth or something. missed the last deadline, that shouldnt happen this round...

[TheChevver]

ooooh, nice theme. I think I will enter this one.

[Pixeltuner]

UCT: thanks, but here's a 180 turn. :D

A lot more stylized dentist dude with a pet baby dragon. He sports a giant drill as a walking cane and has dragon teeth (not quite clear yet) as beads around his neck. Lets see where I can take this :p

[madhatter106]

UCT - I'd tend to agree with Daray on your piece - it does look a bit alien-like. Either that or a bizarre Dragon order of the KKK? Heh. It's the hood perhaps...that silhouette is pretty distinct when you include a covering for the face...

[Kaizer]

Heres my interpritation. ? :S

This looks like an alien.. But Oregano specified human, which saddens me in this case because I really like this so far.

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0001-6.jpg
I did this on breaks here and there in class. Oh, and yes he'll have pants and boots. I'm off to find reference!

[amaliax]

Can anybody tell me how this is coming along? I need all the advice, critiques, and feedback I can scrape together. And I appreciate all of it to the moon.


Man, there is some humour in this round. ^^ And excellent work, too.

edujante- awesome idea.

Clochette- I love the colour scheme you've got going on this.

Nutter- The weight comes through really well. He looks like he's carried that thing for miles.

Pixeltuner- scroll down. ^^

UCT- the alien thing, yeah, even though I absolutely love your design.

Daray- Tiny dragon and an inspired light source!

flamable- I like your fairy dust. Especially the face.

artiphats- can't wait to see more.

Pixeltuner!- The eyes and nose make me happy, and the drill part is awesome. I look forward to seeing how that background comes out, too.

MJ_Alcazar- I like the dental apparatus you've got there.

Arthur 'Two Sheds'- The arm is amazing, and that weapon is intimidating. I missed your first try, so you've got a clean slate there. ^^

If I was smarter I'd give better comments, but oh well. Now I'm going to sleep. Cheers, everybody. :teeth:

[Nutter]

Thanks for the comments amaliax.

Just a thought on your character, be careful with your body positioning. At the moment it looks like he will fall over backwards. Try to bring the feet back a little more so when you draw a line straight down, the head is somewhere between the feet.
A good example would be Arthur's character, notice the heavy backwards lean is supported by good feet positioning.

Mj Alcazar, your character also seems to be suffering from the same problems, but instead he looks like he's going to fall forwards. But having said that he could very well be supporting himself on that dragons head.
I would also make sure that you fix the direction the eyes are pointing, at the moment he looks like he is staring over the dragons head towards the right of the viewer. Make sure that they are focusing on what he is doing, that will add more life to the image.
There are also slight anatomy problems, chiefly with the arms, but you have chosen a pretty difficult pose, so make sure you get some more ref on that.

cheers.

[UCT]

shit, well Im starting again then. I can deal with alien/wizard/weirdo look, but to be compared to a kkk dentist is not cool (although I can see it now).

thanks guys.

[TheChevver]

here's my concept. I think i've got some figure/form issues - can anyone help me with that?

[Sforza]

That's an extremely cool topic!
Here's my sketch for this round, I'll definitely finish the painting this time.

Edit: I just realised his right leg needs fixing...

http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq92/lra_b/sketches/CHOW134_Sforza_wip01.jpg

Clochette: I can imagine your Spike as Long John Silver from Treasure Island (which isn't a bad thing at all). Nice colours, too!

Nutter: I think yours really fits the "sometimes taken for a dragon slayer" part of the description, he looks very tough.

UCT: I really like the design, the more serious approach and the "flesh/tooth"-colour scheme, but I have to agree that he doesn't read as a human at the moment. I'd suggest either making his face more visible or the headdress slightly less organic, so that it can't be mistaken for his actual head. ;) The KKK-associations could probably also be avoided by showing more of his face. I wouldn't throw it away, yet.

Daray: The one on the left's much better!

flamable: There are a few issues with the anatomy, a ref would probably be a good idea. I really like his expression, though.

artiphats: Try working a bit more movement into the pose, at the moment it seems very stiff, with all the straight lines and such.

pixeltuner: Very cool. No crits at this point - you made me giggle. :D

MJ Alcazar: I like the clamp-thingie on the patient and the dragon itself, too! I agree with nutter on the pose issues, though.

Arthur: Beautiful pose! Looking forward to seeing more - and I'm glad you kept the toothbrush from your first design!

amaliax: I agree with Arthur's critique, and would like to add that I really like the grin on your Spike's face.

[Shard]

thought i'd give it a go..

[Giorge]

"flamable: There are a few issues with the anatomy, a ref would probably be a good idea. I really like his expression, though. " , Sforza
I know , hand and boot ( already fixed them) , either then that is OK , i chose not to cuz i like to push myself a little see what comes out once in a while and don't want to be dependent of reference . That don't mean you don't have to use any.

You just wait for the finished piece ^^

Don't want to be an ass . but i think most of the people didn't even see this: "No pictures of a dentist in an room with a dragon in his chair please
"

[edujante]

I coloured the main idea

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

Than i decided to draw a more realistic character following the first but trying to keep a Cartoon Style...

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



Thats it folks!

[Maduera]

So...hello all! Been lurking on ca.org for a bit now and this idea of a dragon dentist is just awesome...so i thought i join in.
First post ever, haven't even started a sketchbook yet...uhm well. Initial scetch and a cleanup. Had some trouble with a lot of different stuff e.g. legs anatomy/perspective etc. ah well...that's why i'm here. Looking foreward for some constructive c&c.

First rough scetch:

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3923/133spikedragondentistskfz0.jpg


And the cleanup...sort of:

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9564/133spikedragonhunterscegf4.jpg

[TheChevver]

new version. I really need to practice my figure drawing. I can't seem to make my figures more 'dynamic', they all look like statues. Anyway this guy - gave him tooth-paste grenades and a mouthwash supersoaker....
I don't know what i'm going to do with the legs :(

[Daray]

Don't want to be an ass . but i think most of the people didn't even see this: "No pictures of a dentist in an room with a dragon in his chair please
"

I think its more aimed at a modern dentist with a dragon paitent on the old chair, rather than general dentists working on Dragons :)

[MJ_Alcazar]

Yeah, that's the way I interpreted the "No pictures of a dentist in a room with a dragon in his chair please" also. So far, I don't see anyone infringing on that. Of course, maybe I interpreted it incorrectly?
And thanks guys about the pose! My original plan was for him to be leaning on a much larger dragon head, but the size of my paper made the crop points on that really awkward. I like his pose, but, maybe I should change it so he doesn't lean so much now that it doesn't make much sense anymore. Or, change the size of the dragon head a little?
Oh, and thanks Nutter for pointing out the eye direction, I didn't even notice that. I shall correct it at once.

[Daray]

bleh its official, Im stumped, struggling to come up with any more ideas like I had hoped! :(

[♦♦Jackdaw♦♦]

Hey people!

Another quick update... just getting the genereal values/palette info sorted out at the moment.

Eveyone's entries are looking really nice so far! Good job by all. I'd critique you all individually but I'm at work at the moment... :hat:

Keep it up everyone! Haha yeah Sforza, kept the brush (and the haircut!).

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk198/Arthur_Two_Sheds/dragonbrush.jpg

[Clochette]

Here we go!

Amaliax : I don't really understand the character. He has a strange pose and the perspective doesn't connect between him and the backround. Keep working!
Edujante : I like your super hero idea : strange to mix super heros and dragon, it makes me curious! Sweet sketch! Oh Colors then! I love it! And then you decided to change. Amm I think I was prefered the first, but this can be awesome too! Let's see!
Nutter : Cool design! His "tool" looks frightenning! The legs are a little bit hard to read, but I think you will change them.
PixelTuner : Hehe he's funny! His left shoulder is maybe too high...
Oh you've changed! I prefer the second one. Funny design, and cute baby dragon!
UCT : I agree Daray and the others, we can't understand the brief in yours, even if it looks interesting.
Daray : The first looks better.. Those two sketches are not at all at the same level of dynamism and quality from your others though! Maybe try a 3/4 pose, those look static...
Flamable : His expression is cool, he looks self confident and a little main. There is anatomy issues... The right hand is maybe too small and has a strange angle, and the neck could be re worked too.
Artiphats : The angle is a good idea. At this state of your realization there is still several big issues tho. The character is kinda "wood stick style". Why this diagonal pose too? But well, we'll see when you'll update!
MJ Alcazar : This dragon is really nice! I am not sure about the pose of Spike. He doesn't look what he is doing! Strange for someone who have his hand in a dragon mouth!!! And his right arm looks wrong. Keep going!
Arthur "two sheds" : Nice one! I like your fluid lines; and humor. Definitely want to see more!
The Chevver : About figure / anatomy issues, use ref! You can reach pictures of those celtic guys who play to throw trees!
Sforza : The character face is nice, his clothes too, but the legs / feet are not as nice. Try to change his knees! And Long John Silver? Cool! I don't know if it suits to the brief but still cool!
Shardana : Nice one! He has something of Gandalf, it fits well to the "old and wise" part.
Maduera : Funny idea! Where are the dentist tools? He cures teeth with his single fingers? God if I could do that I'd save some money! About the drawing, it's a little bit too central. Also the perspective alignement gives the impression that his feet are on the floor. So he looks giant! Maybe you should rotate him a little bit.

I think I will not work anymore on mine. I'm quite happy and I have plenty of other stuff to do!

[Nutter]

Great artwork Clochette, put a smile on my face.

thanks for the feedback as well, the legs are one of the issues that I'm having at the moment.

Arthur, pretty good timing on those posts eh. :)

[madhatter106]

Arthur 'Two Sheds' - I love the POV shot from inside the dragon's mouth. The doc facemask is especially funny as well. "Have you written any of your recent works in the shed?" ;)

edujante - I like the new "superhero" version of Spike. The bloody tooth on the floor is a great touch.

amaliax - I would echo what a couple of folks have said here - Spike looks like he is going to fall backwards. The tooth shoulder detail is great, I love that.

Here's a few roughs I've coughed up this afternoon. One thing that occurs to me, and it's something I don't know if anyone else has considered - how does Spike manage to do his daily work and not get his face or hair or beard or eyebrows singed off? ;)

[MJ_Alcazar]

MadHatter - loving your characters.
Clochette - Wonderful work, makes me smile.
Edujante - I like the superhero one with the teeth knockout.
Arthur "Two Sheds" - the toothbrush is awesome. :) I love the dragon mouth view too.
Maduera - I like his expression! And the little contraption he's flying in. Is he going to be using some kind of magic, or will he have tools?
Shardana - I like him, and I like all the different tools he's carrying.

I think I'm going to have to throw this one out and start anew. I tried working on the pose and I think because I had started it out one way and tried to change it mid-way through it's just not going to work out. I think if I tried again with a new direction, it may turn out a little bit better.
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0002-4.jpg

[birdsatemyface]

I've been lurking around the Chow forums for awhile trying to get up the courage to join in, so this is my first try, haha.


I definitely think I need to shrink his bottom half, as it looks much too large at the moment. He doesn't quite look like a dentist so far, but I've got some ideas I haven't added in just yet. What I'm mainly worried about is if he looks to young for the description.

[madhatter106]

Christian Shane - I like the face, but I think you have to be careful that he doesn't look so young, as per the brief.

MJ Alcazar - I am glad you kept the dragons from the first sketch, they looked really great (though you probably don't need the second dragon in the background). I also like the apron and all the gear - the jack used to ratchet open the dragon's mouth is a great accent, and makes me laugh. Maybe he should have gloves? Whenever I think of my dentist probing the inner reaches of my mouth, I always remember the gloves.

Maduera - I love the gyro-copter contraption he's using to inspect the dragon's teeth! I almost want it to incorporate a drill as well - since he's up there for the exam, why not have equipment hooked up to it so he can drill and do patchwork? I am also a huge fan of fingerless gloves (they find their way into a lot of what I doodle when it comes to costume sketches) and the sort of decorative-yet-functional stitching on the inseam of his trouser...that sort of thing worked its way into a lot of my earlier drafts, too.

shardana - great start, great painting. He looks a touch sad or forlorn, or maybe it's just me reading into it. Would love to see this progress further.

U C T - hehehe don't take the KKK reference too much to heart - like I said, it's such a distinct silhouette, when you have that hood and the face covered in the way you originally portrayed it. It reminds me of that episode of South Park where Cartman dresses up as a ghost for Halloween - only the top of the costume comes to a distinct point, so that he resembles a member of the KKK. It's so iconic, but I would agree with someone who earlier posted, suggesting that maybe it's just a matter of uncovering the face and retaining the top shape of the hood/hat. It's a great start, and the coloring and texturing (which so closely resembles reptile scales) is a great take on the subject. I wouldn't abandon your effort entirely - just revisit it and see what you can do to uncover the "inner Spike" underneath. :)

Pixeltuner - the use of the screw-drill shape in his walking stick is perfect, such a great little accent. And the pipe is a great character touch too.

General note - it seems most of us are going an apron or backpack route, which I think is legitimate since the brief describes him as a "traveling" dentist. Had I started even earlier, I might have done the whole cart and draft hourse and signage and everything.

[Ortheza]

My first CHOW ever :)
I hope i'll finish.

[edujante]

Madhatter:

I like so far your dresses design, the second one is my fav...

Clochette: Ma petite! quelle couleur!What a shinny colour! Your line it reminds me Egon shiele!!Very good, very fresh, we need fresh pictures in this dark times!

Thanks for the feefback people!Keep working!

[tomwaits4noman]

Ortheza like the design especially the face, its a little sketchy at the momentand I think you could define the lines a little better, look forward to seeing the cleaned and coloured version

ChristianShane he seems a little young for the brief and the eyes
even in a stylised version seem too far apart

MJ_Alcazar really cool love the design, just watch the arms and way they bend they seem a little stiff and the foreshortening on the arm furthest from us is a little off , other than that nice job

madhatter106 like the last one best

Clochette I really like the style on this cool so far

Arthur 'Two Sheds' love the idea, can't wait to see it progress, still think I like the more vibrant version you posted earlier

TheChevver left arm seems a little short and the shoulder a bit far out on the right but nice strat


Maduera I like the deisgn his head seems a little big for the body even for the design. I would suggest looking at reference for the pose

edujante very cool but thik he could do with more denist elements, seems quiet superhero ish at moment

shardana really like it very cool

Sforza I would suggest using block shapes to help define the structure of the dragon rather than sketch lines really like the denist design

amaliax arms are stiff and its a bit muddy he also seems to be standing crooked that said I like the design and colours you have choosen

Pixeltuner excellent love it, great take on the brief especially the dragon

artiphats think the body structure needs more defination

ok will try and give feed back on the others later......

its a great brief but its one for the revision thread for me.

[GodOfWar]

Started sketching, so here are some random design thoughts according to the brief:
Wanderer, no office, make house-calls => sturdy outfit, heavy coat, suitable for hard terrain and mountains where dragons usually reside.
Head gear => protection of the face against dragons' toxic breath, covering nose and mouth, goggles with flash light.
Gloves => professional and weather-related.
General appearance => mistaken for 'slayer', menacing, gets along with dragon better than with people, 'ancient' look, unknown age but fit and capable.
Tools => carries on himself, probes, drill with replaceable drill heads, rope, forceps, pockets with drugs.

[edujante]

I think its done!


http://edujante.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/spykevolumendefv2low.jpg

I finally push contrast to get a good visual weight in the face of the character

[WunderDark]

I like that superhero Edujante, and the way you incorperated the first one in the background.

I couldn't resist giving this a try, I assume that dragon dentist would be quite a dangerus job, and spike would have the scars to prove it, so he's lost both legs under the knee, his left hand will be replaced by some dental tool and the face will be horribly burned. the wheelchair also serves as a travelling office, with tools hanging all over it.
crits very welcome!

505616

[Kan Muftić]

This is what I've done but I won't post it in the final, cause for me, Clochette clearly wins this round. Why? Because I dont remember seeing a piece with so much heart and positive energy in it..
Good luck Clochette, you really softened my heart with this painting.
Khan

[artiphats]

ok here is an update, got him pretty much how I had originally pictured him, pretty much.

Comments + Crits welcome as always.

[Aram]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/Aram_ZV/Spike-1.jpg

My first Sketch for Spike. Like it?

[kryoth]

I'm liking the idea! Here's a quick sketch I did earlier today, hopefully I'll have time to paint it over the weekend.

[Clochette]

Khan dear, thank you a lot! But please post your entry in the final! I don't want you to give up just because of me! :O

[Stephan_R]

Wow love the entries everyone, special wink to Clochette, Chupacabra & Nutter for the quick polish already!


Dusting off the drawing board....

[armando]

This was a really tough concept. Started with absolutly zero ideas for the first day. So I read a little about dentist on wikipedia. Looked at pictures of blacksmiths. Did two studies of Ghandi. All the while scribbling meanngless gibberish.
Here's the direction I'm going to go with the character. He wound up looking a little like my guitar teacher from back in the day. Thinking bohemian, nomad, gypsy. I like the rectangular back pack, for that I was thinking dentists are real square. Going to do some studies of Cheech Marin.
I like the head mostly, and the hair. Going to make the shoulders wider, probably, most likely. Going to keep the large sleeves. Got to figure out the clothing, probably give him a belt of trinkets, we'll see.

[armando]

edjuante: It doesn't follow the brief. He doesn't look like a dragon slayer "based of the tools in his possession". He doesn't look wise, look at his pose, the broken teeth by his feet, that look on his face. He's not old. Doesn't look like a wanderer.

[Hideyoshi]

nice, will try to cook something up! :)
Great, Clochette, Khan, edujante!

[madhatter106]

Arthur "Two Sheds" - thanks, I was trending a bit pudgy in the earlier sketches, but the last fellow sorta stole my heart, so I'm elaborating on him. These sketches were just quick HB and 2B pencil, and then gone in with a mechanical pencil with some HB to pick out the lines and redefine some of the darker darks and pressure point shadows. Then scanned and levels adjusted; I run the final through a filter I downloaded from Cybia called "Line Out" or "White Out" or something to that effect, and that way I can keep the lines as a separate layer and paint behind them if I like (I did this on the Four Brothers, CHOW 104, back in February, the style of which I'm sort of echoing here).

Stephen R - oh my, you're jumping into this? I feel like scrapping my stuff already! ;) Looking forward to seeing what you do...

Here's my revised and extended line art...having fun with this one, it's kinda whimsical and putting me in a silly mood. I must say, the books I've pulled off the shelf for reference for this one (Bernini portrait sculpture, 14th and 15th century costume resourches, Brian Froud, Inquisition torture instruments) have certainly been varied.

[kontur]

Approached this one from a kind of work safety viewpoint :D

Might still work a bit on it, if I find the time; critique and comments most welcome.

[Garth Cochrane]

http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo122/garth_cochrane/spike.jpg

A quick sketch just to get my ideas down. I'll have to extend my canvas to fit him in.

[Equality72521]

Kontur, i wouldnt apply to be a dentist for dragons with that kind of hazard pay.

Everyone's looks real good, its gonna be a good round. one of these days ill try my hand at a CHOW

[k i l l a r t]

Helly everbody...

My first chow..this is fun. i hope i´ll get finished on monday..not much time :(

I also like the interpretation of Chupacabra and Clochette a lot..

506191

[hungryan]

I tried some sketches, they were so shitty, I just cannot get the feel of this character yet. Maybe on weekend?

Trying to give some comments (just my opinion, no offense!), hopefully it helps:

Garth Cochrane: Good start, I don't see where you will go with this in terms of contrast yet, but there are no big problems (at least I cannot see them)

Kontur: nice illustration, really like the dynamics of it, the only things is there's not much to see of the character. Also, now that I look at it, some big problems with anatomy, huge upper body, small legs. So concentrate on the character, the rest looks quite good already.

Madhatter: Nice stuff, left arm and hand that holds the belt looks a bit distorted. Also maybe something wrong with the hips? For me the first sketch looked the best, but nevermind! :)

Armando: not much to say yet

Kono: Distorted guy, too small legs, too long arm, left arm should be shorter than the right, as it comes more towards us in space.

Aram: Really gloomy looking face :) The eyes are not really anatomically correct, they don't have the form which follows the eyeball. It would be OK, if it's toony, but it wants to be realistic, right? Nice accessories though.

Artiphats: The whole perspective is not completely correct I think, the head is huge, the hands also, the glasses are tilted on his head, the ears are small, and the biggest problem is with the upper body part, which is very small. I like his face expression, you can see that he is doing something which needs concentration. :)

Chupacabra: I also think that Clochette's work is the best and most heartsoftening so far, I like his style, but that shouldn't stop you from finishing your stuff, and posting it, right? If you want some crits: his skin tone looks a little too pale to me, like he is dead, or something. I see that you have a good eye for anatomic details, maybe his left upper arm is too short compared to his lower arm?

Wunderdark: interesting design (noone thought of this before you). You could try to draw his remaining hand and head a bit more believable.

Edujante: Like it, reminds me of that Pixar movie about superheroes, don't remember the name.

Godofwar: real dentist-actionhero!

Ortheza: Looks a bit like a goblin to me, with all the weapon stuff, but looks good, finish it! Try to concentrate on the hands also

Christian Shane: Doesn't look old to me, so your worry is true. Also a bit too mangaish for my taste. Show those hands! The eyes look like they are just pasted over his face.

MJ Alcazar: His foot in the distance is probably not correct, it's a bit too small, and doesn't turn well. There's also something wrong with his apron (is that the word?) the bottom and the pocket with the tools seems wrong, it's not in perspective. Nice dragon and tools.

Clochette: What can I say? I really like it. Reminds me of one of my (girl)friends style, nice vibrant colors, loose lines, and I always love when I see something not as 'seriously drawn' as most of the things here on CA. I can somehow clearly see your personality through this picture, which you cannot say most of the times here. I hope I'm clear, and doesn't sound too cheesy. :)

Arthurtwosheds: Good idea about the pictureframeing, funny stuff

Thechevver: Bit unfinished to criticize, but what I can see is that the left lower arm is too short in my opinion, he doesn't look old to me, and his head is a bit too strange. I mean the eyes are too small, the ear is too small and placed incorrectly, and there's something wrong with the nose. The first sketch has some perspective problems, the leg more behind looks like it's shorter than the other.

Maduera: You have very nice dynamic lines, and nice ideas. The perspective is a bit strange to me, the left calf is too small. It seems you've tried to put the lower half of the body into perspective, but not the upper one.

Shardana: nice start

Sforza: something wrong with the legs, the knees are turned too much outwards.

Amaliax: You've already heard the good crits at least twice :)

Pixeltuner: really like it, has nice cartoony style, would like to see it finished.

Flamable: nice stuff, no big anatomical problems.

Daray: your lines are a bit stiff, try to use the width more dynamically. Also the hand on the left sketch seems turned out or something.

UCT: you've heard this before, looks like an alien highpriest. Cool one though

Nutter: like the (little bit too long, but seems to work somehow) face and the subtle colors. Nice design, no big anatomy problems.

[edujante]

Armando: You are right! Thanks!...the only thing is that you make a mistake writing my name! ;) pd: I was thinking...if I put a moustache in my character maybe he has the same age of your character...maybe i am wrong

Kontur: impressive man!!

[Giorge]

So this is how far I've gone , today ill finish it , tomorrow small stuff . Cant say anything about the other characters , just that i like Khan's piece.


506236

All the best and good luck to the other contestants

G.R.

[WunderDark]

This thing is eating my time!!!
feels like i get too lost i the deatails too early....
and he looks very stiff (as usual). crits appreciated...:rendered:

506293

[Shard]

not too happy.. but this is probably gonna be it.

[Clochette]

Thanks for the feedback guys! :)

Kontur : It's a nice picture but in my mind you have lost the "character design" part of this competition. We can't see your Spike... :/

[Verehin]

first idea

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0003-5.jpg
I've tried to take everyone's advice into effect. I'm still having a lot of trouble with the arms.

Verehin - Liking him so far.

flammable - love his expression.

madhatter106 - I like him, I think his right hand could be bent more at the elbow maybe. Right now it just looks short, at least to me.

artiphats - I love his face!

pixeltuner - I love the baby dragon! And his little pipe and the drill walking cane.

Wish I could get everyone. But, I'll try again later.

[guggemmaneuver]

all>>> running a little behind on this one. Dragon's mouth = fun environment, no? anyways, inspiring work here everyone :)

506499

m

[madhatter106]

guggenmaneuver - is that a miner's lamp helmet he is wearing on his head? LOL, great idea, and practical too!

MJ Alcazar - looks like it's shaping up. Two things that bother me just a little, that I would consider changing - the apron shoulder straps seem a little weird, in that they are nearly meeting at the center front of the apron. A normal apron has the straps just coming over the shoulder and straight down the chest, rather than crossing diagonally inward to meet at the center front...but perhaps you've designed it this way on purpose. The other thing is the clothing folds on the arm, specifically the arm closer to the viewer - for the most part, the rest of the draping looks great, but the ones on this arm seem strange - they would probably be only that severe and horizantal if the sleeve were rolled or pushed up even more. But that would probably be easy to fix. I didn't notice the neck brace in the earlier draft, and I think that's also a great added touch.

Verehin - I'm glad you're using a different approach in the body type - this guy looks part blacksmith and part executioner, which I think is a good take on the subject.

shardana - great lighting and texture - is this in Painter? Damn, I wish I could paint like that. ;) I do wish he were a touch closer or the image were a bit larger, so we could get in an look at some of the details of his gear and equipment.

Wunderdark - I like your take on the subject. I think it would definitely be appropriate that he would have lost some limbs "in the line of duty," as it were. I think it may be too much that he's lost his left hand also - how does he manage to wheel himself around with only the right hand? The apron he is wearing looks very loose and droopy. The chair design is great - I especially like the shied detail and the carved dragon - and the candle on his headgear is really funny.

flamable - I like his design, but I'm wondering why the hookah? Just curious. Do you work from darker to lighter, as it seems this is very dark - I'm assuming you are working your way to higher highlights and lighter values, and that you're going to keep going pulling and pushing values. Great pose, great face, great anatomy - but don't forget what identifies him as a dragon dentist! :)

killart - fantastic painterly style, I like your start and seeing the rough lines and how you're working. I think you should make him look older, as per the brief - he looks way too young.

Garth Cochrane - your entry is another example of using great Dragon-in-the-mouth POV, which is effective in this challenge. I love the fact that he needs a light, and the pole he's using (which I assume is to keep the dragon's mouth propped open) is a good idea. Maybe the candle should be a lantern, as the dragon's ambient breath (be it with fire or not) might blow the candle out? Just think dragon dentist practicalities here... ;)

kontur - yet another with great painterly style and lighting. I do wish we were a bit closer so we could see some more details!

kono - I think his shoulders are way too wide, as his body is so short, it throws me off looking at him. I think it's a good idea to do him almost dwarf-like, but the shoulder girdle proportion seems off.

[Giorge]

flamable - I like his design, but I'm wondering why the hookah? Just curious. Do you work from darker to lighter, as it seems this is very dark - I'm assuming you are working your way to higher highlights and lighter values, and that you're going to keep going pulling and pushing values. Great pose, great face, great anatomy - but don't forget what identifies him as a dragon dentist! :)



Thank you for the feedback my good friend , yes i am working from dark to light; hookah, yes , it has a connection with the dragon , you will see in the final piece, I'm not forgetting any dragons. I'm still working on it as i speck , Its all from my twisted imagination , no refs , no models , just the pencil and the paper. It's a personal goal, no biggie .

[kryoth]

kono - I think his shoulders are way too wide, as his body is so short, it throws me off looking at him. I think it's a good idea to do him almost dwarf-like, but the shoulder girdle proportion seems off.

Yeah, he did come out a bit crooked... I was just trying to go for a bit of a cartoonish style with distorted proportions. Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to correct it if I have time. :)

[madhatter106]

Thank you for the feedback my good friend , yes i am working from dark to light; hookah, yes , it has a connection with the dragon , you will see in the final piece, I'm not forgetting any dragons. I'm still working on it as i speck , Its all from my twisted imagination , no refs , no models , just the pencil and the paper. It's a personal goal, no biggie .

Yeah, just after I posted that, I realized, "oh yeah, hookah/dragon, I get it now that I think about it for half a second." Looking forward to seeing the final. :)

Here's what I got - don't know if I'll have time to touch it again, but I won't put it in the Final Burning thread justyet, in case I do come back to him. Much fun this week - any challenge in which you also get to design interesting and wacky "gear" is a fun one...

[MJ_Alcazar]

[QUOTE=madhatter106;1991431]
MJ Alcazar - looks like it's shaping up. Two things that bother me just a little, that I would consider changing - the apron shoulder straps seem a little weird, in that they are nearly meeting at the center front of the apron. A normal apron has the straps just coming over the shoulder and straight down the chest, rather than crossing diagonally inward to meet at the center front...but perhaps you've designed it this way on purpose. The other thing is the clothing folds on the arm, specifically the arm closer to the viewer - for the most part, the rest of the draping looks great, but the ones on this arm seem strange - they would probably be only that severe and horizantal if the sleeve were rolled or pushed up even more. But that would probably be easy to fix. I didn't notice the neck brace in the earlier draft, and I think that's also a great added touch.
[QUOTE]

Thanks for the feedback. I will try to fix those folds as best I can! And yes, the straps were a personal touch. I think it came from a Turkish or a Russian outfit that I liked. I wanted to add just a little something different. I hope it still looks practical though.

[OTTA]

First time in C.H.O.W. My Old grumpy 'Spike'.

[agenda-b]

506710
I've watched the Character of the Week for a while now, but this is my first time participating. I tried to put myself in Spike's shoes when I was thinking about this drawing. What kind of tools, or protection would I want, if I were going to spend time in a fire breathing dragon's mouth? I do feel like it could be pushed further, but I'm also fairly pleased with it so far. Any comments, or critiques are welcome.

[kuroart]

well, here's some progress on my spike.hes just giving a lollipop and a toothbrush to a kid, after pulling out a couple of teeth, while sitting on a dragon tooth. this'll be my second time entering chow.
cant wait to see everyone else's entry.
http://www.sketchtivity.com/sketchbook/spikesketch.jpg

[birdsatemyface]

kuroart: Cute concept, especially the cane, but I think the child may be too short.


Slow progress on mine, but hopefully he's looking a bit older now. A few mentioned the eyes, I moved them a little closer but can't tell if they're still too far apart. (I also seem to be missing a small line above his right one, haha.)

[Ortheza]

Next step.
Some details and color.
Alot of work ahead.

[DefiledVisions]

Hey guys, joining in aswell! I'm still trying to figure out how to get some really big instrument or equipment into the piece, and the whole dragon context, but for now this is what I've got.

Everyone's work is looking good so far! clochette and chupacabra are favorite's. I'll try to leave some comments later.. back to work :)

*edit* last version before rendering.

[Gatts]

Ok so I guess I'm a little late with this but here's what I started today. After a couple of minutes into the first sketch I came up with another idea and went with that.

Khan: please just continue and finish it, in my opinion it's the best so far.

Everyone else too, good job peeps!

[GodOfWar]

Just an update. I hope I'll have time to finish it.
Good stuff from eveybody so far.

[Maduera]

Clochette: Thanks a lot! Something was bugging me, couldn't say what it is until you posted he looks like sitting on the ground! Unfortunately too much time was already wasted on the scetch so i tried it with rotating and got rid of the house etc. I really like the vibrancy in your Spike version!

MJ_Alcazar: Thanks! It's gonna be both actually...if i ever finish it. : /

madhatter106: You're totally right! I wasn't sure how to add those tools, we had the same idea afterwards tho! ;) Thanks!


Didn't have much time to work on it, started to color but ain't satisfied at all so far...will be a lot of work, but atm my hand is just killing me so i'll take a break. Just hope i can finish it until deadline, or atleast so it looks halfway as i'd like it to be.

Really like the entires so far. Hope to see more!

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/6070/133spikecolor7zm8.jpg

[MJ_Alcazar]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0004-3.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/scan0001-7.jpg

Ugh, frustrated with this. Going to step away for a little while and then come back and see if I can salvage it. I have no idea where the vibrant yellow came from on certain parts of his body after the scan.
Good works so far guys!

[Ortheza]

almost finish.

Maduera crazy idea :-) think about better lighting. now it looks almost flat.

DefiledVisions great sketch, finish it :] there is still time

[DefiledVisions]

Ortheza thanks. Yea there's lots of time :D keep pushing it!

color wip.. the orange got really intense, changing that now.

[Giorge]

DefiledVisions - love the colors man , cant wait to see the finished piece

So here are the wips , final entry is posted in final thread with a small story ^^ , and details on my sketchbook.
507295

[MJ_Alcazar]

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

Well, I think this might be my finished piece. I may try to add some more layers to it. I keep telling myself everytime I start another colored pencil piece that I am going to buy watercolor paper. I might be hitching a ride next week up to the city and do that, but for right now, this is the paper I have.

loving the finished pieces in the finals thread!

Defiled visions - loving the colors so far, and the dynamic pose.

Ortheza - scary looking equipment! I'd darken that tool right behind his head because at the moment it almost looks like it's coming through his head.

[madhatter106]

MJ Alcazar - what kind of paper are you currently using? Have your pieces been mainly colored pencil and dry media? (Or are they watercolor pencils?)

[agenda-b]

507664
Started painting.

[hungryan]

Flamable: Just one thing that's really bugging me, he seems like sitting, but where is the chair? Looks really weird now because of this. And I think the background doesn't fit the whole feel of the rest of the picture. Don't want to sound like a jerk, just want you to make something better!

[YIIT]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3225/2994162033_5b4c0ba111_o.jpg

Ike Spikegrabuer III...

Known as a local legend "Spike the dragon dentist" , "teeth collector" , "white salamander" or to the royal court as "the Porcelain knight".

Coming from a rich merchant family Ike grew up considerably happy.He was tutored by the finest arts of medicine,herbalism and doctoring by the request of his father "William Ike Spikegrabuer".However his fathers plans to enter royal court politics was utterly destroyed when "Spike" refused to serve under the strict rules and policies of "Legionas Medicina Imparatora" the legion of medicine of the emperor; a special group of elite,succesfull doctors serving the select (rich) few and of course the royal court.

Ike left his family and the city he grew up and took a journey which lasted almost all of his life.He became a Naturist and researcher specializing in the extreme temperature bodly fluids and bone and marrow structures of dragons , salamanders and elementals and alike...

Working in a very harsh environment; Ike constructed a thick porcelain armor for protection against the natural heat coming out from such creatures , aside from the elemental attacks when they are angry.

His revised 3 rd edition book on "Dragons, Dietary and Digestion" book won him great public fame which resulted in a Royal gesture by the Emperor.Honored by the Emperor with the Knighthood ; Ike refused to be bound the cold and ugly city life and contiuned his life long journey to the wildlife.

Because of his white porclain armor the royal court and nobles tried to jest him and called him "The Porcelain Knight" .....

[Stephan_R]

I was going to go the huge dragon mouth with man half inside, but there seem to be enough of those so I'm trying out some dragons that are more like dragon flies.

[edujante]

Final!!

http://edujante.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/spykevolumendefv3low.jpg

I think im not gonna upload it to the final burning...Maybe too much free interpretation.But well, i ve tried to practice volums and anatomy...Too many days working on it..im tired...i lost the feeling...Cartoon is faster! ;)

[Gatts]

Hah, really cool take on it Stephan, im excited to see the finished version.

[Simon Boxer]

Stephan! Dude! Your concepts are too awesome :/
There's always been a great sense of comic genius lurking in your work.
I'm ashamed of my bland approach now - I'll have to think of something really innovative for the next topic... Cheers for the reality check! *tips hat*

[YIIT]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2994467981_6759002337_o.jpg
Porcelain Knight

WIP >>> SOLIDS and Basic BG

[Clochette]

Stephan R : I love it !!

[MJ_Alcazar]

MadHatter106 - they've been mainly colored pencil....Roseart, Crayola, and whatever else has eventually ended up in my house from the floor or people handing me there extra throughout the years.
There's watercolor pencil? I'll have to look that up. awesome!
And I'm using a Canson medium tooth paper sketchbook I picked up at the local Wal-mart.

Stephan R - I love the little dragons!!!

YIIT - I like how he's using the rocks to hold the dragons head in place.

[Verehin]

pre-final
Good luck to everyone:medusachow:

[Maduera]

So i guess i'm done. Didn't turn out exactly the way i wanted it but i guess this will need a lot of time and practice...which i lack atm. And after working quiet long on it i didn't want to abandon it again. Atlest i learned lots on this one...for example i'll work completely different on the next one!

Stephan_R: Amazing! It's like what i hoped my Spike would turn out to be...unfortunately i'm not good enough. Really, really love your Spike version!

Cheers all!

[Hideyoshi]

Hmmmmm.....

and yeah, it WAS a major surgery... :P

StephenR: great take!

[Mitze]

nice pic Hideyoshi.

I just started this. A bit late to the party so i don't think it is going anywhere.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f162/mekese2000/dragontooth3.jpg

[WunderDark]

good work everyone!

Im almost done now....
508461

[amaliax]

Hi. I fixed the stance, changed the background dramatically, and generally tried to finish it up. The final is posted in the finals.

Thank you so much to everyone who commented. I appreciate it to no end. :teeth:

And there is SUCH great stuff on here, I can't wait to see the poll!

Nutter: Thank you so much for the detailed comments! And thank you especially for pointing out the body positioning. :D

Arthur 2 Sheds: Thank you as well for pointing out the body balance. It really was terrible, wasn't it? Your comment on the background was extremely helpful, by the way. I don't know if it's any better now, but at least it got me thinking about it.

Sforza: Thanks for liking his smile. :teeth: It is my favorite bit.

Clochette: Thanks for the advice. :) I'm not really sure how to fix some of the things you mentioned, but I (hopefully) fixed the rest.

madhatter106: Thanks for the reinforcement, and the comment on the tooth. ^^ I wasn't sure if I liked it at first.

tomwaits4noman: thanks for the comments. :) I appreciate it.

hungryan: Yup, I've had loads of good crits! ^^

[YIIT]

Porcelain Knight
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2998327691_f71d149711_o.jpg

WIP >>> Paints (Contiuned)

I started yesterday morning and I dont know If I will be able to finish before the deadline but Im still working on it...

[Stephan_R]

http://www.steveroyer.com/sketching/chow133_final.jpg

[pepps]

final, and the major steps i went thorugh. i´d like to color it, but i don´t have time for that, but i´m happy anyway, it was fun and instructive. I maiinly focused on trying to get a good sense of the character, and of solidity, got some reference for the hands and dentist tools, for the pouches and pose aswell. I tried to accentuate the idea of an enxeprienced adventureer, not too old, but still wise and full of knowledge, a cunny and clever, a bit of a business-man aswell =)

cheers!

[Daray]

Nice work from all, as you could tell I pulled out of this weeks. Got a raging chest infection which isn't backing down.

Lovely and unique work by several of you. Pepps I think you win for most unique picture, he doesnt look like he can carry all that :D

Edujante: I didn't really like the realistic cartoon take, but now that your polished it up, it really works well :)

StephanR: Damn you to hell for having a similar idea to mine and then creating it tenfold better on me ;)

I'll crit the rest of you when the polls up...honest.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Hope you get to feeling better Daray!

[ArtAdonis]

Here's is my final entry. I was thinking of a bizzare rare swamp dragon under 'Spikes' dental care! Will comment on all images after the poll is up. Some really excellent entries so far, Good luck!

http://www.artadonis.com/Uploads/CHOW/CHOW133_ArtAdonis.jpg

http://www.artadonis.com/Uploads/CHOW/CHOW133_ArtAdonis_wip.jpg

[AUG]

Wow! Great entries everyone. I just love looking at the WIP's in this thread. It is so inspiring to see all of the hard work that goes into these character creations.

I will not have time to paint up my sketch but, I thought I would post the WIP in any case.