Creature WIP please critique

[Indeed]

http://www.holographicwainscoting.com/sheeit.jpg

This is a scan of a pencil sketch, with initial painting in photoshop. Any comments/critique is welcome.

Also, I'm fully aware of the torso being rather scrotal. You know, like a penis.

[robomaniac]

think need more constructive anatomy details...

[Zaknafain]

- this creature has heavy balance problems. It would fall over.
- watch your edges (for better edges: use the cut&slice method (please tell me if you don't know what this is)
- I guess you are painting with a mouse or with brushes that are not pressure sensitive. If you are painting with a mouse: get a wacom tablett or some real colors (acrylics gouache) because a beginner will always be unable to render something with a mouse. If you are painting with a wacom tablet: make some new brushes (pressure sensitive etc.).
- Creature concepts need good textures. I think you tried to implement textures, but doing them this way is ineffective. use brushes that create a texture similar to the one you want to achieve, then do the rest of the texturework by hand. Its the same way it works traditional: you don't paint dirt yourself, you use a sponge (or whatever) to create the texture you want and then go over it with a normal brush (and glaze or paint the highlights).

[madster]

Zacknafain, there are NO such absolutes on this planet such as "a beginner will always be unable to render something with a mouse." Also, not everybody has a spare hundred dollars (USD, foreign purchases cost even more) to just drop and acquire a WACOM, or semi-comparable tablet. Try not to spend other people's money with your advice, and instead, provide suggestions that can be used now...

Indeed, you have a cute concept here, and except for the fact that the chest is too large and heavy for the front legs, it is not bad at all. If you raise the front legs and the chest up higher than the back, you will also counteract the natural physics that make this guy want to do a face-plant.
If you give the chest a bit more prominent shape definition, and eliminate those horizontal lines, you will minimize that scrotal look...

I like the shape of the face, but you need to work a bit more to define the mouth, as the eyes (which are good) draw all of the eye's attention.
I think you made a very interesting effect with the PS painting, but need to "clean up" your shading marks by making them more of a hatching effect, with the marks going the same direction, like you would with a pencil, similar to what you have painted with a lighter gray on the back haunches.

Keep this guy for archival purposes, and keep working on him in Photoshop. Go to a higher magnification so your mouse strokes will be smoother, and take your time. You will find that you are able to do some fairly sophisticated painting with a mouse, just not quite as quickly or easily as with a tablet.

Looking forward to the update!
~M

[Zaknafain]

Zacknafain, there are NO such absolutes on this planet such as "a beginner will always be unable to render something with a mouse." Also, not everybody has a spare hundred dollars (USD, foreign purchases cost even more) to just drop and acquire a WACOM, or semi-comparable tablet. Try not to spend other people's money with your advice, and instead, provide suggestions that can be used now...


I agree with the rest of your post, and what you say about painting with a mouse is true. I blame it on my english that my previous post was unclear.

for 10$ you can buy a sortiment of acrylics. 10$ more and you have some mediocore brushes. I didn't say he has to buy a tablet. (I agree, tablets are expensive and you can do a lot with a mouse if you know what you are doing.) But learning how to paint with a mouse is neither effective nor fun.

[Indeed]

Thank you all for your critiques. I attempted to move around the torso so that it looks more balanced. I like it being large, do you still think it looks annoyingly improbable? I also went with a more crosshatchy style shading, and added some more detail to the mouth area.

Please keep critiquing as it is very helpful!

http://www.holographicwainscoting.com/sheeit2.jpg

[madster]

I like his grin! You can't quite tell if he's happy, or slyly planning to eat you...

I agree, the large chest is a vital part of him. Moving it up is an improvement. Now you need to adjust his front legs so that they are angled forward. That will eliminate his propensity to fall over, and the foreward angled legs will naturally provide support. You might try simply moving his "shoulder" up and forward slightly. With the way his leg bends, that should provide you with the additional stability without changing his general posture too much.

I think the hatching looks better than the "freeform scribbles," don't you?

So, does this wee beastie have a name? What is he?
Any plans for a full environment around him with lighting, distance, all that jazz?

~M

[Zaknafain]

looks better now.
Adjust his legs (the 2 front legs and his left hind leg).
The two front legs so he doesnt fall over and his hind leg for a more realistic standing pose.
The shadow on the ground needs some work too.

[cthomp]

you could add a shadow also you could smoothin out the shading. also some texture would be nice.

[Danilo]

Uhm, move away this metal spyral. Its disturbing. Abouth the character, it's half dog, half chiken, with snakes head and some stiks which hold its body like in museum.

Creature is being with function. Im just wonder what is function of yours.

[madster]

Uhm, move away this metal spyral. Its disturbing. Abouth the character, it's half dog, half chiken, with snakes head and some stiks which hold its body like in museum.

Creature is being with function. Im just wonder what is function of yours.
Who cares about the spiral? It's not that disturbing, and this isn't a museum.
As for "half dog, half chicken" crap, so? It's a damn sight more creative than the usual over-muscled warriors, demons, and lumpy creatures usually posted here.

As regards the "function," Danilo, if you ever read any alternate evolution treatises, you might be able to imagine far enough to perceive that the "toothpicks" as you term them could be quite useful for spearing prey/food within deep or tubular structures, similar to the Needle Fish, or even the long, narrow sticks used by baboons to get termites out of logs.

Since it more than likely exists in some sort of alien environment, what it resembles is irrelevant, just like the scanned spiral of the sketchbook. What IS relevant, it the current work itself, which is coming along quite well.

~M

[Danilo]

hm, Im still disturbed by spiral. "toothpicks" are maybe good for killing, but not for walking. I can imagine what will heppend if this dogchick start to walk ower soft surface, like earth or sand. And even if it walk on the stone, or metal, they will be used out. Maybe if there are 6 or 8 legs, duno.

I think you are too unpatient to start using computer. Take more time for skeching and studing,

[RGallows]

I rather like the design, but the way the front leg is now, it looks like it's going to fall over.

[Indeed]

Thanks for the comments everyone. They help me to improve. Please continue.

Working on muscles, moved the legs a bit. I was also playing around with an idea of making the front torso bulge a transluscent sac.

Let me know what you think!


http://www.holographicwainscoting.com/sheeit3.jpg