A few new samurai-ishes.

[Argyle]

These were done for Legend of the Five Rings, a collectable card game. Quite fun to play, too. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, considering typical time restrictions. Let me know what you all think, what could be better, and what sort of things I should keep in consideration in my future work. Thanks!

http://www.steveargyle.com/Illustrations/hidabig.jpg

http://www.steveargyle.com/Illustrations/keeperofair.jpg

http://www.steveargyle.com/Illustrations/keeperofwater.jpg

http://www.steveargyle.com/Illustrations/keeperoffire.jpg

[Kian]

Truly awesome! The second one is incredible! Great work :)

[Matt Smith]

I like the details in your work. The only advice I can give is watch your proportions.

[DSillustration]

excellent work!
the first is my favorite.
there is a real compositional similarity between these.
i think they look great as a series because of that.
i assume it was intentional.
but perhaps, like me, you fall back to the same solutions all the time.
if so,
then my crit would be to push yourself to try new solutions.
maybe full figures?

[Dizon]

I like it!

Head on the first one is a bit too big though.

[Plagu£]

Awesome work, the only thing i can find is, in the first one some of the blood splatter looks like it is just kinda floating there under her left arm (might have just over shot the edge of her i dunno). Its not a huge problem but it just looks like it doesnt belong. Other then that incredible detail, and very real emotin. Great work.

[Escelce]

Excellent work with so much style. I like the first two especially. Not so keen on the third one or forth. I agree about the blood splatter in the first but generally the mood of the first two is great. The forth ones expression looks a little bland to me. Hope to see more of your work.

[Threshold]

yeah...
The first one is really emotional, cause it looks like she's a little insane, a lot mad, and really hurt, with a little pinch of disturbed into the mix. You're obviously trying to make it look like she's leaning forward, and it DOES come off as a big head. I don't konw what to tell you there but, "Do or do not. There is no try."

I like them all a lot. How'd you get involved with L5R, btw?

[Monkeylizard]

I think the first one would look better with a more chaotic color scheme... But thats just me... :bashful:

[Obi-one]

incredible work !! <3

nothing to crit from me. I like everything.

The first one is my new wallpaper.

[Sunny]

ya the blood in the first one is just terrific! i love it. you have some cool pix here. the environments are great and tehre is something amazing in all of them. very inspirational work.

[magicgoo]

Blood splatter = teh awesome!

I just feel like the actual anatomy is slightly off on the girls, though. Everything else is gorgeous!

[thetoastman]

Amazing! :tihi:

The second ane third are truly awesome- the lighting rocks, the detail is spectacular, and the colors are incredible. The first one's pretty darn good, too, but I'm not too keen on the blood splatters- the shiny ones on the face and axe are good, but some look like they were stamped on the picture, such as around her upper legs, especially in the space between the left arm and torso- there's splatters hanging in midair. Also, the last one seems sort of soft overall, which makes the lighting sort of weak.

Other than that, WOW. You have amazing talent. Keep it up.

[michael see]

nice going mate,each and every pieces here hav its energy to it.i just think,some of them,their heads are lil bit too big incompare to their overal proprotion.excellent color used here though:)the 1st piece is my fav,good rendition of the blood splatter,love it thick! :wink:

[cthomp]

good stuff. alot of blood in the first one it reminds me of kill bill. in the last one the it look like hi neck is turned at an imposible angle. you know turned to far back. that is just what i think. i might be wrong.

[Massikka]

really nice work!
the blood in the first pic looks very real.. good lighting.. :]

[Newmember]

These are truly amazing. I really like the texture you did on the blood, and the second one it probably my favorite. Can we see more please? :teeth:

[danny_rand]

especially the gal with two swords.

[StreetRat]

incredible detail is no doubt.but i think the blood splatter is really a big problem.it is not real and natural.the second, something wrong with right leg;
the third, something wrong with head, i can't keep from thinking that it is a little big.the fourth is better.
just my opinion,sorry to crit

[Petter]

These ones are great, I especially like the top three.
The bottom one feels abit smudgy.
But apart from that it all is great.

I just love the format.

great work.

[Midnight]

First and second are groovy (though is her nose to wide at the top in the first?).

Third one has some problems with her left arm - it seems a bit too thin, and bringing it forwards like that ought to press her breasts together a bit more.

Fourth one, for me, loses it. The fire's excellent, but the pic's a bit 'smudgy', the tones on his face are boring, and he looks half-cut.

Mid.

[Delmar]

Very inspiring work nothing to crit...(though the nose in the first one really seems to be a little bit off)

[Alday.J]

Wow ! Wow ! Wow ! Amazing stuff, here ! The first one is amazing !!! <3 I'm agree with DSIllustration, maybe you'll have to work plain figures, full characters in situation, that kind of things (It's my major default, I had to work on this point too !!! :nohope:).
Anyway, your set is one of the best stuff I've saw here since... a while !
Nice stuff man ! :bashful:
J.

[Ramon Contini]

Nice and clean character renditions although I would love to see some loose inspirational brush strokes on those.

Your figures could use more life... Especially with the faces, and the last 2 in particular. The faces seem so locked down, so strict, so moulded if you will... I'd say try to work on minor changes and differences. It will add more life, more soul, more thought... Push yourself on that.

Also your highlights often hit WHITE, not my cup a thee, but that's personal.

Just my 2 cents, good work though! really nice.

[Aerythes]

Very very nice! Very finished too, which is kind of unusual nowadays. Hmm, if I've to crit something, I'd say that some stronger self-shadowing will help make the characters look more natural.

[Argyle]

Wow! Thanks for all the great comments! I really admire this board, because everyone has constructive, insightful things to contribute. And bonus: I don't get anybody saying "it sux cuz it not anime!!!" :dead:

I can't believe I missed the blood splatter floating like that. My eyes start to go numb after a while.

I think I agree with all the critiques. I'll be going back in on these and working them some more.

Thanks again!

[ElvisMcVegas]

Wow, this is really amazing work, I think this belongs in the Best Of section
You are truly an accomplished artist

[vigostar]

Ban Feryudo!

[Coinpurse]

wowz0rs! look at all that blood :)


these are great man! loving the attitude each of these girls posses, very well executed. One thing about the first girl that bothers me however, his her oversized head. Her lower body is also skewed in an awkward position (compared to the stance you tried illustrating with the upper body). Justs need a little more TLC to match up with the amazing blood effects you gave on the axe. Regardless, there freaking amazing. Can you explain how you got the fire effects going on the last painting?

[Scorned1]

IMO. The third one down is awesome, but I feel that the water waves are a little bit too solid. Maybe try blending the dark and light together somehow? And flatten some of the sharp points to curves.

[Daniel Millar]

I love the first one, incredible. The rest are great too, but in the second one something weird is going on with the sword hilt in her left hand, it gets thinner just before her hand.

[Monstrum]

I like miss bloodsplat and the background on number two best. I would have thought that the waves on number three were snow drifts if I'd seen them out of context. They also seem to be a little too low to cause those big water explosions (I don't know any word for it in English), but I might be wrong. There is something I don't like about the water explosions themselves, but I can't really say what's bothering me.

[spotfrog]

The last one looks like Legolas... on fire. Pretty awesome.

[revelations]

really amazing. the second one is my favourite but the blood in the first one looks really stunning and real! keep it up :D