Elven Houngan, Final

[bengonzalez]

Ok peoples here is something I was working on over in the WIP section.

It's for the Katrina Relief RPG pdf I have been pimpin around.

This is my choice of subject matter as opposed to the Orc mime that was a specific request by the author.

Elven Houngan
http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/4546/voodooelffin9he.jpg

Orc mime
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5969/orcmimefin8ez.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[dogfood]

Well, Ben, I have to say that the least successful part of this is the "Hallmark" glow, or the uniform way in which the rendering ends. In addition to being uninteresting, its interference with the character (so close to his back), makes it look like he has to scrunch a bit to deliver his Hallmark greeting, "Happy Bar Mitzvah, Mon!"

Anatomy-wise, the abs don't do that, and the extreme foreshortening of the upper arm just doesn't work (neither in relation to the forearm, nor the lighting). The dreads are also a bit too uniform (4 visible strands to the left, 4 to the right). I don't think the rest of the figure is too bad. I like the hand and I don't mind that the other arm is hanging dead where you don't have to draw much of it. It's not particularly interesting, but it gives the character a certain feel. The lighting isn't explaining why there is such a large difference in local value (the forearm is so much lighter than the rest of the skin).

The background is not really helping the compostion, though. While the diagonal is adding some good tension and direting the eye to the face, there is some higher contrast at the tree that is really working against the focal point (which is ill-defined). Where you to darken it a tad and lower the contrast, it might be pushed back a little.

Concept-wise, I just don't see "mime". I am probably stuck with the Marcel Marceau image, but jeans, dreads, and a voodoo stick don't scream "stuck in an invisible box" to me. It's not critical to deliver everything the viewer expects (it often kills things, in fact), but at least a little something should be delivered that is recognizable in order to go buck-wild with the rest of the design.

Overall, nice job, but definately room to improve.

[bengonzalez]

Thanks for the Crit dogfood Apparently my posting skills aren't up to par either. Forgot to post the Orc mime. The piece that you gave the crit on was the Elven Houngan (Vudu Priest).

Thanks again.

[madster]

Fixed your link, Ben.
The Orc Mime turned out well. I know the crotch of those pants was a challenge, and I think you did very good at minimizing its presence on the viewer's eye.

Dogfood, "Happy Bar Mitzvah, Mon!" ???
You are SUCH a hoot!
Gems like that one keep me chuckling though the morning...


~M