Crits Please

[Meiki]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v251/meiyaku/takeawalk.jpg

i just finished this picture, and i would love some critiquing on it. all my friends and people on DA are always just 'oh this is so wonderful blah blah blah'. i never get anything to help me, not even from my teachers :\ i'm new here, and i was reading some other forums, and you guys seem really helpful :) and i've been looking for a place that can help me ^____^

and sorry if this is too anime-ish >__o if you guys can give me any tips on how to further get away from that style, it'd be very much so appreciated :)

and please no mean flamey comments :(

(and sorry if this like..double posts >__>;;; )

[Shamagim]

Welcome :)


I hope you find Ca.org to be helpful, i would leave DA ASAP, people there just dont take things seriously.


First: To go further away from the anime-ish style just do some anatomy study, life drawing, etc....is the most obvious solution

About the pic,

You have to plan the relation of the characters with the backround, right now the horizon line doesnt make any sense.

- Dont use water marks, nobody is going to steal your drawings, htere are nicer ways to show your pictures safelly, using just a sign and/or copyright information.


Im going to be evern more obvious here and tell you that you need to study....well almost everything from anatomy to clothe rendering, start using more values than lines to undestand forms, otherwise you will be spinning in the same place for a long time.....i do recomend using big ass chalks, charcoal or just experimenting with inks or water colors.


One last thing would be the picture size, please bigger next time.

So you have a lot to do, best of lucks, check the tutorials in this site if you have time :D.

[BlueMech]

Why are his eyes showing through his hair? Also, they seem too high up on his face. Trying using more consistant strokes on the backround, it's too obvious you went many directions with the markers. As for getting away from the anime (I'm glad you realize the threat), for now, do figure studies. Lots of 'em, then work from there.

[Meiki]

thankies very much ^___^

the horizen line is actually my teachers fault ^^;; im not giving an excuse, i definetly agree that it looks bad.

(the water mark is there cuz there's a bunch of fucks on DA, and the image size is thanks to photobucket >__>;; )

but, yeah, i'm taking a fashion class right now to try and make my clothes more...clothy :D

and i think i'll go out and get an anatomy book soon ^^;;

but thank you lots :D

[Meiki]

Why are his eyes showing through his hair? Also, they seem too high up on his face. Trying using more consistant strokes on the backround, it's too obvious you went many directions with the markers. As for getting away from the anime (I'm glad you realize the threat), for now, do figure studies. Lots of 'em, then work from there.


yeah ^^; the eye thing, it's a flaw in my style that i've been trying to get away from. it's just that when i draw an eye i like, i dont want to erase it, and 90% of the time, that eye is supposed to be behind the hair >___>;;;

and i know what you mean with the strokes D: my marker was dieing x3;;; but thank you for pointing that out~

[CoNTRoL]

with or without the background the hair on the characters isnt falling with gravity

try adding more props, the street and building lack any detail

...when markering in the ground try to follow the contour of the ground by having all the strokes flow in one direction with the perspective...instead of messily coloring in every which way

i think the top should be cropped just above the heads of the girls, taking some of the wing away...the extra height on the composition disrupts the focus on the subject

and you know draw anatomy, if you are afraid of losing an eye then draw more...

[Tully]

Ha, so glad you've gotten frustrated with DA! It is pretty much just a center for ass-pats, and at CA you'll never get an ass pat unless you thorougly deserve it. But good for you that you have the courage to put yourself out here :)

For getting away from anime style, life drawing is probably your best bet. Take a class and draw nudes if possible, but you could also get your friends/family to pose for you. www.fineart.sk has some good resources, and anatomy books (especially George Bridgeman) will help you out. Bridgeman's books are very affordable.

As to your actual drawing here, the biggest thing that jumps out at me is the way you've coloured the pavement. By angling the strokes to follow the form of the figures like you have, it really flattens it out. In doing that, it makes the building behind (which actually has quite good depth to it) look like it's floating in mid-air.

I'm also a bit confused as to why we can see their eyes so clearly though their hair.. I think it's an anime convention, but I don't think it's working here, epsecially on the back figure.

Good work though. I think they're fun characters.

[glasswind]

eh. I'm from DA too. so my critque might not be as useful as others ^_^;

but I would like to give few opinions. this is pretty sweet pic :) seems to tell a little story already. and pretty cool looking character *nods*

I will try to be as honest as possible :x

right now, two characters look quite flat. the charcter behind seems to be stuck right on to the character on the front and it's kinda hard to tell the distance between them o_o perhaps you can use some more darkening. toward the head, I can tell the distance however. so I guess what I am saying only applies to the lower part...and the arm stick out on the right side. ^_^;

as for the style. it's not EXTREMELY anime. it's taking a little step off from the anime style I think. it's hard to just "get off from anime style" because the anime style itself is really REALLY broad. some anime don't even look anime at all (but they get called anime because it from japanese.....it's confusing @_@)
I think someone pointed this out; try drawing life drawings and stuff. I think that was a good advice. :D

it was good idea to make the street(?) that is further away darker. because then it gives a bit of idea of "distance". but that darkening is around the character too o_o it makes it look like the character is standing in front of a big painting of ....a street. hope you get what I mean D: but the darkening of the further away part of the street is good. ;D

very smooth coloring on the character ^_^ I suggest you to keep up! :)

hmm...hope I helped ^_^;

[Number_6]

(especially George Bridgeman) will help you out. Bridgeman's books are very affordable.

I really dislike Bridgeman, so you might want to go to a library and check out their suggestion. I think the general consensus here is to avoid most of Christopher Hart's stuff though.

[CoNTRoL]

...at CA you'll never get an ass pat unless you thorougly deserve it.

i dont mean to interupt this thread but the above statement is elephant shit.



back on topic...i just realized that the foremost girl is an elf...i didnt notice before because it looks like her left ear is missing...judging from the direction the visible ear goes then the other ear should be visible

and there are shadow lines on the shirt but no grey shadow was blocked in with marker...

and Bridgman's art is crude...i agree stay away from him