some characters

[D.Red]

Hello again. Thanks for all your help a while ago when I was trying to learn how to draw environments. I had a go at a couple of characters this week and would really appreciate your comments.

Cheers for taking a look.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/DRed01/robotcolour2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/DRed01/gladiatorcolour.jpg

All the best,
Duane.

[sunandshadow]

Maybe you could explain a little more what sort of criticism you're looking for?

Without any guidiance, my reaction to these guys is: I like the first one, although something is wrong with his feet. Good use of metallics, interesting merger of the mechanical and the animalistic although I'm not quite sure exactly what he is.

The second guy I don't like much because he doesn't give a strong impression. The asymmetrical hat and lack of nipples (and armpits? hard to tell at this angle) make him look odd, his muscles are almost attractive but his mouth/nose are unattractive and his pot-belly is probably also supposed to contribute to his unattractiveness, while his clothes are non-descriped and the spikes on the metal balls seem to delicate to fit with the rest of the picture. Basically, looks like the second one got colored even though the concept wasn't finished.

[D.Red]

Thanks Sunandshadow. I have to agree, the more I look at these, the more I don’t like the second character. It’s beginning to look half done to me at best. The things you pointed out will be of great help, thank you.

I see what you mean about the first guy. His right foot should be twisted more toward us to reflect his gaze… Like he could bounce in that direction without tripping up. I just noticed too that his right arm, although behind him somehow sports a spike that goes infront of his right leg, again, messing up that twist. Cheers, I’ll get that fixed. As for not knowing what he is, I don’t really know how to reply to that. He just is what he is. He isn’t for anything, I thought I’d draw some characters and he was the first guy that sprung to mind.

The kind of criticisms I’m after? Any and all really. I’m trying to get work as a concept artist on computer games. Most of my time so far has been spent pencilling comics, but I think I need to move onto something new. I’m trying to put a new folder together……..(if I can)....

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my stuff.

All the best,
Duane.

[sunandshadow]

You're welcome, I'm glad you found the comments helpful. Designing characters and races for computer games is actually something I know a lot about, because I've done a lot of indie game design incliding being a concept artist working for someone else, being the art coordinator who gives assignments to concept artists, and being the designer who figures out what sort of characters or monsters are needed and writes descriptions for artists to work from. So for that experience I feel that in concept art it is actually essential what a character is and is for, because that's often the only information you will be given when you are assigned to draw something. One time I was told, design 15 mix-and-match sets of fantasy desert clothing for this male body. And that's it, that's all the instruction I got, so I went and researched the clothing of desert people to figure out why they wear long pants even though it's so hot, and why the pants and shirts are often tied at the cuffs (to keep the sand and flies out), and I looked at other mix-and-match clothing systems and picked a simple yet flexible one to emulate, and I decided that the decorative theme for this culture was going to be triangles in the form of cut hems and knotwork embroidery...

Another time I was asked to design a human race which had gone aquatic in a post-apocalyptic world, and their needed to be two vesions, a blue and white freshwater one and a green and white saltwater one. So I thought about how a human could live underwater, and I got source images of various aquatic and amphibian creatures. I ended up using the elongated back and finny paws of an otter to make the base human form look aquatic, then gave the freshwater one fins based on a fantail goldfish and the saltwater one fins based on a lionfish.

Basically, my point is that researching and thinking about function are essential to the 'concept' part of the phrase concept design. So maybe if your goal is to develop a portfolio of computer game concept at you should volunteer for an indie game design team and try designing from their assignments. Just make sure it's not a team with a NDA so you can display the concepts you do for them in your portfolio. GarageGames.com and GameDev.net have helpwanted forums where volunteer concept artists are always in demand.

[D.Red]

Thanks man, I think that might be just what I need..... Something to get my teeth into.... Something with purpose.

[sunandshadow]

I'm a woman ;) but you're welcome, and good luck. :)

[Ice-Man]

im just startin out but it looks like the top one's right foot should be facing out
but thats just my opinion

[D.Red]

oops, lol, sorry Sunandshadow.:teeth: Thanks again.

Iceman, I think your right. Seems the knee's heading in the right direction his shin's ok, even the shadow on the ground's going the right way, so I don't know really know how I came to draw his foot at that angle. Cheers. I'll get that fixed.