Dragon Head. Ready for color?

[Totoandotto]

This is a sketch I had done at work that became a new baby. :teeth:
I realize that it's only underpainting, but I was reading some crits, and found a lot of writing about how it could be a waste to start color treatment before a solid drawing is reached for structure, etc. So, I thought I'd try to get some advice from everyone before proceeding. My current thought is that the back two metal plates welded to the face need to be improved or removed. I wanted it to look like this thing was chained to a cieling or something, but since it's kind of just a portrait, I don't think it will read, except with the one on his nose. (Which also needs a little love). My other thought is that the foreground jaw needs to be slightly rotated towards the viewer, to make the teeth jump into perspective.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/Totoandotto/cgtalk/J_Dragon_2.jpg

[Jason Rainville]

Not really sure what you're going for. the welded metal plates and thick-but-slinky tongue make it seem like a gritty, realistic dragon pic, but the bulbous and wide lower jaw and the difference in size of the nostril make it seem more cartoony. His head is acting nice and volumous (is that even a word? :S ) but his neck feels really flat and looses all sense of perspective.

The neck bugs me the most. If that was fixed, I think this could be ready for colour. In the future though, try to make up your mind about what style you want before you get this far :P

[Totoandotto]

Hmm...I think you're right about the neck...it's definetely too flat to be realistically in 3d space....definetely not....volumous? I think you invented a sweet new term. Thanks for your time ! :confident: Stay tuned for improvements, hopefully I will have a bit of time this weekend to bring this piece up in quality.

[guilefine]

I agree it is just a portrait. I don't like the neck like allready stated it looks like it dosent belong. I would get rid of it and try to figure out a new place ment. It looks like it would have a hard time swallowing something even with that huge mouth. It looks like it has a esophagus and no spine or the other way around. I feel like those metal plates really adds to the torment of the creature but shouldn't they have coverd up an eye somewhere. THere is no indication that there is an eye socket somewhere. One nostral is just way to big.
You could disregard every thing written above because its made in this cartoony semi serious i don't care if things don't make sense way. Some draw that way and only that way so it could just be your thing and if it is i think its a great dragon head and if not i still think its a great concept. I would even go further and draw this same dragon actually chained to the ceilling.

[Totoandotto]

Thanks to you guys that replied. I think I have enough input now to do some rethinking and redrawing. Y;) our advice is very much appreciated!