Young Bats: Major Overhaul (Critique Encouraged)

[Joebo]

Originally this project was in the finally finished thread, but since I've started overhauling it, I guess it would be more appropriate to post it here:

Original:

http://willdrawforfood.com/BatmanFirstNightOutRevised2.jpg

The idea behing this piece: These are the last few moments before a youthful Bruce Wayne dons his mask and takes his first night out on the town as Batman. Eventually, the piece will have a strong highlighting light source like this:

http://willdrawforfood.com/BatmanFirstNightOutRevised.jpg

Right now though, a ton has to be done to the underpainting before details like that can go on top. Right now I'm adding his gauntlets and making about a thousand tweaks here and there to the arms, face, and thorax. I plan on adding a ton more texturing as well. Here is my most recent progress:

http://willdrawforfood.com/BatmanFirstNightOutGauntletTest2.jpg

Constructive critique is strongly encouraged. I want to get this piece in shape enough so that one day I can perhaps submit my portfolio to Marvel or DC.

Thanks!!

[Form]

hey dude, would have to say that right now, the original lines are killing it, you need to ditch that layer and paint right over them... let the form of your subject create the areas of light and shade, and not linework...

the next thing id say is to throw some colour variation into it... maybe a weak ambient light source from below throwing some blue light onto the bottom of his form?? This will create a strong core shadow that will really sell the piece once you have the top down spotlight.

Some detail would also be nice... i know batman has a fairly simple outfit but you can always improvise with some texture or patternation in the material like all the modern superhero flicks do...

Right now the gauntlet looks damaged, bent inwards, like it would be pressing in on his arm... it doesnt follow the form properly.

Also id think about making the bat emblem a bt smaller, right now its riding right up near his clavicle, maybe centre it on his chest more...

Anatomy looks solid, ears might be sticking out a bit...

As a general idea for your next piece, maybe avoid the symmmetricality of the hwole thing... right now he looks like he has a doom face (if you recall the little face in the HUD in doom1?)... it would behoove you to tackle some more dynamic poses (especially if your into the marvel scene!)

Hope these crits helped.

[Justin.]

Hey there... I mainly just fixed a few lighting issues, then took my own take on parts of the face and stuff... hope I could help a bit, really not much to crit, though you should defintley flip it horizontally :D

[Joebo]

Hey there... I mainly just fixed a few lighting issues, then took my own take on parts of the face and stuff... hope I could help a bit, really not much to crit, though you should defintley flip it horizontally :D

Hmm, to be honest I'm not really seeing what lighting issues you changed. And yeah he'll eventually have eyes. Tho I did take your advice and flip it horizontally (which I actually forgot to do...dammit) and holy shit....thanks for pointing that out lol. Back to work.

[Justin.]

Most notabley was on the mask, where the light came from above, the mask was shaded to 1 side instead.

[Joebo]

Most notabley was on the mask, where the light came from above, the mask was shaded to 1 side instead.

Excellent call. It's really refreshing to get some worthwhile crits for a change. I also noticed some wierd stuff going on with his left lower abdomen.

[DFrey666]

Don't worry about the line apearing too much, you can all ways hide it when you are done painting. Doing comic book art like this, you are doing 2 to 3 pages a day, coloring that is, to make a living. You never really have the time to work on just one panel for too long. I suggest eventually to see how fast and how good you can do whole pages of sequential art and have them colored/finished, say a page in one day. Comic book artists/illustrator's have tremendous speed and production, like a Dorito's factory. Work those coloring muscles and get them strong. You all ready have a good set of painting skill demonstrated by what you have shown so far.

Post more, a lot more, get strong.

Stay Hungry

[Form]

you canthave raw pencils in a comic, unless its an intentional stylisation. You either need to clean the lines and make them lineart, or paint over them

[Joebo]

you canthave raw pencils in a comic, unless its an intentional stylisation. You either need to clean the lines and make them lineart, or paint over them

Originally it was intentional.

http://willdrawforfood.com/BatmanFirstNightOutTease.jpg

Re-worked a ton of proportion, lighting, facial, and emblem problems. I'm still not digging his mouth, but I'm callin' it a night. Critique encouraged. (And yeah, I'll eventually get to painting out the rough lineart.)

EDIT: Okay, every time I look at it I see something else wrong with it...shit.

[Joebo]

Finished the proportions of the face:

http://willdrawforfood.com/BatmanFirstNightOutTease3.jpg

(included a pic of what it used to look like to indicate progress.)

Crits more then welcome.

[AngryScientist]

Sorry for the short comment, but I'd like to note that even tho your anatomy looks better, the face is too thin in the new version. Also the shadows turn black too fast. Having in mind the blue of his eyes you can get away with some blue-ish-purple tints before it goes into full blown black.

[Joebo]

Thanks so much for the helpful critique. I really need to improve my skill after having seen some of the inspiring work on these boards, especially considering I'm planning on going to grad school for computer art.

[Joebo]

Latest progress:

http://willdrawforfood.com/BatmanFirstNightOutTease5.jpg

(might show up a tad dark on some screens)

Right now, it's just a simple picture of a younger Bruce Wayne. I was thinking of jazzing it up with a background and some ambient lighting coming from above and below. Crits welcome on what I have so far...thanks!