snowy landscape with horses and a sleigh

[Pluizje]

Hello all,
I'm kind of nervous posting here since it's my first time in the crit center, ever :)

This was originally a DSG topic, but it took me way longer than expected. I showed conceptart to my intern boss (since he's a cartoonist and i thought it would be interesting to him) and he 'dared' me to post it on here. So here we go. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3432/mereldsg1183dph5.th.jpg (http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mereldsg1183dph5.jpg)

[JL.Alfaro]

Hello Pluizje,
No need to be nervous posting for crits, its how you get good at what you're not. You can take crits however you want, but just remember that people will tell you what they see and what they think is off. If there is truth in all deception, then there is truth in some critique.

The first thing that just pops out at me is the horse anatomy, their legs look like rubber, wobbly, fully bendable. They also look a little on the "chubby" side, you might want to study some horse anatomy pics. The sled's slide thingy(sorry dont know what that is called) is not in perspective. and one of your aliens(?) is missing an arm.

my 2c

-JL

[Gentrifier]

Hey there. No need to be nervous. Most people here are totally understanding, but don't be afraid to post a bunch. It'll thicken your hide and help to ensure that you take constructive criticisms as they're intended -- as a way to make your piece better.

That said let's dig in!
I like the scene you're working with. Looks like some snow elves out on a Sunday drive across the forever snow-covered valley. So the idea, I like. The color choices, while not particularly realistic, I like, too, because they help to define your characters.
I think there are some areas that you could improve off the bat, though.
First, the perspective of the red sleigh is off. The background side of it is way too high. That makes it look either tilted or as if the left side is raised up a lot more than the right.
Overall, I'd like to see more elements that show the speed of the sleigh. The horses convey a sense that they're running pretty hard, but the passengers don't seem to be affected in any way. Maybe have the drive leaning forward a little bit, bent at the waist with feet offset to brace for sleigh movement. The part of the scarf flowing behind the driver should be nearly at a right angle to the driver, to better show that sense of speed and wind buffeting him.
I think a touch more detail in the snow around the horses and the sleigh would help. I get a sense that this is a storybook cartoon image, so no need for a ton of realistic detail, just a bit more definition in that area, I think.
I like the horses, but one more pass at the anatomy would be helpful.

I like the start you have on the hills behind, but I'd like to see a little more definition of form, while at the same time adding a sense of depth by desaturating your colors as you receed into space.

You might want to reconsider the position of your clouds. Since they're right over your horses and elves, and are neither in front of or behind your background (mountains), it's hard to get a sense of where you intended them to be. Just moving the large cloud mass down so that there is an indication of it being either in front or behind the mountains might help.

I'm digging the colors of your horses. They are a bit uniform, though. It might be fun to give one a white chest or stocking feet. Something to break it up a bit and give them a little personality. Maybe a white band along the nose.

Well, that should be enough to get you going.

Overall, it's an excellent start. I like the world you're creating. Clean up some of the technical details to make it really shine.

Keep on posting! I hope it wasn't too rough for ya.

Alec

[chaosrocks]

I like this it has a 1930's children's fairytale book quality to it that is charming. small costu ming detail.... sleigh riding is cold a laprobe is a nessesity. furry would be good

and the horses only look chubby if you are not making "heavy horses" like clydesdales aor percherons... as those they are fine.. although I agree withthe rubery legs comment

never be afraid to post. worst that can happen is rudeness, and its all words anyway. and the best that can happen is you can get professional artists looking at your work aand trying to help you make it better.

more art!
chaos

[Shantih]

I think what's making the horses look so chubby is that (the one that we can see entirely at the front, anyway) are very short in the back and the near shoulder isn't very defined. In general size I wouldn't say they're wrong though, they're pulling a big sleigh through snow, they'd need to be pretty hefty fellows :^^;:

[Sepulverture]

There are some perspective issues here. When you do your pieces be sure to get your perspective hammered out before you start going into details, or it will cause a lot of problems later on. Remember when working with subject matter that you aren't familiar with, there is nothing wrong with getting a reference. Even if you're trying to create your very own new monster,creature, or animal, you can make them more believable by understanding how the real deal works. Get some references for your horses. There is a plethora of reference material at your finger tips, just go to www.google.com and there you have it. Good luck!

Edit: Try using the attachment manager that is available when replying to, or making new posts. It is easier on all of us to just load the thread and be able to see the picture, than loading the thread, then waiting for the image to load on a new page (especially the members who are still on low bandwidth connections). Plus it makes your job easier too, because you don't have to upload it to imageshack or whatever, then make the image link here.

[sididis]

Brave of you to put your pic up for critique, I did this DSG sketch as well and am intending painting up my sketch.

From personal experience I suggest looking at pictures of horse cart racing. Just to get an idea of just how much is involved in handling the reigns of a fast pulling team of horses, at that speed there is no way the driver would be standing up with slack on the reigns. Also tricks like blurring the background could add to the feeling of speed. Your pic becomes more real the more you include the forces of nature in it, so try thinking of what would happen to clothing and hair in a strong wind. Otherwise I like your colouring and the overall feeling you've created.

[Pluizje]

Thanks all for the great comments! I'll be way less nervous next time i'm posting something :)

As for the crits: i knew the horses would get alot of critisism.. I did try using ref pictures but the legs were a big issue. Looking back on it i see where the rubbery leg thing comes from. Will try harder next time!
Thanks for pointing out the movement issue! I didn't even think about that.. And i see what's wrong with the perspective. I really need to practice that :)