Seriously, get into some basic anatomy and human figure drawing classes somewhere. All of the things that seem awkward in your artwork could easily be solved by more human figure practice. Your coloring is pretty damn good, though. Props.
Bored, so I decided to get another one done today.
Yeah, I know my anatomy is a bit awkward, but that's 'cause I never really legitimately "learned" how to draw. I more or less taught myself, and I'm a bad teacher.
About the one I'm posting, I understand his neck is astronomically long. It's intentional and part of his character, background, blah blah blah
Last edited by Novel Bandit; 02 Oct 2006 at 11:52 PM.
Actually, now that I think of it, I could use some help for another matter.
The grand majority of these characters fit into a story that I've been formulating over the past few years, but I'm sorta scatter-brained about it and I don't really know where to start. I want to write down all my ideas so I won't forget, but then end up with something resembling a regurgitated novella if I try to write it as a rough outline or about 1/30 of what I wanted before I just give up and/or lose interest if I try doing it strictly organized.
Anyone have any advice?
I used to do that when I would still draw. Take a thick drawing notebook, and designate a few pages per character. Write the character name or basic tag in the upper corner so you don't start overlapping. Draw, scribble notes, erase, repeat. It's not the best thing in the world but I used to give 8 pages per main character blah blah 4 for subs, a few for locations, and then just scribble story ideas and little relevant sketches in the remaining back pages. It might help. At least it will all be in one place. If you redo the entire story, you start a new notebook and it's fun to see how the idea evolved over time if you stick with it.
PS
Originally Posted by Chao knows what he's talking about
I'll actually go out and say that life drawing isn't exactly essential. But I would definitely pick up some books like Dynamic Anatomy and Anatomy for Artists. Also, check out sites like http://www.characterdesigns.com/ that have models in a variety of poses (in this case more action, game-character focuses) in both sexes for reference.
I think eventually you should update your coloring techniques, but it looks pretty good for now. Good coloring will rarely save poor lineart, but so-so coloring won't necessarily bring down good lineart.
Oh, and how could I forget!? How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. A must have, even if you're not into western comics. It provides a very nice format for starting out, modeling characters and scenes off of stick figures, massing them out, and then rendering details. It's also a fun read.
edit: Another thing I'll add, about your actual work in general (since you've posted quite a bit). When thinking out designs, costumes, and accessories, try to design things that would make sense and be functional, if only at least in the "reality" of whatever universe your stuff is in. A lot of your characters seem to have odd straps or armor or weapons/accessories that look purely decorative or just sorta pointless. Like, for example, the metal in the pink ninja-girl's hair. Conceptually, it looks like something that should help form her pony tail, but functionally it's just sorta laying on there and not making much sense.
I'll admit, while some of those are actually useful to the characters and how they fight, the grand majority of the straps, bits of cloth and armor on them are more or less usless. I simply like to add them to fill out the designs more.
At any rate, I have a new pic to show, but it's unfortunately the last sketch I have scanned at the moment, and I honestly don't have much else the I've been dying to color. I guess I'll post up the sketch as well.
Hello all, much to your dismay I'm back again.
As much as it's actually pretty embarrassing to look at my old work, I was snooping around here and decided to post.
As per everyone's advice and a desire to make no money in life, I'm now in an art school. In fact, I've just finished my first year, and I do have some more things to post, not to mention a link to my (current) online portfolio at www.definelive.blogspot.com. Enjoy?
Hey-oh!
Originally Posted by Chao knows what he's talking about
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