Welcome to Gaia! ::

I applied here a bit ago and got rejected. I'd like to know why. 3nodding Think you guys could help me get into your fine establishment?

I draw with pencils and do pixel art, and this summer I took up oil painting, although I haven't finished any noteworthy paintings yet.

This was a really quick pencil sketch, but I'm thinking of making a painting or pixel composition from it. I know the anatomy isn't "right," but I've done "right" and I like this style better. xd


And this is some of my pixel stuff.
My avatar:


It's red paint. I swear.


Anyway, I'll definitely add more as time goes by. I did a pretty decent watercolour last year for art class. surprised Thanks in advance for the help.

Yeah, I see what you mean by "off balance." I kind of liked that aspect about it though. xd It set it apart from my other similar sketches. It kinda looks like he's being sucked into something, leaning forward past his control. I'll try it the 'correct' way and compare.

As for the pixel art, I like lo-res stuff in general... maybe it's just me, but I find big, extremely visible pixels and therefore little detail to be particularly appealing.

Are my hand proportions right, may I ask? It dosen't look like my hand, that's for sure, but I know hands can vary in shape...

Also, I'd kind of like Doctor MEAN! to post, as that was who declined me. Was there something specific I'm doing wrong?

You didn't get in because you aren't good. You're really, really, really "not good".

This is not to say you shouldn't draw. On the contrary, you should be drawing a lot. Constantly, if at all possible. Get better at drawing. Stop trying to draw static anime portraits and go draw some people.

K. I think whut you need to do is draw a billion more sketches. I see potential, and a lil style, so practice : ) !

I can do up to 10+ sketches per day. Some turn out really s**t. But I see improvement when I practice which is what counts. So I would suggest you doing the same thing ; draw whenever you get the chance.

I don't really like your pixel art however, it's a bit plain : / I am more speaking of your avater picture you done... The hand is okay for what it is.

You mention doing oil paintings, I would love to see some completed samples : ) !

I mean "it looks like anime or manga is your only influence, or the only one you apply, without even thinking about it". And by "not good", I mean " you lack the skill for it to be rational to dish out specific critiques, as it would completely avoid the larger picture - which is that you just need to draw much, much more".

well even if you have been rejected, you're still free to post your stuff here at the guild to get critiques. i agree with the rest that your sketches are a little static...and it isn't all about having the anatomy done "right" but also taking into account in how to present it. if you like that style better it might be a good idea to try it out some more, flesh it out so it does become your style. and learning/practicing anatomy is crucial if you want to do that. doesn't have to be extensive figure study or anything, but just taking into account what works and what doesn't.

the stuff you presented are stiff and unyielding. you said that you liked how your first piece looked 'off balanced.' and if that's the case you should exaggerate that more so since everyone else feels that it doesn't look right. maybe play around with the line of action first before plotting down the body, because if he is about to fall his back would be arched more to counterbalance it (you can try it out yourself). not to mention the bad cropping of his feet kinda loses that sense of it being drawn purposely off balance. and i don't think his arms would be extended out that way either, especially if it's purposeful the arms would probably be extended out to the sides (which would require foreshortening...in which case learning a little more about anatomy would help greatly) and his neck would be as well, with his head probably looking up towards the sky. unless what you wanted to do was to make it look like he tripped then the gesture would be entirely different (which learning anatomy would help, as well as life drawing studies if you want to get gestures down).

the same can apply with your second piece. a lot of novice artists tend to draw figures standing really straight, so it looks stiff and boring. i mean, if he's got wings and a pitch fork, what kind of attitude would he have? if he's cocky then his stance would be a lot different, maybe having his hips thrust out and his shoulders slanted to give the impression of him being nonchalant.

another good thing about learning anatomy would be to have a little more variety in your views and perspectives. when people first start drawing they tend to only draw faces either full-on facing the viewer or profile. by drawing figures in 3/4 or from a foreshortened perspective makes your artwork look a lot more appealing and less stiff. it makes your pieces a little more interesting if you can apply that because it makes things a little more different and original. doing concept stuff and costume design are great and all, but what really makes them pop out is how you present them to your audience.