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Graphics tablets, rag dolls and overly long arms - help!

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Mr Enigma Girl

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:17 am


The title says it all...kind of.

Well, here's a few samples of my work...
User Image
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User Image

As you can see, I draw in a very...cartoonish way. My stuff is more 'fun art' than 'fine art', which I like. However, I have been told (and I know myself) that my anatomy isn't very good. When I put it up for critique, that's all I heard.

I'm looking for one mentor who can help me with my style by actually working with me. I need more detailed critique and maybe some tasks for me to work on. I've been through some mentor threads, but I don't know how to find someone who can help with my kind of art.
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 5:26 am


haha okay its 5 am here but i feel you deserve something b4 i go to bed. quickly looking at ur last pic i noticed(like in ut topic) the arms are too long. there is an easy formula to remember when drawing arms. elbows end slightly past the ribcage and before the pelvis. the wrist is about where yout crotch is. easy no?

lastly your most noticeable is the inconsistency in ur arm lengths.

if you find something questionable or you're not sure anatomy wise use an anatomy book or tutorial. if you can find either use your own body. like my description above the body is very relative to itself.

i'll be back tomorrow if you ahve any other questions or didn't understand something

Folken_Schezar
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Mr Enigma Girl

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 10:05 am


Thanks for that pearl of wisdom!
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 11:55 am


i don't think you need any help on your style. but maybe if you can find someone willing to teach you about anatomy and form. unless you are making them look flat, for the most part, intentionally

Folken_Schezar
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Mr Enigma Girl

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:36 pm


I think I just need help with drawing the body and using my graphics tablet. I'm usually pretty good at faces, but my bodies are lousy and I'm not very good at drawing things with a graphics tablet straight off.

Here's a picture I sketched, scanned into my computer and coloured.

User Image

In general, all of my art uses pretty 'expressive' lines. I'm not very good with making my art look clean and tidy.

Really, I just need a non-manga, non-super-realistic mentor.
PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:00 am


Your style is nice, and you have good confidence in many places. For example, on your very second picture, I like how you just put the third layer of shadow on the hands as a stroke, without trying to blend or blur them. The shading for the shoes on that picture are also very nice.

Currently, the lines do kind of detract. Don't write it off as "expressive", though. It looks like you really lineart your work, and so you should keep working on your lines. They can really make or break a picture. And even expressive (or sketchy) works can (and usually do) have clean lines. Example.
You can clearly see the sketch underneath it, and it's far from what you would call "crisp," but the lines are still quite clean.
My suggestion is to work on a bigger canvas and use a smaller brush. Even with the lineart capabilities in your program (assuming you're using the best settings - and those are the best I've been able to get with Photoshop - is that what you're using?) a tiny brush on a huge canvas will help make your stuff look crisp. As well, for ends of hair and flyaways, especially in the first three pics, taper your lines with an eraser tool so it ends in a point.

A last point: Shade to the edge of your line. Don't be afraid to go outside the line when you're doing the base layer, and then erasing the excess. And don't shy away from hard brushes. In fact, just for fun, try doing something using only hard brushes, and varying just opacity (and flow if you're in Photoshop). I think you could get quite interesting results.

What style are you going for? I quite like your chibi-ish style, even though it seems you want to expand into more realistic anatomy. I honestly commend you for resisting the urge to blur everything together. It creates a neat effect that I really like! This confidence can go a really, really long way! I wish you luck on your search for a mentor to suit your needs.!

kuschie

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Sketchbooks [Get crits here! Open to everyone]

 
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