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David R.
David R.
I make comics and illustration for fun.
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David R.
Nice drawing! Other than the previously mentioned balancing issues , I think her right arm (left on the picture) needs some work. The position of the arm makes the whole pose a bit unclear -- is she running or is she winding a strike? -- and makes it look like she's missing a shoulder. I think what would help you improve is to draw from life, if you don't already. Make a pose in front a mirror or take a picture of yourself posing and draw that. Also, feeling out the pose you're trying to draw can help a great deal. Put your hand on your shoulder and raise your arm, feel how your shoulder shifts then do the same with your chest etc. I think you already have some grasp of anatomy but it can be harder to draw a figure in motion when you're used to draw from anatomical books with models that are just standing there. For example, if you look at an athlete or a bodybuilder's chest when resting vs. when they're raising their arms, it's two drastically different shapes and it's very hard to draw unless you either use reference or have extensive knowledge of the human machine. I think you show potential, keep at it! :)
David R.
Hey Steve, that is a very clean drawing! As a colorblind person myself, I'll spare you my advice on the color front but otherwise, I'd say there's two aspects I'd try to improve upon: The pose and the overall depth. I'll elaborate quickly... It may very well be a stylistic choice or an attempt to make the pose clearer but what strikes me at first glance is that most of it looks like it's on the same plane and I feel it robs the drawing of its energy. I think part of it is due to the evenly heavy line weight but also the relative absence of perspective and the very soft shadows. I.e. there isn't much there to indicate the forms of the character and the environment so it makes the drawing feel flat. Again, this might be by design on your part, many successful artists have a flatter style and there's nothing wrong with that, but here it doesn't feel intentional to me. Also, while it may very well be possible for a dog to turn its head completely in this manner in real life (I wouldn't know, in all honesty) , looking at an anthropomorphic character with their neck turned in this manner almost feels painful. Especially since the rest of the body's gesture or "mechanic" doesn't follow. If you try to replicate the pose yourself, you will notice that once your head turns past a certain point, your shoulders will tend to move instinctively to accommodate such a drastic angle. Hope this is helpful! I'm eager to see more of your art ;)
Steve Reaume
Thanks for the insights! In looking back at it, I agree that the shadows need some work. Another critique mentioned trying harder, cartoony shadows instead, so that might be a step in the right direction, but I'm also thinking they need some darker value. I've also reworked the line art a little bit since reading other critiques to vary the weights and it's helped a ton already. Perspective seems to be something I instinctively avoid haha so I definitely need practice there. (That and scene dressing). Regarding the head turn, I realized you're right (tried it myself, couldn't do it haha). I might try turning her head to the viewer a bit, bringing some perspective into her face and see how it works (could add some depth like you mentioned). I'll have to try some different ideas there. Ultimately, I won't be too upset if her head stays the same given how cartoony she is, but that's an excellent observation that snuck right by me. Thanks again.
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