Looking for a bit of help

[dandoodlemore]

Hey there everybody. I just finished this piece, I would call it done but I am in need of some advice if possible. I really am stuck on this, I've been staring at it for a while and I can't see what's wrong with it(if there's anything wrong with it), so if anyone can spot any issues please please please help me out.



Thanks in advance.

[Tristan Berndt]

So I have a bit of a critique/advice for future character designs. 

Character is more than the clothes on your back. It's your posture, your mannerism, how you conduct yourself in a scene. This is often forgotten in conceptart and it makes everything really boring in the end. I've been guilty of this countless times but we need to put in a bit of emotion into what we do. This isn't always necessary when working in-house on a game or something like that because most of the time they tell you "add clothes to this model" and you work form a T-pose, however in the beginning of projects where you're working out the big picture stuff or when working freelance, you really need the sell the character in your character designs. If this is to be more of an illustration then it's even more important to not just have a flat person standing still. 

I did a quick sketch of what this could look like. Note the gesture and how it gives the image more depth and personality. I didn't go see Mad Max so I don't really know that much about this character but still, I hope it helps out. Your image looks good, just consider giving things a bit more "character" in the future ^^ 

[modblot]

I think the problem with the finished piece is the lighting is confusing. It looks like the light is coming from top-right, but there are several spots where it suddenly looks like there's an equal, 2nd light from top-left. There's also spots where a drop shadow just isn't there, like from the arms onto the body. 

If you want, I could try to do a quick paint-over to show where some shadow might end up going.

[dandoodlemore]

Guys thanks for the replies. This is literally the only feedback I got on this.

modbolt yes please, I'd be more than happy to get one. I think that would help a lot! You mean on the left part of the head and the shoulder plate? I think I can see it now.

Tristan, yes hehe that is a very good point I got that same advice regarding giving a character more "character" on a previous piece of mine.It often slips my mind. The muzzle is actually stuck on him, and I tried to give it a more of a angry fuzzball pose, but...eh.


Thanks again guys!

[modblot]

Here's a super fast paintover I did on my lunch break. So, the first picture is the way I'm trying to think through the piece. I drew out the light source, and then I'm trying to imagine the figure and accessories as simple forms. The eyebrows are like a bent tube, top/bottom eye lids follow the shape of the eye, which is a sphere, etc.

So, after thinking through the piece, I put some shadows in. These are super rough and I'm still a student of lighting/rendering, but I think this might help. The arms cast shadows down onto things below them, like the pistol, the thighs of the legs, etc. The armor shoulderpad would cast a shadow also. 

Last thing I did was desaturate everything slightly except the face. You want to pick a focal point and emphasize it. I know the piece is a cartoony style, so that's just a decision I made, you can throw that idea out. There just needs to be a focal point where the eye can settle and right now, everything seems emphasized, sharp and fully saturated.

CHEERS, it's good work, I like how the piece looks and the concept behind it :D

[dandoodlemore]

Here's a super fast paintover I did on my lunch break. So, the first picture is the way I'm trying to think through the piece. I drew out the light source, and then I'm trying to imagine the figure and accessories as simple forms. The eyebrows are like a bent tube, top/bottom eye lids follow the shape of the eye, which is a sphere, etc.

So, after thinking through the piece, I put some shadows in. These are super rough and I'm still a student of lighting/rendering, but I think this might help. The arms cast shadows down onto things below them, like the pistol, the thighs of the legs, etc. The armor shoulderpad would cast a shadow also. 

Last thing I did was desaturate everything slightly except the face. You want to pick a focal point and emphasize it. I know the piece is a cartoony style, so that's just a decision I made, you can throw that idea out. There just needs to be a focal point where the eye can settle and right now, everything seems emphasized, sharp and fully saturated.

CHEERS, it's good work, I like how the piece looks and the concept behind it :D

Oh cheers man, that's some really good feedback. Yeah i gotta stop overusing soft brushes.
thanks for the tips man, creating focus through saturation, that's something I really did not think of when working on this one.

[dodeqaa]

Hey man, 

Great take on the character XD
I was thinking you could do these to push the angry fuzzball idea more.

[dandoodlemore]

Hey man, 

Great take on the character XD
I was thinking you could do these to push the angry fuzzball idea more.

Hey man. That's a really cool use of reference. Yeah it makes it look more fuzzy but it also makes him look more aggressive, and even though it looks awesome, is not really the direction which I had in mind when I painted this.
The cats that you have in the reference over there are either scared( hence the pose and the ears flat on the back),or just in alert/defensive position getting ready to attack.I think I forgot to mention this, the character is an actually a mash-up of Rhino from Bolt and Mad Max. Wanted to make him as round and fuzzy as possible keep him cute but give him a strange, nutty but funny kinda feel and face. Hence the baby carrots and one of the pupils being smaller than the other(which when I look back on it, is not that observable.)

Thanks a bunch for the reply, this is a really cool direction for it as well and if I decide to repaint it, i'll totally keep this in mind.

[dodeqaa]

Hey man,

Cool! I understand better now thanks! Its quite a challenging mood you want to bring across but the original did feel weirdly cranky so I'd feel its all good :)

I haven't watched either of those films so I;m missing out on the story elements. Yea those feline actions indicate defensiveness, but kinda felt right at home in aggression to me.

Thank you for sharing your work, I've learnt alot through this :)

[dandoodlemore]

Hey man,

Cool! I understand better now thanks! Its quite a challenging mood you want to bring across but the original did feel weirdly cranky so I'd feel its all good :)  

I haven't watched either of those films so I;m missing out on the story elements. Yea those feline actions indicate defensiveness, but kinda felt right at home in aggression to me.

Thank you for sharing your work, I've learnt alot through this :)

Oh thank you as well man. I learned a lot as well, it's good to FINALLY get some feedback/ critique/ advice.
One of my main references for this piece was this thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKxUfdv_U00 . It just cracks me up every time i hear it...