My first attempt at Illustration

Discussion in 'Off-Topic' started by badgerale, Jul 5, 2015.

  1. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    Teaching myself how to do fantasy art:


    [​IMG]

    new version:
    [​IMG]

    older version:
    [​IMG]

    even older:

    [​IMG]

    embarrassing first version:

    [​IMG]


    It's an idea I had for a goblin fisherman, I'm not sure it's quite up to pox quality but maybe not too far off?

    All suggestions and criticisms are welcome.

    edited with current version
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2016
  2. OriginalG1

    OriginalG1 I need me some PIE!

    Dude, i love it. Fantastic job
     
  3. OriginalG1

    OriginalG1 I need me some PIE!

    The canister of oxengen he has around his shoulder looks like it is resting, and it should be floating right? Maybe the sash caught up under his arm?
     
  4. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    Yeah, i guess there is a lot of tightening up that could be done.
     
  5. Ohmin

    Ohmin Forum Royalty

    Looks like there might be a discrepancy in the number of fingers on each hand. Not sure if intentional (fantasy creatures and all that) but I'd guess not.

    The Trident feels a bit flat considering it's supposedly a natural branch (and again, assuming it's not just some very strange carving habit).

    It feels strange that bubbles are coming out of the tank, but it might be intentionally trying to show a leak? Bubbles coming out of the mouth are difficult to distinguish against the background, and I missed them entirely at first.

    I quite like the pads and overall feel of the background, and the frog in the bottom left is a neat detail along with the disturbed dirt mixing into the water. Something about the fish bothers me but I can't put my finger on it.


    Disclaimer: I am a terrible artist, my mentions and advice may or may not be useful.

    Regardless: This is pretty good for a first attempt at doing a "proper" illustration. Keep at it.
     
    Qucas likes this.
  6. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    Good feedback, thanks. I think the problem with the fish is that it is stylistically different to the rest of the picture - more detailed and a 'cleaner' look. I could probably blur up the edges a generally make it more 'painterly'.

    Edit:it did originally have the same number of fingers but one hand seemed too big so I trimmed it, I was hoping it wasn't noticeable but I guess not lol.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2015
  7. OriginalG1

    OriginalG1 I need me some PIE!

    dude i love the fish, he has personality

    edit: and the frog! lol
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2015
    Bellagion likes this.
  8. OriginalG1

    OriginalG1 I need me some PIE!

    upload_2015-7-5_14-11-37.png
    red, the character
    orange, the action
    yellow, the effect
    blue, focal point, fishing with the intent to catch.

    laid out really well. contains story telling.
     
    SaintKiwi, soulmilk and badgerale like this.
  9. Dwlr

    Dwlr I need me some PIE!

    You've got an omni-light issue, get some shadows on the hair in particular. Additionally unless that hair is solid if he's underwater they'd be going up, you have shoots going downward as if affect by gravity and not the desire to float, take the angle of the head and make the hair go mostly perpendicular to it so they're directly upward towards the surface
     
  10. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    test page

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Bah, stupid life is getting in the way but I'll have another go in a few days.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2015
    soulmilk, Qucas and Pipster like this.
  11. Makorov

    Makorov I need me some PIE!

    This is awesome for a first try!
    If you don't mind me asking, what program do you use?

    Edit: I really like the lilies for some reason!
     
  12. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    Thanks, just using GIMP , which is proving pretty good considering it's open source - i also got a cheap drawing pad which is useful, but took me a long time to get used to.
     
  13. Dwlr

    Dwlr I need me some PIE!

    Gimp is pretty comparable to photoshop in truth, people just like to be disparaging about it because photoshop is expense and Gimp is free so Photoshop has to be leagues above Gimp in their mind. When it comes to actually drawing rather than editing there is near no difference, photoshop's main difference is that it has a lot of bells and whistles that do things for you so non-artists using the program appreciates some of those features. Gimp has a clunky GUI that's my main problem with it, but the content is there.

    Tablets are all about the same as long as they're in the same class. Opaque versus screen on the drawing surface are the main differences really.
     
  14. Pipster

    Pipster I need me some PIE!

    I love everything about it except the teeth. I am in no way an artist but I feel like it's a much lower standard than the rest of the drawing? Or maybe just not in the same thematic drawing style? Or it could just be me personally. Anyway, great job!
     
  15. Anima26

    Anima26 I need me some PIE!

    Not bad at all for a first attempt. Good luck on the artistic journey man.
     
  16. soulmilk

    soulmilk I need me some PIE!

    I didn't notice the net at all first.
    I really like the worn out, staring eyes of the goblin.
    The air tank seems to be made of metal, which seems a bit advanced for the drawing, it would probably be more realistic for the air tank to be made of leather.

    The best improvement I could think of is coloring the skin of the goblin in the same way as the fish and frog is painted.
     
  17. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    Thanks for the feedback, I know what you mean about the teeth - they look a little too cartoonish when not viewed close up. I'll se what I can do.

    I think if the air tank was leather it would be harder to see what it is - maybe not. Glass is another option but I guess technology in pox is all over the place anyway, if they can make helicopters and gatling guns...

    Regarding the skin, I think you're right, I quite enjoy the painterly-ness to it, but it is a bit inconsistent with other parts of the picture so maybe more detailed is the way to go.
     
    soulmilk likes this.
  18. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    [​IMG]

    @soulmilk

    Finally got some time to put more work into this, made the skin more rendered.

    @Dwlr

    I still feel like I'm struggling to decide where the light source is. I guess it should be directly above and behind but that might make the shadows look a bit bland since his face would basically be dark. Any ideas?
     
    soulmilk likes this.
  19. Markoth

    Markoth Lord Inquisitor

    Wouldnt the water distort the light source?
     
  20. badgerale

    badgerale Warchief of Wrath

    I dunno. I think it would be kinda dappled from the ripples in the water, with areas of shade from the lillies, but then we're getting pretty advanced.
     

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