[Gallery] idea dump

[outfox]

Hello friends, and welcome to my humble art thread. Most of the works you're about to see have been posted a long time ago on my alternate account, I am bringing them back in an effort to rebuild my portfolio. See, I had a hefty portfolio going but I met a stranger at a cafe and upon exchanging artistic ideas with her I left my portfolio at her house and have since been unable to retrieve them. What's done is done, and here we are again, starting from scratch. Luckily I had a few drawings saved from my old thread. I don't consider any of these works to be finished, but ideas to be built on.

I apologize in advance for poor quality uploads, I promise that will be fixed in the near future. Thank you so much for viewing and I appreciate your feedback. Don't be afraid to rip me a new one, but please bear in mind I have had no formal training.

Much love.

warning - adult themes, some boobies

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[dbp]

The last time I drew realistically, or even needed to, sadly, was in life drawing class or some such (I forgot the order of the classes). Therefore, I feel unqualified to give you any real critiques, just by virtue of it automatically looking better than anything I'd be able to do now.

I do like your work overall though, if it means anything. I like the girl with the teardrops the most and the glue-faced one (second pic), they just stand out to me in how strange they are, and I like the shading detail of the former.

So why am I here? Well, I wouldn't post if I was absolutely useless. :P Me and my good friend Loomis over here can help you with drawing hands. Some people don't necessarily like Andrew Loomis's methods, but I figure it's servicable either way. You'll want to check out Drawing the Head & Hands. Hands are the very last section of the PDF and starts on page 120 in the PDF (not in the book).

[outfox]

It means everything, really! Shading is something I've been trying to get down for a really long time, so I secretly pride myself in the mushroom teardrops pic :p

That is a damn good link, I really appreciate it. My struggle is manipulating the shading so that the fingers/arms are coming toward the viewer in a 3d perspective. Gosh what a poor way to describe that. I hope you understand. I'll be sure to study the resources you've been so generous to give me and share what I've learned through more drawings. Thank you!

[Alexial357]

Outfox, there's something very... dark and haunting about your artwork.

There's like.. a hint of something fabulously demented, yet whimsical, in all of your drawings. I can't quite nail it down, but everything in your gallery evokes such a strange emotion. This must be the second or third time I've looked at your gallery now, and you know, I haven't commented because I just couldn't identify exactly what it was I wanted to say. But I think I've come to a conclusion-- a conclusion that depends on your knowledge of literature, unfortunately. Your art give me the same feeling I get when I read T.S. Eliot. I just can't help but to feel.. taken aback.

This gallery is an excellent departure from the usual stuff posted here. Not that there's anything wrong with Pokemon or Anime! It's just that this, despite being dark, is very refreshing. I think this piece surprises me the most. Originally, I wasn't all that impressed with it. But as I kept looking at it, I noticed that goldfish in the upper right corner, and it totally blew my mind. Because of your style, and similarly to dbp, I'm a little lacking in a credible critique. You're characters have such deliberately distorted features, that it's kind of a moot point to say that, "oh this one's eyes are too far apart," you know? Unlike dbp, I don't have any good references for you either. :[ Except maybe T.S. Eliot, lol.

I can say, however, that the faces seem to be the strongest part of each piece and things like the shirt in this drawing, or the scarf in this, fall a little flat in detail when compared. I think it's mostly because you've ignored the rule of "stretch and fall", which may be deliberate. But make sure you put equivalent detail into every part of the drawing to make the image more consistent-- unless the point is to do otherwise, of course. [/bad advice]

Well this turned into quite the essay. I think I like the nude the most, if that counts for anything. Anyway, overall this thread was a real treat! Can't wait to see more from you! n_n;

[outfox]

Thank you so much for the feedback, Alexial. No worries about the length of your message, the more to read the better!

As I stated in the original post, I'm an untrained artist...so if I've ignored any rules, it's because I don't know of them. :) I can explain the scarf: it's actually bunched up skin. I do appreciate you noting the shirt, I would like to start focusing less on faces and more on other details; though one could argue I intentionally left the shirt blank to draw attention to everything else, but that really wasn't the case. I honestly didn't know what else to do with the shirt :p I can't promise I'll allow rules and boundaries to enter my work, I'm just not that kind of artist...but I will certainly keep your advice in mind, especially when I struggle. Also, thank you for respecting my tendency to break certain rules :p

I'm flattered that you mentioned TS Eliot to aid you in describing the emotion drawn from my stuff. Dark and surreal with a hint of fantasy are indeed what I was going for.

Thank you again!

[outfox]

I would like to have seen that comment. :( I don't see how appreciation is non-constructive, that's often times the general purpose of a creative work. No wonder this area is so inactive. I doubt there are more than a tiny handful of posters that feel comfortable giving strong critiques and advice. Sometimes it's just not called for, because creativity is exempt from rules and boundaries. Agree to disagree, I guess.

Moving on:

Spoiler:

"Reach for It" Unfinished, would like to add color to this piece. Don't have the means right now, though.


"Weighty Ghost" finishing little by little :)


I don't much care for how this one turned out :( but it's an idea for now. Maybe I'll turn it into something awesome in the future.

feel free to let me know what you think

Ahem...been on a bit of a drawing binge. Even newer:

"Safe and Sound"

[Derozio]

I totally saw something like this coming which made me hesitate a bit as far as moderation in A&D board is concerned. I left quite a lot of posts untouched and warned a few users about their relatively 'generic' posts. Not gonna do that anymore.

But before I say anything else, just let me get this out of the way - Appreciation is not non-constructive. It has never been considered that.

Activity is needed, yes. And you raise valid points. But rules are present for a reason. They're here to keep this place clean. Though, as of late, people have been blatantly ignoring them. I am an artist myself and I really do value comments that appreciate my works. But posts that contain nothing but "I love your work" or its variations aren't needed. I mean, it is always good to show appreciation. I really do encourage that, in fact. But there should be a decent amount of effort put into the posts of an admirer. If I do not regulate posts like I do, A&D might as well become a hellhole full of spammers who go around shouting "I like your works" or "I dislike your works". Okay, you like/dislike a work, fine. But is it really that big of a problem for you to state why? I mean, you can just go "I really like this picture because of how it gives off a melancholy vibe. Its dark atmosphere is lovely." or "I dislike how you do hair. It just doesn't seem natural in this specific piece. Maybe alter it a bit [insert one-two lines here]?" and be done with it. I wouldn't mind that. It isn't really necessary for a post to be a tl;dr for it to be considered worthy. Like I said, it should hold some value. Generic replies, I feel, do not carry that value. If I do allow posts like Gideon's, this place might as well become a haven for spammers. Just being a little specific in your criticism or comments wouldn't hurt.

Like I said, I'm trying my best to promote activity. Those who genuinely care do post. I really don't mind sacrificing activity at the cost of less spam, though.

Originally Posted by Gideon Jeremiah

I genuinely enjoy this artwork.
It is a fine departure from my tastes, of unimaginative gardens & idyllic venues.
Bravo Ms. outfox, bravo.

His comment, by the way. I'd totally have left it there if it weren't for the lack of any specificity. It is so general (a little arguable if you consider the fact that there are only two galleries in here with dark themes at the moment. But still generic, nonetheless) that, honestly, I can copy it and paste it in almost every thread and call it a valid post. Pretty much becomes an easy way to rack up more posts for that 1+ post count, don't you think? I do not, in any way, intend to belittle Mr. Gideon by writing what I did. If it seems like that I'm sorry. But I do not think I would like to see non-specific posts in A&D. I hope my reasoning is satisfactory. If not, I'll be glad to talk about it in a PM. :]

As for your works, I'll just say that I adore how dark and distorted they feel. The best part about your works is that I can clearly feel the emotion you're trying to convey with your drawings. Their expressions, their posture - everything works together wonderfully in favor of the pieces in order to give them some strong emotional punch (for the lack of a better term :p). I'm actually able to feel how sad the nude guy and the neckless girl are. So yes, the strongest aspect of your works, in my opinion is their ability to effectively convey certain emotions. And shading, apart from that. The shading in the neckless girl is pretty goddamn good. I like how you've colored in here, as well. The grungy texture really does work for the piece. :D

I'd honestly have loved to post more if I could but I'm a little busy with real life stuff. So I guess this'll have to do for now. Looking forward to your stuff. They're really nice. A nice departure from the usually cute/jolly stuff we see over here. :]

Edit: Oh, and the fish looks tad out of place in here, in my opinion. The work itself is very well done, though. :D

[outfox]

Thanks, Derozio. I feel where you're coming from, and I applaud your dedication to the well-being of the forum. I do respect your rules and adhere to them as best as I can, so sorry for the confrontation! I suppose I felt a little biased because the poster in question is my friend.

Thank you for taking the time to comment on my work. I try to evoke a feeling of perplexity and leave plenty of room for interpretation. I'm glad you caught on to that. By the way, I painted the last piece you linked to with coffee :p hope it doesn't get moldy or anything.

(ups, liked my own post)

[Gideon Jeremiah]

Well I will give an opinion that is a tad more detailed (apologies for that last one).

There are 3 pieces of art here that strike my eye in particular;



The color & spacing in this is done extremely well.
The fawn itself is at a realistic size, & is overall rather done well.
The coloring is done rather well in the area around the fawn, as well as individual strands of hair on it, itself.
If I was to critique any aspect, it would be a lack of detail on the nose/mouth area, but even without that, it is very nice.


The art itself is done rather well.
The cups dimensions are a tad strange (the extension outwards on the left side in particular), which looks rather whimsical (odd, but nice), but the bird is what interests me.
I can imagine this bird, as an actual bird, would be rather gorgeous.
However, the look in its eyes is rather terrifying.
It has a sort of blank stare, something that I have never seen in pet birds of mine over the years, even when they're at their worst.
It makes this piece overall rather, unsettling, but in a way that is genuinely interesting.


3 things for this painting in particular.
It seems rather happy, overall that is.
A happy little Swablu flying alongside an Altaria (I imagine it is its mother), with "something" (to my great shame, I have no idea if that is a Pokèmon or not) riding along it.
It seems rather quaint, specifically due to the balloons.
The balloons also make the entire piece, look like a stand-still from some family outing, very happy in my mind.
Alongside that, the shading is wonderful alongside Swablu's & Altaria's (cotton?).

Overall I'd say your strong points in these pieces; are the unique faces & manners of shading you do.
What you need work on; well I am unsure if each of these pieces is meant to convey an emotional message on their own, or will eventually become part of an entirely filled background. As is, they convey very interesting messages, but if you do plan to do backgrounds in more detail, than I'd say that is something to be seen.

[outfox]

Thank you Gideon! Genuinely appreciate you coming back to comment.

The color & spacing in this is done extremely well.
The fawn itself is at a realistic size, & is overall rather done well.
The coloring is done rather well in the area around the fawn, as well as individual strands of hair on it, itself.
If I was to critique any aspect, it would be a lack of detail on the nose/mouth area, but even without that, it is very nice.

Thank you! I'm struggling to understand what you guys mean by lack of detail- and I swear I'm not taking offense, just genuinely curious- could I have done anymore to the nose to make it more detailed? I feel like that would be overdoing it. There's a quote somewhere in my memory I can't seem to grasp that goes something along the lines of, "that which isn't necessary is detrimental." I feel like I would destroy my little faun if I were to add more to her.

The art itself is done rather well.
The cups dimensions are a tad strange (the extension outwards on the left side in particular), which looks rather whimsical (odd, but nice), but the bird is what interests me.
I can imagine this bird, as an actual bird, would be rather gorgeous.
However, the look in its eyes is rather terrifying.
It has a sort of blank stare, something that I have never seen in pet birds of mine over the years, even when they're at their worst.
It makes this piece overall rather, unsettling, but in a way that is genuinely interesting.

I'm a little embarrassed to say the cup wasn't meant to be unbalanced like that :p I wasn't satisfied with the image so I got lazy and left it as it was, although I could tell the cup didn't look right. One of these days I'll work on it, thank you for noting. For now I'm just proud of the idea.

The bird is out of place. he doesn't belong in a cappuccino, he is distraught and afraid. You know that look animals get when they feel something isn't right, how their eyes dilate and fur/feathers poof a bit. His feelings are directed toward the artist. I'm glad you noticed his expression! I promise he's not angry with you, the viewer, though.

3 things for this painting in particular.
It seems rather happy, overall that is.
A happy little Swablu flying alongside an Altaria (I imagine it is its mother), with "something" (to my great shame, I have no idea if that is a Pokèmon or not) riding along it.
It seems rather quaint, specifically due to the balloons.
The balloons also make the entire piece, look like a stand-still from some family outing, very happy in my mind.
Alongside that, the shading is wonderful alongside Swablu's & Altaria's (cotton?).

Overall I'd say your strong points in these pieces; are the unique faces & manners of shading you do.
What you need work on; well I am unsure if each of these pieces is meant to convey an emotional message on their own, or will eventually become part of an entirely filled background. As is, they convey very interesting messages, but if you do plan to do backgrounds in more detail, than I'd say that is something to be seen.

All pencil :) just letting you know.

It's a "fakemon," or whatever you want to call it, that's being taken by the balloons. I should have mentioned that when I posted. I don't have a name for her.

I would truly love to add backgrounds :( I honestly just don't know exactly how to make a background. I'm afraid of it turning into something with too much detail that takes away from the centerpieces. * If anyone has any tips or resources on how to successfully add a background to your images, please do share. *

Thank you again for the mega-post! I'll be posting more in no time.

[dbp]

This picture:

Spoiler:

My reaction is nothing short of insane babbling of how much I want that little thing right now. So. Freaking. Cute. I love rabbits. I can't look at it without feeling like my face is going to melt off. What is it, anyway?

Well, at any rate, I feel like I can actually comment on your recent works, seeing as they're a little more approachable. Well, firstly, I did mean to write in my first post what Alexial and Derozio said overall, in that I like your dramatic, sort of gothic style. It has a charming creepiness factor, and doesn't get overblown in becoming dark for dark's sake. I'd agree that it sort of reminds me of T.S. Eliot, and I think that's good. Personally, it's just the right amount of surreal. I guess the only reason I didn't mention it before was because I was slightly intimidated by, again, the sense of realism, and my lack of being able to draw it anymore (I guess I could get back into it, but I am without the motivators to get me into doing so).

I like the watercolor (right?) painting of the deer. Painting is something I attempt to do, but is pretty difficult without doing it consistently for years. It's not extremely detailed, and it makes use of what seems like a handful of colors, but it gets the point across, and it's easily identifiable. Also, it's pretty clean, too.

The rabbity thing I love, we get that.

The bird in the cup, it may just be because it's a really small drawing blown up, or the picture was taken by a camera, the lack of adjusting the levels or something, but the picture quality seems a little hazy, and it blurs the details. This isn't really a fault of your skill so much as something that has to do with presentation of the image itself. Also, I agree the cup is a little strange, unless it's a gravy boat. :P I do like the flowers around the bird's neck, if only the image was just a bit sharper...

Pokemon, yay! There's a familiar subject. Swablu stands out the most, despite the fact that my eye is directed to the fakemon with the balloons first. The reason I say Swablu stands out is because it's the sharpest. The lines are sharp and clear, and the shading becomes more distinctive because of it. I love the way you handled the cloud wings. Also, Swablu has a very cute face. They all do, really. The more I look at your creature, though, the more I like it. I don't know if it would fit into Sugimori's world of design (to me, this is far from a bad thing considering I consider Sugimori's art as more of a template and less of the end all to be all), but it certainly fits into yours, and frankly that's all that matters.

I think it's nice to see something cute from you as well. It not only shows your range, but it makes my life easier as well from a critiquing standpoint. ^^; I'd love it if the Swablu/Altaria/Balloon Guy pic had a splash of color to give it a distinguishable background. In fact, if you only used light blue to varying degrees, and in watercolor at that, I dunno, I think that would look sorta fun. :) Of course, if you feel like it'll ruin your piece, don't do it. It's not even a suggestion so much as a thought I wrote "out loud".

I do think the Cappucino Nest (nice handwriting, BTW) and Swablu and Co. could use some breathing room, though. That is, don't crop it so close to the lineart, and give it some breathing room. Ah, you know this, looks like you've done it with your previous works.

As an aside, I understand your viewpoint, Outfox, and I felt the same way when I first came here (and I don't even have a gallery). When I couldn't think of anything to actually say about specific pieces, I just wanted to leave behind a comment of appreciation, because I felt like this section was a graveyard. No one saying anything, lots of new galleries with only one comment, on and on. I didn't spam, as I like to post only when it's valuable (or semi valuable or answers a question), but I'm not the best at giving critiques because honestly, it makes me nervous. Even when I know I can help, I'm still usually uncomfortable. Derozio told me pretty much the same thing, though I sort of argued my point with him a bit (and expected a ban or something, haha), and I guess that's why the rules have changed slightly as of late? It's a lot less dead than it was in December, believe it or not.

Here's what I'd suggest to you, though. If it feels like it's unlively around here, or that you feel like people aren't being shown any sort of appreciation, step outside of your comfort zone and start commenting in other people's galleries. That's what I do, because we've all been in the same spots before at different levels of artistic ability. Sometimes I think people forget that, we weren't just born with the ability to paint something worthy of the renaissance. Some people really need help, and (I think) they appreciate it. Even if I feel that I suck at it, I want to reach out to as many people as I can and let them know that I think they have the capability to achieve whatever they want. It's an optomistic view, but I've lived a pretty optomistic life, I suppose. I encourage you, and everyone actually, to start taking things into their own hands. If it looks dead, liven it up! There's no one stopping you but yourself, and you can't control how other people use their time, but you can set an example.

With that, I'm done. :P

[Alexial357]

Originally Posted by Gideon Jeremiah

A happy little Swablu flying alongside an Altaria (I imagine it is its mother)

Best part of your post, imo.

Originally Posted by Gideon Jeremiah

well I am unsure if each of these pieces is meant to convey an emotional message on their own

This, however, I disagree with. If you can imagine that the Altaria is the Swablu's mother, can't that be the message? Following that school of thought, the next logical conclusion is that maybe the fakemon is an adopted sibling, or a close friend that's been invited to fly. There's so much you can interpret from that drawing! I mean, the emotional message is already there regardless of a background. Yes, backgrounds help, but I believe if you can't identify the emotional message or empathize with the piece-- that's the viewer's problem, not the artist's. [Not trying to be argumentative, you made a totally valid and very respectable post!]

Anyway, outfox, this particular piece does tell a story to me, moreover because you've included your own Pokemon in there. I feel like there's something very nurturing about the Altaria because you choose to draw a fakemon. I mean, if I had drawn it, I would have thrown a Pikachu or Bagon in place of your fakemon. Which totally makes sense if you know the characters-- but falls flat on the imaginative side. You, on the other hand, you've added something that's completely your own to tell the story. I admire that a lot!

I like your teacup bird! It reminds me of Majora's Mask, tbh. c: I want to see you really plug that detail beyond the people/animals in your work. Get into that cup/gravy boat (lmao) and give it character! There's so much by way of design and shading that you can include. Make it dilapidated and old, or elegant and ostentatious! The naturally surreal nature of your characters can be elaborated on so much with a touch of realism in the right places. That, to me, will make this piece and subsequently your gallery, more believable overall.

Ugh, sorry, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. :x

Originally Posted by outfox

* If anyone has any tips or resources on how to successfully add a background to your images, please do share. *

In this case, a "landscape" background may not be necessary. Like dbp said, a splash of color [something subtle, watercolor-y, and abstract-- like what you did with this piece only directly behind the pokemon] might be just enough to make them stand out yet still give body to the work as a whole.

This was a wonderful update and I think for a lot of us here a place of really great conversation! Thank you for inspiring us once again outfox! n_n; Can't wait to see more!

[xxkaylabby]

you artwork is so gory and realistic. it's like very haunting. i love it. it's a completely different style that you do so very well
this particular piece does kind of bother me because it is very different from the rest of your artwork. i don't like how it is very light, but that might have been what you are going for. i like how it is a different style for you, but idk if i like how it is placed in this gallery.
this one is soo cute. idk what animal that is. have you give him a name? what bothers me is how the creature is shaded in nicely, but the bush/tree he is in is just drawn with no detail at all so it doesn't really fit with the animal;;
the new pokemon drawing you added is very nice. just like the creature one, the balloons aren't detailed enough just like the bush/tree was.
cannot wait to see more drawings.

[outfox]

dpd: Thank you for the kind words, they're very encouraging.

And, it's a bunny with wooden antlers, from them growing a tree in which birds once nested, until the bunny found a carrot. :o

Thank you for suggesting "breathing room," that never occurred to me and it gives me a whole new outlook on the usage of space. I'll be sure to be more cautious with cropping next time around. As for presentation quality, all I have to work with is my cell-phone camera…which, frankly, blows hairy balls. I'm investing in a scanner though.

I would love to give the pokemon piece some color, I'll get on that as soon as I have the means to. Meaning, when I do an awesome job waiting tables on Tuesday, I'll be taking a trip to Hobby Lobby. I'd like to try my hand in pastels or acrylics, but I'm a little nervous about wasting my money when I discover I'm no good at using either. I might just end up buying a value-pack of crayons from the grocery store. :p

Thank you for all the great advice :)

Alexial: I appreciate you encouraging individual interpretation. That's what I want viewers to get out of my creations more than anything. I'm sure that's what many artists strive for.

Thanks for the advice concerning the teacup bird. I'd originally planned to give up on it, but your ideas are encouraging! I'll definitely continue working on it, just for you. :p

I may add some small clouds to the one with the fakemon, with a light blue backdrop. Simple, perhaps, but it would at least give it a complete sort of feeling.

All these kind words really mean heaps to me. :)

xxkaylabby: Thank you! I definitely intend to elaborate on the tree-side of the bunny, I just haven't finished that piece yet :) The reason I post my works before they're finished is to gather inspiration from ya'll's (howdy, Texan here) feedback. Anyway, I don't consider any of my works to be complete. :p That said, I truly appreciate your suggestions. I'll work on that detail!

[outfox]

There's a lot that needs to be done to this piece before I call it done. I just finished my fifth rillo of the day, so I'm surprised I've gotten this far. And please forgive the ghetto quality, there's no way I can get around that right now.

One of my old students, who was a toddler, used to call smoking "talking to the stars." I think that's what I'll name this.

[Alexial357]

Hmm.. I'm having a hard time distinguishing what's what in your latest piece. I'm not saying that it's not good, however. I believe conceptually it's very strong. And that pattern must have been painstakingly tedious.. But it comes across as very flat and monochromatic.

Like you said, this piece is far from done. But if you're looking for advice on where to go next, I'd start adding depth by way of blacks and whites. The whole piece is one consistent shade of grey, which makes it hard to see (to me anyway). Also, and this is going to sound horrible, but the pattern looks messy. Now, I totally don't blame you for that. Even if you've been working on this since before you posted a gallery here there's no way it'll ever be *perfect* without some form of digital intervention. But the biggest downfall of this particular piece is just the lack of distinguishable depth and the hardness on the eyes.

All that said, I'm glad you took dbp's advice to give your works more breathing room. This one's not cropped so close to the line art so it's cleaner overall. And again, it's is very strong in concept, so I'm hoping you'll keep working it! I'm so glad you've continued posting your work here! Excited to see even more! :D

[outfox]

Thank you much, and you're right about everything, really; I noticed it all myself, which is why I wanted to make it clear I was far from done. The flatness turns me on in a way, I even re-edited to keep it looking flat. I think that's partly because I was hoping for a textile sort of look (speaking of the smoke here) rather than a three dimensional one- and while I do feel I need to organize the objects a little better, as you suggested, I think I ought to work on the face more than anything, give it more of a look that pops out rather than blends in with the smoke. The eyes were frustrating, I couldn't get them right (blame it on the ganja) but I'm working on it. That's definitely not how I want them to turn out in the end. I agree with everything you said, basically. Bah. I'm glad you like the concept, though! Gives me motivation to keep working.

I totally would like to go digital. I just wish I had the means to. ~sigh~, the troubles of a starving artist.

Originally Posted by Alexial357

Hmm.. I'm having a hard time distinguishing what's what in your latest piece. I'm not saying that it's not good, however. I believe conceptually it's very strong. And that pattern must have been painstakingly tedious.. But it comes across as very flat and monochromatic.

Like you said, this piece is far from done. But if you're looking for advice on where to go next, I'd start adding depth by way of blacks and whites. The whole piece is one consistent shade of grey, which makes it hard to see (to me anyway). Also, and this is going to sound horrible, but the pattern looks messy. Now, I totally don't blame you for that. Even if you've been working on this since before you posted a gallery here there's no way it'll ever be *perfect* without some form of digital intervention. But the biggest downfall of this particular piece is just the lack of distinguishable depth and the hardness on the eyes.

All that said, I'm glad you took dbp's advice to give your works more breathing room. This one's not cropped so close to the line art so it's cleaner overall. And again, it's is very strong in concept, so I'm hoping you'll keep working it! I'm so glad you've continued posting your work here! Excited to see even more! :D

(Don't know how your quote ended up below my message, but okay.)

[outfox]

Thought I'd share a handful of lame old doodles I found! Nothing serious, just some freehand recordings of what nonsense comes out of my head.

Spoiler:

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[⊗Slenderman⊗]

Woah.
I don't spend much time around Art & Design and this is the first time I've seen your art (aside from that link you sent me).

I can't even come up with a way to describe it. Which is a good thing, of course. After only reading posts here, I expected gorey, "scary" art. But you've managed to capture a way of giving your drawings a somewhat creepy effect, but it's like it wasn't intended.

The more recent work, though...the realism in some of them is particularly impressive. This is the first time in ages that seeing someone else's art has made me want to draw. I intend for that to be taken as a compliment; after all, it does mean your artwork has 'inspired' me to get around to drawing again.

[outfox]

Truly appreciated, dumplin! I feel honored to be able to motivate a person. Now if only I could motivate myself. Even more honored to impress somebody, namely you! I do hope I'll get to see your work soon n__n

[outfox]

So, I don't do so well with details. After working my tail off on the latest art battle, I was this close

Spoiler:

to submitting my entry when I realized that I was participating in the wrong contest. The rules were to create Chespin's evolutionary line, and for whatever ridiculous reason I believed for a whole week we were to create Fennekin's evolutionary line. I even read the rules multiple times to ensure I made no mistakes. How could I have been such a total idiot?

Needless to say, I've bailed out of the contest. Alexial and Fenneking and anyone who was looking forward to seeing the entries, I give you all permission to kick my ass in a dark alley. I sincerely apologize.

So since I worked so hard on my entries, I thought I might as well post them here. Enjoy.

❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿

STAGE 1 EVOLUTION

NAME: Flixen

ARTWORK:

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TYPE: (Fire/Normal)

DESCRIPTION: Despite its cuddly appearance, this fox-like creature- known for its cunning behavior- can breathe fire and penetrate boulders with its howl. Spotting a Flixen alone is rare, for it resides in the most obscure caverns of volcanoes and hunts with small packs. However, its curiosity brings it to roam the forests with its kin. Flixen's large ears carry small, fiery stones that little is known about, but it is rumored that if the stones are taken, the Pokemon's growth is stunted.

***

STAGE 2 EVOLUTION

NAME: Fokkaun

ARTWORK:

Spoiler:

TYPE: (Fire/Normal)

DESCRIPTION: Famous for its speed and grace, Fokkaun can be found racing through forests if one's eyes are quick enough to spot more than its fiery trails. Fokkaun's behavior undergoes massive change from its previous stage, Flixen. It exhibits the preference to wander alone and away from volcanoes, and is rather helpful and compassionate to Pokemon in need, although it doesn't stick around for praise. Studies have shown that Fokkaun's ears- unlike Flixen's- do not possess any stones, but mysterious glistening shards of everstone* have been found resting in its thick, white fur.

[outfox]

New piece up, one I really applied myself to. I only wish the quality would show for it. I call it "Bathing in Rue," it is based on everything I have been feeling this week. Enjoy!

beware: boobs. For mature audiences only.

Spoiler:

[Alexial357]

Hey! I'm so happy to see even more from you! n_n;

I've got a lot to catch up on! So if it's okay.. I'm going to kind of run through them quickly.

This one reminds me of Tingle. Idk why exactly... Maybe it's just the whimsical / dark nature or the distinctly symmetrical patterns. But this isn't the first time I've said that some of your work reminds me of Majora's Mask. You're art has this air about it lol.

Moving on! ARGH I'm glad you drew the wrong pokemon, cause you would have rocked that battle with this >;(However, I'm even more glad that you decided to push those blacks into that drawing because it really makes that color stand out. It's always worrisome to put blacks into a light piece but I believe you really pulled it off well in that one. There is so much believable texture in the abdomen. I'm absolutely in love with it.

Finally, I cannot even imagine how your week has been if it inspired this piece. :o I'm not sure if this picture is actually much bigger in person, but I like how you used very small pencil strokes to color in the greys. It makes it so much easier on the eyes when I'm not trying to take in foot long lines of varying intensity. Regardless, it's obvious that you've taken everyone's advice here are put equal amount of detail into every part of the anatomy and not just the face. That, right there, is clear and present improvement! You should be proud of that!

Once again, awesome updates, outfox! n_n;

[dbp]

Great to see your new stuff.

Talking to the stars is a funny name just because of where it comes from. Haha, I love the stuff toddlers say. It's a nice piece. I guess the post afterwords from Alex was referring to that one. I think it's fine for what it is, but I'm not the best judge of realistic stuff (didn't I say this already? I swear I can't keep up with the things I write). It took me a while to notice the pattern was of planets, cresents and stars, though.

I like the fact that some of your "lame old doodles" look like cartoons from Fleischer Studios, and judging by Betty Boop in your avatar, I'd assume this is intentional. In fact, heh, it might explain a whole lot more about your artwork. Fleischer Studios's cartoons were anything but ordinary.

I also love your design for Flixen. It's so cute and cuddly looking, though it also kind of looks like it's got an old man beard, heh. You know, I wish what you've made here was the way the creature turned out officially. Even if by some sheer coincidence the official evolutions were dead ringers, I'd still prefer yours over Sugimori's, as yours has a lot more artistic flair. I feel like Sugimori's art just exists to get the point across and no more than that (but then again, that's promotional game art more often than not for you).

Bathing in Rue also looks pretty wonderful, but it really makes me wish you had a scanner. We should donate one to you. What? I hope everything you were feeling included some positive things, though.