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Back to art, are we?

Kirozane

Frolic and fun~
  • 961
    Posts
    14
    Years
    • Age 32
    • Seen Sep 12, 2023
    I haven't been posting art here for a little while... May as well try this again, eh? Critiques can be harsh as they need to be as long as there is a hint of construction in it?

    Anyway.... here we go!

    "Recent" art ( All digital.... I THINK I'm getting better at this....)

    Kierra and Savaren (Story/fanfic characterssss)
    Spoiler:


    Dragon
    Spoiler:


    Minato Lion Sumi-e
    Spoiler:


    Jalorda/Serperior
    Spoiler:


    Zebraika/Zebstrika
    Spoiler:


    Shandera/Chandelure
    Spoiler:


    Napping pokemon
    Spoiler:


    Contest animal
    Spoiler:


    Skyward stare
    Spoiler:

    More will come in time. :3
     

    saint paxton

    Wat it do baby boo~
  • 50
    Posts
    13
    Years
    Nice! I really like the Jalorda and the napping pokemon one. :>

    The first few are a little confusing to look at. The thick, sketchy lines could stand to be cleaned up and thinned out. I think that'd help. Nice stuff, though! :D
     

    Kirozane

    Frolic and fun~
  • 961
    Posts
    14
    Years
    • Age 32
    • Seen Sep 12, 2023
    Nice! I really like the Jalorda and the napping pokemon one. :>

    The first few are a little confusing to look at. The thick, sketchy lines could stand to be cleaned up and thinned out. I think that'd help. Nice stuff, though! :D

    Thanks!
    The first few I made the lines thick on purpose.... I liked it more than when they were thin and clean... I wanted a sketchy kinda messy look.... if that makes any sense?
     

    groteske

    lurker
  • 332
    Posts
    13
    Years
    • NC
    • Seen Feb 20, 2012
    Let me preface my critiques by reminding you that these are not intended to pass judgment on your skill, character, or ability. These are objective in nature so please don't be one of those who take huge offense at something that's intended to help.

    I got through the first five then burned out - if you'd like for me to continue, I'm happy to advise wherever I can. :)



    Kierra and Savaren
    Not much compositional appeal - keep in mind the Golden Ratio (1:1.6) for placement. Even a small difference like adjusting the divider's ends' placement would improve the piece. But on that note, there needs to be a more creative and interesting method of defining the separate parts than a thick black line - and because many lines in this piece are thick and black, the lack of contrast makes the viewer question this line's purpose, and not in a positive light (more like "...seriously?"). Vary your line thickness (even on the same line), use different brushes, definitely use more blending and even more than two colors per block - or, if you're going for sumi-e, then carefully-blended colors with much more contrast.

    Just from a quick Google of sumi-e paintings, the first thing I noticed was a general delicate and graceful feel brought about by just varying the translucency & value of the colors and very conscious blending. Even the monochromatic or two-color paintings are visually interesting due to the contrast within components (ie, a leaf) and throughout the piece (ie, the branch). There is also a higher value placed on the foreground than the background.

    I do love the cat's muzzle, but because the ears are more wolf-like rather than rounded I'm not exactly sure that's what you were going for. The brown creature looks like a wolf - same thing applies. Don't be hesitant to use references of real animals - you need to learn the basics of biomechanics and conformation before freehand work will come across convincingly, and that takes a lot of practice and muscle memory. You can still stylize easily while maintaining a realistic structure to establish a connect that the viewer can relate to.


    Dragon
    My initial reaction is "what's the point?" The piece doesn't convey any particular emotion, which devalues it in the viewer's eyes. The background is too simple; the piece would be stronger without it. I like the body style of the dragon, just not how it's positioned here - have it stretching out more; lengthen the body so it can curve more and have more space between curves, if that makes sense. Think of a traditional Chinese dragon and you should kinda get what I'm aiming at with that. The dragon also takes up too much space on the canvas - if it's going to be pushing the boundaries, make its placement more interesting and intentional.


    Minato Lion
    LOVE the pose. I agree, it does look rather dog-like - lions have shorter muzzles, smaller ears, more mane, and much larger heads relative to the rest of the body. The front paw looks a bit large, but not by much - it's big enough to be distracting. The tail placement is incorrect - imagine the spine running down the lion's back into the tail. The tail's base is not very flexible - remember, it's connected to the spine - and right now it would be bent at an unrealistic angle to achieve the motion of the rest of the tail. Same thing applies re shading/contrast/etc as with your first piece - actually that crit is pretty much universal for the work you've posted here.

    You did well with different line widths and using thicker lines as shadows rather than outlines. You could add some fine fur texture to the mane and tail 'puff' (whatever it's called) both subtly within the lines (which would require raising the detail of the entire piece), and more sharply on the outlines. I'm kinda meh on the background; the color goes well with the lion and forces the focus on the subject, but the sky is awkwardly placed and distracting. Make the sky less intense and maybe throw in a hint of some serengeti scenery or rock constructs far in the back and faded.


    Jalorda/Serperior
    CONTRAST. Jalorda is floating. Use very harsh colors in very small areas and blend the crap out of the edges, but keep the blended area very short instead of long and drawn-out as is natural to do. Google "contrast painting" and see the third image of a pink flower - not a great example, but notice the small black areas and how they're fenced in but still effective. Same for the highlights. Look at photos of how the sun affects scenery at different times of the day. Also - I'm assuming the subject is in a hole in a tree? With the sun positioned as it is, the brown behind him (z-axis behind, not to the right) should be very very nearly black, with a lighter bit round the rim.

    The junction of brown, green, and blended orange is very appealing, especially the brown/orange. The grass texture is hugely out of scale. What's Jalorda staring at? Make his body reflect what he's thinking. Very difficult to describe and usually much harder to pull off, but when you hit it you'll know. It's just practice and clocking hours at the sketchpad that will enable you to get to that point more quickly and convincingly.


    Zebraika/Zebstrika
    Good composition, placement, and the emotion is there, just needs to be refined. Extend the canvas to the right about half an inch to achieve the 1:1.6 ratio. Watch your horizon line in relation to Zeb's hind legs and hindquarters - keep a vanishing point in mind. There's a lot of anatomical problems that are very distracting because the creature isn't the least bit believable. I know, it's a Pokemon, but giving the viewer a solid point of reference amid the stylization goes a long way in appeal.

    The shadow contradicts the animal's shape with the shading as it is - you've shaded behind the shoulder and in front of the hip up into the barrel, which means the barrel will stick out less than the other parts in that area, whereas the shadow indicates an animal with a narrow shoulder & hindquarters and wide barrel. The tail shadow is also too wide. A note on shadows - they're darkest right below/behind/around the feet, then slightly lighter down the center of the shadow, and much less pronounced around the edges (obviously more or less outlined depending on the light's harshness). Background does nothing for the piece; it would be stronger with just Zeb and a harsh long shadow in the same placement against a white background.


    ETA: I didn't discuss lighting at all because there were more obvious issues, but that's a huge component in a successful composition. Everything comes down to observation and perception. Art is WORK, but there's no reward as when a piece finally comes together.
     
    Last edited:

    Kirozane

    Frolic and fun~
  • 961
    Posts
    14
    Years
    • Age 32
    • Seen Sep 12, 2023
    Let me preface my critiques by reminding you that these are not intended to pass judgment on your skill, character, or ability. These are objective in nature so please don't be one of those who take huge offense at something that's intended to help.

    I got through the first five then burned out - if you'd like for me to continue, I'm happy to advise wherever I can. :)



    Kierra and Savaren
    Not much compositional appeal - keep in mind the Golden Ratio (1:1.6) for placement. Even a small difference like adjusting the divider's ends' placement would improve the piece. But on that note, there needs to be a more creative and interesting method of defining the separate parts than a thick black line - and because many lines in this piece are thick and black, the lack of contrast makes the viewer question this line's purpose, and not in a positive light (more like "...seriously?"). Vary your line thickness (even on the same line), use different brushes, definitely use more blending and even more than two colors per block - or, if you're going for sumi-e, then carefully-blended colors with much more contrast.

    Just from a quick Google of sumi-e paintings, the first thing I noticed was a general delicate and graceful feel brought about by just varying the translucency & value of the colors and very conscious blending. Even the monochromatic or two-color paintings are visually interesting due to the contrast within components (ie, a leaf) and throughout the piece (ie, the branch). There is also a higher value placed on the foreground than the background.

    I do love the cat's muzzle, but because the ears are more wolf-like rather than rounded I'm not exactly sure that's what you were going for. The brown creature looks like a wolf - same thing applies. Don't be hesitant to use references of real animals - you need to learn the basics of biomechanics and conformation before freehand work will come across convincingly, and that takes a lot of practice and muscle memory. You can still stylize easily while maintaining a realistic structure to establish a connect that the viewer can relate to.


    Dragon
    My initial reaction is "what's the point?" The piece doesn't convey any particular emotion, which devalues it in the viewer's eyes. The background is too simple; the piece would be stronger without it. I like the body style of the dragon, just not how it's positioned here - have it stretching out more; lengthen the body so it can curve more and have more space between curves, if that makes sense. Think of a traditional Chinese dragon and you should kinda get what I'm aiming at with that. The dragon also takes up too much space on the canvas - if it's going to be pushing the boundaries, make its placement more interesting and intentional.


    Minato Lion
    LOVE the pose. I agree, it does look rather dog-like - lions have shorter muzzles, smaller ears, more mane, and much larger heads relative to the rest of the body. The front paw looks a bit large, but not by much - it's big enough to be distracting. The tail placement is incorrect - imagine the spine running down the lion's back into the tail. The tail's base is not very flexible - remember, it's connected to the spine - and right now it would be bent at an unrealistic angle to achieve the motion of the rest of the tail. Same thing applies re shading/contrast/etc as with your first piece - actually that crit is pretty much universal for the work you've posted here.

    You did well with different line widths and using thicker lines as shadows rather than outlines. You could add some fine fur texture to the mane and tail 'puff' (whatever it's called) both subtly within the lines (which would require raising the detail of the entire piece), and more sharply on the outlines. I'm kinda meh on the background; the color goes well with the lion and forces the focus on the subject, but the sky is awkwardly placed and distracting. Make the sky less intense and maybe throw in a hint of some serengeti scenery or rock constructs far in the back and faded.


    Jalorda/Serperior
    CONTRAST. Jalorda is floating. Use very harsh colors in very small areas and blend the crap out of the edges, but keep the blended area very short instead of long and drawn-out as is natural to do. Google "contrast painting" and see the third image of a pink flower - not a great example, but notice the small black areas and how they're fenced in but still effective. Same for the highlights. Look at photos of how the sun affects scenery at different times of the day. Also - I'm assuming the subject is in a hole in a tree? With the sun positioned as it is, the brown behind him (z-axis behind, not to the right) should be very very nearly black, with a lighter bit round the rim.

    The junction of brown, green, and blended orange is very appealing, especially the brown/orange. The grass texture is hugely out of scale. What's Jalorda staring at? Make his body reflect what he's thinking. Very difficult to describe and usually much harder to pull off, but when you hit it you'll know. It's just practice and clocking hours at the sketchpad that will enable you to get to that point more quickly and convincingly.


    Zebraika/Zebstrika
    Good composition, placement, and the emotion is there, just needs to be refined. Extend the canvas to the right about half an inch to achieve the 1:1.6 ratio. Watch your horizon line in relation to Zeb's hind legs and hindquarters - keep a vanishing point in mind. There's a lot of anatomical problems that are very distracting because the creature isn't the least bit believable. I know, it's a Pokemon, but giving the viewer a solid point of reference amid the stylization goes a long way in appeal.

    The shadow contradicts the animal's shape with the shading as it is - you've shaded behind the shoulder and in front of the hip up into the barrel, which means the barrel will stick out less than the other parts in that area, whereas the shadow indicates an animal with a narrow shoulder & hindquarters and wide barrel. The tail shadow is also too wide. A note on shadows - they're darkest right below/behind/around the feet, then slightly lighter down the center of the shadow, and much less pronounced around the edges (obviously more or less outlined depending on the light's harshness). Background does nothing for the piece; it would be stronger with just Zeb and a harsh long shadow in the same placement against a white background.


    ETA: I didn't discuss lighting at all because there were more obvious issues, but that's a huge component in a successful composition. Everything comes down to observation and perception. Art is WORK, but there's no reward as when a piece finally comes together.

    Haha total mixed reaction to this... -it took a lot of effort to just sit and read it all, since it became obvious my easy-to-topple confidence would be put at risk- The first and initial reaction was total crushing, and gripping failure. Like I said, my confidence is easy to topple. I asked for harsh critiques merely to fix this. After all, it's never easy to outwardly and, in a vague read sense, hear that your work is terrible.

    THAT BEING SAID.... I see the hopes and hints for improvement in those words. I will pick them out and do what I can to improve...

    That's all I can say because like I said, mixed emotions. They tend to rob me of thought.
     

    groteske

    lurker
  • 332
    Posts
    13
    Years
    • NC
    • Seen Feb 20, 2012
    I apologize for making you doubt yourself - that was not my intention. I do know how you feel, because I've had my ass handed to me many times requesting critiques on pieces I spent years on and thought were absolutely awesome, and were torn apart with much harsher phrasing than I used. But at some point you have to silence your ego (read: sense of self-worth) and focus on improving your work objectively if you want to succeed.. the first blow is always the hardest. It's nice hearing that piece A is great but it doesn't help you grow as an artist.

    I like your enthusiasm for art and that's why I wanted to help.

    ETA: btw, I'll be posting some of my doodles up in a bit and you're more than welcome to rip them up as you see fit :D
     

    Kirozane

    Frolic and fun~
  • 961
    Posts
    14
    Years
    • Age 32
    • Seen Sep 12, 2023
    I apologize for making you doubt yourself - that was not my intention. I do know how you feel, because I've had my ass handed to me many times requesting critiques on pieces I spent years on and thought were absolutely awesome, and were torn apart with much harsher phrasing than I used. But at some point you have to silence your ego (read: sense of self-worth) and focus on improving your work objectively if you want to succeed.. the first blow is always the hardest. It's nice hearing that piece A is great but it doesn't help you grow as an artist.

    I like your enthusiasm for art and that's why I wanted to help.

    ETA: btw, I'll be posting some of my doodles up in a bit and you're more than welcome to rip them up as you see fit :D

    Very true. :3

    And don't feel bad. It's not hard to make me doubt myself in all honesty. Confidence is a rare thing for me.

    And you were just helping. I apologize for the guilt.
     
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