Errol's sketchbook [images added 5/2/11]

[Errol McGillivray]

Elixias

Errol McGillivray

Elixias, it's a figure study, not a character. The point was to study the skeletal structure of the spine and shoulder blades. The model was standing just so.

Eh sorry for using the wrong word.. (character, figure study).
Well, just personally (no offense I hope), humans are much more curvier, but if the model appears the way as it is (well, she may be lacking quite some body mass)...

The right side of the figure is somewhat shorter than the left, so perhaps that is why the figure looked slightly thin.

Like I said, I really really like the intensity of the shading .

(Sorry, just trying to give feedback like the Rules suggested, critique+good points about a picture. I'll keep mum if you like...)

No, it's fine. I'm glad you're giving feedback. I should have been more clear. The point was to study the superfluous (art vocal if you don't already know. That just means it shows at the skin.) landmarks of the spine and shoulder blades. The model is emaciated. We use her for all skeletal studies.

I did make the shoulder blades too long, but that was pointed out.  

[Elixias]

Thanks for explaining, smile everything's much more clear now. This is actually the first time I'm hearing of "art vocals", didn't really know what that is.  

[Errol McGillivray]

Elixias

Thanks for explaining, smile everything's much more clear now. This is actually the first time I'm hearing of "art vocals", don't really know what that is.

Did I say vocals? Haha. Vocab. As in vocabulary. There's pretty much a language to art that you'll learn along the way.  

[Errol McGillivray]

Errol McGillivray

10/12/08

studies




Cartoons



Nonsense

moved because it got knocked off the page immediately after posting.  

[Mogtoats]

Nothing to say on studies. You know your stuff.

Dancing people: Their chest/trunk area seem to be fused in this giant chunk of grey. More variation on shade there would help define which part is which. Maybe darken the guy's on the back's shirt.

Otherwise, good job!  

[Errol McGillivray]

Yeah, I really didn't have a handle on what I was doing there and made some bad choices. I also flattened the image so I couldn't make changes. (Kind of a "just move on to the next one" thing. Which... wasn't very smart. Or it was. No idea.)

I will be sure not to let that happen again.  

[enticing rapture]

Mostly what I have to say is about the above leg studied. While I’m far from an expert in this area, something really looks amiss in the back of hid knee. I can’t really put my finger on it exactly, but it seams like the transition from calf, to knee, to thigh would be a bit… cleaner maybe. More sloped and rounded rather than budged as you have it.

Also, another thing that really bothers me about the leg (the one in front) is the main bone, the one in the lower portion of his legs, seams a bit bent. I know that bone isn’t exactly straight, but the curve you have put into it seams a bit extreme and makes his leg look weak. At least to me, it looks like the bottom portion of his leg is at a bit of an angel, it also looks like he is apply weight on it, so I think (don’t quote me on this.) that his thigh muscles would budge slightly, giving you a glimpse of the meat on the opposite side of the main leg bone. That might also help fix the strange curvature that bone seams to have going on.

Because I’m not all that great at explaining things, I took a quick look around DA and found THIS , I though, if you didn’t already have it, this would be incredibly helpful.  

[Errol McGillivray]

Thanks for you link.

It's actually the lower leg that is the problem. The model used had much more muscle definition and more of the bone structure was visible than on the model you linked me to.

I'll have to be much more careful in considering the superfluous bones. I really missed the mark with the lower legs here.  

[Errol McGillivray]

The hands gave me trouble. I used my own for reference, but meh. It's difficult to orient. I really need to get a mirror small enough to keep on me while drawing.

 

[Mrs.Orange]

His right hand looks well enough, and actually the left one does too but.. his middle finger seems odd o_o too stretched for the whole hand's position.

Also, his arms' muscles might be too big or his torso too skinny, considering that both are part of the same body.. he could have some trouble with the weight of his limbs sweatdrop

Umm.. and maybe the left leg's joints look a little broken, if you know what I mean (I'm not an english speaker so I have a little trouble on explaining stuff)... as if he had "faun legs" (.. if he indeed has, don't pay attention to this paragraph XP)


As for the rest, I think it's quiet good. I like your style!  

[Errol McGillivray]

Mrs.Orange

His right hand looks well enough, and actually the left one does too but.. his middle finger seems odd o_o too stretched for the whole hand's position.

Also, his arms' muscles might be too big or his torso too skinny, considering that both are part of the same body.. he could have some trouble with the weight of his limbs sweatdrop

Umm.. and maybe the left leg's joints look a little broken, if you know what I mean (I'm not an english speaker so I have a little trouble on explaining stuff)... as if he had "faun legs" (.. if he indeed has, don't pay attention to this paragraph XP)


As for the rest, I think it's quiet good. I like your style!

He's got horse legs. I've been told to make it more obvious, but then the jeans wouldn't fit and also, it's not very prominant on the avatar. But I will be fixing the feet because they are too round for horse hooves.

The hand I found is all kinds of messed up. I won't make the same mistakes in the next one.  

[Anpu the black Seraph]

I honestly don't think the 'horse' legs are that bad. But I do agree that there's something about the overall proportions of the arms and torso that seem a bit off. I can't really tell what exactly. The parts just don't seem to match/flow too well I guess. Anyways, I do like the overall character design though. Cool beans...  

[Mogtoats]

Horse legs: Maybe make them more obvious? Now it just looks like someone who has extremely short and broken legs.

Torso: Looks like the front is not "symmetric" to the back. Just change the right boundary to make it look more muscular. The back is fine.

Also, one problem I see is that the perspective of the trunk is not the same as of the hips. His hips seems to be pointed more to the right and the torso faces us more. I don't see enough twisting motion in the stomach area, so it looks somewhat dislocated.

The hand on the right looks weird: middle finger too straight, ring and pinky not relaxed enough (supposing that he's holding that cigar not too tightly). Try holding a big pen with your hand and see. Though my hand can be different from yours...

Here's a sloppy redline, hope you don't mind... Only drew the legs, I guess you can add the pants over it?

 

[Errol McGillivray]

They're actually only horselike from the ankle down. Otherwise, he wouldn't be fitting into jeans.

Thanks for pointing out the problems with the torso. I have a lot of stuff fighting with itself in the shoulders that really need to be fixed. I'm working on it though.

Here is what I mean by the legs. (I've worked on it past this, but this is the last screen I have.)  

[Mogtoats]

But they must have special jeans!!! biggrin

Looks better now. smile