[Comics, Drawing] Another round, for better or worse

[WhiteFox]

Vladium is looking good. The colouring is a huge step up. There are a few spots where the colour went over the lines tho ( particularly around the neck, and a spot on each of the cuffs). The line quality looks better, too.

His thumbs look a bit off; the base of them look like they're missing mass somewhere.



Regarding facial expressions:

I would highly advise studying real life facial proportions and anatomy. Expressions of cartoon characters are founded on the expressions of real people (or animals). Drawing cartoon expressions before you understand real ones is like trying running before you can walk.

It's not absolutely necessary, but it's one of those cases where the effort really pays off.

As it is, I think the eyes are going to be your biggest concern. The triangular design is limited, and getting a full range of expressions with them will take some work.

Other then that...

Gabriel left out one expression I can think of. Neutral.

There are degrees of emotion;  expressions can be mild, extreme, or somewhere in between.

Not all expressions are based solely on emotions. Alertness, boredom, thoughtfulness, etc. Eyes have more to do with alertness then emotions.

Hands can be as expressive as faces. Having someone with a neutral face and expressive hand is a nifty way of showing someone trying to hide their feelings.

Finally... get used to doing this. It works.

[VAE]

Just for completion, i coloured a drawing of Sergej i made earlier... at least one can see my uber-lame attempt at putting some shadows on the white labcoat.
Sergej Sergejevich Zemlyikop, one of long line of Sergejs, is a superscientist (in the Warren Mears, Jyrras Gianna, or MacGyver sense) and Vladim's right hand.
Now to test the sam... i wonder where the test subject went

[GabrielsThoughts]

I wish I could help you out with shadows. Next semester I'm taking a class in film noir. In theory, when painting in watercolor you do the base and highlights first then add shadows for the base, mask with filters of color and then re-define the original image you want in the foreground  to make it pop or give it greater contrast.   

outdoor light sources work best at 4, 6, 10, and 2 o'clock so the shadows would most likely fall on the opposite direction of those points. Granted this has nothing to do with multiple light-sources or dramatic lighting.

[WhiteFox]

Shadows... fun.

One thing to remember is that shadows are the absence of light. I find it's easier to think about where light shouldn't be, rather then where shadows should be.

PSG7 has some great tutorials on lighting and such. http://itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm#shadows

...Actually, that tutorial is great for all kinds of things.

[VAE]

Just so that it does not look like i do nothing

You really don't want to come into Vladim's way when he looks like this

This was done as an demonstrational aide for abilities for Myr's new RP

[VAE]

After a long time , another stash of danman stuff...
Vladim 3.0 crappy white fringes - my scanner did something strange yesterday
Sszeyl of Orgolloys, the drow monk - meany's Akellon character
Trofim Kabakian and Beridze, a human negative cleric, my Akellon char
Liamedic... a joke sketch that arose from Liatalk discussion

[Chairtastic]

Howdy, y'all!  This is Danman's co-author posting for him while his other friends mistake him for a pinata.    Here's his latest comic for the Asocial Skills universe.

http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~dm510/random/comic34.html

Due to much crybaby-ness from Danman, the above image has been replaced with a link.  Enjoy.

[VAE]

*Shudders*
And since Meany botched the linking, i will correct the mistake now... not how it was all intended to pass, but who cares

0x35 - Technically it's lifetime employment
.

Any advice is welcome.

[WhiteFox]

The figures have very square shoulders and short necks, which makes their poses look very rigid. In realistic human proportions, the neck is as high as the hand is wide, or about 1/3rd the height of the head. The line of the trapezius muscles can be roughed in by drawing a line from the end of the collarbone to the bottom of the chin (mind you, this is an approximation).
(pic of the trapz, thank you Wikipedia.)

The backs of the hands look somewhat short. The palm is as long as it is wide, and the knuckles or wrist will add a bit of length when they bend.

I like the variety in your character designs, they have personality and variety. Stuff like Sergej's hair and glasses, the bull's tattoo, that sorta thing. They're fairly conventional features, but just means that they look distinct from each other without being outlandish or fanciful.

Your drawings are starting to show some depth and volume (Sergej in the first panel, the crowd of box-bots in the last panel). It's rough... very rough... but it's a start. Keep pushing for better.

The "prev" link on the main page goes to 0x33 instead of 0x34.

The speech balloons hug the text closely, and the linespacing is tight, but it's not difficult to read. It might look better, visually, with more room. That would mean cutting back on the word count per panel, tho.

The writing seems good to me, it reads well. I'd have to see more of the story to comment further.

[VAE]

*notes down*

Link fixed

As for the bubbles , i am pondering just to use line segments similar like CVRPG uses , since as they are now, they look even uglier than the rest of it...