[comic] Gabriel, pg.6 [02-08-'10]

[WhiteFox]

DSOF #21 [EDIT] Link fixed.
Comments and critiques appreciated.

As a part of my ongoing effort to improve my skills, I'm going to try updating DSOF every Monday and Friday from now on. I know I can handle the workload, easily, and I've got a firm belief that reliability is an important part of being a serious cartoonist. I should have started doing this a long time ago.

As for the tutorials... I feel bad about taking them down, but I felt I had to. I had problems with a few points, and I haven't been able to resolve them satisfactorily. Although it wounds me to fail, I don't want to teach flawed techniques. I'm very much a junior here, and all I can do is share what I know. Which is fine when I'm writing a crit on someone else thread, but "The best I can do" isn't enough if I'm trying to write a definitive article on a subject.



I had a moment of clarity yesterday, right when I was in the worst sort of mindset (grade-A emo). I don't really care that my art isn't the best. I love making it, and it's going to keep improving (Heck, that's why I started DSOF. To have a project that I could work on on a steady basis). I want to be a graphic novelist, and I've had people politely put a hand on my shoulder and quietly suggest that I'm a long way from it (I've had it said bluntly and condescendingly too). That's fine. I'm not doing much else with the next ten or fifteen years of my life. I could get depressed about my work, or I could enjoy making it. I think I'll enjoy the ride.

Really, even if I become as good as I want to be, art isn't going to make me rich or famous. And I don't need it to. I'll take Bohemianism over the mainstream.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

DSOF #21 [EDIT] Link fixed.
Comments and critiques appreciated.

"ulterior", not "alterior", in terms of motives.

As for consistency in updates - I'm all for it.

[Tapewolf]

As a part of my ongoing effort to improve my skills, I'm going to try updating DSOF every Monday and Friday from now on. I know I can handle the workload, easily, and I've got a firm belief that reliability is an important part of being a serious cartoonist. I should have started doing this a long time ago.

Excellent.  Like the plot twist, by the way... I hadn't seen that coming.

[Turnsky]

Really, even if I become as good as I want to be, art isn't going to make me rich or famous. And I don't need it to. I'll take Bohemianism over the mainstream.

Two things.
The Phrase "Starving artist" has a lot of credence, and Artists of even a reasonable amount of skill only became really famous after they fell off this mortal coil. 

[WhiteFox]

llearch: Damn you, confounding english language!

Tapewolf: I love a good twist.

Turnsky: Believe me, the thought had occurred to me.

[WhiteFox]

Eighth rewrite. I need to stipulate: I'm not mad, I'm not depressed. Try to read this with a neutral tone.

A lot of people just tell me how bad I am at what I do, and won't actually help me get better at it.

If I say I don't think I'm very good, people say I'm emo and depressing and I should get over it. If I seem confident about my work, others tell me I have a long way to go and need improvement. Neither of these things are actually teaching me anything, and both just make me feel bad about myself. Most of these people haven't even read my comic or seen my work.

I don't need you to tell me I should be studying anatomy. As a matter of fact, I've said repeatedly that I'm trying to study anatomy.

I've read the books. A lot. But that only does so much. More often then not, I know that something is wrong, or even know why it's wrong. But I can't seem to fix it, or do it right. Pretty much the whole reason I'm on the board at all was because I'm hoping someone will say something that might help, or give me a direction to go in. I don't have the option of going to college and talking to people who know what they're talking about. I come here and I talk to you guys.

I make a lot of comments, I do a lot of critiques. Maybe people think I'm egotistical, or self important, or that I think too much of my skills. I'm trying to give feedback and maybe help people the way I want help. I know my opinion isn't solid gold, or infallible. I just say what I think, and hope it's useful.

[Edit] Thanks to how long this took to write, I'm never going to get DSOF #23 up by Monday.

[WhiteFox]

God, thats the best I can do after a couple hours and eight rewrites? I really oughta stop posting late at night.

No DSOF. I forgot that whenever I have a deadline, no matter how far away, I get an instant writers block.

I spent the weekend doing little sketches. Me Ma picked up a "Bleed-proof Marker Pad". It takes ink a hundred times better then the sketchbook I've been using.


Most of these are about two inches square on the page.

Trying to figure out the placement of the shoulders in relation to the head and torso at a 3/4ths angle. Somethings wrong with the chin line, or the shoulder on the left.

I was trying to sort out the neckline here. I made five or six of these in pencil, and inked the best one. Couldn't figure out the shading on the left side of the neck. Feedback appreciated.
No pupils...
Creepy...

I like this one. Since I had really crappy paper before now, I've never really been able to get into heavy shadows. I don't really like the V line on the forehead, I kinda knew there was supposed to be lines there but didn't really know how to draw them. Here's a figher res.

Since the paper is a lot smoother, I find the lines are a lot smoother. The pen's easier to control. Normally, I don't like the feel of smooth paper for drawing on, but I love what it does for inks.

Of course, I've know that paper without tooth is much better for inks for a long time, but never actually took the time to try it. Fancy that.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

With the middle image, the right hand side shadow has the light high and to the left. The left hand side has it low and behind the shoulder.

And you're not showing the curvature of the hollow in the collarbone.

I think that's what's messing it up. Get some light in the right angle, a mirror, and remove your shirt. That might help identify it...

[WhiteFox]

[Edit] Cut out a bunch of stuff that doesn't really matter. I need to stop posting when I'm tired.

I still kinda like this tho. Any responses appreciated. Sorry for the bad cropping

[Kipiru]

My comment may be a bit off, but I had to congratulate you on the wings that turned into ornaments of the dress- I mean that was just awesome, I spent at least five minutes tracing the crisscrossing lines with my eyes! Very nicely done!

[Eagle0600]

Wut?

[Jairus]

Wut?

Kipiru's talking about this. I think so, anyway.

Cool wings and heads, Fox.

[Turnsky]

[Edit] Cut out a bunch of stuff that doesn't really matter. I need to stop posting when I'm tired.

I still kinda like this tho. Any responses appreciated. Sorry for the bad cropping

nice, a little short for my tastes, but the structure's right.

[Eagle0600]

Yes, those wings do look good, and yes, they are a little short. Basically:

Wut?

Kipiru's talking about this. I think so, anyway.
...

Ahh, that makes sense. And I agree, that was well done. I like how it looks a little like Celtic knots.

[WhiteFox]

Yes, those wings do look good, and yes, they are a little short. Basically:

When I did these, I drew the bones as the same length as the arm. They do look small, compared to how large birds wings actually are and how most artists online draw them, but I'm starting to like that scale.

I like how it looks a little like Celtic knots.

I should hope so. I've been drawing celtic knots for over a decade. I should do a tutorial on the methods of construction.

It takes surprisingly little time to draw. Well, more time then most characters, but not a lot more.

[WhiteFox]

Working out a consistent spot pattern for Jade's back when she gets all fired up. I liked how it came out enough that I felt like posting it.

Incidentally, this is the first sketch of the pattern I did. I've tried three times, to no avail, to reproduce it.

On another note, my drawing skills are doing weird things style wise. I'm trying to decide between doubling my efforts to finish the next DSOF, or making another tutorial.

[EDIT] I should probably tag this NSFW.

[Tapewolf]

The neck looks a little long, though I guess that isn't really the focus of the picture.
And yes, I'm starting to have the same problem.  As if Amber's grumbling about Abel wasn't enough to warn most sensible people away from spotted characters...

[rt]

*wistles* while at least they are cubi shape shifters. At least a better reason than 'a wizard did it'

Honestly I don't have tips on how to draw a character the same more than once. Stripes and spots and patterns, is it possible to have a negative value of tips ? The key is too many spots/strips to ever be sure if it changes?

But at least it worked nicely once for you 

[Turnsky]

The neck looks a little long, though I guess that isn't really the focus of the picture.
And yes, I'm starting to have the same problem.  As if Amber's grumbling about Abel wasn't enough to warn most sensible people away from spotted characters...

i've learnt that 'scatter' settings in photoshop's brush palette is good enough for most spots, albeit inconsistant in some areas.

[Tapewolf]

i've learnt that 'scatter' settings in photoshop's brush palette is good enough for most spots, albeit inconsistant in some areas.

One of the things I'm doing is to ensure that the spotty characters are always well-dressed, as opposed to Abel who goes around barechested a lot.  That means I only have to worry about the face and hands.

[WhiteFox]

I usually try to find a systematic way of arranging the spots that looks random enough, but can be filled in swiftly. Jade's here are pretty regular, but I like em.

[GabrielsThoughts]

I say, go with no pattern specific pattern at all, It worked or Abel... at least I don't think he had a consistent pattern early on.

[Tapewolf]

I say, go with no pattern specific pattern at all, It worked or Abel... at least I don't think he had a consistent pattern early on.

Abel has seven spots which always remain the same, or so I've heard.  I'm not sure whether that includes the spots on his face.

[WhiteFox]

This sketch is so messed up, I couldn't not post it. 

I was noodling around, and ended up drawing characters based on my meds:

(EDIT: *Facepalm* added a [url] the [img] to the full sized pic. Oh Auto-Image-Shrinking, how could I forget about you?)


From left to right:
Certa: For Concerta. The doc kept mentioning how amazingly high-tech this pill was, 'cause it was formed with layers that dissolved over time, making it a once a day pill instead of six a day. Hence the layers of armor. She looks like a power ranger, which I find amusing.
Touch: My One Touch Ultra glucose meter is tiny, and takes five seconds to do it's thing. Can you tell I played Mega Man games when I was a kid?
Lisi and Lipi: Lisinopril and Lipitor are two meds I got put on to lower the risk of diabetic complications. Lipitor is for cholesterol, hence not a gram of fat on her (I know that's not how cholesterol works. Artistic license) Lisinopril does good things for a diabetics eyes, liver, and kidneys, but it's for hypertension so she ended up buff and athletic. Lisi is smooth and a easy an easy to swallow pill, hence her laytex outfit (Edit: Those are shiney-highlights, not nips. Pervs), and Lipi is really chalky and bitter, hence her rougher look.
Rapid and Lant: Novorapid is my short-acting insuline, so she's active looking. Latus is my once a day, long acting, basal insulin. It take it at the same time every day and it works for exactly 24 hours. Thus, she ended up getting a straight business, no nonsense look. (I didn't finish drawing the business apparel for her, tho) They both have long, spikey fingers cause I take needles for insulin. Lant is tall because the bottle lantus comes in is taller and thinner then the Novorapid.

[Nikki]

That's called personification right? Awesome job =D

BTW i voted 'hands' ;P

[WhiteFox]

Personification. That's the word I was looking for.

I was going to say anthropomorphic, but for the most part this board is furry so it didn't seem appropriate.

Also: Turned the image into a link to the full size image.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

"Anthropomorphic Personification" is the technical term...

Death being a tall bony dude in a robe is another example of the same thing.

[Mao]

With regards to the title:  Not Enough.

[WhiteFox]

With regards to the title:  Not Enough.

I dunno... I could probably make a comic based on the ones I got now.

@llearch:
Do Transformers count as Anthropomorphic Personifications?
(To paraphrase Amber: "NERRRRRRRRRRRDS!")

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

No, they count on their fingers.