I think this is an improvement over the last one!

mistformsquirrel · 10-06-2006 07:36 AM

Remn again!

I'm still not satisfied though <;_;> I feel like I'm a web comic artist at best. Some of it I know is the rough edges on my ink lines (I have no idea how to fix that without HOURS of photoshop time invested just into that); some of it of course is just that it doesn't have shading yet...

But the face is bugging me. >< I liked the old head a bit better, even though this body is better.

The chain didn't go where I wanted it to <;_;> was supposed to wrap around his arm all cool-like and uhm... didn't work.

And he looks stiff as hell still.

But the body is more right; and I've got the costume better defined now >.<

I dunno; whatcha all think? <;_;> Better? Worse? Squirrel you're a loser?

A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.

Roguehill · 10-06-2006 07:44 AM

What are you using to ink, Squirrel? Most of the comic guys use a brush for those flowing, smooth lines (or digitally do the same thing on a tablet), even a brush marker might help give the lines some life. I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with the proportions, the "flat" feeling you're sensing is mostly because the lines aren't doing what they could to defined the shapes.
I hope that's helpful?

GHOST ZERO! Avenger of the helpless dead!

Rowrsie · 10-06-2006 07:46 AM

Very nice, but I'm a little confused as to why there's a sword on a chain hanging off his side and why his hand isn't holding onto it?

mistformsquirrel · 10-06-2006 07:49 AM

[ QUOTE ]
What are you using to ink, Squirrel? Most of the comic guys use a brush for those flowing, smooth lines (or digitally do the same thing on a tablet), even a brush marker might help give the lines some life. I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with the proportions, the "flat" feeling you're sensing is mostly because the lines aren't doing what they could to defined the shapes.
I hope that's helpful?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm using a err... "Pitt 4 Artist Pen, Type S" <'x'> or something like that.

Yes, that's exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for >.<;

A brush I'd never even thought of >.<

A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.

mistformsquirrel · 10-06-2006 07:50 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Very nice, but I'm a little confused as to why there's a sword on a chain hanging off his side and why his hand isn't holding onto it?

[/ QUOTE ]

That was a mistake hehe <;_;> I wanted it to wrap over the top of his arm and just dangle... needless to say I totally farked it up <~.~>

Me + Drawing Girls = Much Better >.< But I gotta learn both!

A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.

Starchasm · 10-06-2006 10:02 AM

I still like his face!! You still need to slope the shoulders a tad bit more, but it's definitely an improvement. I know in all the "learn how to draw" books you draw a straight line across to set the shoulder line, but once you get the muscles on top they don't go straight across from the neck. (They're also a liiittle bit to wide )

Here's a drawing of just muscles (it's also a link to a great anatomical reference site) Reference images help me sooo much.

I don't think the chain looks weird! I just figured you were being dramatic with it!

mistformsquirrel · 10-06-2006 10:05 AM

Hmm... >.< damn you human anatomy! <,< lacking amorphous properties! >,< Glad you still like this face <'x'> Its a bit off still... >< I dunno what's wrong with it prezactly - I like these eyes better than the last; but I liked the previous facial structure a tad more >.>

Oh well <,< I'm prolly gonna do another one; I want to make him look right cause he's practice to go back and fix my friend's elfy <;_;>m

<sigh> poor Yumz <;_;> she waits for me to finish coloring her. Good thing she's patient.

<gets stabbed in the head> <X_o>

A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.

Darkjedi · 10-06-2006 10:13 AM

[ QUOTE ]
"...Some of it I know is the rough edges on my ink lines (I have no idea how to fix that without HOURS of photoshop time invested just into that)..."

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going to state the obvious, and then justify it with an explanation;

If you don't like scratchy ink lines, then don't make your ink lines scratchy.

What I mean is this; when inking, a line should be a SINGLE STROKE from beginning to end. Some lines are short little cross-hatches, and some are long and curvy arcs. Each and every line in an ink drawing has it's own character and helps build the image. Imagine ink lines like individual words in a story.

So, looking at your image, you have dozens of little scratch lines all lined up to make a single, longer line. Why not draw it as a single line? Instead of spending hours cleaning up the lines, you should draw a couple pictures with long, arcing lines. Once you get used to that, you won't have to spend time cleaning up images anymore. You'll be a much happier squirrel.

Thor's Assassin · 10-06-2006 10:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Very nice, but I'm a little confused as to why there's a sword on a chain hanging off his side and why his hand isn't holding onto it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I had this reaction too!

mistformsquirrel · 10-06-2006 10:21 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Very nice, but I'm a little confused as to why there's a sword on a chain hanging off his side and why his hand isn't holding onto it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I had this reaction too!

[/ QUOTE ]

I just realized I never adequately explained it >_<

Ok basically imagine this:

The guy has 2 swords; both are actually chained to the back of his fighting outfit, the chains are roughly 2 meters in length - Ie: not long; they fulfill 2 purposes.

1) He's almost impossible to disarm completely; for one, if you disarm him, he'll just pick it back up; and for two, he's trained in using the swords without actually handling them (ie: he can manipulate the chains via body movements - its hard, but sometimes very handy and surprising!)

2) They let him make attacks at an extended distance. Typically throwing your weapon is a bad idea because once you've thrown it - you're disarmed. But if the weapon can be easily retrieved...

Granted he can't throw it far; but he only needs a little extra reach to make some really surprising blows >.>

Unfortunately their poorly represented <;_;> Because I suck. Practice shall improve this ><

And thanks Doug >< those are good ideas... I get so nervous when I ink <;_;> I'm like "must... not... make line totally crooked..." and of course I do by making short little lines instead of big ones <x.x>

A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.