Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Andy Tran on August 06, 2006, 03:11:02 pm
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Well, I decided to use a photo of TM Revolution to have as a reference for portrait practice. Here's what it came out.
(http://www.filespace.org/andyspixels/takanoriimitate.gif)
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Did you trace the original photo you are referencing? It doesn't look too bad, just a bit "box" looking. Notice the shadow on the left side has no light on your rendition, the original has some. The eye on the left looks like you took it out. The eyebrow is missing. The cheek on the right is too flat, same with the chin. The nose and the lips are missing so much detail, it really changes the person you are drawing.
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Thanks. I did this by taking the original photo and convert it to 16 colors 4 bit in paint. Then did the tweaking. I knew my piece won't end up looking like TMR's, so I changed the details of the face more. Does the pixel portrait you're trying to do need to have shading similiar to the reference pic?
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Similar shading? Only if you want it. But if you're practising portrait-making, but you don't want your image to look like the one you're copying then it won't be a great practice, since the the whole point of making a portrait is depict someone as close to her real look, right? (this also applies to changing the details on the face and nose.
From my experience, the really important thing when making portraits is to be able of distiguishing the features that diferenciate that particular person from all others. The shape of the nose, opening of the eyes, size of the lips, etc...these and all other features are diferent in every person. All you've got to do, and, unfortunately, it's not that easy, is to find what features, among each and everyone, make that epole special.
Anyway, I did an edit for you. It is not yet rendered, but if you wish you may do that yourself. It's mor to show you where you failed volume-wise.
(http://imagehost.ensellitis.com/images/121929452.gif)
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convert it to 16 colors 4 bit in paint.
Might not want to do this, as this is photo-conversion then, not just using reference. There is no skill-building in letting the computer translate stuff for you.
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Thanks for all the help guys. These good techniques will help me. Thanks!
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the technical name for this is "color reduction". I would advise against this for many reasons, including other artists will lose respect for you, it won't improve your skills, artists will always produce superior quality over a computer.
I would say just scap this - there is nothing to be learned from using computer automated tools / functions. To be honest the computer did a bad job aswell. Perhaps try drawing him/her in your own style and position.
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my suggestion would be to not ever use references except for life, because you will always draw the shapes of the image references and not the true forms of the subject, ultimately leading to things which are flat and typically lack life. you can learn a little bit from color reduction, particularly about light and shadow, but again life is your best source and color reduction of photos should typically be used only for observation, not emulation or god forbid for actual use.
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However, you need references to know what to draw, I mean. I wouldn't drawi t from life. Anyway, Filax's edit and help was awesome. Thanks! I'll take that into mind and do future portraits for my SRW games.
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hey
However, you need references to know what to draw
I think this is wrong??? I mean, I think you can visualise from your mind or whatever, this is what creativity is???. I think references destroy your creativity, and for things that require creativity (like making "make beleive" tiles for a game) can decrease the quality of your work.
I also very much agree with what Adarias has said :).
cyas
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Heh, I see references as a lot of help. It's true, you would lose proportions without references. You need them to know what the eye shape looks like, nose, etc. Most artists use references and it's good.
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of course you would do it from life if you want to do it right. the only way to learn properly is direct observation. ask your friends if you can sketch them, just a quick drawing, to get the forms. later you can imagine and change all that you need, since you will already have a direct visual copy of the forms you need. the life though that they need is best taken from life; and full works with your friend in front of you is best. if your friends are poor sports (and i dont see why they should be, ive never had trouble asking people to pose) then you can use a mirror and do yourself. last resort is to take a picture of yourself or someone that you know well, because at least then your mind is familiar with them enough to put something real behind the photograph.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9987/facerefsheetax0.gif
this is a quick reference sheet that i made for myself about 2 years ago. its not as good as drawing from life, but creating yourself a basic sheet with several genaric positions can be useful in framing out the basics of a portrait. Also, when using pictures of friends, one good idea is to not take a picture of them posion, but to find a picture of them that really shows them. spntaneous pictures always make for better references because they retain more life. here are some pictures of friends that ive used more than once because they both have a lot of life
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6241/courtneysmallnm0.png
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/982/andrewkf5.jpg
if you must use pictures, try looking for similar ones of your friends. If you dont take that many pictures, Myspace can occasionally be a good source, though often its a bit too posed. worth a look though for sure.
the point of all this is that you should have something to go on besides just a photograph. a memory, emotion, a bond of some sort. this will always help you in drawing effective characters. strangers, even celebrity strangers, almost never yield drawings as good as llife experience and observation.
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hey
However, you need references to know what to draw
I think this is wrong??? I mean, I think you can visualise from your mind or whatever, this is what creativity is???. I think references destroy your creativity, and for things that require creativity (like making "make beleive" tiles for a game) can decrease the quality of your work.
I also very much agree with what Adarias has said :).
cyas
I actually disagree, to start being creative and visualising what you want to draw you first need to know the fundamentals of drawing.. References can help you pick up what you don't already know, like where on the head the eyes usually need to go to look natural, how and why certain expressions look how they do.. as Adarias said drawing from observation is the only way to 'draw', any other time you're just using your memory..
But yes, a lot of art is using your imagination and creativity.. I don't think Andy is tryin to do this at the minute, copying an image gives me the impression he wants to know how to draw a face.. If he doesn't know were to start observing pictures and people around him is the only place to start..
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Ah, I see now. I'll take those advice.
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I'm just trying to figure out why you've added greens in there?
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Cus it looks good in green.
Sorry for bump, I wanted to post this
(http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/3660/renderingpracticehc0.gif)