Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: VictorR on February 26, 2008, 01:40:43 am

Title: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on February 26, 2008, 01:40:43 am
(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/8266/avatargk3.png)

This is my first time doing this type of coloring and I need help on highlights and possibly further shading spots. Edits are welcome.


EDIT:

I completely redid the colors and went for a simple smooth look.
 (http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4958/avatarnv2.png)
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: tocky on February 26, 2008, 02:41:43 am
The newer one is a huge improvement.
But!
You're using a lot more colours for AA than for actual shading - so the face still only has two values, even though you've got others already in the image that you could be using:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/tocky/victorr_blueguy.png)
Basically, you're not using all of your colours, even though you are.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on February 26, 2008, 02:49:20 am
Ah, I see what you mean. Forgot to mention my first face shade  ::)
Thanks for the spots I needed to shade, I'll work on it some more tonight.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on February 26, 2008, 10:33:58 pm
Sorry for the double post, I had to bump it.

(http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7928/avatarau9.png)
Edited a few things like you said and added a neck with a nice pink shirt. Problem is, Im having a hard time with those neck muscles and adams apple placements and such, Could someone do a few edits and show me what it should look like.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: AIGuy on February 27, 2008, 02:57:46 am
Rethink the shading, especially around the eye and mouth.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Hatch on February 27, 2008, 04:47:15 am
There is a ton more work to be done on the face before you start worrying about neck and shoulders.

The human face is an incredibly complex thing with scads of little muscles and details. You need to think more in terms of these little details. Here's a quick edit:

(http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9773/avatarau9gh1.png)

Very quick, and I'm not saying it's perfect (my strong speculars are pretty inappropriate :P), but let's go over a few things in no particular order, despite the fact that they're numbered:

1) Proportions. Human's don't generally have noses that short or upper lips that tall. Always consult references of what you're drawing; Google Images search is invaluable for this sort of study. Pick up a facial anatomy book if you want to get serious; these usually have wonderful proportion guidelines.

2) Nose. The human nose alone is an incredibly complex thing! It can't be simplified into a rectangle if you're trying to draw realistically. Think carefully about nostrils, not just the holes, but the way those passages shape the nose as a whole. Think more about how it blends smoothly in with the facial plane rather than being simply plugged in. Think about how it interacts and blends with the brow (something I didn't address in my edit but meant to)

3) Masses and levels of depth. When shading anything, think about breaking it down into basic shapes--primitives--and shade accordingly. This will help you define your masses clearly. Your shading around the chin and brow, for example, is very illogical. And like tocky was saying, use all your colors to the fullest! Use them to define clear levels of depth. When drawing a face, you can almost think of each shade as defining a new plane.

4) Proportions again. Remember that the human head is divided into two roughly equal halves of cranial mass and facial mass, with the the center being the eyes (technically the bottom of the brow). With this in mind, I think his forehead needs to be a tad taller (though, again, I didn't address this in my edit).

5) The little things. The depression under the nose that separates the upper lip into two halves (there's a technical name for it that I can never remember), wrinkles and folds (like those in the edit originating from the nose), cheekbones, jaw line, brow ridge, etc., etc. Again, an anatomy book can be your best friend, but even just looking at photos of faces is a great way to study.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Rydin on February 27, 2008, 06:02:38 am
(http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/5193/facemanfe5.png)

I'm in a hurry, but I did a quick edit--the distance from the beginning of the hairline, to the center of the eyes, to the tip of the nose, to the chin, are roughly the same.  Your hairline is too far up and your nose is too far up.

Your eyebrow placement is a bit silly--the eyebrows rest on a "hill" of sorts--they don't create a ridge for the eyes to hide under.

The neck--(sorry, I'm in a hurry, so I didn't show it properly).  The neck connects at the ears--my edit doesn't show this, and yours doesn't incorporate this either, but yeah...neck connects with the ears.

Also, you might want to focus on showing more surfaces using the lighting.  The eyes suffer from this the most. Remember, even if you choose to have vacuum voids for eyes, the basic shape of the eye is spherical, not flat.


Again, sorry if this is all messy and stuff--I'm in a hurry  :-[
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Franky G on February 27, 2008, 11:50:54 am
I love your edit hatch. A real improvement. I always struggle with this kind of stuff so its always fascinating when something like this comes out. I just had to try an edit.

Hatchs vs My edit Based on Hatch's
(http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9773/avatarau9gh1.png)(http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff175/alfiescuba/faceedit.gif)

My quick notes

1. First thing that struck me is the defined jaw line. Very nice. I think this alone is a huge improvement.
2. The height of the forehead is too short in my opinion. I wasn't exactly sure what it was missing at first. It needed temples, brow and then the rest of the forehead. I've given my guy a shave to illustrate. I haven't highlighted the brows on my edit though but take note of the temples and how they are shaded.
3. If you look at your original version and take a look at the centre of bridge in the nose, you should see that the right eye is a little too far away. I've pulled the right eye in a little (i've flipped my version.. sorry). I've also tried to be more subtle with shape of the eyebrows so i've pulled them in a little.
4. The mouth i've changed. This is what i do with most of my portraits. I don't know what it is but i prefer a tight lip so i've made the mouth slightly smaller, removed the shadow from the centre of the top lip and added small shadow to the edges of the mouth. I find this usually looks good.

let me know what you guys think.


Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Helm on February 29, 2008, 12:19:21 am
I don't think I've seen a proper realistic neck in any of the edits thus far, why is that?
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on February 29, 2008, 01:08:48 am
More focused on the face, necks next. Do an edit helm  :o
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Sherman Gill on February 29, 2008, 03:57:11 am
Uff, I edited Franky G's:
(http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff175/alfiescuba/faceedit.gif)(http://lorne.lastchancemedia.com/Images/two/Tricksandcrits/3.gif)
Mostly an edit on the neck, though I slightly fucked up the forms on it anyway so it might not be too useful.
The ears were too high.
And finally, a single area of banding was removed. :mean:
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on March 03, 2008, 11:49:12 pm
Only problem with all these edits are that, I don't have that skinny of a head.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Rydin on March 04, 2008, 12:24:11 am
How about a reference picture?
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on March 04, 2008, 12:28:34 am
(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7574/mefd6.png)
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Terley on March 04, 2008, 03:10:18 am
would you not do something more like this then victor? edit on Sherman's edit of Franky G's edit  :-X

(http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6532/faceuf3.png)

Or at least use more first hand observation, instead of just making things up.. You should be able to play on your facial features if you're going for a cartoony look.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on March 04, 2008, 03:16:53 am
Woah, thats a bit freaky..Looks just like me  ;D
Amazing edit Terley, I see what your trying to get me to understand but I wasn't meaning to put so much detail.
I was going for a simple look but I think I'll follow what your doing. Thanks all!

I'll reply with my edit.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: VictorR on March 04, 2008, 04:05:04 am
To be honest I think I rushed into this too much. I had no knowledge of face shading and muscle's untill now. Terley's edit knocked it out of the park, so I think I'll take all the CnC you guys have told me into consideration and I'll think before making another project I can't complete. Thanks all of you alot for what you did.  Rydin, Franky G and Hatch thanks for taking the time to explain what my flaws were. And as you said, "The human face is an incredibly complex thing with scads of little muscles and details." Don't think starting with this is a good idea.
Title: Re: [WIP] Avatar
Post by: Terley on March 04, 2008, 04:17:42 am
Just take everything one step at a time, Keep to what you have and just try to make slight adjustments to improve the depth and eventually shape it accordingly.. One thing you shouldn't do is rush into anything. See everything as a learning experience, no one's rushing you to make an update victor, take your time and work on it in your own for a bit.

I think you've got plenty of information to go off here, is that not what you need? I'd say just stick at it and take your time.