GR#028 - Greenery - Sprite Process

[Jorund]

I think that completely ruins the effect

It's just an edit to show how the shoulder should be. Don't take into account the vegetation.

[HC_Bret_Measor]

When I saw this you motivated me to make a pixel avatar... I'm just not sure what I am going to do.

Btw love your avatar.

[CrazyMLC]

Really like it, but in general the anatomy seems sort of odd. The neck feels very off, and the left shoulder is a little low. Helm's edit was a little extreme, because I felt that the posture had an effect on the picture. I think something between what you have and Helm's edit would be optimal.

Otherwise, the colors look really nice together, and I love the piece.

[zanaril]

I think the neck needs to curve more. Possibly with a row of rocks to show the vertibrae? It might help direct attention towards the face.

[EyeCraft]

Thank you for all of the love! But I think this piece still has further to go before I'll be satisfied with it 

This is bad critique as I didn't look at any actual model references (will make a 3d model assume the position later perhaps) but the point is you've paid too much attention to head and not enough on how the shoulders should support it I think. Otherwise really beautiful.

That definitely communicates more sense of structure. I was liberal with my anatomical distortions, being so caught up in the energy/movement of the pose. Thank you.

Really like it, but in general the anatomy seems sort of odd. The neck feels very off, and the left shoulder is a little low. Helm's edit was a little extreme, because I felt that the posture had an effect on the picture. I think something between what you have and Helm's edit would be optimal.

Otherwise, the colors look really nice together, and I love the piece.

Yes, this is my thinking, too. I'm going to do a set of more complete figure studies of the pose and get a real feel for both the anatomical structure and the gesture. I think only by doing that can I find the real 'sweet spot' for the piece.

I think the neck needs to curve more. Possibly with a row of rocks to show the vertibrae? It might help direct attention towards the face.

I sort of played with that idea, tracing the spine, I didn't like where I got with it since it seemed to exaggerate an idea of boniness, disparity, harsh cold misery. It's like she suddenly despised the antelope. This clashed too much with the feeling I had going, so I took it out and concentrated on rendering it just as a cliff to push her duality. But in a way I can see how that has introduced lines which fight the flow of the pose, so I might try reworking that a little.

I will return, post-figure-studies   

[TheRobinHood]

nice!  Loving the concept.
I think his sideburns are too shaggy, and the shadow on the back of the head is over exaggerated.

[blumunkee]

I see this as a rock formation made to look human, not a human made to look like a rock formation. Given that I think the loose anatomy works better here.

[Mathias]

Loved this from the moment I saw it. Instant pixel appeal. Great use of the genre.

The head's "hair" flora bugs me a little - the way it cuts off like a medieval friar's, or Forrest Gump's, cut-too-short haircut. That may sound silly, though it still amounts to a distraction for me.

And why a goat? Just because it's a mountain goat, and on a mountain? Any further significance? (just wonderin'. I love to get inside the heads of artists whom I respect)

[EyeCraft]

Okay, wow. It takes me a long time to get around to things  

The mood struck me to return to this piece and undergo the figure studies I promised myself I would do.

It's a difficult pose for me, and each attempt I make to dissect it indicates it's time I returned to my anatomy studies and go over the whole torso. Here is my retake:



Original on the right for comparison.

I love, love this angle and the connection it establishes between the viewer and the woman. However, it changes the position of the shoulder in relation to the face, and makes adding the little antelope compositionally problematic.

Still tossing up whether to do a retake of the piece with this new angle, see where it takes me, or do another study with the "camera" more to the left, to get the shoulder further out from the face.

But most importantly: thoughts on anatomy?

[st0ven]

no no no. your original piece is much preferred to your latest sketch. the linework isnt at all bad, but the anatomy is all bunched up, it looks like the anatomy of a hobbit of sorts. its muscles are also very masculine making it hard to distinguish it as a female figure. Id say stick with your current piece as a good base and work in any updates on that imo.