AuthorTopic: GR#033 - Lion Warrior - Anatomy / Sprite Process  (Read 18184 times)

Offline Cure

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Re: Lion Warrior

Reply #20 on: September 13, 2008, 01:28:06 am
Done.  I plan to pixel a background eventually, however.  If time allows.

Offline Cure

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Re: Lion Warrior

Reply #21 on: November 26, 2008, 11:00:57 am
Believe it or not, I haven't given up on this one



Still looking for feedback.  Coloring the cape is giving me problems.  Can't remember why I removed the tail, I'll make him a new one before all is said and done.  Feel free to critique any aspect of the piece, I've been working on coloring, but I'm still not done with the image itself (especially part of the knight and the addition of the reigns (or whatever you'd call them).

Offline Doppleganger

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Re: Lion Warrior

Reply #22 on: November 26, 2008, 03:45:19 pm
I can't really offer up any in-depth critique atm, but I'll drop a few pointers your way.

First off, the composition is generally appealing, but it's hard to make sense of what's going on. Right now I would think that the knight has halted the lion in order to look toward something off in the distance and to his right. The knight's helmet portrays a very intent stare and the lion looks rather interested in moving forward but relinquent to do so. That's the idea I get from this piece anyways, and it's where most of my critique is going to stem from.

The thing I don't get is how the cape ended up in the position that it is in. The cape in the front of the picture seems to be tucked over and under his right thigh, is this correct? Actually, upon closer inspection it doesn't seem like it is. Which is even more of a problem because it doesn't seem to be laying on top of his thigh, like I assume you meant it to look. The sheer bulk of the cape would pull the edge down toward the ground unless a serious amount of it was lying over the thigh. In fact, there would probably have to be a big ball of fabric from the cape between his legs in order to anchor it in such a fashion that it'd just rest on the thigh. Now, exact realism isn't a necessity, but I find that it makes the picture less believable overall.

The same holds true for the unfinished cape behind the lion. It has a curve which suggests that the corner of the cape is being held in his hand. And if that was so, the contour of the top of the cape would be the exact contour of his arm. The interesting thing about that is that an arm in that position would be an excellent way to suggest that the knight has pulled the reign tight on the lion. Right now there's little to suggest that the lion has been stopped, nor is there much to suggest that the knight has any control of the lion short of riding him.

The last thing worth talking about is the contradiction between the knight and the lion. Right now they feel like two seperate entities unconcerned with each other. Almost as if they were taken from two different pieces and slapped together. This was obviously not the case, so it's unsettling. I feel that this has a lot to do with the cape seemingly ignoring the mass known as the lion. It also has much to do with lack of interaction between the two; the knight is off doing his own thing, and the lion is doing his in a rather boring position (if you were to take out the knight). Finally, the ramps for the two are very different, and they could use some similarities. I would say that the metal on the knight's armor would especially pick up some of the lighter yellows from the lion.

I'd maybe introduce a new color ramp for the cape to add a bit of interest to the piece. If you look at the bridle in the lion's mouth, you'll see that it almost takes on its own color. Even though it's borrowed from the knight, it has a sense of individuality because it is predominantly cyan and not grey/green. I was thinking that a bold blue would potentially look pretty good. The other effect it would have would be in containing the image. Right now my eyes have this notion to wander a lot whenever I look at the knight specifically. Going back to the cape again....I think that if you drew it in a manner that would direct the eyes throughout the entire image, and possibly changed the color to something unique, things would be looking a lot better.

Sorry that this post ended up kind of rambly, I hope it helps!



edit: I did a quicky edit of what I was trying to explain. Not perfect, but it should be of assistance. One thing I changed, but didn't really mention before, was the lion's head. I tilted it up a bit to give the impression of the implied force the knight needed to make in order to halt the lion.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2008, 04:01:12 pm by Doppleganger »

Offline TrevoriuS

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Re: Lion Warrior

Reply #23 on: November 26, 2008, 05:46:26 pm
Though the shape of the cape is a bit over the top, it does create a dynamic feel and movement, in a still-standing image. In that regard I think that if you think about it as a choice, it was a good one. The lion not caring about what the knight is doing is also completely natural, though the way you reposed him, as if objecting the control, may be even better.

Offline Helm

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Re: Lion Warrior

Reply #24 on: August 23, 2010, 12:54:44 am
Second strike for that, RetroBit.