Green Tea

[Dhaos]

...tentacles... *bad mental image* ahem... I somewhat liked the original tentacles better (they had more movement I believe), however if you stick with the new tentacles, perhaps changing their stance a bit would help (maybe one could be arched extremely, another about to 'step' aka still off the ground, etc). The creature's design itself is pretty neat either way.

@camus: shuma gorath is awesome ^_^ I forgot about that site too *dls the rips*

[David]

Again, thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond.

Xion Night
See below.

Zach
Yeah, he was supposed to be floating.

crab2selout.png
See below.

Larwick
I think you're right on the money about originality, but I wouldn't limit it to any one thing.

Andy Tran
Everyone's entitled to their opinion on the sucktitude of my art.

reydragk
See below.

Adarias
See below.

Camus
A special thanks for voicing your opinion so clearly.

Now about those damn "tentacles." The first ones were representative of the creature being underwater and they were just floating there. They're swirly and dainty, and I suppose good fun to look at. My major concern with them is that I've already done many things that have fanciful swirls that are entirely pointless. They're oldhat by now. I like to change it up a bit if at all possible.

The second set of "tentacles" are really supposed to be legs. As for fitting the anatomy, I don't see how you've drawn that conclusion. They do indeed vary in width, and they would make for some shoddy tentacles. They're not tentacles though. They aren't supposed to relate any sort of perspective either. The three in the back are supposed to be further away, but that's it.

As for your suggestions, I'll be honest and say I probably won't take any into account. I'm familiar with the sprite you posted, and that makes sense if the case were tentacles. I can give a little reference into my train of thought if you have a look at this screenshot from MGS4. I understand that a lot of people don't like the new set of legs, but I do. So nyah!

Though, I am not a heartless person and so I'll painstakingly finish two (!) variations of the creature. The one on the left is for everyone, while the one on the right is for me.



Dhaos
Yeah, I may have to change them around a bit. They're supposed to evoke a "ready" stance (like those taken by baseball or volleyball players), but people tend to see it as just unbalanced. I think it looks balanced...

[Dhaos]

ooooooooh ok, I see where you are comming from ^^U. He's posing for us hehe...or for his target...poor target, traget is gunna die =*(

As you shade the tentacles, maybe you can add one of those brighter tones (that you used on the eye) to the top part of a few of the legs, to make them appear slightly glossy? Unless of course they're more hard and carapace like.

Regarding doing both versions, I don't really think thats neccesary, we're all just voicing our opinions. Your vision for the critter is whats most important in the end.

[Tremulant]

Ah, and now you've made things difficult. I was going to post yet another "I liked the tentacles ones better" reply, but now, seeing the new ones coloured and detailed... I dunno. It's a tough call.
I agree with Camus that the floaty tentacles had that nice, spirally, eye directing flow, but the newer ones are far cleaner, and what though I wasn't so into the torso at first, I'm loving how it's turning out.
Anyway, I now prefer the new one, so... yes.
By the way, is the part you added to the right of the head its mouth, or...? Looks a little to me like a head in profile, which would be pretty badass on the design front, imo

[David]

Dhaos
I just make it out like it's going to be a big chore, but in fact I really enjoy doing both so it's fine as frog hair. As for highlights, Alex Hanson-White already brought up speculars which may achieve the effect you're recommending I go for.

Tremulant
Glad to see I've converted at least one person, haha. Yes, it is indeed a head. You can see it more clearly in the lineart.

[Conzeit]

er...wow.

heh, it's very light hearted of you to decide to do two versions of the sprite, but honestly I dont think there's a point to it.What is this now, fanservice? dude, do fanservice when your check depends on it, not when a bunch of geeks want to direct the way you do your art.

if it was for seeing the swirly legs finished any one of us could do that...in fact I kinda did, I felt I had to see what I had envisioned in the sprite so I brushed in some quick shading.

so let me spare you the bother.

the whole point is that you understand where we come from and why the new legs dont really work, so you take that as a starting point for a new way to see the legs YOU want to do, no point in finishing a piece you wont care for.

There are many other structures to make those legs work, not just swirlyness. the point is we are all help you flesh out YOUR idea, the reason we all insist on the old ones is because it's the only alternative we know of, but belive me there's a true point behind the criticism of the new legs, not just flat nostalgia for swirls or something.

now, the MG Gekkou (MGS4 Metal Gear) legs? wow. I dont see that in the new legs at all. do you want to make a creature that spreads it's legs like a spider/crab but with Gekkou style musculature texture and feel?

the problem with what you got right now is just they dont really have a structure, they're not really swirly tentacles but they're not really anything else, they're just deform blobs that dont fit with the rest of the creature, they just look deformed because each one of the legs has diferent blobs at diferent heights for no true reason. I cant see how this creature would move, it's not moving in water anymore so it needs some sort of locomotion method.
try something like http://number-none.com/happycake/notes_16/HEX_render_101sm.jpg this or http://ewancient.lysator.liu.se/pic/art/d/a/davey/041.jpg or something, because honestly right now it just feels like you switched swirly locomotion method for just...scribbly deformed blobs
it's really cool that you've decided to get out of your swirl safe zone and reach for higher design elements, but that's not done by just not doing swirls, you're gonna have to come up with real concepts to put in place of the swirls, you cant expect to leave a safe zone by just stop doing it, that's why it's a safe zone it protects you from reinventing yourself, so if you want to leave it you are gonna have to do an effort.

[Xion]

Gee, camus, leave a little room for imagination. Not everything has to be suited to what we think of as locomotion. Perhaps it does still live underwater. It's body may be kinda heavy, so it floats near the bottom, pushing off of the seabed with its tentacles. Or maybe it's on an alien planet where gravity is lesser than it is here on earth, so what we see as traditional structural appendages may have developed differently. Personally, I relate the new legs to, like, a mix between seaweed and earthworms.
I can see quite easily how this thing could move...But not how it would attack it's prey. At least not on land. Supposing it is on earth, if it made a lunge for its prey, the bulkiness of its head would inevitably throw it off balance, causing it to just crash into the ground. But if it tried to grab with its appendages, it's quite obvious from its stance here that it needs all of its legs to remain upright.

...
Bah, I've forgotten what I'm talking about. Now I'm fantasizing about what kind of food this thing eats. Whatever you do, It'll rock, so no complaints from me.

Oh, and while I do see the new thing on its head as a beak, I see the face that Tremulant mentioned and agree that that, too would look cool.
And to agree with Camus, you reallly don't need to finish two. It'd be pretty...pointless.

Oh yeah, I like the new ones in favor of the old ones 'cause they replace the frailty generally associated with swirls with a sense of power, which, in my mind, is associated with random surges of growth. aka. the random bulbiness of those legs...limbs...appendages.   

BTW, I really like the rightmost leg. (the one in the foreground).

[Conzeit]

leave a little to the imagination? I see it the completly opposite way =D lol

I think it's far more imaginative to come up with a system of locomotion than just sort of draw some legs that look good to you

[David]

I'll respond to your comments later.

[reydragk]

I take back my comments about not liking the way you were going with the new legs.  that is the sex!