Critique > Pixel Art Feature Chest
Feature 08 - Gregory faces the dragon
Mush:
The biggest problem at the moment is a lack of focus.
-My eyes get lost in all the details and has nowhere to rest.
-Readability is an issue.
-There seems to be a lack of depth.
All theses problems can be solved when you establish a hierarchy of focus. Things in the distance should have very low contrast, while things in the foreground should have high contrast. In effect you need to create contrast in the "big-picture" (foreground vs. background). There also are a lot of details that don't really add to the picture but add a lot of clutter (the flower pot, buildings underneath the dragon's left wing, and the Triton statue to name a few).
Cyangmou:
--- Quote from: Froli on May 06, 2011, 01:34:47 am ---I wonder if the dragons mouth should be opened wider, specially it's breathing it's fire breath.
--- End quote ---
Thought so too, changed it
--- Quote from: Mush on May 06, 2011, 03:40:00 am ---The biggest problem at the moment is a lack of focus.
-My eyes get lost in all the details and has nowhere to rest.
-Readability is an issue.
-There seems to be a lack of depth.
All theses problems can be solved when you establish a hierarchy of focus. Things in the distance should have very low contrast, while things in the foreground should have high contrast. In effect you need to create contrast in the "big-picture" (foreground vs. background). There also are a lot of details that don't really add to the picture but add a lot of clutter (the flower pot, buildings underneath the dragon's left wing, and the Triton statue to name a few).
--- End quote ---
Yeah I also worried about the details and most about the cluttering, it's good to hear it from somebody because it's really hard to guess how the artwork will look for other people if you have your own idea in the head.
Lack of depth is true, i am usual creating and refining the palette during the work, improve here a little bit and than change there something, but it helps if somebody reminds something as important as you did. Thanks.
-built the first rough palette
-set a focus
-killed the flower pot, changed the foreground buildings reworked the mermaid statue (now it fits better together with the buildings architecture, think it's better now)
-improved the dragons head, improved anatomy, added the second horn (very rough), opened the mouth
-did some little things at the background
thing's i'll change:
-add another skin tone between the dark and the light one
-change the colors at the buildings under the dragons wing (right side of the artwork)
-remove some lighting mistakes
-add more light at gregory
I think it's now ready to begin with the outworking of the whole thing, although some comments would rather help.
Cyangmou:
Today i worked out the first part, foreground without Gregory. There could definitely be some minor failures in it, I don't overlooked it (at the last artwork i did it during the work and a completely fix at the end)
I also get tired about the bricks at the broken arch, could be that I'll do some changes there.
things I'll do:
-fixing mistakes/outworking of Gregory
-tweak the dragons head further
-add the new skin color at the wings
-remove mistakes/work on
pistachio:
Foreground looks nice for a start, even if the lighting could use a bit of work. Background scenery, however, seems oddly pieced together, making for lack of depth that I think has been mentioned in this thread a few times. And I find it hard, once I've got my eye on them (after I've looked at the brightly colored eye-candy in the foreground), to take my eye off. I think I can't resist the subconscious urge to nitpick and ponder over all these little problems you have. Some sort of isometric perspective you've got, I think, but in isometric, distant buildings don't get smaller. Here, a little guide for you. It's probably not that technically sound, as even I'm not all that used to using perspective and it would ruin a lot of aspects of the drawing as they are now:
:yell:
This hurts my head. (...How many times have I used that emoticon anyway?)
Other than that, "Gregory"'s pose is pretty odd and rigid. His face seems to look off to his left side, rather than face the dragon, so, you know, that's not very true to the title of this piece. His... left? Foot/boot is visible, but should probably be in shadow. Fire should be more yellow/bright towards the source, and give off some smoke farthest from the source. Here's a picture of a flamethrower in action that someone posted on another thread regarding some adventure game. Should help. Link here.
Dragon's limbs are a mess. Just found that out after focusing my attention off of its head. I really can't discern if those are forelegs or hind legs. If the dragon really could squeeze himself into such a position, it'd be rather uncomfortable, something along the lines of a yoga position for dragons, and he'd have to have a really big head.
EDIT: It might be better, actually, if the perspective lines spread out left to the image rather than from about the dragon's eye.
Cyangmou:
--- Quote from: pistachio on May 11, 2011, 03:20:23 am ---Foreground looks nice for a start, even if the lighting could use a bit of work. Background scenery, however, seems oddly pieced together, making for lack of depth that I think has been mentioned in this thread a few times. And I find it hard, once I've got my eye on them (after I've looked at the brightly colored eye-candy in the foreground), to take my eye off. I think I can't resist the subconscious urge to nitpick and ponder over all these little problems you have. Some sort of isometric perspective you've got, I think, but in isometric, distant buildings don't get smaller. Here, a little guide for you. It's probably not that technically sound, as even I'm not all that used to using perspective and it would ruin a lot of aspects of the drawing as they are now:
Other than that, "Gregory"'s pose is pretty odd and rigid. His face seems to look off to his left side, rather than face the dragon, so, you know, that's not very true to the title of this piece. His... left? Foot/boot is visible, but should probably be in shadow. Fire should be more yellow/bright towards the source, and give off some smoke farthest from the source. Here's a picture of a flamethrower in action that someone posted on another thread regarding some adventure game. Should help. Link here.
Dragon's limbs are a mess. Just found that out after focusing my attention off of its head. I really can't discern if those are forelegs or hind legs. If the dragon really could squeeze himself into such a position, it'd be rather uncomfortable, something along the lines of a yoga position for dragons, and he'd have to have a really big head.
EDIT: It might be better, actually, if the perspective lines spread out left to the image rather than from about the dragon's eye.
--- End quote ---
I don't really constructed anything, just took some colors and put them at the canvas :), although you are right, your feeling can play tricks on you. All things you pointed out helped me much.
And the point about the limbs, I wasn't sure if it's clear to everybody, i wrote it, but you comment showed me that i also had to change this.
Oh and it's OK if you are nitpicking and saying all those little things, I really appreciate that - if i wouldn't like critique I weren't here, so thanks that you took the time to wirte such a helpful critique.
Now I overworked the whole piece, I changed nearly all things, don't worked out more, just improved here and there a lot. the only thing I haven't changed much is the bg. I know there are tons of lighting mistakes now, I'll remove all i recognize till the end
some important points i have changed:
-construction of everything (except bg building(s))
-completely overworked dragon anatomy (maybe will change the serratus anterior, although I'll look how it'll come out with scales)
-completely overworked fire
-removed the forceshield, I am not sure at the momen, maybe I'll play around with that if all the other things are done
-completely overworked Gregory, more active pose, not sure about the morning star holding arm
-corrected the tiles in the foreground, not finished
What I'll do next:
-change the spikes at the neck (make them bigger (don't fit together with the tail spikes)
-add light from the little fires
wait for helpful critique and work on.
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