[WIP] Samurai-Inspired Character + Other Characters

[tsej]

Hello! I need some help and feedback on this character. Anything will help!
I plan to animate it later, but I'd love to get the design and colors out of the way first if possible.
I'm a little stumped as to how I should proceed next, the main thing that's bugging me is the sash on the tummy area and the skirt-like garment over the legs and the feet themselves. I cannot figure them out :/
Also I believe the shading is horrendous so some pointers would be great.

Left : The blob version for animating,
Right : The working version.


Inspiration : https://twitter.com/Conzeit/status/702616298379988992


Thank you! And please be as harsh as you need to.

[tsej]

Mini-update.
Decided to change the pose a bit.

[Pusty]

Amazing
I'm having a few problems reading the thing around his belly (making the right part smaller may help I think)
also the green on his sword handle doesn't look like it is fitting this but this may just be me.

[tsej]

@Pusty Thanks man  
Ah yeah, as I mentioned the belly part is giving me a lot of trouble. I cannot figure it out :/ Still trying, though.
Oh, the green on the sheath is temporary. I decided to make the sheath completely dark now.
 

Not sure if this works, but I'll leave it here.

[odedrt9]

Just made a small change to the sash because it was too wide and bulky near his left arm.
Also, the shading on his left arm should be bigger as it is the side where the light source is(like the left side of the skirt part).
you're not going to kill me now, right?

[metachaos]

Hi Tsej,

I tried to edit some stuffs coz your samourai is neat :=)

[rocifier]

I was just going to say "I love the pose" but then in the next post you changed it. I thought the composition was best in the first post. Lol

[rocifier]

Edit suggestions

[tsej]

Hey ho. Another mini-update.
Thanks for the replies guys, I will take a few things from the edits and probably add them in later

For now, though..
Thanks sanicspin.


_{Why do I still include the blob version? No idea.}


And with some help from pik, I have made this. 

I'm sure it can be improved a ton still. I'm going to try to animate.

[odedrt9]

Turned out awesome tsej, but I still think the sash is to wide 

[metachaos]

much better with the contrast

[tsej]

Thanks metachaos

After fiddling around with some animations, I sketched up another enemy concept.


It just looks..off. Unfortunately I have to go to bed. I'd love any and all feedback and I'll hopefully fix it when I wake up.

It's supposed to be a shaman-like character.
(Still trying to animate the samurai )

[rocifier]

Hmm I think it's more the lighting / anatomy. Here's a quick paintover using the same colours but trying to mimick the same light source as the left character. As you can see with more accurately proportioned limbs he starts to be crouched instead of hunched, so the pose needs fixing now.

[tsej]

Yo.
Thanks rocifier for always helping out.
I like what you did with the shading and the legs. It definitely gave me ideas and helped me out. As for the light source, let's just say the character is flipped right now and it's coming from the front and up from the direction they're looking at.


I worked on the shaman earlier today. Wasn't happy with it so I redid it with a better pose and overall what I believe would fit better.

^{The colors are temporary, I need to figure out the anatomy still.}

 

[tsej]

Update. Any feedback is appreciated.

^{Thanks atnas for helping with the samurai dude}

[MysteryMeat]

I feel like the previous shaman design had more appeal to it, with the mask and funky staff. This just looks like some random dude with a spear.
Unless it's a seperate character and I'm misinterpreting entirely, haha

[tsej]

I agree, the first one had appeal, but I think this one's better when you look at the big picture IMO. I can design more goofy characters later.
It is the same character. I redid it because I was unhappy.
I can work on the appeal, I guess.

[MysteryMeat]

Aye. Shouldn't need many changes, I do question the white hair with the lighter skin tone but Spoiler

I also feel like you're dodging the controversy bullet by shifting the tribesman away from the dark skin too.

It might help to get some sort of wooden armor or some trinkets on him, right now he looks more warrior than shaman with the emphasis on his conan-esque pectorals

[tsej]

Alrighty. I'll get to work. Thanks.
Also @MysteryMeat, read this http://pixelation.org/index.php?topic=19579

Also, it isn't white hair, it's wearing an animal skin. I guess I should work on the readability if it is not that obvious?

[MysteryMeat]

Good posts in that link, I'm feeling like I'm going to enjoy this community a lot more.

[tsej]

Oh yeah, definitely. It's one of the best communities I've been a part of. It has helped me improve MASSIVELY and also made a lot of great friends so far. And I'm sure it will keep helping me and I will also help others.


I like your ideas, though. I'm gonna try to mask the pecs a bit and give him a few more weird stuff. Also I'll try to make the pelt more obvious.(Not sure how I'll go about it though)

[MysteryMeat]

RE: the pelt, it might help to exagerate it a bit. Have the wolf's snout jut further out and maybe cast a shadow over his face. Could also extend it to drag on the floor a little bit like a cloak.

[rocifier]

I think you should just improve the lighting on the original one, he looks way more dependent on magic. The newer one might as well throw the spear away and hulk hogan some enemy ass.