WIP ninja-type guy... please help

[THE KAPPTIN]

Edit 1:

Original text:

I was hoping to make a nice, neat, cool-looking fantasy character, then animate him. It's... not working out so well.

This is my biggest and "best" version of him so far:

I know there is something very wrong with it, but I just can't figure out what it is. The pose seems bad somehow, but I can't figure how to improve it. I'm not sure I like how skinny he is, but again, don't know what to do. I'm kinda lost.
I do like some things about this picture, but it hasn't yet reached what I was trying to accomplish.

What I'd like is advice on how to improve him. Advice on any aspect of the picture is very welcome, but pose and colouring are my 2 big ones. Edits would be very appreciated!

My previous efforts at rendering the same character:

[baccaman21]

the design is pretty good... but the outlines are harsh... as too is your shading... think about a light source and shade accoridngly... your AA could do with brushing up...

In a nutshell
1. Shade the outlines - currently your treating them all with the same 'weight' try using other colors instead of black... imagine the outlines as away of pushing and pulling detail out and into the frame... so the further away from you view you lighten it up a bit... and the closer... the darker it is... that way you'll acheive a sense of depth.
2. Add a lightsource - then figure out where the shadows will fall and fill in accordingly
3. Alias those edges a bit cleaner - currently there leaning towards the 'pillowing' side.
4. add some red to offset the blue maybe... (the eyes would be a good bet I'd reckon)
5. the grey ramp you're using could have some variation of color through it... I'd suggest a tint of blue to yellow (again to complement and offset against the blue)

other than that.... pretty good start...

keep on pushing buddy

[Morganne]

I second everything baccaman21 has to say. With the way his knees are bent, it almost seems like his arms should be bent more too... the far one looks fine, but the one closer to us looks too loose to properly wield that knife. I really like the color you're using on his outfit, just try to put a bit more distance between the shades. You might even get away with using less colors if you do that.

[THE KAPPTIN]

...I love this place.

I have made an edit (a total redo of the colouring actually!), trying to follow those comments to the best of my ability. He is now daemon-powered or something, and, imo, much cooler-looking (as well as better technically).



A few comments, I did not know how to implement: Morganne, I'm not sure what you mean that the grip on the knife is too loose to wield it. I also don't know how I would go about improving that. And baccaman, I'm not sure I got what you meant by aliasing the edges cleaner. I tried to do it, but I'm not sure I even knew what it was.

Thanks for the comments so far and any more input from anybody would be great. I don't know how to tell when he's done, so... if he is, someone please tell me.