The definition of a Style....

[Helm]

This stuff is actually better laid out than evolution or even aesthetics and color theory.

I really doubt that one. Color theory and aesthetics and stuff can be argued towards any direction you like.

I hear your segmentation and I don't want to fight it, it's interesting talk but it should be taken with a grain of salt. I am not a big fan of generalising the human experience. If someone comes in and exhibits clear symptoms of one of these categories and I've delt with such before I will suppose he fits the other criteria and instruct him likewise until his specific idiosynchrasies are more apparent. Because they exist and no human fits any mold. You realize the difference between keeping general models in mind and considering them to be universally applicable, I hope.

[ndchristie]

this IS a general model, and was never proclaimed as anything more ^^

[Helm]

Alright, you seemed really set you know, on 'this is how it is!' and stuff. I felt it was implied.

[Zach]

I think of style more as how you express yourself...

i.e. helm once said that all my faces looked like mine.. that might be considered a style.

[Rox]

That's a restriction, though. Even if I claim I can't draw humans anymore, I can. I just prefer not to. That might be a choice of style. Only being able to draw one type of face sounds more like something you'd wanna practice to get rid of.

It might be easier to try this discussion on another subject, then try to apply it on pixel art. I'm listening to the music from Space Giraffe right now and it occurs to me how very different music can sound, even if it sounds identical to the untrained ear. Little things like whether someone has drums be in the background or foreground, if they use delay or reverb or both, or none. Some people like their synths to oscillate violently so they sometimes blend into the background then fade up to be almost disturbingly loud before fading back again. That's definitely a stylistic choice for an experienced musician. By that time, you know what you like and you tend to stick to that.

In pixel art terms, that makes me think more of subtle things, like... how much you vary hue and saturation between light and dark colors. Someone might always make their shadows blue. Others dislike the blue look and go for a more pastel type feel. I've seen a lot of cases where a piece is improved by giving everything a bit more saturation, turning blacks into pale greys and whites into a dusty yellow and things like that. While it does look good, I personally like to use perfect blacks and whites. I'm not sure why, but I prefer it. I guess that's my style.

[Helm]

That's a restriction, though. Even if I claim I can't draw humans anymore, I can. I just prefer not to.

mostly correct anatomically ? And good structure? I don't believe you. You'll have to prove that.

[ndchristie]

well there is another thing to consider which is the difference between transferable and contextual skill, and comparisons across pieces.  In this case, (im not really familiar with your work rox so take no offense), understanding how bones and muscles work in an animal-thing does lend itself to understanding humans and vice versa, but the specifics of course are rather unique to each in terms of proportions and unique shapes.  Also, it would be unreasonable to expect a person who primarily draws one thing to be better at another thing that they are out of practice with; your human anatomy probably is not better tuned than your animal-thing anatomy.

Then repetition versus practice comes into play.  Continuously drawing the same thing over and again without pausing to truly observe it can lead to the development of preconceived ideas that will be hard to break down.  Personally, I find it hard to create a likeness because it keeps being overruled by what my brain tells me a human should look like.  From the front or even more so from the side it is infinitely easier to draw a likeness, because i draw these views far less than i draw 3/4ths and i have many bad habits from doing that from "memory" time and again.  In this way, it could end up being that your animal-things are rather contrived compared to your figure studies, and your humans could turn out far better.

Basically my point is that while good practice makes perfect in all aspects, there are any number of ways for bad practice to counteract this and while I do not know if you can still draw people, i would not at all be surprised if you could and that they were at least as well established as your favored subjects in the same way I would not be at all surprised if your anatomy was a mangled mess when you went to.

[Rox]

No, my anatomy isn't mostly-correct. Far from. But I don't think my style prevents me from learning anatomy. In fact, my style would probably benefit from more practice. That's what I was trying to point out, in response to Zach's always-drawing-similar-faces situation.

I mean, I often draw similar things, too, but that's because I intend to. The other day I actually pulled off a pretty decent giraffe, including strangely-jointed legs, if you must know! Definitely something I'd never done before, and it doesn't look anything like the foxes and stuff that normally spawn from my digital pen. If I have to draw something that doesn't look like a cartoony white fox, I can pull it off.

Besides, even my cartoonish... style... is firmly rooted in reality. Now and then I do check up on anatomical guides and such and refine my own pre-lineart guidelines to be more true to life. I start out all my humanoid drawings with one of those funny and useful skeleton-looking things. You know, lines for limbs, balls for joints, measuring proportions while I try to find a decent pose, that kinda stuff. Muscles and such, I'm not so hot on.  And one thing I know I don't get enough practice with is human faces. But honestly, I don't see myself needing that kind of skills in the near future. I'm happy with what I'm able to do on paper right now, and I don't strive for anything more. Not yet, at least.

[Helm]

If I have to draw something that doesn't look like a cartoony white fox, I can pull it off.

So you say, need to see.

[ndchristie]

i have to admit i believe in the possibility but like i said I've never seen much of your work..... i could say that when the queen saw my work she declared me more talented than Michaelangelo and more sexy than jessica alba and it wouldn't mean anything unless you saw it