For my next trick...

[griffy6]

Probably my best piece so far. A cookie to the person who knows what this guy is.

Yes, C&C would be great! This might just be my next avatar (replacing the weird ball with way too much reflected light) !

[Sherman Gill]

You're thinking in flat symbols and not three dimensional forms!
Are his mouth and nose really just some thick lines, or are they three dimensional objects?

[griffy6]

Er...yeah, they're just thick lines. I see what you're getting at, though -- I'm wanting this to be a full frontal view

I'll give you a hint about the source: it's based on an action figure. It's made of vinyl, which is why the shading and highlights are very subtle.

[Sherman Gill]

Mine's -> <- Thou's
I did make the face very human, which I'm pretty sure isn't what you want. I also did pretty much nothing to the body in my edit.
So anyway,
pretty much no form is conveyed in the image, and while I can understand the surface is very dull, that doesn't mean 75% of the item is one color. Either your reference is in dim lighting or you need to look at the lighting on the figure more closely (or I'm less wise then I think).
And, since it's an action figure I assume the face is just painted onto it? It's up to you if you want to deviate completely from the reference, but this would be the place to do it if you're gonna. You could make your own, more realistic face instead of the two dimensional lines you have already.

[griffy6]

erm...i hate to say this, especially after you made an edit...but with the action figure, as well as my piece, those big, thick lines you think are are mouth are actually the eyes. The "V" isn't his nose, it's the space between his eyes that show that he his angry.

[Chaos Tayoko]

Right. What hes trying to teach you, still applies. your doll/cartoon looks really flat, and in reality, things of made up of forms in 3demsional space (well that how humans see it :p)  Instead of making a paper cutout, you have to sculpt or "mold" things with shadows and highlights.   If it wasent so flat in the first place, he would not of had trouble guessing what it was.

Look at the way he used the highlights to "raise" above his "eye"  and better yet, the shading used to make the nose look like its raised from the face.

@sherman pretty awesome edit, you have been taking the time to help beginners a lot lately  -including me- I thank you for that.

[griffy6]

Is this better? I made it so the shading stands out more and it doesn't look like I sprayed his face with spraypaint.

[ptoing]

Not really to be honest. The biggest problem is that your values are too close.

I made a little quick edit, also shaved off some colours.



Also properly AAed the right eyebrow.

[griffy6]

- Before
- Ptoing's
- After

Thanks for the edit, Ptoing, but it kinda looks like he's wearing a hat. I get your point though and I made another edit. I think it varies the values a bit more while still keeping the desired colors...

[Larwick]

I quite liked the original reddish clay-y colours. Good work upping the contrast though, hopefully in the future you wont be so afraid of having more drastic shading.

You changed the palette on ptoings edit, not your own. Remember you have to AA it yourself.