[WIP] Small Cyborg Sprite

[Data 1]

I've been working on this for the last few days... and something just seems off about it... I think the anatomy is a little off, but I just can't really figure out where... something about his legs... I think.. that and I think he looks a little bear.. but I'm not to sure what to add, I've tried adding a trench coat and a cape but.. either I'm just not drawing them right or he needs something else... what do you guys think?

Those are my dilemmas..  

-- edit/ 01/04/2010  <--- (Damn 2010 already!!)

Well I finished the original sprite I had, and I wanted to try an arms crossed pose.. I think I have the anatomy right.. but his forearms just look like noodles to me.. not really like solid forearms... I think it's a shading problem... but I'm not really sure what part of shading the forearms is making it look like this.. that and I'm not real sure what to do with the hands.. I  think I have them in a good position.. but the hand on his right makes his forearm look skinny because of the fingers... So I'm kinda stumped... this is something I have trouble with often when ever I try to make a crossed arms pose...

Anyone have any ideas?..   

           

  Original      Finished                  -WIP-

Oh I have the reference I used down below...

[Tourist]

Cyborg posts from two different artists?  It must be cyborg week. 

Very nice muscles on this figure.

I think the legs are 1-2 pixels too short.  It makes the figure look like he is standing with bent knees.  The arms are a bit short too, but if you want to suggest a short, strong, character you can get away with it.  In that case, only add 1 pixel to the legs.

Hope this helps,
Tourist

[WM]

What's the left leg (his left) supposed to be doing, bending into a walk cycle? If so, I suggest making this slight variation a little more apparent, or simply mimic the right leg (his right) for the left one to suggest a strong stance.

[Data 1]

Thanks for the C&C guys I've done some editing and I think he looks a lot better now..

I added 1 pixel length to the arms, and legs.. I i tried mirroring his right boot to make both boots more uniform, but it just wound up looking really bad, then I tried mirroring the left boot, and it wound up looking a lot better, so after mirroring and re editing the boots some I think it looks a lot better.. I think the main problem I had before was that his feet were to close together, making him look like he was bending his knees to much, or like in pre jump, what do you guys think?

<----  

Though his belt is kinda bugging me now... I think it looks kinda plain.. that and I think the picture as a whole looks kinda bear still.. I haven't drawn a decent trench coat yet.. but I'm gonna try again.. not sure what else to try to add to him yet..

[Pawige]

I think you've got the opposite problem you think you do. He's not really looking like a bear, I think the problem is that he's a little bit too busy and messy and there's not enough unification of the guy as a whole and so he seems incomplete. I did a really fast edit on some parts of him to give you some ideas on where you can take this. Try to think about the big picture, what the major forms are, before you get into any details, and everything with blend together much better.

[Data 1]

Ok yea I see what you mean Pawige.. I reshaded the muscles to make it all look smoother, redid the hands, and overall I think it's looks a lot better, but I can't help think if the muscles need more highlights or not... just concerned about the image looking to flat.. that.. and the belt and ... boots still bug me.. belt I think is still plain and... the boots I think they look to RPG for me.. I think I'm gonna try something a little more robotic.. Sci Fi looking.. What do you guys think?


Oh and I still have the lines in his chest, because I'm trying to do a banding type of thing with it... kinda like colossus arms

[Pawige]

You'd probably want to try that with lines that are just a shade darker than the surrounding colors, and keep the line as unbroken as possible so it reads as a solid line rather than random detail. Remember that when you're working on a pixel-level like this, a lot of detail has to be much more implied that anything else, and if you change just a couple pixels you can get a completely different effect. Right now, his chest just looks like it's covered in bolts, or buttons, or polka dots or something.

[Data 1]

Ok, I reshaded the chest a little so the banding lines stick out... not sure what you guys think, but it looks a lot better to me..  I've also been working on the boots the last couple days... I like them a lot better now.. but I'm a little perplexed on how I should shade them.. because I was gonna make the boots main color the same as the pants but I don't want them to blend in together to much so as you can't tell there seperate pieces.. that and I wanted the boots to have more of a metal look to them...

So If anyone has some helpfull tips for me, would be greatly apreciated..

.... /Cyborg Edit 12-09..

[Data 1]

I finished shading the boots.. I think I like it so far not to sure.. not sure if the boots have a metallic look to them either.. but either way, I think I did a decent job overall..

Any C&C would be greatly appreciated!

.... Latest Edit!!! 

[twodayslate]

I think I liked the boots better than the baggy pants. But you finished it off well! Good job!