AuthorTopic: Help on head  (Read 8085 times)

Offline Zweckform

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Help on head

on: January 06, 2010, 07:31:36 am
Hello,

i considered this one finished,but i am willing to improve whenever i can. sharprm critized this pieces much on pixeljoint and he helped improving it much.

Some stated the eyes were not exactly in the middle of the head. I know that, but still i think its not in unnatural way. But it still might be that its odd for most people.

So i want the harshes possible fair criticism you got to improve this. Even if you just think its boring let me know.  ;)

Uses 13 colors atm.



Current version:

« Last Edit: February 25, 2010, 07:03:16 pm by Zweckform »

Offline WM

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Re: Help on head

Reply #1 on: January 06, 2010, 07:37:37 am
His right eye needs to be lowered so that it is even with his left eye, his left eye needs to be shifted a little bit to our right (a little!), and that vein on the neck runs at the same angle as the beard that is receding behind the head, making them look to be one and the same (just break this straight line to separate the two).

Beyond that, looking good! Not only does it have a solid palette, it has a nice air of character to it; a solemn, insightful, and aged man.  :y:

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #2 on: January 07, 2010, 04:13:53 pm
Hello,

thanks for the kind words and your hints. You are right about the eyes - its quite silly how you cannot see such things anymore sometimes you stared too long at your own work.



I am sure i would have recognized the same thing in other peoples work easily.

But i don't get the thing about the vein - there is supposed to be a sternocleidomastoid muscle which shouldn't be interupted. But if it can be read as one, i should rework that.
Or maybe you ment another region ?

Offline NaCl

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Re: Help on head

Reply #3 on: January 15, 2010, 08:21:03 pm
Hey zweck I've been meaning to crit this for a while. I wrote like 2 crits then scrapped them, and did half an edit then scrapped it.

- The eyes ARE too far up. It's not subjective, I measured the pixels. 35 from the top of the head to the middle of the pupil. Then, 35 pixels only gets from the middle of the pupil to just below the lower lip. The top of the head needs to be enlarged, or the eyes moved down. This is by far the biggest hindrance on the piece.

- The way you are texturing the skin makes it look a lot like clay. You have many fine little groups of pixels suggesting a sort of bumpy uneven texture, but skin isn't like that, not even weatherbeaten rough skin. Also, there is a very homogeneous ramp from the shadows to the highlights, with very even steps between the darkest shadow to the highlight. This is adding the to clay feel, because skin isn't like that. Skin always has oil on it, which reflects quite strongly when hit directly by light, and the parts not directly hit by strong light act differently then having a straight ramp into more and more desaturated and darker colors. Someone on this board said that a lot of skin shadows are more highly saturated then some of the lighted parts. I can't really describe to you how skin acts under light exactly, first because I don't understand it thoroughly, second because I don't think there is a formula for it really. Just avoid straight ramps, and use highlights to indicate the oily and wet nature of skin.

- The mouth is way too straight, like someone cut his face open with a scalpel. Lips, even tight ones, don't have such a perfect shape and to see these straight lines in the middle of the face is a little jarring. Also, lips are wet! use highlights to convey this.

- The beard... I am not good enough at doing hair to help you out here beyond saying it doesn't look right. The clumps are too uniform in size, and there is too much pixel noise. It makes it look like steel wool, or sandpaper or something.

- The strenocledomastoid is much thicker then you have drawn it, and changes thickness throughout. Thicken it up especially at the top.

Anyway, if you look at the right (our right) eye and that section of the nose, it is well done. The pixel clusters are large and meaningful, it looks very 3D like it should.

Sorry for the lack of edit, but I was getting frustrated because I couldn't really edit this very easily, with all the small bits of pixel blending things together. I'd have to just draw over everything, and i don't feel like doing that. I was kind of hoping someone with more skill would come in and do something like that *cough*eyecraft*cough*. He did that for my Helm copy and it helped me immensely.

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #4 on: January 16, 2010, 04:45:50 am
Hello,

NaCl: thanks for the lots of input. I will study all parts you mentioned. Hopefully i can do an update this weekend. 

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #5 on: January 17, 2010, 05:58:57 pm
Hello,

so now i looked at some beards, checked my anatomy book and and watched some images for skin reflections.

After that i reworked the fella - waiting for C&C.

« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 06:35:36 pm by Zweckform »

Offline Helm

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Re: Help on head

Reply #6 on: January 17, 2010, 08:09:34 pm


just a fast lips edit

Offline Pawige

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Re: Help on head

Reply #7 on: January 18, 2010, 08:50:05 pm
Well, the latest is a huge improvement on the shading and colors, but his head still looks really squashed, it seems like you started the face in a 100x100 box and just crammed the top of the head in as an afterthought. Here's a cheap noggin edit:



That would be something closer to reality, I may have gone a bit too big, but it's closer, anyway.

Offline EyeCraft

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Re: Help on head

Reply #8 on: January 19, 2010, 02:57:43 am
Just want to say it's really good progress you've made on this piece so far.

Edit of Pawige's edit; bit rough but I hope it communicates my thoughts:



The nose and mouth look too low to me. Face reads as very flat due to the sparse shadow and relatively even highlight distribution. Ear appears out of perspective - too low and forward. Draw the midpoint lines for the front and side planes of the skull, it really helps for plotting things out.

Regarding skin tones, it can be a little complicated. Arne has some very nice points on it here: http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm#skin_tones

Additionally, the face has different hues going on in different areas. The cheeks, bottom of nose, lips and ears are more red due to increased blood circulation. The forehead and brow are yellower and bonier. Entire jaw area is slightly greener and less saturated due to facial hair and whiskers.

Spend some colours on making his clothes a different hue to his skin. Blue could be a good choice. This might bring a little more colour interest into the subject.

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #9 on: January 19, 2010, 05:27:45 am
Hello,

wow, thanks for all the nice comments and of course above all the input folks, seems some additional work is waiting for me  ;)

@helm: nice edit on the lips, i like the texture you added to them.

@Pawige: I should have increased the res of the thing for sure. I guess i was a bit focused on the content and forgot to look beyond. In the first place i did not want to do a 100% standard head. But now i think i should use this opportunity to refresh and expand my anatomy knowlegde.

@EyeCraft: I will give him some clothes and turn the pic into a bust-like thing (is that the right term ?). I still have the habit to be very penurious with colours due since my Atari times, need to get rid of it and think more about the single piece and what its aimed at. Great hint with the different hues, haven't considered that yet.


Next version might take a bit, got a busy week, but whenever i got some energy left i will continue on it.

« Last Edit: January 19, 2010, 05:37:01 am by Zweckform »

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #10 on: February 16, 2010, 09:43:08 am
Hello,

here is the next version of the head. I tried to include as many hints as possible and i think there is again much improvement in it. Thanks to all for that.  :-* ;)

Color count increased dramatically to 24.

Once again everybody is invited to c&C.

Offline Sherman Gill

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Re: Help on head

Reply #11 on: February 16, 2010, 09:58:40 am
The only thing you changed on the mouth was the texture, which was probably the least important part of Helm's edit. Please look at how the mouth in his edit is not a straight, one pixel line, but has organic curves to it. Same goes for lower lip (even if you want a less pronounced lip than in the edit).

Good job on the changes to the upper half of the head, though. I'd love to run my hands along his rough cranium, re~ow :P
« Last Edit: February 16, 2010, 10:00:24 am by Sherman Gill »
Oh yes naked women are beautiful
But I like shrimps more haha ;)

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #12 on: February 16, 2010, 04:55:03 pm
Hello,

Sherman Gill: Well agreed, i neglected the form of the mouth which is corrected with some small issues i had here and there in this version.

Offline Bork

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Re: Help on head

Reply #13 on: February 17, 2010, 12:52:08 pm
The new mouth makes him look a lot less happy. But then again, I'm not sure if that was the intention with the mouth to begin with.

Offline ndchristie

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Re: Help on head

Reply #14 on: February 17, 2010, 05:59:37 pm
I think people have touched on this, but there's something about it that makes it look like bas relief work instead of a three-dimensional form.




I felt that it would be hard to continue without seeing this piece against a more full reduction to form and value.  Here it's slightly overplayed and not hugely scientific, bringing up the central cheekbone to play on the light.  The line I like to use what talking about formal work is "start by making strong value judgments", the meaning of which is twofold:

- Make observed or at very least informed delineations of shapes based not on the information you're trying to convey, but on the brightest and darkest shapes (strong values) and place them.
- Make a clear decision about where you're going to draw attention (I chose the depth of the eyes as my focus, but it could as easily be anywhere else) and mark these with much greater focus and contrast.

I suggest studying some statuary or black-and-white photography, purely for the reason that it removes a lot of the confusing color and, in the case of statues, the values and colors of the material itself (leaving only form).




On a less technical note -

the Heidelberg-type scar he's sporting, where did he get it (that is, what kind of weapon would strike at such an odd angle?), how is it so deep and yet missed his eye completely, and most importantly what on earth does it add to the character?

What are we suppoed to get from his expression?  He looks a bit dazed, but little else.  I realize portraits should be somewhat generic if paired with endless dialogue boxes, but there should still be something conveyed, no?
A mistake is a mistake.
The same mistake twice is a bad habit.
The same mistake three or more times is a motif.

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #15 on: February 19, 2010, 04:56:28 am
Hello,

ndchristie: Thanks a lot for your comments. Now that you put your finger on it, i cannot help but see that flatness you mention. Also the hint for studying b/w stuff is good, i also found that elsewhere, so i will do that for sure.

As to your less-technical notes:

I hear you say: Now you learnt some - but what will you do with it ?  :lol: Fair enough i guess, i will try and add the depth needed.

A little background there was, the guy is supposed to be about 40 years old and an experienced fighter. As to the scar, i think its quite possible to make a cut like this one and still have the eye unharmed and the during combat strange wounds might just happen. Yet i am open to anyone giving me the reason why it can't be that way as i do not claim to be a expert in battle wounds.  ;)
His expression was aimed being calm, yet ready for action. All in all more a neutral state. But this could be a bit too boring - i shall try some variety. So once again back to work on it.
 

Offline Jad

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Re: Help on head

Reply #16 on: February 21, 2010, 11:02:04 pm
on the scar: it's way too dark for my preferences, either make it some kind of recess in the skin and support that with the lighting, or make it out of glossy light scar tissue. Possibly combine both.

Also yeah well, the scar is too straight for me, and also doesn't make a lot of sense. Of course that's ok, but this is less anime stylish and more nitty gritty, so you might want to align it a bit more diagonally and possibly choose an angle that's not just top-down. If the scar is from a partially deflected slice, then it'd make sense if the blade would just slice up the skin, but then it'd also be aligned differently.'s

Or you keep the angle but remove his eye (it was removed cause it was utterly destroyed by the strike?) or just make it shut. Something. Haha!

Think about exactly the wound was caused and how it'd be treated.

Also NdChristie, you're always down with the nitty, gritty and historical aspect of things. Please elaborate on what'd be a plausible scar : D
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Offline MonkeyBoi

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Re: Help on head

Reply #17 on: February 25, 2010, 04:43:41 pm


just my view on how the skull should be shaped. humans have a very flat face, and the curvature from the forehead to the top of the skull has quite an extreme curve..

i didnt realise you had posted newer versions till i finished, but thought id show anyway :P

Offline Zweckform

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Re: Help on head

Reply #18 on: February 25, 2010, 07:05:30 pm
Hello,

MonkeyBoi: Thanks for your edit anyway. I now added a current version to the top of the thread to avoid stuff like this.

Cheers