Your Thoughts on my work

[Cadc]

Hello Fellow New ground members, I'm new here, and this is my first post/ submition here =D

I'm not that great at animating (though I do hope to be good some day), but what I lack in animation, I more than make up in artistic talent XD

I know I am not the perfect artist, but I'm getting there ^_^

I am a 21 year old College student in the field of Graphic design (2nd year), and my specialty is Pen drawing and shading. "Most of the time" I don't actually know what I'm going to draw before I draw something, but I usually can come up with some very neat and creative drawings that normally I would not have thought of by simply over thinking about what to put in that blank empty canvas.

Well, I suppose I'll start by posting some of my best work
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Title: Dragon of Eternal Darkness (linework)
Description: This was drawn about 4 years ago, probably the boldest risk I ever took to further my artistic abilities, it is a 3 headed black dragon. I wasn't as confident back then as I am now, so yes, line quality did suffer due to insecurity.

[Cadc]

I began the coloring process (also unlike any coloring job I cad done in the past)

[Cadc]

And the finished product (the originals are much bigger, but ah well no biggy)

Process:
1) Original Line work drawn with ink Pen
2) Scanned
3) Colored with Paintshop Pro 7

Tools used:
1) Magic Wand
2) Fill
3) Dodge
4) Burn

I know my methods are pretty archaic at best (I know I haven't learned the program's full potential)

I will post the next drawing in a separate post

[Cadc]

one thing lead to another, and it was that dragon drawing which caught the attention of an art commissioner, so I was payed $50 to draw this next piece

Now, this is roughly how it started (a pretty crude sketch, I know)

[Cadc]

I started on the coloring job

[Cadc]

Coloring the Tree was one of my biggest challenges (luckily Just recently I learned a neat Trick with layering that makes this a piece of cake)

[Cadc]

oops, I missposted the image, here u go

oh, and thanks crazed killer ^_^

[Cadc]

I started some of the shading of the tree, ambiance, and other basic coloring

[Cadc]

[I don't have the rest of the steps]

This is the Final Product. I knew the design I had before wasn't close to being commission worthy, so yes, as you can see, I completely scrapped the original design, and redrew the character all over again, and it turned out great XD (for the most part)

(process, same as the first, only a bit more risks involved, and new things learned ^_^ )

[Cadc]

Now, as I mentioned before, I am a Pen artist, and I have done some Stand alone Pen sketches fully shaded and what not XD

well, this is my most recent drawing, its page 1 of a comic I'm working on for a game called Thinktanks

Process:
1) Original Line work drawn with ink Pen
2) Shaded as I go
3) Scanned
4) Dragon colored in Paintshop pro 7 (using a multiply layer)

Tools used: (pen)
1) Magic Wand
2) Fill
3) Dodge
4) Burn

How to: (Shade with pen)
- Consider a pen as you would a pencil, the harder you press on a pencil, the darker it will shade, the lighter you press on a pencil, the lighter it will shade. Essentially, a pen is the same way! I do however advice to hold the pen diagonally about 135 degrees so you have better control of how much ink you want to shade with.

Remember, the more ink, the darker the shade will be, and likeways the same way withless ink, the lighter you will shade ^_^

[Cadc]

and since we're in the topic of pen shading, I guess I'll post another of my somewhat better shaded pieces all done in pen ^_^

This one... I don't really remember when I drew it, but its been years...

(Ps. You can tell I'm a huge Mario and Nintendo fan XD )

[sakerfalcon]

You're off to a good start, fairly impressive coloring! :)

For critiquing, I notice two things that stand out the most.

1) There's a discrepancy between the foreground and background. This is true for both cases but in two different ways; in your first work you have a wonderfully colored (and fearsome) black dragon, but you choose to compliment it with a strong blue and brown. Without a complimentary or unifying color theme, the objects pop out from its settings and so the immerson of the picture is ruined. In the second example, the perspectives of the dragon and the tree don't match; the dragon appears to be on flat ground, while the tree is vertical.

2) In the second example, again you start off good, but end with an odd tree bark against an open sky. Normally that's acceptable, but to increaser the "wow!" factor it's nice to give the focus some context; perhaps it is on one tree trunk of many charred/blacked out trees in a forest. Or perhaps it is a fallen trunk on the ground, and the dragon is ready to pounce (its pose suggests that.)

Do continue to post, the first work is awesome.

[Cadc]

one more for the keeper XD

(this one is incomplete, and also one of my oldies, but an excellent job of pen shading)

[Cadc]

oops, forgot the pic

@ sakerfalcon: "perhaps it is on one tree trunk of many charred/blacked out trees in a forest."

I actually made that suggestion to the commissioner, but he decided he liked it as it was, so I did not peruse more background elements any further, but I was ready to do just that XD

"in your first work you have a wonderfully colored (and fearsome) black dragon, but you choose to compliment it with a strong blue and brown. Without a complimentary or unifying color theme, the objects pop out from its settings and so the immerson of the picture is ruined."

I do understand what you are saying. actually, I didn't realize how much of an effect complementary colors played in an art piece till I started taking art classes once i got in college, so yes, I understand those principals now much better than when I did 4 years ago XD (the dragon drawing was before college, the second was done during college)

"In the second example, the perspectives of the dragon and the tree don't match; the dragon appears to be on flat ground, while the tree is vertical."

not sure I understand what you mean by a tree though, as there are no trees in that dragon drawing, only mountains XD

I do very much appreciate your critique, it was helpful in refreshing the things I have learned while taking college art classes, and why they are important =D

[Cadc]

This is a drawing I did about 2 years ago while taking an art class in College

Media: Charcoal

(ps: it was too big to scan, so I took a photo of it)

[Cadc]

well, since we're in the macabre theme, as ppl might say, art is an expression of the artist, and well.... I had some bad times in my life as well, which lead me to draw some pretty dark themed things...

This is one of them

Title: The Gold Digger Symbol

Why did I title it that way? hmmm I wonder if you can figure it out ^_^

[Cadc]

Here's another macabre themed drawing of mine....

Title: The Broken Shyguy

Yes, as stated before, I am a big Mario Fan boy XD

[Cadc]

I think this is the loast one I'll post for the night

This was a dragon sort of logo I made for someone working on a game (god knows how it turned out as things slowed to a dead stop, so I eventually dropped out of that project)

but I like it anyways, makes for a good avatar, and you guys are more than welcome to help yourselves to it ^_^

[Cadc]

This was an unusual piece for me,it was a gift for a friend, and it was completely drawn on flash, I wanted to see what I could do just using flash :P

[Cadc]

bumpage?

[Viridis]

At 7/5/09 03:05 AM, Cadc wrote: This is a drawing I did about 2 years ago while taking an art class in College
Media: Charcoal
(ps: it was too big to scan, so I took a photo of it)

Why do all schools make you draw a skull of some kind in art class? :P
This is all really great stuff man! :D

[Cadc]

^ Hmmm, I think its because it helps you gain a better understanding of the anatomical structure of a body (in other words, how a body is structured from the inside)

[Artist-Lost]

I don't mean to sound harsh, but if your a college student for graphic design and this is your work, then unless you just started you have some problems. First, one thing I noticed about most all graphic design students is that they have a really clean style which comes from techniques learned as designers that inadvertently wind up in their work. I can usually tell what profession someone is from by their artwork and by the looks of yours it seems to me that you are still in the amature artist stages and haven't really developed into a particular field of work, however I do see the beginnings of a designer in your linework. My advice is to ditch the gradated shading that is the sign of a illustrator/fine artist for now and focus a bit more on solid color shading, study some classic comic work if you need ideas.

On the other hand if you are more interested in the illustration/fine art aspect then I recommend you buy some traditional media and start learning those techniques and some solid color theory before going digital, trust me, you will see a massive improvement in your art. Also study some classical paintings for composition, if you think that's too stuffy then look at some of the work on conceptart.org, a lot of the artists there use classical composition but their work is a bit more modern so you will be able to relate easier.

Other then all that, It's always nice to see an up in coming artist starting to learn the trade so keep at it if this is something you really want to do. There's not much money, but its definately a enjoyable career.

[Cadc]

At 7/5/09 03:32 PM, Artist-Lost wrote: I don't mean to sound harsh, but if your a college student for graphic design and this is your work, then unless you just started you have some problems. First, one thing I noticed about most all graphic design students is that they have a really clean style which comes from techniques learned as designers that inadvertently wind up in their work. I can usually tell what profession someone is from by their artwork and by the looks of yours it seems to me that you are still in the amature artist stages and haven't really developed into a particular field of work, however I do see the beginnings of a designer in your linework. My advice is to ditch the gradated shading that is the sign of a illustrator/fine artist for now and focus a bit more on solid color shading, study some classic comic work if you need ideas.

I thankyou for your honest critique. yes, I've only just finished the first year of Graphic Design, I've only been through the basics so far. I know i'll be learning a whole lot more later on, but this is kind of where I stand.... other than the fact that I only draw this kind of stuff just as a hobby, or a way to pass the time when I have nothing else important to do.

I like art, but to be honest, I'm not a devoted Michael Angelo XD

but, I do welcome improvement, so thanks, I'll deffinitely check into it some time I'm not busy as hell XD

On the other hand if you are more interested in the illustration/fine art aspect then I recommend you buy some traditional media and start learning those techniques and some solid color theory before going digital, trust me, you will see a massive improvement in your art. Also study some classical paintings for composition, if you think that's too stuffy then look at some of the work on conceptart.org, a lot of the artists there use classical composition but their work is a bit more modern so you will be able to relate easier.

Other then all that, It's always nice to see an up in coming artist starting to learn the trade so keep at it if this is something you really want to do. There's not much money, but its definately a enjoyable career.

[Captain-Ben]

At 7/5/09 02:23 AM, Cadc wrote: This is the Final Product

I don't understand, is the tree bent or slanted? Is the wolf climbing down it? The perspective makes it look like the wolf is just walking forward on flat ground, which makes it seem like there's just a wolf floating in front of a tree.

I'm assuming the tree is bending towards us at the bottom because that's the only reason I can think of for why the "bark" pieces get bigger at the end, however i don't understand why they get pointy at the very bottom.

Also the upper part of it's frontmost right leg should be darker, if it's behind her head it shouldn't be brighter than it.

[Cadc]

At 7/5/09 05:37 PM, Captain-Ben wrote:

At 7/5/09 02:23 AM, Cadc wrote: This is the Final Product

I don't understand, is the tree bent or slanted? Is the wolf climbing down it? The perspective makes it look like the wolf is just walking forward on flat ground, which makes it seem like there's just a wolf floating in front of a tree.

I'm assuming the tree is bending towards us at the bottom because that's the only reason I can think of for why the "bark" pieces get bigger at the end, however i don't understand why they get pointy at the very bottom.

Also the upper part of it's frontmost right leg should be darker, if it's behind her head it shouldn't be brighter than it.

Yea, what I intended, was for a branch of the tree, to stick forward (hence why it gets bigger and more detailed), the intention was that he would be standing on that branch heading forward, but I had difficulty pulling it off X_X

and yea, I realize that I messed with the lighting and made it inacurate, I only did that for aesthetic purposes, heh =/

but yea, I should consider a better light source position in the future.

Thanks mate ^_^

(Ps: also, the pointed part, it was meant to be part of that branch completely torn off)

[Metroid331]

Not bad i like your work, some of it wasn't the greatest but its above average and way better than alot of crap i have seen in Newgrounds. the one that doesn't seem to look right is the wolf on the tree one.

[Cadc]

At 7/5/09 06:12 PM, Metroid331 wrote: Not bad i like your work, some of it wasn't the greatest but its above average and way better than alot of crap i have seen in Newgrounds. the one that doesn't seem to look right is the wolf on the tree one.

hehe, yea, i get that alot XD (better luck next time X_X )

Thanks mate, glad you like it ^_^

[Cadc]

Well, if nothing else, I'm just glad my work no longer looks like this XD

(This was drawn probably when I was 15, I am currently 21 now)

[Cadc]

here is pic