Need help ! :)

[Farfargryde]

Hey there Newgrounds. This is my first time posting anything, or being an active part of the community.
I come to you in a time of need.
I have begun drawing, and I'm not very good at it, especially not on computer.
I would like you, Newgrounds art community, to assist me, if you will, of course.
I have made this, as my first sketch on computer, and tried to add colour to it.
http://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/farfa rgryde/horrible-test
As you may see, it's not.. perfect, and it's not finished.
I just want your opinion on how to color "non-cartoony" characters, because honestly, I don't want to have my things look cartoony, I want them to look more 'realistic'/ like paintings.

If anyone have any tutorials or tips, I would gladly take them! I feel like I have to start somewhere and perhaps learn of your workflows before I can make my own workflow from the ideas of yours.
Thank you in advance
-Farfargryde

[jeeshwa123]

there about no way i could critique you based on a puzzle-piece of an entire work. being that it's not even a sketch, i can't even give you advice as to which direction to go in. i would recommend you complete more of the piece and then ask for advice :3

[Farfargryde]

Do you know any tutorials on how to make more realistic colouring?
Also, I'm sorry it's not very much.. I just don't feel motivated to finish something when I know the result will be butt-ugly, then I just start on something else. But if I know what to do, and how to go at it, I will gladly try. :S

[Kinsei]

At 9/4/11 03:01 PM, Farfargryde wrote: Do you know any tutorials on how to make more realistic colouring?

Yeah I got one, its called "Practice, Lots of it!"

Also, I'm sorry it's not very much.. I just don't feel motivated to finish something when I know the result will be butt-ugly, Then I just start on something else.

Then don't expect to get very far. Every aspiring artist produces pieces that are ugly and bad, some have made quite a living off of it actually, but just because they know that it may not turn out that good, doesn't mean they should stop working on it. You should get far as you can on the piece, then see what you can learn from it.

But if I know what to do, and how to go at it, I will gladly try. :S

There are no short cuts to getting better. Even if we give you a tutorial, which I intend to do when I am done, it won't instantly make you a master digital painter. What you have at the moment, isn't exactly bad, so you at least have a good start.
After reading a tutorial, practice the things taught to you in it on other projects. This will help you retain the information you have just read.

So on to tutorials.
Art101's List
A Vid over Photoshop Painting
Awesome PAinter that Dark Linked me to
List of tutorials, closer to art related
And another list of tutorials, but more technical related.

Good luck, and post your progress. I'm sure the community wouldn't mind sliding a bit of critique your way from time to time

Just try to actually post your progress in the thread next time.

[Farfargryde]

I shall. I thank you, a lot. I will post my work as soon as I've made some more.
Thank you for the inspiring talk and tutorials.

:-)

[ThunderSpam]

You're thinking about this all wrong, Mr. Gryde. Part of your problem is that you shouldn't be colouring realistically. You should be adding believable form and shade, but so long as you continue to use black outlines to hold shape, there is no point in even trying to make something realistic.

I can however point out a few things about this piece. You are drawing armor, which is a metal. Metal has dark shadows, but brilliant high lights. Very bright gleams of light. Your lines are also fairly shaky and you should work on making them smooth and clean. Speaking of lines, you should finish them before you start colouring. Finish your sketch. Jeeshwa is right, this is merely a fragment of a finished idea. At least give us something more to critique.

"I just don't feel motivated to finish something when I know the result will be butt-ugly", you say? Well surprise, that's part of learning to illustrate. You'll draw it, it'll look like crap, you'll acknowledge this and get better. Always experiment as often as you can. You will find new ways to get different effects. Even if something looks like crap, at least finish the stage your on. If your sketching, finish the sketch. If you are colouring, finish your colours.

Let's let someone else talk for a bit. I'm fairly distracted.

[PersonUnknown]

It looks pretty good. A tip I would give for the actual thing is to post it on your dumping grounds page. Putting it in the art portal would probably get it deleted. The piece it's self is really good though..