C&C My first battler drawn yet

[Erichermit]

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/2541 ... lhuan2.png[/IMG]
I don't have to be a genius to know that SOMETHING went wrong here, but it seems to me that every time I try to draw something, this is what happens. I guess the only way to ever learn what my mystake is is to release this abomonation to the net and see if the advice of others improves me any. Could anyone tell me what I should change and what is wrong with my method?

 

[coyotecraft]

When I draw battlers I draw them big and then scale them down. I use to draw small but its easier to add details if the image is big.

 

[brainstorm]

I think I could help I f I knew what it was?


Edit: No offense of course.

 

[Erichermit]

Lol, don't worry about insulting me. Be harsh if you want, I want to hear all the critique I can so I can finally learn how to shade stuff proper =P

That one imagine is basically supposed to be an octopus with very tiny wings at the top. A baby Cthulhu if you know what that is.

 

[Loofah]

Did you shade it by hand or did you use effects:-/

It looks okay though

 

[Erichermit]

I shaded it by hand, but I think my main trouble is Im not sure how to do it correctly, or in RTP style for that matter.

 

[Valere]

Don't shade the eye. At least not to that exteme degree.

And could you explain the cracks at the top......?

 

[Erichermit]

The "cracks" are supposed to be a kind of tendril that attatches the wings to the body

 

[lunarea]

When you're making a palette, don't be afraid to add a bit more of a difference between the shades. When your shadows and highlights are too close together, it can make the end result look flat. You also lose the details that would otherwise be interesting - such as the tendrils that attach the wings.

Here's an example of two palettes:
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/9379/templatefn7.png[/IMG]
The first (i.e. upper) palette has more contrast whereas the lower has shades that are too close together. When you use the lower template, the shading becomes so subtle that you run the risk of having it become a blob of color.

Also, the way you shaded the eye makes it seem as if it was a detachable item that's closer to the viewer than the rest of the monster. Part of it is due to the colors you chose, but mostly it's because the shading makes it seem that the eye has a different and brighter light source.

You should try shading the monster in a more simple and basic manner. It's easier to learn to shade it and bring out all the details

 

[Erichermit]

My main worry about the more contrast in shading is that I kept feeling that instead of looking like shadows, the color differences looked more like some kind of wacky green strips that changed color slightly

 

[lorddonk]

I don't think its too bad... like say something I would draw XD

Congrats on even taking the initiative to create some original battlers! (Unlike me XD)

Here's my input:

Shading- I don't think you did a bad job on the shading. The lower parts of the legs, should be a little darker, which leads me to my next thing:

The Legs- are too fat. Octopii (?) have 8 somewhat long skinny legs. The octopus has had a few too many late night snacks, as the fat is seriously bulking out its thighs. Make them a little skinnier, or a lot. I see only 4 legs? If you intend that there are more, then when thinning out the legs, draw in a few more, and shade them heavily as they are on the other side of its body.

Final problem I see is the wings. Compared to the proportion of the body, its way to small, even if they are not capable of flight, the wings still need to be a bit bigger. It also looks as if some forceful man came and jammed them into the poor octopus's skull. The cracks are not needed. Maybe make a flap for the wings to protrude out of?

Please do not take offense to anything! Trying my best to help! Like I said, I have NO drawing talent whatsoever and am using all the resources I can possibly find here on RMXP.org and on asylum for my game

EDIT: I ignored the "eye" because I wasn't sure if that was what it was or not. It wouldn't look to bad though, except that you forgot about the "3 parts" of the eye. There should be a pupil, and color around it (for your example red) and a white highlight from the light source.

 

[lunarea]

My main worry about the more contrast in shading is that I kept feeling that instead of looking like shadows, the color differences looked more like some kind of wacky green strips that changed color slightly

It all depends entirely on how well you shade and how confident you are. Cell shading, for example, uses a very few shades. The results are far from being strips of color, though:

Spoiler: Example

http://fanart.lionking.org/Artists/Niikato/Gifteh8.png[/IMG]

When you use more contrast, it's easier to see where you made mistakes when shading and how to correct them. You also are able to portray where your lightsource is better.

But if you don't want to use cell shading, there are guides and tutorials that could help. You will still want more contrast, but it will show you how to transition between colors more seamlessly

 

[Erichermit]

Haha, dont worry Lorddonk. I am very flattered at the effort you took to tell me what I did wrong Youre right, I seem to have made the tentacles overly large, and the wings should probably be a bit larger.

How do I do the white highlight in the eye?


Oh and Lunarea, do you know of any particularily helpful shading guides? If not though I will go see what I can root out.

 

[lunarea]

Surprisingly, the best shading guides are on websites that feature pixel art - such as dolls. The Spriting Tutorial thread has a few useful links.

I personally like the tutorial on this site. It's in french, but there are a lot of pictures (many zoomed in) that show you step-by-step instructions. There are also tips and palettes that could help.

Edit: I forgot to add this tutorial. The site has many tips on how to shade. I think you'll find it useful.

 

[Loofah]

Thought I might have a little fun with all the things people have been suggesting so I came up with this...
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa23 ... lhuan2.png[/IMG] http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa23 ... /thing.png[/IMG]

 

[Colormagix]

Thought I might have a little fun with all the things people have been suggesting so I came up with this...
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa23 ... lhuan2.png[/IMG] http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa23 ... /thing.png[/IMG]

I am not trying to be negative, but that attempt is no better than the other version shown, I'm glad that you decided to share, but uh... yea that does not look all that great.

 

[Mascarpone]

its... Cathuhlu?

your problem is partially in your drawing. It's not perfect. But the bigger issue is in the coloring. Something to remember: Photoshop does not make coloring easier. Photoshop makes it easier to make crappy things. (don't take that the wrong way) Something about art that people need to understand: Good drawings, even if you're a walking mass of artistic talent, take time. Using things like a Gradient tool for coloring with highlights(which is what it looks like you've done, if you hadn't then oops) is not good. I can't really give any specific tips really. You need to learn how to color, or if you know how to, then you need to apply that to your digital work. Get some books, study some art, that sort of thing.

Practice up. Best of luck

Edit:
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/8408/img005rt8.jpg[/IMG]
I scribbled this up real quick as an idea. It's not perfect (its kinda flat and i didn't spend as much time on it as i would if i was doing a serious bit of work) but it gives an idea of what to do. I used colored pencils but the ideas behind it can still apply with digital color. Look up some photoshop tutorials.

 

[Erichermit]

Thanks, and yeah, it looks like I need to look at some tutorials. I dont have much need for battlers (regular kinds) so I think i'll try to focus on learning how to make charsets and the sort. charsets *should* probably be an easier way to step up to the larger things anyway..

Oh and no, I didn'tuse any "highlight" effects or anything of the sort, I did it by hand in Graphics Gale but wasn't really sure HOW to go about shading.

Thank's for the advice though, your Cthulhu rocks =P

 

[ZephyrSkye]

Listen, don't give up just because you're getting slammed hardcore here, alright? I've only got one idea here, but I think you might like it quite a bit. It improves your style pretty rapidly, though still takes some time. Photo Reference. Find a picture of a young octopus. It makes things a heck of a lot easier. Trust me.

 

[Mascarpone]

Listen, don't give up just because you're getting slammed hardcore here, alright? I've only got one idea here, but I think you might like it quite a bit. It improves your style pretty rapidly, though still takes some time. Photo Reference. Find a picture of a young octopus. It makes things a heck of a lot easier. Trust me.

no one's slamming anyone.