Going back to work after the holidays was like getting hit in the face with a bag of bricks. And I stopped drawing as much as should have been, earning myself a place of shame. But I'll try to do better in the coming week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diego Havoc
Sure is quiet in here.
First time drawing foals:
Spoiler
"'at are 'ou 'oing 'ilver 'oon!?"
"You need to, like, lighten up, Diamond Tiara!"
My thoughts:
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Oddly enough, that was what I was thinking after watching this week's episode. Someone should do a Applebloom "Better then Expected Face", if it hasn't been done before. Since ponies don't have eyebrows it may be slightly tricky....
Your drawing is good, besides the anatomy issues that Sean Mirrsen brought up. But, as you showed, the show breaks those rules all the time as well. Foals can be rather tricky to draw (at least they are for me), so I congratulate you on a wonderful first go at it.
I really like the concept behind it though, Silver Spoon is a better pony then Diamond Tiara. Filthy Rich is a better pony then Diamond Tiara. Actually, one wonders how Diamond Tiara ended up so bitchy. Perhaps she doesn't have a mother and Filthy spoils her? Hmmm... One can only wonder.
Also, I just wanted to say on your Fluttershy pic, NIZE HAT!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Mirrsen
If there's anything that doesn't at all surprise me, it's the fact that I generally suck at coloring.  I've always been a sketchy kinda artist. I don't know what prevents me from experimenting with dark tones. Some kind of odd setting in my brain telling me that "Reality is Unrealistic" and such. I never took any lessons or courses in drawing, so I don't have any defined understanding of these things. I'm just going by what looks right to me - and as is apparent, what looks right to me doesn't quite match with what it should look like. 
If you do find some time to color a design of mine, I'd be very thankful.
In the meantime, I keep plugging away at that Benevolence pic. Not calling it final because I'm still not sure I want Rarity to have the Sapphire Spike as a weapon (I'd really rather give it to Twilight), and because possible shading experiments/horrible forest torching.
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I'm late to the party, but I agree that you really would benefit from a more robust scene planning stage. I agree with Druid Droid in a way that you should try to work out the background first. Up to know, I get the feeling your making kick-ass characters and mechs, and adding a background to them. Which is fine for say, Dash's mech, as that was a simple background anyway. But the more complicated scenes you'll probably have to plan for. Especially scenes which involve people interacting with each other.
Well, since you seem to want comments (even if it is dreadfully late), I'm going to nit-pick, only because while the picture is good, you seem to be aiming for awesome. All of things which I am commenting on are things that I struggle with myself. So I'm going to nit-pick it just like I nit-pick my own things according to the odd standards I have gathered in my head. All of the things I say should be taken with a load of salt and some pepper.
Nit-picking.
Spoiler
I think the background is a bit too backgroundy. Like the scene is on a stage. Are they fighting in a clearing in the Everfree Forest, it's fine, but not very interesting. The trees are pushed to the background and stay there. You could add some trees and brush to the foreground, maybe have some knocked over and broken or bent. Perhaps some mud/dirt marks were the mechs have been fighting. They are mechs after all, I would imagine they cause a mess. But these are just suggestions.
Also, because you didn't draw the figures together or at once, they are rather distant from and distinct. What was the shadow mech planning to do? It seems he is flying by and going the opposite way from Rarity, was he taking a swipe at Rarity and missed only to be hit by Rarity's diamond tail? If this is the correct scenario, then why is Rarity so static standing there, her mech should be leaning away as if she was dodging or slightly ducking the shadow mech's failed attack. As it is now, there is one action and reaction in the picture, the Shadow Mech being hit by Rarity, but you could fit in two actions. Rarity responding to the Shadow Mech's failed attack, and her counterattack and the Shadow Mech's response to that. More actions mean more storytelling which is always a good thing.
Going into even nit-picker, nit-pick territory, ruled by the king of nit-picks. The scene feels like it could be more interesting if the characters were a bit more closer together. Rarity and the Shadow Mech are very distinct from each, with little to now overlap between the figures besides the tail. Now, many people have their own annoying motto, creed, or standard that they try to live up to in art, music, film or life in general. It's generally ambiguous and mystifying to everyone outside of the individual's head. Like George Lucas's infamous stage directions of "Faster! More intense!". Mine in action scenes is, "They could be closer together, aren't they a bit too distant?". It may seem odd, but characters invading each other's living space creates tension. Whether violent or sexual, and the more distant they are from each other, the less tension there seems to be. Now, on the other hand, two people in each other's living space can also be used to show that they are completely at ease and trusting of each other. But in violent scenes, close characters can be used to make it seem more interesting.
Alright I'm done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_druid_droid
My own drawing stuff for today:
Spoiler
This is probably my most ambitious pony project so far. Not only am I playing with a bit of perspective, but I even have a background, and I intend to color this (well, not this picture exactly, but the cleaned version that's hopefully forthcoming). I'm probably just going to start like I said earlier, with relatively flat, show-based stuff before I move on to more complex shading.
This is also part of what I hope will become a finished secret project/gift of sorts, so I have motivation to finish, just not the time...
Additionally, the next drawing challenge will probably be up sometime this weekend, before I leave town for a conference. I may be scarce this next week, but I'll take my sketchbook with me. |
The sketch looks good! Rarity's front legs look like they *could* be too long. But that position is a odd one for a horse and I honestly don't know. After all, their front legs in the cartoon seem to do odd things as Diego Havoc already pointed out.
Edit: Also those are some wonderful, wonderful, sketches you posted above.
Now onto the two drawings that I jumbled together.
Spoiler
This was my scene for the Ponies interacting challenge. Extremely WIP. But it is the pony thread. And I haven't been posting ponies. So I feel like I should post something.
It features Twist looking on while the CMC discuss things, unsure of whether to come up and say hello to Applebloom, or just slink away. I was going for a Ponyville street for a setting. The houses are a bit more crooked and cartoony then they are in the show even. I may or may not change it. The blasted horizon line is there, mocking me and the vanishing point is off the canvas somewhere. So those lines are flying all over! I didn't get to finish the rough Sweet Belle, so her eyes are blank. And Scoot is a bunch of shapes and stuff just like the background pony roughs floating around.
Yeah, I'll try to finish this picture this week!
And some bonus non-pony art!
Yeah, I got nothing to say on this one. This was a warm up before I started drawing the Pony scene.
However~!
This is my first ever camel I have ever drawn! True, it's a cartoony camel, and I was too lazy to bother with it's legs, but I feel like this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I didn't get around to finishing the faces at the bottom.