I live! and I draw!?

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Sat May 07, 2011 7:12 pm

So, I've been working on a few drawings, one for a very long time, one for a moderately long time and one I just jotted down today... XD Thought I'd post them for critique or comments or just to show off that I actually have been arting! XD

This guy I've been working on for ages...and the chest just seems wrong somehow, even though I love the pose and the back feet just /suck/ compared to the front feet...but I think he'll be pretty cool if I can ever figure out what's wrong and fix it...

This one I drew up a few weeks ago when I was home sick...love him to pieces but there's just something off about the hind end to me...I used a ref and I've stared at the ref for hours and still can't figure it out...I think it has something to do with the fact that he's lifting that left hind...but it doesn't look like he is...?

This one I sketched up today, a Shetland Pony. Quick sketch and it needs lots of refining but not bad...'cept for the hair...my Lord Shets have a lot of hair! XD

Anyways, those are my contributions to the art world for now...hope everyone's doing well...hopefully I'll be able to finish something color-worthy before long!

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Sun May 08, 2011 12:05 pm

eeee hi

Lol chunkypony!

Post by **Dray** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:27 am

Yay, drawing!

For the dragon, his hind leg looks much larger in proportion to the rest of his body. Thinking of the bone structure, the thigh would probably attach a little higher on his body, and you'd probably be able to see a bit of dragon-butt, as the tail probably shouldn't attach right out of the bottom of his thigh.

For his neck/chest area, maybe the wing needs to be set further up and back along his spine. The chest itself looks fine to me, but the way that the neck connects to it seems as though there's some weird muscles that don't connect properly. I'd urge you to do a quick underdrawing with a stick-skeleton based off of the animal that you'd like this guy to resemble, as once you see where the bones would likely line up, you'll have a better idea of where to draw the flesh around them.

I like the horses! I'm no expert on them and don't have much to add, but keep it up! :D

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Tue May 10, 2011 11:32 am

In the reference pic for the first horse, is he turning? The angle you have him (his forehand, at least), it looks like he is starting a turn or a spin. I can see the lift, and I think what is looking off is the fact that the rear quarter is at a slight angle, but with just the lines, there is nothing to indicate that. I think with some shading, it will look a lot closer.

Though, the angle of the leg above the hock looks a little sharp; is the reference online somewhere? A second set of eyes may help find what is 'off' >.>

The sketches look very nice overall though - the shetland is adorable, and I like the face on the first horse, a lot XD

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:57 am

Thanks for the input! Dray, I'll try the skeleton idea see if that helps me fix him!

Jess, it's hard to tell from the ref if he's turning but I kinda think he is. Here's the ref: http://www.purelusitanos.com/stallions/ ... 4P0275.jpg Kinda looks like he's doing a pirouette to me.

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:58 pm

Yeah, looking at the drawn version, and the photo version, I think the biggest issue is just the lack of shading/depth that explain why the angles are what they are. The drawing does look very close the reference! But you're right, it is very hard to tell exactly what he is doing O.o

>.>

I think I have seen that horse before, actually XD

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:14 pm

*SQUEE* So I finally colored the Lusitano horse that I posted the lineart for above. And... OMG...best coloring job I've EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER done!

Okay, I'll stop yelling about my awesomeness now and share...he's so pretty.... *is excessively proud today*

The mane could use some work actually, now that I see him on a different background, but the body and the face...very very pleased...

jess d · Post by **jess d** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 8:57 pm

He looks amazing! Definitely a coloring job to be proud of!

Post by **Dray** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:33 pm

Holy CRAP, yeah! Xalia, I think you just won the internet. :O

I agree about the mane/tail, but I think that that just comes down to paying as much attention to it as you did to the rest of the body, which looks AMAZING.

:D GREAT WORK!

Yakima · Post by **Yakima** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:39 am

Ooooo...pretty! And yeah, manes and tails and anything with hair is generally time consuming and a pain if you want major detail.

I have the same problem with feathers, personally.

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:41 pm

Part of the problem is I've had to start over with my computer a couple too many times and so while I keep remembering to reload my "hair" paint brush each time, I've forgotten how to format it so that it gives me smooth lines and not dotted lines...

Anyone care to enlighten me? I know it's something simple but I've looked everywhere I could think of and "smoothing" just doesn't smooth it out like I think it should...

Post by **Dray** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 9:44 am

I think in this case it's probably more a matter of using a single brush, defining the light and dark areas, and then going in with a much smaller brush and elaborating only where it needs finely defined hairs. A hair brush regardless of formatting doesn't really allow you that look; everything looks sort of wiry and fake no matter what you do, in my experience.

Yakima · Post by **Yakima** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:36 pm

Perhaps I could throw a tutorial together for how I do my mane and tails type things in PSP8 for ya. Basically, mine involves using black and white scribble like lines that go in the direction you want then using a smudge brush to smudge them together until it's smooth, just have to play with the opacity and stuff so that it doesn't smudge it too much.

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 3:37 pm

A tutorial might be nice, though I suspect my mane problem (harhar) is a lack of patience rather than need of guidance... XD

Here are a couple more that I've finished...

Spent a little more time on the mane and tail of these two and they've come out much better, though I think the pony's hair may be a bit too shiny...they have to be shrunk down a /ton/ for me to submit them on Howrse (that's why I've been doing so many horses, I get monies for submitting them if they get picked to be used on the game... *fingers crossed*) so they lose a lot of detail when I shrink them and the pony's hair doesn't look quite so straw-like all shrunken down... XD

I wish I could figure out how to color dragons this well! I'm working on a pegasus atm though, so it's really only a short step from pegasus to dragon...replace hooves with claws and lengthen the neck, right? XD

Post by **Dray** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:34 pm

Hah, it's really no different... you take the same basic principles and apply them to a different body design. The manes look nicer this time around, though it seems like the first image is a little muddy and choppy in places where the light meets the darker portions. The second one looks a bit rushed in the body, and both have a strange choppy look to them in parts due to pixilation... you can't make png's, I suppose? It's not a huge detail on the outlines, but where mane meets body and (in the first image) where the leg overlaps the other, it does look a little odd!

Silver Midnight · Post by **Silver Midnight** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:38 am

That's absolutely beautiful.

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:54 pm

More than a month later I actually come back to find comments, oops! Well, none of my images got selected to be on the game so I'll be editing them and trying again so thanks for the tips, Dray!

I'll try to clean them up a bit and make them look better...the pony definitely looks like he has straw instead of hair and tried to soften it but wasn't really successful...

I'll keep working though...

Post by **Dray** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:10 pm

Time flies when you're having fun, huh?

Good luck on getting the next batch in! :D