Well, I reaally like both of them. Love the Mickey Mouse Black and White. Is it Mickey? The ears are quite long-or is it a dog dressin glike Mickey? Anyway, you did a great job with the shades of gray. It looks very retro. As for the wicked woman, No problems. If anything, maybe a different background color that would make her pop more. Lots of green but the yellow adds contrast against the black so....I don't know. They are both really nice paintings!

@Nanette Hey that's great! Glad you are making the decision to be pro-active about it. It is great to actually get out and meet people for real, too.

I've joined thinking that I'd like to have a consistent portfolio ready by the time conference comes round in November...even if I don't go, having a target/deadline is helpful.

@Jason-Bowen This is what the alien looks like now. What do you think? 0_1465557315548_alien.jpg

I don't really know how to share it because the files are too big....I guess. I tried to load just the front and back covers but it didn't work. I like the back cover better than the front .....I'll see if I can share one page.

I can't. Sorry.

Hi Everyone.

I've been working on this Battletoads fanart painting (as if it was part of a video game). I experimented with not using any lineart but I feel like I struggled with adding painterly light and shadow to the characters. If anyone has any critiques or tips about what I could work on to make this piece better, that would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

0_1465395231276_Battletoads snowboarding Nick Allott.jpg

Wow, this illustration is so captivating! I adore the detail in the characters 🙂

Welcome Elise! I found this blank sheet on Pinterest. I hope it helps!

Storyboard Link

@Chip-Valecek

Thank you for your insight.

0_1464906097506_Monkeying around.jpg

Just something I made in photoshop. I don't use it often but I thought I would trying something simple. Just a couple of monkeys fooling around , I'm think of switching the background I have now for a nice background in the back maybe a jungle with vines and bananas.

@evilrobot Thank you so much!
@Chip-Valecek Thank you for the welcome! And oooh good point - I was wondering how to get the air guitar expression to come through better. I think you're suggestion will do the trick!
@natiwata I hadn't even thought about that but your suggestion makes so much sense. I can definitely see how it flows from the main character to the other figures better. Thank you so much for the suggestion!
@Russ-Van-Dine Good point - I hadn't even thought about ages really. Now I will definitely make sure to pay attention to that when I do the lineart! Thanks!

Welcome to the forums! First I want to say that you have a wonderful style, looks like watercolor but with rich colors. Your color choices are also really nice, it looks like you have a natural ability to choose what colors compliment each other. Are you working digitally or traditionally?

Places to work on, I'd say angles, pose and making sure you use reference. All of your characters are from a straight front on view, it would be great to see you try to mix it up with different angles. Also, overall the poses you've chosen are very static. Adding motion to your characters will help bring them to life. Animators, like Jake Parker, tend to be good at having motion in their drawings since they have experience studying every frame of a given action. This also gives them knowledge of weight, what looks natural and fluid.

Again, welcome, it's great that you're here to grow with us!

@dimarcora Hello - welcome to SVS - Love your James Joyce quote - i think the word "mentorship" is possibly scaring folks off from replying since many of us would not consider ourselves qualified for that role(myself included) - but i will try to start the conversation - I think your painting has become primarily about the couple - if you convert this to a grayscale you see that there is very little contrast in the buildings (or variation of value) but there is a huge contrast between the figures and the background - my eye goes straight to the figures and quickly decides there is not much else to see in the painting when i glance around and i end up back on the couple - which makes me feel that they must hold up to very intense scrutiny - the pose of the woman seems natural but the man seems stiff - i think if you showed both of his feet somehow this would help - i am guilty of not using reference when i should but i think it would be good to have some friends pose for you and see if you could tweak the gestures a bit - .... it is hard to critique traditional work because i know it is not so easy for you to make changes - anyways hope some of this has value 🙂

@Russ-Van-Dine said in 3rd Thursday redo from critique Ornate Knight:

@Leontine The knights faces are hid so the horses had to carry it... It was fun making the horses in the background laugh, the horse in the foreground has a real "derp" face with his teeth hanging out but stepping up proudly to carry his knight! I don't know, maybe there is a story here...

I am sure there is a story in this piece! Once you start brain-storming about it, it can happen. Tip: a notepad next to your bed. At night, they come, (all best ideas), and its gone by morning, so write it down as soon as it shows up. Good luck, cant wait to see more!

I'm doing more research as I have put myself in the place of a book publisher for my own books. I haven't done a lot of preparation on the business end (thankful for the business of illustration class which I need to watch again ). I seem to have a bad habit of putting the cart before the horse. Not sure why I'm posting this but, if anyone has any experience with r self publishing and selling books. I'd love to hear them!! I've been finding some good websites with good points on what to do but, it never hurts to hear more.

0_1464389596866_June Contest.jpg

Capon Crusader is the only Cockeral that doesn't care for Cackling Cornish Crooks.
Please give input for this. I wanted critiques before I colored it.

Thanks,
Chris

0_1464383926849_roadrunner.jpg
70's muscle car for a 70's muscle guy...

Many thanks!

Hey guys,
Pretty new here on SVS. Found the school by looking at some JP videos and I'm thoroughly impressed. I've slogged my way through the classes most interested in and now I'm venturing into other ideas and concepts. Fun stuff!
Traditionally, I'm a manga/comic/concept artist, but after I saw the class upload with Mr. Zilber I thought 'I'd always wanted to do a grotesque painting like that'. So here is me getting started with a discipline that I've never ventured into. Tell me what you see, what you like, what you don't, etc.

Looking forward to the critiques and thoughts! LOVE THIS COMMUNITY!

Reference-A combination of these two
0_1464294590398_1.jpg

Sketch
0_1464294703391_2.jpg

1st Pass
0_1464294712963_3.jpg

I decided I would film myself creating a picture for the latest 3rd thursday competition. If you want to check out my process from the start to hopefully a decent oil painting check this out: https://youtu.be/nfwexUGENso

I will try and follow the rules this time 🙂

@audrey-dowling Looks great.