Looking for feedback for concept art. Thank you!

[notfitkid]

Hello all,

I've been working on a series on concept sketches/illustrations that feature female characters. Eventually, I hope to create a set of about 9 to 12. As of now, the styles are once again all over the place. I am leaning more towards the rendering of the female Praetorian Guard but am wondering if the exaggerate, elongated forms are working. I definitely would like to rework the pose and feel as though it is very stiff and unnatural. Any feedback is totally appreciated.

[Michael Angelo Go]

Hi, you are very talented. I think the pose is still good but could use a little bit more sense of action.

These are poses inspired by my current favorite video game I'm playing at the moment, Injustice 2.

They aren't exactly like the current pose, but I think this could give you some ideas on how to make her feel more animated.

[notfitkid]

@Michael-Angelo-Go thanks for the helpful feedback and suggestions. I definitely should have started with a solid reference photo to establish a believable, dynamic pose. Thanks for those gestural sketches and great reference shots and for taking the time to upload them!

[Michael Angelo Go]

@notfitkid I cannot wait to see what you make out of my advice

[Neha Rawat]

@notfitkid Wow! Your rendering is perfect! I love the silhouette of the character as well. I do agree the pose could be more dynamic and balanced.

• Right now, the character's pose feels unnatural because it's not balanced. She's not leaning forward enough to appear running, and not straight enough to be balanced on one leg. So it almost looks like she's falling over (or maybe floating). (As is more evident in #2)
• When doing dynamic poses, it's best to choose either the starting moment or ending moment. These poses have the most energy. The pose you've chosen seems like an inbetween pose.
• Also, her expressions seem worried because of the downward slanting eyebrows.

A good way to check balance in poses is to flip the image. I don't know if you do that already, but if you don't, you must definitely test it. You'll immediately know what feels off about the pose.

I've made some simple edits to your characters pose which hopefully makes it a little better and more balanced.

1. Rotated the standing leg forward so it feels like she's starting to run
2. Slanted the torso forward to show speed
3. Raised head so that she's looking forward

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[notfitkid]

@Michael-Angelo-Go

I will try to post the revisions once the craziness surrounding the holidays is over. Thanks again!

[notfitkid]

@Neha-Rawat Your observations are spot on. As I began drawing the image, I started to realize that the character's pose was somewhat caught in limbo, kind of like an inbetween frame (to borrow the term from animation). I will definitely have to explore both the starting and ending poses for this next round. In terms of the face, I intentionally wanted to add a bit of tension and a hint of anxiety. Eventually, the character will be part of a mini narrative which will ultimately require her to spring into action.

Thanks again for taking so much time out to provide such thoughtful insights and helpful suggestions! Have a Merry Christmas!

[Michael Angelo Go]

@notfitkid Hey! I never found out if you made any new updates regarding this piece. Was just curious because I loved this piece.