Decided to finish off sketch.....any advice?
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Hi guys,
Posted some of my sketches I’ve being doing recently and decided to try and make the sketches into a full scene. I’ve been working on this one tonight, kind of had the thought of a parent and child starting off on a journey together. So far it’s fleshed out the way I wanted, but I know that it can be pushed further (this is the part I struggle with). Does anyone have any advice? Do I try and add more details? Any advice is massively appreciated.
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@hoppershaun hi! The necks of the dinosaurs are too stiff for me. Perhaps you can have them bend upwards more? I hope this helps
Portfolio: nyrrylcadiz.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyrryl_cadiz/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJCF1Im8ZO7hpGWTKOJMuA -
I love the idea that you want to make your work better! The tricky bit is that "pushed further" is a really subjective goal.
For some that means adding in more stuff, and for others it means taking stuff out. Sometimes it means altering the character design. For still others it means repositioning the POV (the composition), and on and on.
It is challenging to offer useful advice without knowing what your intention for this piece is.
What I'm going to ask you is tough (I know -- from experience) but what are you looking to communicate in this image? How do you want the viewer to feel?
In @Lee-White and my SVS Illustration 1: Turbocharging Your Creativity, class we call this your "keywords". Once you can articulate this then not only will you get more focused feedback, but you will also be able to evaluate that feedback as something you should or should not implement.
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@Nyrryl-Cadiz thanks for the advice, I see what you mean about them being stiff.
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@davidhohn thanks for the reply. I guess I wasn’t thinking about what I wanted to get across with the image, to be honest I normally just start drawing without any idea of what I want to draw and then sort of see where it takes me. I’ll definately have a go of really thinking about what I want to convey before I start another drawing.
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@hoppershaun Totally understand how a drawing can get started without any real goal in mind. I do it all the time. I think of that as the "drawing from your gut" stage. But at some point -- and it's usually when you start asking yourself "how can I make this better?" -- you need to clarify what you want to say. What is the piece about? How do you want the viewer to feel?
You can absolutely do that kind of thinking at this stage of a project.
Do you get rid of the jaggy lines that currently are a shorthand for "rock"?
Or do you get in there and really start rendering out the natural landscape?Both have the potential to improve the piece. But one shifts the focus onto the characters while the other places more of the focus on the environment.
Does the baby's pose become stiff and unsure (first time on a narrow ledge) while the parent's pose becomes relaxed and confident? Hard to say when the person offering critique doesn't know what you are going for.
BTW, that's the narrative I see in this piece, but to confidently offer suggestions I'd want to KNOW that is what you are going for.
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@davidhohn thanks again for the reply. I decided to redo the image, trying to convey more the feeling of the scared baby and the reassuring parent. Also changed the camera angle to make it more intimate (at least that’s what I was going for). Hopefully this comes across more in the new image.
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@hoppershaun Big changes! That is admirable. I know from first hand experience how hard it can be to move away from an initial sketch that you really like. But there's no question that this second image more effectively communicates your intention for this piece!
