I looked at how other people lined and colored and I replicated that in my own drawings, but it did not come out the way I wanted it to. At times it looked worse than my simple pencil doodles. I could not figure out why.
"I dunno, it just needs more... dimension?" Robert said.
Dimension? How?
I drew a bunch of test pictures and pestered asked Robert for critique.
"Color scheme okay. I think it fits as decent. But the colors and so need to be worked on. What are you aiming for?" Robert asked.
"Just looking like not done by a n00b on deviantart. Like if you look at the picture you'd assume I downloaded it from a tumblr site of a semi-known online artist."
"What would a semi known artist be?"
"Color scheme okay. I think it fits as decent. But the colors and so need to be worked on. What are you aiming for?" Robert asked.
"Just looking like not done by a n00b on deviantart. Like if you look at the picture you'd assume I downloaded it from a tumblr site of a semi-known online artist."
"What would a semi known artist be?"
"Good enough to make cheap prints and sell at a con,"
"Ah, not quite yet," Robert said, providing honest feedback.
(Yeah, I know.)
If my pictures apparently lack dimension, maybe I should try adding a buttload of textures on hair and stuff. I always did neglect coloring on hair.
"I haven't seen you use more than two colors for hair," Robert had told me before.
But despite putting in a lot of effort, I didn't really like how Test 2 came out.
Y: Still looks kinda flat, even though that hair took fucking forever. So much for texture. There is something else going on and idk what.
R: It does look better.
Y: Something about face is odd.
R: The face looks kind of not attached to the head? But I think the other parts are better.
Y: I see.
R: I don't think it looks flat so much as the face looks blank. Idk why but that shows up more in your colored pictures.
ARGH.
A few days later, I drew two more test pictures and sent them to Robert.
They both looked amateurish to me still, but I felt like I was getting closer to the look I am aiming for.
Y: So how is test 3 and 4?
R: They are good, but as you said something to improve on. Posture in 3 is fine but I think the shadows on chin make it look like she has a goatee, and makes it seem too much. I think where you placed the neck in 4 seems a bit off.
Y: Do they look like they have dimension?
R: 4 a bit, 3 not quite.
Y: What about coloring and shading?
R: I think the shading relates to dimension
Y: ...I don't get what you're saying
R: In terms of do things feel like they have dimension
Y: Do I just suck at shading????
R: I wouldn't say that
Y: HOW DO I NEED TO MAKE THINGS LOOK LIKE IT HAS DIMENSION
R: Ask the internet?
Y: orz
R: I think you have less issues in black and white.
Y: Why do i have problems when I color then?! What is wrong with me?!
R: Nothing is wrong with you, maybe it's how you color?
Y: But what do I need to do tho?
R: Idk, figure out color shading
(To be continued in Part 2)
"Ah, not quite yet," Robert said, providing honest feedback.
(Yeah, I know.)
If my pictures apparently lack dimension, maybe I should try adding a buttload of textures on hair and stuff. I always did neglect coloring on hair.
"I haven't seen you use more than two colors for hair," Robert had told me before.
But despite putting in a lot of effort, I didn't really like how Test 2 came out.
Y: Still looks kinda flat, even though that hair took fucking forever. So much for texture. There is something else going on and idk what.
R: It does look better.
Y: Something about face is odd.
R: The face looks kind of not attached to the head? But I think the other parts are better.
Y: I see.
R: I don't think it looks flat so much as the face looks blank. Idk why but that shows up more in your colored pictures.
ARGH.
They both looked amateurish to me still, but I felt like I was getting closer to the look I am aiming for.
Y: So how is test 3 and 4?
R: They are good, but as you said something to improve on. Posture in 3 is fine but I think the shadows on chin make it look like she has a goatee, and makes it seem too much. I think where you placed the neck in 4 seems a bit off.
Y: Do they look like they have dimension?
R: 4 a bit, 3 not quite.
Y: What about coloring and shading?
R: I think the shading relates to dimension
Y: ...I don't get what you're saying
R: In terms of do things feel like they have dimension
R: I wouldn't say that
Y: HOW DO I NEED TO MAKE THINGS LOOK LIKE IT HAS DIMENSION
R: Ask the internet?
Y: orz
R: I think you have less issues in black and white.
Y: Why do i have problems when I color then?! What is wrong with me?!
R: Nothing is wrong with you, maybe it's how you color?
Y: But what do I need to do tho?
R: Idk, figure out color shading
(To be continued in Part 2)
WOW!! R is THOROUGH! I stared and stared and didn't catch nearly half those things. One of my friends told me a Garrison Keillor quote and it was something along the lines that being a young artist/writer is hard because you have good taste so you know that your work isn't what you want it to be. But you also are still growing your skills---so the point is to get better and keep going. Good luck and hang in there! I'm having the same conversations w/P re: writing!
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