Didules' randomness [critiques are always welcomed]

[Didules]

Hello~!
Okay, this will sound rather stupid but I wanted my 200th post on LSF to be something big, such as a WIP thread, or somthing in the recrutment part of LSF but...
-My WIP is still way to much of a WIP to show it to anyone
-I don't have the time to work on request T^T
So I guess I'll make it a personal art thread instead, it's already something big, isn't it?
Whatever, here the words leave and let the art talks (feeling kinda poet tonight)
Any critique on art/techniques/colors/anything-you-think-needs-a-critique is of course welcome!! And the "Honest critique" I have in my signature: it's a real one, I mean it, so go ahead ans slash me and my drawings!! (it feels to strange to call it "art", it's nothing important or anything...so, drawings will do)
Here they come!
Digital drawing, it's still a WIP and I'm only showing a zoomed version, but I still kinda liked her =w=


Traditional drawings (ok, ok, photoshopped a little bit ) These ones were presents for a friend, they are characters from some of her mangas Done with copics!!


I also tried to paint a bit... I failed, if someone knows how to do a gradation with watercolors, I'd be glad to receive advices m(_ _)m


These ones are the most recent drawings I've done, so I don't think I'll put here some old ones ^^
Whatever, feel free to tell what you think of these ones!!
(And I've just realized but there are only smiling girls for now... not that I draw only smiling girls though! )

Oh, right, I said I haven't the time to do requests, but, err, if you don't mind having something done in a month or two (or more if it's digital X'D), I guess then I may be able to do something for you! ^^

[pineapplepocky]

Copics are fun indeed
And there's no shame in photoshopping copics; the markers may be vibrant to some extent, but the colors often look slightly lighter/bland when scanned in. For me, it's inevitable to bump up the saturation for my pieces.

I notice that the girls you draw all face forward, even the one whose head is turning. You should try experimenting with drawing a face in different angles.

Regarding your water gradients, this picture looks like you soaked the whole thing in too much water. You start on one spot to another spot with concentrated color, then dip your brush with some water and weed out a little of that color you just had on the brush, then paint again, then repeat. Every time you paint, you get rid of some of the watercolor on your brush and replace it with clean water. But when you reach towards the end, stop soaking your brush with too much water, because it can bleed more than you need it. I hope that makes sense. Watercolor isn't my forte, Copics are because I have little patience for drying. Another trick with watercolors you might find handy is the hairdryer. Saves you a lot of time when working.

[Didules]

First of all, thanks a lot for your critique!!

Copics are fun indeed I notice that the girls you draw all face forward, even the one whose head is turning. You should try experimenting with drawing a face in different angles.

Phew, so I'm not the only one who photoshop and add contrast to my drawings
It's...true, I almost never draw something else than this angle, maybe some profile from time to time, but you're right, I'll train to draw from more angles as well

Regarding your water gradients, this picture looks like you soaked the whole thing in too much water. You start on one spot to another spot with concentrated color, then dip your brush with some water and weed out a little of that color you just had on the brush, then paint again, then repeat.

*.* this is such a good idea, I was painting like "base color first, paint the shade, paint the shades N°2", but when I painted everything has alrdeady dried so the color didn't blend or antyhing (I hope it makes sense in english)...

Thanks a thousand times for your advices, I'll apply them!!

I had some time left tonight, so I tried to do this (on SAI) without my Graphic tablet :

It still has many flaws, but it was interesting to try and draw a sky like this... First time ever it looks indeed like a sky with clouds XD

[pineapplepocky]

ooh so the gradient is marker? One thing to note is to avoid large gradients with markers in general because markers dry in a matter of seconds. Everyone has their own methods, but the most popular method with gradients is to draw the color first, then use a colorless blender and swipe a bit on top of the color and just continue that swiping motion at a consistent speed while moving the marker back slowly. It's all in the stroke motion when you use markers.

My marker method is a bit different from the usual one. usually you would go light to dark, but I hit the basic light colors then suddenly do the dark shadows, and blend back out. Personally, I avoid using the colorless blender, and instead use a lighter shade of whatever color I need it to be to blend. It's kind of tricky to explain, but I recorded a video of me using markers with that technique, hope it explains it a little better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnBm68FENmc

[Ferdokki]

The digital drawing looks great. The only complaint I have is that her eyelashes/eye lines are too thick.
Other than that, the shading and rendering has been done nicely. =)

I really like your traditional/slightly photoshopped drawings. =D The blonde hair for the girl on the left though is a little too painfully bright. It might just be my computer resolution, but yeah, I'd recommend making it a shade or two darker.

The girl in paint looks beautiful, you didn't fail. n__n

[Didules]

My marker method is a bit different from the usual one. usually you would go light to dark, but I hit the basic light colors then suddenly do the dark shadows, and blend back out. Personally, I avoid using the colorless blender, and instead use a lighter shade of whatever color I need it to be to blend. It's kind of tricky to explain, but I recorded a video of me using markers with that technique, hope it explains it a little better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnBm68FENmc

This was really interesting to watch!! I think I'll watch it over and over to get everything you did! You have a professionnal level!! It's incerdible!!
Indeed, you have an odd method to do your gradient, but the result is really good! That's interesting! I'll try it next time to see if I can get better!
Usually I use 2 methods depending of the markers I use and the place where I am. For instance, Neopkio Markers can be used everywhere since they dry slowly, but Copics dry faster, so I use them in a place with a "higher humidity" (okay, my room for instance).
The 2 methods are: the one you told: from light to dark and then the other one is from dark to light, I never tried light-dark-in between. ^^ Thanks for the advices ^^

The digital drawing looks great. The only complaint I have is that her eyelashes/eye lines are too thick.
Other than that, the shading and rendering has been done nicely. =)

Thanks ^^ In fact the prevoew of this drawing isn't up to date since I also realized how thick the lines were ^^ I erased them and used the color of the eyelashe only and it's much better ^^ Here is a zoomed version of it:

How is it now?

I really like your traditional/slightly photoshopped drawings. =D The blonde hair for the girl on the left though is a little too painfully bright. It might just be my computer resolution, but yeah, I'd recommend making it a shade or two darker.

It's definitely not your computer resolution ^^ In fact it was done with pencils and when I photoshopped it, it became so flashy it hurt my eyes Since it was an old drawing, I didn't really touch it again, but next time I do blond hair, I'll remember it! Thanks

The girl in paint looks beautiful, you didn't fail. n__n

Thanks (did you know that photoshop is a wonderful software? XD Serisously, it didn't end up as I wanted (for a first time everything can't be perfect ^^; ))


These days I've continued my digital drawing, I thought it was finished back then but it was probably a mistake. I can't really get it right now, I have some issues with the background (though I do want it to be a sky like I did), does anyone have a preference between these ones? If so, why? Or what should I change to make it better? Someone told me to simply erase the clouds, but I feel like they have to be there to occupy some space because without them it's too simple and empty...

First ver

I've changed a bit the clouds, the are softer now ^^

Here the clouds have a slightly lower opacity

I really want it to be perfect (as perfect as I can make it at least) so it could be the first drawing I'll put on DA ^^;;

[Ferdokki]

Her eyelashes look great now!
As for the attachments, I like the one where the clouds look softer. I like it because it gives a dreamy look to the scene.

[Didules]

Huh, it's been a while since I've put something here O_O

Her eyelashes look great now!
As for the attachments, I like the one where the clouds look softer. I like it because it gives a dreamy look to the scene.

I guess it's a bit late but thank you! In the end I put the drawing as my first drawing on deviantArt

Still clearly a WIP but I'm trying things and others on this little drawing:

Avatar Kyoshi (c) Nickelodeon

I'm trying to color on SAI, but it won't get done fast since I have a loooot to do in this month (please let me die ) such as contests or even pictures for conventions! You'll probably hear of it later (about the conv' thing, the contest is just a small manga contest )

Have a good day!!