Advice for Art?

[Honey.Yellow]

Hi there! :3 I'm an artist aspiring to do some art for a VN or otome game one day. Could you please tell me what you think about my art, and what I need to improve on? I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

This image is something I doodled in class. It's somewhat like a character reference sheet. Sorry, I know the pencil marks are quite light. Any suggestions for a name?

[Ren]

It's really hard to say, from just one page of sketches.

One thing I notice is that you seem to have drawn the girl always facing left - I know it's hard at first, but I'd try different angles and orientations for the head.
Pay attention to anatomical problems; while manga-inspired art can take some liberties, stuff like the neck being too much on the left in the full figure and the scarce attention put into drawing the feet can detract from your drawing.
I don't know if it's my monitor, but I find it hard to see the lines at all - perhaps you need to play with levels in your drawing program so that the lines are a bit more visible?

Just practice and do what you have fun doing, you'll eventually get better.

[Honey.Yellow]

It's really hard to say, from just one page of sketches.

One thing I notice is that you seem to have drawn the girl always facing left - I know it's hard at first, but I'd try different angles and orientations for the head.
Pay attention to anatomical problems; while manga-inspired art can take some liberties, stuff like the neck being too much on the left in the full figure and the scarce attention put into drawing the feet can detract from your drawing.
I don't know if it's my monitor, but I find it hard to see the lines at all - perhaps you need to play with levels in your drawing program so that the lines are a bit more visible?

Just practice and do what you have fun doing, you'll eventually get better.

Thank you for your advice! It's very helpful. I know that I usually draw figures facing left, and it's a bad habit. I'll try to vary it. And I'll try to post up more drawings.

[Auro-Cyanide]

I think your art work looks good, the line work itself is quite pretty.

The main thing I think you need to do is use structure lines. That way you can proportion everything correctly and make sure the anatomy is correct in early phases. It should be a three step process. First draw the stick figure, then bulk out the shapes, then you can start making the final lines and details. Once you get a bit more confident in your anatomy, you stick figure can become looser and the shape and final lines can become the same stage. At least, that is how I work.

And you want a name for her? Is is Japanese inspired or something else?

[Honey.Yellow]

I think your art work looks good, the line work itself is quite pretty.

The main thing I think you need to do is use structure lines. That way you can proportion everything correctly and make sure the anatomy is correct in early phases. It should be a three step process. First draw the stick figure, then bulk out the shapes, then you can start making the final lines and details. Once you get a bit more confident in your anatomy, you stick figure can become looser and the shape and final lines can become the same stage. At least, that is how I work.

And you want a name for her? Is is Japanese inspired or something else?

Thank you! I see. I usually don't draw the structure beforehand, so that's probably why my anatomy is off.
Oh, and yes. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a name. I don't mind if it is Japanese-inspired or not, because I'm quite impartial. I can't find a good name for her right now. xD

[Mikan]

It looks like you need to develop some rules about anatomy like how you have developed rules about the head. (=read: draw as many bodies as faces. The rate at which you practice each is unbalanced, which leads to an awkward full body)

[Honey.Yellow]

It looks like you need to develop some rules about anatomy like how you have developed rules about the head. (=read: draw as many bodies as faces. The rate at which you practice each is unbalanced, which leads to an awkward full body)

Thanks! Is there a way to draw the length of the legs in proportion to the body? I don't know how long/short it should be. x_x

[Auro-Cyanide]

Thanks! Is there a way to draw the length of the legs in proportion to the body? I don't know how long/short it should be. x_x

I think the general rule is that people are 8 heads tall, but this is a general rule and people are far from general. Some people have very long legs and some people have short legs (I have short legs >_>). You should usually aim for just over the length of the upper body.

[Mikan]

haha no

[Jake]

I think the general rule is that people are 8 heads tall

The ideal 'Vitruvian man' is 8 heads tall, but generally, people tend to be closer to 7-7.5. But that only helps you with overall height, not proportion; if you have a torso one head tall and legs six heads tall they're still just as disproportioned!


If you want to learn how to draw figures in-proportion, then you should read up on artistic (as opposed to medical) anatomy and/or figure-drawing; there are several books around of varying degrees of utility (I have some by Burne Hogarth myself, my girlfriend has a set by George Bridgeman and Andrew Loomis is often well-regarded). But then, as Mikan suggested, practising is just as important; if you only ever draw the head, you'll only ever get any good at drawing heads.

[Auro-Cyanide]

The ideal 'Vitruvian man' is 8 heads tall, but generally, people tend to be closer to 7-7.5.

Ah, is that what it is, I couldn't quite remember. I haven't used those rules in ages, I just tend to... draw them now. Though I still repeat some of the facial rules to myself as I draw. Like a crazy person >_>

[Ren]

Actually, it varies as Jake said, but for women it can even get to 6.5.
It goes without saying, for kids the ratio is even lower.

I bought the Chaos & Evolutions DVD from the Blender Foundation, and it has some very helpful tips on many topics you may need to know about, here's an example with a simplification to draw proportions easily (I don't follow it like the bible, but it may be worth watching anyway).

[Honey.Yellow]

I see.
Do you guys know any common mistakes with anatomy (so I can recognize them in the future)?

[Auro-Cyanide]

Everything. Trust me, if it can be done wrong, it has been done wrong. Proportions are probably one of the main ones simply because if you mess with it too much we will stop recognising the figure as human.

[Anthy]

I think some of the most common mistakes are

1) messed up ratios. Hands too big, arms too long or short, neck too long, etc etc. Even with stylized forms like anime, unless you're going for a super-stylized or deformed look, it needs to follow some basic anatomy points. There are tons of visual references out there but everyone's body is a little different. You can try referencing your own as a starting point (reference model you don't have to pay for!), and figure drawing books can cover the more technical aspects.

2) bad/impossible postures. When drawing a pose, try and replicate it yourself (preferably in front of a mirror) and take note of the position of all your appendages (both how they are rotated and relative position to other body parts). If it is uncomfortable (or is impossible) to make that pose, and unless the point of it is to be uncomfortable or impossible (and in those cases you should already know what you're doing), alter it until it's doable.

3) Shapes drawn all wrong. Amateur artists often make limbs and the overall body shape too stick-like. Like, even if Anime girls are super thin, they should still be somewhat shapely. Even noodle arms will have a slight contour of muscle, and their shoulder and elbow bones (and wrist bones, depending on the angle) should protrude. Be aware of where hip bones lie (both sexes), and mind the "crotch gap". Calves, ankles, feet... all have very distinct shapes. There's no such thing as a 100% flat stomach in profile, and if there is it's sucky art. Just basically do visual studies of the nuances of body contours, because when done right they are what make the body look beautiful.



As far as leg-body proportions:
In anime-style art, and ideally, the head+torso-to-leg ratio is almost always roughly 1:1. When legs noticeably go over the 1:1 proportion, they start to look ridiculous IMO.