EternalDream's Art -- Critique Please~

[EternalDream]

Basically critique my colouring skills because I don't feel like I'm too good at it for one of the many reasons:

1) I'm not good with light sources
2) I don't have good control over the mouse
3) I completely go by instinct/feeling so maybe my shading is horrible (I dont know lol)

If you feel like something's wrong with my drawings then feel free to comment/critique that too.
I don't have a tablet or w.e (IDK what that is) so normally, for the outline, I just use a outlining pen to outline and scan it. So things like outline and such are things that I can't really change. But it would be helpful if someone gave me advice on my art. I only started learning and colouring pics on the computer since, like, 1 or 2 months ago so if you guys get into the techinical stuff, please explain in more detail because I'm newby like that XD

Thanks!

And yes... I also know I completely suck at drawing wrinkles on clothes. T_T

[salis]

Your coloring looks great to me considering what you’re working with and how long you’ve been working with it. Especially on your most recent work. But if you’re going into digital art, you definitely need to get yourself a tablet. By the way, what program are you using to color your art digitally?

As for my tips, I’d suggest blending your shading a bit more, specifically the two colors you have for the shadows. Right now, the shadows are either too defined or not defined enough. This balance between soft and hard edges is a bit tricky, but with practice, I’m sure you can master it. There are also some anatomy and proportional issues with your art, but again, that get’s better with practice, so don’t worry too much about it. Just keep drawing and you're bound to improve!

[EternalDream]

Your coloring looks great to me considering what you’re working with and how long you’ve been working with it. Especially on your most recent work. But if you’re going into digital art, you definitely need to get yourself a tablet. By the way, what program are you using to color your art digitally?

As for my tips, I’d suggest blending your shading a bit more, specifically the two colors you have for the shadows. Right now, the shadows are either too defined or not defined enough. This balance between soft and hard edges is a bit tricky, but with practice, I’m sure you can master it. There are also some anatomy and proportional issues with your art, but again, that get’s better with practice, so don’t worry too much about it. Just keep drawing and you're bound to improve!

Thanks for your response! I like ur critique/tips and I agree with it! I'm using photoshop CS5 extended and ya... I could never get the shadows right T_T And the anatomy + proportional issues... well, it's just like my light source issue. 'Cuz I just draw from instince/feeling alone so there's bound to be some of those issues. (When I draw, I like to draw freehand without the circles and lines beforehand so ya...) But I will try to work on that... somehow. lol I'm not planning to go into digital art since I'm doing it as a hobby/something to kill time with (I'm still in high school...) however I'm curious about one thing:
1) What's a tablet? (I'm so nooby TT_TT )

[Boniae]

I think your coloring style is looking great so far, considering the fact that you don't use a tablet as well. If you keep practicing, I can see it getting very good.

If you're having trouble with light sources, you could try to take a look at a few of these tutorials: {x} {x} {x}. There's tons more, but those helped me alot, since I'm not very good at it also. XD

Since you don't know what a tablet is, basically is a flat, well, "tablet" that allows you to use a pen that works digitally, and when you draw on the tablet, the pen works as a mouse and you can draw like you would on paper. The best one, by most say, is a Wacom, but I can't say it for myself since I've never owned a Wacom. (I use one that's called Lapazz, but I have a feeling it'll die on me sometime in the year...)

Well, hope I helped some bit! Keep practicing!

[salis]

Thanks for your response! I like ur critique/tips and I agree with it! I'm using photoshop CS5 extended and ya... I could never get the shadows right T_T And the anatomy + proportional issues... well, it's just like my light source issue. 'Cuz I just draw from instince/feeling alone so there's bound to be some of those issues. (When I draw, I like to draw freehand without the circles and lines beforehand so ya...) But I will try to work on that... somehow. lol I'm not planning to go into digital art since I'm doing it as a hobby/something to kill time with (I'm still in high school...) however I'm curious about one thing:
1) What's a tablet? (I'm so nooby TT_TT )

No problem! I just wish I could help more. My sister uses Adobe Photoshop CS5 to draw all her digital artwork too, and she loves it! So you've definitely got a prime drawing program already. And keep drawing from feeling! It’s good to act spontaneously when creating. I used to draw freehand as well, (plotting always seemed to mess me up,) but drawing circles and lines as guides beforehand can really help with structure and anatomy later on. But go with whatever feels comfortable, and you’ll do fine. Just experiment and see what works best for you!

It’s OK! I didn’t know what a tablet was, either, until a few years ago. Boniae pretty much summed it up, but if you still have questions, here’s some more information on tablets:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_tablet
But if drawing is mainly a hobby for you, you might not need one. I went for years with just a pencil and paper and scanning my work and coloring digitally with a mouse, and there are still artist out there that do the same, or draw using traditional tools only.

Wow, I wish I drew as good as you do when I was in high school! Anyways, like Boniae suggested, there’s a lot of tutorials online if you want to learn more, but don't forget, practice is key!

[EternalDream]

Thanks Salis and Boniae Boy... a tablet looks expensive lol Anyways the links bonaie provided were pretty useful... I'll try to incorporate them in my CGs from now on! And my friend's an awesome drawer who uses the circles and lines but for some reason when I do it it turns messed up... tried to do it ever since grade 4 when I started drawing but it never works so I gave up on it T_T But ya, I'll keep all ur advice in mind when drawing from now on~

[MaiMai]

A Wacom Bamboo tablet is pretty darn useful and will last you a while and it's only around $99. It's worth every cent in my opinion.

[Sakura02]

Hmm to those who are saying that you need a tablet to color better... I am going to have to greatly disagree. It's not the tools that make great art, it's the artist. Someone could have the best tablet in the world and still draw like crap. I'm saying that as someone who drew with a mouse for 8 years. X_X and I transferred to a tablet kicking and screaming. Lol. Forgive me I'm going to toot my own horn here and post a couple links of pictures I did with a mouse a few years ago. I mean they aren't the greatest pieces of work, but many people assumed i used a tablet, and they're half decent.

--> http://sakura02.deviantart.com/gallery/ ... 60#/dxxigh
--> http://sakura02.deviantart.com/gallery/ ... 60#/dzt5wt (opencanvas)

Now I'm not going to lie, having a tablet does help, and if you can you should invest in one, but don't convince yourself that you can't draw as good as the person who does have one. That is BS >:( .
Some tips if you don't have a tablet. You need to zoom in close while you're, so when your mouse shakes it doesn't have as much of an impact.
As I said I've been using the mouse for a long long time *_*.. if you need some tips or help feel free to ask.

[Sapphi]

Hmm to those who are saying that you need a tablet to color better... I am going to have to greatly disagree. It's not the tools that make great art, it's the artist. Someone could have the best tablet in the world and still draw like crap. I'm saying that as someone who drew with a mouse for 8 years. X_X and I transferred to a tablet kicking and screaming. Lol.

As someone who also drew and colored computer art with a mouse for a few years, I can also say that it is possible to become very skilled and make great art with a mouse. However, I tend to dislike the "it's the artist" quote because a lot of times it seems to be the people with photoshop and fancy tablets who tell that to the people who are using their mouse and MS paint (I lurked around DA quite a bit as a kid, back in my Neopets days). Skill is skill, but better quality tools and media tends to bring that skill out a bit more, IMO. And a computer mouse can't sense pen pressure, so while you may be able to approximate the effect (very nicely) by going back and cleaning up/filling out lines and brushstrokes, it's going to take a lot more time and effort than a few strokes of your tablet pen. (This is one of the best advantages of a tablet over a mouse IMO.)

If you say you don't have good control over your mouse, it probably means you would be better suited to working with a tablet. Just my two cents.

[EternalDream]

@Sakura02: I like the attachment you included! First time I saw it my reaction was... wow X_X You make the picture look so much better and then when I read it I was like yeah? Never gave that stuff a second thought but maybe that's part of my problem.

@Sapphi & Sakura02: I get both your points... it's like trying to not colour over the lines with a crayon. With a pencil crayon, it's easy but with crayons it makes the job considerably harder ^^ I guess both of you are right in a way. If you colour neatly, it's still doable, but having a pencil crayon makes the job less stressful lol. I agree with both of you actually... (I can do that right? XD) Anyways, I can't get a tablet since I don't have the money ;_; and also because colouring is a hobby and usually my hobbies don't last for over 2 years (Even though I'm really interested in it now idk about the future <.<;;).

[pkt]

Well I did most of my drawing with good old pencil and paper and the coloring concepts you learn there can transfer to a degree to the digital skill set. So I don't really think you should think too much about the tools right now. You seem to have a decent grasp of those. What you should do is learn about shading and lighting. They seem to be easy subjects at first but they can be fairly complex. Add perspective and anatomy after that. I can't say I do so well with them myself but that should at least point you the right way.

[Auro-Cyanide]

Hmm to those who are saying that you need a tablet to color better... I am going to have to greatly disagree. It's not the tools that make great art, it's the artist. Someone could have the best tablet in the world and still draw like crap.

I half disagree and half agree. I disagree because a mouse is not meant to be used as a drawing tool. It is not ergonomically suited for it and it is torture to do anything with it. A tablet is a specially made drawing device that will translate real world skills into data. Not to mention it cuts down the time it takes to do anything by about a tenth.

http://auro-cyanide.deviantart.com/#/d2wtomh < That was a speed painting I did in 2.5 hours. There is no way in hell I could have done it with out a tablet >_>

That being said, a tablet will not magically make you draw better. In fact it is a lot harder to get used to then drawing on pen and paper. You have to learn to look up while drawing down and it can be hard to make clean lineart freehand. Lots of people have trouble with it and a tablet doesn't make the artist.

If you see yourself doing digital art for a long time, then it is a good investment. Just don't expect yourself to be magically good at it. It takes a while. But because of the high artistic demands of a visual novel and the fact it takes forever as it is, the time it saves could be worth it. I bought my Intuos for $630 and have never looked back.

As for your actual colouring, I think you are doing quite well. You could make great improvements if you learnt a bit of colour theory though. Try adding some colour to your shadows as well as darkening it. Cool light = Warm Shadows, Warm Light = Cool Shadows. You could also add a lot more form if you study the way light falls on objects and creates shadows. Right now most of your shadows form around your lines and you are not thinking of the forms as whole. You need to decide where your light source is and live to it. Also don't forget that things other then hair have highlights. The way you draw the shadows and highlights is a great indicator of what material the object is made of.

Here is a quick example of what I am talking about. I edited her, but not him:

[LVUER]

Since we're talking about drawing with mouse -> tablet comparison and since I've been using both for quite some time, I feel that I must say something. If you want to draw digitally, I really recommend you using tablet. It doesn't you have to throw away your old trusty mouse, since I still use both until now.

When I was still using a mouse, I spent averagely 8 hours to finish a piece. Using tablet, I finish in average 4 hours. This case is for normal drawing without BG. If there's BG, double the amount of time needed.

And not only it's faster, when using mouse, I always hurt my wrist after finishing a piece. Actually the pain already there when I wasn't finished yet, but I forced myself since I need to finish the piece. And when I finished it, my wrist hurts like hell (and I need to rest for about 3 days for the pain to go away). Using tablet, such problem doesn't exist at all. Actually, the reason I buy tablet is because this pain (it's a waste of time to rest 3 days for each piece) and because I'm afraid it would eventually lead to RSI if I hurt my wrist repeatedly.

[Chizurinomi]

Since we're talking about drawing with mouse -> tablet comparison and since I've been using both for quite some time, I feel that I must say something. If you want to draw digitally, I really recommend you using tablet. It doesn't you have to throw away your old trusty mouse, since I still use both until now.

When I was still using a mouse, I spent averagely 8 hours to finish a piece. Using tablet, I finish in average 4 hours. This case is for normal drawing without BG. If there's BG, double the amount of time needed.

And not only it's faster, when using mouse, I always hurt my wrist after finishing a piece. Actually the pain already there when I wasn't finished yet, but I forced myself since I need to finish the piece. And when I finished it, my wrist hurts like hell (and I need to rest for about 3 days for the pain to go away). Using tablet, such problem doesn't exist at all. Actually, the reason I buy tablet is because this pain (it's a waste of time to rest 3 days for each piece) and because I'm afraid it would eventually lead to RSI if I hurt my wrist repeatedly.

True, it is a problem. I prefer tablet. I don't want to seriously damage my wrist.

[Sakura02]

Ok I think I need to rephrase/specify what I meant. ^_^;;

I didn't mean she doesn't need a tablet and she should just stick with a mouse. I was just saying that if financially she can't afford a tablet she can still make good art with the mouse, that was my point. As she mentioned in her last post she doesn't do a whole lot of drawing and it's more like her hobby, unlike the rest of us who are probably more hardcore artists drawing for hours on end. Yes the tablet does make drawing easier, faster, and is less stressful on the wrists because the repetitive clicking can damage your wrists (but that's like if you draw for 9 hrs everyday for months and years). I highly recommend getting a tablet if you're a hardcore digital artist. No the mouse is not a drawing tool you are right, but you can still use it to draw decent art. I was giving advice based on her situation.

I have some photoshop tutorials on my website that may help.

http://sakura02.net/Tutorialframeset.html

Check out:

"How to Color Scanned Lines" (Color Scanned lines and sketches without coloring over the lines)

and "Using the Pen tool" (How to mimick pen pressure in a tablet ^_~ using the mouse)