14 replies to this topic

[Aliya]

I never drawed any portraits, so I need some suggestions. Something like, big nose, small eyes and bla, bla, bla... All (well, mostly all) pictures are random.

1.
This is my Bhaalspawn - Alaja.

2.
I based this one, on Aerie, but she is, well MORE evil... here.. I think...

3.
I don't know nothing about this one.

All comments (even critique), I require.

And another thing: If anyone could teach me, to use photoshop...

[DeusEx]

Well, nice drawings

[Icendoan]

What he said.

Also, with Photoshop, mess around with it, find out what you can do and then what you can do with that, what works together, how to layer things and blend and edit and chop and overall have an amazingly fun time with it!

Icen

[flysoup]

I never drawed any portraits, so I need some suggestions. Something like, big nose, small eyes and bla, bla, bla... All (well, mostly all) pictures are random.

All comments (even critique), I require.

And another thing: If anyone could teach me, to use photoshop...

A good way to practice drawing facial portraits and facial expressions is to have a mirror in front of you. Then make different grimace's and facial expressions such as sad face, happy, angry and so on then try to capture it on the drawing.

Look at all of your favorite artists but also try to look at others as well. Look at all the different styles and then pick what you like from each style to come up with your own.

I think that you already have a personal style and a good base to stand on. An about big nose small eyes and so on, don't worry about that due to every face is unique and such things as small eyes, big nose's and so on adds characteristics.

Play around with photoshop and look at manuals on the internet. But most important play around and see what happens with all the different functions. Practice, practice and practice...drawing is like any other language the more you speak it the better you will get.

I for example have a quick style and don't bother to much about the 'correct details'. A good drawing in my eyes is if it has a certain expression and personal touch rather than being a technical masterpiece.

[Aliya]

Oh, big thanks, fly! Good advices, where's my mirror? Huh?

[Epantiras]

the last one reminds me of Viconia
if you're looking for tutorials, this is a good start http://www.elfwood.com/farp/art.html

[Aliya]

Yeah, I know. Viconia's hair structure from BG2 portrait.

[Jazhara7]

They look very good, overall. The only thing that I could find fault with would be that their heads are too flat. This is a common mistake with many artists, that they draw too little skull beyond the face. Where are they going to store their brains? There's no space! So you might want to try and give them a bit more cranial cavity, so they can keep their squishy bits (nooooo, not those, squishy bits. Get your mind out of the gutter! ) in their, before they create stains on the good table cloth.

Otherwise, I would repeat what flysoup said, that you should explore and try new things, and let yourself inspire by others. Experiment.



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[WeeRLegion]

Mmmmm, neat.


Hm.
Anyway, I thought I'd be an ass and do some red-line corrections, to illustrate the points here.


Picture 1 is quite good, but I think the neck looks a bit stiff, and is a bit over-stretched. I couldn't fix the length, but I tried to add in some more flexible lines there. Also added Jazhara's comment about the cranium; don't get too stingy wth the forehead.

Picture 2 also has a neck problem, the sides are uneven and it widens down a bit unnaturally. I think there's a few options for improving it. Also added forehead line.

Picture 3, I think the chin is a bit off, one side exaggeratedly different from the other. Also the neck is fairly long, and I think the necklace cureves in a way that'd require the neck to be unnaturally thin behind the hair. Also added the cranium line and a 'top of the hair' line.


So that's jackass red-lining for ya.
Don't take it too seriously, I just lined 'em roughly where I'd think the details should be, I'm not the best at anatomy either.
Hope ye weren't too offended. ^^

Attached Images

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Edited by WeeRLegion, 15 August 2008 - 04:54 AM.

[Aliya]

Nah, WeeR.

I am now drawing some alternative portraits. If someone interested: Aerie, Nalia, Jaheira and Viconia complete. (Now to how to color it, with Photoshop.)

Thanks, for the comments, tho.

[wonnimchunha]

I took WeeRLegion's suggestions and pushed them a little bit further so it will help you when you start coloring.....I took the liberty of making marks all over your personal artwork...please dont be offended??


You have a cool set style, but I think considering anatomy further, especially in the coloring process, will enhance the portraits, by adding much shadow and depth.


For instance, your first portrait.


I marked with red the important parts of a face's bone structure.
For example, a human's forehead is not really flat, nor round.
It is much flatter than the rest of the scull, like a plate that faces forwards, but it rounds out in the top part, then flattens in the middle, and there is a bump for the ridge of the eyebrows....




Other than shading stuff, I also thought that the mouth was a little bit too far down the chin, usually the space above the lip is smaller than the space under.
The body was a bit too thin for a side view also, especially considering the size of the head.
It is always good also to give a slight hint of the other arm even if technically its supposed to be completely hidden from view.

Here I (rather horribly) kind of re-shaded the drawing following my red lines from above

[Aliya]

It seems my PC is wearing Helm of Opposite Alignment.

[Aliya]

I've done some more pictures!

Nalia:


And Aerie:

[_Nix_]

Oh, the Nalia and Aerie are great You got Nalia's expression just right.

[Amaurea]

I agree with the advice to give them some more on the tops of their heads. They need more forehead to be proportional. Having said that, though... I think it's fine to leave this as your personal style, if you're going for a cartooned look. These almost have an Egyptian look to them, which I'm kinda liking a lot. But... if you are going for the cartooned look, try to add more values to your shading to bring out the forms of the face more. Darkening the areas of deepest shadow will make your drawings pop a bit more. Have more variety to your midtones. A full range of values will really make your faces sing.

If you'd like to go a bit more realistic, try using shading to define structures and forms as opposed to lines. While I am not a great portrait artist by any means, I'll share an example of a portrait I just did so you can see what I mean by this...