General Critique of my art.

[Art Vulpine]

Hello, Art Vulpine here!

I've been drawing for over a year now. My training has really been a smattering of reading some drawing books for furries, seeing how others draw their art, trial and error, and good old practicing. Now I draw for fun and not considering to make this a business of selling my art yet. I also don't go saying "I want to be as good as (insert artist name)." I do want to personally improve though, to become better than now.

So here are a few art pics. I'm asking for an honest constructive criticism of them to get better.

(Strangely it's coming up with an Invalid File note no matter what way I choose. So below are the links to three art pieces.)

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9909477/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9835759/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9743653/

Couple of art notes:

I use a Wacom Bamboo Create and GIMP as my tools.
I hand sketch my art first then scan it because I have trouble drawing from scratch on the computer.
I mainly draw fox, horse, and unicorn type furries.

So, there you have it! Ready for the critiquing.

 

[Silvertips]

The advice everyone gets when they start drawing is to draw from life. Even though you draw furries, if you want to get better study human anatomy and use references when you draw. I like http://www.posemaniacs.com/ also depending on what drawing books you've got I'd recommend an anatomy drawing book (http://www.amazon.com/Human-Anatomy-Made-Amazingly-Easy/dp/0823024970 I know its Chris Hart but he does break stuff down pretty well in this one). I would also recommend learning to draw more realistically before stylizing your art. Try to draw a fox/horse as real as you can (as always using references). This is one of the books I've used thats helped my with drawing animals http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Guide-Drawing-Realistic-Animals/dp/1581807287. Basically once you learn how everything goes together and proportions proportions proportions you'll get better.

 

[Fallowfox]

The invalid file happens if you try to embed an image with the wizzard. Links are better anyway and remember to classify any nude pictures as 'nsfw' [yours don't contain any such content but this is just for future reccommendation] I assume you're trying to draw 'toony', although I have practically zilch experience in that field I can still see the problem: anatomy and perspective.

Do bear with me, I'm going to be quite blunt.

You should try producing many sketches of people from life, so that you understand the basics of anatomy [for instance breasts are not a 'uu' line; they have mass to them] and how figures sit in space before you attempt to make stylised and finished pieces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Rodin If you want to get a good idea of anatomy Rodin is an excellent choice. He often warps the figure but he sculpts and draws in a way that makes the structure very obvious. Although you probably don't want to produce drawings with that much structure in them noting some key structures will be useful for you to add some form to your drawings, which are too stick-man-like and unevenly proportioned.

The problem with your perspective is that you draw rooms as if they are a series of flat rectangles on a single plane behind the character. They aren't, they have depth. Try producing some studies of your own room and note that it is composed of diagonal lines too.
http://www.mcescher.com/
Look at the very exaggerated perspectives Escher uses. Again you probably don't want to obsess this much with perspective but this is a good extreme example to show you that spaces and rooms have a third dimension to them.

I hope this helps.

 

[Art Vulpine]

Thanks Silver. I actually have somre of Chris Hart's books, but I need to get a basic anatomy one from him.

And thanks Fallow for those links. I actually never attempted real life drawing, going just to a toony style. As for room space, I've just begun adding backgrounds to my art so they're kind of rough.

 

[Tiamat]

Sorry, I have to interject to say stay away from Posemaniacs. Their stiff models are not accurate or realistic enough to be considered useful for a study. Even studying nude photos would be of a far greater benefit than that site.

 

[Arshes Nei]

To further elaborate the problem with Posemaniacs. They're Daz models, and anyone who has played with Poser or Daz, knows you can bend the models or warp them with some strange anatomy. Newer users may not understand this and take it as truth.

Stay away from Chris Hart, he doesn't even draw. It's like recommending a guy who talks about food, vs actual chefs on how to cook.

If you need some drawing basics, Loomis Fun with a Pencil is about 19.00 http://amzn.com/1105551458 - (Please support his books being reprinted and don't link to pirated versions or I'm giving the ok for a Ban hammer in this discussion) Plus they're beautifully reprinted and large.

I also found this book very helpful and organized. Keep in mind it is large! - http://amzn.com/0823024156 Valerie Winslow's Classic Human Anatomy.

I also second the draw from life, and a good companion book to take around while studying is Frtits's Atlas of Anatomy for Artists - http://amzn.com/0486202410

You can visit the recommended books thread in the forums. Also you shouldn't limit life drawing for people. Drawing from life is drawing objects around you living, dead, pets, etc...

You should also post up a sketchbook on this forum (just don't embed stuff not safe for work, link to it and tag it) so you can get tips on your progress. Keep in mind you'll be drawing a lot. Study your basic shapes and foundations. Break out of your comfort zone, and draw more than what you like drawing.

Studying is like a balanced diet. Don't overwhelm yourself with boring studies to the point you forget why you like drawing - balance it out with your fun stuff you like drawing.

Take notes. You can treat a sketchbook like a diary and sketch what you want and take notes.

 

[Tiamat]

I missed the mention of Chris Hart as I was on my way to take an evening nap and noticed the posemaniacs. I don't want to flog a dead horse and just repeat what Arshes said, but I feel it bears repeating because it is a burning truth. Stay away from Chris Hart. His books may contain slivers of useful info, but they are misplaced, unexplained and lack the necessary preceding foundational knowledge to actually make them work. In short, they actual hinder artists instead of helping them, which is why I have such a personal dislike for them. Chris Hart is the most well known when it comes to those kinds of books, but generally any kind of "how to draw furries/supeheroes/anime/monsters blah blah" type books are to be given a wide berth.

 

[UnburntDaenerys]

If you need some drawing basics, Loomis Fun with a Pencil is about 19.00 http://amzn.com/1105551458 - (Please support his books being reprinted and don't link to pirated versions or I'm giving the ok for a Ban hammer in this discussion) Plus they're beautifully reprinted and large.

That's an illegal version of Fun with a Pencil. It's publisher is listed as Lulu.com, which is a self-publishing company. I'm guessing someone just took one of the torrents and repackaged it. The real reprint of Fun with a Pencil doesn't come out until April: http://amzn.com/0857687603

 

[Arshes Nei]

That's an illegal version of Fun with a Pencil. It's publisher is listed as Lulu.com, which is a self-publishing company. I'm guessing someone just took one of the torrents and repackaged it. The real reprint of Fun with a Pencil doesn't come out until April: http://amzn.com/0857687603

Thanks. The reason I linked it was because it shows up as "Prime Eligible" which usually tells me direct from Amazon. So if it's an illegal copy I'll report it.

 

[UnburntDaenerys]

Thanks. The reason I linked it was because it shows up as "Prime Eligible" which usually tells me direct from Amazon. So if it's an illegal copy I'll report it.

It's also the first result that pops up when you search for the title, with the real version nowhere in the results that I could find. The real reprints are published by Titan and are in hardcover.

Oh, good. I've spent the past 30 minutes trying to figure out how to report something on Amazon.

 

[Arshes Nei]

It's also the first result that pops up when you search for the title, with the real version nowhere in the results that I could find. The real reprints are published by Titan and are in hardcover.

Oh, good. I've spent the past 30 minutes trying to figure out how to report something on Amazon.

Exactly! I was wondering why the price dropped too. Saying it's Prime Eligible means I get 2 day shipping and it's shipped by Amazon, so that's why I didn't realize it was bootleg till you mentioned the publisher being lulu.com.

I usually go to Contact amazon and hit "other problem" till I get a Chat Option. They connected me to a phone rep and I told them I was going to order the book till I realized they were selling a fraudulent copy under Prime membership and will not order till they resolve the problem and have legitimate publishers.

 

[Taralack]

I actually have somre of Chris Hart's books, but I need to get a basic anatomy one from him.

Hahahaha. Get rid of those right now. Like, don't even give them away, unless it's to someone you hate. Take them out in the back yard and burn them.

 

[Art Vulpine]

I have two Hart books, one on Fusion (a type of art blending anime and American art) and his Furry book.

The furry book does help me with some facial expressions and pose ideas, but you're right it doesn't go too in depth with anatomy.

Definitely looking into those anatomy books.

Any good books on drawing animals, spesifically horses and foxes?

 

[Arshes Nei]

Yes

http://amzn.com/097103141X

And DVD
http://amzn.com/B003XGJGBW

 

[FireFeathers]

Just as something people haven't mentioned- always take a lot of care when drawing the eyes- they're the natural focal point to an image. We're naturally programned with something called "The uncanny valley" where things that are toony, are fine, things that are realistic are fine- but things that are sorta on the fringes of both of those will create a sort of fearful response. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2dYDWfzdzk/TuZ_IZFrHmI/AAAAAAAAALc/jgkaqQ5mhXs/s1600/uncanny+valley.jpg (says machine-like, but it works for likenesses in general)

This: http://kotaku.com/assets/resources/2007/02/canny.JPG works

This: http://bradnoble.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/defo-in-the-uncanny-valley.jpg?w=640 - doesn't. One is fine. One is nightmare fuel.

Similar, when you straddle that line of toony/ realistic (which is somewhat where i'd put your eyes), they can freak people out.


This has been an extremely roundabout way of telling you that the eyes in those images creep me out a bit.

 

[Art Vulpine]

(Sigh)

Yeah, the eyes I've been struggling with. I'm trying to not make them big like a cartoon's. I think the trick is the poroportion on the cornea to the rest of the eye what's causing the issue. Not going for a Looney Tunes style toon furry, but on the other hand, I'm not going for a realistic loking one either.

 

[Fallowfox]

Regardless of 'uncanny valley' I think the reason the eyes are off-putting is because you often draw the iris of the eye being large but also completely surrounded by white.

When eyes have an iris the top and or bottom of the iris is hidden by the eyelids.
The whites of the eyes only surround the whole iris when a character has a a very strong expression of surprise or delight etc or is emphatically cartoony.

 

[Art Vulpine]

Also good to know. Thanks.