Matt Walkden - critiques and advice would be handy

[matt0]

Hey,

I'm a 31 year old amateur artist - over the past couple of years I've been doing paid pixel art work but at a fairly low level, just trawling forums for jobs... I'd like to try and break into doing paid illustration or concept art work, even if it's just at the same amateur level.

Also I need to figure out my own strengths and weaknesses as well and what direction I need to be heading in.

Here's some recent work spread across the past couple of years (more at mattwalkden.blogspot.com):

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFgICIC2IYc/TlUHCEr-hpI/AAAAAAAAAds/hSScfiyK8co/s1600/zzz.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vsRov6yvkOA/TkfIcp6nfgI/AAAAAAAAAbo/xNxmtSIU2jY/s1600/colour%2Bprofile%2B3.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe4b7y9B0_w/ThDYEZ0BK5I/AAAAAAAAAVc/UeXw_1FA2cU/s1600/final%2Bcrop%2Bx800.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGOdd5043ro/TgOFXg0lS_I/AAAAAAAAAUE/760IH2z73F4/s1600/012.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jos-tKGhA2Q/TYjEXBkIZwI/AAAAAAAAAPo/m8BgR-1Ejcc/s1600/009.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i33aDIh-sMs/TWUp74ww_KI/AAAAAAAAAOg/YbRZbo4M8Cw/s1600/006%2B-x800.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujtEr_gwZdU/TYSK7mq9ROI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/nMXA3oL19IU/s1600/015%2B-x800.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miudUtM1GUk/Tb8Dj2tHbZI/AAAAAAAAASI/nKFEbZWrR3o/s1600/Kthonic%2BKhadillak%2B-%2Bx700%2Bcolour.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0yUwBlZHNo/TbGH0cckbxI/AAAAAAAAARY/U_U4QuANsvI/s1600/cathedral6%2B-%2Bx800.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/THP8FHwwfUI/AAAAAAAAAJg/LHF_4ZntBjo/s1600/yeti-6-resized.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/THP6rHAKDaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/yyb6UWM_Vh4/s1600/yeti-7-resized.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/TMnWYZpr0cI/AAAAAAAAAKw/byuVvxo51qs/s1600/x1100+b%2Bw.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/TOKaQg88gVI/AAAAAAAAALY/lxgIMVow24w/s1600/pulp%2Bjpeg%2Bx1100.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/TOKaLx1_chI/AAAAAAAAALQ/ClAyliiLw2c/s1600/crag%2Bwitch%2Bjpeg%2Bx1100.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/TOKaHdubs8I/AAAAAAAAALI/BEsmp11VJKU/s1600/autumn%2Bjpeg%2Bx1100.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/TOKaCCUUDaI/AAAAAAAAALA/Pe0RHmd7GT8/s1600/elysium%2Bx1100.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/SxP6_-fLk7I/AAAAAAAAAFg/g7BWiTrX5a0/s1600/final+retouch+x1100.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/SwfsuR12OwI/AAAAAAAAAFY/rD3Xm1NCDic/s1600/deadline+final+no+pink+1100x.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/So3BioriHOI/AAAAAAAAAEw/yMS3aPW0z3I/s1600/creatures%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdeep%2Bfinal%2Bdeadline.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_a4Svj5w1xSE/Sg6sBdfdiJI/AAAAAAAAACM/JuZaNEV1PvM/s1600/deadline%2Bresized%2Bsummoning.jpg

[Artfix]

Hey I think you have some good creative stuff here. I like your line stuff and your cartoony stuff the most. Then you have kind of like the quirky fuzzy creature thing which I know has a market because I saw weird stuff like that on books and cards in san francisco.

What is it that you want to do? You said illustration but that is very wide. You said concept art, does that mean a more realistic style of sci-fi/fantasy? What style is your fav?

[Artfix]

Oops double posted somehow :D

Good work!

[fdjohan]

Hi Matt, straight to the point.
1. Don't use too much pure black for shading. It will make your works dull, dead and uninteresting. Use dark shading by mixing other dark color but not black.
2. Learn more lighting from the professional illustrators. Learn how they make drama of their works by putting proportional touch of lighting.
3. Don't hesitate putting more color. Sometime we have to be brave about this.
Hope worth it.