My Concepts and Designs

[Hurrok]

Hello everyone,

My name is Meagan and I am currently enrolled in school for 3D Modeling. I mainly work in traditional mediums but hope to build up my own 3D model from my own designs that compliment my own style and amount of detail.
With that said, I am currently looking for any advice or critiques to help me establish my final 3D model. I have many 2D designs that are here for you to look at I am wanting to go for a dragon or some type of creature along with a horse-like hybrid in the final scene.

Some examples of my work:





I appreciate your critiques and comments and look forward to growing even more as an artist,
Thank-you

-Meagan

[Lane.]

Firstly, please get rid of the watermarks! You are only hurting your presentation/portfolio. If some internet person steals them, think of it as a great compliment. There's really no loss.

I don't have any 3D experience, but as a composition and pose, your first image could make an attractive model. However, you would benefit from a bit more animal anatomy study. I highly recommend you take a look at these creature design demonstrations from Terryl Whitlatch: http://online.academyart.edu/resourc...emonstrations/

Your second image is really hard to read. I would call it too "busy". When glancing at it, all I see is a wing and a head. The dragon's body blends in with all the unnecessary little rock details. As a general rule, make your illustrations as easy to read as possible. If people can't make sense of it within 1-3 seconds, they simply move on.

Your other images are nice. Keep up the practice, especially anatomy, and you'll get there!

[TinyBird]

With that said, I am currently looking for any advice or critiques to help me establish my final 3D model. I have many 2D designs that are here for you to look at

Do these images relate to your 3D model in any way? If you want help on creating a 3D model design, it'd be better if you posted studies/images that relate directly that, because all these dragons are so different that personally I'm not sure what you want us to help you with these, especially since most of these don't really have a feel that they'd be specifically designed for some purpose and more like random illustrations that just happen to have a random dragon/monster designed in them.

[lkinnebrand]

Like Lane. said, do some animal anatomy study, because I'm afraid it shows that you lack enough knowledge of that in all of those pictures.

As for the creatures, I think the first one would make a nice 3D-figure, but I would personally highly recommend to simplify the design, since I feel it would be very cluttered in a 3D-figure. I have no experience with the technical issue of making a 3D-model, but I think simple is better for 3D.

As for critique: the creature in first picture looks like it's floating due to lack of shadow, and the anatomy looks off (especially the arm).
I have no idea where to look in the second picture due to all the details. Make the stone less detailed and the dragon will pop out better.
The horse's front legs looks very wrong to me (again: practice some anatomy study).
I like the design of the creature below the horse, but the wings are tiny compared to the creature. No dragon could possibly fly with the design they usually have, but making it look as possible for it to fly as possibly makes it look more believable (if that made sense).

Good luck and keep practicing!

[Hurrok]

Hi Lane,

Thank-you for your comment, it is greatly appreciated!

As for the watermarks I guess I was being too cautious, so thanks for letting me know for future reference. I personally enjoy 2D more but thinking of the composition is definitely important in all areas. I completely agree with the fact that I need to study more anatomy in general as most of my pieces lack it. As for that site, it has beautiful work, thanks for linking it to me!

Again, thanks for the comments and critiques. I will use them to make my work better

[Hurrok]

Hi TinyBird,

I'm still up in the air as for the exact design and am just bringing up pictures to try and get a more specific idea and get critiques in the process. Might as well start at the first page then work from there right?

Thanks for the comment!

[Hurrok]

Hi Ikinnebrand,

I agree with Lane and you as well, as I find that there is lack of proper proportion and anatomy. As for the 3D model I know simple would be a better way to go but it will be for my demo reel in the end, so I hope to at least get a base model then add details.

As for the critiques, I appreciate it and agree with a lot of it.
The horse was referenced from a book and was done back in 2007, so I can't disagree with you there. Although in the image I remember it being slightly awkward with the legs.
The second picture was done in pen with no underlying pencil, so I just went with it. I haven't had a lot of experience with backgrounds as you may have noticed.
Thank-you! He is a more recent concept and is still in those stages so that is an easy fix.

Thank-you for the advice!

[TinyBird]

I'm still up in the air as for the exact design and am just bringing up pictures to try and get a more specific idea and get critiques in the process. Might as well start at the first page then work from there right?

I don't know what you mean with the "first page" comment but personally I'd start actually drawing new sketches and studies for the design and explore it that way (and establish a process for the design), rather than post old work.
Do you yet have any idea what you want the model to be, aside it being a dragon? As in, large, small, ferocious, calm, water, land, air, eastern, western dragon? Also what does the "final scene" in your original post refer to? Will there be several designs, is it an animation or story etc with scenes?

[Hurrok]

I don't know what you mean with the "first page" comment but personally I'd start actually drawing new sketches and studies for the design and explore it that way (and establish a process for the design), rather than post old work.
Do you yet have any idea what you want the model to be, aside it being a dragon? As in, large, small, ferocious, calm, water, land, air, eastern, western dragon? Also what does the "final scene" in your original post refer to? Will there be several designs, is it an animation or story etc with scenes?

What I mean is that I find it best to get the final idea done on paper and then go 3D rather than leaving the designing strictly on the 3D model along the way. Planning is good
Personally I want to design a dragon that is more dark, mysterious and overpowering. This dragon will most likely come from a hot environment; so thick scales, and an intricate/ prominent featured face.
The final scene will be be an environment with the dragon and possibly a horse as a 3D model, that will be showcased in my demo reel. It will end up as a final design, so there is a lot to figure out as of yet.

[TinyBird]

What I mean is that I find it best to get the final idea done on paper

Well obviously, that's why I've been waiting you to get some ideas on paper and post them here!

Personally I want to design a dragon that is more dark, mysterious and overpowering. This dragon will most likely come from a hot environment; so thick scales, and an intricate/ prominent featured face.

Then get those on paper and post them here for feedback!

[Marcky Marq]

Couple of things to think about if you are planning on rendering this out in 3D. Are you making a 3D sculpt or do you want this to be able to move/be animated. If the latter you really want to simplify your design. As everyone has noted you should redraw this get some references because even if you are sculpting this some 3D artists find it easier to sculpt in a resting pose (for humans the T pose) and then move the arms and legs with rigging into the new pose (so as to really get a realistic look. If you are planning on sculpting this in a program like mudbox you still want some better references and a great computer. That amount of detail requires millions of polys- it is doable and looks good but will chew up a lot of memory and may crash your computer. Student Versions of Maya and Mudbox can be found for free on their website. With a proper email address i believe is how they look it up you can get a 3 year student license

In general I think you should simplify all your designs in order to not want to kill yourself later

Hope this Helps!