Please Review Tekkoontan's Portfolio

[tekkoontan]

Hello everyone, I am very new to this site (just registered 2 days ago) so I apologize if I did anything wrong.

My name is Tek. I am self taught. I want to see to what extent is my work closer to a professional concept artist's.

I wanted to be a concept artist for video games.

Please be as critical as possible, I am looking for input on the things that will allow me to reach my goals above and would appreciate any assistance.

Thanks

Tek

[Hitsu//San]

We are fans of Nihei aren't we? (if not go to check him out!)

Anyway where are the concepts? The only thing i can see are pin ups with sometimes cool but not believable armor designs. It's not a bad thing though, just you're an illustrator, not a concept artist for now. Which type of career you think you're suited for?

[tekkoontan]

hey Hitsu//San, thanks for reviewing. I do know Nihei, don't really like his work though....

Well, I never went to art school so my knowledge about concept designs is very limited. Not sure if concept design is about landscape only or it also includes character designs.

The career that I think I am suited for is both Illustrator and Concept Designer. I wanted to be like Melanie Delon and Feng Zhu + Daniel Dociu at the same time.

So yea, Thanks for helping me realize my weaknesses, If you have suggestion for improvements, I will really appreciate it.

[ikken]

excuse me, what kind of critique are you looking for when majority of your work is shin megami tensei promo art, cosplay pics and average looking manga derivatives?
there're some ongoing nose proportion and poor anatomy issues, but those are secondary to overall uninspired look and feel of the stuff that you've posted.

The only thing i can see are pin ups with sometimes cool but not believable armor designs.

they look even better when you look at originals —
http://www.wallpaper4me.com/images/w...ga-569921.jpeg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PdqceIXsjE...ntsc-front.jpg
http://playstationlifestyle.net/wp-c...-3-685x513.jpg
one of his sources that caught my eye most.

[Hitsu//San]

I don't think he's copying from Kazuma Kaneko, the design style is very different. If he's doing it then is doing it in the good way. Non that the other problems aren't there by the way.

[SmallPoly]

If you truly want critique, I have some feedback:
- All your characters here have pretty much the same face. Do more face studies so you can get some kind of variation in there.
- Expressionless, vacant faces - it make them look more like dolls than people. lian_by_tekkoontan-d42dhvm.jpg looks like a person with some kind of mind. girl__revised_version_by_tekkoontan-d4egsa1.jpg looks brainwashed.
- Some of the poses work, but others are stiff and boring
- Various anatomy issues, as already mentioned

Some good things:
- You clearly have some talent
- I like where you're taking the costume design. it's a shame the women underneath are just coat hangers right now.

[tekkoontan]

hey all, thanks for the comments, I will look into what you said, though most are negatives but they will definitely help me enhance my skills. but one thing I have to say is that I dont copy other's style or design, everything is created by me. if things looks very similar to other artists' work, then it is just coincidence. But anyway, thanks for the comments, will really help me to become better.

[Hitsu//San]

That cannot be true... everything you might have learned has been created by someone else, scifi things in primis. You might don't know where the things you saw are come from but they are from other people that have designed that before you. I think you pretty much have a clear idea from where your inspiration come from and the fact that most of us have seen something from other artists is a clear example how this thing works as a chain.

[ikken]

hey all, thanks for the comments, I will look into what you said, though most are negatives but they will definitely help me enhance my skills. but one thing I have to say is that I dont copy other's style or design, everything is created by me. if things looks very similar to other artists' work, then it is just coincidence. But anyway, thanks for the comments, will really help me to become better.

you are not supposed to be give us excuses to be honest, and your lack of style will bite you back at some point.
I have no idea if you're employed in the art field, but your portfolio offers very little consistency, which, unless you were originally hired to copy someone else's style and got paid for it, is not good.
from my experience, the demand for anime work in the professional concept-art field is very low (unless we're talking about SEA, probably)
you're directly taking someone else's signature features (Kazuma Kaneko refs striked me more, someone noticed them to a lesser degree), which might be indicative of vague concepting and reliance on someone else's creative work as a basis for your own. ( = they did the hard style research, and you pretty much just recycled it for the sake of making cool looking stuff.)

the rest of your work is glossy saccharine photoshop "photo realism", flawed by lack of anatomical knowledge, which will, probably, get you somewhere commercially. I can see that kind of stuff used in advertising, promo-art, magazine illustrations, etc.; however, lack of consistency will hurt you when you step on the market, because clients won't be sure what to expect, twisted hair styles, crazy elbow inkings or silicone-coated gurlz with dem boobz.

your rendering skills are not bad, and you have potential, but the imaginative component of your work is not quite there yet.

professional artists are hired for their unique vision, work ethic and solid skill, even if it's just speed-paints that they're asked to create; animoo grlz spark very little interest when you're looking for full-time employment. your target market might be different, however.

and once again, what kind of critique are you actually asking for?
do you feel you're hitting the wall in your artistic development and need some outside input?
or it's an artist attempt at flirt, ie "look guys, I can do stuff like this and this and this, u liek?"

[tekkoontan]

I am looking for Professional's review on how close I am at being a professional (both in terms of design and illustration). I never worked professionally, and neither do i learned art and designs at school. I am also looking for suggestions on how I can get better. and no, i am not here to show off my works, i can do it at DeviantArt, i wont do it here where everyone are super pro.

so yea after hearing everyone's comment, i do learned a lot and the things i must do to improve. thanks all

[look]

You have some nice works, but like others mentioned, they all have similar face, and even similar poses. Also similar light source. Try break out of your comfort zone, do something dramatic, even if it doesn't look right the first few tries. Also, you only draw females, what about the guys?
And if you haven't already, do life drawing as much as you can, when life drawing aren't available, try photo reference. I find these are the best and fastest way for me to break out of my old habits and to learn something new.

[tekkoontan]

You have some nice works, but like others mentioned, they all have similar face, and even similar poses. Also similar light source. Try break out of your comfort zone, do something dramatic, even if it doesn't look right the first few tries. Also, you only draw females, what about the guys?
And if you haven't already, do life drawing as much as you can, when life drawing aren't available, try photo reference. I find these are the best and fastest way for me to break out of my old habits and to learn something new.

i will, thnx for the kind comment

[self-epidemic]

My critique would be that they look the same, same body structure, same face, same pose. Also everyone is self taught, I don't think its really important to highlight that you are.

[Krazyengima]

you are an amazing artist as i have stated before but you only have female cyborgs with the occasional switch to another theme...id say the only jobs you will get with this portfolio is a job as an illustrator for a cyborg girl book or something but otherwise i personally wouldn't hire you for anything else because you haven't shown that you know how to make anything else but cyborg girls and you need to show you can do landscapes, men, women, children, animals, mechs, etc. because the industrial designers that can do that are going to get hired first...you need to show that the employer that you are the person to do this job because they can hire you to do multiple things...look at it through the eyes of an employer would you rather hire 20 artists who only know how to make one thing or 5 artists all together know everything you need them to

[SmallPoly]

look at it through the eyes of an employer would you rather hire 20 artists who only know how to make one thing or 5 artists all together know everything you need them to

Though the work definitely lacks diversity, I'm going to disagree somewhat here:
- The choice wouldn't usually be between 20 specialists or 5 generalists. It would be between 5 specialists or 5 generalists.
- The saying "jack of all trades, master of none" exists for a reason. It is easier to become a master in one field than in several. A company with fairly stable design needs may very well pick 5 extraordinary specialists over 5 other artists with that same talent spread more thinly over multiple areas.
- Generalists are attractive to small companies, where one person may be required to take on many different roles. Larger companies with widely varying project needs may opt for more flexible generalists instead (if they retain their creative staff between projects).

That said, even if you are going to focus in character design, most companies won't need someone that has only specialized in sexy female characters in over-the-top costumes with the same face and expression. If you want to be a character artist, your characters need more individual characteristics.

[Hitsu//San]

This is true and anyway today no one can only do characters or environment or something like that. Today most professionals can do everything really well and one or two things really awesome. This is cause there are really small differences in terms of design technique to do an environment or something else, the main difference between artists is their knowledge.

[tekkoontan]

hey thanks for the comments again guys, i really appreciate it. and i had noted my weaknesses since long time ago (from this thread too).

so my weaknesses are:

1) need to learn to paint landscape
2) same facial expression, face and body pose
3) bad anatomy
4) need some really original, good and believable design

and yes i am practicing hard. i am trying to fix all these except no.1 before i am 25 years old this November.

now i am trying to make 5 really awesome illustration for my portfolio and also for that ImagineFX Rising Star 2012 contest (i know i will lose but meh). i also recently found an artist called Bastien Lecouffe Deharme and i am studying his style and wanted to make my future artwork look like his.


and thnx everyone for commenting and reading

[James Thomas]

Overall i think you have some strong work, definitely destroys me
But if you want some hard crits firstly i would consider what type of portfolio you are looking at, from what i can tell you mainly have manga inspired work- but what are you aiming for? a manga artist? U've written you want to work in the games industry, but what do you know about it? do you have modelling experience, know the process used in creating games, Are you versatile in the industry?
Many games dont just have female-only Anime/manga inspired characters, perhaps you need to re-consider designing much more than just a decent-looking attractive woman for a concept.
I know this is mentioned above, but im just trying to help you out
Just like to add, i really like some of your work and wish you the best of luck in getting into the industry !

[tekkoontan]

Overall i think you have some strong work, definitely destroys me
But if you want some hard crits firstly i would consider what type of portfolio you are looking at, from what i can tell you mainly have manga inspired work- but what are you aiming for? a manga artist? U've written you want to work in the games industry, but what do you know about it? do you have modelling experience, know the process used in creating games, Are you versatile in the industry?
Many games dont just have female-only Anime/manga inspired characters, perhaps you need to re-consider designing much more than just a decent-looking attractive woman for a concept.
I know this is mentioned above, but im just trying to help you out
Just like to add, i really like some of your work and wish you the best of luck in getting into the industry !

hey man, thnx for the crit, i appreciate it. anyone can give critiques, they dont have to be better than me to critic

because of my lack of knowledge in these entertainment production things, my portfolio dont reflect what i wanted to be. my dream job is to be a concept artist. but apparently i need to be good at landscape paintings and design skills first, so for the time being i will just be an illustrator.

i used to like animes, but not anymore, i am getting old and anime starts to look childish for me now. now i like western style digital paintings.

do i really know how games were made? maybe a bit more than normal people, but definitely less than those professionals. i am a fan of Feng Zhu and his vids did taught a lot about how games were made.

and i kind of fall into this trap where i kept drawing very similar faces, and i believe alot of artists had this problem too. now i realize if i use references, i can make some different faces.

i can paint men, i just dont want to, because love women too much. but if i am sending in an actual portfolio for a serious job, i make sure i put some men in it too.

thnx