Stunning self portrait needs biting critique

**Whyatt Thrash** · August 2nd, 2007, 09:12 PM

Hi there everyone. I'm a total newbie to these forums, I've been looking around for some time for a place to post my stuff, since I feel that in other forums I just get a "Huh, that looks good" response.

I'm currently doing some heavy studying into all parts of drawing, taking up painting and trying to get a dabble on into digital painting. I'm still learning the basics of this and I'm a long way aways from creating something with a really personal touch, but I'd still like to see if some of the really great artists around here have some takes on my stuff.

Maybe it's a bit presumptuous for me to request crits before even giving much input, but I'm excited to get feedback so I hope you can oversee that fact.

Thanks!

1. I did done me a self portrait, scanned pencils, colours Photoshop & Mouse
2. A dragon, scanned pencils, colours Photoshop & Mouse mostly with a tiny bit of Wacom

**kev ferrara** · August 2nd, 2007, 10:00 PM

Hey man, I totally dig the energy in these. I'll post a crit some other time.

Welcome.

kev

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=101106

**Whyatt Thrash** · August 3rd, 2007, 06:26 AM

Thanks man, I'd really appreciate it.

**ErikTheRed** · August 3rd, 2007, 01:00 PM

The one obvious crit I see on the face, is if you're screaming in anger (which is what I assume he is doing) your eyebrows will crinkle up, do the angry scream pose in the mirror to see what I mean. Otherwise though, I really like your style, and your sense of motion. The first pic's hair is really interestingly rendered. I think maybe using cool colors instead of black for shading would improve the face, but maybe you wanted him to look dirty (he looks dirty to me right now.)

**Whyatt Thrash** · August 3rd, 2007, 02:58 PM

Thanks Erik, you're totally right about the eyebrows, since it looks really angry. But it's actually made from reference of a photo of me at a wedding reception... So I was actually quite happy at the time.

When I made the drawing I did want it to look powerful but never considered really making it look angry, I was just trying to stay true to the photo. Sometimes using a reference can confuse you more than it helps...

Using cool colours for shading. Sounds crazy to me, I'll have to try that out later...

Thanks!

**ErikTheRed** · August 4th, 2007, 12:55 AM

Dude, your hair is exactly how I wish mine would look... but God has cursed me with curly hobbit hair

. Anyway, I get the emotion more now, but its still sort of ambiguous to me. The fact is, to me anyway, you look like you're about to behead someone with a battle axe, in the real life picture too. Not that the facial expression is wrong, just that I think people will assume you've painted an angry faced portrait. Sorry I don't really know how to make it look happy, you just look mad in that pic lol.

**Justin.** · August 4th, 2007, 01:06 AM

flip your SP horizontal, then try and correct some more visible flaws.

Sorry, I'm tired and my PS won't open for some reason, otherwise I'd be more helpful. Pointing out errors with only text is no only dreary for you and I, but it's also harder to convey things.

**mutestar** · August 4th, 2007, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by ErikTheRed

Dude, your hair is exactly how I wish mine would look... but God has cursed me with curly hobbit hair

. Anyway, I get the emotion more now, but its still sort of ambiguous to me. The fact is, to me anyway, you look like you're about to behead someone with a battle axe, in the real life picture too. Not that the facial expression is wrong, just that I think people will assume you've painted an angry faced portrait. Sorry I don't really know how to make it look happy, you just look mad in that pic lol.

Just building off this, maybe raising the eyebrows would help!

**Nquyet** · August 4th, 2007, 05:18 AM

Nice sense of motion yuo got there!

If you are going for a realistic approach, avoid keeping the pencil lines for they make for a more cartoony/comic-like result.
I'd paint over them if I were you, but that's just my personal taste.

Your color pallette looks a bit dull to me too. There's no reason for you to stick with the reference's brown pallette. Try using some cool colors to liven the picture up.

**Whyatt Thrash** · August 4th, 2007, 08:04 AM

Thanks for the crits guys, I'll try to fix that liven it up a bit. The colour palette was a problem for me, I just didn't know what to do. Cool colours it is.

**ErikTheRed** · August 4th, 2007, 10:47 AM

And hell, as long as we're on the subject, most people have a very subtle (some not so subtle) hint of red/pink around the tip of the nose and the cheeks. This usually livens things up a bit too.

**dashinvaine** · August 4th, 2007, 12:16 PM

I'd add a bit of shadow under the eyebrow ridge. I think it might also be better to have the eyes looking in the direction the head is turned, so that he is looking at what he is shouting at. I also think there should be slightly more hair on the one left side, and the top of the head should be slightly higher up.

I also wonder if it might not be a nice idea to zoom out a bit, and add a bit of background/context, to find out if he's giving a war cry or shouting for his missing dog, or whatever.