CHOW 130 :: "My good Doctor..."

[J]

this is what I have so far. He seems a bit boring for me. Any crits or tips on how to make him better would be greatly appreciated.

[Adele]

i added a holmes...for effect

[Max Martelli]

Crits, forgive me if I ramble, it's late and Oregano drank all the coffee.

Senira: Looking good so far. I would go with the less round Watson because I don't think that the image of a fat guy properly characterizes Dr. Watson, or at least doesn't characterize him in the right way.

Adele: Pretty funny. I like that you added Sherlock. I think that maybe you can put an expression on his face that makes him look annoyed at Watson or something like that. Maybe rolling his eyes at his humor or something. Keep it going.

Pixeltuner: Looks pretty good so far. It's a rather awkward pose. He looks a little tipped or that he is staggering. Perhaps play around with the positioning of his feet?

Poshspice: Looking great. You have such a good sense of any character you depict. Your illustration really makes me want to read Hound of the Baskervilles. I just finished The Sign of Four so perhaps I will. I can't wait to see the next stages.

Buffichar: I'll crit each one first.
First: A few things to watch for, The buttons on the coat look awkward. They come over too far. Also the hat looks like it is his hand instead of that he is holding the hat. For the coat, I would get some reference pictures of people from this time period. Search around in the thread for CHOW 129 (Sherlock Holmes). There were alot of good reference photos there.
Second: looks good. I think it needs a light source. Its looking a little too close in value all around. It needs some more contrast.

Ultimately I think that you should go with the piece that you will have A) the most fun doing and B) that you think will help you learn the most. This competition to me is all a learning process. I'm just trying to make a better image everytime while I learn how to better use the materials at my disposal. This is great practice and I think at the end of the week you should be able to look at your work and say I learned something valuable from this and I had fun along the way.

mcmatz: Looking good so far. That texture is interesting, I want to see where you go with it.

Shardana: The babckground looks really cool. The figure is a little stumpy. Make his torso shorter and his legs longer. Also he has little to no neck. The head doesnt fit with the body. The head he has seems like it should be on a bigger and stockier body. This can be fixed by making the head slimmer or the body stockier. Keep going.

cowboy_surfer: He reminds of something but I just can't put my finger on it. I like him so far. Watch the foot that is sitting on the ground, Its looking a little squished down there. Maybe you can put some more space between the edge of the paper and the foot. Also the foots perspective looks like we are seeing it more or less from the front whereas the rest of the figure is seen from a slightly higher angle.

MJ_Alcazar: Looking better than the seated pose. He looked a little creepy in the other one to tell the truth. (Hand in crotch, what was he doing?????) the only thing about this one I would watch out for is his free hand. It's looking a little awkward. Hands are pretty hard and rendering hands succesfully in awkward positions is difficult. Perhaps you can put it more behind him, or in a different position. He could possibly be holding something as well. Keep going with it. Also try and get some more reference on the clothes. The folds are looking a little too flat.

J_90: It's looking good. It's hard to make a stationary pose look engaging. If you felt inclined, you could change the pose but givin the amount of work you've put in already this might be piling on extra work that you might not have time for. Maybe adding another element into the scene will make it more interesting. He could have his hand doing something even if it's placed on a table or something. I say that you should keep going with it and in time something will come to mind. As far as what you have down there right now goes, it's good. his feet sit nicely. The only thing that looks a little wierd is his hand going into the pocket. I think it's the angle his forearm is at. You could maybe make his upper arm a little longer and angle his forearm a little more? Keep up with it.

Here's the latest on my sketch. I'm trying some different brushes and I like the look of it so far. Forgive my note across the top. Just wanted to remind myself to try the texture of the tracing paper in the background. let me know what you think.

[buffichar]

Ah now i can relax.
Adele Thanks. I'm playing with my new tablet. 9 days and counting. It's been real fun but freaking out is something i just need to chill out with. Love your website by the way.

MJ_Alcazar Glad you mentioned the hat. That thing was bothering me. One of the reasons i changed the pose. I'll tackle that pose when i feel inspired and not irritated.

[Sforza]

Alright - I'm trying to keep Watson in style with my Holmes, so there's my first sketch. I knew I wasn't going to go the "bumbling idiot" route, but I'm quite the fan of the heavier Watson, I think it contrasts nicely with Holmes. I guess he's just been weighed down a little by the quiet good life after his soldier times.

Poshspice: Very nice mood in the Baskerville one! Exactly how I think Watson should "traditionally" be portrayed.

Pixeltuner: The pose looks looks somewhat contrived, but I love your Watson's face - very likeable.

MaxMartelli: Nice, but maybe a little too dandyish - it's probably the hairstyle and beard.

[Aly Fell]

Max Martelli – Ha ha! I’m re-reading A Study in Scarlet at the moment. I went back to it because it’s where Holmes first meets Watson and just got into it. Conan Doyle writes in a very modern style, and I recommend anyone to read the Sherlock Holmes stories. Discovering them for the first time is a wonderful treat.

Arthur Two Sheds – I’m still experimenting with the technique. Don’t think I’ve really got it though, as it can involve a lot of repainting it seems. Oh dear the IFX article. I still keep thinking of that monster and being up at four in the morning. I'm so sorry...

Will crit later. At work now...

[buffichar]

Did another sketch from another angle. Good thing from this. I drew somewhat consistent characters. Something I've wanted to do since birth..erm
what was i saying. Yes more sketches seem to be making the old doc more familiar so i guess now i have to decide what to do with the old chum.

I have time. If nothing else I'm getting a Watson portfolio and that was something i never would have done on my own

MaxMartelli Thanks again for your suggestions. I've had crits before and i think i prefer yours hands down. Well!
Back to some sketching. Can you see the huge smile on my face.

[Shard]

thanks everyone for the crits!!
it was looking a little too lame so i thought i'd go for something a bit more badass this time..

[buffichar]

Shardana: Hello Watson. "Say Hello to my little friend."
Very nice

[Tommoy]

Not the most inspiring person but therefor a greater challenge.

[Clochette]

Shardana : You made a gun which reminds more Al Capone period than Sherlock Holmes period. :/

Adele : Haaaa love it! That's a hand! xD Yeah!

[buffichar]

I thought the posed doctor looking soulfully into the distance would be the way to go. He kept pouting when i was trying to think of another pose.
So far I've worked lighting to this stage.
I'm grateful for help here please..Buttons. What else can I do?
I muted the background to make it more neutral. I wasn't thinking about it before hand and it shows. last minute touch up.

Does the light source look messed up?

Tommoy Now this doctor is cute. Ah! Reminds me of those round uncles who always have sweets in their pockets. I wish i had one of those

[edujante]

a quick good doctor...

Try to approach to a vintage cartoon. Using desaturated colors and flat perspective...

[guggemmaneuver]

a whirling turkish twist
dervish with bad arm anatomy and big fuzzy hands



great work everyone!

[Clochette]

Oh Edujante! Please this time don't miss the deadline! Your doctor is SO cool!

[Shard]

Shardana : You made a gun which reminds more Al Capone period than Sherlock Holmes period. :/

oh..I thought both of them are pretty much around the same period?

[Adele]

edujante nice!

[Clochette]

Al Capone (1899, Brooklyn, New York / 1947, Palm Island, Florida)
Sherlock Holmes (from wiki) "The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1907, with a final case in 1914."


Yes you're right, it's not far in time... but in space.
The culture is not the same, and I thought that the kind of gun you made recalls more USA gangster of the early 1900' than Sherlock Holmes stories.
Just my two cents! I'm maybe wrong!

[mcmatz]

I'm taking a different approach on this challenge. I usually start with more of a sketch and work smoother and flatter. On this one I'm using a textured brush and roughing in areas.

Here's what I have now:

--Madeline

[SocratesJackson]

So, I didn't read a description of Watson, and I haven't read any of source material, but I decided to get drawing anyway.
The result; Battle Watson, with requisite huge hands and bull neck. Also, he looks kinda old west. No matter, it's not like I expect to win this anyway. Painting begins presently.

[MJ_Alcazar]

I moved his hand and added the gun. Something in his stance seems a bit off to me at the moment, but I can't quite place what it is.

[Max Martelli]

Not much of an update. I worked around with what I had and added some more (vest and head). I'm satisfied so far. I really wanted to work more but I had alot of homework.

Also in case anyone was wondering what the books will be, they are going to be either 3 volumes of his reminiscences (perhaps a journal he keeps, recording the cases of Holmes) or 3 of his novels about Holmes (Study in Scarlet, Sign of Four, and Hound of the Baskervilles most likely)

Let me know what you think so far, and which of the two choices of what the books will be I should go through with, reminiscences or novels.

I'll get to more crits tomorrow if I can.

[Adele]

progress...

more progress...

[nirudafat]

edujante: Man i totally dig your pic!! awesome work!

[edujante]

Thanks for the comments!!

Adele: Good watson, maybe i dont imagine him as so goodlooking but anyway youre having a good character!!
Clochette: I think this round you could do a watson using the clochette style...could be awesome.Im sad cause this weekend, again, i go to the mountain where the net doesnt exist...
nirudafat:.....thanks...snif snif

[vineris]

All these stylized Watsons are great!

This is probably going nowhere, I'm not sure where to take it colour-wise. But it was fun to do.

[hungryan]

This is my first ever post here (and any forum really). I've decided recently that I will do something other than work. Hopefully my enthusiasm holds until the end of this challenge.

[Cyr]

MJ Alcazar #54:
<i>"Something in his stance seems a bit off to me at the moment"</i>

Here's what came to me on a close look:

1) Watson appears to be in motion. However, a natural walking motion is almost invariably with opposing arms and legs moving at the same time. (Right arm swings forward when left leg steps forward, left arm & right leg ditto.) This drawing looks like left arm and left leg are moving forward at the same time.

2) The left leg, particularly the foot, look like they're twisted out to the left, rather than the foot pointing straight forward in the direction of motion. Part of this, I think, is that the left leg isn't as well-defined as the right.

3) The right arm, where it connects to the torso, looks too far inward/towards the front of the chest; it might help to move the arm out slightly to the left/back. Also, the seam of the sleeve, where it connects to the body of the coat, looks smaller than the left arm's sleeve.

I also want to add, MJ, that your work has improved significantly since you started posting to CHOW. Your first pieces were very "flat" and unconvincing, but your more recent work -- particularly since you've started to use color -- has started to "pop" out of the page and give that essential illusion of depth. Keep up the hard work!

[hungryan]

continued...
By the way, Edujante, your Watson looks great, I've checked your blog and I can say that all your stuff is very fresh and funny.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Hungryan - I'm really liking your watson so far. Oh, and welcome!
edjuante - I'm sorry you won't be here. I liked your Watson. Always a treat to see your work.
Poshspice - I like this new version better. Keep up the good work!

Cyr - thank you so much for pointing that out. He's moving his right foot, but I put too much movement into his left leg, I think.
Unfortunately, I had rendered the bottom half before I got on here. I was able to try to fix his arms. I think it looks a lot better. Now that I think of it. I think that's what Max was telling me too, I just took it as lower arm and not upper. oops!
I may have to redo this, but I'll see if I can save this first with the legs.
Oh, and I'm trying out a new shading style. I've never tried to do the hatching thing with pencil, and I'm hoping it clears up a lot of that muddiness my drawings usually have.
Ok, I know, long post. Sorry about that.
EDIT: Hopefully the leg looks a little better. And thank you Madhatter for pointing out the lapels!
EDIT2: I should've blocked in all the colors on one layer, before going to the next. I'll know to do that next time. You live you learn.