Shadowbook

[Shadow Stalker]

@f1x - Thanks! I know exactly what you mean. I'm going to try to modify this pose to either have one hand on the mace, or have the mace resting on his shoulder. I'm just worried it might look all wonky once I play with it...

[f1x]

you can also try (not sure how that will go) the leg that is almost clipping with the mace, open that one maybe so its on the other side of the mace, then the mace would be in the middle of the two legs, and both hands holding it, that might work as a balanced position, or yes, put it on one side thats also another possibility

[Shadow Stalker]

@f1x - Thanks for the advice. I tried to tweak the pose of the other drawing a couple different ways, but it just looked weird. So, I decided to redraw him again. Here's what I got so far. Thoughts?

[Shadow Stalker]

This is just a little doodle from tonight. I created a homebrew setting for pencil and paper (or play-by-post) role-playing, and I'm trying to flesh out the main cultures. The game is set in a fantasy realm where the era is sort of the late-viking age. This culture is a woodland type folk, much like the Britons I think.



I think the biggest problem I have is, I can't decide what style to draw them all in. Sketchy or all rendered out, bust shots or full body, action poses or static, backgrounds or plain? I just can't decide.

[SMILEFACE]

WICKED VALUES BROTHER aN AWESOME CHARACTER DESIGNS XDXDXD

[Shadow Stalker]

@SMILEFACE - Wow, thanks man!

So, I've been really sick for about two weeks. It always happens when the weather goes from hot to cold, to hot and back to cold all within a week. This is all I have to show for the past two weeks or so.

This is a WIP character for my homebrew setting, Rysylis.

[Shadow Stalker]

So, I finally finished this personal character for a Star Wars RPG I'm playing in. He forsook his noble birth to help the Rebellion's cause as a privateer.

[K uroi]

Are you a fan of Lord of the Rings?
Nice work, great character designs.

[FightingSeraph]

Here's a suggestion from a fellow Louisianian: Try blocking in forms from the most basic to the most specific sometime.

[Nibras]

Love the characters; very imaginative. Focus more on forms though and by that I mean really think about the big forms that you are painting. For example that last characters arms: cylinders, so work from the big form to the smaller folds. Your work will improve leaps

[Shadow Stalker]

@K uroi - Huge fan. I read the series (including The Silmarillion) almost annually. Thank-you!

@FightingSeraph - Good to see someone from LA on here. Thanks for the advice and I agree.

@Nibras - Thank-you so much! I find I don't do that enough; thanks for the reminder.

This is a WIP of a character illustration I'm working on for my homebrew RPG setting. He's supposed to be the son of an ealdorman.

[AlexTooth]

That looks like a really solid character design, good work

[Shadow Stalker]

@Alex Tooth - Thanks!

Here's a quick update. Didn't get to work on it too much. But every bit counts. EDIT: Just realized his left arm (our right) is really long. Ha. I'll half to shorten it up tomorrow.

[f1x]

I'm not sure if its too long or actually the problem is with the shoulder which is too low/separated from the chest
its tricky placing body parts when drawing a fully clothed guy

anyway, its looking good!

[Shadow Stalker]

@f1x - Yeah, exactly right. Thanks for the help!

Just polishing it up. I plan on adding a little background and maybe some color.

[Gadbury]

Nice design, the tools hanging from the belts are really well done - the attention to detail with the knots and showing how they connect with everything adds a believable feeling to the design. I don't think his left arm is too long really, I think maybe his left leg is slightly short. If he is meant to be standing on flat ground, then I would take his leg and pull it down a little further, or extend the leg slightly so the cloth wrap around the shin matches the length on the other leg. The rest of the perspective of the character looks fine to me. Also, maybe a few darker shadows in places like under the tunic (not sure what these are called?) on the legs, under the sword where its almost touching his side etc.

Hope that's useful, keep posting man

[Shadow Stalker]

@Gadbury - Yeah, you're absolutely correct on all counts. Thank-you so much for the help, dude.

I only worked a little more on the character, but I did do a quick pass for an environment. Not sure how it's going to turn out, but I'm just throwing down paint and hoping I can get nearer to my idea. I'd really like to add a river twisting down from the mountain, but not sure how to work that in. Anyways, here's what I go so far.

[Shadow Stalker]

Update
Decided to work on just the character for now.

[DennisH-Art]

Nice character designs! Very neat!

[Shadow Stalker]

@DennisH-Art - Thanks!

Here's two little crappy sketches.

[Reika]

Those last sketches are not crappy at all, don't talk shit about your art
I like how you're getting loose with your sketching. It always helps the proportions and general balance of a sketch when you start really loose, and slowly tighten it up with a new layer on top, while fading the opacity on the one underneath. Always works for me. Keep it going!
By the way, here is a good example of this: http://www.livestream.com/bjornhurri...c-a34bd45acf38

[Shadow Stalker]

@Reika - Thanks! I've been trying to be more loose, but it's more difficult than it looks. Thanks for the link, too. Bjorn is badass.

Here's a sketch of a cowboy. There was very little line work done on this one; I'm trying to do more blocking in up front to see if it helps with a more painterly style.

[Shadow Stalker]

Needs a lot of work if I'm going to take it anywhere (especially the arms).

[Shadow Stalker]

Legolas concept work in progress.

[Reika]

Heeeey good to see you're posting so often and so much improvement in such a short time heehee...
If I may... The archer, is he scratching his head or reaching for his quiver? If he's reaching for his quiver, I think it should be on the other side of his body, so he can reach it easily and not have to break an arm doing it http://englishare.net/literature/Artemis-HS.jpg
Moar!

[Shadow Stalker]

@Reika - Thanks for taking the time to help me out. And, yeah, you're right again. I kind of knew that when I was finished, but I didn't listen to my gut.

Here's another sketch of Legolas Greenleaf.

[mr. lofty]

Great effort yo! I think you should focus on anatomy and perspective studies more (like timed figure drawing and form construction). Learn the structure first and then add the cool concept stuff on top of it. Hopefully that makes sense. Your characters have rubber limbs, with no definition, but they're way better than what I can produce so far . I recently found a really good book by Gottfried Bammes (name is in German, sorry), which details all of the structural aspects of the human body. Thank you for posting these drawings, Its cool to see other artists trying to learn the hard way too Keep going man, hopefully we can learn together.

[Philipp Scherer]

nice sketchbook, too! keep it up

[Shadow Stalker]

@mr. lofty - Thanks a lot for the advice and the resource.

@Philipp Scherer - Thanks, and I will.

Here's one of a dwarf fighter for an RPG module project I've been working on. Coincidentally, it's also the first image I've ever painted fully in color. No grayscale on this one. I think it still needs some work, but this is what I've got so far.

[Mark Tarrisse]

Nice characters man Try to do some studies especially anatomy, you have some little proportion issues here and there, but nothing serious !
Except that... yea studies of everything, clothes, light etc.
Oh and try to use a little bit the lasso tool, you'll have a cleaner render.
Anyway keep it up !