Dragon sculpture

[Jimmi_B]

Hi there everyone, i was wondering if i could get some crits on my dragon sculpture, new to sculpting so i need to get the creases ironed out haha
Most recent wip shots, except atm i am rebuilding the left arm (the one against the chest)

[Mordus]

From what I can see so far (obviously its WIP) it will be a fine beasty indeed. Good job.
My only niggle is its design, it seems a tad uninspired and generic. Spice it up with some extra detail and more unique design.

[Tritium]

I like this, yes it is a little plain like the above comment stated, but for a first(ish) sculpture, the quality of this is amazing!

One thing i think might help it pop, though it will be alot of work... I like all the detail in the head, the creases, the indiviual scales and all the lines, it just makes it so much better, perhaps continue this same level of detail to the body, and more importantly limbs? Perhaps you are just not to that stage yet, and im telling you what you already plan, but if not, i think you should go for it and it will be amazing!

Make sure you detail the wing membrane, its often overlooked, but gives it that little touch of awesome.

Thanks for contributing this great WiP =)
~Tritium

[Pixelestial]

Maybe it's just the angle of the photos, but the head and neck look too big for the rest of the body, giving it babyish proportions. At this stage, though, it would require a huge amount of work to redo, so maybe you could just keep that in mind for next time.

Super Sculpey always gave me problems with large, flat sheets, like the wings and fins, but it seems to be working out great for you! Good job.

[James Wolf]

looks pretty sweet so far 8D, its a bit hard to tell with these closeups but they look pretty decent, can't wait to see the finish

[Noah Bradley]

Looks really good so far. You might have better luck getting crits over in the sculpture section, though. Just a thought.

Can't wait to see it done!

[Jimmi_B]

I like this, yes it is a little plain like the above comment stated, but for a first(ish) sculpture, the quality of this is amazing!

One thing i think might help it pop, though it will be alot of work... I like all the detail in the head, the creases, the indiviual scales and all the lines, it just makes it so much better, perhaps continue this same level of detail to the body, and more importantly limbs? Perhaps you are just not to that stage yet, and im telling you what you already plan, but if not, i think you should go for it and it will be amazing!

Make sure you detail the wing membrane, its often overlooked, but gives it that little touch of awesome.

Thanks for contributing this great WiP =)
~Tritium

yea i abandoned the first one from learning too much adn seeign too many fundamental flaws in the execution.
I do plan to add every little scale.

as for teh wing membrane do you have any ideas on how i could texture it?
i was thinking some foam or sponge.

[Jimmi_B]

From what I can see so far (obviously its WIP) it will be a fine beasty indeed. Good job.
My only niggle is its design, it seems a tad uninspired and generic. Spice it up with some extra detail and more unique design.

I see what you mean with the design, i really should've planned it out first!
Any ideas on how i could make it more unique or the little extra details?
i was thinking of removing the back frill and goign with more plate like scales.

[Hexokinase]

as for the wing membrane do you have any ideas on how i could texture it?
i was thinking some foam or sponge.

It would be a huge time investment, but perhaps you could do the membrane by hand with a small sculpting tool tool similar to the webbing here: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...6&postcount=73 (the whole thread is worth a look through if you haven't seen it already).

If you need to make multiple striations in the membrane, then you might find it beneficial to make a custom tool for the job. You could dismantle an old hacksaw to make a nice rake tool.

If you plan on using a texture stamp, then I don't think a sponge will be sturdy enough for your needs. Orange peels are great for the job though. You could freeze an old orange peel and use that as the template to create a texture stamp.

Any ideas on how i could make it more unique or the little extra details?
i was thinking of removing the back frill and goign with more plate like scales.

I'd check out the line of dragon figures by McFarlane Toys for some inspiration. They've made over a dozen of them and most are pretty unique.

[Jimmi_B]

Maybe it's just the angle of the photos, but the head and neck look too big for the rest of the body, giving it babyish proportions. At this stage, though, it would require a huge amount of work to redo, so maybe you could just keep that in mind for next time.

Super Sculpey always gave me problems with large, flat sheets, like the wings and fins, but it seems to be working out great for you! Good job.

I'm not afraid of doing a major revamp, so make the snout shorter or do i need to take the fore head down a bit as well?

[Jimmi_B]

Looks really good so far. You might have better luck getting crits over in the sculpture section, though. Just a thought.

Can't wait to see it done!

oh whoops haha, i'll make sure i post my sculpture wips there from now on ^^;;

[JeffX99]

Great piece for being new to sculpture - good advice/observations in other posts. One thing no one mentioned is the wing anatomy (bone/muscle) seems awkward or not well integrated into the dragon's core. Just my two cents. Have you checked out GojulasPrime23 threads in Sculpture? He's the man when it comes to dragons - actually you'll want to follow the link to his website.

[Jimmi_B]

Great piece for being new to sculpture - good advice/observations in other posts. One thing no one mentioned is the wing anatomy (bone/muscle) seems awkward or not well integrated into the dragon's core. Just my two cents. Have you checked out GojulasPrime23 threads in Sculpture? He's the man when it comes to dragons - actually you'll want to follow the link to his website.

not yet i shall scope it out now Cheers.
I know exactly what you mean, i've lost alot of muscle definition so i'll have to fix that.

[Mordus]

I see what you mean with the design, i really should've planned it out first!
Any ideas on how i could make it more unique or the little extra details?
i was thinking of removing the back frill and going with more plate like scales.

Well, at this stage the design might be hard to tweak, and it is a 1st go, so mistakes are very much acceptable. However, you could try enlarging and exaggerating ONE portion of the anatomy - large lower/upper jaw, huge upper/lower fangs, tiny eyes, huge eyes, sickle like claws, long neck or (What I think would suit this baby) a ridiculously enlargened set of frills.
Give it a go, but only make alterations should you feel like it.

[Mah ' Crub]

I think it is just fine so far, but my friend, remember, " Countless, unseen details make the difference between the mundane and the magnificiant". You have such a fine start already, take it all the way. You will have hours of wonderfull fun ahead of you and you will see it take shape.
Definately post your pic's on the 3-d sculpture forum. If this is your first sculpt, then I want to be around to see your last!

[Jimmi_B]

Well, at this stage the design might be hard to tweak, and it is a 1st go, so mistakes are very much acceptable. However, you could try enlarging and exaggerating ONE portion of the anatomy - large lower/upper jaw, huge upper/lower fangs, tiny eyes, huge eyes, sickle like claws, long neck or (What I think would suit this baby) a ridiculously enlargened set of frills.
Give it a go, but only make alterations should you feel like it.

well its my second try actually haha, the first one i learnt so much on that i felt i should just start from scratch.

i liek the sound of sickle claws
as for the frill that could work, but i don't feel comfortable working around such a delicate piece yet haha.

do you think a rider and maybe some armor would give ti some attention grabbing ability?

[Jimmi_B]

I think it is just fine so far, but my friend, remember, " Countless, unseen details make the difference between the mundane and the magnificiant". You have such a fine start already, take it all the way. You will have hours of wonderfull fun ahead of you and you will see it take shape.
Definately post your pic's on the 3-d sculpture forum. If this is your first sculpt, then I want to be around to see your last!

Cheers
Will do as soon as my internet uncaps >.> haha
technically its my secondbut the first one i abandoned after learning so much about the general construction, armature and how to build up the muscles

[Raoul Duke]

the legs are either too human or not human enough.

[Jimmi_B]

For those interested in following
I''ve started a thread in the sculpt forum, with the latest update (mainly redefining the muscles and pose) http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...62#post2540762

[Tritium]

yea i abandoned the first one from learning too much adn seeign too many fundamental flaws in the execution.
I do plan to add every little scale.

as for teh wing membrane do you have any ideas on how i could texture it?
i was thinking some foam or sponge.

Thats good, i think that extra detail will make the difference between an ok lizard, and a great dragon.

With the wing, i have used damp and dry sponge to great effect. Dry sponge creates much harsher effects, while the wet sponge can help smooth out mistakes or refine features. It depends on the age of the dragon your going for, the older the dragon the more weathered the wings, keep that in mind while you go about it.

~Tritium