Starting Professional Portfolio. Crit student work. Please.

[Quigleyer]

I'd really like a gauge of my skill level. I honestly don't know where I stand.

I don't know if I'll use any of these in my professional portfolio. I honestly feel like everyone's been nice in judging my work face to face and I some times have a hard time getting crits from people. Honesty is the best policy.

I know I lack some necessities. I've got a few turnarounds, but I need some creature designs, interiors, and vehicles to say the least.

Tell me what you think. You really can't hurt my feelings- I can't stress this enough. The skin of a Rhino on this one.

I'm planning on throwing this work out and re-making a professional portfolio, to be honest. So ANY kind of "negative" feedback here is welcome, and any kind of "positive" feedback here is equally as welcome. This is some of the "better" stuff I have floating around at the time:

EDIT: The female (only female?... ) in there is more of a "I can draw and paint women" statement. It was heavily referenced, using Mjranum's stock photography and is not meant as a piece of character art- just a painting I felt was "better", and thus a helpful factor of determining my skill level. The last one as well. And I don't know how the zombie one really works, but it's totally my own creation. I'm actually the zombie jumping at the guy, so I suppose I'll call that one a self portrait. yeah... I like that.

[Mordus]

I believe the lack of critique may have more to do with your skill level than any disinclination to do so: your work is lovely. However - painterly textures, while splendid, can sometimes cross the line into blurred, soft work where a hard edge is needed. This is most evident on the Captain Falcon-esque armoured figure - try harder rendering not only to make the image clearer but to create a textural contrast with the more impressionistic backgrounds and thus a focal point. Otherwise I see no fundamental errors - now the emphasis should be on climbing ever higher - while your work is "industry standard" (something you should be proud of) in today's competitive environment post-Crunch you need to attain ever greater levels of skill to ensure your success in the market. Seek out a unique angle and establish an identity. In addition continue to hone your foundation skills - I would advise a closer study of colour theory and human anatomy.

[Quigleyer]

Thank you very much. I appreciate what you have to say.

I plan on working on both of those things extensively. As of the moment I'm trying to just get back into the swing of things after a difficult moment of "living on couches" for a month.

[patrick j jones]

Art one and three from the top down are very professional Quigleyer. Very nice work.
P.

[Quigleyer]

You have no idea how much that means, coming from you . I was thinking that I might actually keep a few, just for time management. The recent understanding that I am living in a place where my day job (graduated, but not ready for the work force- ya know?) doesn't pay what it does in your old town shows me how much I'm going to need to participate in that day job. This means that I need to be as efficient as I can be. And try not to be tired, etc. etc. and get it done! But the time I would need to start putting out portfolios would be less if I have pieces I knew were already solid. I just have to make it before I burn myself out.

Thank you very much for your response, sir.

[rolandb]

Your brush work is really beautiful. All or your environments are very well done, and convey a good sense of mood. In my opinion, the guy with a big cannon for an arm is the weakest piece. Especially his sunglasses.
I think drawing from the live model more would be the best use of your time. Right now, the figures and faces are the only areas where I don't see the same sense of confidence in your abilities as I see everywhere else. I'm only talking about the more illustrative works. The costume croquis don't require a sense of personality or gesture, so those are fine. The guy holding the pick-axe and the "king of hearts" are the best figures in this collection. I'm not saying your figure drawing is bad, only that I think you have enough talent that you could still improve it.

[Quigleyer]

The "King of Hearts" illustration was heavily referenced, while I was trying to learn to draw and paint portraits to a new level. I've always been really bad at the human head and this marked a point in my life where I understood the value of a good reference. You're trying to portray something really REALLY alive and you want to guess as little as possible.

The guy with the Scyth (or pick-axe) was not referenced at all and drawn from a really loose silhouette I did randomly one day while wondering what to paint. I really felt something with that one and it was done in the span of around two and a half hours. I really felt something with that one and don't feel that I've felt it before or after that. I really want to get back to that- and I think you're right. Knowing the human form more will allow me to paint figures like that more often.

Also- the guy with "a big cannon for an arm" was done during a very short stage of my life where I listened to the Proto Men a ridiculous amount. It is indeed a design of Proto Man. I feel it doesn't get good reviews, but I don't know what went wrong. Maybe I actually am personally attached to a work, but if you guys could tell me what exactly is wrong with it I'd appreciate it. While done in the same "need to finish these projects to graduate" session Proto Man was done VERY shortly after (and often times during) the same one that gets better review.

What is bothersome about it? Honesty is the best policy and I encourage you to please PLEASE be as blunt as you desire. I'd just like opinions, harsh ones would be great.

[rolandb]

A few observations on proto man: I would re-do the face. The brushwork is too stiff. I think the tonal range in the face could also be increased. The king of hearts has a larger range of hues in it, and that's what makes it successful. For his goggles, place a pair of dark glasses in an environment that's similar to the one where the figure is standing, and study how the reflections work. The gray part of his chest armor looks like the light is coming from above, while the rest of the figure has the light coming from a more sideways angle. The straps going across the chest, holding the shoulder armor, are too flat.

[Pierce9]

On Proto-Man: The thing that looks off to me is that the materials are all rendered out too similiarly. Also the straps holding the weapon arm on should have more tension, maybe research how prosthetics are held in place? Seriously, I dig the painterly touch you have and I probably have no place giving you crits, just letting you know what I thought.

[Quigleyer]

Thank you very much. I don't think I'll be using that one for my portfolio, as it's giving a lot of people a bad impression. I appreciate your point of view, thank you very much.

I will say I got at least a temporary avatar out of it. With bad sunglasses reflections... .

[devilminer]

I"m also a newbie, but just keep at it. Spend at least 3 hours daily drawing. No seriously, you'll start improving after a couple of weeks---the cool thing is, you notice it! Try out all sorts of brushes, download em free--just google "free photoshop brushes". Nice work--- Good luck!

[neuroballistic]

I would have to say that the first 3 pieces are your strongest. Personally I would keep those and either throw out the rest or re-do them in the style of the first 3. What stands out in the first one is the bold strokes, to me that demonstrates confidence and skill. The first 2 enviros have good lighting, atmospherics, and feeling of depth. The 1st character sheet is great. The rest of the works aren't nearly as strong imo. Seems to me they are older works...that confidence isn't there as much...a mix of heavy strokes and muddy overworked areas. Hope this helps.

[Quigleyer]

Devilminer:

I've actually begun this practice. I was sort of forced into it. Moved to a new town and know NO ONE and have NOTHING to do, but work a day job (which sometimes I do at night ). I've been painting up a storm lately, and need to finish the things I've started that have gone far enough. I like to rack up my images to 4-5 works in progress and then just finish them in two or three days. Feels like I get a lot done and it allows me to get my eyes off of them for a while.

And I went through your work a couple of days ago. I wouldn't say you're a "newbie" and I definitely don't think I'm quite on your level, but I appreciate it .

neuroballistic:

Thanks very much for your opinion. When you say first character sheet are you referring to the guy with the claws or my Shang Tsung re-design?

There's just something about environments I enjoy. I need to spend more time doing interiors, though. Inorganic shapes are my downfall.

[M-Studios]

You got some nice works!
Some are better than others but overal they are prety good.
I agree with neuroballistic on the characters, the guy with the claws is awesome.

Can't give any more tips, everything is said already, just keep up the good work!

[eclectic rhapsody]

Okay, right off the bat, the thing that I notice most is that your textures all seem to be very similar (mostly very smooth, it seems) and that your colors do not seem to stand out very much.

Looking a second time, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of space inside of your images. Like, all of the pictures seem to take place in a very small area. In the landscapes, I -feel- as though I'm not getting a good sense of scale. Atmospheric distortions seem to start and end abruptly- I'm especially looking at the landscape in between the Megaman looking fellow and the Gypsie looking lady.

This is probably more like a stylistic thing, or a time thing, but a lot of your shapes and stuff seem really generalized. Like I said before, things tend toward being rather smooth. And it seems like you put a lot of information into your drawings, but it also seems that they are lacking small details, and that there's a lack of attention being paid to the details that are already there. Application of details seems to be inconsistent. For instance...I can see all the little wrinkles in the face of the man in the last painting, but there's not much to suggest how his shirt or vest are sewn together. On the Indiana Jones type man fighting the zombies, it doesn't seem that there's much attention paid to the form of the baggie attached to his waist.

I also think that you could think about the way you cloth your characters a bit more? I think that the man with the pick axe and the man with the claw fingers both look really stellar. They look cohesive to me, and their color schemes seem spot-on. Generally tops.

In the two black and white ones, the Megaman one, and the lady one, I don't think things work as well. In the two black and white ones, the character's designs seem to be pretty generic, but the clothes don't seem practical so this gives me the idea that they're trying to be impressive- but they're sort of not. Same with the woman. Her clothing doesn't seem to be practical (dat shirt, dem tits), but it doesn't flatter her in a way that would justify that, imo. On Megaman, his robotics don't look convincing to me. The chest-plate leading to his robotic arm seems to be welded to his chest, but it also seems to be held in place with shoulder straps? I don't know that much about robotics, so I could be off on this but that doesn't seem to be right to me.

Ummmm. So, yeah. That's all the nitpicking I can do. I like your work a lot (Axe Man, especially) but it seemed like you were looking for people to point out anything that didn't quite sit right with them, so that's what I tried to do. I hope it wasn't too negative, but you sad you had rhino skin so it's probably okay I guess. Good luck with your portfolio, man.

[Quigleyer]

I'm really glad I posted those. Thanks for your advices and comments, guys.

I've created some more work, but not much got done that was worthwhile. To keep this alive I thought I'd post two of them and see what happens.

Progress of these pieces is viewable on my BLOG

[Chijts]

This last one you posted of the executioner is your strongest one so far in my opinion, so you must be improving all the time, keep at it man. It's got a good composition, nice colours and it caught my attention straight away.

[Parcel-Sisters]

really love the second to last piece. It's got a nice balance of warm and cool colors. Only thing I notice is that the leafy texture on the tree in the foreground is a little underworked and looks more like leaves invading into the tree instead of leaves sticking out of it. nice job overall!

[bowhunter]

WOWWWWWWWWW !!!!!!!! i like your style .....!! is it made on PAINTER or its made on PHOTOSHOP because the brush remind me of PAINTER but steel GREAT WORK man ...........

[Heavens]

You are clearly on the right path to glory . keep at it.

[Joe824]

nice work, everything mentioned above is quite valid. i agree with the painterly aspect being a positive, but could also come off as blurred. your most recent posts seem to remedy this, they look like finished artwork, which is maybe the thing your original post lacked.

a good example is this:


movement is great, and the action of the blade slicing through the figure in the foreground is awesome. give us a focal point though, what mordus said is right on, the center of interest should be pretty clear, and you establish that with textural detail and contrast, as he said.

the most recent illustration, the one you did for deviant art, is fantastic compositionally, maybe just push those values more, it could use some contrast. it's almost grotesque and terrifying, push those values to achieve full on terror-induced nightmares. seriously though, great stuff, will be subscribing for sure :-)

[dpaint]

Your work is very good. I would consider it professional level. My suggestion would be to work on shape more, and color and lighting. Your drawing and brushwork is very good. Look at Frazetta and NC wyeth and Harvey Dunn for shape; how they tie the lights to one another and the shadows to one another all the time conscious of the whole. Look at them for color too, and Gurney for staging and lighting.

[jemiksa]

Filmed with the eye of a master, "Beyond," continues the run of outstanding films directed by Clint Eastwood.

Watch Hereafter Online

[Silveraxe]

You got a really nice color palette! Really nice environment pieces, your figures could benefit from using reference, in terms of body proportions and a little bit on the faces. The guy in #16 is rocking! Real nice painting and great lighting. Keep it up!

[JackRabbitSlim]

I really like your painterly style, the second last piece is my fav i like how you handled the cool colors, the lighting on the executioner is well done as well, good work!

[chien]

hi, Ithink yr work is just fine, I come from malaysia in a local art college called the one academy and there got students here that major in art subject like illustration and I cantell you that none of them can paint even stuff liek you are doing now, some of them are like photocopy machines, you say your work ins't getting anywhere? I think you are doing better than even art student like me.

I agree with some of what everyone else say, art foundation cover areas like figure drawing, color theory, composition, perspective drawing, and even abit of art history are the best learning topics, no matter we are students or already working, this is what makes us all artists 8D

[Devotion]

This is my first post on CA, but you asking for critics and saying you really need some, you pushed me, and thanks for that

What I see here is some lovely work. Really, you got the rendering down, and the style is nice.

But, as you asked for critics;

I would like to see some details on these. The armoured guys are sometimes a bit 'flat', I know it is because of the painty style, but maybe the details would push you. It doesn't have to become a new style, but try to do an ultra high detailed image, maybe of the woman? Jewellery can be very time consuming, but also teaches a lot about light etc.

Another thing, at the King of Hearts image, I don't know if my screen is to blame, but I can't really see where his shirt (don't know the english correct word, I'm Dutch), ends and the wall starts.
Here would it be a great oppurtunity to look at the colour wheel, imagine the "shirt" in green, red's complementary colour. (A darker green ofcourse). Wouldn't it be great? This also could be an experiment on details, what material is the "shirt" made of? Try to make it clear when metal is presented and when, let's say, wool.

But, I have to say it, your work is splendid. I'm just starting, really newb, and not a pro at all, so I don't know if I'm the person to critique this, but I hope it helped.

Great images!

PS: if you would like to react on my post, maybe PM me, as I don't know if I'll get around viewing this...

[jbrown67]

I agree with some of the above comments. While I adore the painterly style, you need way more hard edges and way more details. Concept artists are idea people. Now, while you have a great feel for painting and a great artistic mood, your paintings are lacking in the details of geometry that are the basis for good 3D models. Not saying that I am an expert myself, being pretty much in the same boat as you, but that is what I would say you should work on. I would like to see some perspective line drawings of buildings or even detailed character concepts before they go into the rendering stage.

[Dile_]

your enviros are niiice!

[Quigleyer]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll put some newer stuff up...