Pickslideque goblin:yes, I'm posting in here for a reason

[Thrawn]

Sorry if I'm not supposed to post here...I know I can, but usually the stuff I'm working on doesn't merit it. If so, please move this to the other art thread

However, I'm working on a goblin portrait that is far superior to the one I did in the other forum, and want advice and critiques from better artists out there. Especially in regards to the hands. I'm not sure what they should look like...

[Jetrel]

Sorry if I'm not supposed to post here...I know I can, but usually the stuff I'm working on doesn't merit it. If so, please move this to the other art thread

Sure - this is a bit out of place here, but we can bend the rules to spare the noise. Keep all such portraits in this one thread, though.

Note that if you seriously plan to "compete" on this level, you need to get that book on fabric folds I told you about. It's only $20, and it will make mysteries dissolve.

However, I'm working on a goblin portrait that is far superior to the one I did in the other forum, and want advice and critiques from better artists out there.

If we're gunning for mainline, which you may try at (since this is very similar to some of pickslide's current orc portraits); The costuming is quite off, compared to the sprite, which should (generally) be your guide.
1] The goblin should be wearing a leather helmet.
2] The goblin should be wearing very thick leather armor (like .. winter parka "thick".) Maybe with some bits of metal attached; they make do with whatever they can get their hands on, and they can get lots and lots of crummy leather. Goblins wear lots of it in the hopes of saving their little hides, not that it does a great deal of good.
3] Goblins have this backpack-like thing, probably holding all their most necessary possessions.

Especially in regards to the hands. I'm not sure what they should look like...

a] WRT concept; stubby and thick.

b] WRT "drawing it right" - LOOK IN A MIRROR, with your hands posed the same way.

Seriously, the best advice I can give for practically any artist trying to learn to draw the human form is to ... LOOK IN A MIRROR. About the only thing this will fail you at, is drawing certain nuances of the opposite gender.

Raising the question of using a reference vs. not using a reference; IMO - for all general drawings - you should first attempt to draw something "out of your head", and then look at a reference to correct what was wrong in your head. Then, correct that not merely "by looking at it and saying 'oh, I got XYZ wrong'", but actually redraw all the stuff that was wrong - that act of doing so dramatically boosts your ability to remember it.

Your memory, your concepts of what things look like are flawed (every human being's is) - they're a mere approximation of what the real thing looks like. When you look at the real thing, you refresh and correct that memory - sure, it won't be perfect when you do so, but it'll be a lot better than it was before. And as time goes on, the long-term memory of that will get much better; almost like a building a muscle.

[Thrawn]

Note that if you seriously plan to "compete" on this level, you need to get that book on fabric folds I told you about. It's only $20, and it will make mysteries dissolve.

If we're gunning for mainline, which you may try at (since this is very similar to some of pickslide's current orc portraits); The costuming is quite off, compared to the sprite, which should (generally) be your guide.
1] The goblin should be wearing a leather helmet.
2] The goblin should be wearing very thick leather armor (like .. winter parka "thick".) Maybe with some bits of metal attached; they make do with whatever they can get their hands on, and they can get lots and lots of crummy leather. Goblins wear lots of it in the hopes of saving their little hides, not that it does a great deal of good.
3] Goblins have this backpack-like thing, probably holding all their most necessary possessions.

Especially in regards to the hands. I'm not sure what they should look like...

a] WRT concept; stubby and thick.

b] WRT "drawing it right" - LOOK IN A MIRROR, with your hands posed the same way.

Seriously, the best advice I can give for practically any artist trying to learn to draw the human form is to ... LOOK IN A MIRROR. About the only thing this will fail you at, is drawing certain nuances of the opposite gender.

Raising the question of using a reference vs. not using a reference; IMO - for all general drawings - you should first attempt to draw something "out of your head", and then look at a reference to correct what was wrong in your head. Then, correct that not merely "by looking at it and saying 'oh, I got XYZ wrong'", but actually redraw all the stuff that was wrong - that act of doing so dramatically boosts your ability to remember it.

Your memory, your concepts of what things look like are flawed (every human being's is) - they're a mere approximation of what the real thing looks like. When you look at the real thing, you refresh and correct that memory - sure, it won't be perfect when you do so, but it'll be a lot better than it was before. And as time goes on, the long-term memory of that will get much better; almost like a building a muscle.

I'll be getting the book as soon as possible...

re: drawing off the sprite: I'll try to do that more, but I disagree with them having thick armour...Even if "crummy leather" (which I'm not sure how to show quality through drawing), it will still look really tough, which is not in the spirit of the actual unit, regardless of the sprite: I always thought that the spreite looked like that because there was no way to make it look less thick, but I'll keep trying. My idea is that they pick up the best pieces of armour that they can from the battlefield, and I've changed the sprite to show that.
1] added helmet, not sure if it is the right type...I'm not sure what the helmet in the sprite would look like if drawn on a portrait..to me it always looked like a wolfhead, but that isn't right...
2]^^
3] I don't see a backpack in the sprite, and to me that just seems like adding to much visual noise to the drawing. As most of what you would be able to see on his back is obscured anyways, unless I radically changed his pose it would just cause people to be WTF is that part of the drawing. If we needed 5 goblin portraits, then I could add a backpack to some, like Pickslide changed up the decorations on his different orcs, but I don't see the need. If it is necessary, however, I will do my best to add it in...

Anywho, I changed the clothing in the portrait: I gave it a leather breastplate, as well as banded leather armour: the best way to, IMO show the patched togetherness of goblin armour. I also gave it leather protectors modeled badly off of the metal ones the warriors have.

re: colors for the armour: should I stick with the colors of Pickslides stuff, or use a color closer to the sprite?

[Eleazar]

This sketch shows a significant improvement in your drawing skill.

[Thrawn]

Thanks Eleazar...

Anywho, as Jetryl didn't do his

*shakes Thrawn*...x,y,z are wrong and MUST BE FIXED

yet, I decided to color and edit my second sketch...

comments welcome, especially from Jetryl, in how to make this more gameworthy

[Sapient]

1. The outline of the helmet looks good, but the color of the helmet makes it look like dark green hair-- you should make it a shade similar to the rest of the armor.

2. The hand on the left needs to be totally redone; its' shape too undefined, even for the simple style.

3. The breastplate looks too flat (and the shadow on it doesn't seem quite right either).

4. The shoulder guard on the right looks too low like it's merging into his arm.

5. Looks like pillow-shading for the hand on the right.

otherwise, nice