Troll Death Knight 2D

JesterBox

Trying to get this looking as good as possible. Could use some tips and maybe a paint over.

Any suggestions and crits are greatly appreciated.



Only you can help me save the Cookies!


(Just a fun quickie, not looking for help on this one)

CookieKingHoi

JesterBox wrote: »

Only you can help me save the Cookies!


(Just a fun quickie, not looking for help on this one)

Lol could I use that as avatar?^^

Kawe

there seems to be a distinct lack of shadows. it is snow but I think there should be some shadows on the ground.. maybe not very strong but it'll help to plant the character's feet onto the ground.

the sword could use some lighting changes to show that it is angled. right now it looks like it is held flat against the viewer. also the sword draws a lot of focus I think but it is the least detailed

also I just realized that his planted hand is actually a hand and not a foot. might want to look into that (that thumb is HUGE and looks almost like the end part of a foot, maybe if you showed a little of the other fingers at least)

CookieKingHoi

I have no idea if it's actually better, but I tried to describe the snow more.

s2zero

wow ~

http://blog.naver.com/s2zero

CookieKingHoi

Make your own thread :P

BradMyers82

Looks pretty good to me so far. I would definitely do something about those fingers planted on the ground that kawe mentioned. The foot in the front should probably be more flat and slightly bigger vertically.

Also, if you want to leave less detail down on the ground, I would use a texture brush and mask, to make some snow flying around in the foreground. This would cover a lot of the problem areas up, and make a cool effect too.

The perspective on the shine pad looks off (his right leg), because I am assuming the skull is in the middle of it, but it looks like its twisting to the inside of his leg.

Lastly, I think it would add a lot to it if you had snow gathering on him, especially on his shoulders and head.

I really like the detail you put into the face, the hair, and the forearm guard (his left arm). I think you should try to put that level of polish on the whole piece to make it look "as good as possible".

Nice work so far, looking forward to an update.

CookieKingHoi: I see what you were trying to do there, but the differences are just way too subtle at the moment. Usually when doing a paintover you want to make your changes really drastic to place emphasis on the point you are making.

I wouldn't worry too much about the ground right now though, because it really shouldn't be a focal point (unless you are attempting to make a photorealstic piece versus a concept art piece). You could even just delete the entire foreground a put a subtle gradient there and it would look good I think.

woogity

the lower part of the planted leg looks a little awquard to me, it should probably be at an angle given where his center of balance would be in such a pose.

-Woog

Wells

You've got him in this pose like he's wading through deep snow, struggling against the storm... except he's on the surface of the snow. I'd have him sunken in to help ground him in the environment and really push the vs. nature feel.

i caked on the snow so it looks like he's been at it a while, through in a shadow, breath fog, more swirling snow, fading the sword to show how low visibility is, and GLOWING EYES!!

Here's my quick and dirty paintover [this monitor is really washed out, so it might be way too dark]

BrodyB

It's hard to distinguish his face in that latest one. The frost of his breath is obscuring him rather than adding to the image.

JesterBox

Took out my atmospheric stuff to be easier to see for now. Gonna make snow collect on the metal later.

I agree about the leg angle. Still not comfortable with where the foots at, and I feel like It looks like a friggin gundam or something, gonna rework that boot. Hand no longer is knuckled in and more visible. Changed the sword, planning on putting it deeper into the background. (I honestly don't know what I did with the bottom part of the sword just threw some random hints of a design on it).

May change the hand to be either clawing into the snow or hanging loose



(very rough)

Now this Is about five minutes after Sectaurs post, I liked the foot being buried so I crammed that bastard on in, made the boot bigger, threw on some collected flakes.

I honestly thought about making the tips of his nose and ears red from the cold but blue skin in the cold puzzled me as to what color it'd be. Regardless I like it.

Frosty breathe... why didn't I think of that! Sec, those little details help lots.

Pushing, the vs. nature looks to be an awesome idea, I'm on it captain!

I gotta learn how not to be afraid of the dark in pictures.

And glowing eyes... how did I forget that glowing eyes are proven to generate 14 times the normal level of win?

Thanks for all the tips, now If off to play TF2, I shall work more upon it tomorrow, and thus following an update the next day.

@CookieKingHoi, go for it!

JesterBox

Still messing with the atmosphere, don't want to go quite as dark as Sectaurs paint over.
Made myself a hole new bunch of rough patches to smooth out, repositioned and redesigned the leg, threw in some purple and yellows.


Boot unfinished with. (Metal has always given me hell when trying to color.)

Yet to change hand for second time.

Fog breathe I made without reference will probably redo it.

Glowing eyes.

I feel like his feet look like the materializing from bubbles rather that trudging through snow. Need to get inside Sec's brain on that one, or ask him what his techneques were.

Sectaurs, what you dat wiff?



Close up of his purdy face.

Ged

this is coming along well but I think the values could use more work before all this detail. Also there are a lot of outlines on stuff which tends to flatten artwork. The lighting is also a little bit odd, like theres a light right near his right armpit but it doesnt shine anywhere else on him?

heres a little paintover to try to help you getting some of the shadows/lighting and the values right. hopefully its useful but I often have the same issues with my work as you have here.

etsuja

Looks ok, but I think it's a little too muddy.

JesterBox

I'm afraid of the dark I guess, while I really like how your lighting gives him more of a presence. I have to agree with etsuja a little bit, I'm kind of getting lost in the the hair/helm and some other areas. I know I've still got rough patches to go and smooth out. Gotta and your insight into my finished product smoothie, I think you and sectaurs were like the blueberries and bananas I was missing.

(Was that a weird metaphor?, oh well I liked it. Not changing it.)

I tend to put down the details I wanted in my head then forget that I need to figure out a way for the lighting to work, and end up grudgingly darkening over them.

Then there's the background, it looks great darker , and you really gave it more structure.

Those outlines really need to take a hike.

I feel like I have to figure out the balance between, detail and moody lighting. Colors are hard.


Wow looooooooooooooooong response.

I am off to tinker with my picture!

Ged

JesterBox wrote: »

I'm afraid of the dark I guess, while I really like how your lighting gives him more of a presence. I have to agree with etsuja a little bit, I'm kind of getting lost in the the hair/helm and some other areas. I know I've still got rough patches to go and smooth out.

thats alright I was just trying to show some different values so I intentionally smudged the artwork details a bit to put the focus on the lighting/values instead but if it were my painting I would go back and at least add details in the areas between light and dark shades but it was just a quick paintover.

JesterBox

Haven't redone enough yet to constitute a full update,

Wanted to get some feed back on whether or not to ditch the shoulder pad

I'll also share with you my complex method of generating pads.



Possible candidates



I'm thinking I should ditch the pad being golden too.

JesterBox

Lightness I stabath at ye.



Changes changes changes yet me trying to draw hair is like putting a handful staples in my butt and doing jumping jacks. (also forgot ears not redone.)

OH NOOOESSS SECTAURS WERE DID YOU GO!

Onward to the atmosphere! Thanks for all the help so far!

Wells

Hey dude, this is coming along well. I like this darker version.

Leg still looks like it's at an awkward angle, though.

keep it up!

almighty_gir

throwing it off for me is the snow in the air. it looks like it's falling at one angle, while the snow at his feet, and his breath, are blowing at a different angle.

CookieKingHoi

JesterBox wrote: »

Lightness I stabath at ye.



Changes changes changes yet me trying to draw hair is like putting a handful staples in my butt and doing jumping jacks. (also forgot ears not redone.)

OH NOOOESSS SECTAURS WERE DID YOU GO!

Onward to the atmosphere! Thanks for all the help so far!

That's so much better! Especially the shoulderpads, the old ones just didn't fit in.

JesterBox

Sectaurs wrote: »

Hey dude, this is coming along well. I like this darker version.

Leg still looks like it's at an awkward angle, though.

keep it up!

Thanks, I think if i raise the snow line it'll help maybe push were the knee bends back bit.


[QUOTE=throwing it off for me is the snow in the air. it looks like it's falling at one angle, while the snow at his feet, and his breath, are blowing at a different angle.[/QUOTE]

I shall consult the wind waker.

@Cookie, Thanks

P.S. You probably don't need to quote the picture in a case like this.

JesterBox

Getting there...

Think I'm gonna put some deep blues in the background.

Hair Is difficult.

Kawe

man. new shoulder pad is sweet. troll details are awesome.

I think the new background is a lot worse than before though. it's too busy.

charger

Great progress so far, but I agree with gir. I mean, his breath is blowing to the left and his cape is blowing to the right. It makes your drawing out of balance. Also not sure about his left leg, is it stuck in the snow or is bended? looks beter in your last update though (almost there).

For the background, you should use more layers. 1. with big snowflakes that are close 2. some medium flakes that are around the character. 3. small flakes far away.

Here is a picture for some help, though there is no motion blur in it.

JesterBox

Maybe I could change it so the wind is pushing against him at an angle?

---

Yea I suppose I got kinda caught up on the background, it's to bright, I was trying to do some frosty wiffs blowing across the ground (saw some on TV).

Honestly not much planning went on in the beginning of this picture.

Didn't think about wind

Didn't think about weather

Barley thought about lighting

Basically plans was, hey I'm gonna draw a troll death knight

But that's what the threads for and it already been a massive help

---

JesterBox

woooooosh ffffsshhh... pppssshhhh.... wowochcowocoweiiiiiww (snow sounds)



More to be done.

JesterBox

Which looks better? One is just simplified with layers a bit

I'm really itching to wrap this up, I want to move into some 3D work and honestly I'm getting a bit bored of this.

Any final touches I really need?

I'll try and submit it to Blizzard's fan art page, who knows might get on it.

Wells

top one is better. bottom one looks is all omg ps filters.

JesterBox

Neato Taleeto.

Kawe

my big problem with this image is how the sword is angled.. like the blade is straight up but the handle and the hand is tilted. EDIT: and I mean depth-wise..

JesterBox

Kawe wrote: »

my big problem with this image is how the sword is angled.. like the blade is straight up but the handle and the hand is tilted. EDIT: and I mean depth-wise..

Indeed, you are correct sir. One blade tilt on its way.