Acquana Art Thread -- Thread Implosion 06/10/2007

[Acquana]

December 3, 2005

Ok Ok, I'll post. Bend that arm. First of all. Stop drawing more than I do. Gee Whillikers.
Second of all, allow me a kind-hearted critique. The inherent character of your creations shows through. That's hard to do. Ask Marvel. (Take that dickholes!) You have this a knack for creating a unique set of proportions. You go beyond technical anatomy. Everybody should. Ok, here's the thing. Your stuff is solid to a fault. I say this only because I see the potential for work to go from point a to point b. Your work cries for sexy Hudsonesque curved lines. Go more reckless in your sketch-phase. Relax , and make mistakes on purpose. The result will be a cup of great.

Gawd, now I feel all preachy. Sorry.

For those of you who don't know it, I went to art school with ushirou. So he's allowed to say this kind of stuff.

Actually, I don't care who says this kind of stuff, that just means more replies on my thread.

But, hey, I think I know where you're going there, ushirou. I think my main problem is that I just haven't been reading as many comics as I used to, so the kind of changes that would've happened in the last few months if this had been a few years ago simply aren't happening. Stagnation? Maybe. I also haven't been doing enough life drawing. Once I gave up on the idea of doing pages most of my work has been fairly repetitive figure sketches.

Blarg.

And hey, welcome to the thread.

Moving on, I got a few for yous guys tonight. First off, I mentioned I hadn't scanned in the Pulse for the Pulse skin yet. So here he is.

Second, the guy who plays Ma in the world-hopping game decided to run for us today. This is the first chance I've had to play "normal" style D&D in a while. So I asked the GM if it was cool if I played a character race Rangerwitckett and I made for his setting: the Kohalesti. (I'm not sure if I spelled that right ...) They're basically Polynesian Elves. I've been on an islander kick since getting back from Walt Disney World where there was much Lilo & Stitch themed stuff, and of course the Polynesian Resort and the luau we went to. All of which are awesome. To get it fully out of my system I had no choice but to play an islander. Savai Tau Taru Delai-Gau Tu. She doesn't mind if you just call her Savai.

I'm very much proud of her character design. Crazy muckety muck tattoos are fun to draw, she's a dark-skinned elf who's not a dark elf, and hey! Bonus points for me for turning leather armor into a hula skirt!!

And as Rangerwickett well knows, I simply can't have a character without a deep backstory. Preferrably with a rival or outright enemy. So Savai's got one too! The only real choice for an islander elf was a "civilized" elf: Razé Illnethorne

Oh, and no he doesn't usually go around with his shirt open. I was trying to show off the fact that he has tattoos on his chest.

And the last one tonight is for those who have been following the story I've put up on my LiveJournal. Part five is now up, and so is the illustration that goes with it. It paralells the one I did of Virgil in the church, but this one is a spoiler so I'll just make it an attatchement for those who are interested.

Wellp, g'night all! Time for the sleep.

 

[RangerWickett]

Oooh. Nifty. I'm seriously touched, Jessie. Nice design too, though I think you made her torso a little short, or her legs too long. But hey, any illos you do from my campaign are cool. Maybe some illustrations of heroic goblins (and their heads) are in order.

However, bad Jessie! Hula skirts and bikinis do not make for good armor. Unless, of course, you used the rules from Chainmail Bikinis. *wink*

Do I know Ushirou? And, well, he's right. Start working on comic pages.

 

[Acquana]

Oooh. Nifty. I'm seriously touched, Jessie. Nice design too, though I think you made her torso a little short, or her legs too long. But hey, any illos you do from my campaign are cool. Maybe some illustrations of heroic goblins (and their heads) are in order.

I drew her like that mostly because she's 5'1. She's a tiny woman, so that explains her body proportions, though maybe her head is a tad too big.

Been a while since I've drawn goblins now that I think about it. And yours have changed a lot in the last few years. You may be in need of some redesigns.

However, bad Jessie! Hula skirts and bikinis do not make for good armor. Unless, of course, you used the rules from Chainmail Bikinis. *wink*

She's wearing dark pants and a light bikini-ish thing over it. Only problem with doing things in black and white is making a distinction between "dark skin color" and "dark pants." *shrug*

Do I know Ushirou? And, well, he's right. Start working on comic pages.

I don't think so. And yes I know. Jerk. I am for your information. I don't pencil pages, but I've got at least a few pages I'm working on inking right now.

 

[Ferret]

Yeeess! Your ink is goood. Thats sounds wrong.

 

[ushirou]

Eh. Repetitive? I wouldn't call them repetitive. The hardest about drawing a character more than once is doing something new with them. I would say if anything that it's only apparant that your major interest is in figure drawings. My interests lie in drawing as little as possible to get my ideas on paper quicker. Some people would say going simple is either lazy, or it hints that I'm not good enough to draw a highly technical piece. And that's . The reality is that highly technical pieces bore me to tears, and I loath rulers. I'd rather put a hammer in someone's grandmother than use a ruler. DESPITE the fact that I'm not a highly technical artist, I've gotten nothing but praise from editors. You've gotten work here and there. You're stuff is great, and that really has nothing to do with reading comics or studying techniques. You can do what you want, and be successful with it.

Hell, I saw some hacks (Yes, freaking HACKS as in talent lacking trendwhores) shilling yet another "How to draw Manga" piece of garbage, and apparantly they even have a bit of recognition, and make money from their work. I saw it on that videogame network. You are light years beyond them, because your work is your own. You and Marlon. Anyone on this thread who likes the art should go to shellcat studios, and gander at the paranormal police stuff.

The only way I'm going is deep down you know you like where your going, be it figure drawings, or writing. I mean, I don't ask anybody to actually colaborate with me, and I can't wait to see the story you come up with. AND I can't wait to illustrate it.

Get an ego about your stuff. Tell people your the best. I know success is waiting for me, dude. I'm on track. I'm cranking on four cyllinders, and you were there when I wasn't drawing for crap. You can't imagine how happy you'll become YOU are the best. But more importantly that you KNOW that you are the best. That goes for you , Marlon, and Wendy. I'm shaking my finger at you. You know better. You've been in art school. You've laid eyes on crap. That ain't you. YOU ARE GOOD. Now relax, and go make some awesome.

That was long winded. Ok, so maybe I do post on message boards.

 

[RangerWickett]

I love motivational speeches.

(Psst. Jessie. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Reeeeeeeee-focus. Reeeeeeeeeeeeee-focus.)

 

[Acquana]

December 4, 2005

::insert long and surprisingly uplifting post here:: Now relax, and go make some awesome.

That was long winded. Ok, so maybe I do post on message boards.

O_O


Um ...

O_O

Wow.

Thank you, dude. Seriously. Today was pretty low, and this helped lots. Yeah, I wanted to mope today, but I suppose fate is what made you and Mom refuse to let me.

In honor of this non-lowness, I give cute to you all. During the game we were playing tonight I was reminded of the fact that between major plotlines in the world-hopping campaign Ammut invited Virgil to visit her relatives on her world. Those of who who have been following this thread recall that Ammut is from a world where the ancient Egyptian pantheon truly existed, and ancient Egypt never went into decline. The courts that Ammut attends still keeps very much in the old traditions in dress, culture, writing and the like ... So I had trouble imagining what a medieval Eurpean scholar would feel about it. And yet I know Virgil well enough to know that he's mostly still being clingy and adorable around Ammut ... so this image is what came to mind.

I showed everyone and Wendy nearly died laughing, mostly trying to think of Pojo reacting to Virgil trying to fit in there. The conversation about this is what spawned this comic I present to you for your amusement.

... omygosh i love that 4th panel so much ...

heh heh heh Reeeeeeeee-focus. Reeeeeeeeeeeeee-focus ...

 

[RangerWickett]

Pojo, huh?

*holds out a hand, fingers in a circle around an imaginary tube*

About this big?

 

[Acquana]

*hand to forehead* Oy oy oy .... RW I'm just ... I'm just not goin there here.

 

[ushirou]

There ya go. That's what I was talking about. That picture is one spicy tamale. I'm glad
I provided a good pick-me-up, as opposed to awkwardness. Just let me say you have the focus, don't worry about that. Just have fun. That stuff you just posted is great.