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Obsessive Scribblers

Tbh dodge+burn is bad for multiple reasons. You have no control over the shading at all; how strong it is, which is what results in the blobby-quality, or the colours, which is why you shade at all. Just making it darker isn't really... the point. The point is colours. Dodge+burn just makes it more gray or more saturated depending on the setting. :\ Play with colours. That's the point of art.
 
VLAD

WE MISSED YOU.

and stuff. Also, is there anyone else in the OS who still does mostly traditional art?
;;Raises hand;; Lack of a tablet makes that a necessity. Although I'm also a bit psychological about it. There's just something about... having the art physically in your hands and there being no risk of it being accidentally deleted that makes me feel better. (Sure, you could print it out... but it somehow doesn't really feel the same) Also, I still haven't really figured out a consistent style for like... digital art. Mostly, I just use digital for quick non-serious concept MS Paint doodles which I never show since everyone will be all AAAAAAH PAINT. For the occasional rare serious piece though or an avvie, I use Photoshop and uh... combine dodging and burning (don't worry! very sparse) with actually picking out the colours.

Coloured pencils just take far less time in general than a mouse, so yeah, I prefer my traditional old fashionedness.

Also, welcome back, VPLJ. Ahaha. I love your art (seriously, you are GOOD at humans especially men) and I'm glad that you've finally made a reviving.
 
I have finally finished my first big drawing since 2008. It took me all week, but I present to you:
Elite.png

Vukoon 'Salanee, Covenant Elite Minor Seperatist Elite Minor.
Normally, in doodles, he has a Needler or Plasma Rifle, but the drawing I used as a guide used Dual Energy Swords and when I put the guns in they looked....awkward. So swords it is.

Also known as: My Halo-sona. Not coloured, but you could see that (I hope)

EDIT: And whilst I'm at it, DeviantART
 
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Tbh dodge+burn is bad for multiple reasons. You have no control over the shading at all; how strong it is, which is what results in the blobby-quality, or the colours, which is why you shade at all. Just making it darker isn't really... the point. The point is colours. Dodge+burn just makes it more gray or more saturated depending on the setting. :\ Play with colours. That's the point of art.
So... something more akin to this, rather than this?
I must say, it /was/ easier to shade sample 1 rather than sample 2, and looks marginally nicer...
 
As far as colouring goes, I haven't used Photoshop is literal years ever since I discovered Paint Tool SAI, which is much better for drawing, I find. And it makes very pretty smooth lines. You can find a free trial by googling it or just download the full version off a torrent site or something. I got it from a friend.

And if you're a goodie-two-shoes like me, the only thing that happens when the trial time runs out is that you can't save or open anything, which is okay as long as you have a functional printscreen button.
 
I have finally finished my first big drawing since 2008. It took me all week, but I present to you:
Elite.png

Vukoon 'Salanee, Covenant Elite Minor Seperatist Elite Minor.
Normally, in doodles, he has a Needler or Plasma Rifle, but the drawing I used as a guide used Dual Energy Swords and when I put the guns in they looked....awkward. So swords it is.

Also known as: My Halo-sona. Not coloured, but you could see that (I hope)

EDIT: And whilst I'm at it, DeviantART

That is downright beautiful and I see no flaws oh my God I love this. This is just fantastic. <3
 
I have finally finished my first big drawing since 2008. It took me all week, but I present to you:
Elite.png

Vukoon 'Salanee, Covenant Elite Minor Seperatist Elite Minor.
Normally, in doodles, he has a Needler or Plasma Rifle, but the drawing I used as a guide used Dual Energy Swords and when I put the guns in they looked....awkward. So swords it is.

Also known as: My Halo-sona. Not coloured, but you could see that (I hope)

EDIT: And whilst I'm at it, DeviantART
Extremely impressive. ;;Bows head;; Your outlines are crisp and sharp, and your shading is very good. I bow to your superior armor drawing abilities. Only thing about it that kinda bugs me is the stomach torso part. It seems sort of... too bent over. If that makes sense at all. But seriously, nice job.
 
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I have finally finished my first big drawing since 2008. It took me all week, but I present to you:
Elite.png

Vukoon 'Salanee, Covenant Elite Minor Seperatist Elite Minor.
Normally, in doodles, he has a Needler or Plasma Rifle, but the drawing I used as a guide used Dual Energy Swords and when I put the guns in they looked....awkward. So swords it is.

Also known as: My Halo-sona. Not coloured, but you could see that (I hope)

EDIT: And whilst I'm at it, DeviantART

I honestly can't see anything wrong at all. I, too, bow to your wonderful drawing abilities.
 
I have finally finished my first big drawing since 2008. It took me all week, but I present to you:
Elite.png

Vukoon 'Salanee, Covenant Elite Minor Seperatist Elite Minor.
Normally, in doodles, he has a Needler or Plasma Rifle, but the drawing I used as a guide used Dual Energy Swords and when I put the guns in they looked....awkward. So swords it is.

Also known as: My Halo-sona. Not coloured, but you could see that (I hope)

EDIT: And whilst I'm at it, DeviantART

The only flaw that, ahem, jumps out at me is that the (our) right leg extends a bit too far into the viewer's face. Other than that, I love it and I especially congratulate you on haviing the patience to work on something for a week. :/
 
For some reason, my scanner decided to scan my Pichusona in such a way I cannot use it at all. There for I shall just describe Pichusona for now, and do a propre pic later.

Normal Pichu, except for:
Cyan coloration where most Pichu have black (Ears, tail and neck)
Tail tends to go onto the right (Our left) side, opposite of most Pichu
Either wears a crown |\/\/| (Like that <<<) or has spikey hair showing. The crown has "PCHF" engraved on it.
 
Sorry I haven't been very active, I was on holidays~
I have no idea how to put multiple quotes in a post but I'll try to make it clear who I'm talking to.
(Massive wall of text ahead)

@Crazy Linoone- Thanks for the critiques! I didn't notice that she was looking in different directions but now that I realised she looks extremely silly XD I'll make sure that I'll double check on eye-directions next time!

@Loffyglu- Thanks for the critiques too! Hands are definately one of my weaker points, I can never get them to be the right size. I'll make sure to practice my hands and getting them to be proportionate though!
My persona isn't the type of person who wants to do evil stuff, she just carries the axe because it looks cool XD

@Kai Lucifer- Aww that Erufuun (or whatever it's called) looks adorable! I love how you've used thick lines, it makes it look cartoony :) The subtle shading looks really nice too.

@Byrus- I've been using Paint Tool SAI to colour my drawings recently, and touching them up in Photoshop CS3. Whenever I do traditional art, I use Faber Castel Watercolour pencils to colour. I have Prismacolours and Derwent pencils, but I don't really like how they turn out on the paper I use :/

@Vladimir Putin's LJ- I love the way you draw humans! The crosshatching effect you have used is really nice too, I envy those who can pull off crosshatching without it being extremely messy.

@Cheatmaster- That is an amazing mecha! The shading looks fantastic, you've pulled off the metallic effect really well~ The only crit I have is that the forwardmost leg looks a little bit slanted, though that could be because of your scanner making the picture crooked, I know my scanner does that quite a bit :/

@To contribute to the current Dodge/Burn vs. Other shading techniques discussion- While the dodge and burn tools aren't exactly the best things to use for shading, I think they do have a few good uses. The dodge tool (at a low opacity) creates some nice highlights on metallic surfaces. I also like to use these tools at varying opacities to create textures for fur-trimmed jackets, it makes quite a nice effect though I have to admit it is kind of a lazy way out of properly using different colours XD
 
Elite.png

Vukoon 'Salanee, Covenant Elite Minor Seperatist Elite Minor.
Normally, in doodles, he has a Needler or Plasma Rifle, but the drawing I used as a guide used Dual Energy Swords and when I put the guns in they looked....awkward. So swords it is.

Also known as: My Halo-sona. Not coloured, but you could see that (I hope)

It is awesomely awesome. I like the way you made it metallic-y. The shading's cool too. The only thing I find odd is the right leg and how it's positioned. Kind of slanted. But it's still epic.
 
As always, I've been lazy and lame, so I've just updated the memberlist after a month of delay it. Regardless, it's great to see new and some old members, too. If I managed to forget, or mess up on your username on the memberlist (or if you've changed it) please correct me.

Also, Kai Lucifer has taken up the role of threadmin. So you can also go to him if you need clarification on OS activities and matters.

[/short post]
 
Harr I didn't come back.
But now I am.
Ehhhhmm.

Cheat Master - I love the shading. As has been said a lot, now, there's something with the right leg. I think, to me at least, it looks like it stretched all the way out, while I'm guessing it's supposed to be bent.

Ice - I still like the comic, and I like the profile of the glasses guy. : D

Uh, I'll post my 'sona later tonight, or tomorrow, kay.
 
Also, Kai Lucifer has taken up the role of threadmin. So you can also go to him if you need clarification on OS activities and matters.
I genuinely almost clicked the edit button instead of the quote button.

So, I'm gonna get to work on some threadmin-ny things now. Like updating the reference list and linking it to the first page.

Also, I think I've changed my mind about ArtMo. I'm going in~
 
Also, I think I've changed my mind about ArtMo. I'm going in~

Eep. I don't know if I can manage that. Not only am I still a little ways off finishing Death Note mode, 31 pictures in a month is a little too much, now that I can actually draw properly.
Maybe I'll do some doodles but no srs art :C
 
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