Chrono Compendium
Kajar Laboratories - Fan Works and Submissions => Submissions => Topic started by: anonymouse on June 08, 2009, 02:44:46 pm
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http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Chrono-Trigger-Schala-125227432
Hope you guys like it ^_^ I was going to color it, but wound up having too much fun shading it instead.
EDIT: Wish I had a better scanner, though T_T Some shading didn't come out right.
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Neat. I like the shawl.
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Good stuff anonymouse! I love the hair texture. I have a thing about hair...I don't know why.
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Looks great! Keep it up!
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The hair and face especially are amazing. I love long hair.
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What's that shawl/cape? :o
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Eh...random. I just wanted to try modifying her clothes. Actually, I'm better at faces and hair, as you can probably tell... >_>
Thanks, guys! :D
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I really liked it! I faved it in DA. It would be awesome if you could color it though...
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It would be awesome if you could color it though...
Heh, thanks. Unfortunately the only good coloring medium I own is Copic markers, and I don't really have enough colors to do anything subtle. So I prefer to stick to pencils for nicer shading.
http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Chrono-Trigger-A-Time-of-Rest-125323122
More fan art for your viewing pleasure! =D Schala and Janus, this time.
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Your composition of this picture is pretty good, heh.
Everything in the picture is fine except that Alfador looks like a marmot.
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They're a bit expensive, but you should try prismacolor coloured pencils. They're really the best coloured pencils out there and are great for blending. If you want to get even more subtle, you could try watercolour coloured pencils. Just brush a little water over the page, and it turns into paint!
Also, your happy Janus = win.
Another also: Join the oekaki! Link to it is on the left side of the screen, just below Forums/IRC.
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Everything in the picture is fine except that Alfador looks like a marmot.
Erm...yeah...I just have a problem drawing cats. Still, that was a vast improvement from the previous version, which according to my tactful brother resembled an alien. It's strange, since I actually love cats, and own two kittens. I guess I'm just not a good observer. *shrug*
They're a bit expensive, but you should try prismacolor coloured pencils. They're really the best coloured pencils out there and are great for blending. If you want to get even more subtle, you could try watercolour coloured pencils. Just brush a little water over the page, and it turns into paint!
Also, your happy Janus = win.
Another also: Join the oekaki! Link to it is on the left side of the screen, just below Forums/IRC.
Thanks! I'll be visiting an art store soon, so I'll look out for your recommendations.
The world needs more happy Janus! ^_^ *hug*
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If you can, go to Daniel Smith's. They're a professional art store with TONS of good supplies. Also on the expensive side, but they're worth every cent.
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*checks* Crap, located practically on the other side of the world. Looks like I'll have to stick to Art Friend, as usual.
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Yeah again, good work with the second one.
Have you tried playing with charcoal? Some friends of mine do some awesome shading and depth with charcoal.
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Looks good...It brings to mind Schala if she had survived the Fall of Zeal and was living among the rest of the Earthbound and other survivors...
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And again:
http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Chrono-Trigger-Hug-126246763
Aaaand this is why I prefer pencils. When I use Copic the markers bleed everywhere, if you look closely. Plus, I slipped up on Janus's hand when I was outlining :shock:
I checked the art store. They didn't stock Prismacolours =(
Thanks for the comments, commenters! XD
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It looks pretty nice, in color. I tend to prefer pencil sketches, but you didn't do badly at all. Well done.
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Well, this is technically Schala fanart, I suppose. Colored with Photoshop this time.
http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Chrono-Cross-Kid-127621860
And I have a bad feeling I got the shadows on the floor wrong, so anyone in the know please correct me ^_^
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Very nice. It all has a very fluid feel to it... perhaps you should watch out as well XD;
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Heh, I don't know shit about shading, but maybe Mr. Bekkler can give you a few tips? He was an art student, if I recall correctly.
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The shading on the floor would really depend on what direction the pier is running in regards to the sun. If it's perpendicular, then the shadows would be straight, like the reflection in the water. But if it's diagonal, then the shadows would be slightly slanted. Try standing some pencils up the way those posts are and shine a flashlight on them to simulate the sun.
I like your colours in this one. Kid's got a cute face :D
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Well, I don't really have a problem with getting the poles' shadows right. It's more that of Kid's shadow >_>
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Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see hers. Well, judging by the shadows on the poles, the sun is pretty low, so her shadow should be pretty long too. You won't be able to see much of it because of how the picture cuts off, but the shadows for her legs would probably be just like the poles, only starting farther from the edge. You might contour it differently, too. If the poles' shadows have hard edges, than Kid's shadow should too.
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Judging the angle of the sun, the shape of the pole shadows, and Kid's position above the relative ground-plane...
Kid's shadow wouldn't be visible in the current frame of view. Rather, the tips of her shadow's feet would begin below the bottom edge of the picture... Pointing in the same direction as the poles. (This is why I always draw with a medium-high front angle light source...)
Another point about shading, with the sun where it is in the frame, most of kid should be dark, with only the edges on the right side of the image being highlighted... However... I think, based on the painting and shading method used, the majority being bright... probably looks better aesthetically... even if not accurately. (Again, this is why I generally make the sun very high or in front of my frames, and hence, not visible.)
Don't think I'm picking the image apart; I'm just trying to be helpful.
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And I have a bad feeling I got the shadows on the floor wrong, so anyone in the know please correct me ^_^
Not noticably. The only problem I see here (other than the fact that it's anime :lol: ) is that it your photoshop color job looks a little flat. It's not the shadows on the floor, it's the shadows on her body. The sun is behind her, yet the light seems to come from the front once you look at her figure. When a light source is behind someone, the shadows become much more interesting IRL. Here's a reference from google images.
(http://www.paguk.com/photos/Fig06.jpg)
Other than that, you could work on your depth. There's no indication that the sun, sky, and water aren't just a cardboard backdrop, and by that I mean it's the same color value from the top of the water to the bottom. The closer something is, the clearer and (at least with paintings and related colored art) darker the thing/area should be. The farther away it is, it should get less contrasty and more gray to emphasize the foreground. Basically if one were in a black and white room and were to look at the farthest wall away, the floor would appear as a gradient.
For reference, a landscape photo from google images:
(http://www.switzerland.travelphotoguide.com/uploaded_images/switzerland-magnificent-landscape-786714.jpg)
Notice the dark tree closest to the viewer to the left. Also notice the mountain in the background. There's a very nice field of depth here.
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Thanks for the tips! It's true, I realized that Kid should be darker, but it looked nicer bright so I went with it. Also, I'm coloring with a mouse, so I wasn't inclined to do so much shading since I didn't have perfect control. Another reason for the "cardboard" landscapes. Though I do realize that isn't a good excuse ^_^
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Anytime. My suggestion is that you take the sun out of the background and let be your original light source. It doesn't bring anything to the picture that isn't already there. If you were to do that, though, then the shadows on the floor would need to be changed to extend to the left.
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Yeah, that makes sense. I only put the sun there 'cause the sky looked sort of empty and the sea flat. Clearly I was taking one too many liberties with artistic license there... :)
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Nah, experimentation is the best way to come up with new methods of creating art. Play with it all you want. It is your piece.
I do like that it's not too far into the anime direction. Your outline width on Kid is great, also on the bird. I'd like to see that extended to the setting also.
I'm very big on collective opinion gathering, at least when it comes to improving artwork. If you see anything I've done, lemme know what you think! Be critical! You won't hurt my feelings. :D (Though I admittedly don't have much "done" that I've posted here. But I have lots of experiments floating around the forums.)
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Yeah, that makes sense. I only put the sun there 'cause the sky looked sort of empty and the sea flat. Clearly I was taking one too many liberties with artistic license there... :)
Replace the sun with some more gulls, black, small, silhouetted ones... it'll take away the monotony without ruining the light scheme.other than the fact that it's anime :lol:
Oi!
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I'm very big on collective opinion gathering, at least when it comes to improving artwork. If you see anything I've done, lemme know what you think! Be critical! You won't hurt my feelings. :D (Though I admittedly don't have much "done" that I've posted here. But I have lots of experiments floating around the forums.)
Unfortunately, I'm not too much help here. My comments range from "Yuck" to "Lookin' good!" I just fail at providing proper criticism =P
Oi!
Seconded! :lol:
I'll work on the piece again tomorrow. It's 3 AM right now and I'm braindead. Thanks for the suggestion.
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3AM...? I swear, if you're Chinese and living in Australia I'm going to explode into a colorful ball of confetti... (Not because I have anything against either, mind you, but rather because 90% of the people I meet online are A. chinese, B. in Texas or Australia, C. A&B. I just kinda hope I can eventually meet someone that live in a similar timezone one day XD;;)
((Why do I only meet Chinese-Australians XD;;;;? I have the weirdest luck in friends...))
Anyway, you should look into getting a tablet. Hanvon, a korean company, makes a good tablet that is fairly durable, battery-less, and inexpensive. I got one that continued to work for about a week after being accidentally washed with my laundry... (the pen I mean...) It'll probably still work if I get the soap out of it... (technically it's still useable, but it glitches once in a while) All for less than 100USD.
Oh well... Sleep well.
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What an odd choice for B, Satoh.
And anonymouse, it's all good. Most people either like to criticize and don't know what they're talking about, or know what they're doing but don't know how to communicate it to others. I try to fall somewhere in the middle, but in your case, having skill and not being good at critiquing is nothing to be ashamed of. :) That's more than a lot of people have anyway.
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3AM...? I swear, if you're Chinese and living in Australia I'm going to explode into a colorful ball of confetti... (Not because I have anything against either, mind you, but rather because 90% of the people I meet online are A. chinese, B. in Texas or Australia, C. A&B. I just kinda hope I can eventually meet someone that live in a similar timezone one day XD;;)
Chinese, yes. Australian, no. =P Actually, it's Southeast Asia, so I guess you're close.
And when I asked my dad if I could buy a tablet, he was like, "You don't need a tablet." >_>
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OK, the new image is up!
http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Chrono-Cross-Kid-127621860
Thanks to Zephira, Satoh, and Mr Bekkler for your help ^_^ If there's still any more kinks to be worked out, do let me know.
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And when I asked my dad if I could buy a tablet, he was like, "You don't need a tablet." >_>
You remind me oh so much of someone I know... >.>;
Still, I find it strange that I have a sort of magnetism that attracts chinese people XD; It's not a bad thing, but it would be nice to meet someone online that's on this side of the planet too occasionally XD;
As a general rule, I don't use burn and dodge anymore for shadows... it's too hard to correct it after the fact.
Recently I started using a new layer, with varying opacity, on the "Multiply" and "Screen" settings and draw in my highlights and shadows as a big gray shape (in 50% gray)
This may not help much for that specific picture, since it already has shading, but in the future it may help, since you can edit the shape of the shadows easily with that method.
Also, it doesn't NEED to be gray, if you have a different colored light, you can use any color as long as it gets the right effect... (I just use gray since I do mainly simple white-light concept drawings...)
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OK, the new image is up!
http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Chrono-Cross-Kid-127621860
Thanks to Zephira, Satoh, and Mr Bekkler for your help ^_^ If there's still any more kinks to be worked out, do let me know.
Wow. Much much much better!
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Agreed.(Suddenly realize I forgot to comment as such XD;;)
I guess I try to say too much sometimes.
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Nice tactic and skill in shading ! Teamwork really worth it eh?
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Not so much teamwork as just a sharing of techniques and ideas... Mouse did all the work.
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Still, I find it strange that I have a sort of magnetism that attracts chinese people XD; It's not a bad thing, but it would be nice to meet someone online that's on this side of the planet too occasionally XD;
Heh. On the other side of the coin, most people I meet online are Westerners XD
Recently I started using a new layer, with varying opacity, on the "Multiply" and "Screen" settings and draw in my highlights and shadows as a big gray shape (in 50% gray)
This may not help much for that specific picture, since it already has shading, but in the future it may help, since you can edit the shape of the shadows easily with that method.
Also, it doesn't NEED to be gray, if you have a different colored light, you can use any color as long as it gets the right effect... (I just use gray since I do mainly simple white-light concept drawings...)
Will try that next time (I'm working on a Magus picture ^_^), thanks!
And, thanks, everyone--I'm really trying hard to improve my art and your comments have helped a lot.
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Wow, that does look so much nicer. Great job! Looking forward to your Magus (durr) :D
Since we're discussing shading techniques, I use dodge and burn for absolutely everything I do now. Yeah, it's difficult to correct after the fact, but there are a couple ways it can be done. If you're burning midtones and go too far, take dodge on the same settings as your burn tool and go over it lightly. It might not go back to the exact same colour but it's enough to fool the eye, and can give some interesting effects. Alternatively, if you have to redo a whole section, take your base colour (hopefully from swatches panel or a hidden layer) and use a soft brush to "erase" the shading in the messy area and try again. I've had to do this hundreds of times for school :lol:
Satoh's 'big grey blob' shading is one of the more accepted methods and can be easier to use than dodge and burn, especially since it never touches your base colours and you can change the opacity. Just remember to link the two layers (or the shading layer and the colour group's folder) so your grey blob doesn't affect anything outside of the character.
Also, if dodge and burn can't make your shadows or highlights strong enough, you can use both methods in tandem to make the contrast pop even more. I prefer the doge/burn method because the texture that a soft brush gives looks better. Anyway, just experiment and see what you like, and keep improving! You're doing well so far!
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I'll grant that Burn and Dodge have their unique look, and I use them occasionally...
But when I do, I generally copy the character layer and use the copy to exact my burns or dodges... that way I always have a backup...(because of this, I generally have a lot of organizational folders that group my various layer copies together for space saving)
In the end there are lots of things that make interesting effects, and no method should ever be considered outright "bad"
I did discover an interesting process for making organic cracks/lightning effects recently... if you're interested I could make a short tutorial... it's only about... 3 or four steps at most...
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Hah, we've kidnapped Mouse's thread and turned it into a huge art discussion. Sorry Mouse!
I took it for granted that a duplicate layer would be made before applying shading. I duplicate everything, lines included, and hide it all as backup. If you've got pretty far into your dodge/burning and are about to start a risky section, it's also a good idea to duplicate the shaded layer and work on the new one. This way, if you screw up, you have a 'save state' to go back to. Also, if you duplicate like this and have a part that you really like on the new one and a part that you really screwed up on, or another duplicate on top of that which has some really good spots, use layer masks to pick and choose the parts you want to keep.
By all means Satoh, make your tutorial :D There are quite a few good ones on deviantArt that I like to refer to, especially for hair. Perhaps we should make a thread for tutorial and technique discussion.
But now I'm curious. How much photoshop experience do you all have?
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Lol, I wouldn't say kidnapped... Everything I've said was for Mouse's benefit, in my opinion at least.
If others are helped in turn, well that's just a side effect, ne?
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That's true. By all means carry on. It's a fascinating discussion you've got there.
I don't have much Photoshop experience, actually--I learned the basics in 2004 (i.e. layers, lasso, etc) and since then messed around with PS now and then, but not too much. This picture is about the third full-colour one I've done so far ^_^
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Okay, make a black and white gradient perpendicular to the direction you want the lightning or crack to be...
Now, go to Filter > Render > Difference clouds on the same layer.
Select a pure black color, and Select > Color Range, use a low number... between 0 and 5 or so... 0 may be too hard on the edges but it can work.
With that selected, make a copy, or create a new layer, and fill the selection with a color... lightning would best be white or a bright color...
Edit the layer styles(double click the selected layer, but not in the area of the layer name) and add Outer Glow, as you see fit.
For a crack in a wall or such, use any color, turn the Fill to 0 (it's below Opacity... Keep opacity at 100%) add a Bevel and Emboss layer style effect, and change the settings until you get something you like.
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Er. Long time no see?
Anyway, I was beginning to get nostalgic for Chrono Trigger again, and sketched this: http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Schala-and-Kid-152992100 (http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Schala-and-Kid-152992100)
It's ok to bring personal threads out of retirement like this, right?
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Er. Long time no see?
Anyway, I was beginning to get nostalgic for Chrono Trigger again, and sketched this: http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Schala-and-Kid-152992100 (http://axilet.deviantart.com/art/Schala-and-Kid-152992100)
It's ok to bring personal threads out of retirement like this, right?
Yeah, absolutely. Thread necromancy's never been an "offense" on the Compendium, since we always wanted to keep the analysis threads as few in number as possible to concentrate discussion.