Topic: 2012 Fan Calendar Guidelines (Read 618927 times)

jaRf · « **Reply #600 on:** January 28, 2012, 09:17:12 AM »

Haken... reminds me of Rayek, a little. Heh.

And speaking of him, the sickness was so severe that it kept me from doing anything useful for 3 days. Sometimes it was like a wrecking ball hitting my skull whenever I even tried to focus on something. Really nasty cold, and I don't even know how I caught it.
I guess I actually never ate so many herb sweets, aetheric oils and stuff in so short time.

But at least yesterday/today I had nice progress. I am even starting to be satisfied with it. So portrait is at humm, maybe >60%, I mean, it's like done but then it's hours of adding details, putting in ideas, changing colours, improving here and there and then thinking that it was yet a little better before (ctrl-Z loves me)...
Everything else besides final composition is >90%.
But then I'll have to fight with that tiny 2500x2500 quadratic space. :p Did I mention that this really limits me?

And finally today we have the first real snow of this winter. Finally! Looking beautiful! Even night is bright now.

Wildfire · « **Reply #601 on:** January 28, 2012, 02:52:15 PM »

Alright, it's going so well with Haken (portrait done, pinup 2/3rds of the way, actionpose sketched) that I dare say it. The pinup for Haken is happening, so he'll need another artist for the bonus-art 8D

jaRF, about the size. I create each picture individually and then I put them together at the end. That way I can resize the bits and pieces so that they'll fit together ^___^ There's no way I'd be able to draw all three on the same canvas, especially not one that small haha!

jaRf · « **Reply #602 on:** January 29, 2012, 05:11:06 AM »

@Wildfire

Yes, but that's what I do. I start each piece separately, all vector graphics, so scaling/rotating is not a problem later. But, later especially the quadratic format is hard to use for me. I mean I could scale down everything but... *sigh*. It's hard when you have 5+ pieces to fit in one quadratic thing without having it looking too crowded. Probably I'll have to mess around and experiment more with the partition of the quadratic space.

branchscamper · « **Reply #603 on:** January 29, 2012, 11:01:00 AM »

Ok so I have to ask as this has been boggling my mind. What size do you guys start your artwork at? I'm used to traditional mediums and most of my work begins on a simple 8x11 inch paper. I rarely go larger except when doing my acrylic paintings. All of my pinups were done with all three images on that paper. I'm truly fascinated by how others have done theirs!

jaRf · « **Reply #604 on:** January 29, 2012, 11:51:01 AM »

I started very first idea scribbling on paper.
Later, since I felt insecure with drawing lines etc. on paper in an artistic way (though some of my best things started as a sketch during (boring) classes when I still went to school ;-) ) I used the computer. Sometimes I scanned my ideas but normally I started from scratch.
There I had no real limitations of a paper, just memory, CPU/GPU power and program will limit you. I started each of the 3 main parts for each character separately. The basics I first did in Libreoffice Draw using mouse and a tablet+pen. Then I exported as SVG and went to inkscape and did most stuff there (mouse and tablet+pen again). Sometimes I add very few things in GIMP but most of my stuff is vectors.
Then I add all into one picture and notice that the quadratic space doesn't fit all my ideas.

I mean 2500x2500 is one thing, and vectors can be scaled up and down, left and right and rotated and whatsnot without any loss. But still the quadratic area ... I would probably be better of with the A4/A3 paper size I am used to. (for what is A4 see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_size_illustration2_with_letter_and_legal.svg )
Anyway, sooner or later I manage to cramp all stuff in and then I export the SVG as PNG and clip if necessary, then I make sure the sides are A x A and then I render down to 2500x2500 (the export can be rather huge sometimes, but you don't have to, I just like to have it large, then apply last things and then render down with an algorithm which preserves most info).
Then I check if I really like it and send it off asking for suggestions. (Also I sent intermediate work, which is only in parts)

This was the first time I really did artwork on the computer (ok, let aside some of my Pen & Paper RPG scribblings and stuff) and also the first time I used a tablet.
Well, I must say the tablet feels much better in a pixel/bitmap painting program, with the vectors it really depends on settings but sometimes I see every little twitch in my hand in the line. But then I was lacking training in programs like GIMP or PS. And I wanted vectors since you can correct them more easily. And you have layers all the time, every vector object is a layer of its own.

Now back to work with drawing. I'm already actually satisfied with the portrait. I'm really surprised about this.

Amberfox · « **Reply #605 on:** January 29, 2012, 12:00:33 PM »

I've inked the sketches of Farbright and Haze as well as the pinup of Bowki. I will also be doing an illo as filler of a more mature Bowki because I tried to keep the pinup as a younger version to sort of bridge the gap; after all, I think we've all only seen Bowki as a cub. Anyone have an opinion or should I just scrap the young adult pinup and go for the older mature idea altogether? Either way, I'll be coloring in Farbright with Haze today then I'll start in on coloring in Bowki's illos.

By the way, does anyone know if Farbright's tail is smooth skinned like a dolphin or scaled like a fish?

Treefox · « **Reply #606 on:** January 29, 2012, 12:08:03 PM »

I always though it was scaled.... hm, nothing proves that, I guess...

About Bowki: it really depends how young he looks, I think!

Amberfox · « **Reply #607 on:** January 29, 2012, 12:40:11 PM »

Care for a personal preview? I'm open to suggestions on if the artwork is even good enough. This character is little more than a name so I admit I had some trouble working with him. In either case, I made him a young adult, late teens-early twenties, although some might think him younger or older. It's all subjective.

Treefox · « **Reply #608 on:** January 29, 2012, 12:51:41 PM »

If you're willing to give a preview, I am open for it!
But as you said, it's all subjective. If you and the other person think he looks too young, maybe we should better not include him like that.
And yeah, there's so darn little reference material for him... not easy!

Amberfox · « **Reply #609 on:** January 29, 2012, 01:32:07 PM »

Let me see what I can do. I'm not especially good at the computer but I'll try and send you a personal email with attachment(s) in a few minutes. Yeah, all the images of Bowki are of him as a cub and there are even fewer of Haze and Farbright, but I did see that Farbright's tail appears to be scaled (darn it! That means more work for me!).

Oops, I see you don't have email listed. Anyway to contact you directly?

Treefox · « **Reply #610 on:** January 29, 2012, 01:56:42 PM »

Woops, sorry. Please see your PM!

Amberfox · « **Reply #611 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:38:15 PM »

Got it. Thanks!

Startear · « **Reply #612 on:** January 29, 2012, 02:41:32 PM »

I have a doll of Bowki, with a different costume design, made on request by nilla.

I tried a pin up, and had a lot of trouble with him, either he looked like someone else, or that kid tried to seduce me. Adore Bowki, but not on that level.

Windrider · « **Reply #613 on:** January 29, 2012, 05:21:03 PM »

Okay, trying to get caught up here.

I've updated the bonus art list with Amberfox drawing Haze and Farbright and maybe Bowki. Wildfire's definitely drawing Haken. Startear, I had to search around, but I did have your bonus art of Minyah - so sorry, it was the first I received when this project started to include bonus art and it never got in the right folder! I'll try to figure out how to include it in this last calendar, okay?

A word on how I put together the composition, for these pinups and any drawing with multiple elements. I NEVER draw the elements separately and then try to resize, rotate, etc to get them to fit. I think of it as a total composition right from the start. Lots of small scribbly thumbnails to get everything working together and in proportion FIRST - no details, just blocked in figures and other elements. Once I've got that stage looking okay, I'll move on to a full size pencil sketch, starting rough and refining it. Once at that stage, occasionally I'll pull a pose out by tracing it and refine it separately, but how it fits in the composition at that point is a done deal.

I do traditional media (watercolor) and have been painting these pinups on a 12 x 12 board, but with the border I left they are about 11 x 11 inches.

branchscamper · « **Reply #614 on:** January 29, 2012, 09:13:16 PM »

Thank you to those who answered my question. When I read how artist do things I sometimes have no idea what they are talking about when there are vectors and spaces and such. I think it's just that I never learned the technical terms and when I finally find out what it is I kinda go "OH! That???"

I wish I had been better in the whole composition thing when doing this project. I wasn't sure what exactly to expect so kept it rather simple. I'm used to more of just character drawings than a whole big finished project. But if it's one thing this project has done it's made me look up and learn a lot - from the characters I had no idea about in EQ to reading some of the story lines I had no idea about either to learning more about art and even attempting digital colouring. I think in that alone I am happy I took on this calendar work =D

And with that I sent you an email Windrider that I will happily take on Winnowill grid art. I will be back in my comfort zone of black ink haha

Startear · « **Reply #615 on:** January 30, 2012, 10:44:19 AM »

It's okay. Was just wondering. If you need me to resend, just tell me, and I'll do it.

Faerydae · « **Reply #616 on:** January 31, 2012, 08:53:06 AM »

You mean I can still do art for this? Yay! I was so bummed when I got too sick too finish my pin ups!

Wildfire · « **Reply #617 on:** January 31, 2012, 11:27:11 AM »

Wohoo, I finished Haken! I can't believe that he was one of the first I took on and then discarded only to try again and succeed xD

Treefox · « **Reply #618 on:** January 31, 2012, 12:24:31 PM »

Yay! I never doubted you!
I just re-discovered how awesome highly-pigmented water colors can be. I am creating a really lush, super-dark blue that's just awesome! Maybe done digitally in a second, but there is something very satisfying about painting by hand.
Still not sure I'll get Sefra done, though...

Windrider · « **Reply #619 on:** January 31, 2012, 12:39:22 PM »

You'll get her done!

Mainly because there is no way I can enforce this last deadline. The calendar can't be formatted and published until all the last pinups are in. That is the facts, ma'am. I have no later years to draw from and shuffle around if artists don't get pinups done on time. We'll have enough pinups if everyone gets the ones done that they said, but if they are late I just have to wait for them.

I really do hope everyone comes through. Some of you improved so much as you were working on this project, so the 2014 gallery really has some wonderful stuff in it.

Treefox · « **Reply #620 on:** January 31, 2012, 12:49:27 PM »

Ah, the facts of life! Those are some encouraging words. And, after all, I am at the coloring stage, which is the last stage! All drawn, all inked (meh), now on to color!

Amberfox · « **Reply #621 on:** February 01, 2012, 10:48:25 AM »

The revised Kroosh is done, Kalil is done, and Farbright and Haze are done. I am working on Bowki now and I hope to have him finished soon. Not sure what I can get done today; have a followup with the orthopedic surgeon this afternoon.

Thank you for looking over the sketches, Treefox! Anything you'd recommend to make it even better?

Czarine · « **Reply #622 on:** February 01, 2012, 10:56:49 AM »

Whew! Finished Brownberry just now. I will send her in tomorrow, because I like to let the drawing rest for a while, in order to see and correct my mistakes afterwards. Uhh, I want to make bonus art of Timmorn but I dont think I have time for it... :'( Unless I put something together tonight.

Treefox · « **Reply #623 on:** February 01, 2012, 11:11:13 AM »

Quote

Thank you for looking over the sketches, Treefox! Anything you'd recommend to make it even better?

Maybe I found something! See PM. Don't want to give too much away here.

Tevokkia · « **Reply #624 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:39:20 PM »

Blargh ... technical difficulties. I'm working on finishing up Zarhan now (I have a little corner of the background to finish shading and some touch-ups to do), but have to work this evening, so if I don't get it finished today it will be in tomorrow at the latest.

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Author Topic: 2012 Fan Calendar Guidelines (Read 618927 times)