Workshop: Vector Critique #15
tuts workshop

Workshop: Vector Critique #15

on Jun 15th 2012 with 6 comments

Vectortuts+ is all about helping people turbo charge their skills, and today we have another special community post that will help our readers take their images to the next level. The best thing is, you can be part of it too! Find out more at the jump.

How to Participate:

  • This workshop contributor has offered a piece of work that they would like help with, please keep this in mind when you share your thoughts. The images are not perfect, but they can be with the right advice and some friendly encouragement. (Vectortuts+ reserves the right to delete any rude comments)
  • If you’re better with pictures (let’s face it, most of us are) feel free to take a screenshot of the image using Little Snapper, Skitch or a similar program and paste a link to the annotated image in the comments section with an explanation of the tweaks.

If you want to take part in the next Vectortuts+ Workshop:

Add your work to our facebook photo gallery or submit it via the Tuts+ Workshop form, with a description about the piece and the help/advice you’re looking for. We will chose one to be published on our site as part of the next Vectortuts+ Workshop, if you’re not chosen straight away – don’t worry – your work will be chosen for a future session.

Image Category: Cartoon

Details:

Designer: Dirk Wiedewilt

Details: "This is the second illustration of a tooth I made for a dentist. I would enjoy some comments and critique."

Feedback

What are your thoughts on the work above? Critiquing work helps the artist see new possibilities, and it also helps you learn to evaluate art, which will help you take that same analysis and apply it to your own work. Participate in the comments below with your opinions on how to improve the work above.

 
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By

Rollover to read this author's bio or click through to see a full list of posts by this author.

Kate McInnes specializes in Communication Design and Digital Illustration. Based in Melbourne Australia, she is the Associate Editor of Vectortuts+ and one half of the creative duo McKelly. Find her on Twitter as @bittenbypixels and Blood Sweat Vector.  

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  • http://alexandergorton.com Alex

    I like it. It’s fun and would get the attention of kids who tend to be perhaps shy or afraid of the dentist’s office. The only thing I might point out is that the tooth appears to not enjoy being brushed. His expression is one of something akin to, for lack of a better term, “Ugh”. I know that from an artistic standpoint it makes sense, but from the kid’s perspective, I might think the tooth says brushing sucks. Just wanted to point that small detail out for you.

  • http://www.furiousb.com Bob

    I’m not sure what your goal is to convey to people with this illustration but maybe you could try a more pleasant expression on the tooth’s face? Clean teeth are more enjoyable afterall.

  • http://mattkrotzer.deviantart.com/ Matt

    I really like this. I think it’s a pretty strong illustration, honestly.

    The only thing I’d consider changing would be the length of the roots of the tooth. I think that with a bit more length, it would immediately grab you that it’s a tooth, whereas right now it’s just a cute little roughly-rectangular character.

  • Ben

    I suppose it depends on what the illustration is meant to be used for, but at the moment it looks like the tooth doesn’t enjoy being brushed. I know people don’t like brushing, but teeth do feel better afterwards so maybe you could turn the eyes so they’re point upwards a bit. That way it’s a tooth enjoying a vigorous scrub rather than being tortured.

    Also I know it’s a bit cliché, but maybe a little sparkle to denote some shine. It’s looking a little dull at the moment. A white highlight would also do the trick but I can’t tell if your tooth is already 100% white.

  • http://designphilled.com Dan

    I agree with Matt, lengthening the roots would help identify it as a tooth instantly. I’m not sure if you have more planned for the background, but I think developing it a little more perhaps to look like suds or bubbles would really help round out the illustration as a whole. Something else to experiment with is varying your line width in your outlines. This can help give the focal more pop and make it more pleasing to the eye. Since this isn’t a highly detailed illustration, I’d experiment with textures as well. A great example of this would be the work of Neil Hanvey. Hope that gives you some ideas!

  • john

    Dirk. Enough has been said about the expression on the tooth’s “face”. Like Dan I also think that, overall, the illustration is just a touch flat. Variation in line weight would help a lot; done appropriately, it would also contribute to the cartoon style too and add much more movement. Although you can’t apply different stroke weights to a single path, you can create the illusion of this using two paths, slightly offset and made into a compound path. Dan’s suggestion of developing the background further would also help to add more depth.

    And in respect of movement within the design, I wonder if you might consider how you could introduce a little more movement into the brush? Line weight variation would help but I think it would also be useful to explore ways of suggesting more movement of the brush somehow—a less precise line maybe or perhaps some variation of the kind of double-image techniques used extensively in comics and cartoons.

    Ben makes a fair point too I think. If this is directed at children then clichés are what is needed one might say. I also think that the roots might benefit from being a little more tooth-like, although I understand why you have avoided this so far.

    Overall I think you have a strong starting point for what is potentially a very effective illustration.