Workshop: Vector Critique #19
tuts workshop

Workshop: Vector Critique #19

on Aug 3rd 2012 with 7 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: Character Illustration

Details:

Designer: Lucas Wojcik

Details: "Hello! I’m 24-age student from Poland and I’m just beginning my adventrue with computer graphics. All I have created is a result of my own work at home, with no professional preparation, just from my head and hands. Now I’m thinking about getting some professional skills – by getting a job or a trainig in some Graphics Studio. Just because I like it so much and because It’s a opportunity to turn my hobby into my profession. Who don’t dream about this?

Especially I like creating characters with futuristic features – as You can see at this graphics. I also want to express an idea of peace, hapiness, freedom and music – that’s why my characters are full of colours, smiles and energy.

If You like this kind of things – please contact me. Soon I will also show some more of my works."

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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  • Rennossa

    I think they are too messy and complicated for a character :| .

  • Nabil

    Over all the artwork is good. But it will better if you make your blue character look more 3D so that character match with the earphone that look 3D. In addition you must keep it simple :-D

  • Jason

    I like it! However, I think the middle feels a tad washed out. Don’t know if the lens flare is really needed.

  • Jesse

    First of all, I have a soft place in my heart for anyone looking to get started in this industry. You have a lot of spirit and seem like you’re very open to learning and those, my friend, are two of the best qualities to possess, right off the bat.

    That said, I think it’s important to decide which of these characters is most important to you in this illustration. Is it the blue or yellow character you want to have focus? Eliminate the one that you feel is least important or least interesting.

    Next, let’s strip off the effects (i.e., lens flares, drop-shadows, etc.). We want to get down to the character; we must get to know him. I think it’s important to focus first on how you’d like the character to live, stylistically. Is he transparent or opaque? Is he shiny or matte? What would he be made out of and why? When you have some of these questions answered, you can start to address his appearance. Start from the general—a pleasing shape—and work into the specific—tiny details like hair follicles, fabric textures, or sweat droplets. When you create a character, he’s more than an image. He has a story and a life. And you get to give him his story and his life.

    As a separate piece of advice: look around at illustrations and the work of other illustrators. Get inspired by them. Try to recreate the ones you like best; figure out how they were made. Make mistakes.

    Michael Cho is an illustrator I personally like. I love his style. See some of his work here: http://www.illoz.com/michaelcho/?section=portfolios&gallery_id=1182

    John Ueland’s monsters are nice, too: http://www.illoz.com/ueland/?section=portfolios&gallery_id=1657

    The very best of luck to you!!

  • http://aleksanderschipper.deviantart.com/ Aleksander Schipper

    You have great technical skills, and they will only improve more with time. It seems you have a good understanding for Illustrator. But the character in it self is a bit hard to read. Look at the head / helmet, it hard to differentiate on where the background is, and where the helmet / head goes. Also, its too much stuff in the picture. Rennossa said it well, with its too messy.
    I do a lot of character design myself, and I always sketch out an idea by hand, before i drag the project into illustrator. I don’t know if you do this, but i would highly recommend this. It gives you a better understanding on how you would like to build your character. And its a lot of fun too! :)

    Keep up the good work! :)

  • http://www.behance.net/loriramey RameyLady

    Hey there!
    I’m glad you’re progressing on your own and building as much skill as you can … and I am excited that you’re looking into professional training!

    What I like about the illustration you posted:
    –the yellow & blue color scheme
    –the whimsical nature of the characters
    Little yellow guy is my favorite. He looks fun and full of dance.

    What I’d suggest working on:
    –sense of proportion seems to be “off” especially in the blue character
    –too hard to pick out the top of the blue character (which is white?) from the light-colored background — maybe some shadowing or outlining would help
    –something about the blue gradient on the character is wrong. He’s really light in the center, but it’s too washed out. IMHO.

    Good luck! :)

  • flyingfox

    Nice work overall, go for it all the way!

    My critique:

    1. Get rid of the effects (lens flare just washes out the whole picture, drop shadows are, in some occasions, simply wrong: the two fingers forming the V are separated from the hand by the drop shadow). Overall you are not enhancing a complete character with those effects, you rather try to overdo the weaknesses it has. That doesn’t work. Build your character with vector tools only and when you are done, it must stand alone without effects. If it does, then maybe, depending on the scene, you might add subtle effects.

    2. The 2D character style, emphazised by the paper-cut white outline, doesn’t correspond with the 3D shapes of the headphones. Pure 2D-style would fit this image a whole lot better.

    3. Color separate your characters from the background. The blue guy is hard to read overall, and on top of it it melts with the background in several spots.

    My recommondation for illustrations for you to take a look at: Everything from the Ankama universe. You find a lot of Ankama stuff at deviantart.com f.e.

    Keep up the effort. You are on the right track.