I keep saying I’m going to do a deeper dive on character design at some point. This isn’t that. Coming to newgrounds from instagram represents 1st and foremost me not wanting to engage with AI in art spaces. I think this has been good. I also appreciate the feedback I have gotten since moving over here. I think I’m going to be here for a while.

I think I am cautious about critique on the internet for art. I had a comment about anatomy/proportion recently. So this sent me into a tailspin about wether or not to directly respond to it. I realized I haven’t been in a forum like space for a long time. IG functions like a marketplace more than a forum. It took me an hour to step back and not immediately respond…its an ADHD thing.

On the one hand I’m approaching middle age and I have many years of making art behind me. Lots of experience. On the other hand I don’t think operating from a place of “I’m an expert and I’m always right” is healthy at all.

So I did not respond directly. But since the art I posted is from 2017 and was only posted on IG. it was interesting to see the reaction. Then for me to go back and check my work.

So I did for this older piece something I have done with some of my undergrad classes. I changed the opacity and did a draw over to check the structure/design.

Just on first glance I was remembering what it felt like to make the piece…

I can see where the skeleton is. He is also in movement so there is some distortion, but much less than I thought there was. I did not do an underdrawing. My practice at the time was to use the lasso tool in Photoshop to block out areas. Then render with the pencil or brush tool. I really preferred the pencil tool for the rough edges, I was also using a paint bucket tool at a lower opacity.

There really isn’t a background, like a city or environment etc. It’s a big triangle inside of a square.

I then tried to stand the same figure up in a more neutral position. He is standing at 6 1/2 heads tall. Which is not heroic or cartoony proportions but more inline with an average person. Only folks that are Tyson Fury’s size or some basketball players come in at 7.5 heads tall. I also put some meat on the figure in movement where I places the gesture/balljoints. I have studied figures and characters for 20+ years so again I was painting and more concerned with expression and the feeling of shooting a bow and arrow, specifically the moment when you let go of the arrow before the arrow is in flight/archer’s paradox etc.

Looking one more time I’m noticing all of the custom brushes I was using. I took photos of circuit boards and fabrics and marbled paper and watercolors/inks lots of stuff to get the texture. I stopped working in photoshop because of adobe’s policy of ^%$# the artist. I still have that brush set and I often give it away to students.

So while I think critiques are useful. I would caution about just taking in anything anyone says. “In the matters of boots I refer to the shoemaker.” Also my gratitude to the person who gave me that critique. It was good to review over some basics about design. And also reflect on where I have grown over the past 8 or 9 years.

I love all of the little errors and noise and markmaking that speak to the my state of miind at the time… I was just having fun making art. I wasn’t trying to make a print or a design to sell. That’s still where the juice is for me. KEEP MAKING ART KIDS!