Corvvs' Thread of Ill-Fated Portraits: Merman Hunter

[Corvvs]

Here we go again. The feathers on the front form a little ruff around the neck, and will cover the tops of the arms. Does that sound good?

[Akkarin345]

I like the way it looks (to me) that it is ready to jump up and fly, poised and ready.

[Corvvs]

I put in some flats, and worked on the lines a bit. I hope to finish the lines tomorrow.

[thespaceinvader]

Firstly, where have its eyes gone?

Secondly, the back legs should have paws, not bird claws.

Thirdly, the front legs should have scales up to just below the first joint. I'm pretty sure your bird claws also have one too many toes.

That being said, this looks quite promising.

[Akkarin345]

I like it too but to me it looks like it is asleep.

[Corvvs]

Firstly, where have its eyes gone?

Away. They'll be back soon.

Secondly, the back legs should have paws, not bird claws.

Thanks for that, I'll fix it.

Thirdly, the front legs should have scales up to just below the first joint. I'm pretty sure your bird claws also have one too many toes.

Yeah, I just made all the legs the same. Shame on me.

That being said, this looks quite promising.

Thank you.

I like it too but to me it looks like it is asleep.

Must be the lack of eyes.

[Corvvs]

Fixed the anatomy, but the eyes back in. Colored the lines too.

[Akkarin345]

The head looks really good now! I like it

[Iris]

Uhm... isn't it too tiny? We will have a higher-resolution mechanism for rendering (transparent) portraits soon, so...

[kitty]

hey - every version looks nicer! i would like to see a close-up on the head, to see if he has enough expression for a portrait.

i know it is a fictional animal but i find his torso lacks anatomy, right now it is like a blob, he needs some musculature to get a real shape!

and another general hint is not to use single lines for the outlines. i assume you work with paths. all your lines lack line width variation and end too abruptly. you should use closed paths/forms. that will be a lot more work per line but is worth it!


i look forward to see progess!

[Corvvs]

The head looks really good now! I like it

Thanks.

Uhm... isn't it too tiny? We will have a higher-resolution mechanism for rendering (transparent) portraits soon, so...

Not sure quite what you mean. I just started with a size that seemed comfortable. I would be happy to make it larger, if that is what you are asking.

hey - every version looks nicer! i would like to see a close-up on the head, to see if he has enough expression for a portrait.

i know it is a fictional animal but i find his torso lacks anatomy, right now it is like a blob, he needs some musculature to get a real shape!

and another general hint is not to use single lines for the outlines. i assume you work with paths. all your lines lack line width variation and end too abruptly. you should use closed paths/forms. that will be a lot more work per line but is worth it!


i look forward to see progess!

Thanks a bunch. I think I'll model the chest after a lion (no surprise there) with especially large pectorals, like a bird. About paths: yes, I do. I'll try that with the shapes. Btw, your tutorial's been invaluable.

[Mica]

A Gryphon is a rather large animal, it should be HUGE (like, covering pretty much the whole thing...)

Most of the bird should not totally fit in the portrait IMO, gryphon's are one of the largest units in the game.

[Corvvs]

I have worked on the lines a bit, and am wondering if I'm going in the right direction. The lightsources I chose were behind the gryphon on the right, and in front on the left.

About size, etc.: I'll make the portrait, and then we can crop it if necessary. However, I think a zoomed out view might be neat, with a little dwarf on the back (when appropriate).

[Mirion147]

There's just something about that pose that bothers me. I would think that a side view with his head turned would be more fitting. However, it would also show more detail.

[Gordon CSA]

I'll agree the pose is a little off.
As I see it the left (well, it's right) upper arm should be angling away from the body a bit, right now it seems to be angling towards the body and other arm.
Other than that, good job. And I really like the line work on the latest.