Elf character

[DArcy1]

Hello, and welcome.

For oomph in a full frontal portrait you need to know how to paint expressions really, really well - and you don't have those skills yet. This is a generic, blue elf with pointy ears, and cliche'd glowing eyes - it looks like any other elf out there, and as a character it simply isn't original enough to give a second glance to. I think that is the problem you have here.

So...how to fix it? Well, you'll probably do best if you stop here and start a new character. Look around at all the elves you see painted, here, on games, on other sites. Unless you can think of some look that hasn't already been done (i.e. a completely new elf species), at least note the cliches and avoid them. Think about this elf as a person, what is it about his character that you want to portray? Avoid the "brooding/aloof/mysterious" look - it's been done to death.

Once you have a goal in mind, get someone to pose for you and snap a few photos of that expression, or google that expression to find a reference. Copy the expression very carefully, don't try to shortcut it -it's an exercise in drawing as well.

Finally, think of your environment - where is he, what is he doing there? The background should support the emotion/character you are trying to convey (so if you are conveying sillyness don't use a brick wall with bloodstains for your background).

Hope that helps

D'Arcy

[hismasterpiece]

Aw, so this one should be thrashed?
..shucks.. should have asked about this a long time ago...
thanks for the reply anyway (:

[DArcy1]

Consider it something you have learned from and use it as a jumping off point for your next project :-)


D.

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