ballet shoes

I decided to post some of my art to get it out there so comment please critiquing always helps me get better at what I enjoy. I posted both of the ballet shoes I drew because the go together kind of like opposites.

Hi!

These are really good, but I want to mention something specific about the nature of the photos before I get to the actual critique. If you don't have a scanner, that's fine, but basically, whoever is looking at the drawing online shouldn't be able to tell. So, what can you do achieve this?

-Lay the sketchpad down on a flat surface like a table, not your bed.
-Take the picture from directly downward.
-Once you scan it in, if there is anything in the image that isn't the picture, you should be able to crop it out easily.

So, once you make a few revisions to the drawing, you should re-take these. The reason behind this is not because I'm being annoying, but because all of that outside stuff is really distracting. We want to focus on the image, but instead we focus on your bed sheets or the rungs of your notebook, and that's not what you want, is it?

Now, to the drawings! I thought they were both really good, but I liked your second one a lot better. The first one just seemed kind of off. I don't really know what the spots on her shoes and ankle are supposed to represent. Are those holes in her tights or something? Also, the shoes look way too tight, like the girl would be incredibly uncomfortable in the shoes. The shadows seem a little messy and rough-there's barely any of one and it's kind of smudged.

With the second drawing, you seem to have real control over the shading and highlighting and making everything look three-dimensional and realistic. You achieve real depth, something I could never do with my drawings. My only nitpick with the second one is that the shadow from the shoe seems kind of disproportionate. It's titled, which would mean she would have to be on a titled floor, which I don't think she is.

Anyway, I quite liked these! Good luck, and PM me if you have any questions or if you ever post any new artwork.

-Elinor xo

Thanks, On the first one I was trying to show that ballet can be beautiful but not always comfortable hence the tightness and the holes. My cousins are in ballet and there feet are not pretty after point class. I do appreciate the review.
-Bumblebee

I used to take ballet for years, and I'm a huge drawing freak, so this is like an awesome two in one! So here are the things you need to work on.



#FF0000 ">Red- So I have a feeling that these hole like things are supposed to be from the wear and tear of dancing right? But what I've seen most often is that they don't wear in random places like that, and almost never in perfect holes. The wear goes mostly to the toes, and sides of the shoes, not top. Also used shoes are almost always smudged from the floors, and when they tear, they tend to tear like tights do, the kind of run. Right now they look more like cigarette burns .

Green- The shadow, it adds a nice touch, but the problem is that it's not blended enough, I can see your pencil lines. The easiest way I find to do it is to just to use your fingers, it gets them a little dirty, but it does the job. Also something that bugged me, there are two shoes, and only one shadow.

Blue- Most artists who don't know dancers will have the ribbons go crisscrossing all the way up to the knees, so it's good that you know they stay at the ankles, the problem is though, they're way too thin. They'd either cut into her ankles or break way too easily.

#FF00FF ">Pink- Now I assume these are supposed to be very worn, and holey tights. But right now...they look like cheetah print. You have to think about where ballet things get worn. Not at the ankles, they most commonly get runs in them along the thighs, and tear at the knees.

Overall- Your shading is amazing, you have the perfect reflection of the shoes, its a great drawing.



#FF0000 ">Red- So the biggest thing in this one is the fact that the toe is way way WAY bigger then the heel. The toe to leg proportions are great, but the heel needs to be worked on.

Green- Again I assume that it's a rip in her tights, but it just looks like there's a chunk missing from her leg.

Blue- Okay so the other toe is perfect like really perfect, but this one, it looks more like a flat shoe then a toe shoe the way it's rounded under.

Overall- I liked this one much better, there was less distractions then the other one, and it was a much cleaner crisper drawing. I love the way you shaded it and how you got the little wrinkles in the silk exactly where they would go.

They're great, just fix the little problems here and there and they'd be amazing.

Great job, and keep drawing!

~Hope

Thanks that really helps I think I am going to draw the first one again and add your suggestions, I like them it will make it more real.
-Bumblebee