Young Writers Society

Hi guys! It's been a while since I've posted, and i'm just going to show some of the stuff i've been working on. SO, whoopee, I got a new computer and I downloaded GIMP. I've been messing around with it, having never used a digital program to colour before, and this is what I came up with. Some is manga, some is cartoon style.
OH and if you clikc on the image you can see the full thing.

This is Daisy, one of my friends (this was the first thing I did on GIMP, and it was on Saturday). So here you are:

This is the second one I did, on Sunday morning. Not referenced.

I did this on Sunday night, and I'm sure about it. I think it's too smudgy.

This one I drew and coloured this morning, and it;s more of a cartoony style. I think it's quite cute.

Also did this one this morning, same style as the one before. It's really fun to do.

Hope you like them. Good and bad reviews welcome. Thanks guys!
~Leopard

i really like the red girl. you have good shading patterns. keep trying! you will surely excel!



- manisha

You are a really good drawer and there is no way I could draw like that! Although, I'm not into drawings like this anyway, and don't seem to get the first one where she has a load of lines instead of a nose. Maybe it's me being a slow blonde but I don't really like the look of it.
Otherwise, my favourite one has to be the second down blonde girl. I love how from the corner there is a light shining down and it gives it a really good effect and texture. Overall, you should so keep drawing because you have good talent!

Hey! I think you have a really great talent for drawing. I cannot see anything that looked wrong or awkward but I am just going to share what I think about the pictures":

Drawing 1: A really nice portrait of Daisy. I loved the eyes and it all looks really perfect. Awesome picture!

Drawing 2: I like this one a lot as well. It is nice and similar to Daisy, same style but zoomed out a bit more. Overall good, can't find much to comment on with it.

Drawing 3: This was the one you said you were not to sure about. I personally, think of it as my favourite out of the four there. It has really great colours and shades, and the blend of red and black in her hair was fantastic. I would actually buy something like that! It was amazing!

Drawing 4 and 5: These pictures were also great but these were my least favourite. Why? Because the eyes looked like they were bugling and reminded me a bit of a bugs eyes. Thats the reason I didn't like them much. And the eyes were really big and a big focus in the drawing so it kind of ruined the overall affect.

You have great potential there and I think you are using it well! Sometimes you are unsure of it (drawing 3) but I think you really are a great artist.

Deanie x

Hello, here to review!


- Daisy -

Hair: I like the way you blended line and color to create some depth. The bit sticking out the top is a nice touch, but it looks a little too tidy. Consider making it more scraggly, like you did with the rest of the hair.

Eyes: These are pretty good, but there were some things that bothered me. First, there appear to be light-gray lines around the pupils. They look like guidelines that weren't erased from the picture, and really take away from the overall smoothness of it.
Also, there appear to be black spots in the left and top right areas of the irises. I'm guessing it's supposed to be shading, right? I would recommend more of a dark teal color instead of black, as this will create more of a shaded effect. I've never used GIMP before, so I don't really know what kinds of tools are at your disposal, but if you could blend the lighter colors into the darker, it would look great.
One minor nitpick: the iris on the right isn't quite as curved as the one on the left. It looks sort of flat on the edges.
(Also, I really like the eyebrows. Awesome job on those!)

Nose: I'm not entirely familiar with this style of drawing, so there's a good chance I'm wrong, but I kind of agree with angel007angel. I think there should be a nose in there somewhere. Actually, with that nice spot of color you have, you could probably do without the series of black lines. The freckles are a nice touch, though.

Shading: Pretty good. It's quite light in this picture, but I think that was a smart move on your part. She seems like a very light person, so heavier shading would probably just mess it up. It gets somewhat splotchy around her neck, though.

Overall: I really like her facial expression; it's sort of half-mischievous, half-innocent. It's a very cute drawing. A little rough, but you really conveyed her personality with it.



- Blonde Girl -

Hair: Again, I like your technique of blending in the colors. However, I'm not a fan of the thick black lines where the bottom of her hair parts. They detract from the great texture of the hair. The shine on it is very nice.

Eyes: These are good, but I think they're a little too far apart. Like with the drawing of Daisy, the eye on the right is narrower than the other. There's also the matter of those gray lines.

Facial structure: The head is kind of wide and uneven. Notice how the cheek on the right is much higher and sharper than the other? Also, the top of her head pokes out in places where it shouldn't really poke out (I know how tough it can be to draw a nicely-shaped head). Also, you might want to be careful with the positioning of the mouth; too far down, and it looks like her mouth is on her chin instead of above it.

Shoulders: They're too wide, and too sharp; female shoulders tend to slant gently downward from the neck. The transition from shoulder to bicep is also more curved (if you look at your own shoulders in the mirror, it'll give you a better idea of what I'm talking about). I can tell just by looking that the shoulder on the right is much broader, even though it's mostly covered by her hair. An even set of shoulders can sometimes help you judge whether or not the face is even, too.

Body: Don't be afraid to give her some curves; right now, her body is wide and predominantly square. Her neck, face, and arms suit a more slender build.

Also, she has no legs...it's a little bit disturbing. I'm kidding, of course, but please consider giving her some legs, especially since the picture looks otherwise complete.

Shading: You have an obvious knack for shading, but it seems like you're a little hesitant to use it. The shading on her neck is fantastic, especially since this is a manga-style drawing.

Overall: It looks good; the colors go well together, and she seems like a very likable character.



- Red Girl -

Hair: Great colors here. The red and the black really create a feeling of depth, and they look great. However, it bulges out toward the left, and fades on the right. Other than that, I really like it.

Eyes: I think these are your best eyes out of the five drawings. They're very large, but the colors are absolutely awesome. They look like they're reflecting a moonlit landscape.

Shading: I really have nothing to critique here...

Overall: I agree with the above posters; this is my favorite. Sometimes the pictures we doubt are the best ones. It has an eerie, ethereal, mystic feel to it. I agree, it's smudgy and not entirely clear, but I almost think you could pass it off as intentional and people would go for it. It kind of looks like she's fading away in places...
You have a great technique here. Work on clarity and less smudging, though.



- Sophie & Carla -

Hair: Good for cartoon-style, but a little flat. At the very least, consider adding some highlights or darker tones. I like the zany quality of Carla's hair, but it looks messy on account of the light-colored line running through the top.

Eyes: I agree with Deanie...the eyes are too buggy. Generally with cartoons, the eyes are smaller, a little more realistic, and the whites show around the iris. The black lines around the eyes in these drawings almost look like wrinkles or signs of exhaustion. However, the irises and shines in the pupils are very good.

Face: My suggestion would be to make the faces a little more round, and move their mouths up a little. I like their facial expressions, though.

Clothes: I like them. They're very well-drawn, and add a nice touch to the drawings. Carla strikes me as a bit of a rebel, eh?

Shading: There isn't really any shading to speak of in these two...

Overall: These aren't your best works, but the most crucial part of drawing is enjoying it! But if you're ever interested in learning more about cartooning, I'd suggest checking out some books on it. I also did a quick Google Search, and there are plenty of sites with how-to-draw lessons.


These were a pleasure to review. If you have any questions or comments, please PM me or give me a holler on my wall.

Happy drawing, and keep up the good work!

Paybe wrote:Eyes: These are pretty good, but there were some things that bothered me. First, there appear to be light-gray lines around the pupils. They look like guidelines that weren't erased from the picture, and really take away from the overall smoothness of it.

This was the main problem I noticed. It comes from using the fill bucket too much. You see, when you draw a line with most digital programs, the edges of the line will be softened. because of this, the fill bucket cannot fill in the area completely, leaving those lines behind. There's a setting to turn the fading off, 'Anti-Aliasing' I think. The easiest solution is to simply go over the lines with the brush tool and cut them out.
Other than that, you did pretty well. You show quite a bit of promise with digital work, especially with the first one!
Jenth

Wow I love the first ones!!
I draw in that style...
But the other more cartoon ones aren't my type ... still good though!!


lorna
xx

They're good, but amateur. My fav would have to be the red haired girl. The only problem I have is lines....
Daisy
Good skin tones going on.
The eyes look like you colored them in with a pen, and that's not good.
The hair looks okay with a passing glimpse, but there are a few problems,
-Once you went outside the black line you'd drew
-And you can see all the different colors you used a little to well.
Blonde Girl
Same thing with the eyes, but besides that it's okay....
Red girl
She's okay I suppose, but all the colors seem to run together.
Sophie
She's okay
Carla
Oh my, her eyes are a little freaky, but if you meant to do that, I understand.
That's really all I have for now. Sorry for all the critism, but it's for the greater good. Good Luck!