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looking for portfolio site help (pg6)

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Posts

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited April 2013
    Thanks @tapeslinger! I really want to do some more Mad Madam Mims. She is such a great character and really amazingly designed.

    I think that is what I am getting the most out of the studies is how much forethought went into the construction of each part of each character. I really dig it, you don't really get a good feel for them until you draw them a few times.

    I will have to try more physical coloring, I have done ink washes and acrylic painting but most of the time my pallet is so limited that it forces me to concentrate on coloring so much that it sort of does the color theory for me, does that make any sense? I think my digital problems arise when I go to color and instead of thinking about limiting myself or thinking about it too much I get all "I HAVE THE RAINBOW AT MY DISPOSAL!!!" and go fucking overboard. So I will definitively try that next time, thanks!

    EDIT: Hooray Page six!
    tumblr_mlar6xZo5r1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    tumblr_mkky4jQRsB1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    DUqGMy2.jpg

    318822_4624053121070_1395365921_n.jpg

    tumblr_mlmcs2Km6u1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    tumblr_mk8rj0An1t1rqnao4o1_250.jpg
    tumblr_mk8rj0An1t1rqnao4o2_250.jpg

    Feedback and crits are always welcome and wanted. I think I am going to have to do more old Disney studies and more drawing from life cause I feel myself slipping towards too cartoony.

    brokecracker on
  • tapeslingertapeslinger Space Unicorn Slush Ranger Social Justice Rebel ScumRegistered User regular
    yeah, limited palettes and monochrome are an easy way to rein in that impulse. Your Louis Armstrong comic is a pretty good example of making limited palettes work for you, though!

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited June 2013
    New Comic

    lucy-helps.jpg?w=640&h=947

    brokecracker on
  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    its a cute comic! Watch yourself on your characters, though, you want to keep them on model and consistent. Do you have a rounded nose or a hard edge nose? Is the face long or is it rounded? Maybe do some character turn arounds on some graph paper to help you figure out the standards for each character, then try and hold yourself to them.

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    You are totally right @Iruka, I need to keep a closer eye on my consistency. I have some old char turns somewhere (on paper no less) but I could stand to update them.

    Well, here is some new stuff below. I have not been making comics as often since I have had a ton of freelance/commissions coming in. Champagne problem, I know, but I have found a lot more joy in doing one off pieces of art rather than sitting down and cranking out a time intensive comic. Honestly, I am mainly making them for people in my home town, keeping them in the loop with what is happening in our life now that we moved away. I don't see a future for me in the comic industry, web or otherwise. I will probably still do a comic or two but have no interest in even faking some sort of update schedule.

    I think I want to focus on digital freelancing while making my own ink wash with brush art as my side projects. Why am I even writing this? I guess so if you are leaving feedback you have an idea where my mind is. If I post a comic I still want feedback, as it is a skill I still need help with and it is a great practice for story-boarding, but you will probably be seeing a lot less comics from me in the future.

    Any who:

    Today is Lucy's third birthday
    1005895_4935299862044_889688347_n.jpg

    A fireplug:
    tumblr_moju2r8PwX1rqnao4o1_r1_500.jpg

    Icons of the Tom Waits album trilogy, in order: Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, Frank's Wild Years
    HlVrlxP.jpg
    drawing on post-it notes:
    tumblr_moz5pqdaYh1rqnao4o1_500.jpg
    tumblr_mp2ro08k931rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    a silly brush and ink wash:
    tumblr_moroq9UGK41rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    brokecracker on
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Sir Knight McKickflip:

    6o9Yr8L.jpg

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    I drew another thing:

    90jdChI.jpg?1?2510

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    gif of the illustration above, from sketch to ink. Gonna work on a background next:

    M22OAEZ.gif

    Looking for crits obviously, but more specifically thinking about this concept as a series. Kids at night with lots of gear avoiding and engaging monsters. What do you think?

    brokecracker on
  • SpaceMooseSpaceMoose Registered User regular
    I love this. Seeing it made me try my hand at something like this style for the propt-a-thon but it's too terrible to post.

  • SiegfriedSiegfried Registered User regular
    That hatching is great, for some reason I'm bothered by 4-fingered hands when they are really big though. Just draw that other finger!

    The hand reminds me of those bastards in Legend of Zelda that grab you and throw you out of the dungeon, good shit

    Portfolio // Twitter // Behance // Tumblr
    Kochikens wrote:
    My fav is when I can get my kiss on with other dudes.
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Thanks @SpaceMoose and @Siegfried! I detailed up the hatching on the hand, and I kind of agree about the five fingered thing, but to defend myself I think the four fingers gives it a kind of monstery-mitt look. Still thinking about some sort of background here, city at night kind of a vibe...

    tumblr_mq2z6iyl4U1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Tried my best at aping the style of McBess to draw Ness from Earthbound:

    tumblr_mqhs0tpStg1rqnao4o1_1280.jpg

  • SiegfriedSiegfried Registered User regular
    Looks great! Needs more backs under the eyes, facial hair, and tattoos though haha.

    That being said, I'd love to see a Ness drawing with sleeves of tattoos.

    Portfolio // Twitter // Behance // Tumblr
    Kochikens wrote:
    My fav is when I can get my kiss on with other dudes.
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Thanks Sieg!

    I actually drew a bunch of tattoos (anchors, ace of spades, spiderwebs, booze bottle, axe and a steak) but it stopped looking like Ness with all the arm ink so I deleted them. I know most of my stuff tends to have a bit of the McBess influence anyway and I usually I try to not straight up copy the style, but this was hella fun!

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited July 2013
    I am trying out a few new things and have a hard time seeing if anything is good when I make them anymore. I think I am too close to some of the stuff to tell if anything is even ascetically pleasing anymore. I am sure I am not the only one with this problem, but I will work on a project for a day and think "Yea, this is cool, I am happy with this." and then open it up the next day and look at it and wonder what the hell I was so happy about. I am using the pen tool a lot more in Illustrator and sometimes I think it comes off looking antiseptic.


    An inkwell, done digitally in Illustrator. This is one I think is still good after a few days, let me know what you think:

    tumblr_mqjoc7hWJB1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    brokecracker on
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Did the rest of the crew from Earthbound in the same style. As always, your crits and thoughts are appreciated:

    tumblr_mqrwz8r8B01rqnao4o1_500h.jpg

  • SiegfriedSiegfried Registered User regular
    Jeff's head his smaller inside of his glasses due to the distortion from the frames, right? Also, you totally captured Jeff's bowlcut haha.

    These look really cool, man.

    Love the lineweight too, only one of them gives me a bad vibe, and that's the jawline. From far away it looks like a chinstrap beard, especially on Ness and Poo.

    Portfolio // Twitter // Behance // Tumblr
    Kochikens wrote:
    My fav is when I can get my kiss on with other dudes.
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Yea, I need to cool it on the lineweight of jawlines... And yes, I made Jeff's face smaller in the frames on purpose, glad you picked up on it!

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2013
    quick drawing of the kid in the monster picture. Tried to make him a little older:

    kh31cKU.jpg

    CZvHver.jpg

    brokecracker on
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    how I am feeling today:

    pS1iMtK.jpg

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2013
    Quick sketch, trying to start out looser and get more motion out of my quick sketches:
    7zYG4qO.jpg

    EDIT: wanted to try out halftone shading:
    Zboo0jn.jpg

    Time lapse of the drawing:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktzxVcbDEU8&feature=youtu.be

    brokecracker on
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2013
    Double posting from the doodle thread to keep my thread up to date:

    I cranked out a new one real quick and did a timelapse video as well. I really dig this halftone shading stuff!

    HQlCKgp.jpg

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38vvwSRxNRU

    brokecracker on
  • SiegfriedSiegfried Registered User regular
    While I must admit I kind of like the younger version of him better for nostalgic reasons, I'm enjoying the further exploration of this character.

    I also like that he's ever so slightly androgynous, and I could totally see a video game with him as a silent protagonist.

    You could have gone without the half-tones on the swing of the club though, I think actions should maybe stand out on their own a little more. If this was a full comic panel with background and everything it might get lost with the rest of the shading.

    Portfolio // Twitter // Behance // Tumblr
    Kochikens wrote:
    My fav is when I can get my kiss on with other dudes.
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2013
    Thanks @Siegfried! I am not sure why I have gravitated towards this character so much but I am really enjoying drawing him/her. I think you are right about the halftone in the swing, takes away from it.

    Also you hit the nail on the head about the androgynous thing, it was something I wasn't sure if anyone but me would pick up on. It is something I try to do with some of my simple characters, to me the more ambiguous a cartoon is the more a person can relate to them. I was trying to make this an overly accessorized person (backpack, fingered gloved, flashlight, goggles, golf club or other "found" weaponry) but leave the face more simple.

    It really makes me want to try a crack at a story driven strip with him/her, but I really want to just do about 10 vignettes of scenes in big, wordless, page-sized panels to try to tell a story that way.

    I realized somthing kind of funny after I read your post, this is not the first time I have had a androgynous character in a hooded sweatshirt before. The strip I did for the Indiana University newspaper, one of the main characters was a girl that everyone thought was a guy.

    WARNING BAD ART/WRITING AHEAD

    SellingLiegh.jpg

    She was called "Lee" until it was revealed she was a she, from then on she was "Liegh." Here is an earlier one:

    80s-music.jpg?w=640


    brokecracker on
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2013
    Working on this one, No happy with it yet, tips or advice welcome!

    wc5rdWO.jpg

    brokecracker on
  • sampangolinsampangolin Registered User regular
    I really like it! I think maybe just have a look at the light source and where shadows would be. If the torch is all there is, your character's face should be a lot darker - think of someone holding a torch under their face telling a ghost story. Maybe a bit of shadow going back along the ground away from his legs too? And, depending on whether there are street lights, the faces of the buildings should be darker I think.

    Hope I haven't given you tonnes of work! It's good already, just some things to think about.

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Thanks @sampangolin ! I most def need to mess with the shading! I am having a hard time trying to wrap my brain around how shadows will fall from the flashlight, specifically the shadow that will fall. I am gonna work on that some more and hopefully drop on some rim lighting from the moonlight. Any thoughts?

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited August 2013
    updates! Still needs some work but working if anyone has anymore ideas on how to punch it up.

    PujdXQj.jpg

    brokecracker on
  • sampangolinsampangolin Registered User regular
    Forgive my messy abuse of your drawing. Hopefully it gets across what I think the shadow needs to do. When it's that close a light source and it's a small point I think the shadow needs to be a lot bigger. The rough diagram on the right might explain it better. Let me know what you think.

    G7OAwx5.jpg

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    @sampangolin AWESOME! thanks, I am totally going to apply this! That does make a ton more sense.

    Thank you!

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    edited September 2013
    Been behind and busy but here is some new stuff, still planing on going back to the halftone picture to fix that stuff...

    A quick and fun brush and ink thing. I am not really happy with the monster on the side but it was fun.
    tumblr_mskr6eoSaj1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    That Ganon, still not wild about the legs:
    tumblr_msf4ak9jOb1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    A thing for the day I heard Elmore Leonard passed:
    tumblr_mru4bgfmTq1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    brokecracker on
  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Here is my latest stuff. just for fun:

    95ylB35.jpg

    Thinking about doing a series of 30's cartoon styled video games characters:

    HDXWjtP.jpg

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Haven't been around much but been drawing a bit. Here is some stuff:

    photo touch up:

    original-
    OiVZx0B.jpg

    Colorized-
    FVzucqJ.jpg

    tumblr_mx9g9f6CG11rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    tumblr_mwc7s2EZbN1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    tumblr_mvnca6V86i1rqnao4o1_500.jpg

    0Vzqam4.jpg

    AzYcCmN.jpg

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Hey everyone. I need some help. I am back on the job market and need to get my portfolio site looking better and am in dire need of feedback. As it is, its admittedly not very good. I am using wordpress if that helps at all:

    Right now I have it all split up into design/illustration/video with little descriptions under each entry.
    rWQdlOp.jpg

    The gallery has larger images of the pictures that open when clicking the original image
    sJDJmZ1.jpg

    The video page is mainly to show some of the videos I created assets for.
    3FrxixR.jpg

    Any and all feedback is welcome.

    Some things I was thinking: ditching sections and intermingling all of the design and illustration stuff, ditching the descriptions.

    Here is the link: http://nickfolz.com/

  • lyriumlyrium Registered User regular
    It seems like keeping the sections would be a good idea, because certain folks would probably be more focused on certain sections, and it keeps the work more concisely organized. The stylized nudes in the illustration section don't really seem to blend in with the rest.

  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    There is way too much text.

    Find a way to get that stuff on the side into your about me page. I have always thought wordpress was a bloated tool for something simple like an art portfolio, A lot of the templates are really geared for someone with a lot of content. You want a site that will brilliantly showcase a handful of content. Behance and squarespace both have good options, but they cost money (10 a month for square space, 11 for behance) Then again, I'm using square pace and paying for a domain (which is like dollars for a few years), but since its hosted washed out my old web hosting cost.

    Strip it way down and let your art speak for itself where ever it can. You are losing a ton of real estate to a generic top banner and large nave buttons.

  • brokecrackerbrokecracker Registered User regular
    Thank you @Iruka and @lyrium!!! I am planning on making edits soon and agree with both of you. I am going to strip the text from the image pages and work on some layout issues (bland header, page layout) I think there might be better wordpress layouts for image based pages and I just have to go through some trial and error. Thanks you two!

  • NibCromNibCrom Registered User regular
    I personally prefer larger images and more scrolling over thumbnails and lots of clicking.

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