iCherry

Looking at this work, several thoughts come to mind regarding what could be done to make this better. These include the use and application of light in relation to the type of shading you've used, as well as the various effects that you've used to make the numerous details and the background.

Starting with the colors you've used, it's good to know a bit of color theory to back up intuition. By this, I mean, simply do not pick colors based on darkness or lightness value of the color on it's own, or against a white background. Colors are viewed in relation to each other. Furthermore, light bounces off of objects and on to other objects. In this way, different elements of a drawing will also be tinged by colors from other places. For example, the two biggest visible light sources here would be the sky and clouds. These objects are indirectly lit by a light source off-screen, presumably the sun. Since there is no definite primary light source, you have a bit of leniency as to where to place shadows in accordance with this light source. As I've said before the clouds and sky will be lit by the sun, and therefore reflecting light on to other objects. The sky will give shadows a blue-ish tint, due to the blue light that is reflecting off of it, and clouds will illuminate parts of the shadow. As for the character herself, she appears to be listening to an iPod, with the screen lit up. Simple rule of thumb: to "see" light, it must be reflecting off of something. The most common instance of this is when we observe columns of light shining down, reflecting off of mist or fog, thereby making it "visible". There are no such objects shown in the picture here, so the iPod's screen will not "glow" in the manner that you've drawn it. Instead, it will cast light on objects around it, such as the body and leg of your character there.

Regarding the effects that you've used, I personally highly discourage the use of Photoshop effects in their raw form to produce large portions of the picture. In that, I am referring to what appears to be a posterization filter on a photo of clouds. These kinds of "tricks" are simple to use, and are therefore overused. You don't have to look to far to see somebody trying to take a shortcut out of drawing a background, so they simply blur a photo and put it behind their character. There are several reasons why this is not a good idea, one of which goes back to the lighting and color points I made previously. As I've said, color is perceived in relation to each other, and it is therefore easy to tell when a color doesn't seem to "fit". Photos capture the most realistic picture possible, and often contain lighting situations that are specific to that specific location at a certain time. You'd be extremely hard-pressed to find a background image that has a lighting scenario that matches how you shaded or drew a character, as well as having an image of what you want to be in the background. This is the biggest reason why I don't like photos in the background of things ( I was guilty of it myself in the past, and it's been pointed out many times how that particular deviation looks "off" ), and painting using a similar color palette as the foreground character of focus is the best way to go, even if it takes longer. Another quirk I have with this painting is the use of standard Photoshop brushes in the wings, as well as a simple layer mode (emboss, if I'm not mistaken). As with the Photoshop filters, they are easy to apply, and therefore overused.

By now, you're probably thinking that I have a thing against Photoshop's default tools. This isn't the case; what I have is a thing against the overuse of these tools to create elements that are a large part of an image, for reasons which I believe are stated quite clearly above.

Regarding the ratings to the right:
Vision: I can see what you want to make, but poor execution in certain areas turned me off to the concept.

Originality: Very nice costume design. <img src="e.deviantart.com/emoticons/s/s…" width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Smile)" /> The wings appear a bit odd, but this I'll attribute to an element of your style. You lost points here for using a poorly manipulated stock background, as well as a concept that I've seen multiple times before (In fact, I have used a similar pose in the past).

Technique: I see cel-shading, though I don't see many of the aspects that I like about it; nice, crisp lines and contours, and higher contrast between highlights and shadows would be add greatly to the overall appearance. Also, lack of the application of color theories is evident. The yellow-blue/purple contrast is nice, however, as is the contrast between the black and yellow in the suit itself. Regarding the black, you should still shade it. Objects in light are never 100% black.

Impact: Taking this painting in as a whole, the points of interest are scattered across a few places, most notably because of the use of black against a light color in many different places in this picture. The stock background also detracts from this, though I won't keep hounding you on that.


Nitpicks/other observations:
-I'm not a fan of thick lineart, though this is a stylistic opinion.
-Her face looks like Obama's. <img src="e.deviantart.com/emoticons/e/e…" width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Eek)" />
-On the goggles, I feel as if they are over saturated, and there doesn't seem to be any shading applied to them.
-That's a pretty thick earphone cable (or is it hair?).
-More variation in the sky background color would help a bit.


There are some aspects that I like in this drawing, and the potential for greatness is there, but I feel as though this is bogged down with several errors, many of which I've listed above. Keep drawing. <img src="e.deviantart.com/emoticons/s/s…" width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Smile)" /> Practice is the best way to learn, but only if you're aiming to learn. Look at how light behaves in the real world, looking at shadow and highlight, and how it affects different material (a baseball versus a tennis ball, for instance). Good luck in the future. <img src="e.deviantart.com/emoticons/s/s…" width="15" height="15" alt="" title=" (Smile)" />



Please know that I provide critique based on what I personally think will help you to improve. I will not try and assess aspects that I myself are unfamiliar with, nor will I suggest any technique as such. Furthermore, please regard my critique as suggestions. These are my personal thoughts regarding how I think you can improve, and it is up to you to decide whether or not to use techniques that I describe, or to regard my critique with any merit at all. Additionally, if I sound overly inflammatory or condecending, please know that I'm trying not to be. I am merely saying what I think, and try to focus on what needs improving as opposed to what you're already doing right. Lastly, don't be afraid of defending yourself. I make mistakes, as does everybody, and I like to hear all sides of a story.

Feel free to note/reply to me if you disagree with any points made, or wish to inquire about a specific aspect that I did not cover.