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Actually, I think dollmaker has hit on something.
Before I go any farther, I fear I need to preface this. I DON’T do constructive criticism usually. People have a tendency to get incredibly defensive (as is there right!) and I can unintentionally get a little nit-picky given my background and my zealous nature of the topic. I’ve accidentally offended more people then I care to admit in my eagerness to help what I see as raw and otherwise exquisite talent. So please know, I say what I say now only because I see a great deal of talent and potential here and would love to see you strive to push it for all its worth. Art is forever evolving and the minuet you reach a place where you feel you can improve no more is the minuet you forfeit that craft.
Ah-hum, enough poetics. Let see here.
Ah yes, Dollmaker made the comment about muscle structure. I feel the need to elaborate. You’re understanding of human anatomy is quite advanced, but where it breaks down at times is pinpointed in two areas (neither of which are consistent). Its when the body is draped in clothes and when the body is in motion. These are both very, VERY advanced notions of illustration and ones I struggles with for years (still struggle with as a matter of fact!). both are also quite fixable.
The problem with cloths over form is so common I can point to almost any illustrator and accuse them of the same ‘sin’ at one point or another. What I mean more specifically is that, when I form is draped in fabric (ie. clothing) sometimes the form/body holding the fabric in place disappears making the image appear flat. There are two remedies for this. The first is simply reminding yourself where the body is beneath the fabric. To this day I still sometimes draw the form fully nude and then layer in the clothing, in order to diagram exactly where the pull and push of fabric might be. The second method is simply practicing fabric folds. This means observing how fabric moves in others, in photographs, or in real life and sketching it whenever you can. One of the best (and admittedly most boring) ways to do this is to set up still lives with hanfing fabric over objects and practice, practice, practice. It can such, ill be the first to admidt it, but it works!
The second problem is one of the single most difficult things an illustrator contends with (and the bane of my current existence). Dealing with a moving form is tricky cause unless you capture the ‘energy’ and ‘momentum’ of the motion the form seems to hang in mid air. It’s the kind of small detail that separates ‘the men from the boys’ so to speak, and I’ve already seen you do it in a number of works. A lot of it has to do with knowing where the body holds tension while it is in motion. Note your own body and watch others. When you walk, run, jump, and so forth, where does your body hold tensions. Likely that’s the same place it holds momentum. There is a fantastic book on the subject that does more then ill ever do to explain what I’m talking about. It’s called ‘Dynamic Figure Drawing’ by Burne Hogarth, I believe. It also goes into detail on things I can already tell you you’ve mastered quite well, including joint motion, perspective, and proportion.
Anywho, that’s my two cents. Take it or leave it, its up to you. I just ask you to remember, I only make posts like this when I feel that someone is truly, truly talented, and ready for the next step. In fine art, constructive criticism is a way of life. If you are an artist worth anything you are expected to give it. No artist worth their salt ever goes into a friend’s studio and just says ‘oh look, that’s nice’.
Ps: Hats off to you sir, for all that you do!
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hahhaha those are always so funny aren't they? x3 but ya i love kl's style
