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[Fault]

Hehe, I've hit a roadblock while writing my story.

That roadblock is Effigies and tons of other roadblocks.

I'm... umm... glad that my work is keeping you from making progress?

[Acanthus117]

Haha, it's also a source of inspiration.

[Solifuge]

I'm digging your work, Mr. Fault. Just caught wind of this last night, and got caught up and all that good stuff.

If you'd care for a critique:
You've got a really strong sense of shape and style, and your color choice for characters and scenes is quite nice too. However, the coloration/shading itself has the feel of using a gradient, which makes everything look pillowy, and detracts from the style. Work on using shadows to suggest shape where and when needed, rather than putting them on the bottom edge or underside of things.

I'd say that, and trust your lines more! I can tell you've got images for these guys in your mind, but I get the impression that you sometimes struggle to recreate them as they exist in your head, and keep on doing lines over and over again until they look "right". Maybe you'd find it a helpful exercise to doodle for a bit, but draw figures using only one continuous line, without pausing or erasing? It's a good way to command a better control of the lines you're working with, and increase brain-pen fluidity.

[Fault]

If you'd care for a critique:

please do! I'm always interested in improving my work.

However, the coloration/shading itself has the feel of using a gradient, which makes everything look pillowy, and detracts from the style.

I'm beginning to dislike the gradient style of shading too. Right now each colour has four levels of brightness, but I'm thinking of shortening it to 2 or 3 once the second chapter rolls around (which should be within a few pages!)

I'd say that, and trust your lines more! I can tell you've got images for these guys in your mind, but I get the impression that you sometimes struggle to recreate them as they exist in your head, and keep on doing lines over and over again until they look "right". Maybe you'd find it a helpful exercise to doodle for a bit, but draw figures using only one continuous line, without pausing or erasing? It's a good way to command a better control of the lines you're working with, and increase brain-pen fluidity.

I think those are called continuous line contours. they're a very effective practice method... I should do them more often.
On a technical standpoint, however, I've noticed that the method I use to resize my pages tends to make the lines look very pixellated. To combat this I'm thinking of editing the pages of chapter two in a higher resolution than those of chapter one and the prologue.

[Deon]

Who is going in first? We wait with anticipation!

[Sensei]

To be frank, I sort of like the pixellated style.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

yes, the pixelation makes neat small pngs, and it's a stylish way of embracing the digital media as a media on it's own right, andnot just an emulation *true* drawing

[Fault]

HMM.

okay... come chapter two, I'll stick with the resolution that makes them look pixel-y, but I'll use a less gradient-y colouring style.

but I don't want to end up as one of those artist who excuses shoddy work with "IT'S MY STYLE THAT MAKES IT OKAY".

[Askot Bokbondeler]

that's as good an excuse as your style. if your had a crappy stye, it wouldnt be a very good excuse, but i think we all agree that's not the case

[Fault]

there's always room for improvement though... I should let my skill stagnate.

[Sensei]

Well, as an artist one should be ABLE to make other forms and I understand your wanting to do so.

I like some of the scratchy lines and few hanging pixels though.

[Fault]

one of my main ideas for the art in Effigies was making minor changes to the art style every chapter, actually. These alterations would reflect the different thematic moods that each chapter would pervade.

Example:

in the prologue, the world is new to the reader - the colours are very bright and vibrant, and the linework tends toward sharp shapes or vague, sweeping curves.
In chapter one, the setting should be becoming more familiar. The colour grows more subdued as natural tones take over the vivid hues of the prologue. Linework also becomes more focused on little details rather than on the big picture.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

i support that idea an think it could work pretty well if done with subtlety

[Fault]

SORRY BROS

update's gonna be a little late this weekend - I'm going camping tomorrow, so I'm not gonna have computer access until monday. I'll get it right done and uploaded as soon as I can once I'm back.

[Mephansteras]

Make sure you're properly armed in case of a kobold attack.