Charcter critique

[ceefax]

Hi first time on the forum so firstly...hello....

I was hoping a few of you could critique these characters im developing.
This is my first time at doing this sort of stuff in illustrator. I usually use it for layouts and logos etc, this is literally the first two things ive ever drawn on it so i think ive built them in a bit of a fudged way.

http://www.sassyhorse.co.uk/keytar.jpg

http://sassyhorse.co.uk/lead.jpg
For instance, the top layer is the black outlines, then i have the shadows, then the base colours. But becuase im not sure what im doing the shadows are drawn do that the edge goes under the black line...im sure there must be a way to attach the shadows to the base layer in one combined element instead of covering the dodgy edge with the black line.

Apart from that id be happy to here your thoughts. Personally i like the blue guy better..he was the second one i did so i learnt from the first which i think shows.

anyway look forward to hearing your comments and chatting to you on the forums.

Pete

[ceefax]

oh by the way, the characters are being developed for an online cartoon series for a writer.

[budafist]

I like! Do you work first on paper and then redraw in Illy? Is the plan to do the cartoon series yourself or just to develope the characters and then hand them off? Sounds like a big project.

Love the linework around the eyes - it adds a lot of interest and I can see these being helpful when showing different expressions. It also gives the characters a unique look that can be great for style and recognition.

Oh and welcome to the forum. I hope you find it most enjoyable.

[Danger_Mouse]

Nice illustrations! Love it!

On your concerns, I would make better friends with the pathfinder (fancy cookie cutter) and tranparency masks (if going to print though, flatten those bad boys).

Great stuff.

[ceefax]

yeah ive been drawing these eyes since i was a kid...These snatched from my doodle pad at work when im on the phone...

The bodies are done straight into illustrator.

I'll probably animate within a team, but thats far down the road, the writer just wanted to see what i could do and not having done anything like this before im scared stiff they dont stand up quality wise to whats out there.

[Danger_Mouse]

It's not about quality anymore, its about style and humorous writing.Look at South Park for example. No high end illustration or animation there (done all in Photoshop too I beleive).
You are definitely showing style here. One of those YTV cartoon styles.

[MikeTheVike]

I like the style!

[WannaBrie]

I don't really have anyting helpful to say, except hello and nice illys! I like your style there. Good job on your first one out! :)

[Mynock]

I love it, pupils would be nice. Without them they look like zombies. Somehow they remind me of guitar hero.

[ceefax]

i was waiting for someone to say it...:)

no pupils...its the law!!

no seriously...i dunno...ive tried them with and without.And i just seem to like the better without. Also because the way the eyes are if you ad pupils they always look a little sleepy i think.

like i say there based on what ive drawn as a child and they've never had pupils...kinda would be blasphemous to add the now. I may try agian now you have suggested it though.

[ceefax]

oh and do you mean guitar hero on the playstation or something...never seen it..a link to an example would be good to see.

[Mynock]

You need too. It let's you know what the character is focusing on. Eyes are windows to the soul, and if you don't have eyes you don't have a soul, hence zombies. You can't really do a complete job of expressing emotions without direction from the eyes. I played with them in Photoshop and they look fine in my opinion.

[ceefax]

i'll take a look.

[spider]

cool illustrations ceefax! dont really mind them without the eyes, but theres def somethin sinister about them!!

[cj2a]

Love the style...you're a natural!

[frankster]

I like them too. The band with no pupils thing reminds me of the Gorillaz (although one of the 4 does have pupils). I think if you are going for an "I'm too cool for you" look from a band then no pupils will work in the same way that sunglasses work like that.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/da/Gorillaz_group.jpg/300px-Gorillaz_group.jpg

P.S. Your forum name brought back memories of the crap games I used to play on ceefax when I was about 6 or 7. Nice.:D

[teniworks]

I actually like them without the pupils. It sort of reminds me of the some of the characters/players from Gorillaz. I'm really loving the illustrations though.

[teniworks]

that's funny-frankster we were thinking of the same thing but, posted 1 min apart

[Mynock]

I like them the way they are, all I'm saying is if you're going to use them as a comic where they interact with each other and objects I think they need pupils. As art they don't.

[ceefax]

Your forum name brought back memories of the crap games I used to play on ceefax when I was about 6 or 7. Nice.:D

was more of a julies jokes man myself 552 was it??...bamboozle got rocked a few times though.

[frankster]

was more of a julies jokes man myself 552 was it??...bamboozle got rocked a few times though.

Lol! You're going to have the American lot mighty confused. The BBC Microesque graphics always made me feel safe and warm ;) :D . Bamboozle was much loved.