You could use a pale blue pencil to sketch out your images and then go over them smoothly with a darker line. The blue pencil marks don't show up when scanned in and if any does read when scanned, it can easily be erased.
That's a great suggestion. It doesn't have to be a blue pencil, either -- in the old days, you had to use a very specific blue, because it wasn't picked up by cameras (This cuts both ways -- if you're painting for print, you have to make sure not to use that color!). Now, since you're scanning everything, you can use any color. It's VERY easy to just drop that color out in Photoshop or whatever. I often do underdrawings with a red pencil, just because the red pencil leads I have feel smoother than the blue ones. Interestingly, knowing that sketch color is going to just disappear makes me (and I've heard other people say this too) feel much more free to do a lot of sketchy underdrawing, without any concern for keeping the drawing "clean", which tends to translate into a better final drawing. Also, if you leave the colored pencil in, it actually looks pretty cool. As an artist, one of my favorite things is looking at other artists' sloppy sketches to see how they construct their drawings.
Manga for the Average Reader.
I looks nice, but it's pretty tough to read -- exactly what you don't want for a logo.
Last night I looked through some Mirror's Edge concept art and I got inspired to do some quick concept drawing. I drew in photoshop for an hour. I learned that it is very hard to be as awesome as those artists! bigger I actually recorded myself painting this. It slowed down my PC a little and made me camera shy but I'm hoping I can fix those problems.
Looks awesome, Mankoon. Nice silhouette. Did you just start blocking it in in color, or did you do an underdrawing? It looks like you just went for it, "concept art" style -- I never had a lot of luck with that approach. Yep, it's always tough to be as awesome as the artists we admire. One of these days, you're going to be one of them, though, and someone's going to be cursing your name as they try to emulate you. Did you keep the recording? Is it just a recording of your screen, or actually of you as you paint? Gonna post it?
I used the block out approach. I don't usually do it and I think in my case it's actually counter productive. There's so many different approaches sometimes I find myself overwhelmed with which one to work with. This blocking out approach felt like it hindered more then helped. I ended up trying to make cool shapes instead thinking about character design. I'll try an under drawing next time. I did keep the recording (of my screen). I do intend to post it, I just didn't feel like figuring out the compression and stuff. Funfetus, did you ever record yourself? It's a little nerve wrecking but fun.
I ended up trying to make cool shapes instead thinking about character design
Perhaps your character design suffered, but I think the "cool shapes" were successful -- hence my comment on your silhouette earlier. Maybe finding some way to incorporate both techniques would be helpful. Do you know about or use the "lost line" technique?
Funfetus, did you ever record yourself? It's a little nerve wrecking but fun.
A little bit, just playing around -- never showed anyone. Yeah, it is a little weird feeling like you're "on stage" while you're drawing. I have thought about doing some live drawing on Ustream or something -- I tested it out with a friend -- but I don't know if anyone would be interested. I think I'd be a lot more comfortable teaching rather than trying to actually create a nice drawing.
@Omnutia -- yeah, what Emily said. You're definitely getting better. As for the eye being too big, yes -- and it's also creeping up on the side of the nose. Leave a one-eye-width gap between the eyes. With a 3/4 view like this, it gets a bit tricky, because the near eye is angling a bit toward you, while the far eye is angling a bit away from you, so the near eye is wide, the far eye is narrow, and the eye-width in the middle is in-between. Hope that makes sense. Also, try adding a little thickness to the eyelids -- that goes a long way toward giving them mass and depth.
I uploaded some planning work that this comes from. If you see "g." up at the top. The picture I posted is a close up of the character with the exclamation mark in the first frame.
I get what Funf says about the depth of the eyes. The nose was a bitch too, couldn't get it right in the end. I'll probably try again using a rough sketched grid before hand.
Design sketch for one of the main character's costumes from the work I've been trying to get off the ground. More will come in the future, but I have been really busy.
Holy crap, Li, I'm so impressed with how you've improved. Not only that, but I really like that character design, particularly the swirl motif on the costume. I second Funfetus, can't wait to see more.
Did this while bored though, I think I'll keep working on it. Now that I've got the overall picture fleshed out, I can start work on the detail a piece at a time. I'd like to post the separate ink and pencil layers but I can't work out how to get DA to display more than one file when you upload several at once.
She looks like she is either fighting with a flashlight or one of those sound weapons. I like that vehicle in the first one, and her expression in the second.
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Does it make sense now?
bigger
I actually recorded myself painting this. It slowed down my PC a little and made me camera shy but I'm hoping I can fix those problems.
I did keep the recording (of my screen). I do intend to post it, I just didn't feel like figuring out the compression and stuff. Funfetus, did you ever record yourself? It's a little nerve wrecking but fun.
Oh, and I know the eye is way too big.
What is this person so afraid of? They look cold.
I get what Funf says about the depth of the eyes. The nose was a bitch too, couldn't get it right in the end. I'll probably try again using a rough sketched grid before hand.
Design sketch for one of the main character's costumes from the work I've been trying to get off the ground. More will come in the future, but I have been really busy.
Did this while bored though, I think I'll keep working on it. Now that I've got the overall picture fleshed out, I can start work on the detail a piece at a time.
I'd like to post the separate ink and pencil layers but I can't work out how to get DA to display more than one file when you upload several at once.
Also: The GIMP has a very apt name.