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Wyvernadas — Keeper of the light
Published: 2012-09-21 13:14:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 1261; Favourites: 56; Downloads: 11
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Description
Download for a slightlybiggerviewbutnottoomuchbecauseitsuglycloseupKiriban prize for !
I got it started and finished this morning, REALLY sorry if it looks rushed or messy >.> the past couple of days haven't been much fun and right now I can't tell my arse from my elbow But yes, it's been a while since I've done any dramatic lighting, infact it's been a while since I've drawn a background
Hope you like it!
Art (c) =Wyvernadas
Character (c) ~Kuro-Hiryuu
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Comments: 32
I know this is pretty old, so a critique now probably doesn't reflect your current skills. But perhaps you might find it useful anyway.
First of all, there's a few things which seem a bit awkward. The neck and tail are oddly proportioned and the left front leg is bent at a strange angle. Note in particular that the neck seems to give a sense that the dragon's head is closer to the viewer - but it doesn't bend to complete that impression. Instead it seems to join with the body at an impossibly small juncture at an angle that makes the neck appear "broken." This stood out the most because it's a focal point in the image. Next, the tail - the problem is actually not so noticeable unless you really examine it. Right where the tail reaches its thinnest, it appears to bend upward, and then a few pixels to the right, it appears to bend down again. I think this is an artifact of how thin the tail is rather than an outright artistry mistake. Pixel errors like this are harder to hide on thin objects, so it's important to make sure they are taken care of by shading such areas very carefully. Also make sure that such areas aren't impossibly thin - it IS a tail with a large ornament after all. Lastly, the left front leg should have its joints matched with the right front leg. Right where it goes behind the body, there should be a joint, as there is between the ankle and hip on the other leg. There is no impression that such a joint exists, so instead it seems to be going straight into the body at a strange angle.
As for what was done right, I simply MUST compliment you on the position of the wings. I've seen many artists attempt this positioning and they all seem to get it wrong. One wing is slightly more extended than the other which gives the sense that the dragon has just landed, while the asymmetric pose matches what would be needed to stabilize such a landing. Take a look at how birds land and how their wings fold on an unstable landing to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Nobody seems to get this right, but you nailed it here. Awesome job! The rocks properly give the impression of a weathered mountain range, which isn't something I see used often, never mind done correctly. So although I was going to take a star off originality for it being "yet another dragon on a rock," I do like how it was executed in an original fashion. Finally, I have to disagree with the previous critique about the dragon's nails. Up in the clouds, sunlight bounces off the white condensation and creates many odd light angles. The nails being shiny as they are (and the rest of the body for that matter) effectively communicates this fact. Because the nails and horns are also presented with a matte sheen, I am forced to question what the #*$@ that other critique is talking about!!! Nails naturally have this matte sheen due to being made of keratin - it's the same reason hair has a similar sheen to it.
One last thing I noticed is how the edges blend with the background. In some spots, a line is clearly visible, while in other places the edges seem to blend right in. Either option is a viable choice (I prefer the blended version rather than using hard lines) but it's important to pick one style and stick with it. Having both in the same picture causes the eye to be drawn toward the spots where hard lines are visible, which makes them seem like an error even though they're supposed to be there. I try to think of those lines like miniature shadows on small crevices in order to decide whether they need to be present.
All in all, this is easily one of the better dragon illustrations I've seen. The subject's position in the frame is nearly flawless while the balanced perspective provided by the tall rock on the right is extremely helpful to the overall experience. The wavy clouds in the background add a sense of a blustery atmosphere, which is quite simply *expected* at a high altitude. The rocks appear eroded and wet, as they would be in the middle of a cloud bank. Finally, the choice of watermark size and position gives the impression of a professional artist rather than someone wanting to "dogtag" their work.
As someone who appreciates detail and consideration for nuance, I'd like to thank you for posting this online for our viewing pleasure. Have a great day and keep up the awesome art.
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I like this, a lot. I highly do, the detail is quite good, the shading is nice, I like the rocks, and the clouds/smoke is very cool and gives you a great feeling. I highly enjoy it, and I like how the dragons eye is red, I rarely can find very little things wrong with art, but this, I'm having to search for things. The wings are good, but the toe nails, I don't really like them, they look a little silly. Otherwise, very great, one of the best dragons I have seen, and that's saying something, really good, you should be proud, but don't forget, still room for improvement.
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Thank you so much for your critique and nice comments 
Always room for improvement! Again, Thanks!
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Oohhh pretty! I like it a loooooooooooottttttttttttt.The colours go well together, and that shiny, and those wing veins are super cool. Your colouring has really come s far too, both your backgrounds and your characters. You're really getting somewhere.
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Thank you diddles! I'm glad you like it... For me, the more I look at it the more painfully obvious the mistakes show XD But I must push it aside!
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Ah but widdles, thats how artworks always work don'tcha know?
I think it looks great. You've really improved SO much since I met you
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You did a splendid job deat! Despite the character being quite simple, it still looks awesome with the dramatic lighting and background (with added shininess). The horns are my favourite part though simply because they're so nice and curvy.
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Thank you deat! Simple characters can sometimes be harder for me to shade, seeing as they don't have different colours to separate certain areas. Shiny Shiny!
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That's very true deat! If you're use to working with colours, it can be very, very difficult. Heck, even if you're use to working in greyscale it can still be tricky.
Shineeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!
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Wow is so awesome *___*
I love the pose that you used ans colours are just awesome and very realistics X3 The background is amazing too, it's very fantastical *_*
Thank you very much for do her X3
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Thank you! I'm really glad you like it!
You're very welcome ^^
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YOu're welcome XD I'm the one who thank you X3
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Lovely work! I'm really digging the shading, and the anatomy looks spot-on.
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OMG loveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveloveeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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