You talk in the first part about how there could be war on the horizon.

The idea of a war in Planeshift interests me, but there's really not that many factions. Who vs who?

I can't wait to see what you come up with here.

I'm getting bored with this story, and I'm too busy with work and school to continue it, and frankly, it's getting really cheesy.

@ Avathius:

Quote

I really hate to hijack Jilata's thread with this discussion, so this will be my last comment on this point.

Thank God.

Wow. Really? Don't bring M.C. Escher into this. I have a whole book on M.C. Escher. He's a beast. You are saying that he rarely used blending, but he did on a few of his best pictures, and even someone who is half-blind can see that.

And honestly, I don't care whether someone blends or not, but in my opinion, if they want to just rough-sketch things, then they aren't unleashing their full potential as an artist. I want Jilata's art to be better; I like Jilata's art. I just don't think it is entirely what it could be.

Thanks Vassilli & BoevenF

Quote from: Avathius on May 01, 2011, 02:42:54 pm

It's too monotone with no shading.

It does have soft shading, save for the background.

Quote from: Avathius on May 01, 2011, 02:42:54 pm

Could you PM me what program you're using?

Can't be bothered, but I'll post it here. It's Inkscape.

Ah, that kind of soft shading that's almost invisible. I caught a glimpse of it, later. Maybe I should bring my video camera next time and see if it emerges again.

I've used Inkscape. It's pretty decent, I guess. Got a better program now, but it was fun to use.

Quote from: Avathius on May 02, 2011, 06:49:12 pm

Quote from: Dannae on April 13, 2011, 10:07:00 pm

I've seen several posts suggesting you use more blending. While sometimes this can help add more realism to drawings, I'd like to add that I prefer to see the line strokes in pencil drawings and like a sketchier look. Blending hides lines an artist uses in constructing shapes in their drawings and can also remove directional lines indicating curves and such. While smudging has it's place and can be put to good use, it's not needed to create better work. There are lots of ways of using a pencil that show just as much depth and shading, and don't cover up your strokes. While it's good to experiment with different methods, I wanted you to know there's value in allowing the media used, in this case a pencil, to show through in your artwork.

You don't understand. Blending is something that is good for creating better work. You don't blend the ENTIRE thing, you just blend the shading so it looks a lot better. Certain aspects of pictures cannot be captured through "random strokes to fill up negative space."

No, it is you who does not understand. Just because you think a blend looks better than lines does not make it the ideal way to show dimension in artwork. There are many many ways to show dimension, each with it's own aesthetic appeal. What you are saying amounts to no less than saying something like, a realistic looking drawing is better than a line drawing. It simply isn't true and is only your own judgement of what makes good art.

As a similar example, I like paintings just as much, if not more, where I can see the artists brush strokes as opposed to a smoothed out look. Sure, the smoothed look will most likely closer resemble a photograph, but the picture revealing the artists brush strokes will hold my attention much longer as well as give me a feeling of connection with the artist as I can see and imagine the strokes being applied.

It's funny how you can't seem to take a bit of constructive criticism to save your soul. If you're going to post your art online, you need to be ready to receive some critique. I'm not bragging about how "my art is soooooo much better than yours because I use a blender and that makes me special." I'm just trying to improve the talents you already have. You obviously have never used a blender before; as I said before, you don't blend EVERYTHING. Just shading. It's not gonna blur your picture, if that's what you're thinking. It's going to make the shading look a lot less like you used different gradients of pencil, and more look like actual shadows. Yeah, choppy strokes are pretty fun, but it's good to have some smoothness in the areas that SHOULD be smooth to balance it out.

Yes, sometimes you want to use choppy strokes of your pencil. It does express feeling. If I want to make a thumbnail sketch for something, or maybe a landscape, you don't want to spend time blending. But if you're going to do a full-blown portrait or a high-quality sketch, you want to use a wide variety of tools: a straight edge, blenders, charcoal, an eraser to help bring out shine (and also fix mistakes). I even use water (in small amounts).

Here's a sketch I made with some minor blending. I spent around 10 minutes on this, and I could have added in better shading.

http://twitpic.com/4tefqa

Here's a sketch I made with a lot of blending. Spent 20 minutes on this. Sorry for the fact that it is on lined paper. I'll admit, I used a small amount of pen to emphasize the shading in the most darkened areas, but only a small amount.

http://twitpic.com/4tei9l there's a bluish tint on this, if you notice. The lighting in the room I took the picture in is all wrong lol.

Notice the difference? Yes, I spent more time on the 2nd one. I'm just trying to offer a bit of advice, it's your choice whether to take it or not -_-

Chapter 1:

The rogue stole away in the night, leaping from building top to building top. Though nobody could see behind the veil he wore, the determination on his scarred face was evident even through the folds of the fabric. He was wanted by the Hydlaa guardsmen, and the rogue knew this. As one of the soldiers rounded a corner, he stole away behind the chimney of a large house, peering around the corner every second to watch the guard's movements. But this guard, like all the other sentinels of Hydlaa, was skilled. His eyesight had been trained to watch for thieves and felons who could not escape from Hydlaa's ramparts. However, this rogue was different. The guard had sworn he saw someone on the rooftops, but the rogue whispered something to himself. The guard turned around quickly, ears wide and listening, every gust of slight wind in the night sending signals to his eardrums. His keen Enkedukai hearing had detected the whispers. Spear raised, he looked around even more. But the rogue had already escaped, his black cloak fluttering like the guard's eyelids as the sleeping charm took effect.
The Otarchy was just ahead. The rogue's heart was pounding in his chest. It had been long since he had stepped inside the walls of Hydlaa--so much had changed. No longer did he dwell in the plains of Yliakum's top layer. He was a stalking beast of the city, every sense attuned not to the feel of the wild, but to the unfamiliar urban atmosphere. His claws bit into not dirt, but cobblestone. His fangs groped for bread, not cooked meat. The rogue's mind completely changed to fit the city.
There were guards swarming the Otarchy building, even at night-time when its inside residents were asleep. But the rogue did not pay attention to the guards; there was a window on the top floor that he could steal through. Clinging with all his strength to the sill and yet not making a sound, the rogue silently and quickly slid the window open. In the inside room, the Chancellor was waiting. Scroll held in hand, he approached the rogue. The silent figure pulled back his hood, revealing a Dermorian visage, but with strikingly black hair--unusual if not downright abnormal for his race--and a face adorned with a myriad of painful-looking tatoos. "Azeragh." The chancellor said, slowly approaching the Dermorian. Even with his trained eye, the rogue did not see the silver dagger skillfully hidden beneath the Otarch's flowing robes. It was evident the chancellor did not entirely trust the man he faced. "It's about time you got here."
"I had a bit of a hold up. You need to station less guards at night."
The Otarch smirked. "More the merrier. Besides, with more guards we would be all the more likely to catch some of the less... desirable ones who come through here."
"Your guards couldn't catch me. Why bother with the younglings when the deadly ones are what you need to worry about?" The chancellor tightened his grip on the dagger. "Well," he said, "never mind that. Do you have the package?"
"Yes." Azeragh held out a small pouch that had been concealed in the black recesses of his cloak. The chancellor's eyes gleamed with human greed, and he reached for the package. The rogue drew back. "Ah-ah! Give me what I ask for, first." The chancellor frowned. He did not want to give up his scroll. The Otarch held out the scroll in a hand wizened with age and abruptly dropped it on the ground. Azeragh did the same, and then both figures kicked the items across the floor towards each other, a gesture of mistrust. Azeragh glared.
"Are you sure this is the map I'm looking for?"
"You can only find such a map in my hands." Azeragh put his hand on the hilt of his longsword. "Watch your tongue, chancellor. I know the devious ways of the Otarchy. I ask once again: is this the map?" A glimmer of deceit flashed through the pupils of the chancellor, one that Azeragh noticed; he did not show his observance on his face, however, but he knew he had been tricked.
"Yes." The chancellor said, unaware of the uneasiness in his whining voice. "Yes it is."
"Very well." Azeragh pulled the window open again, silently as before. Crawling in, he directed his gaze to the Otarch. "I offer one last warning. If this be another trick in your endless pursuit of golden Circles, it will not quake my soul to slowly disembowel you." Pure terror flashed in the chancellor's eyes, and with a scream he slammed the window shut. The guards looked up just after Azeragh leapt to a nearby rooftop, out of sight.
"Guards! Guards!" The chancellor shouted from his window. "Search the city! A villain is among us!"
There was a woosh, a whir through the air as an almost-silent arrow glided down. It pierced the glass of the window, shattering the crystalline panes. The arrow tacked the chancellor to the wall by his temples. Glass shards, expelled by the force of the arrow's descent, tore through his face and his clothing. The blood spattered so that the chancellor's wrinkled face was barely recognizable amidst the gore.
...For it was not the map he sought for that Azeragh now held in his hands as he put away his spellbook. No, the Otarch had deceived him, given him a commoner's map of Hydlaa instead of a guide through the catacombs that the Dermorian had hoped for. It was in the Catacombs that the Balesman dwelt, with his jar of souls. And it was the inner workings of the Catacombs that Azeragh needed to know. No longer caring if he broke his cover, the Dermorian let out a frustrated cry, an angry cry that shook the denizens of Hydlaa to the bone.
The search went on, but only in the early hours of the day-time did they find the chancellor's quarters and his blood-sodden corpse. The room had been ransacked hours before. The rogue stole away once again--his destination was the Library. Maybe there he could find answers.

I've seen several posts suggesting you use more blending. While sometimes this can help add more realism to drawings, I'd like to add that I prefer to see the line strokes in pencil drawings and like a sketchier look. Blending hides lines an artist uses in constructing shapes in their drawings and can also remove directional lines indicating curves and such. While smudging has it's place and can be put to good use, it's not needed to create better work. There are lots of ways of using a pencil that show just as much depth and shading, and don't cover up your strokes. While it's good to experiment with different methods, I wanted you to know there's value in allowing the media used, in this case a pencil, to show through in your artwork.

You don't understand. Blending is something that is good for creating better work. You don't blend the ENTIRE thing, you just blend the shading so it looks a lot better. Certain aspects of pictures cannot be captured through "random strokes to fill up negative space."