The dead gobble on the plazza...

[Caym]

...really traumatized me

[Nilrem]

Great!!
Get in contact with some of the owners of the Ojaveda Museum!!

Edit: spelling...

[Moogie]

Stunning. His expression really is one of unexpected death. The shading is superb also. Kudos!

[Caym]

I\'m glad you like the expression because I thought he might not look dead enough (actually someone told me his eyes looked rather empty... I guess that\'s a sign of \"deadness\" )

I considered adding some blood near the mouth or something, but I\'m not sure if it needs being gory to look better.
I think I\'ll redo the hand too... Its angle doesn\'t seem to fit the rest of the drawing.
What do you guys think ?

[Cyl]

Great, your shading is perfect, and those details. Bah I wish I could draw that good.

I personally wont have anything against a bit blood at the mouth.

[rosmerelmer]

wow, super!
i think we all wish to be able to draw that good!
and yeah, its just like you anti-aliast it, so smooth.

[Seytra]

Originally posted by Moogie
His expression really is one of unexpected death.

Yeah, some people do enough damage to kill in one hit, so it can be classified as \"unexpected\", though really... a gobble that goes in the plaza should expect being killed...

[fken]

Bof... I know a lot of elves pictures which are really greater !
But it\'s nice for a dwarf...

(off course i like the picture but i know Caym and im worrying about his pride)

[Caym]

@fken : Ha ha ha I should have expected this.
Happily I don\'t care about the advice of a sissy elf (- wait, was that a tautology again ? ).

Apart from that, thank you all for your nice comments !

@Cyl : then I will add a slight touch of blood :]

@Seytra : if he had the idea of going to the plazza on the first place, he must have been kind of degenerate or something, hence the empty gaze and maybe the consequent \"not-understanding-what\'s-happening-to-him\" while he was being beaten to death in reward of his unconsciousness...
Actually, let\'s say he was not exactly *beaten* but killed by spells of some sort, or I\'ll have to add various bruises and cuts ... after all, why not ? But it will really be gory then...

[kang_holion]

Just because I don\'t have time to draw much doesn\'t mean I can\'t come by and post ....

I say it is an excellent pic, and I can see how the hand is angled oddly, but most people wouldn\'t notice that due to the shading you did around it. As for adding gore, it would lessen the impact of the artwork I think. In this case, it looks exactly as you have stated, \"an unexpected death\". By adding gore or wounds, it would make it far less \"unexpected\" and more \"anticipated\". Either way, it\'s your art and you have the overall judgement on how it\'s executed.

As for pride in your work, that is usually a good thing, but don\'t let it get the best of ya, there are always going to be younger and greater artists than ourselves, and we must constantly improve to stay in the game...

Edit: I also want to ask you, how long have you been drawing and your age. If you feel uncomfortable, you don\'t need to answer, but I will tell you mine: I am 19 years old and I have been drawing almost my entire life, most likely around 2 years old (as far as I can remember, I was always able to draw). And my inspiration to draw more was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Spawn comics (I have found out) have been the basis of my style since gradeschool. Hope to see more from you :] !

[Caym]

Originally posted by kang_holion
there are always going to be younger and greater artists than ourselves, and we must constantly improve to stay in the game...

That\'s sooo right. I remember when I discovered DeviantArt, and I saw those incredibly beautiful drawings made by... 13-years-olds ! Oh well, it\'s too late to be Picasso anyway

As for my age and everything, I\'m 21 and I too have been drawing for almost my entire life (thought not always with constancy). Unfortunately, I never took drawing lessons (and it shows more and more in my drawings).
I\'ve also been drawing a LOT of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in primary school . But my main \"trigger\" was Secret of Mana, and later the 1st Zelda on N64. Those inspired me for years (I\'d be curious to count how many Deku Tree rip-offs I\'ve made).

[fken]

Originally posted by Caym
Unfortunately, I never took drawing lessons (and it shows more and more in my drawings).

So why not asking some help to the elve... maybe sissy one... Or maybe are you affraid to ask an advice to lady Galadriel ? I understand you... there is no comparaison between your arts...
(pfff off course I like what you do but I cannot tell it to you ic... sorry )

[kang_holion]

I don\'t find higher education neccesary for drawing (or any art medium). If your willing and ready, you will find your own path. I have learn some things online, but the most of it is practice and determination. I don\'t plan to go to college for drawing (I plan on doing something else as a career), but I will still craft my skill to it\'s limits. Thanks to this forum, I was able to really push myself on my drawing skills. If higher education is what you think you might need to surpass everyone, it works as a short-cut I think. You may be ahead of everyone for a few years, but eventually they will catch up to you. If your determined and willing to focus, you can make your art look as good as any person. Except Michaelangelo, he was a genius!

[Karyuu]

Oh man, I -highly- disagree. You may be able to teach yourself a few things, but qualified instructors can teach you so much more, so many hidden secrets and techniques that you couldn\'t have imagined. I would always recommend art classes, for anyone. The more you learn from others, directly, the more you can adapt that knowledge for yourself. This isn\'t to say that there is no real incredible self-taught talent out there, but it is unbelievably rare, and usually occurs when someone has quite literally been drawing nearly his or her -entire- life. Not just 2-3 years.

A lot of artists think that they can get by with their own skills, and then they land flat on their faces because they learn of a completely different world in the professional setting.

Lessons lessons lessons! Always :)

[kang_holion]

But how do you think those secret skills and techniques were developed? Not through schooling if it never existed in the first place. Granted, with the right instructors and class settings, people can learn quite a bit. But than agian, if someone truely focused on it, and also did their research, they can achieve that level. It may take longer, but the playing field becomes the same afterwords.

Also, I have been drawing most of my life , but I don\'t think I am the greatest to set foot here.  I\'m also not very niave on my skills, I already admited there are a whole spectrum of artists out there, younger even, that do fantastic work. In fact, as Caym also stated, there are thirteen year olds  who do fantastic work, it can only be achieved through the love of the art, or good genes (or their parents have taught them some family secrets).

Anywho, yes, learning is good, that is the only way to get better. Either you learn on your own or you take guidance. Personally, I learn on my own, and I seem to do better that way. And I will reveal a secret to all of you; in grade school, I was given a college art student and a professional illustrator to teach me, it didn\'t work out for me. The school gave up afterwards and I learn to develop my skills on my own. With enough determination, you can achieve anything. You should not place roadblocks in your mind on what you think is impossible, that\'s bad thinking.

Finally, I\'m weird. I eat too much Taco Bell for my own good. Plus, I never let go of my imagination (there\'s studies that reveal only 8% out of the population still mess around with their imagination, like playing games on their own, creating dreams while awake, ect.), heck, I was still playing with toys until I was 16.

And finally (this is the real ending to my blabber), my old sig:

\"Learn to use both hemispheres of your mind; the logical side and the creative side. With both you can accomplish great things.\"

Einstein himself said imagination is more important than knowledge, and I live by that (wow, I just found out why I hate being taught ?( I learn something new about myself on this forum, I swear).

Edit:

Okay forget about everything I said, I\'m being an ***, I respect all your views, and now I shall go to sleep... and dream about Taco Bell...