Long See, No Time, and Faces [March 2013]

[Ganaram Inukshuk 3,680]

So when the hell was the last time I posted something? September. What happened? Everything including the Apocalypse. Did I survive? Uhh, if I didn't, how could I be posting this?
 
And showing you these two things?
 

 

 
Yeah, I've hit the point where I can't effectively draw on Inkscape unless I have a template drawn out on paper already. Maybe at a later time I'll revisit these images and have them vectorised.
 
But let me explain.
 
Past images of mine had the faces/heads drawn in a rather static fashion, which was also the fate of some past images of mine from before the Era of Ponies.
 
So I tried practising on a character of mine (Nova), and then tried to jump to my other three characters: Ganaram, Gem, and Tenna.
 
A few of you may have seen the first image already, but the second one is a bit more complex. It's a drawing of 8ight selected characters (Tenna, Ganaram, Gem, Nova, /Electrobolt, @Jadefire[/b]/Jade Flare[/b], @Umbreon/Synth Pulse, and @MandelSoft/Vector Mark) with the same facial expression throughout.

It's more of seeing if I can actually draw out male ponies, and I think it worked.

The one thing that strikes me is how eerily similar the manes of every character is similar, particular my characters (the four to the right). It's especially worse when Jade looks like Synth and Ganaram and Gem look like they're related (they're not related). I have no coloured pencils.

 

Also take note at what each character is thinking:

 - Take out the second N from Tenna, and now you're referring to incontinence products. Trust me, I checked.

 - Why else would I use my camera and not an actual scanner?

 - CMOS. Do you even lift?

 - Teh Big Dipper.

 - Bolty be tired, or does he wanna rest under a tree somewhere?

 - Yes, I drew the Fire Nation insignia.

 - Music note. Typical.

 - The insignia of the NAM Team. What else?

 

Please a comment on what you think.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Ganaram Inukshuk

[Motion Spark 7,806]

these look like experimental drawings, like if you wanted to make concepts of several ponies on paper and if you were asking our thoughts. So I think this would be better in Octavia's Hall, having said that. I didn't have a clue that you have problem drawing stallions, you have the concept of them alright I think, just keep practicing

[Nah 3,181]

Wonderful drawings you've got there! 

 

Although I do agree about the manes looking quite similar (most the manes on my OC's look like Rainbow Dash's XD), I think the shape is very well done and looks like it's from the show.

[Jinx 2,292]

Ponies are hard to differentiate from one another when drawn in the show's style. This is simply because the style is simplistic, and things tend to repeat. People design their OCs to what they think looks good personally. Also colors add to the drawings, so just simple outlines are even less differentiated from one another.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 3,680]

I didn't have a clue that you have problem drawing stallions, you have the concept of them alright I think, just keep practicing

 

Now the problem is mares. Look how the the male-female ratio is disproportionate now. Either I have to resort to the BG characters or just Gem or I need to genderbend.

 

Although I do agree about the manes looking quite similar (most the manes on my OC's look like Rainbow Dash's), I think the shape is very well done and looks like it's from the show.

 

Accuracy is what I strive for.

 

That said, it's more an issue with my four main primary characters (and I did not intend to have more than one character at all), but it's more endemic when I reached out to others. The only distinguishable characters here: Jade and Bolty.

 

Ponies are hard to differentiate from one another when drawn in the show's style. This is simply because the style is simplistic, and things tend to repeat.

Which is exactly what I want to deviate from. This is just the head and a bunch of outlines. Note that I don't have Inkscape at my disposal (well, I do, but I'm lazy), and to pull something off like my avatar would take a week. In the past, it'd take a few days.

 

-----

 

Everyone: Should I tackle something else?

[Motion Spark 7,806]

 

Now the problem is mares. Look how the the male-female ratio is disproportionate now. Either I have to resort to the BG characters or just Gem or I need to genderbend.

I agree with Kirsten Stewart, your manes are very generic, they all look similar to Ganaram and Gem, and it doesn't help that MLP recycles all of their chracters making the manes, the tails and other small details different from other ponies. 

[Ganaram Inukshuk 3,680]

your manes are very generic, they all look similar to Ganaram and Gem

You know what?

 

I prefer to keep it that way BECAUSE I want the two characters to be similar.

 

You have to keep in mind that you're not even looking at the full body image of these characters, and to look at those will change everything:

 

 

Let me ask: Do you want me to jump directly to the full-fledged 100% coloured vector just to disprove you?

[Motion Spark 7,806]

You know what?

 

I prefer to keep it that way BECAUSE I want the two characters to be similar.

 

You have to keep in mind that you're not even looking at the full body image of these characters, and to look at those will change everything:

 

 

Let me ask: Do you want me to jump directly to the full-fledged 100% coloured vector just to disprove you?

fine Gannie, you don't have to be so mean about it :v

this is about advice and feedback, and I'm giving you my honest opinion, I think that Ganaram and Gem have the same mane, I personally wouldn't create 2 ponies with very similar manes, unless they are siblings or relatives, but that's your style anyways.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 3,680]

What I'm being told right now is that to translate things onto paper, which I thought would be a catalyst to drawing things on Inkscape, would be beneficial, and that I thought to stop at this point to show overall progress would be a good idea, but it instead turns out to be a terrible idea in that it makes everypony too overly similar. I already know every character inside and out to say that they're different, but clearly I've done something wrong that makes them too similar.

 

So I really should stick to vectorisations from now on, even though they take hundreds of times longer to create than pencil drawings.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Ganaram Inukshuk

[Jadefire 2,796]

So, looks like I'm thinking about firebending, huh? Or just taking over the world utilizing the power of a 100 year old magic comet?

[Ganaram Inukshuk 3,680]

So, looks like I'm thinking about firebending, huh? Or just taking over the world utilizing the power of a 100 year old magic comet?

I'm thinking about having it drawn out as a vector; Think about it, it'll look exponentially better than what it would on a bland piece of paper.