Cartoon character - getting the right pose & look

[ThreeOhFour]

I have been working on creating a more cartoony feel to my drawing and have come up with the following character. Can I get some feedback on the posture?

Also, I feel that I have been spending too much time on the details while not focusing on the actual shape - what details would you recommend I include, and what one should I leave out? I have left out major details on purpose.



Just for a bit of backround info - I tried to make this look like the typical teenager - the hair is a stylised version of mine, the posture is an exaggerated one and I was hoping to use this fella in a game if I can get it right (with your help, of courseÃ,  )

Cheers,

Ben.

[fred]

I think the posture is just a tiny bit exaggerated - like he's poking his head forward to examine something. It looks too off-balance to be a relaxed pose. Also, the knees are a bit low, and the hair looks very glossy. But I like the style, maybe it could even go without the outlines, like in Another World.

[Krysis]

A quick paintover. Sorry about the low resolution - it's easier to draw and I only wanted 2 show a bit more normal-looking pose and I changed a few colours.

[ThreeOhFour]

I love the way other people can pick up stuff that looks so obvious when I go back and check it and missed in the first place. As they say, a guest sees more in an hour than a host sees in a year...

Anyway, I had a go a creating a higher resolution version of the excellent paintover by Relentless (giving me a shot at actually drawing a natural looking pose for a change) as well as nicking his colours, and also did one with out the outlines as suggested by Fred.



So, how is it doing so far?

EDIT: I thought I'd have a go at doing a walkcycle. Sorry its poor quality but I have no good animation program...



Here are the original frames used in the animation:



Comments and criticism much desired...

[Corey]

they look clean but it's hard to see without the actual animation

[Haddas]

The walking animation is very clean and functional. The only thing is the head bobbing. It looks slightly awkward, maybe because it's the shoulders that bob and not the head?

[GarageGothic]

Looks good, but I'm wondering about the positioning of the pocket. In some of the animation frames it looks like it's below the knee! I wear pants similar to these, and the top of my pocket is mid-thigh while the bottom edge is knee height.

Except for this, I love the style of the character.

[ThreeOhFour]

Corey - Hard to see without the actual animation? The actual animation is there! Click on the little picture above the frame image, that should load up a .gif file.

Haddas - Agreed. Have changed this in my latest animation.

GarageGothic - Yeah, I know I am gonna have to fix the pocket, but I still do want to keep the pocket kinda low, I think it makes it look like his pants are hangin' low. See what you think when I load up the next one.

In the meantime, however, here's one I prepared earlier (After reading the comment by Haddas):

These are the frames:


And here is the animation:


I dunno about the shadow... it looks sorta cool but does it actually work properly? And have I managed to fix the head bob?

[Afflict]

Well his head bops up and down but the waist is stationary...

I also dont understand the shadowing... wheres the light source?
Its casting shadow on the (characters right leg)

1st frame: the leg is totaly shaded?
2nd frame : leg is partially shaded.
3rd frame smaller partial..

now 2nd and 3rd indicate lighting from the back of the character (his left leg casting shadow.)

Whereas frame 5 6 cast shadow to the back?? hope this made sense.

[ThreeOhFour]

The whole thing with the shading was to show which leg was in front and which leg was behind.

In frame 1 the shading is complete because the left leg is completely in front of the right leg.

In frame 2 the shaded patch is smaller because the left leg doesn't completely cover the right leg, I only shaded the area where I thought the left leg's shadow would hit the right leg.

In frame 3 the right leg is further forward and the left leg is further back, therefore the shadow cast on the right leg is smaller.

In frame 4 the shading is complete because the left leg is completely in front of the right leg.

In frame 5 the shading only covers where the left leg's shadow would hit the right leg.

In frame 6 the shaded patch is smaller as the legs are once again further apart.

I guess for this I was assuming that illumination was coming from straight on. Perhaps I need to make the shaded areas smaller...

[Afflict]

IMO just make the lighting come from the top not too strong either.

So the shading on the legs will be more of the body cast.

[ThreeOhFour]

Yeah, I know, its been AGES since I updated this but I just got back into it and I'm stuck again.

I think I've sorted out the walkcycle from side - on now:



But I'm having trouble getting the back view to look right:



Please help!

[Ali]

I like this character, you've got the teenage s-shape almost right, but the knees could come further forward. Look at the way the Triplets de Belville walk, their skeletons were based on the relaxed slump of black basketball players. I also think the shoulders should  move along with the head-bob.

The shoulders are a bit too low in the back view, so you've lost the sense of the hunch. I also think the arms are a little too straight, the look rigid rather than floppy.

[ThreeOhFour]

I have not heard of (or seen) these Triplets de Belville - I googled for it but couldn't find anything that seemed relevant. What do you think about the pants? I get the feeling that they don't sit right from the back view.

[Ali]

Sorry, I spelt 'Belleville' wrong. I just thought the stances of the triplettes might be useful to you:

http://i.imdb.com/mptv1.gif

As for the trousers, the way they billow out is good, but I think the hips may be a little too narrow. I think his hips should be wider in the back view than they are in the side view.

[ThreeOhFour]

Ok - after having a look at those comments, how does this edit do:



Changes:
-Made shoes more square
-Made hips, shoulders and midriff wider
-Raised and rounded shoulders to show hunch
-Made arms look better (I hope)
-Made trousers hang a little lower
-Added in the leg pockets on trousers

So, is it ready for colour yet?

[Maltjik]

It looks good. You've gotten the feel all right.
A few suggestions though:

1: From behind. That kind of pants rarely have defines areas for the butt. With the current fabricfold there, it looks a little like his butt is huge. You could try to redraw it or loose it.

2: His shirt bothers me slightly. The tucked-in style at the bottom doesn't match the loose sleeves. Perhaps I am growing too old to make such a comment, but I've never seen a youngster that wasn't a complete tool that had his slacker shirt tucked in.
I think you should consider freeing the lower part of the shirt, OR make the whole thing into a hoodie. Another alternative (That I think would look awesome on this guy) would be to lengthen the sleeves to 2/3 and tighten them up- AND colour the whole thing as a baseball T.

3: Posture- Could he possibly have his hands down his pockets? It would look completely slaggish and take away the purtyness of his walk. Damn kids, I tell you...

Anyhow, the whole guy looks great. These are mere suggestions and not necessarily as good ones as I think.

Keep it going!

[Maltjik]

quick draw-over... Just to show where I'm thinking.

[ThreeOhFour]

Oh dear - I have met with a dilemma now.

That hoody one is so cool!

And now that I look at my rework of the second one he looks like a much fatter person than the side on view (especially in the rear)

*sigh* - back to the drawing board.

EDIT: Ok, so before I try and incorporate a hoody or baseball t, I thought I'd at least try and get the legs of his trousers correct first:



Ok, so I think I've managed to get it less bulbous up top and more straight up and down...

What needs fixing now?

[Maltjik]

Looks good. the hunching of his back is excellent.