Eragon

[KristjanMan]

So I'm maybe going to do a game based on book "Eragon" so here is Eragon


He is a quite poor peasant his almost 16 years old and on this picture he is hunting and the thing on his back is a bow wrapped in goat skin.
So tell me what do you think and paintovers are welcome

[Saberteeth]

Ok, I like the sprite, it's just too damn symetrical. Here, a bit lees sym.:


There, hope that helps.

[KristjanMan]

Thanks for reply!
Here is a new version:


I tryed to shade him better and slightly changed the color of the skin, but I think I'll still go with symetical character because I just like the characters better that way.
Now any suggestions how to improve him?

[Khris]

Check photos of real people for how arms look like and how they are connected to the body.

[Krysis]

Check photos of real people for how arms look like and how they are connected to the body.

Or better yet, check the mirror.

Head is too round. Legs are too short compared 2 body. Colours seem abit off. Increase the contrast and reduse the saturation. Legs and hands are too strait down.

[Mats Berglinn]

I've read the book and the style doesn't fit what the story is. You should consindering using a more realistic look rather than a cartoony look.

The arms and the legs looks way too straight and you should add elbows and knees.

In my opinion, you should totally redesign the character and make it more realistic and much, much less cartoony.

[ThreeOhFour]

Ok, so I did a quick paintover (And yes I realise that he doesn't look like a teenager... just get rid of the stubble on his chin and that should fix it) to demonstrate how you could keep it looking cartoony but still go for a bit of realism.

-As suggested, people's arms aren't stuck on pivots... they naturally flow into the shoulders, check in the mirror for how your bicep meets your shoulder, which in turn meets your chest, its all interconnected. Also, our arms are not squares. Neither for that matter are our torsos or legs. Thighs are thicker that calves, people tend to either bulge out or curve in at the midriff and chests taper from the shoulders to follow the ribcage.
-Heads tend to not be that round. I actually think that a rectangle is a (slightly) closer representation of a head that a circle because heads are rather square at the top. Note the defined chin.

I know this is quite different, but I did try and stay close to your style. Look at the work of forum members like Krysis and Progzmax - proportion is key when making characters.

And yes, I would reduce the saturation if I wasn't so lazy.

[KristjanMan]

Ok here is another one based on Ben's paintover


Changed legs, arms and head. Getting any better?

EDIT: Fixed clothes changed hair and face veeery little(both 1 pixel only)

[Babar]

Poor person or not, no one is going to go around hunting in those torn clothes! They'd patch them up, at least. The only people I see who are constantly in torn clothes are the poor people in cities, where it doesn't matter as much.

Also, I'd suggest making the hair outline a little less dark.

[Moresco]

I liked him better without the patches.  That's just ridiculous.  If you invisioned (i haven't read the book or anything) him with torn clothes hunting desperately for food, then that's what he should have on.  Some people go to interviews with torn clothes, so I can see him hunting in them.  Anyway, yah the original was very straight and awkwardly perfect.

[KristjanMan]

Well the clothes are torn because Eragon, according to the book, hunts about 2 days strait and i assumed he has more things to do to repair his clothes. I still have the not patched up version so what do others think wich one is better? And please tell me how are the legs and arms now

[Mr Flibble]

Get rid of the stray brown pixels on his chin, he looks like he's got crumbs all over his face. If its meant to be a pubescent beard, may I suggest using a desaturated version of the skin tone?