How do I better this?

[Squinky]

I know this is nothing great, but I'm just trying out this different style. I think it is obvious that it needs more definition and some other stuff. Just so you know my process is this:

Sketch with thin black pixel line
Flood Fill with one color for each section
Blur/Smudge the black lines i
Burn/Dodge to create shadow and what not.....

I like where this is going and I've been trying this style for a while but I can't seem to get any better.

Thanks to anybody and everybody who can give me some tips...

[[Cameron]]

For some in depth commentry on your pic: I like.
Regards,


Alec

[intermalte]

It looks like a mediaeval church window.
You could separate the different coloured sections with thicker lines and there should be more contrast at all. Some areas should be totally black and some should look like coloured glass when the sun shines through.
I googled for a reference:

[Darth Mandarb]

Good to see some Squinky-art again!

I like this a lot.  But, as you mentioned, it could use some definition.  It sort of runs together.

I dig the mixture of the cape (old school clothing) with sunglasses.  It gives it ... I don't know, something, which I like!

Post an update if/when you have it!

[stuh505]

The reason it looks undefined is not because you need to outline more or use more contrast.  I can see you have already been using both of these up to the wazoo...and it is very unneccessary, and usually considered something to avoid....because things in real life are not that well defined...there are no outlines, and color variations are often quite subtle, so it makes things look unrealistic and flat.  Is this what you're going for?  If you are purposely going for this effect, that's fine...but if you just went into this with the attempt to draw it...and this is how it turned out...you probably want to try a more realistic technique.

So, why, when you are already over-doing all of the typical methods for defining the image, does your image still not look defined?  It's because of the way you're using the smudge tool on your edges.  I am pretty familiar with the smudge tool....it is basically the only tool that I use to do all of the art for my backgrounds which I have been posting around here.  The key to the smudge tool is to draw a sharp line, and smude one side, and leave the other sharp.  It is very important to have the correct side of the line be hard and the correct side be soft.  Both sides are soft in your image, and that makes everything look blurry.

[Squinky]

Cool guys....

I'll give stuh's advice a try and see what I can come up with ....

Thanks...

[Babar]

I dig the mixture of the cape (old school clothing) with sunglasses. It gives it ... I don't know, something, which I like!

Comix Zone!!

Great work. If I ever get as good as this, I will think up some criticism to give you.