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Published: 2008-08-08 12:56:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 201196; Favourites: 3812; Downloads: 48725
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Description
Hey everyone. This is the tutorial that goes with the 25 Essential Expressions exercise sheet.Now, I want it to be understood that I don't think this is the only way or even the best way to make unique characters. The beauty of comic art is that it's infinitely varied and approached from all different angles. I just wanted to share how I do it, and a couple of weaknesses I've noticed in the dominant styles and how I personally try to work around those. Remember that above all, you gotta play to your strengths. I remember agonizing over my style to a colleague once, and she said to me, "Yeah, but that's your style and it's great." So often in comic art guides I see instructions that basically tell you to drop everything that makes your art unique - don't do this! In the final figure in the tutorial, you'll see me try to do traditional western comic style, and then I do my own style. The first style is neater, but the second style, as bobbly and loose as it is, has a lot more emotion in it.
I'm rambling. Thank thank thank THANK you for all the wonderful feedback with 25 Essential Expressions! I'm touched beyond words. Feel free to share any good sketches you might make from this tutorial - I love to see if I've helped anyone out!
Lots of love and hugs,
Nancy.
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Comments: 360
Mystra-Inc In reply to ??? [2009-10-14 11:41:23 +0000 UTC]
great resource, thank you, i'll be trying out the 25 expressions thing too, thanks for posting it
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
starrypawz [2009-10-05 13:35:27 +0000 UTC]
This is a handy little guide I'll have to refer to it in future.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
cheeriocheetah In reply to ??? [2009-09-24 04:31:09 +0000 UTC]
Thank you very much for offering such a well-organized, useful guide!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
mayanightstar In reply to ??? [2009-09-19 23:22:23 +0000 UTC]
wow. I only skimmed through it but I still thought it was great!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
fAeRiEs-R-aFtEr-Me In reply to ??? [2009-09-07 21:36:07 +0000 UTC]
This is an excellent tutorial, thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
xXTheHatterXx [2009-09-01 14:43:55 +0000 UTC]
Awesome!
Should I ever get any free time I look forward to being able to read this thoroughly. In the meantime the skimming I did is fantastic.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
napalmnacey In reply to SanguineJustice [2010-05-08 05:24:59 +0000 UTC]
Do you have a PDF viewer?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
SanguineJustice In reply to napalmnacey [2010-05-08 14:02:18 +0000 UTC]
I don't know what that is, so I would say no.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to SanguineJustice [2010-05-09 07:15:41 +0000 UTC]
They're not hard to find on the net. If you can't find one, let me know and I'll link you.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to SanguineJustice [2010-05-11 10:02:40 +0000 UTC]
Good-O! Happy tuting!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Yukirin76 In reply to SanguineJustice [2009-09-02 19:21:53 +0000 UTC]
Just download it [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
SanguineJustice In reply to Yukirin76 [2009-09-02 20:51:01 +0000 UTC]
i did. the only program that will open it though, is word, and when it does no image pops up, only a bunch of random symbols.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yukirin76 In reply to SanguineJustice [2009-09-02 22:53:30 +0000 UTC]
Oh =\.. There may be some type of Freeware you can google =\
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
MayleanCall In reply to ??? [2009-08-23 01:46:12 +0000 UTC]
Very interesting. Thank you for contributing this.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
ScreaminCricket [2009-08-19 22:44:26 +0000 UTC]
Thanks for this! Lately I've been realizing I need to make my individual characters' faces more distinct from each other (especially the ladies) so I look forward to applying some of the stuff from here.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
LiquoriceSnaps In reply to ??? [2009-08-18 08:07:22 +0000 UTC]
Awesome tutorial,thanks for sharing. It really made me reflect on own approach.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
friki-dayz In reply to ??? [2009-08-12 16:40:05 +0000 UTC]
Thank u so much 4 sharing your knowledge! All I need now is practice, practice, practice, practice...
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
AliceSacco In reply to ??? [2009-07-29 17:56:53 +0000 UTC]
I'm reading this.
I have the same problem in draw characters, and worse, i have face blindness so i see all faces alike even in real life.
Someone has made notice me this, so i'm triyng to fix the problem in drawing.
I'm praticing a lot on faces and whole pictures.
I can't see well real facial features, but i noticed even every part of body is different.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to AliceSacco [2010-05-08 05:27:09 +0000 UTC]
I think studying faces by drawing them will help you with that. Some people are cognitively different from others, so don't feel too bad about it. I am hyper-aware of people's different facial features. Some people can't tell the difference at all. There's a particular part of the brain that is devoted to recognising faces. Perhaps studying and working on those particular skills might improve them?
Good luck!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
AliceSacco In reply to napalmnacey [2010-05-08 11:06:45 +0000 UTC]
it's improved, i'm improved a bit in that.
I can see better differences in body shape than faces.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to AliceSacco [2010-05-09 07:16:53 +0000 UTC]
Cool! By the way, what did Acer do?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
AliceSacco In reply to napalmnacey [2010-05-09 19:03:35 +0000 UTC]
Acer give a lot of problems. It freezes without reason, when there is 60% free space in HD, there is BSoD every day, some programs don't work well etc...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to AliceSacco [2010-05-11 10:00:40 +0000 UTC]
Ahhh. Thanks for letting me know. I'll strike them off my "To consider" list when I'm next checking out laptops.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
PlacebicYue In reply to ??? [2009-07-28 04:14:56 +0000 UTC]
My! this is so useful, thanks a bunch!!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
jackattack1994 In reply to ??? [2009-07-25 06:43:51 +0000 UTC]
Just want to say thank you, as you've helped me tons.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
July261995 In reply to ??? [2009-07-23 01:00:25 +0000 UTC]
This looks like it could help me alot, but, after I clicked download, it wouldn't let me download the PDF file. D: Any tips?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to July261995 [2010-05-08 05:27:32 +0000 UTC]
Huh. I am going to make an HTML page available for people. Hang tight.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to onyx-gem1393 [2010-05-08 05:28:09 +0000 UTC]
Download it, and then look at it through a PDF viewer. Adobe has one for free.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
wraskye In reply to onyx-gem1393 [2009-07-22 21:59:47 +0000 UTC]
Download it; you'll get a PDF.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
epic-fail-at-life In reply to ??? [2009-07-21 04:21:28 +0000 UTC]
this is very helpful! even though our styles are totally different it really helped me! now the only way to identify my characters won't be by their scar or ridiculous headwear... super-kudos chica!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to crazyfanboii [2010-05-08 05:28:36 +0000 UTC]
Click download, then view the file through a PDF viewer.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
AlexLibby In reply to ??? [2009-07-08 20:21:49 +0000 UTC]
wow this has helped!
i don't draw humans, all my characters are horses/dogs
but
the expression sheet and this still has helped me determine how they're final design will look different from another characters design. this has helped so i can be able to draw them and be able to see the differences in the characters before coloring them
thanks for posting this!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
napalmnacey In reply to AlexLibby [2010-05-08 05:29:24 +0000 UTC]
Animals are like humans - they have little differences in their faces. The way a nostril flares, or the shape of the eye, or the curve of the muzzle.
No problem! Glad I could help!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Drawn-Imagination In reply to ??? [2009-06-15 14:01:33 +0000 UTC]
This is excellent, i've downloaded this and the 25 expressions sheet. Thanx will post results soon!! ^_^
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
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