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Optimus Prime:

the arms seem a little smal to the main torso area thats all i think needs work on the perspective there

Agreed - I think it's mostly the hands that look a bit piddling, but the arms do a bit, too.

Brilliant detail, though, and I love the shading. It looks to me almost as if it's a cell-shaded 3D model...

I photographed my MP Prime, and that's how his arms/hands looked in the picture (no, I didn't trace it, but I needed a reference, and holding him wasn't working). I even put the drawing over the photograph (in Photoshop) to make sure I got it right (using transparency), and everything matched up.

Wierd, huh?

I just finished another Prime picture (with a special guest), and I'll have it uploaded once I've colored it.

they're right though, you have the reverse of perspective going on with his forearms. The box is getting smaller as it gets closer to the viewer, it should be bigger. There is no way it could do that in real life, it would break scientific laws.

Sorry to disappoint everyone. Forgot I wasn't perfect. I wasn't lying when I said the drawing matched up perfectly to the photo I worked off of. I guess either my camera or figure defied the laws of physics.

I love this site, but everyone is really critical, and none of it is positive.

TENIME_art wrote:Sorry to disappoint everyone. Forgot I wasn't perfect. I wasn't lying when I said the drawing matched up perfectly to the photo I worked off of. I guess either my camera or figure defied the laws of physics.

I love this site, but everyone is really critical, and none of it is positive.

I like your drawing. i think it looks very good. Take what everyone says as "Constructive Criticism". Not to put you down, but to help you be even better than you already are. I can see in your drawing that you know how to draw, and can look at a pic and draw it very well. Now it's just to help you improve perspective. Just don't take criticism as a bad thing. I encourage you to keep going, practace and draw more!

TENIME_art wrote:I love this site, but everyone is really critical, and none of it is positive.

Urm, one of the administrators themselves said just above:

Ramrider wrote:Brilliant detail, though, and I love the shading. It looks to me almost as if it's a cell-shaded 3D model...

I haven't responded at all, but I will say whatever criticisms I could ever direct against your work, valid or not, I wouldn't be able to draw half as well as you do. And I think anytime one receives criticism, they'd be well to remember it in that context.

If I could identify any shortcoming of the members of this site at all, it'd be that they possibly aren't critical enough at times. And I don't think that's a big flaw at all for an environment that tries to engender creativity rather than stifle it. In any case, I've always found the members of this site to be highly supportive of all the contributors and creators here. Offering beneficial criticism takes a bit of diplomacy on the part of the viewers, yes, but it also takes some thick skin on the part of the artist, no? =)

I know I'm not the greatest artist in the world, and I take constructive criticism. I welcome it.

"His arms are too small" has nothing constructive or positive about it.

His arms might look small because he's pulling them back away from the camera. The arms are bent, the elbows past the back of the body, the camera's almost above the figure, with the head tilted back/up, looking at the camera. I posed the Masterpiece figure, photographed it, drew off of the photo, and even placed the drawing over the picture in Photoshop. Everything matched up as well as it could. If there was a scale issue between the source and the finished product, I would've corrected it before attempting to share it. The hands are going away from the viewer, not towards. Why would the hands (which I matched up to the physical figure) get bigger going away from the camera?

Semi-truck cabs cannot transform into giant robots, but we suspend disbelief for that. So, why can't I draw crappy perspectives? Obviously, if I was good enough to please everyone, I'd be getting paid for it, and wouldn't be searching for acceptance on a message board. I posted this thinking people would either like it, or say nothing at all. When I see a custom or a drawing on a message board that I think sucks, I say, "Huh. That sucks." and leave the thread. I don't post what's wrong with it, or what the creator needs to "fix" or change. Obviously, if they decided to show it off, they're happy with it.

If you can't say anything nice...

Some members here are more critical than others, and true, some may often be seen as somewhat overcritical. But when it comes down to it, we're a creative site, and we try to encourage creativity as much as we can.
The best attitude is to take the criticisms on board, have a think about them, and if you find you agree, you can do something about it. If you don't agree, disregard it. When it comes down to it, most of it's just opinions, and different people have different preferences.

As for the arms, I agree they actually look slightly smaller at the wrists than at the elbows. One thing I've found is that sometimes it's a good idea, when copying from a photo, to take a little creative license. If something doesn't look quite right, you can leave it out or change it as you work.
Artistic license is brilliant.

Ramrider wrote:One thing I've found is that sometimes it's a good idea, when copying from a photo, to take a little creative license. If something doesn't look quite right, you can leave it out or change it as you work.
Artistic license is brilliant.

Thank you. If I want to draw a Transformer with a tiny head and enormous feet, it's my right as an artist.

Thank you, Ramrider.

If you liked this picture, I uploaded another TF pic on my gallery (click on Snake Eyes below).

By the way, I didn't comment on this because when I started posting, yours wasn't there, but now I've seen it, I think it's worth addressing.

TENIME_art wrote:I don't post what's wrong with it, or what the creator needs to "fix" or change. Obviously, if they decided to show it off, they're happy with it.

If you can't say anything nice...

That's not necessarily true. A good deal of the artists here like criticism; I know I do.
The fact is, we're not necessarily just posting something to show it off. Well, we are... but we'd generally like genuine criticisms, good and bad. We like to know what you do and don't like.

Often someone can notice something (be it a perspective problem, or inconsistent shading, or whatever), that the artist didn't notice. When you've spent hours on a picture, you can lose your objectivity, and you can't see mistakes that a fresh eye can spot.

Or maybe they just have an idea on something that you like, but didn't think of; like when Jimsloth was helping me with the colours on my Rumble picture (see my sketchdump thread for the result). He was able to make objective observations that I couldn't, and they helped no end.

It's worth listening to criticism, even if you disagree. Positive comments are encouraging, help keep you motivated, and let you know what's right with what you're doing.
But the criticisms can often be more useful, because they let you know what can be improved on now or in the future. And for many of us, that's really valuable.

i just give my opinion its not a put down. To be honest if i got just praise on here i would worry. Instead i welcome crits because everyone has a flaw in at least one way. And this helps more people i find to get better.

We are all just honest unlike some sites in which you get praise or nothing. As i say experience makes you wise and helps me lots

I know the flaws in my work. I see what's wrong, and what isn't good enough. I criticise myself far too much to get any from anyone else. You're all lucky you get to see what I show. What I don't show, I won't show to anybody, and already berate myself enough for not making it good enough. I know what I'm good at, and I know what I suck at. I don't need anyone telling me. I've been insulted all my life for everything I say and do. I'm sick of it.

If I upload something, I've already gone over it with a fine toothed comb, and a few objective artist friends before I share it online. What you see is something I've spent weeks on. If there was something I wanted changed on the picture, you won't see it until it's changed.

I get enough negative comments on everything in my everyday life. I post art projects online for compliments. Something to make me feel good about myself, that I'm not wasting my time waking up in the morning.

None of you knew this, but I had already gotten only positive comments on my Minimate customs, I figured I'd be safe showing my TF pics. I may have been drawing since I was 3, but the Optimus Prime picture at the top is the first Transformer picture I've ever drawn in my entire life, and I just started it about a month ago. My specialty is anime people. Not robots. I'm sorry I didn't use a ruler when drawing this picture, but if I can't draw it freehand, it's not worth it to me. I even had the idea of just doing a pure anime-inspired Prime, with absolutely no correct joints, etc. But I decided to go more physically authentic, and go off of the toy.

Negative comments say different things to different people. You can't just assume because you like hearing it, that means it's okay to give them to other people. Negative remarks tell me to stop drawing. Not improve. If there had been any constructive criticism, I never would've reacted like this. But, there wasn't. It was just: "His arms are to small, the perspective's wrong." Again, no, it's not, because they're going away from the camera, not towards it. If anything's wrong with the picture, his head is up too high on the top of his torso. And, I don't care. I noticed it before I started coloring. I could've cut and moved it in Photoshop. I didn't. I liked it up there. I was happy with this picture before everyone started nitpicking it.

If you don't like it, don't say anything. If you can do better, do so in your own thread. And, if I like it, I'll say it's amazing. If I don't like something about it, I won't bring it up. Instead, I'll pick out something I do like about it. Like that comment about my shading. Thank you. I spent a long time doing that. I'm glad you liked it.

I've not heard anything destructive in the criticisms offered by the board members in this thread, or on this site.

I'm sorry to hear your life is full of such negativity, but it's not right for you to take it out on your fellow board members. I've detected no such malice, cruelty, or casual disregard in their comments. No one said or insinuated, "I can draw better than you, so there!" You're reading that in yourself.

How is my asking for no negative criticism because I get enough of it in real life "taking it out on everyone here"!?

My best friend has never had any problems telling me what's wrong with a picture. I had him look over the drawing before I scanned it in and colored it, let him compare to the figure and the photo of the toy. He found nothing wrong with it.

After getting all these comments, I had him stare at it again for about 10-15 minutes. He still can't see why everyone has a problem with it.

I never asked for feedback, and this is the first message board I've ever been to where someone posts something other than "I love it" or "good job", etc. etc.

Again, that doesn't encourage me to keep drawing. It tells me to give it up, because I'm not good enough.

Why is that such a horrible thing to ask!?

TENIME_art wrote:Again, that doesn't encourage me to keep drawing. It tells me to give it up, because I'm not good enough.

And again, none of the comments said you suck so bad and need to stop drawing. You leapt to that conclusion completely on your own. This is nothing personal. I'm just saying that, after I read this thread, between their comments and your own reaction to them, I have to honestly say that I think yours are the more critical.. I mean you're taking the couple things they've said waaay too personally. Relax!

My Comments and the other guys comments are details which to be honest help people.

The details which needed little work are perspective Look at my gallery i never love my pieces instead know there are some things that could be improved.

I know a member on the other board and i told her what was wrong with the pic. She said the same thing and i said that does not mean you not good it means self improvement would be one of the things to help you grow and to honest honest she is happy i told her.

you have talent on the colours and drawing but perspective on some parts needed work. That is all dont bet yourself up on it. This is a common thing with alot of people which dont see it right away.

Try the figure again on the drawing from a different angle and just work on the size of areas and perspective. with this you will be starting to get happier and your first views as a artist from yourself are not a put down its something in which you look at with a keen eye.

And lasty its not negative if i thought it was bad i would of just said rather then give constructive comments on things to help you for future.

this is an artist site no matter the form we focus(drawing,kitbashing,repaints)and coming into this we understand we are subjecting ourselves to critiques from our peers.criticism is one of the ways we grow as artists....trust me,i'm dreading my first critique from tramp.

Grim Do you want me to get tramp to give hes views, as tramp is honest to a t on hes crits if a line is out of place he will say.

and grim i have never seen any of your artwork at all strange that.

If you dont want honest comments dont post but it would be a shame as you have a talent At the end of the day I am not making this thread any longer by saying my views. And to be honest if you dont want people giving there views honestly don't post. END OF DEBATE

my talent isn't with the pencil or pen but with the figure,by no means am i criticizing tenime's art.what i was saying about tramp was that i am looking forward to insights he might offer me on my current wip,erb.even though i know that tramp is blunt and straight to the point.i was pointing out that as a website to an artform,critics are expected on website like this.

i think my favorite is the venom,
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/502 ... n%3Ascraps

do you do all the colouring your self?, it looks pritty profesional

grimlockprime108 wrote:my talent isn't with the pencil or pen but with the figure,by no means am i criticizing tenime's art.what i was saying about tramp was that i am looking forward to insights he might offer me on my current wip,erb.even though i know that tramp is blunt and straight to the point.i was pointing out that as a website to an artform,critics are expected on website like this.

Fair Enough Point on there Everyone has talent either with a pencil or a knife depending on your medium really



For Example this piece part of the convoys i am not happy altogether with it but when its done thats my opinion but i like others views not for the praise but for the flaws (guess i am weird like that).

i checked out your gallery on deivantart as i am on there as well under as dark ratbat the self pictures are good and the snake pics those i like i saw the prime / magnus the body was fine i thought the head was a little large but i do like your attention to detail and to be honest.

At the end of the Day thats my opinion but you are talented and to be honest i see these things as minor and we are all human at the end of the day my comments are my comments. I say keep up the drawing also i looked at your colours and those really define the characters which in some cases others fail at and make them seem to flat. Also is this the first few tfs pics you have done as i didnt see many other pics apart from prime and ultra magnus.

Either way thats my two cents on the matter

Did someone mention my name?

Anyway. I have bren looking over this piece for some time from an illustrator's perspective, and I have to agree with the other coments here. Overall the drawing is very well done. your colors and attention to detail are excellent, andf your background work is very well thought out and executed. However, the perspective on the arms is off, regardless of if it "matches" the photo. First off, based upon the anlge of the upper arms, and the slope of the tops of them, the arms are angled forwards, not back. If they were bent back, the tops of his shoulders would be more square and the fronts angled back more. Also, if the arms were supposed to be facing away, then yopu wouldn't see the face of his wrists. The hands would appear behind the forearms, not in front.

The trick with drawing is that for an illustration to look good, we sometimes have to "cheat". One of those "cheats" is a technique called foreshortening. This technique entails making those objects closer to up larger than they would be in real life. and, at the sane time shortening or lengthening objects as their angle changes. The example ERB posted above is an excellent one of foreshortening. Look at the arm coming towards you. See how it increases in size while at the same time compressing in length with the extreme angle. That is what I, and the others are talking about.

Tenime, you do excellent work, but you do have areas you need to improve on. Take what these people are saying for what they are intended. that is to help you improve your skill as an artist.

I drew everything that's on there as of right now. My friends are still working on uploading their artwork.

I colored every picture except for the Darkstalkers girls and Gollum. One of my friends did those.