Any Suggestions?

Xanamiar

Member since: 2007
Location
Wichita KS USA

Here's a sketch I've been working on..  Anyone have any opinions about what I should do, could do, to make it better?

 

 

Asok

Well, obviously I'm biased because of my style (you probably know where this is going) - I'm in love with clean, solid, delineating lines.

 

I would draw a nice, crisp outline on each of these birds to make them really pop. Try to make single, swooping motions with the pencil, and don't press too hard or go too slow. Do this for all the relevant features you want to highlight, like beaks, feet, outlines of wings (the line between the wing and body), etc.

 

For added effect, take an eraser and make a little white spot on one or more of the eyes, giving it a little shine.

Tusserk

And of course my bias is going to come from my own experience, haha, that being critter anatomy!

What I'd encourage you to do is look closely and carefully at the way the feathers sit, especially on the wings. And of course, there's no better way to do this than reference, reference, reference. There's a very distinct way the coverts sit, in almost graceful curves which are nicely obvious on a budgie thanks to the patterning on their feathers. The lines across the back of the head, too, try not to think of them as just plain old 'lines'... but look at how they actually form the edges of feathers, and how the lines are made up of a heap of gentle curves, as well as the change of direction for the cheek feathers. Following those curves will give your birds a lot more sense of three dimensional form. :D

Xanamiar

Cool.. Thanks, both of you. I actually have 16 budgies in my room, so I do have a lot of reference, but I did these from my own mind, because everything's I try to copy one of my budgies I don't think it looks enough like them. But I know exactly what you mean Tuss, each black line on the budgie is actually tends or hundreds of little feathers making the line, I'll have to look at trying to make then look mite like what they are. I'll have to give both of your guys ideas and see what happens.

Judas

I could tell you how to make them cartoony, but I don't think that's what your going for here. lol

Also, I'm absolute $#!% at birds. 

Xanamiar

It helps when you look at them everyday cause you're feeding and playing with them...  This is one of my boy's .. Phineas .. he's the only "Exhibition/English Budgie" I have.  But the rest of them are all very pretty as well.

And here's my little girl Izzy...

 

 

Hablyonus Pense

Those are adorable. Straight up, no holds barred adorable. Also if you plan on coloring these drawings, might I recommend prismacolor pencils. The colors can be made sharp, but they also blend well. If you don't have blending stumps, a paper towel or tissue tappered to a point will work. I use a kneeded eraser to get anything that falls outside the lines.

PS, in one of your earlier comments, I think you made the world's funniest typo. You called Tusserk "Fuss". I laughed so hard...

Xanamiar

That actually wasn't a typo,it was auto correct on my phone  and I have now corrected the auto correct...  and I'm not going to be coloring them, because I'm colorblind and it'll look funny toanyone but me if I color it.