For those who missed the first post, "Data" is the working name for a original action/platforming game I've been drawing up for nearly a year now (Both in writing and on paper), and I am currently trying to design the main character.
^ These were the very first drawings of the character, and were just doodles on scrap grid paper. This is the "Kirby with actual hands" I was talking about in post 1, But with ears.
I had scrapped the ears in favor of arms at this point. This form was easy to draw and easy to animate, but after drawing him with real legs, I realized that this wasn't the path I wanted to go with and tried messing with other body forms.
^ At first, I tried a compromise between the 2 forms: Ears and arms. But it was quickly apparent to me that by giving him ears, I made the top of his head look like he's wearing Underwear. I decided that I wanted too many features for it all to be on one sphere, so I gave it a body and abandoned the ninja suit. Originally, the jagged line was just a pattern on his belly, but I thought it would be more creative if that was hair. In order to keep him from appearing bland, I gave him curling hair and a little bit sticking out over his head. The long nose was another attempt to make his head an interesting shape rather than a circle with eyes. I played with it a little, but liked the one on the top right the most and added some changes from there.
^ This is the last form that he was in before his current one. Notice how the ear lobe touches the edge of the ear, and that his hair is pointy and not rounded like in the current version. I also made his hair more 'ratty, worn' looking in this version, but it seemed pretty redundant and not really attractive, so it was scrapped. I also, for some reason, thought that I should give him whiskers and keep the curly hair. The curly hair is now gone in the final version.
So, let me know what you think if you like. This will probably be the last update on DATA at least for a few weeks.
I actually like that last one (the one before the current one).
ReplyDeleteYeah, it SLIGHTLY resembles Sonic characters, but BARELY. I am not sure what makes that one so different-whiskers, maybe? I think you should go back to that one.
I love how he has no legs!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to post all of this!
"not really attractive"-I think he looks ADORABLE!
ReplyDelete@Leslie Really? Huh. Well, there are 4 whiskers instead of 3, that's really the main difference. That, and I've got his curly hair drawn behind it.
ReplyDeleteThe no legs thing was partially inspired by Rayman, and also that I suck at animating legs. XD
No problem! My computer got wiped and I needed to re-scan all this stuff anyways. (That's why it took 2 days :P )
Also, you like the ragged look of his mane? Hmm...
A few months back I spoke with a few friends of mine and asked them what they thought of the character, without really explaining what it's for. They all seemed to like it, but that was on a pretty small scale. It'd be great if I could get more feedback on this without trying to attract attention. :P
Yeah, no problem! I will go through each of them and kind of pick them apart if you want. These are just my personal opinions, so please try not to be offended.
ReplyDeleteThe first one is kinda cute, but looks too much like Kirby. I would say it is in the same range as your other one that looks like Sonic, meaning I like it, it just looks to much like other familiar characters.
I honestly, do not like the second sketch. It looks nothing like the character you give off in all the other drawings. I like the ears!! :3 Also, it reminds me too much of one of these guys (not in a good way like the Kirby and Sonic look-a-likes do): http://s7.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/AB178FE9.jpg
For the third one, all the sketches came across as a little weird... I prefer the sketches that come across as you have a well set character, rather than this where it is a mesh of different things. It comes across that the character is still in the "developing stages"-which is still is, but I like it when it *seems* like you have a set-in-stone character. There is just too much kinda going on there. As far as the actual sketches go, I am not a huge fan of any of them. Yes, you have your little fox character, but somehow he lost his "cuteness". No offense, he kind of looks... lame, and this is for all the little sketches there. Also, I prefer him with the little fox nose, to me it looks weird without it. Well, I guess your little ball one (the upper left) is kind of cute, I feel like it is missing something that your first sketch kind of captured. I know, it is the same sketch based on the first picture, but something just seems off-I have different feelings for the first sketch than I do with this more detailed version..
And, yeah, again, I love love love that last one! He just looks so cute! His whiskers are adorable, and even his eyes seem to suit him. I also like the fur you gave him for his chest and shoulders.
Looking at that sketch and your newer one, I can't quite get what makes it so different-how your newer one looks more like a Sonic character than this one.. I know the whiskers are different, but, would that one little thing make such a huge impact? The angle of the ears looks different too, and I cannot tell if the eyes are different, because in your newer sketch, he looks more ready-for-battle-angry-eyes. Relaxed, his eyes could look the same, I am not sure. His nose also kind of looks different.. could just be the angle you drew it, but if it were me drawing it, it would have been two different noses. His little tail is cute and I like the little hair in the back, and like I said before-no legs! I just like everything about the one before your newest one. I honestly think you should go back to that one.
It may just be a sketch, but just so you know, you may want to practice more on when he is in a ball, and your side views a little bit. Your straight on views seem very strong (your last scanned picture that I like so much) though. You might already know how to draw such better and these are just really rough drawings/sketches, but I am just letting you know.
Does this help a little bit?
*also, you back views are good too.
ReplyDeleteI TYPE A LOT :D
For some reason I am really drawn to the second set. He is like a really modern take on pac-man. Something really cute about the jump suit too... Like I wrote earlier though, I am NOT the expert. Stick to Leslie for accurate feedback.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of an expert either though...
ReplyDeleteWith the Pac-Man... I just really feel like you lose the character you are going for (based on the other sketches).
@Leslie Well, that's why I changed his design. I knew it wasn't a very good one, that's why I experimented with it.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that no one was supposed to see any of the stuff I posted except me, and I only posted it because it showed progression of character. There's reasons I had decided on a re-design on image 2... That's why barely anything of him still exists in the current version.
Well of course they come across as in developing stages, that's because they are! Those are the actual sketches of progression I made way back when. I'm sorry if you don't like that the character doesn't seem set in stone, because at that point in time he wasn't, at all. They weren't meant to be seen by anyone, so of course some of them are going to look lame. I was just experimenting at the time. I kept the fox nose and used it in the current designs because I also liked it.
The differences are mostly subtle ones; His nose got longer, The lobes don't touch the end of the ear, he has 3 whiskers instead of 4,doesn't have curly hair anymore, the eyes are slightly smaller, and the top hair is curved instead of spiked.
Funny you say the side drawings could use some work but my front and back ones don't: A good amount of what I draw is from a side view... :P
@Ms. Ottum Can you send me a link to the main AP Blog? I seem to have misplaced the URL.... :X
http://ahsapart.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI get that they are in the developing stages, I just prefer the sketches that look more like you are developing one single type of character rather than a mesh of different designs. It's just a preference of display.
No, I couldn't tell at all that they were still developing stages ;P Silly.
Also, I was just giving you my opinion on each one so you did not post them for nothing. I figured that since they were old you weren't going to really go back to them, but you said you spent a while scanning and posting them, I thought I would give you feed back on what I thought of each design.