I think the problem with the print is the color. I mean, sure, brown rats make sense, but since when was art about sense? Like N00b was getting at, you really need to pay more attention to how colors interact. If you have no idea where to start on this, follow these Simple, Fun, Radium-Approved Steps TM!
1.) Pick WHAT you want to contrast. What is the focus of the picture? Make this area a different hue or lightness than the rest, so people can differentiate it from the background. Make sure it still fits in enough that it looks like one, unified picture, though (pink or purple on red would work okay, but not green on red).
2.) Decide WHERE you want to draw people's eyes. Keep in mind that people's eyes are first drawn towards bright colors like yellow, then light green, then sharp things like red. On your picture that places emphasis on their helmet spikes and sunburst, then on the rodent's eyes and pants.
And decide on a "path" you want the picture to be viewed in. In this drawing, I went for a sort of "U" path down the lightning and up the gray guy's wings. After someone's eyes sweep along this path they've pretty much seen all the main parts of the picture, and the path also implies a kind of "downward force", fitting with the sword.
3.) Think about light. Light ties things together. If you have a light source, like your sunburst in the background, have it not only put shading/highlights on the characters, but also color them. Coloring with light is complex; have you ever noticed that, under a bold yellow light, things often look grayscale? Try to learn how color affects things, or, be lame like me and just go into Illustrator/Photoshop and slap a "Soft Light" layer over everything.
4.) Think about mood. Is this supposed to be happy? Scary? Ridiculous? Learn how people interpret colors. The general rule is that cold colors are more sad and scary while warm colors are more happy or passionate.
5.) Think about balance. Yesterday when I was coloring this picture (disclaimer: Risp drew it. I inked and colored it) I decided to make the straps on her sandals blue. I wasn't planning this originally, but I felt like there was too much blue at the top and not enough at the bottom. Misbalanced colors can make artwork feel "wrong" and unappealing.
Hope this helps.
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GENERATION 22: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.
<i>"This picture shows me that the gray bird man is just a bully and picks on smaller birds. Just because he has no friends and takes it out on others smaller than him to look good. I can see in the parrats eyes that it does however have a understanding of the gray bird man and is upset about getting cut."</i> - Speeza on cartoon birds.
Last edited by Radium; May 6, 2007 at 08:24 AM.
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