[WIP]Sad Proffessor - need help!
Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: Pixel Art
Forum Name: WIP (Work In Progress)
Forum Discription: Get crits and comments on your pixel WIPs and other art too!
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5242
Printed Date: 22 February 2026 at 11:59pm
Topic: [WIP]Sad Proffessor - need help!
Posted By: TheGoldenChild
Subject: [WIP]Sad Proffessor - need help!
Date Posted: 24 October 2007 at 3:55am
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Hi everyone,
Im new to this forum. I love pixelart, but i just started. I am in great need of comments and help on some parts.
This is my first peace that ill be sharing..
 I know something is wrong with his hair, i just cant figure out what it is. But please comment on everything else you notice aswell :)..
All help is appreciated..
Greetz
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Replies:
Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 24 October 2007 at 7:52am
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Hello GoldenChild, Welcome to PJ. The piece looks rather mirrored. That means that both sides are pretty much the same. Usually the most interesting things to look are unmirrored. The hair looks a bit like a cloud. I've done a quick edit to show you a bit different things. First of all please use some kind of reference. You still can go for cartoony but it will help you to emphasize some things you want to be funny. I used this one for reference. http://www.nicolasproductions.com/images/Album/Professor/Professor_005.jpg - http://www.nicolasproductions.com/images/Album/Professor/Professor_005.jpg You probably see that I didn't try to do everything, just some things here and there. And if you spend a little more time on it than I have you will make even better adjustments I'm sure!  I started the right side to make the mustache less mirrored, but it made it look more like a saw. You might be able to do better as well! Hope this is of help to you. Looking forward to your updates! Best regards from M.E. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: TheGoldenChild
Date Posted: 25 October 2007 at 2:24am
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Hi,
Thank you for ur comments.. I've tried to implement them all in my own way.. I still think that i havent used the right techniques to make his hair more hairy.. As you can see with ur hair(ur edit).. You can see the hair style.. My hair is still kinda flat..
I used albert einsteins hair as a reference point..
http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02088/einstein.gif - http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02088/einstein.gif As for the mustache.. Im kinda confused.. Of all pictures i can find of mustaches, they all are kinda mirrorred.. I used this one for a ref.. http://barkbarkwoofwoof.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/Mustache-798185.JPG - http://barkbarkwoofwoof.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/Mustache-798185.JPG Small list of edits:
- Re-did his hair style, tried to create some dept and no mirroring
- Tried to make his cheeks, more cheeky like as in the above example - Edited his mustache so it would look more natural, tried getting rid of the mirror effect by adding diffirences in the mustache itself  I hope u can help me get a long a little further.. Greetz
EDIT:
I've made some improvements on his cheeks. The other one didnt flow over in his cheekbones.. and they do now..
I've also made him have more of a chin so the circle effect would be less (since i got the advice about the mirroring.. i thought i'd break this up a bit too)..
 Comments pls :)
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Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 25 October 2007 at 11:34am
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Hello GoldenChild, First of all:  That is a really nice progress! Good that you found the shade issue. As well as creating a chin. (no ears?  )That brings me to another point. Usually it helps if you clearly define a light source. Currently the light seems to hit from the front which again isn't helping you with the face. There are still lots of places where you have a mirrored effect. Check for instance your einstein reference. There seems to be a near frontal lightning (probably a flash). But there is more shadow to the right side (his left) There are ofcourse anatomical issues but since you are clearly making a cartoon figure you can be a bit free with your placement. But please try to view a lot of objects as general shapes (mostly circles,ovals ) to help you with lightning/shading and give you a much better base for your cartoon figures. Can you please elaborate on why you want to make this sad professor. Is it for a game, print, digital cartoon? Answering this question will give you direction as where to go with for instance the background, the lightning, etc. Again, my compliments in taking the time to improve your work and think about things like cheekbones. Kind regards from M.E. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: TheGoldenChild
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 12:53am
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Thanks!
I really appreciate the comments and the effort your putting in trying to help me out. I didn't find the time to work on my piece, i will today though. :)
For the shading, i do understand it now for some of the parts. But i dont know if i will be able to add them correctly to all of my work im going to create. But ill be posting them here probably just to make sure. Im gonna try this character with other shadows and lighting, dont know when im able to work on it though, maby today.
The anatomical part im aware off. I figured i might start practising on pixel art by regular shapes and cartoony like figures. I might start one realistic piece someday, but thats not really my thing.
The reason im working on my professor, is mainly practise. I havent really decided what to do with him when he's finished. I might use him for one of my websites, but at this moment i just wanna practise.
After i've become a little better one pixel art i wanna create a browsergame in pixelart. I wanna create something like strategic browsergame.
Thanks again for ur help. Ill be updating this post when i've got my image updated! Greets! |
Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 2:19am
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Hello TheGoldenChild, Thank you for explaining. You think that a cartoon figure is easier than the real thing. But it is not. Cartoons can only be done right (=great) when there is a good knowledge of anatomy and form. You are correct that simple forms/shapes are good for practicing. Try spheres and boxes first. With highlights/shadows and things like that. Boxes are pretty straight forward for you I think, but spheres are quite hard to master! If you want anything advanced to practice I still believe a real-life thing is the best way to go. If your ultimate goal is to make human figures you can best start with fruit. Round fruit would be a good way to start. Apple comes to mind. Advanced apple drawing is to bite a chunk out of it. Good luck with your practicing. Best regards from M.E. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: TheGoldenChild
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 5:36am
Ok, finally i had the time to work on my piece. I decided to go for his ears first. I didnt have to do lots of work on the ears. His hair is covering most of them.
 My second edit is the light source. I've tried creating a lightsource thats coming from the right. I am again having lots of difficulties with the hair.
 I hope u can provide some tips.. :)
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Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 7:35am
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Hi TheGoldenChild. I think you have forgotten to include the picture? Light from the right. Then the nose would cast shadow to the left. The chin as well as the upper lip would have shadows. The left side of the head which is his upper skull should be done like it was a sphere. Hope these theoratically advices apply  EDIT: Now I did see the pieces. If you light him from right above the hair would cast shadow to the face as the hair looks like covering it on the right hand side. There is more dark between the ear and the hair. Add one darker tone to the shade. So both hair and face need a darker tone towards the end. Hope this helps. Best regards from M.E. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: Hyrule_SwordsMa
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 4:55pm
| his eyes seems to be out of his head. remove the dark blue edge of his pupils! :) |
Posted By: TheGoldenChild
Date Posted: 31 October 2007 at 7:12am
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Hi,
I had the time today to work on my piece. I hope i edited the things u've said in the correct way. If i didnt please say so.
 Light from the right. Then the nose would cast shadow to the left. The chin as well as the upper lip would have shadows. The left side of the head which is his upper skull should be done like it was a sphere. I've added shadow on the left of his mustache and his nose. I enlarged the shadow comin from his chin.
If you light him from right above the hair would cast shadow to the face as the hair looks like covering it on the right hand side. There is more dark between the ear and the hair. Add one darker tone to the shade. So both hair and face need a darker tone towards the end. I thought i'd cast the shadow as if it was covering his face on the left side, i thought that i'd done that correct? Please correct me if im wrong.
I've added some more dark between the hair and face, also added a darker color on the hair and face on both edges.
his eyes seems to be out of his head. remove the dark blue edge of his pupils! :) I've changed the darker color to a lighter one. I hope its better this way. I've tried AA-ing but on the white eye i didnt like it. It seemed as if his eye was lots of smaller that way.
Hope this helps. I hope it helped!
Thanks for the comments.
Greetz
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Posted By: Noburo
Date Posted: 31 October 2007 at 8:57am
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I'm thinkin' that mustache needs some attention. (mainly that dark outline) |
Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 31 October 2007 at 11:18pm
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Hi GoldenChild, Try to make the figure stand out by enlarging the contrast. Ok this will give your piece a really different effect and I'm not sure if you really want to go this drastic:  Hopefully you can use one or two things that I try to show you in the picture. A picture tells more than thousand words. Best regards from M.E. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: TheGoldenChild
Date Posted: 01 November 2007 at 4:42am
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Hi,
I've changed a couple of things on my piece today.
I'm thinkin' that mustache needs some attention. (mainly that dark outline) Changed his mustache. I've added a lighter top side and a darker bottom side. I've changed the color so it would fit the shadow.
Try to make the figure stand out by enlarging the contrast. I know i can enlarge the contrast, but i've been thinking. It depends on the strenght of the lightsource how strong the shadow is. The enviroment my professor is in, isnt dark. He's just outside during the day(example). So he doesnt have the dark tones. Because al kinds of object reflect light. (Dont know if it was usefull telling this, but thats the way i was thinking of the piece.)
Below i've created an example with a more darker enviroment. I've strenghtened the shadow on his head. This way i have it more like ur example.
Hopefully you can use one or two things that I try to show you in the picture. A picture tells more than thousand words. It did help, though i didnt like the example. It lost it sweetness :)! I do like the way u did the mustache. Nice job!
 I'd like to hear more comments and/or critics. (Like the way my piece is going! :D Thanks to the help!)
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Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 01 November 2007 at 12:21pm
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Hi TheGoldenChild, Well, I told you it had a different attitude to it. The darker shadows on the left of the hair are a bit flat. Try to give it a little more volume by moving the darker pixels inward. The shade on the left is much better and mustache is also better. Those eyes have been mentioned before like HSM wrote. The shadow on the left of the nose has the saturated brown on it like the eyes. I think it will look better without it or changed into the same dark that is near his hair. Best regards from M.E. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: Noburo
Date Posted: 03 November 2007 at 8:51am
| I really don't know how I have overlooked this thus far..... Simple put... Eyebrows. |