Heya, guys. Threw this piece together because I really need a profile picture and i wasn't really happy with how the last attempt at a profile pic turned out (I don't even know what that was supposed to be n.n) and I dont really like using someone else's art. As with my last piece, critique is welcome and encouraged, as I am always looking to improve further. In particular if anyone has any suggestions in regards to how I may shade the helmet more realistically that would be greatly appreciated :3 |
Check some references! 1, 2, 3. Search for more.
First, I wouldn't use a transp bg for this, a dark bg would be more suitable to establish the setting.
Most or all miner pics you'll see have an outside lightsource, otherwise the helmet lamp would be blinding and the face and everything else lost in blackness. The most convincing lightsource is another miner's lamp as in refs 1 and 2. The contrast is generally high, shadows crisp, and the light is mostly concentrated on a small area; the headlamp remains the brightest highlight. In your piece, there isn't much contrast and feeling of a light source; the lamp itself doesn't really look like it's bright, because the same colors and brighter are used in the face.
There's also too many outlines for a small piece, they take the place of highlights and speculars half the time, and shadows the other half.
Lots of banding too, in the double outline and elesewhere.