Hi Elwin,

I know that you are aiming for a cartoon figure.
So you want some parts exagerated and stuff like that.
What I would suggest is that you take a reference picture
of a lizard and squash it in such a manner that it resembles
the structure you are looking for. Use the skew/sketch or
larger/smaller tools in your favorite program.
That will give you the proportions of what you are trying
to mimic. (It will give you a lightsource which will be handy
to create the volume)

Hope this trick will work for you!

Best regards from

M.E.

Hi Elwin,

You did a good job on a lightsource. Once you have
a reference of the mouth area and the shape of the head
you will be able to make things inside the mouth and where
the shadows are.

Usually each painting program has scale options.
In ms paint it is in ´Image´-menu I think.
You can scale the original and squash it by for instance
only change the horizontal width and keep the vertical
one.
Of course it is then a squashed image instead of a real
change in anatomy.
At first glance the picture reminded me of an alligator so
you might want to first check what makes a lizard a lizard.
I have a feeling that the lizards nose are more in the skull
than on top of it.  (lizard has more of a snake-head than a
crocodile-head)
You can verify this by searching for a skull of a lizard.


Best regards from

M.E.

how about this?

but in any case, what his jaw needs is mass. add some bone structure to it so it wouldn't look as flat as it is now.

perhaps the photo of a trex would give you an idea for that jaw.

Well is that still a lizard or did it transorm into a T-rex?

If it's a lizard then you should redesign the snout it should be sharper, especially the nostrills need to be closer and brought forward. I think dr. Connor may really help you in this way; oterwise ask for dr. Ian Malcolm

best reference ever.

Here's a quick edit using Opacus's versions I removed the tongue in this one because I thought it read more like the previous interior of the mouths you had.

Many thanks to opacus and shougi for taking their time to edit =) I assume this is a bit more lizard-y-like? And blackdragon, I hope that you'll help later on, 'cause last time I made a WIP, your critic was lovely =) Also, thanks metaru.

Yeah, I'm weird xD I change opinion all the time ;P Should I make the jaw smaller you say?

Don't be fooled by the black horns and the purple skin!

Hope the green texture and the brave spidey will help you out

you are going to kill me, but after several edits this one

is the one with more character and sex appeal you've made. the others are way too realistic I believe.

Well, everything depends on what you want to do:
the initial version quoted by metaru is way more "friendly".
If you were looking for something evil, instead, you should keep the realism way.
By the way what I'd do is to make a "realistic" sketch of a standard, trivial and common lizard, then I'd try to modify the expression, searching for characterizing aspects and exaggerating them in order to have a comic-style lizard.
Modifying the lizard in several ways may lead you to what you are looking for, if you are not aware yet!

Well, this is a quite long operation in pixel, I believe.... That's why I'd sketch it down on paper, but I am also aware that not everyone feels much comfortable with the pencil!

As you wish
Now the position of the mouth seems correct to me; what I  think is strange is the rear part of the jaw.
It looks too roundish, I don't know if it's because of the shading or because of the form itself; anyway I invite you to look at Dr. Lizard, I posted above. Look closely the junction between the upper and the lower part of the mouth: you'll notice a pink piece of flesh. Maybe reproducing it you'll find the realism you are looking for!

Minor edit/suggestions

Excellent edit Blackdragon ;D

I've begun shading the hood.

Great to hear, especially from someone as talented as you stitchy ;D Yeah, full body would probably be great, but I don't think I'm ready to make a full body just yet :)

Edited by Elwin - 24 May 2008 at 3:22pm

c'mon, don't limit yourself. you may lack the ability, but you wont get it unless you try.

besides, i don't believe your computer would explode if you fail a few times.

these are two diferent points of view for work.     

I think it'd be awesome to do some ambient lighting on the back of that hood. :DD

isn't that wrong, in fact.

Looks somehow too tight to me....
But wait others comments because i'm not too sure about this.

it looks weird, the lizards main body is reallly tight and his hood is relatively slack, if you want to show a chest like that, id suggest giving his a metal chestplate, youre current shading could easily be modified and recoloured to fit that shape, right now, it seems as if hes in tights or his hoodie is is wet, or its a wetsuit??

Just don't show so must body shapes.

unless of course he's wearing something below that robe.