Lizard mage
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=6521
Printed Date: 08 September 2025 at 4:57pm
Topic: Lizard mage
Posted By: Elwin
Subject: Lizard mage
Date Posted: 17 May 2008 at 12:56pm
 Hey! A while since I last made a thread here. This piece is still in the earliest stage of sketching, so crits would mainly be on the linework as for now, but post any ideas that you think would add on to the piece as well.
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Replies:
Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 17 May 2008 at 11:40pm
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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. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 17 May 2008 at 11:57pm
Ahh, that sounds like a good idea.. What programs have those tools? Oh, and I begun the shading before I red your comment  Gonna change a lot after seeing your post I think ;D
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Posted By: M.E.
Date Posted: 18 May 2008 at 12:14am
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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 ŽImageŽ-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. ------------- http://www.kunststukken.nl - KunstStukken.nl M.E. Art |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 18 May 2008 at 1:38am
 Looked at a few refs. Flattened the nose, gave eyes some life, added highlight on the hood, but still need to find a ref to make the mouth area better I think.
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Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 18 May 2008 at 10:56pm
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how about http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/21750.htm - 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. ------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 5:32am
 I tried to fix the jaw... Thanks for the ref metaru!
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Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 10:52am
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perhaps the photo of a trex would give you an idea for that jaw.
------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:15am
I studied a T-rex skull photo, and made the jaw to this: 
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Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:44am
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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  |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:13pm
| I think it's a mix between them ;b 'Cause though I like realistic proportions, I'd rather keep the snout form.. =) Thanks for the help though ;D |
Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:56pm
 best reference ever. ------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Opacus
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 2:50pm
Edit for you: Changes: Changed volumes, cloth folds, some colours, the eye; to a more lizard ish look, and prominently; the jaw. I also added a tongue :). Don't mind the rough outlines, I'm sleepy. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Shadowwwolf/?chartstyle=Bones"> 
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Posted By: Shougi
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 3:38pm
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. |
Posted By: BlackDragon
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 3:44pm
| Was going to edit something like Opacus did, but he made the same points I would have. |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 6:29am
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.
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Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 7:33am
Well it's somehow strange you modified the snout how I told you after saying you liked how it was... Well I think now the front part is more lizardish. Now try to work on that jaw! Looks like that's larger, like swell, while the upper cranium is thinner. Actually looks like disarticulated to me, or with a weird expression |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 7:51am
| Yeah, I'm weird xD I change opinion all the time ;P Should I make the jaw smaller you say? |
Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 10:54am
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look at the reference i gave you. the lower jaw needs to connect with the upperjaw, or else he'll bite his own nose. and be aware that you still need to work on that hood. ------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 11:59am
Don't be fooled by the black horns and the purple skin! Hope the green texture and the brave spidey will help you out  |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 12:15pm
 Better?
Metaru: I know, the hood will be completely reworked, but I need some help on how to make folds in clothes...
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Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 7:18pm
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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.  ------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 4:24am
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sh*t ;b So, I should keep the head like it was before? D; Also, there is an image in your post I can't see... |
Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 5:43am
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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! |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 12:17pm
I actually think I like the realistic one most. partially because it's got more volume, and partially because the other one looks more friendly, as you said garrett, and that's not the look I'm going for. So please critique this version. 
Metaru, if you have any ideas that goes against my choice, please tell them, as I am still open to all ideas to better the piece, but I'd like it to not go too far away from the current design. I really need some help on shading the clothes folds ;b
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Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 12:37pm
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! |
Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 6:01pm
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Its a matter of tastes in the end. after all, its your lizard wizard BD ------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: BlackDragon
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 7:05pm
Minor edit/suggestions
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Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 21 May 2008 at 10:48pm
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the hood should follow his pose/body structure, or else is just a lizard face comming out of a towel D:
------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 12:53pm
 Excellent edit Blackdragon ;D
Oh, and nice avvie
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Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 7:44pm
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the face uses some nice saturated colors. i suggest to do the same for the hood.
------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 8:11am
 I've begun shading the hood.
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Posted By: Stitchy
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 12:25pm
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Wow, I just gotta say that this has really progressed nicely. I would say you should try and apply some of that awesome dithering you did on the face to the hood as well. Maybe we're getting ahead of the game, but this would be a really awesome full body picture, too. I wanna see him casting a spell! ------------- |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 1:07pm
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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 :)
Edit: Clothes still being bitchy.. But I think I'm on the right track
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Posted By: E-Bomb
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 4:15pm
| Make this into a game mockup, with a text box on the bottom, that says something like, "Use the _____ to do ______!" But that's just my idea. |
Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 9:24pm
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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. ------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: skamocore
Date Posted: 25 May 2008 at 12:33am
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meh I disagree...like I have said before...it's usually better to work on refining what you already have rather than continually adding new parts to a piece.
In my opinion you should just keep working on what you have now until you are satisfied with it. edit: post 222 :3 ------------- |
Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 25 May 2008 at 3:09pm
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these are two diferent points of view for work.
------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 26 May 2008 at 5:18am
| I'll consider full body, but for now it's only the face. Any critique on the current shading I have on the hood/clothes? (; |
Posted By: Aleiav
Date Posted: 26 May 2008 at 6:08am
| I think it'd be awesome to do some ambient lighting on the back of that hood. :DD |
Posted By: Phrozen
Date Posted: 26 May 2008 at 7:33am
I think you'll have an easier time shading the robe if you decide on what the lizard guy looks like underneath it first, he's supposed to have arms, right? Where did his left shoulder/arm go? (might be best to ignore my sh*t shading/anatomy) |
Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 26 May 2008 at 8:44am
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isn't that wrong, in fact.
------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 10:52am
 Is this any better? Thanks alot Phrozen ;D Aleiav, I'll try that I think (;
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Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 12:19pm
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Looks somehow too tight to me.... But wait others comments because i'm not too sure about this. ------------- You'll hear your steps making no noise |
Posted By: Aleiav
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 2:41pm
| Nice work on the shading. :) I like it. |
Posted By: QuaziGNRLnose
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 5:59pm
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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?? |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 5:24am
 I tried to make the robe less tight, but it still doesn't look as slack as the hood, does it?
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Posted By: Reo
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 5:38am
| Just don't show so must body shapes. |
Posted By: Stitchy
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 8:12pm
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Try thinking of how a looser garment would hang on the muscley lizard mage man. For the most part, you'd only see the impression of pectorals and then cloth would smooth out a bit after that. With the arms, you would only probably see a little hint of the muscular shapes, again with the cloth hanging, instead of hugging, his body.
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Posted By: Metaru
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 10:15pm
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unless of course he's wearing something below that robe.
------------- I ate leel's babies |
Posted By: Kren
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 11:20pm
Hmm, maybe you should use the human anatomy just as reference and not actually shade the muscles just like Stichy mentioned, but maybe that how you want it, erm, also a main problem I find with the robe colours is that there is alot of difference between the dark and the middle tone, I recommend you adding an extra colour between those two. erm It seems that the extra colour I added is useless. |
Posted By: Garrett
Date Posted: 29 May 2008 at 5:11am
or she 
------------- You'll hear your steps making no noise |
Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 30 May 2008 at 4:02am
 Is this better?
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Posted By: Elwin
Date Posted: 02 June 2008 at 5:37am
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Thanks alot guys! I'm happy with it now, and I have submitted it to the gallery.
Link to final piece: http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/32875.htm - http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/32875.htm
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