Malte's Random LBT fanart

[Malte279]

That drawing was made for a reason. I meant to tell a recipient of the picture not to act the way Spike does in the drawing. A final version of the drawing included two text bubbles making Ducky say that it was alright to bury your head in the sand sometimes, and Littlefoot adding that one had to remember to unburry the head again.

[pokeplayer984]

Boy am I behind with commenting on your fanart.  I'm sorry I haven't been so dedicated to look at your work, Malte.

I'll be giving a message to one pic per day in the hopes that I catch up. (Note: I count multiple attempts of the same pic as one pic.)

Stupid thing won't let me post the other two attempts, but I'm sure you can guess easily from the only one I was able to post.

I like the second one best out of the three attempts.  I think I'll nick this piece, "The Flyer's Death."

From your poem, I understand this to be the reaction of the gang only moments after losing Petrie.  Their reactions are very much in charcter.  Through the films, I've known Ducky and Petrie to be quite close and the way you made Ducky react is very perfect for her.  I'm betting that if the hand that's covering her eyes was moved back by some unknown way, we would see tears coming out of those eyes of hers.

Cera being the only one to not shed tears yet being rather upset about it all is very much like her.  I bet Petrie was somewhat annoying to her, but she still cared about him.  Then again, knowing her, I'd bet she would actually cry alone and not with the gang.

With Spike's incredibly limited ability to speak, we have to rely on the way he acts around him to understand how he felt about the little flyer.  I understand Spike to be rather emotional with such a painful event.  The tears are simply no surprise to me and what I would expect from the spiketail.

As for Littlefoot, the reaction is beautiful within all three pics.  I'm not exactly sure how he would react to it all, but I would suspect at least tears if anything.  Of course, with him crying, it puts his reputation of him being the leader of the gang on the line, but since everyone else is letting it out, why shouldn't him?

As for the background, I'd say that the broken and dead trees are rather perfect.  Made it look like there was something attacking the valley moments before this happened and Petrie was somehow involved in it.

The only real thing I'm asking is if you ran out of ink for the third pic?  Since I see a certian amount of it not colored in, I'm assuming that.

Anyways, very nice pic and a very sad one at that.  If this was real, I'd probably say, "Farewell little flyer.  We knew thee well."

Again, great job, Malte. :^.^:

[Malte279]

I must immediately emphasize that the picture is refering to a story in which the presume they had lost Petrie forever. Yet while it comes very close to this I wouldn't dare killing anyone from the GOF. "The flyer is gone" would be a better title for the picture as it is open to any interpretation including to the one the story will give.
However in the scene depicted Littlefoot and the others have every reason to believe that they won't ever see Petrie again and that Petrie is dead. I suppose the reactions would be extremely emotional, more so than even the reactions after Mo's presumed death and Littlefoot's probable departure in LBT 10.

As for Littlefoot, the reaction is beautiful within all three pics. I'm not exactly sure how he would react to it all, but I would suspect at least tears if anything. Of course, with him crying, it puts his reputation of him being the leader of the gang on the line, but since everyone else is letting it out, why shouldn't him?

Littlefoot is quite capable of sheeding tears even when nobody else does. We saw him crying or at least being very close to it, in quite a few of the LBT movies (after his mothers dead and the quarrel with Cera in the original movie, during the goodbye to Chomper in LBT 2, he was twice very close to it in LBT 4, and in LBT 6 too he seemed rather near to it. We had him cry about Mo's presumed death, reapeatedly throughout LBT 10 and (my memory may cheat me here) I think he cried in LBT 11 too.
Generally I don't consider the ability to sheed tears a sign of anyone being a better or a worse leader. I also object the frequently quoted concept of Littlefoot being the "leader" of the gang. While this formulation appeared even on official pages I don't think that there is a really established hirarchy within the group, same as there is not a leader of the Great Valley (as grandpa pointed out in LBT 7). Of course Littlefoot does show initiative more often then some of the others, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they will follow him (e.g. LBT 6). Cera is showing such initiative too. Even Spike made a decision for the others (for Petrie and Ducky at least) in LBT 4. This leader discussion is interesting enough I think to be continued in an own thread.
The broken trees in the picture and the ravaged Valley are in direct link to Petrie's disappearing in that story. The scenery adds to the desolate mood which would prevail in the scene.
I didn't run out of ink for the third picture, but everything that was decisive was painted. I didn't really like the felt tip pens and having come to that conclusion I saw now point in drawing out there use any more than necessary. I'd need a software which would allow me to create good pictures to get the kind of coloring which I hoped to get with the felt tip pens. They prooved to be too unsuited for smooth survaces as every single stroke can be seen.

[pokeplayer984]

Good points you made, Malte.  I guess I really shouldn't've overexaggerated and nicked it what I did, but I feel that it brings more emotion and understanding to the pic with such a title.

Now for the next pic.

Okay, for some reason, Spike just doesn't look like the Spike I know and love in this drawing.  Maybe it has to do with the angle or something.

Uh-oh!  They're teasing Cera about having only one horn and not three.  I'd say they're in big trouble.

I'd suspect Littlefoot if anyone to bring it up.  Of course, if that happened, we'd see yet another quarrel between the two.  Hmm, wonder who would come out the winner this time?

Like I said, the only problem I find is Spike.  He just doesn't look right.

Oh, and my official nick title for this, Tease the One Horn.

[Malte279]

You do have a point about Spike. It is difficult to pinpoint the problem, but he doesn't look quite the way he should. My best guess is that I gave him too high a forehead. As a result he looks somehow "bald headed" (he is of course, but the top of his head doesn't seem to be as prominent usually). It is just a guess, but I suppose he would look more like Spike if I had drawn the top line of his head low enough to touch the folds over his eyes. Perhaps his head just looks a bit too big in comparison to the rest of his body. Perhaps both of these problems are there.
While the scene doesn't yet occur in any story I have written I could imagine it to be included somewhere. I suppose the teasing of Cera might be a reaction to some particularly boastful behavior of hers.

[pokeplayer984]

Okay, next one...

Hmm, wouldn't allow me to post the black&white one, but at least it let me post the much better looking colored one.

Ah, one of the old jokes in many old cartoons where the charcter uses something that can bend properly to make a parachute.  I wonder if one can actually pull it off like that IRL? (For safety reasons, those that attempt I would suggest a real parachute just in case it doesn't work.)

Yeah, she doesn't look like she is holding the leaf properally in order for it to work if anything, which might suggest the scared look on her face.

And what do you know, after saving Ducky, Petrie can taunt her back after all this time by saying "You swimmer, no flyer." (Remember how she reminded him that "You are a flyer not a swimmer" in LBT 3?)

Ah, you gotta love Petrie for his bad grammer.  Get rid of that, and he's just not Petrie.

Anyways, I think it actually looks pretty good.  Good job, Malte.

[Malte279]

Thanks a lot for your feedback pokeplayer! I really do appreciate this a lot!  
I had never really thought about Ducky's reminiscence of Petrie being a flyer rather than a swimmer when I drew the picture. I think I had the LBT 2 scene in mind in which Ducky points out that they can't fly because they don't have wings. The idea to parachute with about everything that is large enough is of course an old one (and I recommend you not to try it at home. It wouldn't work even with bedlinen! It wouldn't even work with a regular parachute unless you are dropped from a certain minimum hight), but I think it could still be a laugh in an LBT story.
As for the drawing in general, as I said I'm not really happy with the proportions and Ducky's not really holding the leaf. Her face could be a bit more expressive too and Petrie too seems somehow wrong. While I think the basic idea interesting enough to pursue it further in a story I sure would have create a better "remake" of that picture if I really use the idea in a story.  :^.^:

[pokeplayer984]

So it wouldn't work, huh?  Thought so.

However, don't you say that you don't put in unrealistic elements within LBT?  I think this might qualify as one. :^.^:

Okay, last one.

Ah, the old joke that died some time ago.  I did actually enjoy Spike burying his head whenever there was something that scared him.  Let's see, when did that stop?  I can't remember.

You were even going to include a text bubble to make it like a comic or something?  I would've loved to see that out of ya.

I'd say that this is done rather well.  I wonder what scared Spike enough to do that after all this time. ^.^

Keep up the good work.  I hope to see another pic of yours soon.

[Malte279]

However, don't you say that you don't put in unrealistic elements within LBT? I think this might qualify as one.

I said I might put such a scene in. I never said it was going to work out : Ducky might end up rather battered from these attempts. Perhaps if she really found a very large leaf it might at least soften her fall a tiny bit (even from a low altitute as unlike a real parachute this leaf wouldn't need to unfold). I don't suppose that idea to be much less realistic than for example the wonderous healing the golden night flower provides. If there was really not a single element in my stories which was unrealistic from a scientific point of view, my stories would certainly not include talking dinosaurs

I think it was in LBT 2 that Spike burried his head last time (I may be mistaken). There he even smashed his head through solid rock!
Ever since we have seen him only hiding his head under his forefeet.
I guess in that picture it would have been sadness rather than fright that made Spike bury his head. At least that was the reference in the text bubble which was meant as a kind of message to a person.
The original drawing, by the way, is considerably smaller than this scanned version.

Keep up the good work. I hope to see another pic of yours soon.

You will. Several more are in store and recently I finished a "bigger project" which I will show you one of these days.

[Malte279]

Alright, here comes that bigger project. It is an acryl painting which I thought to be a nice change between all the drawings. The depicted scene is not yet firmly planned into one of my stories, but it might be included. While I failed to take pictures of the earliest stages of the picture (pencil outlines etc.) I took pictures throughout various steps of the painting.
Here is the first one:

Some outlines of rock and waterfall are already visible, as are some character outlines. I started painting the characters only when their surroundings were done.

Basic color is added to the background mountains which still look very flat at this stage.

I thought to add some structure to the rocks in the foreground by adding these dark lines which were supposed to look like cracks in the rock. Very bad move, isn't it? I got rid of those cracks again. The mountains in the background got a little more color looking slightly less flat now. Also some structure was added to the falling water.

The cracks are gone and instead some moss or other plants as well as some more shading were added to the rocks and the mountains in the background. This is looking beter. Now I added some color into the characters, but so far mainly in order not to loose track of their position and posture (note that Petrie, supposed to sit on Littlefoot's head, is not yet even indicated).

The ground below the waterfalls looked very boring so far. Just flat green, not even looking like a proper "lawn". I didn't mean to have lawn in the Great Valley anyway, it had to be a wood. It is amazing how much grey needs to be added to the colors (in particular to the colors of elements which are supposed to be far away) to make it look realistic. It took several attempts for the wood and some screenshots from LBT 3 proved very helpful here. I'm quite happy with the result.  Some mist is indicated above the wood in the background and yet more green was added to the rocks.

Now I began to work with the characters. Just like the other parts it is amazing how much their colors need to be paled by adding white to them. Even the way it is now Spikes green is perhaps too strong and too dark. I changed the brown of Littlefoot in this step too, but as you can see the color doesn't look like Littlefoot.

That's better. Littlefoots color consists of lots of white plus light and dark blue, plus some red, plus some sienna brown. Like Spike Cera's color too may still be too strong, thogh the yellowish orange was mixed with quite some grey and light brown. Petrie has been added too now and the characters are no longer blind.

This is what the hole picture looked like at that stage.

This is the picture as it looks now. At this stage I added some water spray around the fall and added some clouds to the sky which otherwise would have looked too smooth. I considered making it a dusk or a dawn sky instead or add some rainbow in the water spray, but I'm afraid that even if it had worked out properly there would have been a high risk of the result turning out too kitschee.
I'm not a hundred percent certain if the picture is really finished. Perhaps the waterfall looks too smooth and blue (real waterfalls are white rather than blue and are rarely as smooth as shown in this picture).

[Petrie.]

Mmm..paintings certainly are a different direction for you.  I like how you show us the steps taken to the final presentation.  You've worked hard on the detail and it shows in the end.

[pokeplayer984]

I think it was in LBT 2 that Spike burried his head last time (I may be mistaken). There he even smashed his head through solid rock!

I remember that!  Boy, he probably has a head as tough as Cera's. (Which is saying alot based on what we saw her do in LBT 4.  Smashing multiple times through big boulders and still going?  Man she's tough! )

Now, as for the new art...

Well, the steps you have given us show that you worked hard on this.  You get an A+ for effort.

As for the beauty, if I was an art teacher, and the beauty of your drawing was a big part of your final grade for my class, you would pass with flying colors.  You'd actually be one of the top 3 students within my class of 100 students.

The charcters actually look like they would in the movies.  Being able to duplicate that, down to the last detail, can be a difficult job. :

The trees nearby don't look right, but they are done quite well, regardless.

That seems to be the only problem I really have with your painting.

One of the top 3 out of 100 students?  Now you KNOW that's good!

[Littlefoot1616]

Whoa! That's some impressive pieces there Malte!   Dare I ask, how long did that take you to do altogether? I love the progressive stages you've shown there. I gotta hand it to you for your unique style. Paint can be a fussy character to deal with but, from the looks of this, it's a natural talent for you.

Nice job mate!   Was this piece an inspiration from one of your stories by chance?

[Malte279]

I remember that! Boy, he probably has a head as tough as Cera's. (Which is saying alot based on what we saw her do in LBT 4. Smashing multiple times through big boulders and still going? Man she's tough!

There are some scenes in which Spike is behaving in a Cera-like manner. Sometimes I wonder if good-natured Spike admires aggressive Cera and tries to imitate her on occassions.

Thank you all for your feedback on the picture. Receiving feedback (including constructive criticism) makes you much more eager to post pictures here.  

The trees nearby don't look right, but they are done quite well, regardless.

Can you pinpoint what looks wrong about the trees? I had used an LBT 3 screenshot as an example on how it would look and I was actually quite happy with the trees, more so than with som other points of the picture (while I'm quite happy with the overall result).

Dare I ask, how long did that take you to do altogether?

Not too long actually. I has some interruptions during the painting in which I was doing other stuff prolonging the time to finish the picture. If the interruptions were cut out I suppose it would be about a days worth of time (perhaps slightly more) to make this.

Was this piece an inspiration from one of your stories by chance?

Not yet sure if the picture was inspired by a story of if the picture will inspire a story. There is one I'm planning on in which such a scene might occur as a waterfall in the Great Valley plays an important role. There is only a very rough plot so far, so I'm not yet certain.

[pokeplayer984]

There are some scenes in which Spike is behaving in a Cera-like manner. Sometimes I wonder if good-natured Spike admires aggressive Cera and tries to imitate her on occassions.

Really?

Never noticed. :

I would expect him to pick someone as an idol from the group, but I never expected Cera.

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but they just don't look right to me.  Then again, it is difficult to draw a whole bunch of trees where you can tell one from another.

[action9000]

Truly impressive work, Malte!  Your effort and skill really shows here. B)  Very impressive use of colour, especially on Littlefoot!  I agree that perhaps Cera's and Spike's colours are a little too strong, especially compared to Littlefoot's colour.

As for criticism, I find that Spike's back end seems *slightly* larger than usual in this picture?  Sort of hump-backed, for lack of a better wording.  

It appears to be a very slow-moving river going over that waterfall, as the quick, steep angle at which the water flows over the edge of the mountain suggests a low velocity.  The water conforms to the plane of the ground surface quite perfectly and there is no turbulance of water on the top of the waterfall.  I'm not sure if this was intentional, but it's just something I noticed  the presence of mist coming up from the fall gives the impression of a faster-moving waterfall, but maybe that's just my interpretation, due to the art medium used.

Overall though Malte, I like this one very much!

[Malte279]

I kind of forgot to keep up this thread for a while. This picture was done on June 13th of this year.
Here is the black and white drawing:

And here's the color version of the same drawing:

There is a sequel picture to this one which I'm going to post here soon. Looking carefully at the characters, their expressions, and postures you may perhaps be able to guess what might be shown in the sequel picture.

[pokeplayer984]

Hmm, I can't figure out what's going on with this one.  Does it have something to do with Spike?

Poor Spike.  He looks like he's stuck or something. B)

With how they were drawn, I expected nothing less from you. Good job! :^.^:

[Lain_EX]

I've just watched your images, Malte279, and I've got only one word to say...


WOW!!!

Keep up the good work.

[Malte279]

Thanks to everyone responding
Any reaction both praise and constructive criticism is really welcome.
Here is the picture which I mentioned before as a kind of sequel to the picture I posted earlier. Actually I drew this one first, so actually the other one would be a prequel rather than a this one being a sequel:

And here is a colored version of it: