Blarg…I wanted to review this thread weeks ago, but I kept putting it off because of other things I had to do.
Like Mr. Wonk said, I feel bad about it, because this is some truly incredible art.
I adore the perspective in your pictures, especially Pterano in the first image. His pose is awesome!
I also think it's interesting that you chose to draw most of these pictures without outlines. It's a style I don't see very often in LBT fanart, but you do it really well! I'm amazed at how three-dimensional they look.
The first picture of Pterano is perhaps my favorite so far. His expression is terrific, and I can't get over how good the shading looks, especially on his wings. You did a great job with his hands, too; those are very hard to draw, and they look very natural here. And while his left heel (Pterano's left, not the viewer's) looks rather pointy, the feet and legs are also very well done.
The one thing that bothers me about this picture is the points on the trailing edge of Pterano's wings. You can't really be blamed for them, since he has those in some shots in LBT VII, but just like the four-fingered hands the animators sometimes give Pterano and Petrie and other flyers when they should have three fingers, I tend to think of them as off-model features that shouldn't be there. Real pterosaurs did not have those points on their wings, and flyers in LBT normally don't either. That said, his wings are otherwise outstanding.
On to the second picture, showing Hadley: I love the pose you drew this character in. I find it really hard to draw dinosaurs from this angle, and I admire how well you managed it. The depth you managed to achieve through the tone and shading on Hadley's chest, legs, and tail is astounding. You chose some interesting colors for him as well (He kinda looks like he's wearing wristbands,
but I don't really see it as a flaw). Truthfully, from a scientific standpoint Hadley's feathers aren't very accurate, but they're a neat addition nonetheless. He's so shaggy-looking!
I'd love to see more pictures of this character.
Just out of curiosity, how'd you come up with the name "different claw" for Hadley's species? And would you like me to add it to the "Non-Canon Dinosaurs" names list in the LBT Glossary?
Artie…Isn't she one of Jrd89's characters? (I don't follow his RP, but I seem to remember him asking if anyone would draw a character named "Artie" for him.) Even though I don't know what the character is supposed to look like, your depiction of her looks fantastic. I like the color scheme, and how you made the neck ruff look so fuzzy.
And for some reason I find the solid blue eyes to look absolutely gorgeous, even though I don't think there's ever been a
Pteranodon character in LBT with eyes like that. Her expression has so much personality, and the eyes are a big part of that. (I always have trouble drawing eyes that are any more complex than black dots inside white spheres, so when I look at work by an artist who does eyes really well, I find myself drawn to them.) I find it a little odd that she has such a masculine-looking crest for her species, but perhaps that's what the character description you were working with entailed? In any case, she still looks great.
Finally, the fourth and most recent picture: Even though you say you don't like it, I think it's another amazing perspective drawing. (Maybe that tells you that I just have low standards because I have zero talent for perspective drawing, but I stand by that opinion.
) At first I thought that the rock formations surrounding Pterano and making up the horizon were clouds,
but I still like how you drew them. They lend the picture a sort of whimsical quality. The moon and the lighting it provides add beautifully to this effect.
Even though most of Pterano's body is rather simple, I really like how you drew his head, especially his crest with its narrow, blade-like bottom edge. His beak, eyebrows, and the back of his head are also wonderfully shaded.
That's all the comments I have for now. I hope my constructive criticism was useful in some way, and not simply annoying. :unsure:
By the way, StrutEggStealer, do you know about the GOF Member Awards that are going on right now? Your name has been coming up
a lot in the Fanart Award category, but you're only eligible for the award if you participate in the voting. Just thought you might like to know.
Regardless of whether you care about the awards or not, your artwork is spectacular, and I really hope you keep making it.
