- Moderator
- #21
brucege
[14] Master
Welcome to 8WR, @Pallomine! I'm BruceGe, your local CaS Mod. Here are some of my thoughts:
I'd actually have to disagree with @VILARCANE and @ThePascuzzi over the matter of detail. If you compare the stuff here on this site to, say, Game of Thrones, you'd think we're all a bunch of ADD children with paintbrushes/chainsaws running amok. This is, however, anime VG art, where you're given certain liberties that'd make even the snootiest Parisian runways blush. Besides, everything is a compromise. It looks like you're already using most of your stickers anyways. And don't fear the blank surfaces. Batman certainly doesn't. When I see your CaS, I see MORTAL KOMBAT. Dark and gritty. Your colors serve their purpose faithfully. I do agree with the two of them about SpecEq usage though.
FYI Guide to Feathers of Strength.
1. Slide horizontal bar left until the plates open towards each other.
2. Slide rotate vert. to angle of choice.
3. Bend feathers to accommodate limbs/faces by adjusting rotate horz.
4. Adjust angle so that feathers are parallel.
5. Connect feathers using horizontal slider. Use width for fine tuning.
For mirror image (like opposite limb) all values equal, but rotate horizontal reversed (times -1).
I can't believe I just wrote all that shit. I do like disagreeing with people though. Anyways, truly incredible work. Keep it up!
Tanaka: She been through some shit. Looks like a high school camper who met a bear in the woods. That X eye patch is pretty fashionable though, matching her ribbon and all, so she's clearly taking that physical trauma in stride. What's her story?
Marun: I like the realistic, subdued color scheme. She looks like something out of Fable, the game. Try using additional crescent moons or stickers like the golden phoenix sticker to increase the hairdo's asymmetry.
Joshiin: Superb. My first thought was creepy marionette. Android works too. Nice job tying the shoulder armor together with the chain. It's always good to merge separate pieces together using SpecEq/stickers for a unique look. You might be able to play up the android angle by throwing in a cogwheel on the belt. Maybe some random scrolls on the limbs. One of my favorites.
Charnel: Very cool. Nice job cutting out a shirt and skirt using the pocket stickers. Great color accents too. Skull motif, green/black color scheme, scary mask, and modern dress. Hmm... Perhaps a shady pharmaceutical company moved into a creepy swamp for illegal experimentation. And one of the female researchers discovered a way to combine modern tech with ancient swamp voodoo? Interesting that I actually used a nearly identical helmet build here: http://8wayrun.com/attachments/soulcalibur-png.27023/
Amato: Looks like he's channeling some Jago from Killer Instinct. I love how the zippers cross over his mouth, like he's hiding something. A magnificent, operatically-trained voice maybe? Maybe he works part time as a member of the three tenors. Hiding part of your face always amplifies the cool factor. Nice how the black phoenix sticker connects the shoulder pads. You might want to vertical flip that zipper sticker though. Looks a tad cartoony as it is. Also, I see you really like stripe patterns. An alternative to the stripe pattern is a minimized gradient pattern (Basic 1). It gives a nice bumpy, frilly look.
Fahkriya: Glorious indeed. I love the pink/turquoise color. Very snazzy. Great use of the tiger pattern on the pants for the wrinkled look too. I like how the little white shoe puffs add that bit of accent to the design. Really great how you extended the corset onto the skin and belt using bump mapping, and its nicely tied together using the ribbon thing too. You may want increase the "waist" body parameter to offset the width difference between belt and torso though. You might also try throwing on some SpecEq for the lulz. Like a flower on the belt or that bridal tiara on the mouth or something. I dunno. Also you might try Jun's scarf. The relative bareness of the top is charming in its own way, but you might she might profit from more clothing up top for balance. Overall, a highly authentic Middle Eastern dancer design. Looks alot like Matty's work, which you can see here: http://s73.photobucket.com/user/cammykillerbee/media/Soul Calibur My Original Characters/Alimah.jpg.html?sort=4&o=71. I like your design more though, since Matty's creation relies on place-by-view sticker techniques, which doesn't look good from the side.
French Kiss: Cool and comedic. An exceedingly rare phenomenon. Love that absurdly huge mustache. And great job making that ugly helmet look awesome. Nice touch, giving him abs and pecs with the eye sticker. Very funny, very French, and very clever. A win in my books.
Kjorr: Is he Swedish? Definitely Nordic. The gear is kinda random? Maybe he's a steampunk cyborg? Insufficient visual cues. That cogwheel/shell shield is awesome though. Very Dark Souls. Cool how you roughed up the face with the patch sticker too. The palette's very brown, but that's to be expected for a rough-and-tumble barbarian. Judging from the face you chose for him though, he seems to be relatively benign. Maybe a bit disgruntled or disillusioned. He doesn't have a clear direction in his design, but he might pass for a barbarian in Fist of the North Star.
Juxtaposer: Hmm...valiant attempt at asymmetry. I see you tried to connect the turtle shell to the body using the black sticker, but it doesn't quite look as organic as one might hope. Character design-wise, she's intriguing. Really does look like a female Deathstroke. The body proportions just don't make the cut though; the greaves weigh down the whole design.
***Skipping your (excellent) recreations for now***
Astaroth SCII: The Asta-Undies kinda overwhelm the design. Still, I like the very even distribution of metal throughout the limbs and mid-section. The yellow circles on the head match the yellow heart nicely too. Good detailing. The head looks somewhat threadbare in comparison, so you might try bump mapping it a bit.
Plague: More stripe jumpsuits! I like this intimidating reaper-design. Green/black like Charnel. Interesting chest ornamentation. The horns are kinda cheesy, but in a good way, like something from Darksiders. He is all about death and stuff after all. Nice job merging the top and bottom with pocket stickers. That tiny border of black along the skirt hem is quite dashing, I dare say.
Murrica: Three stars? Well I'm sure we were just 3 colonies at some point in our history lol. Bottom half completely overwhelms the top. But hey, I get it. It's a troll character. Mighty fist of justice.
Lumberjack: Barebones modern look. The hat proly shouldn't match the shirt. Gnarly beard though. I respect that.
Kendorugi: Very nice. The simplicity is refreshing, really. Functional and authentic. Diagonal flow of the flower petals adds that spark to the design. I think it would look more natural on a female, but hey. Nothing wrong with a bit of flare now and then. The waist equipment disrupts the silhouette though. Perhaps look into slimmer options?
Angelrugi: The wings, halo, and glowing eyes combination is a bit much for me lol. Still bottom-heavy, like Kendorugi.
Outlaw: Interesting ridged jacket design. I can't decide whether it's cool or tacky. It is certainly new though. The pants fit the whole western theme quite well. The bare chest and arms + cowboy theme make for a male stripper/Chippendale's kinda vibe, but in terms of Japanese VG art, it's perfectly normal.
Natsu Ninja: My favorite design from you so far. She looks exactly as a generic ninja-in-training should. Nothing more, nothing less. Just the right level of detail. No random spikes, feathers of strength, or calligraphy stickers here. Ragged-ass clothing/armor. Dojo yin-yang logo. Bandages from injuries. And a flask of moonshine to stave off the pain. Awesome how you strapped it to the leg using stickers. She doesn't need vibrant colors. This, my friend, is character design of the highest integrity. Keep the haute couture off the battlefield.
Natsu Modern: Great display of technique. Objectively speaking, it's very tastefully designed. Clever, how you bordered the calligraphy sticker with another of the same. IRL though, it's got strong weeaboo vibes. Still a solid creation.
GG Pyrrha: A noble effort at modern CaS, but I've never seen anyone tuck in a jacket like that. Hmm....
Emo Pyrrah: That hat just doesn't jive. Too flat, too large. Really hard to make that piece work though, so not your fault. The leather jacket and hobo gloves are very in-character though.
RRH Pyrrah: Nice little punk version of RRH. Pattern covered with sticker is a great way to add detail. Perhaps you could find a way to use those SpecEq? Maybe turn the tide against the wolf by arming her with a bow? Hair extensions with horns? Just some ideas to toss around.
Marun: I like the realistic, subdued color scheme. She looks like something out of Fable, the game. Try using additional crescent moons or stickers like the golden phoenix sticker to increase the hairdo's asymmetry.
Joshiin: Superb. My first thought was creepy marionette. Android works too. Nice job tying the shoulder armor together with the chain. It's always good to merge separate pieces together using SpecEq/stickers for a unique look. You might be able to play up the android angle by throwing in a cogwheel on the belt. Maybe some random scrolls on the limbs. One of my favorites.
Charnel: Very cool. Nice job cutting out a shirt and skirt using the pocket stickers. Great color accents too. Skull motif, green/black color scheme, scary mask, and modern dress. Hmm... Perhaps a shady pharmaceutical company moved into a creepy swamp for illegal experimentation. And one of the female researchers discovered a way to combine modern tech with ancient swamp voodoo? Interesting that I actually used a nearly identical helmet build here: http://8wayrun.com/attachments/soulcalibur-png.27023/
Amato: Looks like he's channeling some Jago from Killer Instinct. I love how the zippers cross over his mouth, like he's hiding something. A magnificent, operatically-trained voice maybe? Maybe he works part time as a member of the three tenors. Hiding part of your face always amplifies the cool factor. Nice how the black phoenix sticker connects the shoulder pads. You might want to vertical flip that zipper sticker though. Looks a tad cartoony as it is. Also, I see you really like stripe patterns. An alternative to the stripe pattern is a minimized gradient pattern (Basic 1). It gives a nice bumpy, frilly look.
Fahkriya: Glorious indeed. I love the pink/turquoise color. Very snazzy. Great use of the tiger pattern on the pants for the wrinkled look too. I like how the little white shoe puffs add that bit of accent to the design. Really great how you extended the corset onto the skin and belt using bump mapping, and its nicely tied together using the ribbon thing too. You may want increase the "waist" body parameter to offset the width difference between belt and torso though. You might also try throwing on some SpecEq for the lulz. Like a flower on the belt or that bridal tiara on the mouth or something. I dunno. Also you might try Jun's scarf. The relative bareness of the top is charming in its own way, but you might she might profit from more clothing up top for balance. Overall, a highly authentic Middle Eastern dancer design. Looks alot like Matty's work, which you can see here: http://s73.photobucket.com/user/cammykillerbee/media/Soul Calibur My Original Characters/Alimah.jpg.html?sort=4&o=71. I like your design more though, since Matty's creation relies on place-by-view sticker techniques, which doesn't look good from the side.
French Kiss: Cool and comedic. An exceedingly rare phenomenon. Love that absurdly huge mustache. And great job making that ugly helmet look awesome. Nice touch, giving him abs and pecs with the eye sticker. Very funny, very French, and very clever. A win in my books.
Kjorr: Is he Swedish? Definitely Nordic. The gear is kinda random? Maybe he's a steampunk cyborg? Insufficient visual cues. That cogwheel/shell shield is awesome though. Very Dark Souls. Cool how you roughed up the face with the patch sticker too. The palette's very brown, but that's to be expected for a rough-and-tumble barbarian. Judging from the face you chose for him though, he seems to be relatively benign. Maybe a bit disgruntled or disillusioned. He doesn't have a clear direction in his design, but he might pass for a barbarian in Fist of the North Star.
Juxtaposer: Hmm...valiant attempt at asymmetry. I see you tried to connect the turtle shell to the body using the black sticker, but it doesn't quite look as organic as one might hope. Character design-wise, she's intriguing. Really does look like a female Deathstroke. The body proportions just don't make the cut though; the greaves weigh down the whole design.
***Skipping your (excellent) recreations for now***
Astaroth SCII: The Asta-Undies kinda overwhelm the design. Still, I like the very even distribution of metal throughout the limbs and mid-section. The yellow circles on the head match the yellow heart nicely too. Good detailing. The head looks somewhat threadbare in comparison, so you might try bump mapping it a bit.
Plague: More stripe jumpsuits! I like this intimidating reaper-design. Green/black like Charnel. Interesting chest ornamentation. The horns are kinda cheesy, but in a good way, like something from Darksiders. He is all about death and stuff after all. Nice job merging the top and bottom with pocket stickers. That tiny border of black along the skirt hem is quite dashing, I dare say.
Murrica: Three stars? Well I'm sure we were just 3 colonies at some point in our history lol. Bottom half completely overwhelms the top. But hey, I get it. It's a troll character. Mighty fist of justice.
Lumberjack: Barebones modern look. The hat proly shouldn't match the shirt. Gnarly beard though. I respect that.
Kendorugi: Very nice. The simplicity is refreshing, really. Functional and authentic. Diagonal flow of the flower petals adds that spark to the design. I think it would look more natural on a female, but hey. Nothing wrong with a bit of flare now and then. The waist equipment disrupts the silhouette though. Perhaps look into slimmer options?
Angelrugi: The wings, halo, and glowing eyes combination is a bit much for me lol. Still bottom-heavy, like Kendorugi.
Outlaw: Interesting ridged jacket design. I can't decide whether it's cool or tacky. It is certainly new though. The pants fit the whole western theme quite well. The bare chest and arms + cowboy theme make for a male stripper/Chippendale's kinda vibe, but in terms of Japanese VG art, it's perfectly normal.
Natsu Ninja: My favorite design from you so far. She looks exactly as a generic ninja-in-training should. Nothing more, nothing less. Just the right level of detail. No random spikes, feathers of strength, or calligraphy stickers here. Ragged-ass clothing/armor. Dojo yin-yang logo. Bandages from injuries. And a flask of moonshine to stave off the pain. Awesome how you strapped it to the leg using stickers. She doesn't need vibrant colors. This, my friend, is character design of the highest integrity. Keep the haute couture off the battlefield.
Natsu Modern: Great display of technique. Objectively speaking, it's very tastefully designed. Clever, how you bordered the calligraphy sticker with another of the same. IRL though, it's got strong weeaboo vibes. Still a solid creation.
GG Pyrrha: A noble effort at modern CaS, but I've never seen anyone tuck in a jacket like that. Hmm....
Emo Pyrrah: That hat just doesn't jive. Too flat, too large. Really hard to make that piece work though, so not your fault. The leather jacket and hobo gloves are very in-character though.
RRH Pyrrah: Nice little punk version of RRH. Pattern covered with sticker is a great way to add detail. Perhaps you could find a way to use those SpecEq? Maybe turn the tide against the wolf by arming her with a bow? Hair extensions with horns? Just some ideas to toss around.
FYI Guide to Feathers of Strength.
1. Slide horizontal bar left until the plates open towards each other.
2. Slide rotate vert. to angle of choice.
3. Bend feathers to accommodate limbs/faces by adjusting rotate horz.
4. Adjust angle so that feathers are parallel.
5. Connect feathers using horizontal slider. Use width for fine tuning.
For mirror image (like opposite limb) all values equal, but rotate horizontal reversed (times -1).
I can't believe I just wrote all that shit. I do like disagreeing with people though. Anyways, truly incredible work. Keep it up!
