@chrisaakins yes, this looks great!
Reworked Inktober pieces
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Same comments as others I think. I think they're both lovely and they're nice together too. I think a few tweaks to the first one would be good - try erasing the distant mountain line, removing the white outline around the front two mice and I really like the grey screen you added, maybe play around with that more, make it stronger as the trees go back.
I could see a little series of these in your portfolio.
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I really like this style and I think it definitely looks professional. The fact that you think it's a different style from everything else you've seen is a good thing It makes you stand out!
I think you can try some little tweaks like everyone else suggested but other than that, they can definitely be portfolio pieces.
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@chrisaakins I prefer the second piece. The only thing that bothers me is the back of the television. Maybe you can remove that and crop the piece a little bit on the bottom and both sides, if you want the proportions to stay the same. I love the light, your ink work and the story - Very, very cute!!
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Thank you everyone who has responded! @jdubz @neschof @burvantill your very specific critique helped me pinpoint what I like and didn't like between the two pieces. I love the crispness of the mice watching the cell phone in contrast to their blurry soft background. After your help, I realized that it was my linework that was the issue. I am usually pretty good about small lines in the distance. I think when I did this piece originally, I was so in love with the my new brush pen that I got carried away.
I put in more atmospheric perspective, thinned out or got rid of many lines in the background, got rid of the white lines around the two front mice, and deepened some of the foreground value. Now it has more of the dreamy quality I liked about it in the first place.
I definitely want to polish up several of these and use them as the beginning of my portfolio and begin writing a manuscript about their adventures. -
I may even crop this piece and make it more square and cut up the upper eighth or so. Hmmm.
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@chrisaakins huge improvement - it feels really consistent now! To answer your overlying question - yeah I really think this style works and it looks cohesive to me.
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@chrisaakins yes, this looks great!
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@chrisaakins NIIICE!
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I really like these and think the changes you made to the first really improved it. Can’t wait to see more.
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@chrisaakins hmmm. I like it the way it is.
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Hi @chrisaakins, looks great! Definitely has the professional touch. Nicely done!
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@Jeremy-Ross thanks! I feel kinda giddy because I feel like I am starting to hit my stride and can see myself doing this as a second career now. I was struggling and stuck before but I made some breakthroughs with Photoshop recently and feel I can now marry my traditional with my digital and get the best of both worlds. Still need lots of practice. I appreciate your encouragement!
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@burvantill hmmm, me too. I really appreciate your encouragement for me and my art. I also enjoy seeing your successes, too. I think you are about to go pro status very soon and it's been cool to see your journey.
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Update: Hey everyone! Hahaha! The Mighty Inky piece was featured on @jimbobdrawing's weekly contest! So cool! This was the first time I went for a contest and won. (It was just a feature but gotta start somewhere, right!?)
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@chrisaakins wow, thanks.
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@chrisaakins yay, congrats! and I'm glad you're finding your stride with the style and technique that feels right. It seems like that can be a really difficult task and once you're past it you can enjoy the process more and end up with a cohesive portfolio.
I'm still flailing around with all of that but I'm trying not to rush it. Seeing you and others explore and then finally get there is really encouraging.
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Hi @chrisaakins, well you are at the right place! From what I see, SVS is breeding high-level professional illustrators that are making a difference in the kid lit world. My dream is to be one among them! Need the mileage though...
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@chrisaakins This is so cute. It’s one of my favorites from inktober. I’m curious, do you keep your line work on a separate layer that the color? I was just wondering how it would look if you adjusted the lines on the the center moosey’s ears to the same pink hue as the ears but darker so it’s still a line? But not as noticeable.