I've finally done it!

Mr. Cardinal Wed Jul 24, 2013 1:48 am

I had a week off of work so I decided to do something I've always wanted to do. I've created a piece of art! I've never made a drawing before not even a doodle, so this is kind of a big deal for me.

So here he is!

I've finally done it! Mr__cardinal_by_jacobjawson-d6evi81

I've finally done it! Mr__cardinal_by_jacobjawson-d6evi81

Full Name: Charles Gennady Cardinal
Father's Name: Cy Cardinal
Mother's Name: Klara Cardinal
Species: Cardinalis cardinalis
Date of Birth: 2/22/1855
Occupation: Mechanical Engineer (retired)
Religion: Orthodox

Bio:
Charles "Charlie" Cardinal is a Northern Cardinal of Russian and Canadian descent and one of the wealthiest denizens of the fictional city of Avestown, California in the early 1900's. He is somewhat happily married to his wife whom he affectionately calls "Millie" and has two sons, Abel and Gabriel. Having worked as a mechanical engineer in his early life he made investments in the the town's railroad, ships, and manufacturing and by the turn of the century there was not a single point of trade he did not have stake in. Using his education and experience he built the Cardinal Commerce Company which consolidated most of the importing and exporting of any manufactured goods of northern California. With the great fortune he made from business he founded the Cardinal Californian Civil Commons Corporation which help funds libraries and other public works.

Whether he likes it or not Charlie often finds himself into a role of nobility which earns him the admiration (and sometimes scorn) of his fellow bird-men, all of who refer to him as simply Mr. Cardinal.

Positive Traits: Mathematician, Analytic
Flaws: Jaded, Prejudiced

Just to get these things out of the way.

1. Hands are hard to draw, I've read that most artists know this.
2. I apparently do not know how buttons works.
3. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I spent hours trying to get that "feathers bunched up around the neck" look right and this is how it came out.

This character is the namesake of a fictional world of avian characters living in the 1900's (1900-1909) that I've been really been inspired to make.

Seeing as this is my favorite comic site, I figured it only appropriate I post this here first:
http://jacobjawson.deviantart.com/

I felt like I really had to make this due to the fact there is a horrible lack of Cardinal anthro art around. Mad

Thanks for all the criticism I've sure you've got and thanks to Ellen for making this great site. cat

Latrans Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:39 am

Heh. I'm such a terrible artist I don't feel completely right picking apart someone else's work, but I'll try to give it a shot.

First, what program and/or hardware did you use? Judging by the eyes (and that this is your first drawing), I'm betting you're not using an art tablet. You might find a better balance if you were to first sketch by pencil then scan that to the computer to ink and color.

Second, the eyes. They're far too perfectly round and feel 'tacked on' because they don't fit the rest of the piece. This goes with my previous advice of sketch/scan/ink.

Another major point you might want to look at is proportions. Don't be shy about using references. If you're using a program that lets you play with layers and opacity, try overlaying your work in progress with your reference images to see how they deviate. This will help you with things like having your forearm longer than your upper arm. Wink

Other than that, the best advice I can give you is to not stop. Art takes practice and a LOT of it. There are those out there who will bash on you, but please keep in mind that either A.) they don't have the skill you do and are just being jerks or B.) they forgot that they started in the exact same place and are just being jerks. Cool

Ellen-Natalie Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:11 pm

For a first time, this is excellent work! (I've got early digital pieces no one will ever see.)
Looks like you've got a good grasp of proportions, and I like the painterly effects-especially the framed bird in the background. Congrats on finally finishing a project idea!

Mr. Cardinal Wed Aug 07, 2013 4:31 am

My second piece is now complete! I only did a shot of the head this time, so I didn't spend forever on the pants and hands like last time. Rolling Eyes

I've finally done it! Van_loon_by_jacobjawson-d6gzlhd

It was kind of hard for me to get the angle on the top feathers just right. I intended for him to have 2 perpetually cowlicked feathers on the left side of head. pale

I really like how the "shine" on the beak, head, and eyes look though.

Mr. van Loon is a reluctant friend/sometimes rival of Mr. Cardinal. Here's to my second character! I would also like to know if I made any improvements from my first work. Smile

Here's his bio.

Full Name: Baron Benjamin Jacob van Loon
Father's Name: Jacob van Loon
Mother's Name: Alicia van Loon
Species: Gavia immer
Date of Birth: 11/9/1857
Occupation: Senator (retired), Real Estate Magnate
Religion: Unitarian

Benjamin van Loon is only male descendant of the first Dutch settlers of Avestown. The marriage of the van Loon and the Aves family united most of the land into a single community. Ben is also the third generation of his family to serve the public thus making him one of the few Americans to earn a title of nobility.

After the death of his wife Veronica due to tuberculosis he retired from his work and now lives off his estate investments as a recluse. Most of the only company he gets is from his second wife Victoria, who is actually younger than his oldest daughter Virginia. Said daughter often objects to her father's melancholic and depressing views on life. She also tends to his younger daughters Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Positive Traits: Sincere, Poetic
Flaws: Careless, Unempathetic

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