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So you're afraid to draw a character straight from a cartoon because your style is realistic?
Common Art Mistake: Style Mistranslation
a thread.
Common Art Mistake: Style Mistranslation
a thread.
Most of the time, we overlook style distinctions and often translate them to our perceived sense of uniqueness within our personal preferences.
For instance, let's say my subjects lean most towards illustrating realistic boys with realistic figures. In attempt to drawing a cartoon character such as Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender, we can see a complete style mismatch basing on the level of detail reduction.
Interpreting Aang, a cartoon character, to something with the likes of your style would take the ff steps:
1. Identification (of distinct characeristics)
2. Referencing (of someone with proximate culture)
3. Interpretation (execution of your style habit based on 1 and 2)
1. Identification (of distinct characeristics)
2. Referencing (of someone with proximate culture)
3. Interpretation (execution of your style habit based on 1 and 2)
What we can consider the complete opposite of the process would be the technique of reduction (commonly used for cartoonizing real-life figures). This technique involves simplification and exaggeration of features.
Whereas in translating such from simplified to realistic (which is a more relevant process in this case), most artists tend to neglect how we can actually lose sense of familiarity from the original to that of the rendition's energy if done carelessly.
To carry on, it's advisable to heavily reference from models that resemble the character. (Pinterest is cool)
You may search for something based on their age, culture, occupation, affiliation, nationality, or basically anything that relates to the character the most.
You may search for something based on their age, culture, occupation, affiliation, nationality, or basically anything that relates to the character the most.
Keep in mind that interpretation and reference is vital. Do not get carried away in the process of "translating" something mindlessly. Pay attention to capturing likeliness of the features, especially the attitude and personality of the character.
Nonetheless, it's important to establish a versatile yet artistically consistent take on different subjects. Although we can rock doing realistic portraits of our favorite TV show leads..
at some point, it would be essential to forge our own approach as well in dealing with simplified characters (that is if we want to achieve flexibility).
Try not limiting yourself from exploring with different subjects. It will help better you and your understanding in choosing which method suits the subject best.
