Art Archive Lavo's fan art, *UPDATE* (05/02/08)

Hi all

I just posted an entry for this month's art challenge and i thought it was about time I put some of my artwork out there but having never done so before I would really like some feedback and I know this is the place to get it. I enjoy drawing jedi because they were the characters I always pretended to be when I was a kid and would draw myself as one any chance I could. Lately I have, like a lot of people, thought of a character and been busily thinking of adventures and situations to draw for him which I will hopefully gather on his own website. This is where you come in.

Below I have a few images that I have been working on and I was wondering what you think? I love drawing characters or situations where some action is about to happen or just has, I like to use my imaginaton to fill in the gaps in movement and so on.

Anyway, I guess I'll shut up and let you make your own minds up. Enjoy.

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/the_audience.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/kick_ass.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/asajj.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/forseen.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/attack.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/yabble.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/aala.jpg]

 

Wow Lavo, these pictures have that amazing animation type feel!
I especially like the Jabba piece with the "Jedi" in 1st person perspective- that's a first for me, I've never seen a picture like that before and I think it works so well!

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this thread, your work is amazing!

 

I'm totally jealous of your figure construction abilities.

 

"HELP?!" With what, pray tell?!

First off, welcome to the Fan Art forum! And second... WOW!!! Astonishing work, lavo!! From the first image, I was dumbstruck (and thoroughly hooked! )--I have to agree with rhi's comment: the first-person POV in that first picture is so bloody sweet! What a great idea!

Each and every one of these is jaw-dropping, from the style (very distinctive and unique, btw) to the poses, action, movement and energy: Yoda sweeping his way through his stunned enemies is so awesome! One of the things I really like about your work (...there's really a lot, so it's hard to pick out just one thing...just so you know... ) are the variations of line: in the Yoda piece, the troopers are done in fairly bold line, while Yoda, quite obviously spinning like a deadly top, is lined almost delicately... It's a wonderful effect, and works extremely well. Gorgeous coloring, shading...Aayla is soooo gorgeous!! I also agree that I'll have to watch for more work here--amazing!! Thanks for sharing it with us--and again, welcome to the forum!

FF

 

These are really great. You have a lovely and unique style that is a real pleasure to view.
Though I can't help but feel that some of these are yet unfinished, am I correct? My favourite would have to be the aayla piece, it's just a lovely image. Also how do you colour? is it with Vectors?

Anyway, looking forward to seeing this character idea, If your current work is anything to go by, then it should be fantastic!

 

Welcome to Fanarts, lavo!

Sorry, but I have to second that!


If you're really desperate for critique....
I'd move the middle line that's dividing Aayla's upper from the lower lip a bit more downwards, so that her lower lip isn't that much more bigger than the upper one. The way you have it now, she looks a bit like she's sulking.

But otherwise, all of your art is totally awesome and breathtaking! Wonderful work!

 

I was just passing by, but I have to say that this cartoon artwork is fantastic. Yoda's gremlin look is hilarious and great! This is all very nice, lavo; I'd love to see more.

 

Hi all

Thank you guys, so much. The reason I asked for help was in order to gain confidence about putting my artwork out there, I have had some 'advice' in the past which was basically 'stop messing around drawing Star Wars' which made me reluctant to show anyone else my work and I really needed some positive comments which you have graciously given, so again, a very huge 'Thank-You'.

I can't help but feel that some of these are yet unfinished, am I correct? My favorite would have to be the aayla piece, it's just a lovely image. Also how do you colour? is it with Vectors?


I usually just scan my pencil drawings and use photoshop to manipulate them until I'm happy with the composition and so on (you can see the difference between the sketch and colour version of the 'Audience with Yabble the Hutt' piece above). After a slight clean up I use the pen tool to colour and that is pretty much it. I know pencil marks can make some work feel untidy but I feel that creating a black outline of your work sometimes takes away the energy of the original drawings unless you are a superb inker which I am not, so I prefer just to keep them as close to the original idea as possible.

The Aayla head shot is in preparation for a drawing which includes a Twi'lek character, I made her (the new character) green so as not to confuse her with Aayla and I'm being really careful so she doesn't end up looking like she-hulk. I will post it as soon as I can.

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/recruit.jpg]

 

Hi gang

I mentioned this Twi'lek character in the last post, although I made her green to distinguish her from Aayla, she does have something of the She-Hulk about her but I'm trying to ignore it.

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/jedi_v_fett.jpg]

 

Great style and lovely twi'leks!

 

Yay!!

Great job on the Jedi vs. Fett piece (and don't we love to see kick-@$$ Twi'lek Jedi!? **nodding vigorously**)! Fantastic poses and great movement--and I love her costuming (a bit more on the modest side--which for me is great! )! The recruiting poster is wonderful--I could very much see this pasted onto huge holoscreens for all to see as the war spun up! Your work is so colorful and dynamic--have you sent a portfolio to LFL...? I can't imagine they wouldn't want work of this quality... Consider doing that--I'm confident you'd get a warm response!

FF

 

Wow, that is just cool.

I especially love the Sidious and Asaj one. I like that style, lots of punch and movement.

 

Wow, great update! The Twi'Lek looks awesome!

 

Wonderful job!

 

Hi all

First off, a big thanks for all kind words (me)

and FF:

I haven't shown my work to anyone as I'm currently bulking up my portfolio with as much material as possible, other characters, paintings, sketches and so on. In fact if you were to stand in my eye-line for more than a few seconds at the moment I'd probably yell at you not to move so I could get a good likeness.

Another thing I've been doing over the past couple of days is designing a character for one of our fellow enthusiasts. Sethxaxik, contacted me and asked If I would do some renderings of his character for an RPG group, which I did and after a few changes finalized the look of his character, so I have decided to post the different stages of getting to the final drawing:


[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/lexx_sketch.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/da-ru_shon.jpg]

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/Untitled-2.jpg]

I think I'd like to do a few more action shots of this guy, I think he's interesting.

Lavo

 

What do you use for your final rendering for inking and coloring?
-if you don't mind me asking...

 

HI Gimer

Mostly I use the pen, lasso and (many) layers in Photoshop and InDesign. I'm going to try to post a time-lapse tutorial as soon as I work out the best way to set it up. Is there any specific area of the process you would like to know about?

Lavo

 

Thanks for answering.

The linework mostly.
So you scan in the pencil drawings and then ink them digitally if I am understanding you.
Do you have a tablet with a pen, or are you using the mouse?


So far I have done everything physically - inking with technical pens and THEN scanning them in, sometimes digitally coloring things in.
Yours are nice and crisp and clean with heavy line weights.

 

I felt so excited when i received the e-mail from lavo that my renders were done. And when i opened them (of course with me eyes closed at first) i was like "HAWT DAMN" lavo i really love em. You took everything i wanted and actually made it happen. I am so glad i contacted you hehe. I will send you his char bio later on once i finalize it so you can get the full picture of him in writing to match up the image you created.

I cannot thank you enough for this, i literally spent hours upon hours looking at fan art seeing if something would match up. I thought contacting someone was going to be a fluke but boy was i ever wrong.

<3 <3 <3 <3

hehe thanks ^^ and i cannot wait to see later on what you have him doing next!

 

Hi Gimer, I think that everything begins in the original sketch, that's where your idea starts and if you work hard to get that right then everything after is easy: take away the things that aren't working and then finish it. The most important thing is to keep it simple, don't go crazy with all the tools and effects image packages have, always go back to the original sketch and if something isn't working, take it out.

I use both a mouse and sometimes a tablet with pen, I've built up a fairly good speed on a mouse although some of my friends think my approach is crazy, it works for me and that's all that matters. I used to get hung up on inking because I don't really think I'm good at it but it's probably more accurate to say that I'm always disappointed that inking can sometimes take away the dynamic marks of the sketch (look at the contrast between the figures in the Yoda piece in my first post).

No problem Seth, I really enjoyed working on this guy, he's a funky little dude. I know you didn't ask for a location drawing but I imagined a kind of spiritual retreat for him which I think suits the character description you gave me. Anyway, as I said, I'll probably do a few more drawings, I don't think I've finished with him yet.

Lavo

 

Whoa... Fabulous character development/design work lavo!! I love the dynamic line and feeling of movement in all your work, but it's especially apparent in the character sheet: all the leaps and crouches and movement...superb! Your figure work is the stuff of my fantasies (...I have a smallish life... )--great proportions, great natural movement. The scene struck me especially, with the giant "Easter Island head" there in the foreground...eerie place, and very well done, with the landscape and temple perfectly measuring the distances. All around spectacular work--and I know SethXaxik must be extremely happy with these! Great, great work!

FF

 

Wow, first time browsing this thread, and I have to say, I love the high-energy stuff going on here! There is a heavy anime influence, but I think it works nicely. The image of the emperor conjuring force visions is perhaps my fave. I love the kettle type thing he is working his sith sorcery over, harkens back to medevil wizards and witches and the like. The new Jedi design is great, the night-stick/tonfu lightsabers are interesting to work wtih in terms of seeing someone fight with them, and will hopefully provide some unique Jedi visuals. Can't wait to see what else pops up in this thread!

 

Great work! Some really nifty layouts and posing going on. I think I like the Aayla one the most, but Yoda and the Clones is close behind. Keep it up!

 

Hi all

Well it's the start of the week and I've resolved myself to try and post something new each week. I remember when I was a kid, playing with my action figures of Han and Chewie but I would always make different ships out of cardboard or plastic cartons so that I could crash them and not worry about breaking my millennium falcon. Here's what it looked like in my mind:

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/solo1.jpg]

It makes me want to empty all the cartons out of the fridge and get the glue gun.

And for my next piece, this is a sketch I'm working on. Not every situation can be solved with a lightsaber...

[image=http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/mrlavo/captive2.jpg]