Traditional Japanese Piece

[79josh81]

Been working on this for a little while...

 

[DKJ]

That's a great effort!
Thing is your technique is good, but your initial drawing lacks composition and inspiration.

What is great about trad japanese is the exageration of all things, proportions, movement, face expressions, dynamics of colors... You should work over that and try to get better (and maybe more of them) drafts before you start the final piece.

Peace,

DKJ

 

[Cyberthrasher]

That's great man. The main thing I'd comment on is the flow of those spirals going around his body. But I have a feeling you already know that one.

 

[79josh81]

That's a great effort!
Thing is your technique is good, but your initial drawing lacks composition and inspiration.

What is great about trad japanese is the exageration of all things, proportions, movement, face expressions, dynamics of colors... You should work over that and try to get better (and maybe more of them) drafts before you start the final piece.

Peace,

DKJ

Thanks. As far as inspiration goes, I had plenty of it. I look at traditional japanese irezumi and wood block prints probably at least an hour out of every day. lol I would somewhat agree on the composition part though. Now that it's close to done, I feel like i need more subjects within the piece. The reason why I stopped where I did was because I was worried about adding too much and completely drowning the piece in itself. When I finished the outline, it looked absolutely packed full subjects. Then as I started adding the shading and color, it started to be easier to read and then i knew I should have added more to it if that makes sense. The difficult thing about japanese is that there are rules where all of the elements have to make sense, but at the same time proportions, colors, movements, etc. don't have to be accurate to life.

 

[Cyberthrasher]

I love that you're actually studying the rules. Too many people just draw up dragons and make a go at it.

 

[79josh81]

Here’s a picture of the outline. It just looked so busy to me already by itself until I added shading and colors.

 

[79josh81]

I love that you're actually studying the rules. Too many people just draw up dragons and make a go at it.

I’ve always been fascinated by irezumi/wood block print stuff. It’s a style that looks simple but when you actually try to do it you appreciate the thought that goes into all of the layering and then the details that go into each layer.

 

[Cyberthrasher]

I’ve always been fascinated by irezumi/wood block print stuff. It’s a style that looks simple but when you actually try to do it you appreciate the thought that goes into all of the layering and then the details that go into each layer.

yeah, ever time I've tried to really get into studying it I get pulled away with a case of shiny object on something else. Or life happens and I just never make it back.

 

[79josh81]

I’m also going to give the samurai a tattoo body suit yet. I didn’t do it before because I was worried about there being too much going on already.