Finished- Vectorized V-Dub Cartoon

[Roboduck]

Well, I used a lot of your advice and comments to change some things.. no smoke, etc. Stayed in Illustrator only and am happy with it. Used thicker lines, etc for more cartoonish lok. Used blends, too many layers, but it was fun. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Robo

[knightvision]

turned out nice!!

[grantrl78]

I agree that rocks!
Lots of energy.

[N2OZeBozz]

Thats awsome!!!I like the supercharger!

[Blip]

That's fantastic, great line work.

[stuffbyalex]

Nice! The blower looks really good. Nice reflections as well.

Alex

[Jeep_Rubicon]

Looks good.

[bonzelite]

i like it.

create more form on actual engine block: you have nice defining stuff going on w/ the valve covers and intake thing. but block is too flat right now; maybe address that. you have the shiny chrome-like textures nicely done, but the engine block has zero texture or form. so ask yourself what are you trying to say.

(maybe) darken regions under fenders. particularly the front one. i understand you want to show what is going on under there. but darken it. and see how that looks. if it comes off as shyt, then just remove that layer or channel or whatever it is.

this is a cartoon. so you don't really need to do anything. but it is just that you have mixed semi-realistic rendering on many areas with absolutley flat/ non-existent rendering on other areas. this is a mixed choice.

so either find a workable cartoon rendering level consistently, or render the cartoon skewed to realism. try to avoid polar opposite approaches from region to region. make it one thing. do you see what i am saying?

robo, i like the drawing. it really stands fine as it is. but it can be totally awesome with a bit more tweaks. it will go from just cool to kick-ass nearly instantly. the angle and the 'stance' of the car is just killer. sweeten it now. changes are easy and fearless as it is digital.

lemorris -----> where are you. come in here and say more about this. you're the cartoon master, among other things.

[grantrl78]

Bonzelite that is an awesome friggin crit. I learn so much
by reading your replies. I have never had anybody explain
this kind of design decision making stuff before.
Consistency is something I learned about in layout but
not in illustration. It makes alot of sense. The calls we
make in drawing are about logic.
It is a really helpful idea.

[bonzelite]

grant, my pleasure.

insofar as design v. illustration, they are one and the same. you are a designer, grant, whether you accept that title or not. a designer manipulates the basic elements of art to create a visual harmony with impact. you have done that.

the compartmentalization of the two disciplines is wrong, as far as i am concerned. this often occurs in schools, where there are different departments, all of which seldom have anything to do with each other:

for example, the physics department is different from the astronomy department, yet the two are only facets of the same thing; one would not exist without the other.

also, to further your thinking, the choices we make are about logic AND intuitive judgement. and this intuition begins to go far beyond only logic the better at your craft you become.

to me, the illustrator can do the job of the graphic designer, and then go far beyond only graphic design. an illustration must be layed-out, as problems with shape, line, unity, repetition, movement, color, texture, form, must be worked out.

there is a logic to it as much as there is a madness to it. brining the madness to the logic is magical and cannot be taught directly; that must be brought out of you as an original artist. and you are on a good track with integrating both.