Spam tries a different style
 

Hey. Who's up for some test doodles? :-)

I had the odd idea a couple days back to try drawing characters based on shape primitives (i.e. make a model of the character and then flesh it out, as opposed to my current style). So, I whipped out my tiny scratchpad, and here's the results:

Random Female #6
Bobby Boxhair (I still don't know what I was thinking with his hair)
Another of Random Female #6, this time on bigger paper.

So, what does everyone think? Somewhat not bad for a first attempt?

Que Passa!!!!

Very good first attempt at that. I never tried that style before, (But then, I have a system of drawing the body parts in a certain order... it's kind of complicated to describe, so I won't...)

That said, Bobby Boxhair looks kind of like someone I once knew in middleschool... only moreso. And random female #6 looks pretty cool too.

As Batty said, a good first attempt. I'm not sure if it's just your style, but I think you're kind of approaching drawing heads a bit wrong. The neck actually comes from the back of the head, and in the drawings it appears to be coming from the chin. You may have to do that because the characters are kind of "chibish", thou.

If the above dosn't make the slightest bit of sense, this image explains it:
http://www.foxmage.com/Head.png

Batty: Yeah, my natural style is kinda bizzare, too... I more go for a piecewise construction. Like, I assemble things like (Say, for Matthew): Hair top, face shape, hair back, foregroundmost arm, vest, neck, backgroundmost arm, belt, pants, boots. Each 'piece' has a definite shape in my head, it'd just be hard to explain it to others. :-)

I still don't know where I got Bobby Boxhair from. Just a random big-haired thug, I guess. And Random Female #6 wasn't SUPPOSED to be her real name, but I guess it kinda sticks. Glad you like. :-)

Radium: Yeah, neck placement is usually a problem for me, as I prefer a more cartoonish style normally. And in my normal pics, I tend to make the neck too thin, too. :-) I'll work on that. Either that, or it'll just wind up being a bizzare quirk of my style, like the oddly-shaped heads.

Yeah... A freind of mine once had a character named "Joe Background" whos sole existance was... in the background making the scene look populated while everyone of importance was in the foreground...
/\:roll:/\

However with this chibish style, if the head was placed 'correctly', the chibi would be imbalanced! And fall over! And never be able to get back up! AUGH! OH NO!

Oi!
 

Looks like Radium is my critic replacement for you, Spam, 'cause I was gonna say the same thing. Most artists use shapes so that they know WHERE to put all the body parts, (it's also used for proportion, but I don't think that applies here).

If Spring wasn't the one who suggested you use shapes, then I strongly suggest you go knock on her head and make her show you, 'cause I see her use'em all the time. Very well, I might add, but that goes without saying. (I don't actually use shapes myself, so I wouldn't be the one to ask).

-Bluezy Bunny

'Fraid not, Bluez. Nobody really suggested for me to experiment with shapes, I was bored one day and just doodled around with 'em. I never use them normally, so I figured it'd be nice to try something new once in a while.