Coop's art Reviews on Newgrounds

[Jack Blender]

Needs a background

Hmm, I think that while this is a pretty decent effort at 3D rendering, I think that you really need to add a background, to add context to the piece in question.

That said, some of the features look a little angular and need to be smoothed out - the nose for example seems quite square. I'd take steps to smooth that out. The hat wouldn't be that thin - you need the contours of the underside to compliment the work you've done on the top.

Detail is your nemesis at the moment - your lack of it lets you down. Try to use shading to define the difference between neck and chin, as the skin isn't going to be the same colour across his entire body. I can see a little line put in there to show where the centre of his chin is, but it's that feint, I can't tell all that well. Finally, I think the left eye (as we look at it) is a little far out towards his ear, unlike the right.

[Review Request Club]

PlusPlusKid responds:

this was made like a month ago, thanks :)

[Male Psionicist]

Could use a touch-up

I think that you've made a decent effort with this piece and if I had to guess (which I must, since you've not told me what you've used for the picture, you went with acrylics on canvas and scanned it into the computer.

If that is the case, it's not a bad effort. Sadly, the scanner has taken a little away from the quality and some of the detail around the fringe of this guy's hair has been lost. A quick play with Photoshop could solve that and give you a more crisp presentation. The same could be said for the "pixelated" parts of his hair.

I was dismayed about the eyes - look at yourself in the mirror - even if you're looking mad, it's not usual to see eyes opened so wide. The irises are usually at least partly obscured, by one eyelid or the other.

The facial hair adds to the menace of the image and I'd like to see more of your work, it's certainly passable, though I feel it requires a little more.

[Review Request Club]

ShivaFang responds:

Oh wow, thanks for all the responses. I've actually been working on flash games for quite awhile after posting this and only just stumbled across all these comments!

This work was done exclusively with digital media.

[Chimera Colossus]

Will it blend?

Apparently so.

I think that the inclusion of a Lion, Owl, Shark and goat's head onto a body largely composed of said shark, with the legs of a Tyranosaurus and a panther, with a peacock's tail as a finishing touch would have been enough. But no, you put the Hypnotoad's eyes from Futurama in the Goat.

Wow, that's huge - what Challenge Rating is it for the poor sap that 's got to face it in the bottom of the shot?! Poor guy.

Well, it's either angry or scared. Are these things (I'm assuming that they breed) frightened of small animals, much in the way that an elephant is frightened of a mouse?

The background in itself is a work of art and despite the "sprayed on" effect for the moss and lichen, it seems to work on the tree roots, even in the foreground. You've gone for the simple and effective means of filling out the space and it works, as the eye is immediately drawn to your creation, so it is not required that we linger on there.

[Review Request Club]

[Invaders from Pluto]

Nice take

A pleasing rendition of a "traditional" 1950s / 1960s thriller / horror film, where all sorts of special effects are used and in the day, they incited panic within audiences across the world.

I like the creative bent of the satire in your choice of 50th Century Wolf and Charlie Sheen as the Invader. These things make all the difference, plus you've plugged yourself as well as any director, producer or bankroller would have back in the day.

The fact that you were using Sheen and Dunst, you would have expected to see the pair of them lampooned in the roles that you've given them.

I love the background and the way that you've given rise to what looks like mid-50s New York in the choice of building on display. The print quality shows through in the sky, which was a nice touch, as was the screaming face in Pluto itself.

Excellent work.

[Review Request Club]

MrRandomist responds:

Thanks, glad you like it! I was definitely going for the 1950's for the poster, thats why the characters are slightly hand drawn looking. I didn't really want to criticise sheen or dunst, that was more of a tack on rather than implemented in the artwork...thanks again!

[Cameron Diaz]

Hmm... something's wrong

I think that the proportions of Cameron's face are slightly wrong - as if her cheek bones are a little too pronounced, or her face is too far across. This might be an optical illusion, caused by the fact that you've painted in Landscape, as opposed to Portrait, but something seems amiss.

I can't place where I've seen that face before - some snobby English method actress is my best guess, but I can't really say, I'm afraid. Possibly a blonde and thin looking Sarah Ferguson, but that's probably beside the point... unless you're talking her Spitting Image character, that is.

I love your technique for the hair - it really works well and the whole effect is very pleasing. Plus, as with most of your other pieces, the eyes follow you around the room, which is a very difficult thing to achieve, so kudos is due there.

There really isn't all that much I can say about the background, since this postcard doesn't have one, so I guess you'll just have to compensate for the one issue and move on.

Can't win 'em all.

[Review Request Club]

[Natalie Portman]

9 Hours?!

Wow, I would have expected a lot longer to see a piece like this take shape. I love the detail, particularly how you've captured her eyes in such a fashion that they follow you around the room - a difficult achievement, even for a photographer, but you've been able to duplicate it yourself.

I would say that the mouth looks slightly off-line, as if you've moved it all to the left of the picture just a little. You've captured her features well and the whole impression that the image gives is rather pleasing all told.

Perhaps if you did something like this again, I'd go for more of a "bust" image, where you see perhaps down to her shoulder-tops or even a whole torso-shot. Yes, the face has been well worked, but surely, you're capable of more, what with how you've played the lighting and other such areas into the piece. Maybe it's just me, but a better background might also be more desirable.

[Review Request Club]

JoshSummana responds:

Haha yeah 9 hours it took :) I started it around 4pm and finished up around 1 in the morning (I had a pizza break in between XD).
But yeah see I was going to find a 'bust' image but at the moment Im just trying to get my actual portrait skills up... Just want to get to that photo realism stage lol. Im not there yet so I shall work it more. As for the background, I just wanted something simple considering it was mainly a portrait study. I will get there eventually ;)

[Rain]

Abstract, but innovative.

If I ever tried to get something like this done, I'd have such a problem getting it all to come together. I wouldn't know where to start, like would I work on the girl, or where she was standing first?

The abstract nature of the flowers compliments the girl well and the crescent moon of an umbrella is a nice addition and it shows that you've got great awareness when it comes to shapes and that you're not afraid to push boundaries, because it wouldn't fit in a conventional sense.

The girl's head looks to be inclined a little too far for my liking and I'm not entirely sure where she is looking - to regard the flower that she is nearly caressing, she would have to look through the top of her skull - sorry, but physics gets in the way there ;)

The fact that the umbrella's cane isn't straight was the only other niggle I could have with this piece - you've done some stellar work and I look forward to seeing more pieces.

[Review Request Club]

saramary3 responds:

Unlike the other pieces that I've done, this one I had a definite Idea what I wanted. Instead of "winging" the girl I sketched her out first. (She's actually looking at the ground) Even though I tried not to make her too exaggerated there were some features that I still end up doing unintentionally. (Big hands, no eyes...) I also messed up the umbrella by having one side smooth curved (the moon) and the inside bubble curved. I really appreciate the review! It's wonderful to get feedback!

[Stripe]

Good use of shapes

I like the way this one works out, with there being one main outline around the whole picture and everything within that outer line is just detail. The way the main girl's arm makes up the jaw and face line for one of the background characters is clever and the effect is pleasing.

The character to the right of shot appears to have too much neck hidden away, as her shoulder seems to come out of the base of her skull, as opposed to there being a discernible neckline... or is it the same character on the other side, just her body continued? Wow, that's impressive, as there's the whole question of what you see, a vase, or two women facing one another. Now that I think about it, I can see both, which is freaky.

I think that the crowning glory of this piece is probably the hair lines that you've used, as they can lead so easily into something else and mess with our minds, as a result, thus making us consider perhaps a little too much about the piece.

[Review Request Club]

saramary3 responds:

Thank you so much for such an in depth review! I definitely liked the way the faces in this one worked out.

[Taste]

Hmm...

At a first glance, this reminds me of something to do with Picasso, then I realise that there are two subjects intermingled in this piece. It's a powerful piece, with overtones of lesbianism and indeed with the fact that both "halves" of the character look the same, self-appreciation.

I think that if it needed anything, a splash of colour would certainly not go amiss here and there. Keeping to the black and white does make it more than a little confusing to look at, but filling various parts of the piece in one colour could give you a real switch from Picasso, to a more Warhol look, which would work well for a piece like this.

[Review Request Club]

saramary3 responds:

Wow! I didn't really catch that I'd made the two girls identical. Nice! I can't wait to finally re post with color! Thank you so much for the wonderful review!

[Chunky Castle Crashers]

Coming soon to NG Store!

Wow, this is a great piece, that certainly would not be out of place in a poster print, available on the NG Store. Seriously, Tom should be made aware of this and put on the case, pronto!

I love the texture on the under-covers that they wear over their shoulders and arms. Personally, I'd have liked to see a longer tabard and possibly more of the Yellow Knight, who seems to have been modelled on NG's very own Bob.

The only other addition to the detail I might have liked to see would have been a shield for the red knight, as he's using a one handed weapon. Is there any chance you can do a similar piece for the pink knight, or the barbarian on their own?

[Review Request Club]