Intense Canine Critique Please!

[Feralian]

I've been drawing for a while, and although I feel as if I've been improving with every picture I get... I just get the feeling that it's not enough. I look at other people's drawings and see all the things that's awesome about them, and see mine and think of all the things that suck about them. 

I know I need some serious work on my ears, paws, eyes, and ESPECIALLY 3/4 views of canine faces. Those are so hard for me, and I don't know why. Shading and lighting has never been a big problem, but I know I can still improve.

I'll post links to a few of my pictures here- PLEASE tell me EVERYTHING that I'm doing wrong or what I can improve on, and how!! I know I need some work on my anatomy, facial structure and expressions... but I just don't know where to start. I'm willing to do anything to try and learn how to be a better artist.

ALL comments/critiques are appreciated! ( plus you get a cookie. )

Anyways, here are some of my more recent canine drawings:

http://feralian.deviantart.com/art/Jefferson-Commission-135583268
http://feralian.deviantart.com/art/Maxime-Commission-135303921
http://feralian.deviantart.com/art/Mika-Commission-134856124
http://i25.tinypic.com/fc5ric.png


Thanks again, guys! FIRE AWAY!

[Tate]

I'm not going to offer anything intense. I just have ...

Back legs.

Please, study some photos. Please. Also your hind quarters seem to all be much smaller than the front of the body.



Note the length and proportions of the hind legs, and the proportions of the lower body in general to the fore. And stop pointing the hind leg closest to the view outward toward them so much o_____o it looks so painful. You seem to be trying to do stacking poses (the pose you see german shepherds displayed in a lot) and.. their legs don't spread outward like that. They're just stretched backward. Or rather, the front body is leaning forward from the hind legs' original position.



Note how the hind legs fold when sitting, and how the definition of the heel goes against the thighs/hind end. And how the fur, on longer haired breeds, on the buttocks/back of the thighs fluffs outward when pressed against.







Also note wolves don't quite stack like a german shepherd. German shepherd's body can be more compared to a hyena, with how the back is generally seen as sloping, carried lower. While the wolf has equally tall hind legs and they don't slope their back like that/stack.

here's a more normal standing GS

[Feralian]

Thanks for the insight! I'll definitely start changing how I do the hind legs and try not to make the hind end sloped anymore. :3

Could anyone else help me on expressions? I want to get a clean, mix of anime style and realistic style when I do expressions and 3/4 faces, but I can never seem to get it right. Some help on that would be much appreciated!

[alexandra]

Thanks for the insight! I'll definitely start changing how I do the hind legs and try not to make the hind end sloped anymore. :3

Could anyone else help me on expressions? I want to get a clean, mix of anime style and realistic style when I do expressions and 3/4 faces, but I can never seem to get it right. Some help on that would be much appreciated!

Expressions are kind of hard to capture (without them looking absolutely retarded from my own experience), but I think my best advice is getting a human interpretation of animals and their facial movement. That way it'll be easier to personify your own characters.

example one and  example two

they key is slanting the area downward where the keybrows are supposed to be to create something that looks angry, or releaving the pressure to create something that looks happy. Try seeing what it looks like when you furrow your brow in the mirror, or try to mimic the expressions you want to draw in the mirror to see how it looks and feels.

Anime expressions are pretty easy to draw ~_~ D: >.> =n= lol

http://blue-fish.deviantart.com/art/25-Expressions-Meme-Fowlger-121336054 anyways, I think this shows a good basis for what you're trying to accomplish. If you can move past the eyes, since the eyes are pretty much what can determine something anime, or realistic, or cartoon-esque. You can see the mouth movements and body language and how they convey the emotion they're supposed to represent.

But otherwise, I think taking a look at the Off White white comic I think you'll find what you're looking for. It's a pretty good mesh of realism and 'anime' facial expressions.

I hope that helps.

[Rex T-Rex]

The best way to get animal expressions that aren't overly stupid or cartoony (unless you're going for that sort of thing) is to look up photos. You'd be surprised but just about every animal can show some expressions (wolves are actually colored to intensify their expressions so as to have more clear, precise communication with pack mates and enemies).
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3319294007_2a934c4920.jpg
(this is actually a pretty happy looking face) http://th06.deviantart.net/fs48/300W/i/2009/203/e/f/Polar_Wolf__Smile_Again_by_WhiteSpiritWolf.jpg
http://www.nonsensenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/sad-wolf-300x225.jpg (sad face ;;, note that the "lips" are not drawn back and look almost pouty, the eyes and "eye brows" look are pushed closer towards the nose ridge- they get rounder and bigger towards the center-, and the ears are pulled back)

I love German shepherd  dearly, one reason is because they are one of the most expressive dogs you can find (pit bulls, and pit mixes are also very expressive and have adorable smiles).
http://api.ning.com/files/l7wQrFfyJiK9*etI9k9DwlNVbpsk6BqL1xFVlAsQ55wrWB4cD0*0bleIKhHhqBNdvqTfcXt0BIIXq34kzI3yY1yRGhy0tK7J/GermanShepherd3.jpg

As a point, don't be fooled by the German Shepherds you see in dog shows. A long time ago somebody decided that the extreme sloping back looked good... it was a BAD idea. In fact, the natural standing position for the majority of shepherds is not that sloped, owners actually have to pull back on the dog's hind legs to make the slope seem greater.
http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/german_shepherd_2sfw1.gif (See where his arm is going? He's pushing the back down to get that dramatic slope)

You can see how far back the "knees" are on this shepherd, that's not natural. There are also 2 main body builds/types of German Shepherd. There's the extreme back slope, skinny American build. (their body is built this way because they are supposed to be faster and less bulky, typically because this is what the police force wants so that the dog can catch up to a criminal)
http://www.dogsgermanshepherd.com/German_Shepherd.JPG

And the larger, heftier German build. (These are the work dogs and the ones that can naturally top 115 pounds without being over weight. They are meant to be strong work dogs and tend to have less hip problems because their backs are less arched)
http://www.germanshepherdsrule.com/falcostand%20copy.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_D00nrZxL4TU/SHZ_gMCj9ZI/AAAAAAAAABs/12bvxkjVXQU/DSC04196.JPG (this is in fact a German Shepherd. It's a special coat type known as silver sable. this color can range from having a grey basic coat instead of the typical tan or red, to having an almost completely silver body)