Have you ever tried using reference images for the figures and faces? If you tried basing your figures on photographs, only changing the reference to add the cenobite features, I think your work would improve a great deal. The secret to good art is close observation. Once you've mastered realistic drawing, moreover, your cartoons will be better when you go back to them. At the moment your cenobite designs are very good but your simplistic style (especially treatment of faces) lets them down. A nose, for example, is not a big letter 'L' in the middle of a face, there is more to it than that, and you will do well to take notice of details when studying real faces. Similarly an eye is not a circle with a straight line above and below. I really think you have the makings of artistic talent. You would benefit greatly from challenging yourself to do more realistic figures, and also to finish the piece with smoother shading. It doesn't matter if the picture takes three times as long if it looks ten times better at the end of it. I like your stuff anyway, you have a good sense of colour and come up with some clever designs. I'm just trying to encourage you to aim a bit higher and push yourself.

I tried making faces and figures look realistic, but the outcome is always frustrating. My sister always says they look like fish every time I did it. Either their eyes are too big or too small, and the same thing for the noses and the mouths too. I think when the time comes, I'll do the same thing you're doing with your pictures. You know, revamping them to make them look better. The reason why I don't use photos for face references is because I'm afraid of using only one person for those type of pictures. Your point is extremely clear though. I should use people who look as close as I imagine them and use them for references when drawing them, especially for some of my older characters. And thank you so much for the kind words on the designs and colors. I thought coloring was one of my weaker spots, but for now, shading and figure, pose and face drawing is.

--
"If the Unnamed God meant Animals to fly, he'd given them hot-air balloons." - Wicked
"A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play." - Jane Eyre

My clubs:

~beetlejuice-club *writeaway ~Wordsculptors ~CollectiveFable

Very nice my dear; this shows more diverse posing on your part..kudos :3

--
"And the wind
And the wind I know it's cold
I've been waiting
For the day I will surely die
And it's here
And it's here for I've been told
That I'll die before I'm old
And the wind I know it's cold..."
-Emilie Autumn; "Shalott"

Thanks. Now, I'm doing a realistic portrait of one of my character designs, specifically Madame Reaper. So far, she's doing better than my previous attempts at realism, because I'm using a photograph. Would you believe I'm using Dita Von Teese for this woman? They're so different, but they have the same shoulders. And would you believe it? This is the first time I'm doing wonderfully on a realistic picture! I ought to put up a WIP of how I'm doing so far. I haven't drawn her clothes yet, because I haven't searched for pictures of those yet.

--
"If the Unnamed God meant Animals to fly, he'd given them hot-air balloons." - Wicked
"A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play." - Jane Eyre

My clubs:

~beetlejuice-club *writeaway ~Wordsculptors ~CollectiveFable

Sorry to go on at you, but seriously... Don't let your sister put you off, and keep trying. Don't continually fall back into your 'comfort zone' of doing simplistic faces like this every time you are frustrated from attempts at doing something more sophisticated. We already know you can draw like this, a more worthwhile activity would be to take criticism and use it to improve. The more you practice, the better you will become. Practice close observation and mentally (or physically) measuring the facial and bodily features and their proportions in relation to each other. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes along the way, as long as you learn from them. Think also about the light source, the direction of the light, the shape of the objects, how the light will work on the surfaces it hits, and where the shadows will be. It's a simple matter of logic, really, but does require 3D thinking.

This is the sort of advice/instruction I wish I had received at your age (and I am still improving myself). I'd definitely love to see you striving for more accomplished pictures. I think you will derive more satisfaction when you are drawing better. A 14/15 year old can produce brilliant artwork. Check out [link] for example, he's your age and better than I am now! It's not a matter of age so much as concentration, observation and analysis.

This one's jaw-droppingly amazing! His pictures look like photographs! Speaking of photography, I took your advice on using pictures of real people for realism, and I took a picture of the most random person I thought up of and printed it out. I'm currently using it for reference for Madame Reaper. This specific picture is Dita von Teese, and the only thing the two of them have in common is the broad shoulders, and so, I use that picture. I ought to post a WIP of what I'm currently working on. It's going great so far, especially with the eyes.

--
"If the Unnamed God meant Animals to fly, he'd given them hot-air balloons." - Wicked
"A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play." - Jane Eyre

My clubs:

~beetlejuice-club *writeaway ~Wordsculptors ~CollectiveFable

'She' is your age, rather.

I got it wrong, she's a she, apparently, but still ridiculously young and ridiculously good! I wish you luck with your next picture. Don't forget all the details.

Sue, I got the eyes and nose right, but now, my main problem is the search for the muscular anatomy, but I'll worry about that later.

--
"If the Unnamed God meant Animals to fly, he'd given them hot-air balloons." - Wicked
"A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play." - Jane Eyre

My clubs:

~beetlejuice-club *writeaway ~Wordsculptors ~CollectiveFable

i love this its cool monica looks great