Family Christmas Card

[Albacore]

Sorry about being so early with this one but it has to go out to all our family's round the world.

Tried to do this to look as if it was hand sketched and coloured any comments on how to refine this technique are welcomed as this is my first attempt at this. Like Egg, I used a Wacom to do this but still would prefer to use the mouse

[Albacore]

Sorry about being so early with this one but it has to go out to all our family's round the world.

Tried to do this to look as if it was hand sketched and coloured any comments on how to refine this technique are welcomed as this is my first attempt at this. Like Egg, I used a Wacom to do this but still would prefer to use the mouse

[wW]

Albacore,

I use to be a technical illustrator my first job out of college. IPB's, isometrics, perspective, schematics & an occasional painting or full color design. Mostly B&W, so Line work was always a major thing for showing depth or contrast. I tend to see things a certain way coming from this technical background

Overall your drawing is good & I like it. Nice feel, very happy & light hearted. Technically, there is a slight inconsistency in your line work. (ex- the bold wheel lines vs. the ultra thin character outlines.)

But don't get me wrong. What you've done has a certain feel that works. I like your colonization in the design. You captured that loose feel. I have a diffult time using the tablet as well. Prefer the mouse to the tablet 95% of the time while drawing in Xara.

Keep on drawing!

wW<><

[RTK]

I think it's coming along nicely!

Some ideas to play around with:

All the way back - a gradient night sky with stars and perhaps a moon. A shooting star?

Behind the train - A rolling snow covered mountain, perhaps also with a gradient - but a subtle one.

The train - Even though not technically/perspective wise correct... but it will make your main subject matter stand out a little bit more... a wall shadow on the whole thing.

Foreground - darker gradient leading in to, and under the train.

All over the place - Snow flakes, and perhaps a cartoon-ish wind gust.

Just some ideas to get you going.

[Albacore]

I agree with WW comments about the wheels of the train being inconsistent as my first attempt at drawing the wheels were done in a finer line and with more circles to look like it was drawn freehand by a pen and then given a plasma fill to look more uneven and a sense of movement but it did not look right.

I think Risto I want to keep it as simple as I can although I will try your wind suggestion.