TIL asking my barber about my character design improved the silhouette

I was stuck on a fantasy character drawing and showed it while getting a haircut. He pointed out that from across the room, it just looked like a blob. I added sharper edges to the armor outline. Getting a fresh pair of eyes from someone totally outside art circles can spot obvious flaws.

3 comments

3 Comments

grant_hernandez3mo ago

That "looked like a blob" line is so true. I do the squint test all the time, where you blur your vision to see if the basic shape reads well. Another stupid simple trick is to look at your drawing in a mirror or flip the canvas digitally. It makes problems with the silhouette jump out instantly. Getting a non-artist's opinion is solid because they only see the big shapes we get lost in.

taragibson3mo ago

Actually showed my portfolio to my dad once and he just pointed at one piece saying "that one's clearer". Turns out the simpler silhouette worked better. My roommate's brutal honesty about "weird shapes" saves me hours sometimes.

sethadams3mo ago

Grant's squint test tip is spot on. I also take photos of my sketches with my phone and view them tiny to see if the shape holds up. Like @grant_hernandez said, non-artists see the big picture we miss, so I ask my roommate for quick feedback on silhouettes. Reducing your drawing to just black and white can also make weak areas obvious.