Lava Dome Five

Hello there, people of the new and improved LD5 community! RipRoarRex here.

I should imagine a lot of you have already seen what I'm about to post, judging by the first place you might have spotted it(!), but I was asked to do something rather interesting by Blue a couple of days ago:

Blue:

Would you like to draw a picture for the LD5 front page? Something macro scaly paw-view, perhaps with the LD5 logo on it somehwere? It looks so naked. That would be really cool.

This sounded like great fun to me, and I'd already got a good idea of what I was gonna draw. I immediately thought of drawing my beloved anthrosaur Rexar in a position which might remind a few people of a rather famous scene involving the unfortunate (or should I say fortunate) Hank Azaria as a cameraman in Godzilla '98...!  So I got rather excited about the prospect and, while my family was out, I got it all done in one afternoon! Lol!

I'm EVER so pleased with the way this picture has turned out. It is, in my opinion, my best macro image yet by a long long way. Some of you may notice, for example, that the outlines of this image are nice and smooth rather than the jaggedy thin ones that a few people complained about before. This was achieved in 2 ways:

1. For the first time with one of my macro images, I did this one in the 'traditional' way. i.e. I drew this thing with pencil and paper first. I stayed up for a couple of hours while my family was asleep to sketch this image out. Trouble is, I don't have a scanner, so I basically had to wait until my family was out of the house the following afternoon to take a photo of it on my mobile phone and upload it that way. I've ALWAYS been better at this sort of art when I've done it with pencil & paper though, because it just feels more natural, so if the edges seem more smooth and curved, that might be why.

2. I have no idea how to use Adobe Illustrator because I don't have a version of it on this computer. We do have Illustrator on another computer though, but it was installed with a disc we no longer have, so I can only use that software if everyone else is out of the house and I have access to that machine. Seeing as I did on this occasion though, I quickly got my photo into Illustrator and did a quick Live Trace on it (like I said before, I don't really know what I'm doing with Illustrator, but that seemed to help with the edges so I thought "why not!"). This seems to have helped the overall quality of the image no end.

Doing this picture the 'traditional' way seemed far more enjoyable than the longer and often more awkward process of drawing it on the PC, and by the looks of it, it contributed to a better quality image too. I'm pleased this one has come out so well because that serves it better for its purpose - to welcome everyone to the new site! The current position of it smack bang in the middle of the front page is only temporary - soon it'll be scaled down and shifted into the right-hand column instead, but hopefully Rexar will be stood there with this nice, soft, warm foot raised over us all for a long time to come...

Anyway, enough of my blah - I always do it but I know that's not what we're here for. So, for those of you that haven't already seen it in it's front page splendour, here is Rexar to welcome you to the new LD5 site!

Link in case it doesn't load: http://download.lavadomefive.com/members/riproarrex/Rexar/RexarWelcomeToLD5.png

The permanent one should look like this once it's moved:

Hope you like it, everyone, and WELCOME TO LD5!!

I'm also gonna take this opportunity to post a link to my last picture as posted on BigClawz (which I thought was a pretty 'tasty' one...), seeing as I'm not sure how many people actually saw it on LD5 due to the whole relocation issue:

http://z13.invisionfree.com/Big_ClawZ/index.php?showtopic=646&st=0#entry1354962

RRRex

My head is still spinning from both the quality and the content of the art.  I can't thank you enough, Rex!  :)

You're welcome, Dino! I think it gives the new Dome the opening it deserves!

I love it Rex! Really! And that means a lot with me not being into paw and thus ultra-biased as some others may be...

Really great work. So smooth and happy and juicy. Very lively and energetic, and I even think the colurs work very well with the background blue...

PLEASE dont take it off there and make it small Dino. Not anytime soon at least.

Oh! Not into paws, huh? Well it seems Rexar has the ability to interest even the uninterested!! Lol!

I love it. Rexar has awesome feet. 

Thanks! I've spent enough years drawing them!! Lol!

Just for the fun of it, here's the original pen & paper sketch I did:

god thats good! i didnt think i was into this anymore but now i realise i still am!

 great pic!

 "sprooges"

Wow this will make a great introduction to the new forum. (Though i still need to get used to the layout.) Great Job Rexar.

I presume that's some sort of jibe at how I originally didn't wanna mess around with improved edging...

Lol! Well you're right - it looks much better like this.

Well that is because raptor wisdom is UNIVERSAL.

Nah, seriously. It is technically the best picture you ever did. And that was pretty much the only concern still with your images because their content and thrill has been at top level ever since you arrived around here. Just remember the structure of your first images on BigClawz with their JPEG artifacts and butched lines - and now look at your newest work. I assume comparing these speaks for itself.

As far as I am concerned, I can not see any more technical aspects that could still need an overhaul now. You are at this point pretty much unlimited and unchained - everything that awaits you now is bonus energy, artistical value and fun only cut by where you yourself set the boundaries.

Enjoy!

Thanks very much, Ahastar, your support is appreciated. My art seems to have come a long way in what is almost two months to the day since I first posted any macro artwork on the web.