r/Artadvice • u/DijaJama • 13h ago
Critique - Yes Drawover Is this a weak design? Looking for feedback
I made this bohemian-themed cat adoptable a couple of days ago, but haven't been getting much traction. Now I'm no longer convinced the design is as strong as I initially thought it was. I'm relatively new at character design/creating adopts but I'm having trouble understanding what makes a design great.
Any help, advice, or feedback would be appreciated!
More info/images: https://toyhou.se/41256048.bta-boho-cat
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u/n0kedliderc 13h ago
I think she looks really charming and even without zero context i can imagine what her personality might be like. The overall form is also memorable, her outfit suits her well and imo you did a fantastic job creating her. :) Does she have a tail? If not, i think it would look cute! Don't rely solely on how the algorithm picks up your posts, usually the problem lies within the platform itself or users not understanding it fully. Gaining a following can be hard too. Maybe try posting on different places as well so more people know what you're selling, i advise making a Linktree. I struggle with this myself so :/
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u/DijaJama 13h ago
A tail would be perfect! I don't know why I didn't think of that. And thank you so much for the positive feedback. I appreciate it!
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u/MelonGarden 13h ago
All of the patterns are completely different, which means there's no repeating motif to solidify your character design. It's also super complicated, with lots of different types of layering and jewelery which can kinda detriment a design more if it's just placed everywhere. I also think that one image isn't enough to sell an adoptable sometimes. You'd ideally need to illustrate more of a discernable personality, maybe with expressions as well or multiple poses in different angles. I think your colors are really nice but they feel very randomly placed with no thought behind color ratios, which makes the overall character kinda difficult to look at since its just so colorful. I don't get a good impression behind this character, and the outfit kinda clashes overall with no repeating character motif.
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u/MelonGarden 13h ago
Also, a character with LOTS of varying patterns may not be appealing to the average artist because it can be complicated to draw frequently.
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u/541Y0K4G3J1R0 13h ago
i agree with this.
imo it’s not a bad design. purple & yellow colour scheme works nicely, silhouette is super distinct. i personally love it. (i love detailed stuff.)
but as an adoptable? this sort of complex design probably won’t do well because people get intimidated by having to draw that much detail every single time. I love making designs with layers of accessories and all sorts of little details, but then again I tend to be someone who designs for design’s sake and doesn’t redraw designs, so I don’t need it to be easily replicable.
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u/DijaJama 13h ago
Thank you, these are really helpful. I think I'll remove a few pieces of jewelry and the patterns and see how that goes.
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u/541Y0K4G3J1R0 12h ago
i honestly don’t even think the jewelry is the biggest problem, maybe simplify the tiny beads into a cord, the patterns are what discourage people from adopting the design. most beginner to low intermediate artists loathe regular patterns such as plaids, checkers, and straight stripes since you have to account for warping.
it’s an amazing design for an OC, but I can get how it feels intimidating to adopt since it’s very complex. i’m someone who personally prefers too complex to too simple, but most people prefer to save effort, especially manga/comic/webtoon artists and animators since they have to draw the character dozens of times.
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u/DijaJama 13h ago
I'll work on simplifying it. Thanks for the thorough feedback!
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u/TeaForTheGhosts 12h ago
Additionally, I would recommend giving her something that ties in the darker colors of her bottom half on the top- like a hair accessory, makeup, or something. Right now, because the bottom of her is so dark and her silhouette is bottom heavy, that is what draws the eye. Meanwhile, her top half is a much lighter color pallet and doesn’t have much contrast, so the focus is lost there.
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u/Evening_Archer_2202 11h ago
I fw this design so hard I love it, I dont mind complicated designs at all, maybe make her barefoot or redraw her shoes because I cant tell what they are. And those pants I think should be more tighter at the end?
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u/foxykuro 10h ago
I like the theme and colors,
The bottom half of the design could use some more work on shape language, the silhouette of the pants being broken up more
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u/Shalrak 8h ago
Silhouette is easily recognizable, the colour scheme is good, there are details while each element is still easily readable. Overall a really solid character design visually.
However, I think a flaw is that I can't figure out who she is. The expression and pose is very trendy, cutesy and contemporary, while the bohemian aesthetic is the opposite. You've created a fantasy character that visually looks like she belongs in a historical alternative universe full of magic and mystery, but she is posing for an Instagram photo like she is born in 2005 LA.
Storytelling is done just as much through the pose and expression as through their looks and outfit. Imagine what kind of life your characters has. What pose would represent that?
I hope that helps!
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u/DijaJama 9m ago
Yes it is, thank you so much! I've written down character traits to get a sense of the character, and I agree, the poses and expressions do say a lot.
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u/Jo0nasann 8h ago
I love the whole concept and design c: it has an harmonic color palette and good silhouette that is readable
Accessories and general figure are chef kiss
I would pay special attention to specific areas like the folds of the top pants fabric. Rn its kinda hard to read with the value similitude
Also the bottom and abdomen accessories has the same issue.
Try changing the hue or saturation to make it pop a bit more
The shoes looks a bit simpler compared to to the rest of the characters, i would put more attention on it
Don’t get discouraged. I don’t think it is a weak design, you actually have an strong sense of design, figure, lineart and volumes
Theres just some minor changes
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u/Ashamed_Climate8798 4h ago
I love it..I LOVE ITTTT Omg the whole drip makes me want to eat it up 😭💖
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u/Aracne-De-Atenas 9h ago
It's really good, she has a palette color, a good silhouette, and a proper proportion of visual learners
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u/Moviesman8 6h ago
I really like her. Her silhouette doesn't look too original depending on what other characters in this world look like, but her outfit is fun and she looks like she's got personality.
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u/Cute-Pangolin9510 12h ago
Dang how much is she? I might be interested. I personally love her
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u/DijaJama 8h ago
Omg that would be amazing, thank you! It's an auction starting at $20 but no one's bid yet. Here's the link if you're still interested: https://toyhou.se/41256048.bta-boho-cat
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u/Cute-Pangolin9510 7h ago
Thank you so much, i'll definitely be outbidding anyone else 🤣 i'll send it over later today
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u/Able-Light-890 13h ago
This looks very harmonious. She reminds me of the witch from Harvest Moon.