02-25-2010, 06:23 AM
Well, at least "the other guy drew it wrong too!" is a more original defence than "it's just my style"...
If things don't work in your own drawing, then... things don't work in your own drawing. The ankles in the original series are a little hard to make out, but that should have no bearing on how you draw the thing. Ultimately it comes down to understanding which parts are conscious design elements and which parts are just a stylistic decision.
The style in the anime is pretty simple, so while I admit the ankle and heel aren't very detailed, they're still visible. Simple styles usually work on suggestion, for want of a better word. So, for example, rather than drawing a realistic ankle, with the actual bone visible, it's instead suggested by the shape of the leg there and how it transitions into the foot.
I might not be explaining myself too well; but basically it comes down to style, which you're reading poorly. I'd suggest looking at the structure of real feet, as boring as they are, before you start trying to mess with unusual anatomy.
I'd also suggest that you look a bit more into realism in general; I'm not saying every finished piece you do should look like an anatomical drawing, but it'd be good for you to study anatomy and use it to inform your simpler pieces. Trust me! I'm working on a more simple style myself, and I wouldn't have the first clue how to shape things if I hadn't studied anatomy first.
It's better to learn to do things the proper way before you start trying to stylise.
Also, I keep having to say this: don't work digitally until you can work traditionally.
If things don't work in your own drawing, then... things don't work in your own drawing. The ankles in the original series are a little hard to make out, but that should have no bearing on how you draw the thing. Ultimately it comes down to understanding which parts are conscious design elements and which parts are just a stylistic decision.
The style in the anime is pretty simple, so while I admit the ankle and heel aren't very detailed, they're still visible. Simple styles usually work on suggestion, for want of a better word. So, for example, rather than drawing a realistic ankle, with the actual bone visible, it's instead suggested by the shape of the leg there and how it transitions into the foot.
I might not be explaining myself too well; but basically it comes down to style, which you're reading poorly. I'd suggest looking at the structure of real feet, as boring as they are, before you start trying to mess with unusual anatomy.
I'd also suggest that you look a bit more into realism in general; I'm not saying every finished piece you do should look like an anatomical drawing, but it'd be good for you to study anatomy and use it to inform your simpler pieces. Trust me! I'm working on a more simple style myself, and I wouldn't have the first clue how to shape things if I hadn't studied anatomy first.
It's better to learn to do things the proper way before you start trying to stylise.
Also, I keep having to say this: don't work digitally until you can work traditionally.