art critiques hlel yeahg
Part (1/?)
D4rk3r: A very simplistic design, but one that's honestly marveled me with how cute it is in its simplistic nature. Still though, I wonder how well it links into its concept, since the design itself doesn't hint you much at its link with fairy circles, although I do have to say how I like how you got a base concept that hooks in grass, fairies and arid sandy places all in one, so I hope its exploited more.
I'd say that even if simple is good, the body could work with some more interesting sprucing up, especially since most of its design is just the long noodle body, perhaps some markings or even rings of grass?
Finally, its gotta be said that it resembles a ground type a lot by its habits, but as a cutesy, elegant creature based on __fairy__ circles, I think that can slide since guys like Dunsparce also dig around.
Magistrum: A really interesting inspiration that draws from some neat sources. I especially enjoy the body language, since its got a generally pretty unique silhouette, with a smooth ebb to it that end in more spiky elements, for a design that's graceful but kinda threatening, which is just right for the attacker we want.
As for the choice between 1 and 2, I'd say I prefer the look of the shape on the first one because as said before its got this pointed end to it that gives it a neat body shape, but at the same time I enjoy the "leggo out" style of the second, so I actually ponder if it would be possible to fuse the two, since that would be interesting.
I do believe also, as one final thing, that maybe the Grass part of the design isn't as noticeable as it should be, since the main grass part is just the hair petals, and while that's easily patched with colors, I wonder if adding any grass elements to the dress would fit well.
Felis Licht: You've got an adorable cute lil guy over here, that surprisingly looks fully evolved even with its smaller size in my opinion. The veil idea is rather neat, but I'm not sure how well it works, since it isn't a very Grass type sort of thing and isn't extremely indicative of being weather-related. I'd say just focus on the flower girl / wedding dress aesthetic, since that's pretty interesting and would also probably be one of the most fairy-type like ideas up until now.
If you want an idea, there's actually a
bridal veil mushroom, perhaps that could work in the veil naturally and make the wedding theme even more apparent? Although those mushrooms don't have any relations with sandstorms and don't have chlorophyll or anything...
Mova: Pretty cute. The idea behind it is simple but it works. I'm mainly worried about how much NFE-like it looks, its not even because it isn't some sleek panther-sort of big cat or anything, but just that by design the shape language you've got here is very typical of that of an NFE. Since you already know that, I'll give you a tip on what can make it more matured: relation between head and body is a big one, and relation between eyes and head too. Basically, the bigger the head you have, the more baby-ish it's sorta gonna be, and big shiny eyes don't help that either. A longer body, less exaggerated head and eyes and maybe even a different, less simple head shape will all shape you towards that direction.
Outside of the general neoteny, I'd say there's a problem with the spikes in the backside; they're not only rather artificially placed, but also very plentiful and thin, which kinda disrupts the design. You should look at the other cactus mons as examples, as Cacturne and especially Maractus handle cactus spines very well. Obviously you can't stick 1000 spikes on a design, and say Maractus actually doesn't even have many spikes on it, but the few that are placed are enough to give off already that its a spiky fella.
Also, you should totally do a sand cat!! The guys in the chat are totally right, those guys are adorable.
Wulfanator72: I really like the way you took the design, you've drawn from a lot of places, but you've managed to mix them well into a design that doesn't clutter it all. Simple but effective. It looks heavy, which is likely going to be good considering what's being discussed, but still looks like it can run and all. I especially like the face; the hidden eyes are cute and I really enjoy the way its fangs pop out.
I do wonder, however, how much it looks like a physical attacker. Its a hard subject, but while its big and friendly, its still got this gruffness to it that makes me expect it to be physical, which likely isn't the route we're going. Its also a bit on the border of being Fairy-like, since nothing that it influences from is really fairy-like or elegant or anything, although I think it can work.
EDIT: Part (2/?)
Sgt.Moose: Very adorable and one of the most original takes on a desert plant up until now. The elephant in the room is of course its appearance, which looks a whole lot like an NFE. The newer version you posted on Discord does counteract a bit, but as I said there I think it would be better off as just a round tumbleweed body, with more matured feet and a head with a neck and stuff. The colors not being just generic Grass and Fairy colors was a bold choice, but one that pays off well, although I do believe that making the body a more brownish-yellow beige or just a full on desert brown would draw people more to the stereotypical look of a tumbleweed. I also gotta give props for the tumbleweed's look, since I myself have in the past tried doing tumbleweeds and they never quite look right, and you managed to pinpoint the physical look just right, although I do question how much of a hassle it'd be for spriters and modelers, but simplifying the pattern would help them a lot.
Also, mixing in more with a ram would probably help you unify the idea more, since while domesticated sheep aren't too closely related to the desert, there's at least a couple desert dwelling rams.
Okamu: Originally, my main problem with this design was that it was rather tacky to just make the grapes represent weather orbs, since its way too direct of an approach to the concept, but right now I can enjoy it with the lack of the weather orbs, as just a grape fae. The face is neat and I enjoy the leaf hat a lot, although I do believe the vines holding the grapes are way too thin, and would be better off as thicker, and maybe even better if they're more like appendages than just vines. The grape earings are also way too small, and it would probably be better off without them, because even if you resized them they'd end up being too distracting. Still, this design piques me, since considering Klefki and Comfey, I can see this thing existing.
Sunfished: sun is a loser 0/10
I enjoy the overall idea of a weather umbrella, and this design serves the idea well, even if I prefer the older look of the face. Its pretty interesting how its got feminine qualities but still manages to be very different from other feminine Grass types, and I could honestly see this thing appearing in-game. I do feel, however, that the colors run on the plain side, and it would be more interesting with a different palette, perhaps one that'd make it more fitting for a Pokemon that likes the sandstorm.
ZardX: Pretty cute little guy. I like the way its mouth sorta wobbles up and down. I don't see much a knight though, even with the staff sort of thing, which I honestly don't think works out much since its kind of distracting. For reference, a lot of prop wielding Pokemon like Conkeldurr usually revolve the whole design around the prop instead of just having it hold it, as to not just make it a weird disjointed part of the creature.
Quanyails: I'll be commenting on the most recent version you showed on Discord here: its probably one of my favorite designs up until this point, and it manages to be cute enough for a fairy without being too petite, with a pretty adorable pun to back the concept up. Plus, I can totally see this design with Sand Rush or Force, just running around through the sand! I do have to say I'm not a fan of the bow tie too much as is. It's a weirdly artificial element in an otherwise plant-like being, that just distracts me. Perhaps make it look like a flower? That would be neat.