Breath out, don't get scared, it is always like this in the start, specially working on boats/ships with not so many "good" photos of! So, I have made a long list for you And fell free to give me the finger
we are not drawing the boat how it looks like under the light's in some photo, but we draw the boat after a certain light condition that are set by the Shipbucket drawing rule. and we dry our best to follow.
After looking at your drawing more closely, (depending on what detail level you want to be on):
- There is used many different shades of colors, we use a little different shades of colors as possible, Usually 5 to 7 different shading colors!
0. rope color
1. light superstructure color
2. main superstructure color
3. light superstructure color and main hull color
4. main hull shading color
5. dark superstructure color and any direct bends/break of 45 degree or more
6. Railing color
7. antenna color (sometimes antennas have a seperate color than the ship)
- It is also important to chose correct details to include, it can make the difference between making it look really good or not (comeing down to experience)
- Be consistent with deck height. You have some abnormality. (just minor)
Other things that I can spot, by looking at pictures VS your drawings.
I know it's a long list, don't get scared:
note this is a loooong list, since I wrote all details that I can notice after 10-15 minutes checking (I have a little experience after all). you only need to pick out a few of them, and do them, to improve the drawing, unless you want to go that extra mile! Remember: "The devils is in the details". I have marked some of the things that I think you can focus on:
- funnels aren't all correct. For example, wents doesn't go all down to main deck.
- bridge deck covers all the way on the funnel, not partially.
- Life rings aren't correct. They make the ship look cartoonish (we are not drawing a cartoon!)
- railing in the bow isn't at constant height all the way.
- openings in the bow could be drawn a bit different, make them smaller, drainage openings are so small, that you can draw them with either a single black line or in a dark grey color.
- There is supposed to be an crane aft of the superstructure.
- mast should have same color as superstructure.
- superstructure should not have same color as the hull
- that little opening in the superstructure into the "door", should not be shades so dark, it should be following the normal shading norm.
- aft deck, the moring area, is wrong.
- the shape of the stern is wrong.
- Helicopter deck railing is to tall, should be at same height as the normal railing.
- bridge deck windows could be done different, look at how other artist is doing it.
- front of the bridge should be of a light shade, since light source is hitting there.
- there are shading and light shading on the mast that is wrong.
- Under water hull shading and color is wrong, the hull is not entire black!
- The foot of the forward navigation radar is wrong.
- the shape of both navigation radar is a little wrong (if you want to go that extra mile)
- life raft could be drawn different (if you want to go that extra mile)
- There are some missing search lights.
- some antennas are drawn in wrong positions.
- there is missing fire suppression/fire-cannon systems
- some lights is placed wrong and are colored wrong (we illustrate them in the color the shine in, not in an turned off color) (lights that are drawn as the are hanging on the superstructure are actually hanging from the "roof")
- We would normally drawn the country flag, on the flagpole on the aft deck (not when you have an helicopter landed!)
- Normally there is usually a signal flag or flag of country they are visiting up in the mast. And sometimes when it's not possible to have a flag aft, they would hang up a smaller flag in the mast.
- some Navies have a Navy or military flag in the bow, Malta does.
- The ruder/propeller protection drawn aft on the hull, is a bit different in real life.
It's okay to copy and past from parts-sheets. but some parts can be awfully old and it's you as an artist to know when to use and when to drawn new parts and if bothered to post new parts in the "part's" section of the forum.
Sources (Note on some pictures, you can zoome in, by clicking on the picture! You can also zoome in on a picture by either hold in "CTRL" and scroll with the mouse, or "CTRL" and "+":
https://www.gedistatic.it/content/gnn/i ... 67c385.jpg
https://www.gaioni.com/wp-content/uploa ... 38c3_z.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... al_P61.jpg
https://defaiya.com/sites/default/files ... k=KSt7-lYD
https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/mid ... 9.jpg?cb=0
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... 06_ies.jpg