French protected cruisers

Well, I'm certainly no expert on paint shop programs, since I'm using a simple basic paint, come with my OS. However, I do maintain that everything, everyone needs to evolve; and we have already here, so it's not like SB has stood still. And we all should be happy about that, since a constant evolution will entice and encourage new members to join, trying out their skills. And, colo, maybe you and I, certainly I, does not possess the skill to do what, for instance Garlicdesign or BB1987 have accomplished, but we should be open for suggestions, useful, worthwhile innovations etc, instead of squashing them instantly, and thereby mayhaps discourage people and probably make them leave. Sadly, that wouldn't be their loss but ours.
Anyway, I'm far from competent enough to judge in this matter. I do agree that vectoring lends so much more impressive results, but not all of us master that or can afford the software prerequisite for that. However, I do see how SB with the able help of skilled, conscientious artists can evolve a little way towards matching that! But, those are my five cents, not that my opinion matter a jot here...

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

I find myself constantly having to play the bad guy and reign people in when it comes to style. It's rather annoying but it has to be done. I agree that there are ways to improve the way Shipbucket style looks and feels, but those changes are carefully measured and approved by the staff. If it becomes something that we think is a tangible benefit, it gets added to the main page's style guidelines. If not, it does not constitute "shipbucket style".

So, on the one hand, I have to basically tell people they can't draw as they truly want, and on the other, I recognize that there are ways to improve the style, but it must be a unanimous decision.

Actually colo, I think we agree on something!

I perfer to think of it in terms of a school of art (e.g. Impressionism, Surrealism) rather than a style. Within the Shipbucket School (perhaps Shipbucketism!) there are several styles, the indvidual styles of the artists. All conform to the basic principles of the school but each interprets it slightly differently due to invidual nuances of technique, skill and interpretation. It's only when a radical shift is made away from the basic principles (like Psilander's own unique style) that the mods need to stop and think. I feel Garlicdesign's work has been refined and looks good for what it seeks to protray. If we all drew exactly the same it would get boring very quickly and the techniques would never evolve.

(Blimey, I'm off for a lie down, I'm obviously reading too many art books lately!)

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

there seems to be "painters" and "drawers" among us... Myself a firm drawer (outside pixel art), it reflex on my style as being true to the lines and simple color surfaces have always found out easy to follow on the basic SB rules and improve them whitin their orginal framework.

What many who claim that "new artists brings new flavor to the style" usually forgets that, where as they indeed bring fresh and unique aproach in general idea of drawing ship linedrawings with pixels in computer, it doesen't automatically turn out to be as good SB improvment as well. Rurik-2 is a fine example of this, his way of drawing is generally quite close to SB style in terms of scale and lines, but since his idea of painting the colors unto the drawings is so radically against the bucket style, we had to made the harsh decission and move the stuff to Non-SB section since the artist didn't wish to alter his style according to the rules. Was it great loss to the community or the artist? I don't think so, both have surived it and managed to co-exist perfectly afterwards, and that is encouraging example how people should react when the staff of SB says something "offical" over the rules or misuse of them.

What comes to this case, clearly too much gradient (well the entire idea of gradient) is too much for SB. With extreme roundess and curves, people should forget the colors when drawing them, don't approach the picture you are working on as a painting...approach it as a drawing, like with ink and plain paper...how would you do the curves and roundess then? And when you've find the way, color the stuff one shade darker than what you've left white. SB rules don't mean one should stick 100 % to what others did before, but finding out what is the idea, what is the concept and trick behind the style and then go around the proplems implementing the logic of the SB style upon it, rather than trying to stick "forbidden" concept into the mix.

A good example of this was Whyme, when he back in while appeared here, allready better than most and taugth us old grunts a bunch of new ways to drawn things all perfectly whit-in the style and something we all could have (or even should have) invented by ourself, if we would have been openminded enough to the greater logic of SB. And that is what all new talents should seek and aim to achieve, and I do not doupt Carligdesing and his piers couldn't came up solutions that would truly took SB foward.

Hope I was inspiring and yet firm about the rules at the same time.
carry on

There's something profoundly fundamental in what you're saying, Golly: the way I'm reading it, you're leaving the door open for, what you call innovations, as long as they can be worked into the SB-philosophy, and, taken that together with Hood's supportive remark, I think these new artists, practiced as they must be in a whole new, much more advanced mindset of graphic design can find a comfortable room here, while their contributions can elevate SB further; and if so happens, we all should be very happy about that.
Now, as you may know, Golly, I'm like you: a drawer, not a painter (more of a hack, actually!), so I feel that I've got tons to learn from our new true artists, such as garlicdesign, so, in other words, I wouldn't contemplate emulating his style; at least not till I knew for sure I've nailed it down! And that may happen, or it may never happen...

what I've always found fascinating of SB style that rather than feeling it resrictive, I've always been aware of the tons of variatons and different ways to use it, one just need to test and feel stuff out. In the end the entire idea can be tracked back to just some dudes way of drawing ships with pixels, and naturally working above such foundation is always a matter of great delicatecy, but also so iconically typical to all art directions and styles (if we dare to compare ours to the masters)

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