MatthewSmith's art Reviews on Newgrounds

[A seam in the sky]

Uplifting Pixels

Tower of Heaven is one of the most intensely joyous games I've played in ages (I can't get the marvellous music out of my head, either), and this captures the spirit of the thing perfectly, with a mysterious and intriguing atmosphere and a uniquely perky charm that has a lot to do with the Game Boy-inspired graphic style. Lovely!

[Blue: Promo]

The Antidote to "Twee"

I really like this; the bear's morose reaction to unfettered zany enthusiasm is pretty much exactly how I feel when I turn on the television too early on a Saturday morning and find myself confronted with children's show presenters.

The facial expressions are great; I especially like the bear's look of puzzlement in the third panel, and his gruff gloominess at the end. And I actually think you could stick with the blue pencil look for future comics; it fits the tone of the concept perfectly.

BearPawMedia responds:

I just finished the next one, and I like it inked. It should be mentioned that it's blue ink. I am torn on which one I should use for the series though.

My only problem with the blue pencil is some may find it tacky, and it won't be easy to print for the local newspaper (if by some lucky chance they pick the comic).

I'm glad you enjoy the expressions. They are my favorite part to do. I have a dumb habit of laughing at my own lame jokes, and I laughed really hard when drawing the bears face in the third panel.

Thanks for the input :)

[CUte Boss Battle]

Beware the Bunnies

The colouring is brilliant, giving a real impression of weight to the dragon and a great sense of depth to the picture as a whole, and the characters all have heaps of personality. Charming, funny and splendid all round. Ace work!

[Kingdom of Waterfalls]

Beautiful

Absolutely gorgeous work. The whole piece has a wonderfully uplifting, otherworldly atmosphere, and you can almost feel the breeze and the cool mist spraying from the falls.

Kamikaye responds:

Thanks :)

[White Gorilla]

Primate Power

He's a thumping great gorilla who beats up dinosaurs. What's not to like?

Groovy shading on this one; it makes him look heavier and stronger than ever. I look forward to seeing him dispense more knuckly justice in the Primal War finale!

[Primal Fight]

Action Packed

This one's not only hugely atmospheric (the lighting and shading really does make them look like they're being illuminated by a blazing inferno), it's bursting with ferocious energy. The poses and expressions of both characters do a fantastic job of conveying just how serious a fight this is, and how powerful they are in different ways. I especially like the blue guy's pose; the way he's curling himself up so tightly as he leaps suggests that he's about to unleash a deadly strike with those claws of his - one that could fell his opponent before he even lands. An inspiring piece, to be sure.

[Doomsday]

Big Trouble

Lordy. Superman's about to have quite a bad time, isn't he?

Doomsday looks terrific in your style; he comes across as incredibly weighty and dangerous, and the dramatic lighting gives the whole piece a pretty epic feel. The use of blurring on Superman helps to add a sense of depth, too. Top work!

[Gorilla Atack]

Much coolness

Impressive stuff indeed! The spot-on foreshortening on the limbs and the blur on the hands really makes it feel like he's thundering right at you, and his terrifically ferocious expression tells you in no uncertain terms that he's not got a friendly hug in mind. Plus, heroic gorillas are ace. Not that I'm biased or anything.