Not sure if I should post this here or on /tg/, but how do you

>>2951926
For something as generic as op pic, just start with a realtively human looking head (or any piece of the body) and exagerate or add interesting shapes, a big visual library and some taste will do the trick.

>>2951926
Study real anatomy to try and get rid of you disney-fication syndrome. Whoever drew your image had a focus on bone structures and muscle placements of a human before making the alien deviations.

>>2951926
perhaps if you think of function rather than form you could come up with new unique things that still look like actual biology.

>>2951926

This is the only video you need. You won't like to spend so much time at it at the beginning, so just skip to 29:20 or 31:40 if you want to see finished faces and after seeing goodness, you can watch it all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diMDoFkN73s

Basically:

1. He takes a photo of some object under centered light and with white piece of paper in the background
2. He uses Photobooth (you can anything else) to mirror objects and warp them (we seek faces in symmetry)
3. He has 80% of stuff ready
4. Paintover

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>>2951949
This didn't just blow my mind, this blew my whole concept of reality.

http://autodestructdigital.blogspot.com/2012/04/visual-remix.html

and this

http://www.autodestruct.com/thumbwar.htm

>>2951949
So, is it possible to do this through Photoshop or Sai? The mirroring tutorials I've looked up for Photoshop have all basically just been how to duplicate and flip and image. I can't figure out how to actually get things to mirror correctly.

>>2952078
just duplicate a half of the picture and mirror that silly.

>>2951926
copy nature

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>>2952903
I've been doing that, but that only gives you one 'level' of mirroring where you still have two halves instead of one whole. Pic related for example, I want to be able to merge the entire face into itself for a new shape, rather than just have an extra wide face with 2 noses and 3 eyes like I've been getting.

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>>2953159
Proper design, Not just simply "making my OC Don't steal" requires a fundamental understanding of the subject you are about to design.

Designing a car? (NOT DRAWING IT!!)
Google articles, pdfs, watch mechanics youtube channels. If you can scrape yourself out of your mom's basement shower and put on some clean clothes and go out and fucking look at a car or two.

Then when you come back you can ask yourself magical questions such as: What is the purpose of this vehicle? A pick-up truck wouldn't make sense in Suburbia unless the character is a single "probably" male DIY kind of guy. Maybe in the bigger picture of what you are designing he is divorced and he lost the right to his kids and the mother won the soccer mom car in the divorce settlement. Great, Maybe he's a roofer? So you get to hang a long ladder on the side of his truck. Put some tools in the back. To further reinforce the stereotype and get an original design maybe he's an Asian roofer. Most Pick-Up owners go for Toyota Hilux but maybe he uses a smaller Asian brand. This will add a nice contrast to the other roofers if he ever parks near them.

This is the point in the project where you gather your references and you start drawing. A couple of years from now you might really comprehend why this is kickass.

>>2951926
Take inspiration from actual animals and try combining them.

Think of funny animal combinations and start with a humanoid shape as it's easier.

Jellyfish and a monkey, it could have a weird soft head with little tentacles dangling down but have a similar mouth and nose to a monkey.
Eagle and a spider, it could have a large beak but several small eyes like a spider.

Etc.

Just experiement like that and then you can move on to more freaky, non-humanoid stuff.

Most aliens in media look like a human that has crossbred with an animal