darktiste: Great input! Thanks for that. I updated the image, cropped it a bit which got rid of the unnecessary space at the bottom of the image. Hopefully it's an improvement!
Bookend: Thanks! I went with D but the color palette changes a bit as the image progressed. Overall I'm happy with the color choices and hope it works it well now!
..............
I finished up the painting process. This was a fun painting to bring to life, lots of fun with the atmosphere and the detail work. I attached the current progress, any input is appreciated as there's still time to make minor changes if necessary, so please let me know if something feels off. Below is the image followed by the steps for those interested!
I started work on a new illustration depicting climate change, albeit with a fantasy vibe. I went ahead with the color tests as well, I'm attempting to modernize my color work a bit, and I feel the last two are something that would work well in that regard. So I guess it's between 'E' and 'F'. Any input would be appreciated.
General pose was referenced from here. Below is the sketch followed by the color tests.
So here a few thing i had i mind to darken the forest in such a way that it would help the head become more of a focus rather then the skull but it still is a point interest but due to the value difference between the face and the background the eye goes to the most contrasted point on the image which i would say is the face.One other thing to consider in a snow scene is if it sunny or not if it sunny you can add some bounce light to the bottom of object in the scene(simplified explanation)(i didn't include that part) also in a cast day vs sunny day you will have a difference in the color of the shadow side it grey in a cast day but in a sunny day you get the blue of the sky instead. I did some value correction on those skull they look a bit to ''unintegrated''.The reason i gone so dark in the forest is because the bounce light reduce as you get back into the forest and it felt the lighting was just to similar and unrespective of what going on and i also add the excuse of contrast.Oh also a last note since i didn't really work that in the POV you would get a blue gradiant in the snow shadow toward gray as you would get less and less bouce light the further back you go.
My Sketchbook
The journey of an artist truly begin when he can learn from everyone error.
Teamwork make your dream work.
Asking help is the key to growth.
I think your climate change drawing/painting is way too 'safe'. You are drawing something which a photographer could do with body paint. Go all out, make some really weird and unique melting / burning, etc. visuals, you know?
darktiste: Love your suggestions and the changes you made with your paintover. I agree that the darker values work well for the image. I went ahead and updated the images based on your input, thanks again as always!
ThereIsNoJustice: I agree that the linework is too 'safe', but the painting itself won't be; I've added a ton to the image, it was quite experimental in that regard, and I'll have an update on that shortly as it's almost done. Right now I went back a bit to try and finalize the viking image, but I appreciate your input!
.............
I'm almost done with the 'climate' image, but decided to take a bit of a break from that to finalize the Viking illustration. I went ahead and implemented the feedback I received, and consider it pretty much done at this point.... unless of course something major is off, so please let me know if that's the case! Below is the current preview:
Pretty satisfying maybe next snow piece try to have add some snow footprint to make it a bit more believable it like not putting footprint of a beach i think it part of being aware of the surface and you know push the attention to detail at the level you are playing now.It just help create some visual rythem and it add some realism to the story telling like how did he get there also i feel like you could keep working on those fur texture it just a bit behind compare to other texture but i am really of new use to help you there that still a struggle for me aswell.
Also for the weapon adding a bit of history to the weapon with some dent and scratch that bonus point in my book.
But i call this one pretty much down what i am saying is you got opportunity to incorporate those feedback for later.
My Sketchbook
The journey of an artist truly begin when he can learn from everyone error.
Teamwork make your dream work.
Asking help is the key to growth.
darktiste: Thanks for your final thoughts. I went ahead and added some subtle foot prints as suggested. Also a bit of wear and tear to the weapon. Hopefully things look more natural now!
one_two: Thanks and great input! Just made the hands smaller as well, good eye!
................
Some final changes to the Viking image:
I finally finished the painting process for the Climate image. It started off fairly basic but I kept adding to it to make it more unique and creative. Overall I'm fairly pleased with it. Any final input would be most welcome as well!
Always so colourful! The climate change piece is eyecatching and communicates well. Some effects/blurring don't make sense with the form, but I am guessing the goal was heat haze?
I'll be 100% honest with the Viking piece - It's not your best work. I'm not sure what the time of day the image is meant to be - the lighting appears very bright so it's surprising that her body is so very dark when there should be a lot more reflected light from the snow. there's also not a lot of interaction with her feet, the axe and the snow, she's just hovering. Her left index finger is also coming out of the hand at a strange angle as though her hand is split between the index and middle fingers. The hand holding the skull is posed like she's holding a flat form, like an envelope, when fingers should be balanced around the form of the skull. The image just has a lot of small distractions.
I disagree with the comment from Rotten on the light aspect personally i read the scene as an overcast day with a slight piercing of light from the cloud.For the skull i think it still a bit undercook in my opinion that why the form doesn't read but i also agree that the finger just look to allign in the axis of thing.
It easy to critic when you don't do those complex scene yourself but it doesn't discard the overall critic but this in my opinion in your top 5 in term of complexity because of the number of object in the scene the overall amount of different texture the lighting also changing from the front to the back of the piece.
I am not saying this your best piece either but look back and compare the women viking to the god of wars piece or to your viking guy and i personally say you have improve since.
Certainly it can be hard to compare different lighting scenerio but what is really important i think it to look at how your form read how your texture read and try to find a new balance personally i think i have made a few comment on the hand being one thing i would hit harder in your practice so that they have a better sense of wrapping around it easy to fastfoward the hand but there is so much realism and room for attention to detail in the hand it make a big difference between something that look like sausage to hand that look like you just been a mentored by Michael angelo .I don't blame you hand are straight intimidating so complex so versatile in movement which mean you can be sure you won't draw wto hand that look exactly the same.
My Sketchbook
The journey of an artist truly begin when he can learn from everyone error.
Teamwork make your dream work.
Asking help is the key to growth.
I'm back with a belated paintjob. Love what you do and my only reason for pointing out these is because they're minor but noticeable, and are minor fixes to achieve great results :)
When I say there are a lot of small distractions, it's mostly in places where the anatomy breaks a little. I would consider how the bent leg is attached to the hip too, but the main features I was drawn to were the hands and face. Her eyes don't follow the shape of the skull and her ear is not positioned the way an ear would at that angle. It's only on the double-take that we see these things as your work if often so detailed, it gives an uncanny valley effect as parts are rendered well but not quite right. The lighting is still dependant on your setting. If it's sunny, the forest behind would have more scattered light. If it's night, it's not exactly the same century to have LED spotlights. If it's overcast, you don't have these pure white highlights, the scene gets very washed out and dreary.
I'll try to visit more often and contribute in the early stages of the next one when you're asking for input.
It doesn't make sense now that i take a step back to see a forest with some greeny if it a snow scene it would be mostly tree you would find in a nordic region or they would have lost there leaf what i suggest is to change the tree to reflect the habitat of a nordic region.
That more of an off being distracted or just leak of planning and making maybe part of the design as a second thought...
My Sketchbook
The journey of an artist truly begin when he can learn from everyone error.
Teamwork make your dream work.
Asking help is the key to growth.
RottenPocket: Thanks! I tried to achieve a sort of 'focus' style photographic feeling with the portrait piece, not sure if I quite achieved that. Great input on the viking as well, might update it in the near future! Great work on the paintover as well, I'm a bit burned out from the image to be honest but I'll see if I can make time to update it.
darktiste: Thanks for the kinds words. Some pieces are more complex than others, helps me to keep things interesting and challenging. Glad to hear you think I've improved!
..................
I've decided to move on to a new illustration as I got pretty burned out from the last two images and I wanted to do something fresh. This is fan art of 'Nitara' based on the new 'Mortal Kombat' game, which Megan Fox plays as, so her likeness appears on the character. The character design was quite complex so it took me some time to get right, but I'm fairly happy with the sketch.
The foot area gave me a lot of trouble so any suggestions in that regard especially would be appreciated... any feedback on the sketch would be appreciated actually, before I move on to color tests. I have a lot of ideas for some possible color palettes so I'm very excited to begin work on that soon as well. Below is the sketch!
Those finger need more love avoid straight finger syndrome
The trunked pyramid look out of perspective to me object recede in the distance so why is the top left corner lower than the top left back corner that going back toward the vanishing point .Also the cloth drapping down doesn't follow the slant plane of the pyramid which make it seem as if the pyramid as window it hard to explain i have a hard time putting it in word.
You did a great job with the character but you really treated alot of what going on specially toward the bottom with a leak of care.
My Sketchbook
The journey of an artist truly begin when he can learn from everyone error.
Teamwork make your dream work.
Asking help is the key to growth.
