WIP need serious help

[Nazirull]

Hie Anariel,

First i want to express the deepest heart felt condolences for your lost friend. I know how it feels. I might not be the right person to tell you how to paint her but i will try later on perhaps. But I think the art of her will be more deep and meaningful if you can try to picture a nice moment during the relationship and paint it. A picture of her in your mind that pops up everytime you think of her. Paint that. Sketch it out. It will be as meaningful as getting her looks right physically.....

Sorry if this is a bad help but this is what i think of how u can approach this piece.

[Anariel]

maranello55: Thanks. The moment I am thinking of painting, is a special one we had dreamed of for when she got better. She was in the hospital with cancer, and I used to keep her cheery by talking to her about us taking a trip to scotland together when she got better. Unfortunately, she never got better. But it was always a dream of ours. I got to go to scotland earlier this year and it just didn't seem right without Colleen. So I'm thinking of painting us together in scotland somehow. Like I said, I just need help figuring out basic anatomy things like her nose and mouth. I just...I want to get it right as much as possible.

[Nazirull]

Im sure the guys here will be willing to help but you got to post your rough sketches first so we all can have a visual idea of things. Then from your sktch maybe someone can overlay on it and do a correction or two. Thats how i think things should work in this case at least....just a suggestion since im a beginner myself. :)

[Anariel]

ok good idea. thanks. i have several images in mind and i'm not sure which to start first, so i guess i'll just start doodling and see which one takes shape first.

[Nazirull]

Thats great Anariel......!
Waiting for it :bounce: :bounce:

[Anariel]

Well, here's a preview of the crappy sketch I did. This is just to help me with layout for when I start painting. Told you I had several image ideas. This is the one that came to light first.
It's Colleen as an angel (cus she said when she died, she'd be my angel) with me as a child (showing my vulnerability) hugging her leg. Like I said, the sketch is really crappy, but it helps me get an idea of how to lay it out when I start painting.
http://midnightcrew.kicks-ass.net/una/files/lenangelSM.jpg

[Anariel]

Ok, I've begun working on painting it. It's not very detailed so far, but I thought I'd show how it's going.
http://midnightcrew.kicks-ass.net/una/files/lenangelSMc.jpg

[Anariel]

Here's a bit more of the color layed in. Still doesn't have massive detailing, but It's helping me get an idea of where the image is going.
http://midnightcrew.kicks-ass.net/una/files/lenangelSMc2.jpg

[Anariel]

Here's a bit more progression. Think I'm going to stop laying base colors for the moment and begin refining the details on Colleen's face and hands.
http://midnightcrew.kicks-ass.net/una/files/lenangelSMc3.jpg

[Blue-demon]

It's looking good :thumbsup: Cant wait to see the finnished piece!

[Anariel]

Here we go. Done detailing on Colleen's face and a bit on her hand. I suck at hands x.x
http://midnightcrew.kicks-ass.net/una/files/lenangelaSM.jpg

[Anariel]

Anyone got comments or suggestions so far?
Also, someone please help me with the child's hands. Draw over the image even if you want, just help me please! One hand is resting on the cloud, the other is supposed to be clinging to Colleen's skirt.

[jmBoekestein]

Uhm...to be honest I find this a far too personal thing to be commenting on. But anatomy wise I could say a couple of things. In her face you have overdefined some shadows around her nose. I find also that her eyes are more squeezed in the picture, and a bit too wide on your version. :)
The volumes seem very hard edged right now, I don't have a wacom here so I'll try and get to it tomorrow maybe. It's getting along nicely, I think people are a bit put off by such emotional paintings, if you get what I mean. ;) Good luck. I think it's a very good thing to do, nice to put your feeelings into something like this.:thumbsup:

[Blue-demon]

It's hard to commment on such a painting with the magnitude of emotion.

But there is something about the hand (the one that is visible) it looks a little big, the figers are nice, the thumb is off.

The shoulder has a distinct colour change I think it needs blending in some more unless that is what it's like in the reference.

[Nazirull]

Great progress Anariel.....

I think jmBoekestein and Blue demo is right about this one. Its personal and very emotional. I myself were abit and still afraid to say things....but like Jan's comments, we can give comments on the arts....the best we can give....:thumbsup:

[Nazirull]

I dont mean to stick my nose into this one but i just wanna help...not that im good at doing hands...especially child's hand but i just want to see if i can do it....this is what i can do. Im still learning. Hope this helps....

I assume that you want to embrace the thigh instead of clinching on top of it. Correct me if im wrong tho....

All the best.;)

http://img269.echo.cx/img269/227/lenangelasm019oq.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[BlackDidThis]

I just read through your thread a few times with tears in my eyes...

I think you have done a beautiful job with your image and I don't think that anyone could create something out of your memories of your Leenie (I hope you don't mind my using your personal nick to her) as good as you can.
I am sure that the results will have me in tears as strongly as it has now. But for happier reasons.

All this said I have an experience some what on skin clours and guessing things to how they might turn out.. also have tried a few times to reconstructing a profile from what the image could suggest.
Just to be keeping around for your own... Would you still need that I attempt to answer your request for help in your first post... I would be so happy to try and have an attempt.
She is a very beautiful girl, it would really be more a pleasure to me than anything else.

I am so sorry for reading your post this late.

All the best and thank you for sharing something so special with all of us


Black

[BlackDidThis]

Robyn;

I am so sorry.. but I am going to need your help at this particular point.
Together with Makaron (http://www.cgtalk.com/member.php?u=129166) to try and guess her racial features as well as her possible tan variations.

We had some difficulties such as the resolution of the photo being so very low, her make-up sort of getting in the way, and her big smile covering her cheek bones disabling better guesses to her origins and possible tan colours.
We have come down to two options that we think could actually be her... could you please take the time to chek wich one fits in the better? I am unable to try reconstructing her from the profile without being too sure at this point.

Because the image was so small I had to paint her in rather than to adjust the hue's and the values. I tried to work as clean as I can but it does show that it is apart from the photo. So sorry about that.


Black

[Anariel]

Aw, people, please don't be afraid. I'm wanting this to come out the best as possible. That's why I need help. Set aside the emotional aspect and look at the image itself.

maranello55: I dont mean to stick my nose into this one but i just wanna help...not that im good at doing hands...especially child's hand but i just want to see if i can do it....this is what i can do. Im still learning. Hope this helps...
Thank you so much! Very helpful indeed.

BlackDidThis: Robyn;

I am so sorry.. but I am going to need your help at this particular point.
Together with Makaron (http://member.php?u=129166) to try and guess her racial features as well as her possible tan variations.

We had some difficulties such as the resolution of the photo being so very low, her make-up sort of getting in the way, and her big smile covering her cheek bones disabling better guesses to her origins and possible tan colours.
We have come down to two options that we think could actually be her... could you please take the time to chek wich one fits in the better? I am unable to try reconstructing her from the profile without being too sure at this point.
What do you need my help on? I know the picture was crappy, sorry, but it's the only one I still have. As far as her origins, all I can tell you is she was from Oxford, England. I'm thinking the first picture is the best out of your two skin tones.

Also, to everyone, I have a comment about her eyes. It was 3am when that photo was taking and it was after a party. So her eyes were droopy and tired. When I did my painting, I tried to do it with her eyes more open and awake. I think I might have overdone it though.

[Anariel]

OOps, missed this one.
BlackDidThis: All this said I have an experience some what on skin clours and guessing things to how they might turn out.. also have tried a few times to reconstructing a profile from what the image could suggest.
Just to be keeping around for your own... Would you still need that I attempt to answer your request for help in your first post... I would be so happy to try and have an attempt.

Oh yes please!!

[BlackDidThis]

...What do you need my help on?...

While working you must have noticed that the skin is not a uniform tone that you can just use all through out the image. It varies... gets bluer according to regions, or redder.. all depending to how thick the skin is at the specified area, how much it is exposed to the sun light and etc.
But most important of all to her race... like a typical epiderm of a Jew would not exactly match that of a scandinavian, nor the pales of this Scandinavian to the grey's of an English; the tan's of a mediteranian and so forth.
Nothing coloured there has been coloured randomly.. they have all been set out according to possible racial backgrounds judging from her location, age and gender.

And only being certain can actually help generate what she may be looking like from the side. Since sun-bathing sort of unifies the skin for lighter colours and makes it a little bit more difficult to guess.

I suppose that I can't make what is needed by your part to be explained more vivid than this without becoming annoying.
We tried to guess the features as best as we could, but the resolution of the image and the artifacts stated earlier have been reason for it to all stop.



A situation does happen to come up simiallar to yours very often... and I am offered to stimulate people from single photo's for memories, investigations or admirations/fan stuff.
In these cases how ever as much help from the original information source is attempted to be achieved. So more information simply helps me go further; unless a full quality service is far from what you seek.

I understand that the image is all that you have.. but do you mean that it is the only image you have electronically? or is it the only one you have as a photo? If as a photo; rescanning it to a higher resolution would have had been great help... especially her head. Shall you notice as a diffrence to compair; I have read all thats written and was well aware that it was the only picture... but the res granted was low, and I used it in context to state that she was much harder there to work on, thus I have enlarged and painted it.
And if you have any means of contact with her family for aditional images, it would be ever more useful.


I hope you can respect that the help you are asking for is actually serious hard work and not too simple. I shall have to have to wait for your replying post in order to further the study of getting you a side view of her. In order to prevent situations simiallar, and not be doing the work for nothing.


Black

[Nazirull]

What can I say....great help from Black.....the expert in the field....im sitting here and watch. :arteest:

[Anariel]

I'm sorry guys. I've been sitting here for days now trying to work on this image, and I just can't. It's become too sensitive an issue for me. I go through these phases. Sometimes I'm alright with it, other times I can't even say her name without crying. I think I'm going to have to set this one aside til later.
Meanwhile, I've been sketching some stuff and just scanned it in. Think I'll go work on those. If you're interested, you can check it out in my WIP Sketch-aholic thread (http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?p=2353509#post2353509).

[Nazirull]

I'll be waiting for that Anariel! :)

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.