Sexy self portrait.

[Rebeccak]

Heya Simon,

Nice work so far! :) Keep focusing on 'them values, and you should be a'ight. :)

Cheers,

~Rebeccak

[Elsie]

Hey, nice going Simon :thumbsup:

I think that putting a little more pressure on your brushstrokes to make them a bit bolder would really help - where some of the colours bleed together (especially around the jaw) it's looking a tad muddy. But real nice job, I especially like the angle!

[deaderthanred]

that's a sweet first digital painting! you have a good eye for skin colors.
but your avatar still looks sexier with the pale face and wild hair :p

[Simon]

Thanks ladies!

Michele: :blush: Aww thanks ;) Maybe I'll do one with spikey hair for my next painting!

Elsie: I'll get right on it!

Rebeccak: In the woods!??


http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait1.jpg



Ok just a few tweaks with things that I just noticed in the last image. Working on the eyebrows and jaw now.

[Rebeccak]

In the woods! :D

Heh...:)

[Simon]

haha! fantastic!

[Simon]

Update:

And yes.. I do have blue hair! ..on that note I need to dye it proper black.. :P

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait2.jpg

[tyrful]

hey this is very good! one thing i've noticed is that you haven't touched the chin/jaw area since the first picture and it might be a good idea to turn your focus there a bit and bring the paint job on par with the rest of the picture. But other than that! you've done a great job so far!

Do you have a picture as ref or are you using a mirror or trying to go from memory??

[Simon]

Added shadowing, sorted the crappyness of the eyes out. Did some more hair. Started on the chin.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait3.jpg

tyrful: I cant paint from memory so I'm looking in the mirror. having said that I stopped looking in the mirror that much, just to check the colours. I'm probably a shade or two paler than the image. I'll put more time into the chin. :)

[deaderthanred]

sweet updates! looking fantastic too, and awesome color definition!
suggestion: you might want to add a definite lightsource so you can properly cast subtle shadows to define the face features abit more, perhaps? it looks a little too ambient at the moment, but really good as it is

[Simon]

lots of little tweaks. hopefully its the little things that make the difference!

It still looks very flat, added a little more lighting but it doent look very lifelike to me.. hmm

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait4.jpg

Michele: Yeah I think you have a very good point! I'll have a try.

[Elsie]

Thinking about Michele's point with the lighting - are you going to add a background to this piece Simon? Just because maybe if you block in a few colours quickly it will help with later defining the subtle reflections off the skin and will be easier to see how to direct the lighting. Although thats just the way I'd do it heh, looking good so far, especially the eyes.

[AlexC]

Thats looking good Simon, the hair looks pretty good - Keep it up :bounce:

[ThePhotographer]

Ha ha, it's true that your avatar is already quite sexy - if just I wasn't an "old" woman I'd haress you with private mails ....

I like the very translucent look you have obtained here - i'm sure you'll know by yourself how to get it right anyway - not so sure that you really need any critics.

[Simon]

Thanks. :D

Elsie, good point, heres where my 0 planning policy has come round a bit me in my scrawny arse!

Perhaps I might just do it like a studio portrait?

I'm tempted to do it on a black background.. but a white one would be cool too.. hmm. I'm erring on the black... hmm..

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait5.jpg

[ThePhotographer]

I'd go for a very dark tone, but not completely black.

[JackW]

This is fantastic! woah the shading is on the spot

[umbrellasky]

:eek: SIMON!!! THIS IS JUST WOW! lovely skin tones great work keep it going!!

[Elsie]

I'm tempted to do it on a black background.. but a white one would be cool too.. hmm. I'm erring on the black... hmm..


Heh don't worry, I have a 0 planning policy that I've recently upgraded to 0.1 :shush:

I'd say go for the black because white makes all the other colours look different against it, which can be pretty confusing and a pain if you decide to add a background at somepoint - although like The Photographer said, go for nearly black because the pure black will pull your eyes as it is very stark and does not exist in nature.

[Simon]

Ok a little off black. green infact. To bring out my sexy eyes. :D

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait6.jpg

[Simon]

Wow guys thanks for all the responses. :)

Just noticed the above image, the green is hardly noticable outside of my tft.. hmmph!

[oogieboogietoogie]

I like the hair ;)

[Simon]

Heh don't worry, I have a 0 planning policy that I've recently upgraded to 0.1 :shush:

I'd say go for the black because white makes all the other colours look different against it, which can be pretty confusing and a pain if you decide to add a background at somepoint - although like The Photographer said, go for nearly black because the pure black will pull your eyes as it is very stark and does not exist in nature.

Good point. I'll try greens and blues.

Thankiewoo :)

-si

[Simon]

I like the hair ;)

Thanks. :) everyone laughs at my hair in real life..

How about this people?

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait6_green.jpg

[ThePhotographer]

Yes, that looks quite good !

[umbrellasky]

I really like that colour for the background! :)

[Simon]

cool. :)

Unless We have any objections between now and sometime around lunchtime tmmrw that will be the new background.

Can anyone make any heavy crits of the painting? This is my first real digital portrait so I have no idea what to look for. Its weird I havnt even done any tutorials, it just came kinda on instinct.

At the moment I think the eyebrow on the right needs work. And perhaps my fringe. hmmm. being self critical is haaaard!

[zpapageo]

Really good work, Simon.
If I had to criticize, I'd say that I think the far nostril should be showing a bit more, but I'm not really sure. I'd also emphasize the planes a bit more.
Your rendering of the hair is great. Looking forward to more.

[Simon]

Really good work, Simon.
If I had to criticize, I'd say that I think the far nostril should be showing a bit more, but I'm not really sure. I'd also emphasize the planes a bit more.
Your rendering of the hair is great. Looking forward to more.

Thanks Zanne!

I'll work some more purply tones the nostril as soon as I'm home today. :)

[Simon]

gah can't edit my last post. Anyway, I'm also going to try out a more defined light from this side of the face by adding deeper shadows.

[ThePhotographer]

I think you have to change the deep shadow and the highlight on his chin to be more directly in the middle under the mouth. Right now, it looks as if the chin is a little longer over to the right side compared to the lips.

[Simon]

Ok cool. I'll get that sorted. :)

I fixed the nostril and then had an error and lost the background! AHH. So after an hours work heres where I am.

However my coat is coming along nicely!

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait7.jpg

[Simon]

Ok maybe I should stop updating and paint more!

fixed some of the hair blending issues. And the starkness of my coat. Started adding tones in the background.


http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait8.jpg

So much to sort out still!

[Simon]

Ok this is a bit of an experiment.

With me being so brigly lit. I think that there would be a bit of a bloom from my face in the darkness.

I've done this in another layer just incase everyone hates it! :D

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait9.jpg

[AlexC]

wow - looking even better now, looks better with the bloom. One crit: your left eyebrow (are right - well not are eyebrow lol) seems to be floating a little bit.

[deaderthanred]

nah, bloom is cheap, use SSS :p

if you're going for hyper realistic, perhaps add some subtle environmental lighting and slightly more ambient occlusion especially around your eyes (depending on the light source)

great progress so far!!

[Simon]

nah, bloom is cheap, use SSS :p

if you're going for hyper realistic, perhaps add some subtle environmental lighting and slightly more ambient occlusion especially around your eyes (depending on the light source)

great progress so far!!

Hehe. Can you tell I do too much 3d? :P

I've been tweking the eyes more I'll update when i finnish my new avatar.....

..oh ...Btw Michele you my target for the "hug an avatar thread"!!

;)

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=316564

[ThePhotographer]

So you are doing 3D ? I must have a look if you posted something in the 3D section. I bought Cinema 4D after having seen Shrek. I was just blown off my feet :drool: and immediately wanted to make super animation ....:cool:, but unfortunately, I don't have any time to learn it, so it's just lying around here since a year for no purpose really .... but ONE DAY ....

Anyway, your painting looks really good even if it doesn't look very much like your avatar. Are you looking in the mirror or are you using a photo reference ? Must be hard to look in the mirror from that angle - but I guess not impossible.

[ThePhotographer]

What ever happened to your avatar ? Well, I think I will just have to admit that Mrs. Danvers will never be able to compete ....

[Simon]

LOL!

Its "hug an avatar" :P

I'm hugging Michele because she comments on all my wips. :)

Check out the thread!

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=316564

[ThePhotographer]

I DO TOO ! :twisted:

[ThePhotographer]

Well, that's an idea of Paperclip - I'm not surprised - good idea by the way !

[Simon]

So who you gonna hug!?

:)

update soon. I'm changing my eyes a little... for the better.

[ThePhotographer]

I don't know anybody here well enough yet, and apart from that - I'm a very shy person :banghead:

[ThePhotographer]

Hey, back to your artwork now, man !

[Simon]

Hey, back to your artwork now, man !

hehe oki

Heres the update. Fixed a whole chunk of the eye. Still everything needs more work. They eyebrow looks better and Ive fixed some of the tonal problems I was having.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait91.jpg

I spent wwaaaay too long making that avatar and browing the forums. lol.

-Simo

[Peddy]

oh my god Simon you are SO emo! :scream:

keep going man!

[deaderthanred]

I'm hugging Michele because she comments on all my wips. :)

Check out the thread!

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=316564

awww but you do the same for me too :beer:

Peddy: nah, he's not an emo, he's a goth (a waay sexier breed of broody-ness! :twisted: )

[Simon]

Yeah EMOS SUCK. I AM NOT EMO.

If i was emo I would have perhaps drawn on some tears and it would of been totally sh*t... why because emos are sh*t. Guh they are so vain and attention seeking.

If anything I'm a metalhead/goth... This image has been fueled by the new godhead albums I got! Gotta love 'em!

[ThePhotographer]

Simon - I wan't you back with Michelle OR your old avatar - this one is TOO awfull .....

[Simon]

Ahhh ok!

But I was huggin EEK! with my mouth.. :p

Anehoo its back to normal.

I might make a super evil new one.

[paperclip]

I like it! Very dramatic!

Less orange and maybe more browns and pinks would be better though. Unless you have a freaky tan. :D

But then.......my monitor is screwy...so.....:shrug: :scream:

[eek]

Ahhh ok!

But I was huggin EEK! with my mouth.. :p

Anehoo its back to normal.

I might make a super evil new one.

I actually feel quite sick now. If you ever meet me in person - stand back.

eek

[Llynna]

yay :) im waiting for my evolver copy to arrive along with some other stuff ^^.

nice wip you got here :)

my suggestion is to do something on the fringe. it is looking a bit static like you got real spiky hair (maybe you do and im all wrong :hmm:). its just looking a bit stiff cause all the traces of the hair are nearly parallel. just make some of them a bit of a twist to another direction.

[Simon]

Britta: Ahh I was listening to that album this morning. when you posted, love it. :)

I love godhead. The title "I hate today" is taken from a godhead song. This piece was inspired by that song, "f**ked it up" and "tired old man", kinda sums up how I feel right now.

Thanks for the tip on the fringe. :)

EEK: Well I dd say I was going to do a bitey one.. lol.

Paperclip: Well i do have reall strange skin, because I look pale, but sometimes look kinda red. Problem is on my moniter i look really pink.. lol. I think both our moniters need more calibrations.. lol.

[paperclip]

Maybe we should have a CGTalk-wide monitor calibration day! Just think...we'd all be on the same page!

[Simon]

I suppose if everyone met up with their laptops and synchronized by eye. then took them home for our workstations. We could make a new worldwide standard!

I might try and see if I can get some panatone samples.

[Simon]

Oh yeah.. forgot why I wost posting!

UPDATE!

I redid my hair.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait92.jpg

[AlexC]

The hair looks much better now :bounce: but the eye brow still looks a little werid.

[Simon]

AHHH!

Its cause i loeded up an old save.. guh lost about 2 hours work by painting onto the wrong version. Look back at the previous 2 and see that it actually got worse!

Just fixed the issues.. (again!), My dodgy backing up wasted me 2.5 hours!

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait92b.jpg

[Digitalpaint]

Your portrait is looking great so far. I like the hair colors.
I'd soften the jaw line and also the transition from the skin to the dark sky a bit ( Might be just a matter of taste...)

[Simon]

Did some work on the chin. its much better blended now, but I have quite a defned chin bone.. and its a nightmare as I keep making too blunt and then too sharp.

I broke up the highlights on my skin with a simple spekeled brush. I hope it looka a bit better now. :)

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait92c.jpg

[AlexC]

Looking good Si, The black mark under your eyes looks to obvious I think, maybe blend them in more?

[Llynna]

yea simon! much better with the hair that way ! i must admit that i only got a few song of godhead so far. am a bit of a disturbed fangirl :)

[ThePhotographer]

You didn't correct the shadow and the highlight of the chin .... If you see the lips - you have a darker vertical line in the middle of the lower lip. The shadow and the highlight of the chin should be right in the middle of that vertical line - at least as I see it .... To me, it's still as if the chin is more in front of the viewer than the lips.

[Simon]

You didn't correct the shadow and the highlight of the chin .... If you see the lips - you have a darker vertical line in the middle of the lower lip. The shadow and the highlight of the chin should be right in the middle of that vertical line - at least as I see it .... To me, it's still as if the chin is more in front of the viewer than the lips.

Ahh yeah, good point. Having been staring aht this for so long i lost any sort of perspective or ability to see it as a whole.

im correcting that now.

AS for now heres the black smudge corrected and some of the tones around the face fixed as well as the overly bright highlight on the nose.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait92d.jpg

[Simon]

Ok had to get the mirror out for this one. if it still looks wrong its due to physical defomaties and not artistic abilities.. :p

Edit.. oops that was the old picture!

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93.jpg

[AlexC]

Yeh the chin looks better now, one thing I just noticed is with the hair, there is no shadow where it goes over your eye (well, beyond the eye)

[ThePhotographer]

Yes, better now, but I think you can make the shadow more dark as it was before ....

[Simon]

Shadows added around eye and after eye!

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93a.jpg

I'm just reshading shading the chin. As you can see its a little orange. I'll darken the shadow too. :)

Thanks for the help everyone!

[deaderthanred]

the highlights now suggest that the lightsource is coming directly from the viewpoint "camera".. and hence your hair looks like it's missing some shadows over your eyes and forehead

also the hair at the back still needs some work, i think..

cool progress, more please:D

[Simon]

Thanks Michele!

People will have to tell me when to stop with the shadowing because I really have no idea.. :p

EDIT : Ahh crap gimmie a sec I bodged my layers up!

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93b.jpg

Is that looking a bit better?

[paperclip]

Do you have an omni light in that scene? I'm not sure where the light is coming from.....do you have a light source? It's much easier shading if you have a definite idea where the light is coming from.

[Simon]

Updated my clothes as a friend pointed out the hair kinda is way too detailed and is unbalencing the piece.

I was thinking htere was like a massive light from just left of behind the viewer, and then a smaller one. A little further round. Maybe I'm being over ambitious here.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93c.jpg

[deaderthanred]

latest update is great!:bounce: subtle difference, but there is more overall depth to the image now. you might want to work on the overall composition (background/shading to compliment the foreground), maybe? i can't think of any other stuff to nit-pick, and you're certainly not over-ambitious cos you're pulling this off really well! :)

[paperclip]

Not necessarily. Portraits are usually with just one light though, look at any paintings by portrait artists, particularly Caravaggio..... it shows form better and is less harsh on the features.

[Simon]

latest update is great!:bounce: subtle difference, but there is more overall depth to the image now. you might want to work on the overall composition (background/shading to compliment the foreground), maybe? i can't think of any other stuff to nit-pick, and you're certainly not over-ambitious cos you're pulling this off really well! :)

I'm on it! :)
Everyone! group hug! :love:

[Simon]

Not necessarily. Portraits are usually with just one light though, look at any paintings by portrait artists, particularly Caravaggio..... it shows form better and is less harsh on the features.

You reckon I should tone it in one direction then? could be a lotta work.. ?

Or is there some things I could do to gently tone it a little?

[ThePhotographer]

Speaking about layers. I don't use layers very much anymore. I find that it gives a more natural look to things when avoiding too many layers. Nowadays, whenever I'm pleased with what I have, I flatten and save as number so and so much. I can go up to about 40 versions.

Then what I do is to compare the different versions in ACDSee. Sometimes I think that something from before was better than what I have right now. In PS, I'll then make a feathered selection 10-20-30 or even 50 sometimes - copy and paste into my current version. I do that quite a lot. But prefer to work directly on the canvas - only layers for very specific things and mostly towards the end where I don't want to screw up something I did quite well until now.

Also in view of corrupted files - particularly in Painter - both RIFF and PSD files - I only work in TIFF nowadays. That's a good old fileformat working in ANY application and I never have any corrupted files that way and no loss through compression either.

[stevecullum]

I think its totally rubbish!

My 3 year old nephew could do better with his eyes closed!

ONLY A JOKE!! - It totally rocks, but you knew that anyway comrad.

[Simon]

Well I have such a fear of corruption that everything it being constanly saved, resaved, copied backed up.

I get confused when someones comes on msn and starts talking to me about things that I find annoying, it throws me and I open the wrong backup. Problem with all my backups is that this images alone has already gathered about 6gb. I'm ordering a 320gb drive tommorow I think!

As for layers, I've found it helpful to keep the hair seperate, and the face seperate from the background, the otherones I keep flattening. After always uing them for photo editing and post work.. its a bad habit. but having never smoked, I''ve stoped drinking alchohol or caffiene and i walk 3 miles a day uphill.. I think I'm allowed at least one vice!

Steve: :thumbsup:

Hows Ting Ting?

[deaderthanred]

Speaking about layers. I don't use layers very much anymore. I find that it gives a more natural look to things when avoiding too many layers. Nowadays, whenever I'm pleased with what I have, I flatten and save as number so and so much. I can go up to about 40 versions.

i do this too! :) and it really helps me keep track of my progress, but i tend to get up to over 200megs worth of WIP versions of psd files for one 2d piece lol (the trick is to only up-res in later stages, so less filespace, but still..)

tho when working on a piece for a picky client, you can't go back and change something without alot of work if the change has already been merged in on whatever versions you do have saved :( i usually just merge main elements and leave different elements in separate layers just in case

[ThePhotographer]

I drink and smoke quite a lot ....:blush:
And today I got an external harddrive of 160 gb :scream: !

[ThePhotographer]

Yes, Michelle, I also sometimes put some things on a layer in a PSD file to be able to come back and just bring it in again later.

Ha ha - I don't have any customers for this kind of work yet - so it's not my biggest worry right now :surprised .

[Simon]

More detailing and tweaks. Worked on the eyes!

Clothes now have seams!

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93d.jpg

[ThePhotographer]

The chin looks better now :)

You are doing a good job on the jacket too. Only one little thing - it doesn't read really round about his neck. Perhaps you should make a more round line on top and at the bottom of the collar ? I don't know .... I have had trouble with that myself.

[ThePhotographer]

I'm also wondering if the left side of his lower lip wouldn't cover the upper lip seen from this angle ? The lips are really awesome by the way.

[Simon]

Ok I added depth of field and soft edges. I'm having a look at those lips.. hmmm.

Also to do this without a crash I halved the size of my origional painting. Which hurt a little, but I can always load up a previous image later on.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93e.jpg

[Elsie]

Nice observations with the shine on the jacket Simon :thumbsup: I actually think the piece looks quite watercoloured, good effect! I really do like those eyes, the shine and iris look great.

[Llynna]

am liking the jacket too :thumbsup: i just love jackets with high cut collars *hugs stuff with high cut collars along with the postman who delivered my cd package this morning*

the iris is really looking great and realistic. the only thing bothering me are the highlights, they are a bit too bright white. they look a bit like they are floating above the eye, like they are not really part of the iris.

keep us posted :)

[Simon]

Ahh you got evolver.. Great! "I have Just like you"'s chorus suck in my head!

Can't keep from falling apart
Do you see... it's my catastrophe...

I want to be like you
I want to live off the things that you always do
I want to be renewed
I want to know what it's like to be just like you

Ahhh! I love it so much. :)

I'll put some blue into those highlights! .. oh and I love my high cut jackets. :)

Elsie: thankyoou! *hugs*

[ColinRoss]

Wow. I just saw a link to this in your sig on another topic and I couldn't resist clicking it.

And that's your first tablet piece! :applause: It's brilliant I think, and I really should put more time into using mine and adjusting to it.

Your tablet purchase definitely paid off, and I'll be looking forward to your next 2d piece using the wacom. Keep it up man.

[Simon]

Thanks dude. I'm still pissed off about that shop rejecting me. Ahh well i got it faster through amazon.

This might be my last update for a while as I go dumped by my girlfriend today and Everythings gone rather pointless again. I might just dissapear.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93f.jpg

[Elsie]

Thanks dude. I'm still pissed off about that shop rejecting me. Ahh well i got it faster through amazon.

This might be my last update for a while as I go dumped by my girlfriend today and Everythings gone rather pointless again. I might just dissapear.

Two days before Valentines day? Ow. *hugs* Well, CGTalk is better than a girlfriend ;) so I don't recommend disappearing. That sucks though, Si. At any rate the picture is looking great, what tablet is it you ordered?

[Simon]

its an a5 wacom intuos 3. I've had a a4 trust one before but It was crap. So much so I never used it.

[Elsie]

its an a5 wacom intuos 3.

Ah, exact same one as me ^^ it's been pretty great for the last few months, dropped, cable chewed on (stupid guinea pig, not me), pot noodle/orange juice/sugar spilt on...still good as new hehe. God, I'm a terrible mother...

[Simon]

Ah, exact same one as me ^^ it's been pretty great for the last few months, dropped, cable chewed on (stupid guinea pig, not me), pot noodle/orange juice/sugar spilt on...still good as new hehe. God, I'm a terrible mother...

Hahaha! Mines yet to meet any liquids, but its coping with crumbs pretty well. :)

Only crits is the clicky noise the buttons make. And I want more buttons!

[Simon]

I just read the minds of everyone viewing my thread and corrected your crits before you made them.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait93g.jpg

[Simon]

Textured background added.

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait94.jpg

[Simon]

Hows that!?

http://www.machinestudios.co.uk/2d/Self%20portrait94a.jpg

[umbrellasky]

Oooo i like the lighting in the background! nice work :)

[Loulu79]

Oh Simon, your thread is really interesting.

But I find that your skin looks blotched...some parts aren't blending very well w/ the cheek area for example.

And where the stroke for the chin is...is a stroke and not a chin "mark" or "chin-line". Just needs a bit more tweaking which you are doing. Just putting a blinker on that for you.

Well done in here! :wavey:

[Simon]

Oh Simon, your thread is really interesting.

But I find that your skin looks blotched...some parts aren't blending very well w/ the cheek area for example.

And where the stroke for the chin is...is a stroke and not a chin "mark" or "chin-line". Just needs a bit more tweaking which you are doing. Just putting a blinker on that for you.

Well done in here! :wavey:

Thanks. :)

The chin I have sorted at enialadam's request. Forgot to update that.

The skin Im not sure how to fix. maybe I can use the colour brush with low opacity?

[Loulu79]

Well...I have an idea for blending... sort of :rolleyes:

Since you're in photoshop - go to the blending options...and check for this:

That should do the trick. ;)

[behzad]

Nice eyes, both your drawing and your picture.

[Simon]

thanks! :thumbsup:

I was on a small break for this project, but youve reminded me to get back on it.

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