Tiziano's (Thaldir) WIP thread. Warning:some nudity

[Ivy00]

They look truly hungry :) You nailed it Thaldir

[Thaldir]

Thank you! :)

[Thaldir]

A little more refined...
Sorry for the thumb but Photobucket and nudity don't go together. :(

C&C welcome, am I moving in the right direction?

Painter X, original size 5460 X 3860 pixels

EDIT for reference credit: For this piece I used many references from many different sources (as I said below), the great part of those I found uncredited.

Now I've been told the name of one of the authors, the girl on the right is based on a photo by Alexander Feodorov a photographer for Domai.com.

FYI : this piece was born exclusively for practice and portfolio, just because of the reference.

[Ivy00]

looking great, one thing I am not sure about is the head in the foreground. My eye keeps being drawn to it instead of the hungry ladies.

[Thaldir]

Good point, Ivy! I'll tone the helm down in the next passage.:)

[Terro]

Well well... if it isn't my buddy T.

How has life been treating you since Eon, lol. I took a long reak from painting after that contest.

The sirens look very good, can't give you any major crits yet since it's way to early but I'll definitely be watching this piece.

[Thaldir]

Well, well, look who's here...:)

How're you, Greg?

For myself, the Challenge spurred me on I did a few other pieces (a couple are in my portfolio here) and decided to spend most of the year working on personal portfolio pieces (Alien Triad is one, this is another).

I'm really looking forward to your opinion as the painting progresses, updates soon!

[OKMER]

Whoohoooo, I wanna be a fishman!lolll
Indeed the head in the foreground still is quit rough and seems to miss some highlights, but I know you're working on it ofcourse!
Excellent piece of art!I subscribe,whooohoooo yehhhrr!!!

May ze forzz be wizz you friend!!!

[Thaldir]

LOL! Thanks for the vote of confidence, OKMER! :)

The helm has been moved a bit, and will definitely been refined (as well as the rest of the picture, of course) ;).

It is still early for a 'general' update (this beast is huge), but I can't resist posting a detail.

I've worked on refining the face and the hand of the siren in front, this last couple of evenings.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/SirensDet1.jpg

Hair are next. :)

[Thaldir]

Here they come again after some more work (most of all on the foreground):
general refining of the first siren and of the helm that has been moved and sunken a bit more,

Is it any better?

[teal-k]

nice job so far tiziano :)
did you use any reference image for this?

on a more scientifically correct note I was wondering since these creatures are (I suppose )amphibian why do they need eye brows? umm I'd think they wont need hair either and the shape of their head would be more oval also those exquisite boobs should be smaller
just to be more hydrodynamic
I imagine that their fingers would have a membrane to make it easy to swim
and the skin should be more like a mimetic color don't know maybe a light blue or dark brown
and very smooth to reduce water friction also the ears in a marine creature would not stick out for the reason mentioned above in other words if humans ever adapted to an under water environment they would be pretty different from us hope you don't mind my considerations I'm just saying it just in case you opt for a more plausable look than the cliche fantasy look :D

ciao

[Thaldir]

Hey, ciao!:)
Yes, I used an hodge-podge of references for this (clarification: reference 'to look at', just as I do when I paint in traditional).

You know? You are perfectly right in your rational approach to the human-fish mix (but they could just be mammals, like dolphins), the boobs could be there only when there was offspring to be nursed too...
I'd rather like to go that way and explore the approach you suggest in a different piece making them really alien.:)

But, having just painted a personal alien race in my previous piece, for this one I wanted a more 'classical' feel (this year I'm building my portfolio, and I'm trying for a balance of personal and classical in it),the kind of athmosphere you find in Neapolitan paintings from the XIX century and also 'classical' looking sirens...in my own way, which in this case means having them double-tailed and without either 'sack' or knees, adding shark teeth and gills and playing to give them a somewhat dangerous 'feel'.
Don't misunderstand me, please! Your input is *very* appreciated, only the scientific approach is not what I was aiming at, this time.

[Ivy00]

looking great Thaldir, the helm is dropped out of main view now and is much better when I view the image as a whole my eye isn't being drawn back to it now.

[malibubob]

this looks really great, cant wait to see it finished...and keep the boobs, maybe a little bigger even;-)

[RicoD]

Very impressive! I wonder, do you have a clear view of what you will paint in advance or does it come as you go?

One thing though, the scales don't really feel fishlike to me. Then again, I'm not a fishexpert. Do you use refs?

[Thaldir]

Malibubob, LOL! I think the lady's breasts will stay the size they are, thanks for the appreciation, pal! ;)

RicoD: thank you!:)
When I start a new project usually it begins like 'it could be interesting to do XYZ...', then it is sketch time (and this part can go on for a relatively long time, until I'm reasonably satisfied with the composition).
Once the drawing is finalized and scanned in the painting process begins, at this point I'm still open to changes but those are mostly corrections of mistakes (perspective, anatomy and so on) slight changes in composition/resizing of elements, adjustments of palette or/and details (accessories, eye/hair color and so on).

You are right about the scales, in fact here I went for a combination of colors found in a Mediterranean eel-like fish (Mediterranean morey) and somewhat snake-like scales, the idea being that this is neither fish-skin nor snake skin but siren tail skin. :)

And yes, I definitely think that reference used properly is invaluable.

And now: today's update.

[RicoD]

Sorry for picking your brain there. I like your piece and was wondering how you went about a piece like this (in order to steal your methods and make my own! Muhahaha!)

Seriously, thanks for the explanation! I'm looking forward to how this piece progresses.

[Thaldir]

Thanks. :) And you're definitely welcome, feel free to ask, by all means!

[Thaldir]

Worked a bit more on the tail...

Also I've added some water droplets, refined hair a bit...

Tomorrow I'll work on jewels and see if it needs some touchups anywhere, and then, I'll declare it finished...

[Thaldir]

Unless there's something that escaped me (and I'll be grateful if you point it out...), I'll call this piece finished.

Opinions anyone? :)

[Ivy00]

excellent work Tizano :) are the skin tones on the face and screen right arm darker than the skin tones on the rest of the forefront hungry merlady? It might just be my monitor.

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Ivy!:)

Not significantly darker, but there is a slight cast shadow in some points.

[RicoD]

Pretty smooth Thaldir!

The merbabe in the back looks less dangerous ... maybe I ought to risk a short swim ... you know, when she's not hungry because she just dined or something.

[Thaldir]

I had submitted my Sirens to CgTalk gallery, and just received a notification of rejection telling me:

It was rejected for one of the following reasons:
* Your thread title was not in keeping with CGSociety.org Hosted
Gallery posting policy.
* Your submission contains unfinished elements. Please submit
your work in the "WIP" forum for further critique.
* You have posted too many works. CGSociety.org cannot act as a
host for a member's entire portfolio. In the future, we ask
that you wait a while before submitting another work.
* Your submission does not fit within our quality tolerances.
A group of seasoned CG artists have deemed your submission
in need of further work in order to meet our basic standards.
* Your submission is in violation of CGSociety.org General policy.
Please be warned that any and all posting in violation of our
policy is subject to disiplinary action. We advise you to
study our policy thoroughly before submitting another entry.

Now I'm really stumped about which one of the reasons applies:

The title was not in keeping? the title was 'Melpomene's Daughters (nudity)' maybe it's something wrong in the syntax, or was it read as 'too generic' ? (although the Muse Melpomene had just the two sirens as daughters, as far as I know).

Unfinished elements? Well, I tried to keep it painterly, but don't think it looks unfinished.

Too many works? My previous one was posted on March the fourth...

Does not fit our quality standards? :hmm:

Your submission is in violation of CGSociety.org General policy ? I don't think it is this one, either, I've seen other nudes in the gallery...

Truth be told I'm disappointed, but most of all 'cause telling me that "The piece was rejected
for one of the following reasons" doesn't really do much to help me understand which reason it is...

Opinions?

[Ivy00]

I don't know Thaldir what it could be, possibly because you posted work earlier this month? maybe there is a limit I really don't know. It could maybe the ( in the title ) parenthesis. Try it again without the parenthesis or maybe ask someone if only one work per month can be submitted. I wouldn't think any of the others would apply, but then again I had to submit my first one about 4 times cause I kept making stupid typo mistakes ha ha, that's me though

[Thaldir]

Thanks, Ivy!:)

I've checked around, and I've seen works submitted with a two-weeks interval, so I guess the timing is not an issue (unless there's some sort of bug for which updating my blog reads as 'updating the portfolio' or 'submitting new work')...

My best guess (conforted by the comments you folks gave me :) ) is that something was wrong with the title, I'll try that and see what happens (fingers crossed ;) ).

RicoD, thanks! My ego needed a little boost. ;).

The background one, uh?
Lol, my wife has dubbed the foreground one 'the Lure' and the background one 'the Killer', but maybe, if she has just eaten...;)

[RicoD]

Comparing to other gallery pieces I'd have to go with naming conventions. You're supposed to call it fhwjkfwhjw_large.jpg ;) The second doesn't apply since it IS in the WIP forum. The third, well, apparantly not. The fourth they'd have to explain to me since this piece is a lot better quality than some other pieces I've seen, among which there are pieces that aren't even anatomically correct. Even with stylization like anime, you can only bend the rules so far. As for the fifth, which one of the general rules were the referring to?

The background siren would be more my type. More playful if you will. She has her back towards you which is "no" in bodylanguage, but the glance over her shoulder says "you coming or what?". The tease. Plus, the front one has her teeth bare and it looks rather painful to be kissed (or other things I'm not supposed to mention in a professional, moderated forum that's a place to talk about all things related to computer graphics) by her.

[Thaldir]

LOL. RicoD, I can just see you swimming with those two!

Well, I reposted with a different title and got declined, reson being that (let me quote precisely)

This painting appears to have been created using photographic references. Please read the gallery rules and requirements regarding such works. If this was not created with references, please re-submit, and mention this in your image description

Given that as I've stated here I did use references (plural, and again references 'to look at', neither pasted together nor used as they are), that I would be hard pressed to find again all said references and that this piece will have no commercial use whatsoever anyway, I see no reason to try and contest the mods' opinion and will just keep it in my portfolio.

[Thaldir]

On to the next one with the first sketch.

Working title: City Patrol 2095.


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/PattugliaSketch.jpg

[stuh505]

Thalidr, I love your progress on the mermaid picture. There are a couple tihngs I think could be improved still, though I bet you're tired of working on it. One thing is that their hair looks very dry and is not clinging together like wet hair, and there is also no sign of water on their bodies. The other thing is that the photoshop gradient between skin and scales is a cheap fix (that is overly used) and doesnt make sense..it doesnt look right! I suggest a better kind of transition would be to have the scales become thinner and more transparent, but still draw them manually, as opposed to just mixing the two layers and hoping it looks good enough.

[Thaldir]

Hi, stuh505 and thanks for commenting.

Looks like I should have posted more detail shots. The original work is quite big, and much detail is lost in the resizing.

As you can see there *is* water on the bodies (at least the drops the sun hasn't dried already)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/SirensFinaldet2.jpg

and as to the tail-body transition, sorry to contradict but there were no photoshop gradient cheap fix and no mixing the two layers and hoping it looks good enough.

The scales are hand-drawn and increasingly transparent.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/SirensFinaldet1.jpg

If it looks wrong there are 2 possibilities:

A ) the compression to 800px lenght ruins the effect

B) I did made some sort of mistake drawing/painting the scales, and in that case I'll just count this one as a learning piece, practice more, and move on...

[Ivy00]

beautiful detail shots , I always love to see those on the larger works. A lot is lost when it is downsized.

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Ivy! :love:

I'll post more details next time, then! :)

[sandcastler]

The scale details are amazing! That must have been a lot of work. Though you can't see all of their tails, the hint of their tails is tantalyzing enough. I like the aquatic bit with the gills in the neck. What would've been great to see as well were that her fingers were webbed, had you spread them more across her face or chin. Wonderful work!!

[Thaldir]

Thank you, sandcastler, it's a pleasure to find you here!:)

I thought about adding webbed fingers, but after trying it out decided that this one looked better without, it felt a bit like the position of the hand was changed just to show off the webbing.
...Next time :) .

And now an update on City Patrol. It needs quite a lot of refining yet, and probably some details will be changed (like the mecha's left hand) but I'm happy about how it's shaping up, what do you say?

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/PattugliaWIP2.jpg

[Silmarien]

Tiziano, this is beautiful! Is it all hand-painted? Did you use photo reference? Because some parts of the architecture really look like photos.
I have no critic to offer, apart from the left hand you mentioned. Waiting to see more!

(P.S. I'm Stav from portrait adoption. Decided to start posting here :) )

[Thaldir]

Hi, Stav!:love:

I'm sure you'll enjoy it here.:)

I used a personal photo as reference for the Roman Arena and the mid-ground architecture. This is a corner of my home town, and I wanted to 'futurize' the place, so to speak, but to have it immediately recognizable for those who have seen it as it is now.
However, the whole is hand-painted (base in Painter, now I'm refining it in Photoshop), no collage of photo-bits in it. :)

Tonight I concentrated on the buildings in the back: refining them and playing with athmospheric depth and lights, here comes a detail.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/PattugliaWIP3.jpg

[RicoD]

Looks great again! I see that you're an architect. Do you use that experience when you paint? You're initial sketch, did you draw it out on paper, set up a 'framework' for perspective and such or do you do it all digitally? I can't believe you painted so much already!

[Thaldir]

Hi, RicoD!

Great to see you here again. :)

Well, no doubt architectural training helps, and that is true, imho of any kind of experience, be it scientifical illustration, design or what-have-you.

My first sketches are always traditional. I tried digital sketching but it's not my cup of tea, I'm afraid (a few years' experience in traditional-only drawing and painting have left their mark, I guess). ;)
I find that pencil sketching helps me get 'intimate' with my subject, so to speak, even though the final work almost invariably is somewhat different from the initial study.

[Ivy00]

awesome! the robot reminds me of Cylons in Battlestar Galactica. Dang Thaldir :thumbsup: you do have a talent for buidings

[Thaldir]

Thanks, Ivy :blush: :love:

Another update: I didn't really like the building behind the mecha, after a bit of thought I decided I needed some stronger lines directing the viewer eyes to it, and here they are, a sort of simil-Decò crazy oblique windows.

I also reworked the left forearm and hand of the mecha, I think the simpler design works better.

Ah, in case anyone wondered, blue and white are the colors of our municipal police.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/PattugliaWIP4.jpg

[Thaldir]

Hi, everyone! hope you had a great Easter week-end.:)

Here is the current progress:

Changed road and sidewalk position, refined the fence and the road, added the last touches to the buildings.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/PattugliaWIP5.jpg

Nest I'll finish the foreground lady and refine a bit the Arena, last will be the Mecha.

[Thaldir]

Here comes another detail...

Probably this is the last WIP posting for this piece, I hope to finish it tonight, so, if something looks off, please tell me. :)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/PattugliaWIP6.jpg

[Thaldir]

Hi!

"Downtown Patrol 2095" has been officially finished and has made it into the showcase gallery:)
(second page now).

Next I'll tackle a couple of portraits for Ellen Million's Portrait Adoption, but those won't be WIP, strictly speaking: the maximum size we are allowed to show around, per contract is smaller than the minimum allowed on CGTalk so I think I'll take advantage of *this* forum instead ;)

[Thaldir]

Hallo!

It will be a while before my next new work, so I thought of showing a couple of things I did for the Portrait Adoption site a few months ago.

The first is a Mech jokey, she does a special appearance in 'Downtown Patrol' as a 'Join!' poster.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/Tiziano_Baracchi_Mecha_Pilot_wm.jpg



I call the second one 'The Faithful Knight' I see him as a seasoned warrior, stern but kind that would really love to be allowed to lead a peaceful life.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/TBaracchi_knight.jpg

Watermark as per contract

[Ivy00]

Hey hey the robot turned out really nice I will have to go pay it a visit in the gallery. I like the portrait adoption images also. Those look like fun things to do :)

[OKMER]

Those picks rocks Tiziano!!!Maybe the first one I would just say that as she is in the foreground you could maybe darken a bit up the shadows and put in some more stronger highlight to pull here out of there some more.Tht would the only tiny litlle suggestion maybe.
That second one's really great!
Like the peacefull happy look in his eyes, great expression.
Top noth work mate!

[Thaldir]

Thank you, my friends! :)

Yes, Ivy, they are really fun (I am a portraitist, at heart) and the best thing about Portrait Adoption is that you can paint any kind of portrait you like (barring infringiment of copyright, of course) and the price is set by you.
It is meant as a ready-made portrait resource for role-players and the like (and all rights remain to you, but for that of exclusive use as character portrait).

OKMER: spot on. :) I really sinned in low contrast at the time I painted the first one, may touch it up at some point.
Glad you like the knight, we love it too, over here. The poor guy was shortlisted for Exposè but didn't make the cut...I'll take it as a sign I'm on the right track though, after all I just started working in digital last May :)

[RicoD]

Great portraits Thaldir!

I took a quick peek at the website. Is that you? You look like your knight in that photo.

So how does it work? Is it for online games or like tabletop D&D? So, people see your portrait and then contact you and go like 'yeah, can I have this knight with powder blue eyes?' and you then tell them 'sure. Show me the money' and it's completely theirs then ? Or do they get the right to use it.

[Thaldir]

Hey, RicoD, thanks! :)

Is that you? You look like your knight in that photo

Yes, that 'Tiziano Baracchi' it's me. :) Well, I guess something of the painter always trickles in the painting isn't that so? After all our faces are the ones we know best.

So how does it work?

Well, the primary target are the roleplayers: tabletop, on-line or whatever you like.

To have your work there you have to sign a contract (that is downloadable and written in plain English) the contract states your rights and the client's.
For instance: You are selling the right to use that specific work as character portrait, you state that you won't sell prints out of it (the client buys an extra-limited edition of 1 print).

The client gets to name the portrait and has the only print ever made. In case s/he wants to buy more rights s/he has to negotiate them separately.

You can use the piece for self-promotion (portfolio, submissions to annuals and so) and sell
items featuring it (mugs, t-shirts mousepads and so on, everything *but*prints).

Once the contract (and a few certificates of autenticity that you print out and sign) have been received, you get a log-in for the site's back-end, where you can upload your works, they are shown as you have seen, in the front page and on the artist's personal page.

Perspective clients can browse and search, if they find something they like they click on 'buy this portrait' and proceed to check-out, once payement has been cleared they receive their print, certificate and avatar-sized file and the site owner sends payment to the artist (your back-end page shows all your 'history' as a member).

You set the price, the owner of the site gets a small percentage (clearly stated beforehand) for handling all the technicalities (showcasing, printing and shipping, safe payement processing) and everybody's happy :)

Edit: 'adopt this portrait' button is visible 'after' you click on a thumbnail to see more details.

[RicoD]

Thanks for the extensive info! Sounds good! Definitely something I'll consider once my skills are more up to par. Certainly a good way to promote your work. How long did you spent on each portrait and on which size did you work?

[Thaldir]

Definitely something I'll consider once my skills are more up to par. Certainly a good way to promote your work. How long did you spent on each portrait and on which size did you work?

From what I see in your portfolio, man, you've nothing to worry about.:thumbsup: BTW if you (or anyone else) want to 'smell' the place, you can always join the forums there, we are a friendly bunch.:)

How long...well, keep in mind I've a full-time job, so I usually paint in the week-ends and a couple of hours in the evenings.

My average on those two (Photoshop only) was about a week, now that I'm doing the color base in Painter (and becoming more proficient with time) I find myself going faster. My newest portrait (to be posted soon) was made in about 10 hours.

I like working big: for half-body or full-body work I go for size A3, for face portraits (or little more than face) it's A4 (all at 300 dpi).

[RicoD]

Thanks for the compliment!

But you see, to me, times like those are really fast. For instance, I'm still rendering that girl with the big gun in black and white. Okay, I keep changing things and do some other stuff inbetween, so that doesn't help either, but still. And I'm only halfway with the girl. After that it's all the other stuff (all things I've never done before). Oh well, I'll get faster with more practice. And that's A4. You paint some things in A3? Oh man, that'd take me half a year. o_O (Bows to Thaldir)

[Ivy00]

newbie jumping up and down here :bounce:, got a question ermm what is A4, A3 etc?

[Thaldir]

(Bows back) don't worry, practice makes faster... and I feel cramped if I work small...


Sorry Ivy00! A4 and A3 are standard European paper sizes, A4 is more or less 8.5 X 12 while A3 is 12 X 17 (not exactly, but near enough).

...And while we are here...

This is my last offering, I call her 'First Mate'

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/FirstMatePA.jpg

Painter and Photoshop, size A4.

[RicoD]

Another great portret Thaldir!

Sorry Ivy00, didn't saw you jumping there, but if you're still at it *jumps along using disco dance moves thought long gone*. C'mon Thaldir, don't be a stick-in-the-mud. ;)

[Thaldir]

*Joins the fun, moving like a bear*, not much of a dancer, here, but...who cares? :bounce: LOL!

[Ivy00]

Nice portrait Thaldir :)

ahhhhhh that would explain why I didn't know what the A3 and A4 sizes were. Thanks

ha ha you guys dance pretty good I think the Tiziano bear shuffle will catch on around the world

[RicoD]

The bear? Hmm, you may have invented a new move there! Let's see, we could fit it in the lineup between the monkey and the twist and then move the swim to the back. *nods frantically*

[Thaldir]

*Keeps dancing waving a wacom and a stylus* :)

Here comes the next portfolio work: I mean for it to have a book-cover feel.

Those two are Chromis, a synthetic life form created by the Zeron (the aliens of my 'Alien Triad' piece) to serve as the quintessential warriors.

Background was modeled in Bryce and then painted (very basic, I know, but it is the first time I model something).

Of course this is a very rough color pass, still a lot to do...

[nblarson]

Wow, that's looking amazing...keep it up!

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Nick!

I hope you'll like this update too.
I made a few adjustements (the platform the girl is on, for instance), but I think what remains to do, now, it's just refining, the composition is set, IMO,

Anything looking off?

[Silmarien]

Beautiful as always!

The girl's pose, though, looks a bit awkward to me: her center of mass is behind the place where her legs touch the ground so it looks like she's going to fall on her back (unless she is holding something heavy that we don't see). I even tried this pose myself, and although her body is probably much more flexible than mine I don't think it's possible to stay stable in this pose.

Of course, if you have a direct reference for her pose you can ignore everything I wrote here :)

[RicoD]

Very cool! I also like the rippling distortion in the water that's being drained.

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Stav and Rico!:)

Stav, you're right, of course :) , I 'extremized' her pose (if that is even a word), it was on purpose, though.

I wanted to give the idea that is just a snapshot, a split second before she hurles herself in motion, and I also wanted to convey the idea that she's humanoid but not quite human, with in-human agility and balance (a bit Terminatrix-like if you wish).

I really hope she dosn't just scream 'awkward' though...:hmm:

RicoD : yay! I'm really happy that the draining water reads right, I was a bit worried about it given that the vat is in the background.
And thanks for the network request, it was much appreciated.:)

A bit of an update ('fraid I'm in love with this piece) ;)

[Silmarien]

Perhaps 'awkward' was the wrong word, umm... I don't know exactly how to say it... When I looked at the picture my first response was: "wow! amazing!". Then I took a longer look in order to appreciate it, and then: "wait a minute, something is wrong here...".

So it's not something that screams at you, it's more subtle. Maybe the problem is that the girl doesn't look dynamic enough - I don't know how to fix it but I'm sure you can find something :)

[Thaldir]

I tried a few things, but the remedy was worse than the problem (at least to my eyes). In the end I gave up and finished it as it was, now it's waiting validation to CGTalk.

Maybe a comment there will make a light bulb go on (assuming that it gets in and there *are* comments, of course) ;) :)

[Thaldir]

Well, 'Chromis: birth of a warrior' *has* been validated and at the moment is still in the first page of the 2d gallery. :)


While I catch my breath in preparation for the next piece, here is my most recent portrait for Portrait Adoption, a wood elf (aka copper elf).

It was born as a female, my wife's comment on seing it was: 'Nice elf bishi!' now I'm rather confused as to wich gender it is supposed to be... ;)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/ElvenScoutWM.jpg

[boeserWolf]

ha ... this sketch is really awesome, i love the fact that "it" seems to be settled between both genders, its true somehow it have male and female characteristics. Very enjoyable painting, thx for sharing Thaldir :buttrock: :thumbsup:

[RicoD]

Nice portrait work again! She reminds me of fashion models (a lot of them are balancing between male - female too). It's all part of the interest. We can't have ultra feminin women and macho men all the time. ;)

[Thaldir]

Thank you, both!

I'm really happy to read such appreciative words, it's very, very encouraging.:)

Next I'll do another portrait, to bring up my Portrait Adoption Gallery at five available pieces, it will be a barbarian girl this time...

And after that another portfolio piece, I had an idea I want to play with, even though horror isn't really a genre I do often...

[Ivy00]

now how did I miss these updates..... I have been in the crazy matte painting thread. That's my excuse anyway ha ha. Great new stuff Thaldir, love your latest portrait :)

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Ivy!

Love your matte, particularly the warm version. Have you seen Ballistic has opened submissions for 'D' Artiste Matte Painting 2 ' as well as 'Exotique 3'?

This is my latest portrait for PA.
I've started planning another portfolio work but that one will remain a secret...until it's ready to be posted on the Showcase gallery ;)

[Ivy00]

ohh hey that's nice :) No I didn't see they opened up the matte painting entries , thanks for that info. The one I am working on is my first, saw the challenge come up and have to give it a shot. I would love to see you post some start to finish wip things Thaldir, then I can take a peek into your brain and process ha ha.

[Thaldir]

Thanks, Ivy! :)

One of my next projects is a matte, I'll be sure to post in the matte forums and I'd definitely welcome any imput.

It will feature an half-ruined castle, orchards and a town in the distance (peding agreement with the author of the article I'm illustrating, of course).

[vivien82]

ciao tiziano! your sirens are really amazing! did yo manage to post them in the gallery in the end?? complimenti!!!

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Vivien!

Halas, no. They are in my portfolio but not in the gallery here.

...Although they seem to be quite popular over at CG Gallery (the French-based site) ;)

Mille grazie!

[Thaldir]

Hi, friends!

Just a note to let you know my 'mistery piece' just went up in the 2D gallery...:) .

[Thaldir]

Revised version of 'An Infernal Tale' posted....that will teach me to skip the WIP forum... ;)

Official thanks to RicoD for his suggestions.:thumbsup:

[RicoD]

No prob, just glad to hear you took it as constructive critisism! :) When I clicked on the link and I got an internal error for a second I thought I was banned or something. :eek:

[Thaldir]

Oh, my!I'm sorry! Since I wanted to resubmit, instead that just post it in the old thread, I deleted the old one.

Rest assured that critiques like yours will be always welcome in my threads.:)

[OKMER]

Always and everytime a pleasure to walk through your thread Tiziano!!!Eyecandy!
Love your work!

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Okmer! You're always very kind (not to mention a great inspiration).


Here is the preliminary sketch of my new piece: a curious fairy with her two Cairy friends (more on them later) has found something strange in the forest.

[RicoD]

Wow, you keep them coming! Decided to go back to the supermodel type? ;)

Composition question though. The focus seems to lie on the red cat (or red furry mystical feline creature if you will). is it as you intended?

[Thaldir]

Sorry for disappearing, RicoD!

You're perfectly right, I think I'll play with the color scheme a bit, maybe red on the girl's wings/aura and green-yellow on the kitty.

...But she'll have to wait a bit, I just landed a juicy private commission with a two-weeks deadline and that definitely comes first.


I'll post soon on your thread, I promise!
I keep wanting to but I'm lacking the time to do a thourough post there (or anywhere else) you're allowed to thump me on the head if I don't in a couple of days, though ;) :)

[RicoD]

Nah, don't sweat it! Works comes first (but don't tell your wife I said that). ;)

I often want to put a comment on a thread, but skip it because I know it'll be long and I'm pressed for time. Same with long e-mails.

Good luck with your commision! Maybe if you're allowed to show it (or later, when they're using it) you can show us.

[Thaldir]

Thank you, RicoD! :)

The commission is finished at long last and I'm authorized to show it, it went up this morning in GCTalks...

[CyborgJA]

I love the composition of this new picture : the hook works perfectly !
The palette alreadt seems to work. I'll wait to see hoe you'll refine the subjects

Good work !!

[Thaldir]

Thank you, Serena! I've disappeared for a while, but I must say I enjoyed your updates very much, I was just too busy to post decent comments... :(

This one will stay on hold for a bit... I've taken into my head to try some matte-painting, hopefully making something to propose for Digital Mattepainting 2, so I'll concentrate on that for a while (thread started on the mattepainting WIP forum).

This fairy piece will be the next one, though, I promise!

[CyborgJA]

Oh well, I'll wait !

Please, can you post or send as pvt msg the link to the matte painting thread?
Cg servers' close connection when I try to have a search (maybe they are too busy).

Thank you very much

[Thaldir]

Thank you for asking, Serena!

the Matte thread is here http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=196&t=510423

and if you want to see more fairies ;) the Challenge thread is here :

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=225&t=510872


I like a lot how your latest work is developing, and I'm really envious (in a good way) of your skill with horses... :)

[CyborgJA]

Thank you!

Uuuuhh the challenge... I hope to find time for it...I'm drooling at the idea....

[Thaldir]

There are four months... I would love to see what you come up with for this one.

[Thaldir]

Here is the final (hopefully) of my first serious attempt at matte painting, work title was 'Escape' but the final one will probably be 'Fugue'.

Comments, observations constructive critiques are always welcome


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/EscapeWipFinal.jpg

[RicoD]

Hey Tiziano!

Very nice! It has a great sense of direction to it. The eye escapes along with the escapers! I also like the textures a lot. :thumbsup:

One thing I noticed in some of your work though: Often, your organic shapes seem to have an irregular glow. Is it intentional?

[Thaldir]

Hey, Rico!

It's always a pleasure to see you here! :)

Yes, the glow is intentional, it is the sort of halo effect that light often gives when hair or similar are involved (look at Royo's works for instance). It is irregular because that's how the effect appears in nature, otherwise (at least to me) it looks artificial and the figure appears pasted on.

Do you find it excessive or overstated? Shall I tune it down? :)

[RicoD]

Hmm, I never quite looked at the halo effect, altough I'm aware of it.:hmm: It seems to me it's both material dependant as lighting dependant.

I understand the non-rusty part of the statue and the silvery suits would reflect the light a lot, but the rubber / leather of the soles of the boots? And I wonder, the weathered parts of the statue would probably reflect the light less intense as well. Wouldn't that affect the halo effect? I think it might be more elegant if it was used more sparsely. :shrug:

For instance your mermaids (still my favorite! :thumbsup:) had it in a less noticable manner. It was more supportive, whereas now I find it a bit clashing with what ought to get more attention.

[Thaldir]

Thanks, Rico! You always help me to ...how do you say it in English... make my thoughts clerer...

For the two figures, part of it is the halo effect, part the fact that they are far and backligted, as for the rest... I'm playing with it reducing the effect right now...

In fact it is sort of a pet peeve of mine, and this time, doing something new for me I probably didn't pay as much attention to the 'usual things' (as much as I'm an architect by training, as you know I've more practice painting portraits).

P.S. since yesterday I adjusted the conduits' perspective too, it was a little off.


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/EscapeWipFinalRevised-1.jpg

[CyborgJA]

Oh well I saw it posted at 2D gallery. Bravo !


Now... what will you produce next? ;)

[Thaldir]

And here comes another matte, I couldn't resist the idea of having another piece ready before the deadline for 'D'Artiste Mattepainting 2' .

After this one I'll definitely concentrate on the Challenge...

Last stages of work, just some refining due on the middleground and I'm liking it a lot, thing that has all sort of alarm bells going. Am I missing something obvious? :)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/SecretMeetingWip.jpg

[Thaldir]

Here are the references I used (my own).

The castle:


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/CourtyardReference.jpg



and the car:


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/Thaldir/CarReference.jpg

[CyborgJA]

Great car's reference :drool:

Take care of the light between the castel and the car. I'm unable to find its source

[Thaldir]

Thank you! I've been lucky enough to find a sports car meeting nearby by happenstance: Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborginis, you name it... :) *great* reference for futuristic vehicles IMO.

You're right about the light, but that was a progress shot with the lamp only planned for, not yet included. It is there in the final . :)

[CyborgJA]

well, in this case, nothing to say :)

[Thaldir]

:) Thanks, Serena!

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