Character: Women Hunter Knight

[MARW]

http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/bw-comp.jpg
Ok, so I got a new computer with a Wacom and had a go. I used PS CS3 Chalk brush with Dynamic opacity and flow and I loved it! But what to do now, Work on details I supose? Realy appreciate any pointers. What should I work on to make it a strong concept?

I feel really unsecure about colors, so I think Ill wait until I grasp the grayscale.

[BigRoyNL]

Since you're working on a female model I would refine the head because at the moment it seems more like a chubby man (in the photoshop render). Besides that the top back of the head seems a little like a cone and seems weird. The bird on the hand seems a little weird because it looks like it's holding the bird on one finger as if there's air on it and it doesn't have any weight. The finger looks to 'weak' to hold the little bird, can't actually think of how to refine that than besides thickening the finger a really tiny bit. About the bird, you should refine the birds face like the mouth and maybe a tiny eye with lighter reflection. The eyes of your character seem like little dots in the middle of the eye. Check this LINK (http://oni.bungie.org/archives/drawing_konoko/eyes_sm.gif) for a nicer eye concept, because these are female eyes you should giving it this charming look (with the nice shiney reflection and such) because this brings out more female characteristics. The nose seems a little bit long (tall), I think you should shorten this up a little bit and lower the eyes with it (and when you then remove the little cone on the back of the helmet) it would work out because you then see a little more of the female forehead.

I would love to actually see hair coming out from underneath the helmet and falling on the shoulder and behind her, but I think that kills the feeling of a real hunter knight that's living in a hard time.

I hope you consider my pointers as a help. I mean you're going the good way, but i've now been looking for things to critique and there are also things I should say "Good going!" for, but I just thought you were more waiting for things to refine than just hearing me say: OMG, don't change a thing.. you just created a new piece of art. I'll buy for 2 million bucks.

Ok, I talk to much.. now back to work. LOL.
I'll be waiting for your update

[matsman]

Hey.. you are certainly on the right track... very nice that she is not naked :) Since that would be so damn stereotypical.
I have to agree with BigRoy on the things he mentioined... the head looks a little off and the helmed seems like leather... however I think it is meant to be metal... So that means it has to have a stronger form of itself.

On the color thing:
The nice thing about photoshop is that you can simply make a new layer and go wild... and if you don't like it... you can change it of even delete it and start over... So go crazy and see if something turns up. The Obvious color choices are ofcourse earthtones (brown, green, reddish, yellowish) But since she is a knight she will undoubtedly have some banner colors on in her clothes/armor.

Last but not least... you are making concept art... is it just to vidualize atmophere and style or are people going ot be making her from this picture... In the last case you need to make it extremely easy to see what she looks like, you need the picture to communicat and not make some awesome visual... since it serves a purpose.

Anyway... I'll keep a look out on where you are going with this and yes I talk to much as well ;)

Cheers!

[MARW]

Thanks for som great remarks BigRoy. She def. needs to be more gorgeous, the face needs alot of work. I think the pose could be more dynamic, I think I will let the bird take of in a big wing stroke to make it more alive. (she prob still needs to hold up 2 fingers :) )

Matsman: Im thinking more of this image as storytelling and visual theme. In a later stage I would render the armor in draft views for the modelers.

[MARW]

So since I did not really know what to to with the face I made a face study and tried my second photoshop render. I goes really quick, I love it!

http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/women-face.jpg
sketch book, mechanical pencil 0,5
http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/woman-face-render.jpg
Photoshop 30 minutes

What do you think?

[MARW]

OK, so this been harder, three tries and I can't make her face look striking from a distance, she kind of looks like hitler! Please help!

http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/women-and-bird.jpg

[Tirjasdyn]

She looks too much like a young boy.

Though I hate perpetuating sterotypes...long hair and/or breast would help.

[matsman]

If I were in your situation... I would hit the internet or grab my camera... to get a female head that has about the look you want. That way you have solid reference for where you are going and what is going on. Since these things are usually small details.

If you feel that painting after a photo is cheating... i would suggest you look at the shape of the cheekbones, the size of the nose and the height of the fore head. I think these things make the face look boyish. Also always very good is to make the lips a little larger than life.

and by the way... I think the two fingers is still not enough to hold the weight of the bird kicking off... but that is details.

good Luck!!

[MARW]

http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/women-and-bird2.jpg
Well Matsman I took your sugestion and made her more kliché beutiful and I think it worked. I also made her look at the bird to get a stronger sense of presense. Now I need to get the pose right and finish her of.

[llama-d]

I think that the face looks much better now, it has more value and the is more defined. I also think that the bird should be causing the fingers to at least be giving way to the push of the bird, but again, thats just details.

[LFEvans]

I also really like how you've changed this.

Adds so much more life and movement to it.

Before they both (the bird and the woman) looked very stiff... and well.. I thought the bird looked quite a bit like a stuffed bird!

My only commend regarding the way the bird is resting on the woman's hand. Keep in mind a hawk is not a parakeet. Not a small light bird you would hold with only your fingers! I would have her holding the hawk with her fist, or all the fingers together.. to emphasize the weight of this powerful bird! :)

[matsman]

Looks very promising, I like her looking at the bird and I also like the improvements on the helm.
Keep up! It's coming along great!!

[MARW]

http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/women-and-bird3.jpg
I made some adjustments to the body to give it a bit more dynamic weight. Aded some leather gloves and a inner arm "bow string" protector to ad to her archer credability. Never spent so much time on a quick concept :) Please continue with all the feedback, its a great motivator.

[matsman]

Hello, Nice update! This pic makes me want to see some colors :)

I have a few point that didn't felt good for me. So I did a quick overpaint since it is kind of hard to explain. Most of it has to do with the bulkiness of the armor and I think the pose can be changed around a little, the rotation of her hips seems a little strange. Anyway here is what I would do.
http://www.matstm.com/CGtalk/women-and-bird3.jpg

Note: if you don't agree with me do it your own way. I won't hate you for it :) .

PS: I just saw that her right knee (on my drawing has no bend... which it actually should do a bit to make the stance natural.

[MARW]

http://www.martinsjournal.com/images/womenknigh-with-bg.jpg
Thanks Mats man. The hips and legs been wrong from the start. I really learned that its very hard getting things to work if your perspective is not working from the begining. I drew this one without referense. They are working better now, and I will try to improve my perspective in my next concept. I´m getting a litle tired of this one. :P

I wonder how to color it, any tips?

[matsman]

Little Tired eh? I can imagine... have the same thing myself when working on a project for some weeks after a time (sometimes even after some days... but than I lack caffeine :P )

I have still three points on this. To me the feet and ankle's look a litlle to small/thin. And the same with the hands and forearms. That's two points and the third is a little indentation in the bodyarmor just to show where the breasts end (underneath) I thought I had that in my overpainting...

And about the color: I say thow a color layer over this one and go crazy... well not crazy actually, I would keep the colors to earthtones (greens, browns, some red) and some high contrast detail colors, like blue or yellow... also a good idea would be to make the bird and the human look a little alike in color.

So lets get going with this project. What is the next concept you are going to tackle?

[DerrickSong]

wow, i can see a big improvement from the beginning untill now, this piece is getting better and better everytime i view it. You should keep it up and go for the colouring stage, it can be your good folio.

I agree with the points that mastman mentioned about, just do some minor changes on the feet and hand and you can process it to the colouring stage, and i suggest to make the border with some brush stroke, right now is quite even.

For the colouring, you can try to add a layer on top on your black and white artwork ( if you are using photoshop ), and change the layer blending mode to " colour ", it is how i do the early stage of colouring, hope it will help.

[Cunning]

Hi m8!,

Nice improwment, like the details of the gloves the stitches and the bowman arm cower.
Sweet whit the banner, looks good that it goes outside tha frame.
looking forward to the coloured pict ^^

Kåre

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