The Violinist

[phoenix1001]

My image is not displaying.

[phoenix1001]

http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=00violinist35copysmallne7.jpghttp://img413.imageshack.us/img413/7982/00violinist35copysmallne7.jpghttp://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=00violinist35copysmallne7.jpg
All comments welcomed.

[BetterthanBunnies]

Hey there. She's looking pretty good. I especially like her outfit. I think she's holding the bow wrong, though, you might want to tinker with that. The highlights on the satin are nice.

[phoenix1001]

Thanks BetterthanBunnies. I will try to adjust the bow position. Will soon update.

[phoenix1001]

Here's an update. I think she is just posing with the bow & not actually playing.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4282/postyv5.th.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=postyv5.jpg%5D%5Bimg=http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4282/postyv5.th.jpg

[BetterthanBunnies]

Um...okay...just keep in mind that it's a major no-no for violinists to hold the bow like that...their finger oils will ruin the horsehair. All you need to do is move the bow up so she's holding it at the end. Those are just my thoughts though, it's your picture so you decide what you want. The background is nice.

[gauravindian]

Nice use of colors.And shadows are also good.Have you used Wacom Tablet?

[phoenix1001]

I was wondering about the colors but it came out nice.

Thanks gauravindian. Yes i have used Wacom Tablet. I don't think its possible to create good digital art without the tablet even if its possible its too tough for me.

[SocialSystem]

betterthanbunnies is right, the bow should be held at the end and is actually held with the fingertips. Right now it just looks like it's floating and the hand isn't holding the bow at all, only covering it. If you need pictures don't be afraid to look up references; if you can't find any i did play the violin for a long time and could take pictures for you.

The violin itself looks very nice. It's very hard to draw violins especially from the side like that. You're missing the holes--I cant for the life of me remember what they're called--on either side between the bridge and the base of the fingerboard, but that's the only problem I really see. I would also add a bigger range of colors to the violin and the bow--generally the bridge is a light brown, the pegs are black, and the strings should be white. The fingerboard and chin rest are also usually black. I would just take a dark brush and start adding some nice dark contrast to the violin.

In your picture the violin itself is coming straight out of her neck. The violin is generally held out at an angle, I'd say it's usually around 45 degrees and if not 45 it's always closer to the shoulder than the front of the neck. Violins just aren't held directly in front of the neck. I would angle it a little more away from the viewer. Personally I would also shift the instrument a little upwards; it is possible to hold the violin tilted downwards like that but usually that's not how it's held; however the downward angle adds emotion to her pose and for this picture you may want to keep it that way just to hold on to the mood you've captured thus far.

The left hand is definitely holding the violin wrong but right now I'm more concerned with the anatomy of the hand. The fingers look like they just have two joints and the middle finger is growing out of her forefinger. The palm shouldn't be facing the viewer; it should actually be facing her.

I can't tell which way her torso is facing but I'm hardly an expert at in depth anatomy critiques so I'll step out of this one. Her shoulders are extremely obvious however. The shoulder is too curved and too far out. I think the line on the inside of her arm, around where her armpit should be, should begin a little higher up and is too far to the left at the top. The arm looks really thin and unnatural but I think it starts to look a little better closer to the elbow. The joint of the elbow should acually be down by her hips, unless you're trying to foreshorten it, which it doesn't really look like you are.

Her face is turned slightly away from the viewer and I love her expression, but from this angle the curve in the center of the lips shouldn't be visible.

Again I'm definitely not the most reliable source when it comes to in depth anatomy critiques. While I do have a pretty good grasp of anatomy there are much better artists than myself here that would be able to give you a lot more help than I can.
That being said, I beg everyone to correct, comment, or elaborate upon anything I've mentioned in this post so that I and everyone reading may learn from my mistakes.

Overall I absolutely love her expression and the gracefulness of the colors and the pose. I think the painting job looks beautiful so far and you've chosen a great color scheme. I can't wait to see the final picture. It's a beautiful idea and composition. Thanks for sharing.

[BenCole]

i like what youve got so far, but to risk sounding like a broken record, the only thing that bothers me is how she holds the bow as well. i played the violin for quite a while and it just makes it look wierd, way too far up the bow and not held by the fingertips

[phoenix1001]

Thanks guys. I do agree with your comments. As i concentrated more on colors this time rather than the artwork i think i would be remaking it in the future by keeping proper points in mind. Way too busy right now but i would redo it later.

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