Priestess WIP

[Archvilell]

I think I'd show some highlights and shadows in the muscles of the neck, and bring out the collar bone. Maybe a touch more definition in the bicep area, just to show a little form, but not so much to make her look like a body builder. You've also got what my art teacher calls a "tangent," an area where two shapes lie right next to each other, where the eye on the right meets the hair. Tangents tend to stop the eye from moving around the art and stare are the spot where they touch. Since her eyes are kind of far apart (in an intentional way, it looks believable), you could scoot the eye closer to the nose a bit and move the hair the opposite direction to open up a bit of space. Conversely, you could move the hair to cover the corner of the eye giving a kind of sexy look, maybe not entirely appropriate for a priestess, but it could be done.

As a disclaimer, I'm not an established artist yet - I'm still a student, so my suggestions could be flawed. But at least they are something to think about.

Other than that, it looks really nice. For me, painting in Photoshop is difficult, so looking at stuff like this is inspiring. Good job so far and good luck on the contest!

Ben

[ajinak]

Archvilell, thanks for critique, it was well understandable and will be usefull ;) I was going to some art courses, but never heard of 'tangent' - I understood what you meant, so I will try to fix it. Also good point about the neck, I was thinking about making the collarbone, but totally forget..
Well, I'm going to work on it - I hope I can post some progress soon..

[ajinak]

Just a small update (not sure if I work on it more today, so I post it) in the area of neck and collarbone and a bit in background. I'm still thinking what to do with her belt - first I thought it should have some decoration, but maybe it's not necessary... I'll see later, maybe just try it...

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7929/priestessprocg2gf9.jpg

[Archvilell]

Right where the top necklace falls on the neck should be the collarbone. Right now, you've got considerable shading in the face and the cleavage, but it's flat in the neck. The collarbone is readily visible on most everyone, and with the addition of that, I think it will take a good step forward to looking more real. Here's a reference I found via Google. Hopefully the link works.

http://www.fotosearch.com/bigcomp.asp?path=PHT/PHT260/PAA260000038.jpg

Shame the watermark is right in the middle of the neck, but you can see around that and see the throat, where the trapezius (spelling?, the triangle muscles connecting the back to the neck) muscles start, and the clavicle. With some highlights and stronger shadows there, it should bring your model to life pretty rapidly.

Ben

[DArcy1]

Anatomy is not my strong point so I will leave those corrections to others (except to say that until you are really good you should always always always use it).

I will comment on the lighting though: it's not consistent.
In any simple scene you will usually have 2 light sources, the direct, bright light and a dimmer ambient light that illuminates everything that is not in the path of the main light. So if you were inside in a red room lit by fluorecent (bluish) desklight on the left, looking at a white vase, it would look bluish-white everywhere the fluorecent light hit it (the left hand side) and a duller, reddish color on the right hand side. This is because the red walls act as though they are a dim light source.

Outside, as you are here, there are also 2 light sources - a strong yellow/white light (the sun) and a dim blue light - the sky. This is where the old "warm highlight/cool shadow" thing comes from.

The first question you have is: where is the sun shining from? There a couple of possibilities based on your painting. It could be bright, coming in very low and from the left (based on the etching in your balcony). It could be bright, coming from above and slightly to the front of her (based on her dress). It could be dim, coming horizontally from behind the viewer straight on frontally to her (based on the vase in the background).

Second question is: is your main light the sun (warm) or a blue spotlight over to her left that is only shining on her face and nowhere else? (which would explain the blue highlight on her face).

For me the best parts of this are where your direct light skin tones are (mostly) warm e.g. on her forehead, and indirectly lit areas like *her* left shoulder are cooler.

So: pick your sunlight color as warmish. Pick your shadow color as coolish. Pick where the sun is, exactly. Draw parallel lines to show where the direct light is going to hit. Paint the direct areas warm, the other areas cool.

Here are 2 sketches that Hecartha did to help me with a painting I was working on that may help:

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p76/hecartha/Unseeing-Atmospheric-Study.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p76/hecartha/Unseeing-DirectLight.jpg

Hope that helps.

D'Arcy

[ajinak]

Hey people, you are wonderful :) I apologize I don't have time to reply now (have to switch off the computer), but I read it carefully and both references you gave me are great. Thanks a lot and hopefully tomorow something new to post..

[ajinak]

So I finally found some time to work on. I did only a few quick changes (hopefully improvements) like light on the left side shoulder, finishing a bit more that vase behind her and trying to do something to her jewelery - I'm not sure, if it looks better together, but at least it's more real than before - maybe I will do that thing on her forehead less decorated/waved? Not sure yet..
And I'm also thinking about her belt - if it's better to make some decoration or ornament on it, or just leave it as it's now (just a blue band)? I'll see when I have time.. I also have to do something to her hair - it looks quite unnatural now, like a head-falsie :)

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3553/priestessprocg3an3.jpg

and some detail..

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/5696/detailprocg2xa3.jpg

[ajinak]

Hello after some time :)
Priestess is finished by now and I'll put her into gallery as soon as that contest ends (I don't really think I might win something, but if there is still hope, I just have to wait). Unfortunately I didn't made many changes because lack of time..

Instead of that I post something new (it's not a 'priestess' but I just want to spare some space and not make a new thread, hope it won't be confusing)
It's just 2 days work by now and as usual I was in hurry and made all my old mistakes with volume and light again - next time I'll probably kick myself before starting anything new..

A working title was - 'Tamed and blind' - but I don't think she is still blind. Seems like she's sleeping or dying or something between. And he's not tamed any more. I want to create some kind of a fairy-tale atmosphere in the end. It's still full of droughts (like flat dragon face, poorly defined textures and also lack of properly done lights and shadows.. and many more) and definitely not finished.
Maybe I just want to know if you have some feeling when you look at it, or some idea or whatever. My boyfriend doesn't like these themes so I have to search for understanding elsewhere.. I will try to update gradually, but I'm not sure about time - our high school term is slowly ending and everything gets harder (and painting at night is nice relax, you know :))

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/9370/tamedandblindeu8.jpg

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