oh MY!!!
i flipped the image and discovered how incorrect is this drawing =(
i fixed a few things … but still not good.
here is what i’ll do now:
i will make the details in the alien.
i’ll flip again to correct the rest of mistakes.
i’ll fix the colors and lighting.
and then i’ll make the background.
i hope i have time … the end is coming!!!
Oo
darn … we have something in common … rush! … the end is coming!! 
even im struggling to finish my entry
by the way … this is pretty good … u can try and add some texture to the alien’s body …
on the other hand … me will wait to see your next update 
cheers dude!
Hi Laurentino! You are doing pretty well here with your alien pic!
Is good that you flipped it, It helps lots! I have to say I took the liberty to paste your image in Photoshop and flipped it to see. that one you fixed already I don’t see it so bad, I do that all the time with my work and most of the time the eyes are un aligned and the heads kinda point to the left, I don’t know if this happened to you, But I’d suggest to keep working in ‘flipped’ until you feel you fixed the most of it, but keep flipping back to see it looks good both ways.
I was wondering if you started with a black background and then added lights, It looks like you did because your shadows tend to become grayish, which kills pastel colors like skin too easily, I suggest that first you boost the saturation of your whole image a bit, then grab an airbrush brush at, say… 30% opacity and add more color in the zones where light and shadow meet, lets say a good brown in the hue of orange for the skin, and so, don’t be afraid to try many hues of green for the alien skin, it could be more even more yellowish in the features of the face or at the ends of tentacles, who knows what color are they anyway? but, hey! lets also check the light source…
You used a light from the left, but also a back light from the right, which creates some sort of aura around the kid (he has light borders at booth sides) that is a good choice since it makes the kid stand up against the busy tentacle shapes, but you have to justify that light when you render the background so it’ll feel more natural, also, for this kind of image and it’s dark background you could use a colored backlight, it will be less strong than the main light source and also more easy to tell from each other, so it doesn’t appear that the kid has an outer glow.
As for the face there’s nothing better than googling for smiling kid pictures and grab some of this and some of that, your main problem is with the shadow under the cheeks, that you need to add so the face won’t look flat, also shape the chin (As you can see you have no shadow under it). Your firs post of the head (the darker one) Is actually real good, It even has greenish hues on the skin, that helps for natural look, and his expression is clearer in my opinion, again, the cheeks don’t have much volume, but you could borrow from the way you applied the shadow on that one and improve it with photo reference.
The backlight effect on the hair is very good, and that’s not easy to do. if you want to improve it, again your best bet is photo reference, and variation of hues (maybe a gentle amber shine on the right part).
I hope this helps a bit, see you around!!
ye neville
the time don’t wait for us … it’s sad … but it’s something to motivates to end it … to proof to ourselves that we can do =)
gabriel
thanks a lot for the tips … your post will help a lot =)
what u said about the eyes unaligned and the head … it’s exactly what happens … im still learning to flip my drawings to see these problems.
i started with a dark background … almost black ^^ … i did it because i always started with light backgrounds and now im trying to change … i think it’s better use a darker one but im still getting use to it.
i always had problems with colors … i think im better now … but i never tried a complex lighting before … now i see how difficult is it.
i used a photo reference for the kid… my little cousin … but he wasn’t smiling … i have to look for it … u are totally right =)
now i will try everything u said … thanks a lot =)
i made some changings in the kid.
i tried to follow the sugestions of Gabriel Vera … i found a very nice picture of a child smiling and changed the mouth … i tried to fix the meeting of shadows and lights … i flipped a lot to make the less weird as possible on the flipped view … the chin has shadows now ^^ … and i also changed the eyes … and i think it’s better now.
i hope i have some update in this weekend =)
see ya
i’m trying some texturing in the tentacles!
this is quite difficult!
does anybody has some tips? =)
i made the tentacles …and now i’m going to the body and face!
i’ll probably back to the tentacles … but i decide to carry on the painting because the time is running!
Oo
did you use scattered brushes? they are great for these effects, at least the base and then you add some volume… some sine would make those spots a bit raised and slimy…
well
i didn’t know how to work the body … then i remembered the tutorial made by Goro Fujita on his thread about patterns … and i solved to try.
i think it works … what do you think??
thank you Goro for sharing your knowledge =)
i’m still thinking how to work the face and the hands!
Gabriel … thanks again for helping me!
but i don’t know if i understand well (sorry, i’m still learning english^^)… when you say SINE … is it something like curves?? waves? … like the reflection of the skin?? i’ll try this anyway … but if i’m wrong about you said… please let me know =)
and i used a scattered brush … i’m still tring to find a good one for this!
well … i’ll keep going … we have two more days after today
Oo
this is almost the final image!
i’ll see if i can do something else
on background i used a custom brush i learned from Bobby Chiu’s book … it’s a textured brush … but i used a different texture!
so … soon i’ll be back for the FINAL IMAGE! =)
Wow the skin texture is much improved now, Great!
and I have to say I’m sorry, By SINE I meant SHINE (It was a mistake) more defined lights to make the tentacles look wet… thats it
Almos there pal, keep it up !! !!
ow … shine … i understand now! 
so … i tried the best i could to do that … but i think it could be better!
anyway … the time is over … i have to post the last image now!
thanks a lot for the help! =)
It is 2020! The life in Earth is the same that was in the last 20 years. Everybody is just worried about their own business and problems. Suddenly, the sky is full of strange machines. No one can see the sky anymore, and everybody is scary and don’t know what is going to happen! These strangers invaders are making the world a huge mess.
They have a plan to conquer this planet. Every “soldier” has to worry about one single person in the world. And one of these “soldiers” faces an innocent kid! And what happens here?
The invader is even more scared than everyone in the world! He sees the kid playing with a toy that has just the same aspect of his race!
The invader don’t know what to do and back to his ship.
He warns the others invaders and they leave the planet to think about what happened and what to do! Maybe they can back to the Earth to persist with the invasion … or maybe not!
What to think about this picture!?
Is the kid just an innocent child who’s playing with his toy and didn’t see what happened … or … (something really happened here!).
???
well
this was my first challenge!
=)
I thought if i should enter this challenge during a few days. I thought because i was a little scared to face this reality. I always made simple works, nothing really huge, you know … and here there is a lot … i mean, A LOT of extraordinary artists. And i didn’t know if i was prepared to participate in a competition with so good people working.
But i thought, and i decided to come in.
Why i made this decision? Because i didn’t have nothing to lose. Actually, i had a lot to win. It doesn’t matter if i don’t feel like a master artist … i had to try … i had to have this experience! … And It was good … it was REALLY good!
Being in contact with all these good artists is a bless … and i am so happy to see everybody’s works. See the progress of everyone it’s a process of learning that you can’t easyly have!
So i have to thanks everyone … for being so great artists … for inspiring me and making me keeping here!
I want to make a special thanks for Gabriel Vera for taking his time to analising my drawing and giving me tips … really good tips … his feedbacks helped me a lot (i don’t know if i could make how he told me … but i tried ^^)
A feedback is the best thing you can have when you are doing something! This is not just for artists … it is for every professional. It is because you can see your work with someone else eyes … with someone else experiences … and someone else concepts
of working, of life! … and this way, you forgot for a little bit that is you that is working … and you can do something you had never imagined. So Gabriel … a huge THANK YOU for every post you made here!
I also want to thanks Bobby Chiu … he has a lot of podcasts … and these videos are a big source of motivation for me! … i’m sure this happens with a lot of people either! … i’m telling this because i had a lot of doubts in what i’m doing for my life … and i still have … but his words just made me rise my head up and keep going in what i believe!
So … thanks to Bobby Chiu again! =)
And thank you everybody in CGsociety …for doing challenges like this one … and for having this space to everybody share experiences!
Again
I’m very happy for all this
See you
(i’ll be always around here ^^ )
Hi Filipe pal! I have to say I’m happy this all helped you and Is great that you made up your mind and joined the challenge, as you said no one has anything to loose here, and It was a real good time!!
As the final came close your piece evolved a lot, the kid now looks more of the first skeches, a bit naughty, enjoying his power over the little toy, but suble enough too. there’s 2 more weeks time now and I could suggest you to work the area between the Alien’s nose and mouth… but thats all up to you, we are all a bit tired now…
Is great to hear you’ll be around! I will too for sure, and so we will meet egain and have a great time !! thaks a lot to you too, and cheers!
good work on the alien skin! 
its a good thing you participated … its a memorable experience! even i was overwhelmed, so much talent! its simply amazing! all these artists teach us something very important … learning to appreciate and help others in need or to improvise … hope to see you in the next challenge! its gonna be even more fun! good luck with the finals! cheers mate!
well
it’s not over!
i discovered it in the next morning of the old deadline … and i just find time again now!
i’m happy that we have more time … there is a lot of works that i want to see done and they are still not.
i worked the alien face as Gabriel Vera suggested (thanks again man) … and now i look to it and think: “how i submited the old face so many times??” ^^
i found an old man face and used it as reference to work that area between the nose and mouth.
This weekend i am certainly working a little more on the whole composition.
I’ll just fix some details and trying to get better before submit the final image again.
SteevieWoo … i owe you this image ^^
and you have a masterpiece on this challenge … i loved your scene! … it is so inspiring =)
Neville … your words were, and still are very important to make me go on!
and not just your words … you have a beautiful work here!
Soon … i’ll be back!
=)
i think that’s it!
i worked a little more on the alien skin, because the pattern i made seemed to be a bit unnatural … so i made a hand work on it.
i think it’s better now
i wish i could try some different textures =( … but i’ll have other opportunities for this.
anyway
here are some close-ups =)
… i will submit the new final image soon!
=)
