Cant really understand your arguing…
Its totally fine with me, when you dont agree, but strange to see you getting rude after reading an input concerning your own work.
I can feel a strong aversion for black there! You remind me on an art teacher of mine decades ago, who simply took away the black of my pallette, while being a sort of pre-gothic lady herself, wearing only black…
come on dude really…pre-gothic lady … that how I’m coming off?
Thats the thing about forums, It’s all on how you read it.
keep doing art, peace out.
I like the storybook feel overall. Are you going to push the shadows a bit more so that it has a bit more “punch” and pops those highlights?
I love deep contrast as I used to be a screenprint artist, so I may be a bit biased.
Color pallet and overall tone is very nice though, soft shadows are a sweet touch. Keep up the great work 
@ rownd: It takes long till i ignore someone, but your irrational conclusions here are hardly worth to get answered. Ive meant that this whole discussion about black reminds me on that teacher, which has nothing to do with you personally.
@ nocturne33x: Thank you very much for the kind words! Yes, the lighting mood is kept more rudimentary at the moment. There will be probably a slight development already visible in the next update, when having the fireplace and pushing the overall mood gently toward the final appearance. Im not 100% sure yet about the final amount of shadowing and saturation, it depends also a bit on the black outlines, their strength not defintive before elaborating the details. I really hope for your professional help then!
Ive been watching this for a while now. I like the way this is unfolding so far. This reminds me of a water media painting.
Im curious as to how far (or less) you take the black ruled linework. I can see a thin dark non-uniform rule trapping shapes, going black were necessary (more akin to watercolor work), not as heavy and thorough as you have it on the man atm.
A couple compositional crits:
I think there is too much space on the left and a little too much on the bottom. I think the 3 figures need to be offset a bit more in the scene (toward the left).
Id raise the foreground table top to overlap the dress hem of the woman on the right, to reinforce the tables hierarchical placement in the space.
I think you are submitting to the dictates of your 3d rendered planar perspective distortion of the vertical lines in the composition. I think the verticals, especially on the right, need to be pulled inward at the top, in this case. Right Right now things look like theyre sliding downhill to the right, facilitated by the right leaning verticals. If you want to reinforce a vertical lines verticalness in a pictorial composition, dont make it vertical, lean it a tad to the left (unless its close to the left edge of the frame).
Here are some links to the watercolor artist Steve Hanks, showing some typical dark edged shapes, typical of watercolor work, in a more natural and nuanced manor. Probably too sublte for your intentions.
https://www.artifactsgallery.com/art.asp?!=A&name=Steve%20Hanks&ID=640#LINKS
http://2photo.ru/en/post/19286
Then again, you may be going for this look (?):
http://2photo.ru/en/post/27183
Looking forward to the next update.
Heres a po that better describes what Im explaining.
I think I should try and clear something up. I was not trying to be rude with my critic of your work.
I like to keep statements short.
So I guess that can come off as being rude? Again that is not my intent, sorry if you read it that way.
As for your critic of my work on this post, I’m not sure why you did that? If I wanted a critic I would have started my own post. BUT…that being said. I went back and looked at it. I had been so focused on the clients wants that I did not see it for myself. It did need to be just a bit darker so I made some adjustments.
@ Quadart: Thank you very much for the profound feedback!
The watercolour mood isnt really addressed - if any washy look, then more like varnished ink, partially at least, as needed for example on the wall. Didnt use any painting as imspiration for painting style - so still open for changes. Thanks for the links! I truly admire well done watercolour works, but ive been always afraid of doing it myself - probably a psychological barrier since my childhood, not giving watercolour technique the deserved value, but having used similar techniques with translucent albumen colour on transmissible films for example, which isnt less delicate…
Concerning the composition i partially agree, but as youre mentioning, im already the slave of the 3d set-up. The perspective has been carefully chosen, a slight tele angle to compress the perspective just a little bit, giving the room a more compact feel, while keeping the viewing angle natural. Beside that the horizon is a tiny bit tilted to the right(!) to get a slight random feel and to not let the new maid slide out the door while the whole group is somewhat shifted to the left. The final cut is nonetheless not fully defined yet, having intentionally a slightly larger view than targeted for the final. Your PO would be certainly a very good possibility. The only thing i can do concerning the tilted verticals at right is a post-correction of the perspective, but currently it doesnt really bother me (yet 
). Well, lets see how it looks with the darkened corner there…
Did play around with placing the front table quite a lot in the 3d application. There were basically two problems to solve, 1. to not get a too arranged look by keeping everything fully visible, and 2. to not cover the characters too much with the items on the table (and to not get strange formations one underneath the other). Having your input ill address now the exact position of that table again - id really loved to have it closer to the stove to have less problems with the falling in light, but theres not much free play…
Thanks again, Quadart!
@ rownd: Hey man, perhaps you’re right that it’s been a fault to give you an input. Lets forget the dispute! 
Just a minor update, more about brightness and colour mood on floor and walls. Not that sure about the colours, needing perhaps a few accents… (the amount of black outlines isnt refined yet)
@ Quadart: You gave me at lot to think about. Especially your thoughts about my black lines are leading to a more conscious usage. Worked out the mans head to show what i have in mind on all characters concerning contrast, saturation, and the amount of black.(eyes and hair will need some improvements though)
Concerning your suggestions about composition: Instead of just saying something like thanks, ill work on it and changing then nothing, id like to give my reasons when i dont agree - especially to an experienced artist as you are, whose opinion i most appreciate.
The perspective correction i probably wont apply, because it feels unnatural in my eyes. Items would look distorted imo and the whole mood would get an other step further toward sterility. Personally im trying to avoid perspective corrections when ever possible, even if seeing it getting widely popular since easily applicable in CG. So one could call me a denier on a related note.
The placement of the table is rather difficult and certainly debatable. It will heavily affect the density of the scenery and the weight of the main subject. I cant push it more toward the stove - it would attack my actors together with all the items on the table, making them also looking framed. They need imo a little space to breathe, even if going for a very busy set-up. Ill probably change the position of some of the items there to not look like placed around the characters. So the single shoe looking out of the skirt is staying a random element… (btw: i also believe that cutting that lady twice would push the other maid too obviously into the main actor role, which id like to keep a little more subtle)
Noticed your other suggestion while studying your paintover to get the pigling more horizontal. The maid at right is intentionally quite a lot smaller to have the wood plate tilted to the viewer and the pigling more visible. Some decoration around the poor thing will follow (ill have to be careful to have no easily rolling stuff there).
Hope you dont mind my arguing. Thanks a lot again for the food for thoughts!
cheers
z
Theres no argument, just benign differences of opinion from different perspectives. Following suggestions isnt going to make this a potential masterpiece, nor is ignoring any suggestions and continuing on your own path going to stop it from becoming a potential masterpiece.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the leveling of the pork on the plank in the PO. Speaking of pigs and wood, combined with the overhead horns and overall strategic (not so random 
) placement of these elements in relationship to the center of the universe of this image (the guy’s crotch in the dead center of the frame), you make a pretty strong statement about the fella, compositionally and symbolically.
As far as natural perspective, I doubt very much that any artist/illustrator, past or present, would paint this scene in 3-point perspective, if they hadnt constructed the space in a 3d app to begin with.
Your tolerance toward different opinions speaks for your experience as an artist and as a pro.
Youre right about the popularity of 3-point perspective at interior paintings (some exceptions nonetheless exist, especially in the 20th century). However, ive always used it also in 2d, even if needing more to guess the vanishing point sometimes because of having it that far away.
Im somewhat surprised about your interpretation of my subtle symbolism. The antler id like to keep, but im seriously thinking about replacing the piglet now if the species is looking vulgar somehow, by a pheasant for example. What do you think - about the amount of vulgarity, about a pheasant or something else?(fish cancelled as well in this case )
I can’t help but notice the young maid’s feet being really small and she is quite a tall one.
I’ve come back to look at this at least 10 times and I keep going straight to the shoes.
Probably the shine on the shoe is a bit off, making it look like it has less volume than it should.
I found a similar shoe (minus lace details)
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/attilio-giusti-leombruni-leather-ankle-boot/3181059?origin=category&resultback=3984
Nice work by the way.
I see the horny pig symbolic characterization of the guy as overtly intended, though I guess it could be an unintended subconscious manifestation. :shrug: Pigs get no respect in western metaphor/symbolism. Then theres Babe.
I wouldnt swap the piglet for another meat item as it adds (symbolically) to a layer of sexual tension to an otherwise banal scene–since a constellation of elements and subtle character expressions/gestures are already in place (including the title of the piece).
Or, instead of swapping the pig for something else, you could have the man looking contently at the delectable roasted piglet he just prepared, instead of at the pretty new employee. Nah.
Why is the man not a another woman?
His face is developing nicely.
Thanks for the reply, Quadart! Im glad about your opinion concerning the piglet, since its been part of the basic concept, a slightly uncomfortable message concerning what we eat. I had a discussion before with someone closely related about the ethics of nutrition, whether it wasnt time to think about what we eat regarding the growing population. So the symbolic character of the piglet has been more a side effect of the idea, welcomed actually because of being annoyed sometimes by drunk and horny young guys, having unfortunately a few studios in the neighbourhood.
The symbolism of the antlers wasnt meant to be that strong as youre reading it. Its related only in English to the word horny, but the appropriate adjective in other languages doesnt have anything to do with horns.(as far as i know)
But: Being horned means in Italian and also in German to get deceived without knowing it (cornuto, also a rude expletive in Italian; and jemandem Hörner aufsetzen in German, to don someone horns, means to deceive someone). Theres also an expression in German (the reason actually why i didnt mind having an antler over him), acting like a Platzhirsch (=the alpha male deer), meaning top dog behaviour, with a far less sexual context.
Beside that i planned to use at least one of the antlers as hook rack, having there a hanging apron for example (probably at the left side). But if you believe that the symbolism was too blatant in the Anglo-world, then ill certainly change it… (what do you think about?)
Decided btw to correct the perspective of the environment (but not on the characters) before going on, even if i dont fully agree with those parallel verticals, but having an obvious 3D appearance isnt what im going for either. Thanks for that input!
cheers
z
Thanks, frostblade! I had the very same impression, even if knowing that the feet arent too small. So ill revisit those shoes, having now the issue confirmed. Thanks, and thanks for the great reference!
I wouldnt get rid of the antlers as the symbolism really isnt strong and a lot of viewers probably would not notice to make any kind connection anyway. Id get the same initial impression of the man without the rack and pig at crotch level. The rutting stag symbolism from the rack and the pig metaphor from the pig are just symbolic enhancements that intensify the impression.
As far as antlers on a rutting stag, they are all about sex, at the end of the day–including the symbolism/metaphors we draw from them. Im not talking about horns in general, such as bull horns, devil horns, shoe horns, trumpet horns
and the wider spectrum of their symbolic interpretation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antler#Sexual_selection
With her averted gaze, Im guessing his antlers just might not be big enough. :hmm:
From another perspective my interpretation of the players in the scene could be all wrong. Hypothetically this could be an important scene from a popular story that I know nothing about and the woman on the left could be whispering something to her brother that she doesnt want anyone on the other side of the door to hear,like–did you put the strychnine in the roast like I asked you?
Thanks for the reply, Quadart, and for taking time!
Concerning her averted gaze, you never know, women are a bit like that… But jokes aside, a good friend of mine told me about her great grandmother, that looking men directly into the eyes has been regarded as indecent in those times for a young woman. The great grandmother was even told that doing so could cause pregnancy, what she fully believed for quite a long time.
The strychnine story is a cool idea - something i can tell when people are coming up with too much sexual tension in my decent portrayal of the morals and customs of French life in those days. And it shows how situations can get completely misinterpreted sometimes.
Currently im still working on the perspective correction… plenty to do with all the layers id like to keep as long the symbolism of each item isnt undoubtedly without fail. Just joking, i rather mean, as long colour and lighting mood arent definitive.
Thank again!
Cheers
Nice! It’s pretty hard to suggest something, as you have your own way of working, and will do the lighting at the final stage. I only would make the guy’s head not to blend with the wall so much.
@ mister3d: Thanks for dropping by, A. ! I hope that you keep an eye on this - would be good to have your opinion concerning anatomy after having worked out the guys arms. The corrections needed on his right arm are more or less clear, while the left arm will be more tricky (i guess its more about shading and getting those falling folds into the perspective).
Update… (2600x1820)
@ frostblade: Gave the girl more comfortable shoes. Nonetheless, shoes at that time were cut to make the feet look smaller, especially in side views with those pulled in heels. Here an other ref i was using, showing authentic mid 19th century shoes:
http://19thcenturypaperdolls.weebly.com/uploads/9/6/2/7/962723/5526630_orig.jpg
An other update. Most work done on the walls and the door, the latter rather time-consuming and the first simply a pain. Had to repaint it (the entrance not finished yet) because its contrast has been already too high and it was giving the overall mood a somewhat dirty look (the saturation at left probably somewhat overtuned now, though…).
(click on the picture for 2600x1860)
