I want to create a pin-up like illustration of a teacher. I started out with a sketch and created line art from there. Now I’m trying to determine the basic color scheme. The most important light source is a window to the left (outside picture). I will put my sketches and color scheme down here. What do you all think?
initial sketch
lineart
basic color scheme
When working with line weight, you need to give thought to why you are using thick and thin lines in specific areas. Line weight can describe so much, if you know how to use it–and it’s not arbitrary.
You can use thicker lines to convey heavier objects, or objects that are closer to the viewer, or objects with larger mass (and thin lines for the opposite). It’s also a good idea to go thicker on areas where the contour is concave, and thinner on areas that are convex (such as how the lower leg flares out (convex) and the ankles taper in (convex).
If you apply these principles to your line work, your line art will become a lot more coherent, as well as expressive in a way that makes sense.
As for the painting aspect, you have an inconsistent usage of brushwork, where there’s sharp bristle marks, smudgy brushwork, and streaky strokes in random areas without any reasons behind them. Brushwork isn’t arbitrary–there are specific reasons to deploy certain brushwork to certain areas. You can convey the surface property by using different brushwork, and you can create visual interest by using your brushwork to bring attention to focal areas.
Also, messy is not the same thing as expressive. Messy is when someone who doesn’t know why he’s painting the way he does tries to be expressive, and expressiveness is when someone with skill and knowledge deploys specific types of brushwork to create exactly the kind of artistic sensibility he’s going for, and it is done with precision, despite how expressive it looks. Brush economy, speed, and arbitrary messiness is not the same thing as skillful expressiveness.
Thanks for taking the time to evaluate my work. What would be even more helpful if you could give me some hints or directions regarding my brushwork. The dry brushwork is going to disappear completely. I’m affraid my in-between stages are always messy, I plan on cleaning everything up later. Do you have specific tips on where to look and what type of brushwork to use?
Brushwork is a pretty involved topic, and I spend an entire week on that subject alone (as well as line quality) in the workshop I teach (linked below in my signature). It would take many pages of lecture notes and hundreds of image examples, as well as hours of demonstration videos to teach about brushwork.
The super-condensed version might point you in the right direction, but I don’t know how helpful that is.
First, you should read this post on the misconception that people have regarding brushwork: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=7290573&postcount=4
A very simple way to have your brushwork be expressive yet not illogical and arbitrary, is to match the brush type to surface properties. For example, use grainy brush types to convey rough surfaces, much like how in traditional art, dry brushing, chalk, and pastel has a textured grain. Use bristle marks for things like fur and hair or anything that has repeating lines as its texture. Match brush size to the actual value shape you are depicting, and don’t over-blend/smudge the value transitions and render all the spontaneity and life out of your image (unless you’re going for a very smooth/clean style).
These are just basic tips that should give you an idea of how to rethink your approach to brushwork.
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