I’m back to attempting to teach myself better cg painting, this time committing to correcting anatomy better. Right now I’m using a lowpoly avatar on IMVU (where I have these eyes, head, skin for sale for users, good way to encourage people to buy my stuff too I guess, poses not by me though) and decided to just go with an idea.
This piece I’ve also been trying to learn more about Geishas, kimonos, makeup and hair significance, so while this is still a random piece for practice I wanted to get as close as possible to maybe some Geisha from an underworld or something, Ghost of a Vengeful Geisha, sinister etc, maybe even bones in her hair or whatnot. Its still an evolving piece.
I was hoping my anatomy improved more over past pieces, but if there is more room to improve I want to go there. I also wanted to know if the concept and composition make sense visually alone so far or if they’re just too conflicting. Any thoughts?
The problem with low-poly models is they are grossly inaccurate, and your examples show why, sadly.
I won’t go into fine details, but your figure is so inaccurate, I would suggest you start over, or find a photo reference that fits this piece - fixing it would require redrawing it entirely anyway. You have muscle structure where none exist, you have a “6 pack” when her body shape and implied body fat would make that impossible, the entire hip/crotch/abdomen is wrong, and the right arm of the figure is impossible at the shoulder, and the hand is mangled. The left arm is bowed, when it should be straight.
What is she leaning on?
The drapery/clothes you have sketched don’t make sense. What are they? Why are they coming out horizontally at the leg - and then just end? Why is the armhole on the right arm crooked, and not hanging down? What is that around her middle? A belt would hang around her hips, and fall below her bellybutton.
I think this piece is too much of a challenge for your skill, at this time. It would be better for you to continue doing figure studies to learn the composition of the human body, and how to draw it. I would highly suggest you forget finished paintings for the moment, and work on line drawings, to explore and learn muscle groups, poses, volumes, and shapes. There’s no way to “cheat” this, you have to learn it - and 3D programs are helpful only if you can add reality to them afterwards.
Further, I would question your choice of body type. Is this supposed to be an asian woman? If so, the broad hips and shoulders, and fake breasts don’t work. I question the size of the breasts anyway (C’mon. This isn’t Playboy, it’s art), and I question the nudity as well. Nudity for nudity sake is pointless, it should be used when appropriate, and sparingly. I would think a piece like this would focus on wardrobe, with interesting shapes, color, and ornamentation, rather than a stock nudie magazine/website pose. I don’t mean to be harsh, but it’s a bit cliche at this point. If you’re going to do nude studies - which are very legitimate, and a very important process in learning how to render the human form, and skin, then do nude studies, for real. Or, learn the reality that less is more - what you can’t see is more erotic than what you can.
So, I know this is probably not what you wanted to hear, but I really think you need to start over. Start simple, with a line drawing. Work out the shapes of the form. Work out the cloth forms, and the accessories. Work out an environment, and props. Then, when it’s right, you can start working on color and lighting and texture.
Thank you Billy, your in depth critique is exactly what I was looking for!
Abandoning this portrait or avatar repaints immediately is easier said than done as a lot of the people that pay my bills at the moment come to me to recreate portraits of their avatars (in this game which I create some content for on the side) that they’ve made a sentimental connection to.
However I do realize all the points that you made are glaring areas I need to improve on. I’ve got to seriously take a step back and change around a lot of this image. I never went to school for any of this so working backwards you could say to get myself on a more professional level. All your advice is really appreciated and not harsh at all, the truth is what it is
I’m glad you’re not offended or insulted - a full blown art critique can seem harsh to those uninitiated to them. In college, in the first year illustration major course, the professor said “If you can’t put your work on the wall, and defend it to the entire class - you’re not cut out to be an illustrator”. And boy, was it brutal - it became a blood sport for some people! LOL.
Figure drawing is something I love doing, so I always urge people to study, it’s endlessly fascinating to me. That’s why I say, if you’re going to do nude work, do serious figure study! You might look into weekend or night courses at a local community or 4 year college, it will do you a world of good to be immersed in a serious study like that. If you can’t, then there are plenty of online sources to work with. One I’ve used is VirtualPose.net - they’re not too pricey, you can get a full library for 30-50 dollars, and they are excellent to work with. Or, just have a friend pose for you, or if you have the money, find your local model guild, and hire one. (Your local colleges will use them, too.)
There’s also some excellent books - the old Andrew Loomis books are a great place to start, and I’ve seen most of the material posted online here and there, like here:
Thanks so much for the resources! I’ll definitely be checking them out, that digital library looks very comprehensive also, it’s so good to have multiple views.
I’ve decided to tackle the body again right now putting aside draping clothes just to focus on fixing her pose. She won’t be fully nude when done but for now I think I’ve gathered what level she is leaning on, and where the stress is placed, the straight arm and the opposing leg. I’ve also lessened the stereotypical ‘6pack’ and thinned her down in places to make her look semi average. I’m not so sure I’m fully happy with the arms, especially the hands, and might still have to revisit some more muscle structure I think.
I do flip my canvas horizontally every so often but I still feel off about it. Still browsing photos with similar poses.
EDIT: After taking another step back I am thinking maybe the clavicle was better on the previous version, and that I should go back and even it out from there. The middle seam on the upper half of the abdomen I completely overlooked and isn’t aligned right, needs to be nudge to the side a bit. Otherwise I am thinking that is all there is to the anatomy. If there is anything else I’d love to tackle it before moving forward.
This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.
