_Phantom_

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Hey all!

Just finished a piece that some of you guys expressed some interest in - namely Khep and Dark-E.

Im a little nervous about it since some folks have already seen the sketch and might already have some expectations - hopefully my version will live up to the one they had in mind.

http://cryptcrawler.deviantart.com/a...sword-92333558

As always - thanks for all the support, you guys rule.

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That is a seriously GREAT piece.

/envy

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Juggs thanks a lot man!



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oh boy... That was pretty sweet I could favorite almost all your work in your gallery... Some great stuff man.

The lich is very cool. I like the long hair (nice touch) and that helmet is killer with the creepy gleam as he is grabbing his sword. Good job on the flowing robe. so much things I like about this. the lighting, the mood, coloring, texture. damn nice.

I looked at the sketch and think this looks better than the original.

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Hey, thanks for that, I really appreciate the support - it means a lot!

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But with the detail of the lich's helm, the moon framing its head and the scenery reaching up to box his upper torso - I think it would be kind of hard to mistake what the intended focus of the work is.



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That's good to know. Despite the name of the piece, I found myself constantly being drawn to the lich rather than the sword-bearer in the foreground. The definition in his armor and his face in comparison to the surroundings, the sheen of the metal helm, and the fact that he's clearly in the process of drawing that big evil sword on his belt made him the center of the focus for my viewings of the piece. I really wanted to see him finish unsheathing that sword.

I liked the contrast of the sharply defined central figures versus the less-defined terrain. It didn't feel flat to me, it felt "fuzzy" and it reinforced that the light and focus were on the two central figures.

Course, as I've said before, I'm no artist. I just know what I like. *heh*

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You dont have to be an artist or an educated critic to have a reason to like something or have a valid opinion about it either.
There are several artists I love who mess up proportions, fudge backgrounds and cut corners. I love "them", sometimes even moreso when they arent perfect draftsmen.

Its awesome you kept being pulled to the lich, that was absolutely the intent and im very happy to hear it worked for you.

I really love to hear how you wanted to complete the story; thats what its all about for me, I love that you really wanted him to finish drawing that sword; thats just pure gold in my book, it lets me know that you got involved - and thats what makes me want to get better and better!

Cool guys thanks for the info - ill have to take a spin onto one of these servers and try and maybe catch up with one or more of ya.



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So yeah... I opened the link and my jaw dropped.

Fantastic piece. The only critique I could offer would be that there is so much detail on the lich's head and helmet area that everything else feels kind of... flat by comparison. One of the things that digital painting lacks is something called implied texture, which comes about in physical media thanks to the combination of the brushstrokes and the interaction of the medium with the substrate. It makes things look more detailed than they are by giving the eye some variation to pick up on in any large uniform area. When painting digitally, this implied texture needs to be consciously included, otherwise you get that "digital feeling" which everybody recognizes and usually calls "flat" or "plastic" or, pardon me while I grit my teeth, "Photoshopped". This painting has a lot of large uniform areas which could really benefit from implied texture (the sword, the foggy silhouettes, parts of the grass), all the more so because of the excellent level of detail contrasting with them from the skeleton's head.

Actually, the sword could use some re-tooling; because of the color change on the blade, I get the impression that the tip of it above the bright reflection is displaced into the fog beyond the skeleton. It's a weird optical illusion caused by everything in the background being blue and everything in the foreground being yellow/orange/red. Also, the reflection itself creates tangent (I assume unintentional) with the line of the skeleton's cloak. Moving it down the blade a touch farther would probably make the point of emphasis in the piece a little less confusing, since it currently competes with the skeleton's face.

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I really appreciate this insight and critique - it helps me think outside the box.
While I definately *see* where your coming from, I dont share it, and ill tell you why:

The backdrop is intended to be somewhat undefined. I find that leaving aspects like that in the piece allows the viewer to fill in the blanks with thier own imagination, and this - I find - is critical to including the viewer in the story.
The shapes are also intended to frame or block in the main characters, and while I understand you feel they are flat and uniform I disagree. The moon-lit fog serves to add complexity to the scenery. The fact that its night-time also supports a sense of undefined flatness simply because objects at night (especially surrounded by humidity and fog) can become amorphous and inclusive.
I feel also that this flatness is further diminished by the implied depth of the fog obscured walkway leading to a hollowed out building - and treeline beyond it - to his right.


As for the sword - ill have to take your word for it?
I dunno, perhaps im visually defecient on some level but Im not at all seeing this optical illusion you speak of.
Im not sure how one could make a leap like the end of the blade being behind the skeleton unless there were some serious distortions of both physics and perspective; and while I dont dispute the possibility of it being there - its obviously so subtle that you miss it for the overall impact of the composition.

The sword and the young warrior are supposed to be secondary focus' and the sword is supposed to compete with the lich to some degree; as it is the namesake of the work.

But with the detail of the lich's helm, the moon framing its head and the scenery reaching up to box his upper torso - I think it would be kind of hard to mistake what the intended focus of the work is.


Again - thanks for this valuable perspective and critique, it will help me improve.

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Doc Aether is one serious magic user.

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Great piece Juggy!

There is one thing that makes me go Hmmm... I get the feeling that this is a bit of new territory for you? Specifically departing from natural color schemes, sort of experimenting in extreme monochroma. (Well, the piece itself isn't purely monochromatic, but how it differs is even itself interesting too.) I'm getting the feeling over your recent pieces you've been sort of focused on trying to get more out of your backgrounds in some way other than actually having to deal with the mundane part of filling in background detail. It's kind of an Andy Warhol direction overall.

Forgive me Juggy, but I've been quite interested in watching specifically how your art style may evolve over time. It just seems like you can make anything look good, so it's interesting to see where you choose to go with it.

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It's comments like this that keep me posting here.

Thanks Goldbricker.

You know, not every one of my pieces is a homerun. You know that, and I know that. But I'm glad that otehr people can see me tying to stretch in different directions.

What I am short of in talent, I try to make up for in perserverance.

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Thats the only way to roll juggs.
Youll be surprised what obess...err perseverence will get you!

This is a really solid piece.
Strong composition, dynamic lighting; a real sense of building power.
I like how he's passing through the almost holographic floating runes, very original.

The underlighting really adds drama.
Good job.

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That is just plain friggin awesome!

Encore!!!

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Thanks a lot Dark-E, your support is really appreciated.

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Ok the art ooogling is full force today.

Outstanding piece, loved it.

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Thank you so much, im glad you liked it!


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This looks like hte cover to a book that I would love to read. Your attention to detail as well as the ability to paint so realistically will always blow me away. Your work is always a joy to look at.

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Im grateful that you dig it, compliments like these really keep me energized - doing book covers is one of my big goals!!


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It's been said already, but never enough....

Amazing piece. Words can't describe the awesomeness.

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Thank you so much for that, its reactions like this that make it a really inspiring experience for me.




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I think it's okay. Mostly because there's not enough showcasing of TA. Putting TA in there would've definitely gotten it over the hump into A+ territory. So yeah, more TA next time, those are my expectations.

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You know you arent the first to mention this about my work.
I really gotta hammer on that - thanks for the critique.

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Fixed

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Fixed again....



lol Phantom, been a big fan of your artz for a long time! I love your painted style! Excellent piece! Color me jealous!

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LOL!
This "fixed" bit here made me crack the hell up, classic.

Thor I really do appreciate you, youve been around a *while* and have always been encouraging - it means more than you may think.


This forum is seriously just...I dunno..pure \m/ METAL \m/.
The other forums for this game leave *A LOT* to be desired, but this one is just awesome; genuine, creative people and enthusiasts who will literally drop what thier doing to help.

Ill be honest with you guys; I really dont even play the game that much anymore - maybe 1-2 times a month.
Ive been keeping my account for the fan-art forums alone, although I spend the majority of my time lurking..

..like a good phantom.



What servers do you guys play on? - so maybe the one night off I take a week I can make a noob or transfer a character and join you guys for some sillyness.

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It's lovely, eerie, hopeful, dynamic, and imposing. It's what every horror-fantasy piece should be.

I fear I won't be able to afford your commissions now, when they come to pass. Once I get my GraverArt I think you'll be next on the list for The Big Save.

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Khep thats not something youll have to worry about.
These are tough, tough times economically for a lot of people and im not a very materially driven person.
My stuff isnt going to be outlandishly priced, itll be competative and ill work with people if they need time or need to pay in dribs and drabs.

At least people from here anyway.

I really appreciate those compliments more than you may think, they honestly humble and motivate me.

Thanks!

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I think it's okay. Mostly because there's not enough showcasing of Ironik. Putting Ironik in there would've definitely gotten it over the hump into A+ territory. So yeah, more Ironik next time, those are my expectations.

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You know you arent the first to mention this about my work.
I really gotta hammer on that - thanks for the critique.

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wow, that's an amazing job on that finish to that piece. So much amazing detail, how the textures of the different kind of materials (cloth, metal, leather) stand out and how everything looks so... real. outstanding

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Thanks Mag, I appreciate that!
The textures were pretty fun. Really the whole thing was enjoyable. It really makes a big difference when you have folks like you around who really love art and take the time to say something when they like it - the support means a lot.



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It's gorgeous and atmospheric.

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Thank you! Usually theres something in a piece that I end up fighting with to get it right; this one was the exact opposite, the atmosphere and layout just seemed to fall into place.
Im really glad you dig it, thanks!



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wow...that is absolutely gorgeous

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Thank you so much! The compliments really mean a lot when you work hard.


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Real nice piece of work there. Real nice. I love what you guys do with photoshop.

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Thanks man! Photoshop is really an incredible program. Honestly id be dead in the water without it; oil paints and inks are for too unforgiving for me, I need to be able to make mistakes - good and bad ones; the nature of some traditional materials affords neither sometimes.


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Wow.

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Thanks!



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http://cryptcrawler.deviantart.com/a...sword-92333558

As always - thanks for all the support, you guys rule.

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Love it.

It's pretty much everything I want out of an art piece. On one level it's this great dramatic moment in an interesting fantasy setting. So much emotion and plot conveyed in little details like the brave angle of the raised sword, the twisting of the cloak as the skeleton-faced prey (belatedly?) turns.

On another level it's a high quality of complex artistic layout, with layers of details organized into levels of importance via subtle techniques. The sort of volcano shape of the middle chunk, rising up to the moon-framed face immediately draws the eye to the highly important face detail. The gleam on the sword. And then on a muted importance level, there's the misty glow on the ruined architecture in the background, the subtle curve on the line of rocks along the ground. Even the least important stuff like the punctuation of the flowers and the clasp on the leather scabbard contribute positively to the overall piece.

I mean it really is stellar. You can take in the full surface of the fantasy and enjoy that, and then you can get past that and dive in even further to pull out interesting little details all over the place. Thank you for posting it.

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Wow goldbricker - thanks! You know I get blown away when people read all that into what I do, I get amazed by it; for the simple fact that it reaffirms my theory that art/music etc is another form of language all its own. How you knew that the lich is indeed belatedly turning after the kids arrival is beyond me; thats the kind of thing I half-heartedly hope comes through but expect that it wont and that im just a nutcase that creates pictures with the idea in mind that they are merely stills of an interally playing movie that runs in one of the many busted up, haunted theatres of my imagination.

Sometimes you get to see through the veil when someone makes a comment or two that lets you know that the theatre really isnt yours.. and its open for business.

Im really thrilled you got so much out of this piece goldbricker, thanks very much for taking the time to say so.



Thanks guys, coming here to post new stuff is something that I really get excited about, it means more than you think to have the support.

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Looking at this level of awesome makes my eyes bleed with joy.

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Hahah, thanks!
I live for reactions like that, I appreciate you shooting by the gallery.

Hey all!

Just finished a piece that some of you guys expressed some interest in - namely Khep and Dark-E.

Im a little nervous about it since some folks have already seen the sketch and might already have some expectations - hopefully my version will live up to the one they had in mind.

http://cryptcrawler.deviantart.com/a...sword-92333558

As always - thanks for all the support, you guys rule.

*nods at masked*

Indeed you will.
Grats and welcome to the madness.

This...
..is saucesome.

bleh.
Im not diggin it at all.

Im used to it, just not diggin it; it feels clunky.

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XD thanks for the kind words but there is actually a reason why I dont do commishions or anything like that...Im....abit inconsistant...like big time.... ._.; I get freaked out over the possibility of not producing high enough quality work to reach the expectations of others.

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I can relate.
You gotta remember why people gravitated toward your style to begin with - its because you did it.
Just continue doing what your doing and itll fall into place.
The pressure you feel to live up to the expectations of others is a good thing, it means you care about your work and more importantly; how the viewer enjoys it.

Im going through this right now myself on a project that some people showed a lot of interest in in sketch form - im pretty nervous about letting people down with the finished result.

That kind of thinking can really make you timid and slow you down.
What helps me keep out of that is focusing on making the best art I am capable of making and having faith in the ability I currently have instead of what people may or may not expect of me.
If I do let people down I can quickly find out how and then capatilize on the experience as a chance to learn - which you never, ever stop doing as an artist.

I hope that helps - best wishes!

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out of curiosity, how much time would you say you spend on an art?

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It really depends.
Sometimes a work-week, sometimes 2-3.
Thats for a 8X8 full composition in color.


Smaller dimensions I can usually bust out in a few days.
For instance I did a bust of Thomas Jefferson (viewable in my gallery if you feel like checking it out) for a california wine company that only took me a day.

It all depends on size, deadline etc.
My own portfolio pieces I take a long time on.

/em vainly struggles against his own left hand taking him and his right hand hostage with a letter-opener and forcing them to draw a hawt boobie-girl

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I'm definitely going to have to do some saving up for when you open up commissions. I've only done a few and haven't received any yet, but I'm hoping this years bonus in September/October will be nice enough to get a couple.

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We can always work something out Khep if your interested in commissions when they open. I feel blessed to have people interested in my art and youve been real supportive in the way that matters more than money ever could.
Ill consider you 3rd in line - we can work out details later.


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Wow. Very nice.

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Thank you very much!






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Your obsession pays off A lot of varied subjects in your gallery and all are great to look at.

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Sweet! Im glad you think so!
Really when it all boils down to it thats what its all about - making stuff people want to look at.



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I think he needs to do more busty ladies.

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*chinscratch*

This could be a critically important subject to explore.

Heh!
You know I go back and forth between doing a few more of them.
Theres already so much of that on DA and really in general; busty anime girls who have more talent for losing thier clothing than whipping butts.
The problem is I not only love to look at it like everyone else but I also love to draw it - what can I say; I adore oggling at busty women displaying lots of utterly gratuitous cleavage and cameltoe.
Im simply not going to apologize for that.

The issue is that it becomes a creative crutch where you draw nothing but hot fantasy girls from the thighs up with the same omni-directional lighting and an extremely lazy background, if you even include one.
I know because I stayed in that trap for a long time, and believe me, its a wonderful trap to stay in haha.
Sooner or later you gotta get out of it and challenge yourself and when you do its kinda liberating and your imagination re-ignites again with different content.

Im between projects now and the urge to blast out a fantasy-hussy with juddering melons is literally working overtime to seduce me, its really pathetic actually - lol, but also very funny.

Youve got me at a weak moment and thinking twice now foo...damn yooOoooo!!

*fistshake*

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my wife said, "eeeew."

I though it was awesome! I want to know how to get that painted look, even if I would never have the patience to do it.

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It takes being more obsessed than patient =)

Hehe, im glad your wife was grossed out by it, thats fun =D

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Another mind blowing piece. Looks like a movie/story I'd love to see/read. You've raised your own bar, which was already amazingly high /em clap

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Im so glad you think that Larissa, it honestly means a lot, thank you!

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In all seriousness id shrivel up and die if I couldnt do art ...

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If that starts to happen, please let me know ... I'd be glad to help in the anti-shrivelling process by offering some of my CoH characters as inspiration.

Seriously, do you have your commission rates posted at DA?

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Forgot to mention this to you Dark-E.
Since you were the first person to inquite about commissions a little while ago ive got you top of the list - hopefully youll still be interested once I start taking them.
Thanks so much for your continued interest man I really appreciate it.

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That just might be the best peice I've seen on these forums. Motivates me to improve upon my own skills. Great work.

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Wow, thats a helluva compliment man, thanks so much jacobi, im glad you think so!
Its also a really huge compliment when someone says you motivated them - I really appreciate that!

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/faved/watched/faved again! welcome to the art forum!

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Thank you lady J!


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In all seriousness id shrivel up and die if I couldnt do art ...

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If that starts to happen, please let me know ... I'd be glad to help in the anti-shrivelling process by offering some of my CoH characters as inspiration.

Seriously, do you have your commission rates posted at DA?

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Hehe, thanks Dark E! I don't have them up yet - but I will very soon; probably within the next couple months.

Our baby is due in literally about 13 days and after that im going to be a stay at home dad, so 'ill be taking assignments on a very limited basis in addition to doing commissions.
Ill definately post rates and announce when commissions will be available.

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That's a great piece! My favorite part is that the monster appears not to be looking at the guys in the foreground but the viewer as in "you're next on the menu!"
(wishing I still had 8+ hours a day for art making)

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Thank you!
Your right on the money by the way - thats exactly where the creature is looking; the cameraman i.e. YOU!!
Hehe!

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Awesome stuff. Incredible.

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Thank you very much, I feel really grateful to have people enjoy my stuff.


Thanks all - the support means a lot!

I want to firstly thank all of you guys for the huge support and compliments - it really honestly means a lot to me. In all seriousness id shrivel up and die if I couldnt do art - its really epic when you have people enjoy it and say so, thank you.


Just a couple of clarification/questions id like to reply on:


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That is an amazing piece.

From the accompanying blurb, it sounds as if you did a bit of photo editing. If so, you did it very seamlessly.

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Thanks I appreciate that!
When I say "references" or "photo references" It means I keep a copy of the image up in photoshop so I can try to re-create its likeness. I in no way, shape or form manipulate photos or trace photos - I just use the image to look at so I can accurately draw them by hand.




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That's pretty amazing. I wish I could draw like you.

How long did it take to draw that?

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Thanks so much!
It took me about 2 and a half weeks at 8+ hours a day.

Just wrapped up a project and added it to my DA gallery if anyone is interested.
If you are I hope you enjoy it!

Containment Breach: Sub-Level 5

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Finished!
Pin-Up Girl: Join the Fight for Justice!

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I knew this one would be classic!
Great job foo, you nailed the attitude.
Solid composition and vibrant colors too.

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Bear with me, I'm always more than a little nervous when showing new people my drawings.

Ahem. Greetings folks! After sitting back and checking out the fine art some of the other users have been posting I thought I would show a couple of mine.

I have tons of stuff sitting around but most of them are drawings of other people's characters. Here's a couple I had handy of my toons...

First off is a older drawing I did of my ice/ice Blaster fighting my mind/psi Dom.

MJB vs Seraphim

Next is an drawing I inked of my ss/elec Brute fighting my ice/ice Blaster.

Bludlust vs MJB

Lastly is a drawing I finished about an hour ago. This one features my thugs/dark MM and my ss/elec Brute with a cameo by a caped hero. Heh.

Lou 'n Bludlust

I sketched it using a crappy no. 2 pencil and finished it with my mechanical pencils. I think it turned out ok.

Comments are appreciated.

-MJB

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You know that nerve-wracking thing never really ever goes away, hehe.
I always get nervous before I post something, I think if you werent nervous something would be wrong; it would mean you werent really connected to it.

What I noticed right away is that you have a story-telling aspect to your ideas; your characters have some relationship to eachother.
That and you obviously sit down with a composition in mind, or at least it seems that way - you dont just have a static character just sitting there.
Dont get me wrong, thats not a bad thing, but it does have its time and place.
At least imho it does.

What helped me profoundly was drawing from life; either using photos to help you accurately portray physicality and anatomy or having someone model for you.

Photos are easier and you can easily access tons and tons of them online.
If a more cartoonish look is what your going for photos can still help - once you know the rules of anatomy you can bend them a little.

Most artists do.

Once I started using photos things really took off for me, however; knowing when to put them down is just as important - they can quickly become a crutch where you rely on someone else to compose for you and you dont use your own imagination.

Granted its harder to compose your own ideas and then find the photo reference to aid you - but its infinately more rewarding.

Ok, ill shut up now.
Theres a solid crew of talent lurking around these boards who can give you specifics if you need them - really nice people.

Good luck and draw, draw, draw.