Carnivors (now WIP real meat!)

Here I have some work for an up coming painting I have started to call Carnivores, depicting Countess Ivy with her patron... um.. hanging out or something.

It took me a good bit of thinking and as well as some time to get up the nerve to try this piece since one of Gills best pieces IMO was his Countess Ivy piece... I feel like I have some serious stiff competition on this piece to make sure it just doesn't fall over dead in comparisons to what has come before. I only hope I manage to pull this one off.

This is the initial pose that was decided on for the piece (which is good as it was my favorite) and ere is the slightly washed out pencils for the piece. There's a lot I got wrong in them and began seeing after the scan, so many corrections to come.

Although I may be alone in this sentiment, I'm glad that in the pencils it's clear that the one in front isn't...er..."cupping" herself. I think you know what I'm trying to say.

She is not cupping herself? Then you need to lower his arm a bit.
Also, what is Ghost Widow doing to The Countess' hair? There should be a reason for it other than being cool.

It looks like Ghost Widow is patting Ivy's hair, much like the way an owner will pat their pet. Fitting given the context of the piece.

But GW's face is so blank. (At the least to me......)

Ya, for this one, I was going for the 'God doggie" approach to the head pat. And as for GW's expression, I honestly couldn't think of one that fit her. She has always struck me as being distant (being a ghost assassin and all) and not all together "here" in the here and now. Though, there will be a bit more dimension and what not added to both of their faces... I save that for colors. But the way I see tings is GW just doesn't come off right if she's showing any real expression of emotion... and such didn't seem to fit the duo too well. She seemed like the gall who would absently reward her pet while she plotted and hatched her next scheme which was far to removed from most to understand or fathom for they have not seen the depths of death that she has and treaded... blablabla. I might be wrong though...

Impressive, as always.

*Jawdrop* That looks like it will turn out to be a VERY impressive piece, Graver!!!

Man, I just love the way you draw your figures.

The "good pet" and Ghost Widow's distant stare makes sense to me, but that doesn't matter too much. It's Ivy's piece after all (and shaping up to be a damn good one, I might add!).

Oh wow, that's looking very good. And personally I like Ghost Widow's complete lack of facial expression.

I think you're much too rough on yourself, Graver.

Hey Graver ... did you ever play Everquest? (the original one) because when I joined my guild on Solusek Ro back in June 2000, there was this Bard named .. you guessed it ... Graver .. that had cut down on his play time but was pretty well known ... to the point where this was made in his honor since he ran too fast for his own good at those early stages in that game.

Just thought it would be funny if that were you.

(P.S. Graver is the toon in blue armor jumping off the cliff)

I like the way this one is turning out.

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Ya, for this one, I was going for the 'God doggie" approach to the head pat. And as for GW's expression, I honestly couldn't think of one that fit her. She has always struck me as being distant (being a ghost assassin and all) and not all together "here" in the here and now. Though, there will be a bit more dimension and what not added to both of their faces... I save that for colors. But the way I see tings is GW just doesn't come off right if she's showing any real expression of emotion... and such didn't seem to fit the duo too well. She seemed like the gall who would absently reward her pet while she plotted and hatched her next scheme which was far to removed from most to understand or fathom for they have not seen the depths of death that she has and treaded... blablabla. I might be wrong though...

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Ignore the comments about GW's expression. She seems to have a pretty clear expression here: one of regal distance or even disdain for the viewer.

Leave her a little hollow, I say. She is, after all, a ghost.

I think the hand positioning is pretty good for the "cupping", but it does seem like she should be holding a goblet or something. If she's not, and rather just emoting, I'd tilt the hand upwards so that you see more back of hand and knuckles.

I'm loving this one so far!

I like the first pass of the pencils, and like how it's turning out so far. Sure, I'm pretty much a non-talent when it comes to creating art, but I do know what I like. (which is why I pretty much just lurk here) And for what I was looking for with this piece, Graver's has hit it spot-on.

The idea I gave Graver was that I was looking for something to portray Countess Ivy and Ghost Widow, in something of a subserviant fashion. In her backstory, Countess Ivy doesn't really recognize Lord Recluse as being in charge, but rather recognizes that Ghost Widow is the true representation of Arachnos, and serves her with great loyalty. The latter due to other parts of her backstory as well.

As for her holding a heart/head/meat, I had asked Graver to try to bring out Countess Ivy's more 'evil' side. Pure, cold, calculating, evil, as well as showing some of her brutatilty. I never conceived Countess Ivy as a 'soft' villain, or one that is a 'tee-hee' sexy one. She's just as ruthless as any of the Night or Blood Widows, or even Ghost Widow herself. True, she's doesn't follow the whole 'assassin's guild' line like the Widow's do, but she considers herself a tool in Ghost Widow's array of weapons, and does as Ghost Widow commands. If it boiled down to doing what Lord Recluse or Ghost Widow told her, she'd do what Ghost Widow commanded.
*note, which is why I really didn't like the whole betrayal storyarc in the patron powers*

Either way, I'm quite happy with what Graver has done with the piece so far, and am really looking forward to the additional work.

Thanks for the comments all, and, Foo, I totally didn't realize that in the penciled version it's not too clear that her "cupping" (why oh why do I never see those things?) hand will be holding (is holding I think) something jiggly, red, and drippy (possibly raspberry jell-o but more likely a nice heart) with little shoots and plants close to the floor lapping up the delicious nourishment that drips down from on high.

Edit: and no, Thorn, that isn't me... this is the first MMORPG I've ever played Graver isn't exactly a suppa unique name though. Hell, I can't even get a chr named that on my home server 'cause someone else done took the name And I had to go with Graver13 on DA because some little numb-nut went and registered with the name on 06/2004 and hasn't even logged back in since then! The universe, it toys with me, IT TOYS WITH ME!

....

>_>

<_<


*toys with Graver*

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....

>_>

<_<


*toys with Graver*



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*Joins in on the toy-ing*

Beautiful work as always...can't wait to see the finished piece!

Absolutely gorgeous... The things I'd do to get a commission from you... Dammit why couldn't I become the creations I've made in CoV?! Then I could just go rob a bank with stalkery powers of death and no one would notice me till it was to late.

Curse my fiscal policies!

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Thanks for the comments all, and, Foo, I totally didn't realize that in the penciled version it's not too clear that her "cupping" (why oh why do I never see those things?) hand will be holding (is holding I think) something jiggly, red, and drippy (possibly raspberry jell-o but more likely a nice heart) with little shoots and plants close to the floor lapping up the delicious nourishment that drips down from on high.

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Ahhhh, OK. Makes sense. Great image, that.

I suggest a heart made of raspberry jello.

Yes, a bleeding heart. That will be EVIL.

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Yes, a bleeding heart. That will be EVIL.

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Raspberry I say, RASPBERRY I SAY!!!

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Yes, a bleeding heart. That will be EVIL.

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Raspberry I say, RASPBERRY I SAY!!!

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*sings*
Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle,
Coolly evil Jello-brand gelatin!
Of all desserts you'll fear the one
That makes those weakling Heroes run
Serve Jello-brand gelatin (loyally) and
Fear no-one!
J-E-L-L-O!

... what?

See my Guides and Tutorials

I say it's a jello heart, ripped from the chest of Kool-Aid Man.

OH YEAH!

Alrighty! I have a bit of an update here for y'all in regaurds to the Carnivores piece... now in COLOR (mostly... kind of)

I got a bit more work (especially to get that heart properly jellified and somewhat transparent... maybe add some fruit cocktail to it and some sliced bananas) but with all due luck, I am aiming to have it completed by Saturday night, yay!

As for the color so far, for some odd reason, they came out a touch more saturated then they really are... and Ivy's (I keep wanting to call her Poison ivy ) skin came out way more rosy and fleshy in the scan then it is on the painting (as I only used some dull [censored] yellows and some purple on it...). I'll take a bit more care on the final scans to make sure it comes out proper... wish i knew why the colors aren't scanning exactly as is... haven't had this problem for a good little while

Carnivores: Color01