[sweetpea]

about a year and 8 months ago i decided i wanted to pursue the anime field of art. during that time i drew my damn head off, and now after all that work i'm rather displeased at how it's all come out. (check out my website to see what i mean.) so after a bit of brooding and not drawing for a while i decided i should go back to my 'roots' and continue the fine art that i had been practicing before.

anyway, onto the painting, it's a portait of my buddy rob; finished in about 5 hours. i know i'll wake up tomorrow and go, "GAH! glaring mistakes everywhere!" but in the meantime, i'd like your opinions and critiques.

thanks.

[Twacle]

I realy realy realy like it, beautifull painting !!!!!!!!!!!!!

One thing, the clothing, in my opinion, is too bright for the colors of the head, perhaps it would look more natural if it were a little darker. How about it ?

By the way, what software did you use to make it ?

[Ahcri]

I think the problem about the head and the sweater is that they look like two seperate things. It can be fixed by adding some shadow under his chin (on the white sweater).

[lookitsfrank]

wow. that looks fantastic sweetpea. glad to see you coming back. anyway, here's a few thoughts of mine:
-you do indeed need a shadow from the chin and head onto the sweater. if the lightsource is from the extreme right like it shows on the face, there would be some sort of long shadow extending from the left tip of the chin up to about the jaw bone or ear area.
-I would also make the highlights a bit brighter on the left eyelid and cheeckbone to define them more that way they don't get lost in the midtones. don't make it too bright though, you'll be inconsistent with the light source.
-you might also want to stagger the position of the figure on the image. just placing his head smack in the middle of the canvas is kind of boring. I would scootch him over a few centimeters to the left.

now for some praise:
-the color scheme is fantastic! heh. very earthy. reminds me of a beach and conch shells for some reason.. heh.
- I love the painterly feel you've captured. very oilly. (If that's a word.) did you use some custom brushes?
- For some reason I'm finding the lips looking very good to me. probably because I can't draw hair and that mustache looks awesome! (can't tell if he has a goat or not.. not sure if that's hair or a shadow.)

anyway, I'm very anxious to see some more. you definately have a nick for captureing a feeling with the strokes.
kudos

[sweetpea]

just a little update. put deeper shadows on the clothing, right side, and moved him over a bit so he's not in the middle.

[lookitsfrank]

me likey! much better. heh. fantastic stuff peanut.

[sweetpea]

wow, thanks for all the replies!

everyone's right about the sweater/head problem. i did a very-bad and painted the sweater AFTER finishing the head. *slaps wrists* i'll work on making it more natural and adding more shadow to it, along with messing with the values in the eyelid area, as mentioned.

i use painter 5.5, no custom brushes. (unless you count sliding the size bar.. )mostly roughed it in with the charcoal and chalk tool and moved the color around with the 'just add water.'

i really appreciate all the critiques. thank you!

[lel]

Grateful model to use as a reference, no hair to complicate things (it would for me :-)
Very moody picture, he's got to be impressed by it! (We are) Good choice to leave anime for a while.
Still a bit darker clothes I think... I'm guessing now, but the core shadow in the face and on the ear are even darker and the clothes should follow in parts at least.

[Shijima]

What is your website..for i can compare the anime to the fine art