[Steven Stahlberg]

Idea of a creature that catches fairies for the King... scanned sketch, Photoshop, about 4 days. Crits welcome.

[alx]

don't show...

[Anthony]

Cool color values in this one, I like it. Seems like the shadow color balance gets a little different around the admittedly oversized ankle trap and faeries, but just in the forground. Do you think that's an odd trap to catch faeries with? I don't know that they weigh enough to set it off, and I don't see any bait. :] Perhaps a venus fly trap beautiful flower type of thing that seals then in transleucent wrapping would be better? Just a though, beautiful figures per norm Steven!
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Carpe Carpem
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[Stewart one]

nice job steven. looks good overall. the mood is great. The only thing that feels odd is that the fairies feel pasted in. I think this is because the arent casting any light on the enviroment even if they are obviously glowing. This makes them stick out from the picture. although i think it does work quite well in a graphic sence. and i like the look of them overall. Cool work.
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[Affected]

I kind of agree the trap isn't the best idea... Do faeries walk all that much anyway? A web of some kind might be more appropriate.

The glow doesn't seem distracting to me, these are magical creatures.

[Max]

Really great concept. The fairies are painted beautifully.
The trees are wonderful too. What I do not like that much are those trees in the background to the left. It's too light. The comp doesn't work this way imho. You need some dark element to the left too to give the pic some kind of "flow".
Nice work overall!

[Heysoos]

I really like it. The colors and mood all work very well. great work on the trees and ground. I think the fairy catcher should be carrying more cages, maybe some tied to his back or somethin. Since he is basically a sillhouette it would make for a more interesting shape I think.
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[nautilustwo]

Nice idea, excellent execution. But to learn how to catch fairies
read the "Dresden Files" from Jim Butcher. You bait them with
honey, milk, and /or pizza.

[Lunatique]

NICE!

The values around the trap seem a bit too subdued, particularly the highlights. I think the fallen leaves and pebbles..etc around it would probably catch just as much highlight--especially if there's dew/rain on them.

The farie with the red hair--is she pulling on the farie in front of her? It looks a bit strange. The farie to the right--her body language is a bit contrived--maybe less frontal? The trapped farie--her mid/lower torso area is a bit shaky--I think it's because of the modelling of the shapes. She looks like she's got less definition compared to the other faries too.

The glow from the faries should probably cast a stronger light on the nearby enviroment--for more visual clarity/impact.

The background reminds me a bit of how Lina (Enayla) does her stuff.

[Steven Stahlberg]

Thanks!
Here's a new version, I know this is not the WIP forum but I always do this, I can't help it. I "finish" too soon, and I need other eyes to see what's wrong.

I added a cage and a magical flower as bait, darkened the left side, and changed all the fairies after using my Maya model as a kind of advanced Poser reference. I really don't want to change the trap itself, because I like the heebiejeebies those kind of traps give me... (imagine strolling through the forest and stepping in some idiot's beartrap, breaking your leg... then you need both legs to step on both sides of the trap simultaneously to get out of it, and if you're alone... brr.)

[allpetter]

Very nice Steven!
Oh, I like it so much, great work!

The enviroment is top notch, So good mood in it!
Nice brushwork technique!

The skin tones on the fairy nearest the right edge of the painting is just so damn supurb I cant find words for it!

The only thing I want to comment is the water!
They need to be integrated better.

It was a descet move by you to make egdges sharp for the waterpools, indicating on a quiet forrest with no wind blowing by.

But it would not hurt to soften up the edges some,
might also work to place some miner stons in the waterpools sticking up,
proving its deept.

The waterpool behind the omnious guy needs some hase before it.
As of now it jumps at you exactly as much as the two front pools.
Add some more haze, I think that would do the trick

Anyway, as I said in the beggining of this post
great work
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[insanelight]

Intense.
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[daryl]

it is a wonderful piece, great work!

Im curious to your workflow in this one. you mentioned your 3d models as reference, its a neat idea since u can pose them in all kinds of ways. what about the rest of the picture, did you use any photo reference? why Im asking is that the ground below the fairies for example, looks very photoish (to me). like a photo texture with changed hue and saturation and smooth erased edges to blend in with the rest of the environment. forgive me if Im wrong, and this is just out of curiosity.

anyhoosers, the rendering of the fairy to the most right is gorgeous, the others are great as well. but the one lying on the ground seems to receive a light straight on from the viewer, while to me it should be a shadowy area as the light is coming from behind the guy with the cage?

its a superb pic, keep up the good work.
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[Sumaleth]

Love it.
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[Martin Rebas]

[see]

perfect! I love the idea. a little something.

[-HoodZ-]

ooo see has a more ominous look to the forest...though the three fairies seems a bit to dull

[see]

your right!

[Heysoos]

I really like the improvements you made, though it does seem like the flower is part of the fairies foot, maybe a slight repositioning of it. I also prefer your more lighter and mystical looking forest to sees dark spooky forest. In yours it seems like the fairy catcher is the tresspasser in a beautiful place and the cruel steel trap is all the more disconcerting in such a lush natural environment. In sees it seems like the fairies are the ones that tresspassed into the fairy catchers lands. Its very interesting to see how such a slight shift in value can have such an impact on the story that is being told.
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[-HoodZ-]

good point heysoos

looking at the pic the trapper shouldve used some other sort of contraption to trap a fairy...a steel trap might be a bit much for tiny legs and how the leg got caught when they fly is a bit of a puzzle...uhm maybe a netting of some sort...

just suggestin mr.stahl dont go by me

[Fiend]

First of all, great mood and nice painting and I like the changes.
But I do have some comments. In the front part of the picture It looks like you have painted over a texture/picture which makes it stand out compared to the rest of the picture and which makes the fairies stand out as well. So I think you need to give the front part of the picture (including the fairies) a more painterly feel. Secondly the fairy on the far right doesn't seem to be "together" with the other fairies. She should either be looking a the trapped fairy, the two other fairies or the fairy catcher.
I have seen your "Jealousy"- fairy painting (which is amazing), so I know you can do it.
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[Steven Stahlberg]

Good advice all.
Here's a closeup of the lower right quadrant, I've made the flower smaller, brighter and moved it sideways, the right-most fairy's head has turned, and I worked more on the background greenery etc. But I'm really not happy with the fairy that's trying to pull her friend away, the pose is stiff and un-graceful. Not sure what to do. Go back to the original? But that wasn't much better... back to the drawing board.



Here's one of the reference images, I also grabbed some textures from it

[Weirdowe]

Nice work ...
It's got this bouguereau feel to it. My comment is on that strong pink that brings too much attention to itself

[The Real Mark]

Thats awesome - thanks for the close up!

[frantic]

It's all beautiful..really nice..I have nothing to say to the picture except the fairies.

I think one of those fairies should look to the fairy catcher in fear.. seeing him aproaching...so this could give some stronger feeling to the particular moment a bit. I like the fairies on the first picture better, on the 2nd they seem a little too statuesque. The trap is a little popping out. And on the very right, the fairy looks like she is yawning instead of being in fear or sumthing...I hope my crits helps, very beautiful artwork.

cheerz.

ps: I couldnt read all the comments, so if anyone already pointed out those issues, sorry bout that.
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[GardenGnome]

Wow, amazing rendering on this. The atmosphere is crazy real.

[tttia]

That is some wonderful painting on the bg. My favorite part, though it took me a few views to see it, is the water. The way it picks up the lighting really looks great.

The fairies, as others mentioned, just don't seem to fit the whole darker lighting. The last version is better, especially on the one holding back the other..., but the one in the trap just still stands out a bit too much.

I can understand people's comments about the bait/trap etc., but the flower just looks a bit odd. Also...why does the one fairie way to the right look like she is striking a pose? Seems odd timing, or maybe I am just not getting the right idea. In fact....in the first version..and the closeups, it seems she is looking toward the scene...but in the others, including the last full version, it appears she is almost facing the viewer.

Out of curiosity, what size did you do this at?

I love realistic pieces, and this is one of my favorites. Good work.

[gezstar]

very nice mood. i don't think the fairies are integrating very well, but if you could get that sorted it would be a really wonderful image - and it's great as it stands, don't get me wrong.

[weslouie]

Hey, Steven.

Very cool image there.

I really like the lighting of the image along with the atmosphereic perspective. I also like the color palette as well. I think for that fairy that is stuck in that trap, I would give a bit more light to the individual rocks that are really close to her. I know you did that a bit from that closeup I saw, but I would probably give it a little more light and saturation.....to use other terms, a bit more specularity to the rocks just because if you think about it, rocks are comprised of minerals and most of the time if you shine a light onto rocks, you will see some of the minerals reflecting light. That would be just to make it look like the fairy is really casting light and she is glowing.

I think it would be kinda cool to see that fairy catcher to cast a darker shadow onto the forest ground from that backlight.

That fairy that is furthest to the right is drawing a lot of attention just because of how much light she's receiving, but maybe you want it that way.

Great job!
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[Yarik]

Very good looking image. (note to all flamers: Phuck you. I am going to comliment a good image if I see one AND NO ONE IS GOING TO STOP ME DAMN IT!!!!LMAO!!!

For the sake of criticism, if you want it so badly, I have to say that I would give more depth to the fairy catcher. He looks good, but Doesn't the ground around him reflect light? I see his breath, which means it is pretty saturated, I also see a puddle, which means the ground around him is moist. And if that is the case light is refracted and reflected all around him so he should have some visiblity in front of him. He kind of looks like he is just a cardbouard cut out from the neck down.

Otherwise I think it is superb.