[Max]

Hello!
This is my 900th post here. Cool somehow..I like 900 more than 1000...well
I have learned endless much here. ( eh, nothing changed with my bad english )
Well, I have improved alot since I found the sijun forums, and my knowledge about art is at least ten times bigger now.
So,...I have to thank all who helped me improving my skills.

Blablabla,....here is the image I want to show you.
Yes, you can call it a simple copy - 'cause it is a copy.
I love this image of frodo so much - I just had to copy it.
Took me some time but it was very funny and I have learned alot.
Hm, not very creative that's right, but till now I never tried to achieve photorealism.


Ok, here it is - you know it, I guess




Detail
http://www.8ung.at/max.kulich/sijun/frododetail2.jpg
http://www.8ung.at/max.kulich/sijun/frododetail1.jpg

Steps
http://www.8ung.at/max.kulich/sijun/frodobagginssteps.jpg

[Matthew]

Oh my God! that is totally incredible.
I have to agree with you, the best teachers are here on the forum...hmm I think I said it earlier but it�s worth reapeating.
Thanks for adding the steps, I love to see how other work.
Did you start of with a soft brush and then blurred the image?

have a nice weekend
Matthew

[AndyT]

Holy....!!! WOW.... just WOW!!!!
_________________
http://www.conceptworld.org

[UkiTakuMuki]

... i... it... i...

/me dies


:p i just wish ill learn and improve like you did!


awesome stuff as usual, nothing to crit :> if i shrank it to 50% in PS, then i'd say its just like a photo!

[Cuddly]

Max, this is truly wonderful, inspirational stuff! Nothing wrong with copying as you've done it. I'm planning on doing the same to study light, color and values.

Oh, and congrats on that 900th posting!

[Max]

Thanks a lot guys!

Matthew: Thank you. I noticed that you also improved a lot since your first post here - Congratulations !!!
And, yes, you're right about the softbrush.
I use it to paint the main shapes. But I didn't blur it afterwards.

Hey, Andy, I'm glad you like it!

UkiTakuMuki: Please don't die - you will improve - sometimes fast - sometimes slow. Thank you very much!

Cuddly: Thanks Just go for it, copying is a very good practise.

[Matthew]

Thank you Max.
Cool tecnique with the soft Brush, I�m gonna try that out.

By the way, 900 posts are impressive. see if I can compete with you..hehe ...hmmm..sometime.
The Race is on.....
keep it up

Matthew

[Max]

Haha, Matthew - good idea.
Shouldn't be a big problem for you.
You post in nearly every thread. You're very fast....Let's see...

[Matthew]

hehe....one more for me....hehe

[faB]

Interesting, did you colour the black and white ? You painted values, then color? I haven't seen many artists use this technique, just wondering because the 'steps' picture shows it in black and white.
_________________
"I'm not a shrimp, I'm a KING PRAWN !" -- Pepe.
selfportraits & stuff

[Max]

Matthew: Yes just ONE hehe

faB: Yes, you're abolutely right.
First I painted black and white then I made a new layer set to color mode and added color.
( Torstein Nordstrand gave me some very good tipps, thanks )

[eyewoo]

Max... nice work... you really have moved in your artwork... Keep it up!!!
_________________
HonePie.com
tumblr blog
digtal art

[Torstein Nordstrand]

Looks swell! It all looks natural, which I presume was your goal. Very nice handling of tones all over, you have a good eye. Everything hangs together. I especially like the texture on the upper part of the sword.

If I would do anything different I would add some colour variation to the important parts of the face and hands. Like his lips and eyes, could be a little more defined, and some more blood showing beneath that skin. If you look at old master paintings (like Bouguereau and many others), you'll see they often use multiple colours to make skin look radient and glowing, it might look like a single hue/saturation, but look again. There is colour play there that makes the skin come alive. So some variation (both in hue and saturation) would be nice, also his eyes should be blue, methinks?

I recently coloured a photograph, and found it useful to put an unsaturated neutral bluish grey tone down first, then going over applying a more saturated colour on important parts. It really gave them life.

Forgive me the long rant Max, great study!
_________________
www.torsteinnordstrand.com

[antx]

Wow, I was sure your answer to faB�s question would be "no". I did not think that it was possible to put in color only at the end and ending up with such quality. Even now I can�t see a hint of it. Very well done!!!

About copying: I tried this myself several times but have to say that I just don�t learn anything from it. I alway find myself at some point in a machine like copying mode with no thinking going on. Just looking at the ref and then make the same in my version. I�m now going to try a different approach by copying only the subject and light situation, but using a different pose and such so that I force myself to think about what I�m doing. I hope this will help me.

[SolarFlux]

even though I hate that movie.

It is a nice frame.
splendid work.
_________________
SolarFlux
----------
I don't know much about painting but I'm trying to learn

[Max]

Thanks for all the input guys!!!


eyewoo: Thanks alot! I will, of course

Torstein Nordstrand: Thank you very much! I know what you mean.
The face and the eyes were the hardest part and they're still not perfect.
I will try to give the face some live. I will try to handle this with hue/saturation like you told me. And yes, the eyes should be blue..hehe
Thanks again for all the tipps.

antx: Thank you! Well it's easier ( for me ) to start with Black and White and color afterwards - I love this technique.
Yes, and about copying: I remember someone said that you shouldn't spend more than a half hour on a painting as far as pure practicing goes. And I think that's the same with copying. Uh oh, so I spent 24 1/2 hours more....hmm
But the most important thing is to have fun - and I had

SolarFlux: Thanks

[ChiaNi]

Max: I say. this is Wow wow... This is the best of your post. I have nothing to crite.
_________________
Holly sprite

[Max]

ChiaNi: Hehe, thank you very much. Nice to hear something from you!

[dontfallin]

what happened to your site?? me and friends were laughing at all the crap there , and how you always acted like a little jerk... then your site dissapears and you come around with this.....I get it I wont blow your cover COUGH!!(CHEATER!!!) damn Im such an asshole... bet you thought I was gone (you'll probably attack my grammar again )

[Malachi Maloney]

Nicely done Max, a big step forward for you.


~M~
_________________
l i q u i d w e r x

[Lolion]

*Said with my best surfer-voice*

DUDE...

_________________
Live to win,
Dare to fail.

[legolas]

Great realism, Really cool! I wish I could copy realism, what was the scale of the original?
_________________
Visit my website at http://www.homeoflegolas.com

[robcamp]

This is definitely an excellent piece! I second the comment about the face, a bit more red here and there and it will look perfect. Maybe, make the Sting glimmer and shine a bit more (I am lucky enonugh to have a replica of the sword... I love it!).

Now that the second movie is coming out and thanks to your painting, I feel inspired to draw another LOTR inspired piece.

Great work!

[Max]

Malachi: Thank you! That means much to me

Lolion:

legolas: Thanks!
It's just a matter of time! The original size is exactly 2000 x 2727.

robcamp: Thank you for your comments. I will keep that in mind!!
Ah, and it was YOU who inspired me to paint this. Thanks again