[faeklone]

Just wanted to share this, because I was staring at it earlier and couldn't decide what to do.

This is a sketch from my sketchbook (hence the odd tilt). The Faerie is trapped in a bubble of magic or glass, I haven't decided which yet. I haven't decided what the bubble is sitting on, or even the background. Although I was thinking about a black background with monster hands coming out to get the girl looking at the Faerie.

Anyway, if you have any ideas that would be great. I don't know if I'm going to finish it or if it will just become a random sketch in my sketchbook.


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"It's not the tools you use but how you use them that counts."

[HevyDevy]

Ok, no bugger can be arsed to reply to you dude so I'm gonn give a couple of ideas cos I think it's important that if this random sketch has spoken to you enough to want to work on it further then you should...

Firstly the main correction I would make is to his left eye...being that you've drawn at an angle, or at least I assume you have...if you turn it so that the face is straight you'll see that eye is alot higher and at quite an extreme angle...also the eye shapes and general facial features could do with a gentle attendence...it's an aged suggestion but get some photo reference of faces....not to copy essentially but just to help understand the structure of the face more.

As for the composition, yes you could add hands but currently the dynamic of the picture is a little one dimensional following that same diagonal line from left to right. Try doing few thumbnail sketches of various compositions using the elements you have then blow them up to see if you can find a better answer...

Also, giving the Faerie a more interesting pose would help break this diagonal feel you have...act it out! Imagine you're trapped in a ball, and note your body shape and thought process. It'll help, much like this helps animators to get into character...

Lastly, I would say when painting this piece, be consious of having a focus point for the eye to find naturally as opposed to having many in the one image...this can be achieved even with the image as is by using light to bring out what you think is the most important part of this image that you want to convey to the viewer. I could assume this would be the faerie in the ball/orb as opposed to the face, as the figure imprisoned seems to tell the story more over the imprisoner. It will also add the necessary emotion to your subject matter I think...as for choice of colour...I would again look at other artwork and photos that speak to you and convey the same mood that you are hoping to achieve. Try and then emulate this in your own painting
This is also a good thing to rough out in thumbnail form to save you spending precious foundation ideas on the final image and becoming discouraged should it not work the first time


...but seriously, do pursue this piece, and if for nothing else, treat it as a learning experience...

Apologies for my grammar...I'm a bit pissed!

Good luck and post your next update!

All The Best

HD

p.s. Draw those Faerie hands dude! Don't be frightened of them...dive in!
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Life is all dynamics...

[faeklone]

Thanks for the crit Devy, it was exactly what I was looking for. A kick in the butt. I like what you said about the composition of the picture being a little too symmetricial, so in my sketching for this picture I've made sure to deliberately bring things a little off center, just to add that visual interest.

Anyway, this is the sketch that I ended up liking the best of the dozen or so in my sketchbook and elsewhere (This one on the back of a reciept).



I took exact measurements from this image and transferred it into my sketchbook, finding when I scanned it that I didn't measure close enough.



This image is what it looks like at the moment, I have to fix up the face something fierce, it's the low point of this picture so far, and I have to get my ass in gear and get a background together before I totally continue on with this. I got a little too interested in the figure to work on the background. The faerie is going to be in the ball up top, and is emitting light and is suspended in the air by magic of some kind.

I'm thinking I like my sketch so much I may end up just blowing it up big and painting over it in photoshop.

So other than that, on the image I have in pencil so far, can anyone see anything I've missed, other than no hands (I'll get to them eventually), the head, and the seam in the corset being a bit different from drawing to sketch. And no I"m not looking for the differences in the drawing to the sketch. I can see those already.
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"It's not the tools you use but how you use them that counts."