Sijun Forums :: View topic

phreaknasty · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2000 4:08 pm

it just occurred to me that perhaps i have a wee bit of an obsession with naomi, but oh well could be worse. i know its kinda lame to keep drawing celebs, but i was struck by the photographer's interesting takes on naomi and i still don't feel that i'm really up to the challenge of creating a totally original work. i have a ways to go just getting an handle on the medium

so the long and the short of it is that i used this photo....
http://www.pixeljock.com/sijun/naomi_photo.jpg
to create this as of yet unfinished picture (originally drawn at around 2000 squared)....

by charging through this process....

my biggest concern at this point is my haphazard process (seems to very on every try), my reliance on photos, and the muddy nature of my finished work. i'm not particularly interested in creating a totally smooth photo-realistic look, i'd rather end up with something with a bit more life, but every time i try to get sketchy, my drawings get muddy. if anyone has any feedback on the partially completed image or more interestingly, some constructive feedback on how i can sure up my process i'd love to hear it... thanks.

[This message has been edited by phreaknasty (edited October 02, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by phreaknasty (edited October 02, 2000).]

surferboi · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2000 5:05 pm

i think its somewhat sad that no one has replied to your image yet... i think its a great image. i like the painting better then the picture imo.. the only thing that i can notice is that the leg she's holding the curve doesnt look as smooth around her cath muscle, the hands u didnt put a lot of work into, and thats about it after really looking over ur picture for any small details that look wrong to me.

i think its a good picture one id be very proud of

Matt Elder · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2000 5:20 pm

That is a really nice image. I really like the style with it and really don't find it all that 'muddy'. It is a little dark but I can't tell whether that is because of the original photo or just your style.

As for your style varying each time, your probably still experimenting and this can be a really good think. It means that you are still trying to find the 'optimal' way to produce an image. I wouldn't be too overally concerned as I think, if you ever get it to a factory style where you are just churning out images, it won't be as fun.

I'm going to assume you used PhotoShop to do it and the following are suggestions for that. In general I'm going to try a couple of suggestions for this 'muddiness' you refer to (I still can't see it 100%). Try playing with adjustment layers to adjust the colour of the image - particularly curves and colours. In the level's adjustment layers you might like to play around with the bottom triangle markers to adjust your dark and light points.

OK. Those are cheap tricks and you may get the effect you are looking for. If not, try setting the smudge brush to 'color' and drag your cursor from a light area to a dark one (you may have to do this a couple of times depending upon the opacity). I think you may also need to adjust your foreground colour in the toolbox.

Maybe if you post the original image, we can see a bit better what you are talking about. Something bothers me about the way she is sitting and I think it has to do with the shadows on the backs of her thighs.

If you do post the original or want further comments, please email me directly so with so many posts, it is easy not to see a post again.

------------------
See ya on da flip side
Matt
http://www.mattelder.com

daz199 · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2000 7:22 pm

wow thats awesome!

AprilYSH · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2000 8:58 pm

quote:
Originally posted by phreaknasty:
my biggest concern at this point is my haphazard process (seems to very on every try), my reliance on photos, and the muddy nature of my finished work.

i don't think there's a problem about reyling on photos for reference. especially with the technique you used above - you need to know the full picture in advance. you really have to have a subject to work from or a VERY good image in your head. it's hard to have the latter, so use the reference!

great job on the likeness by the way.

------------------
April http://april.cjb.net

sear · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2000 3:31 am

your picture got soul mate

nice one.

phreaknasty · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2000 8:15 am

surferboi - thanks for the the support

i see what you mean about the calf, needs a bit of work. guess all around i've been trying to ignore the hands, and the calf seems to be a casually of my fear

Matt - your comments about style have cheered me up a bit, though the fact that i can't even seem to carry the same style through a entire drawing is still a bit annoying. what i meant by muddy is that the instead of sketchy like spooge's stuff it looks messy, dirty and the colors are getting a bit rank. i seem to be having problems choosing shadow colors. i'd love any further insight you have about the thigh/shadow issue.

daz199, AprilYSH, sear - thanks

[This message has been edited by phreaknasty (edited October 03, 2000).]

phreaknasty · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2000 4:54 pm

pretty, pretty please

acarablue · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2000 3:15 pm

PHN
I think that observing photos, other peoples art, or the traditional study from life is important. To build your own visual vocabulary and eventual style ov your very own (even if it's celeb pics that spin your web)takes alot of trying to do what those to whom you aspire to have done.
I think it's a very sumptuous image that's umm visually stimulating. Both my girlfriend and I took a look at this piece last night and liked what we saw.
For skin color, I think you got it. I would encourage the use of more colors (for black skin has more hues than what's just on surface). Andrew Wyeth did some figures whose black skin had greens in it- and it's the muddiest skin rendition I can immediately recall! It's beautiful. Try the muddy. Use more colors in the skin.
nice work!

MaLoRuM · Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2000 12:32 pm

hEY... i know this is an old Topic, but i like surfing around old pages in the forums and seeing artwork i missed. and just sometimes....Just sometimes there stuff on here i think other people should see like this painting! which even has STEPS too it! so awesome! i love it! so i decided to bring it back from the dead a bit and put it back at the front of the forums.

i just think this is awesome.

------------------
The Correct Procedure in The Art of the B*tch Slap: *Extend arm* *reel back* *twist torso* *stare opponent in eye* *twist back and release* :) *follow up with something cool to say*

Matt Elder · Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2000 2:15 pm

OK ... if you look at her right leg, towards the back of the knee, the is a large dark shadow but as you move towards her hip, the shadow thins out. Now looking at the rest of the image, taking into account the shadow on the wall and the floor, it would seem that the light source is coming from high left of frame. For mine, I don't understand how this shadow can thin out. Also as it thins out, the top of the thigh has a shadow that grows, something in this area looks a miss.

------------------
See ya on da flip side
Matt
http://www.mattelder.com

Superbug · Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2000 2:32 pm

Sorry about not replying, i didn't see the post. I hate it when people don't reply, especially when you do your best or try, and no one gives a rats ass because they all want to kiss as to the 'better' artists in this forum.

Anyways....um, i like, ur pic, mi think its because im obsessed with niomi
yum!!
ur pictures cool, the process is interesting, cuz i never ever seen how other people in this forum draw.

kiu (keep it up)