Not sure, how to finish it

[Graphic Dan]

I've worked with coloured pencils and done some digital stuff on this, but i'm stuck, where do I go, from here? Do I just tidy it up and finish or does it need more detail? Please help, thanks guys

[Lightship69]

Hi matey

I am not sure what you want people to say here mate, is it supposed to be a cartoony story or a realistic one? I only ask as the story itself is a little obscure at the moment, you havn't told us what it is and what is going on and the image doesnt tell us, we just have a naked form coming out of a clock.

If its cartoony then its pretty much ok just sort out the perspective on the clock and the anatomy on the girl, fairy creature (if possible! I dont know what software you own) and hint at a background as its rather barren. Then render it until you are happy with the end result.

If its going to be a realistic rendering then OMG where to start!!
Get lots of references for people in that position if possible, reference wood textures, clock faces (Big Ben clock tower in London), stair cases that spiral down and pictures with faint city scape backgrounds (or whatever is in the background).
You need to get a picture in your mind of the thing and all its textures before you can even try to get it on paper.
Once you have all that then you can go in and start correcting and adding as you see fit to make it the image that you want.

So in answer to the questions
"where do I go, from here?" - I dont know its your image, you decide!
" Do I just tidy it up and finish?" - Do you think its finished, "yes" then stop, "No" keep going.
"does it need more detail?" - I think so yes but its your image what do you want to do with it?

People in this forum will help you with pretty much anything, but once I start saying add gandalf on a broomstck, with harry potter casting a fairy out of the clock face spell its not your image any more I have hijacked it and made it mine and you are working on it for me.
Thats wrong! its what you want from it thats important, ask specific questions like how do I paint realistic wood textures and keep your work your own.

all the very best to you and I hope this long ramble was of some small use to you.

[Saramel]

Well, I half agree with Lighship....

I do agree that if you are going for realistic, you are way way far from being finished, and you'll need lots more reference. And, that it's up to you what you add or take away or whatever.

On the other hand, I don't think this is finished even for cartoony style. It's not particularly stylized at all, actually, it just looks kinda sloppy. Sorry, but it looks like you just sort of quickly threw some pencil lines in, without planning them, and several corrective lines all around them, instead of one well-though line for each. Then you scribbled several layers of colored pencil - quick, sloppy scribbling in several layers with a quick Photoshop 'fix' does not equal one careful, masterful layer of coloring. The shapes in the structure mean almost nothing, they have no form and are mere symbols.

I'd say stop working on this, not because it is a well finished piece, but because it's really unfixable at this point, since colored pencils are pretty permanent. Use it as a first draft, or a concept sketch. Keep working, the concept is there, but if you want a really nice, finished piece, you'll need to put more thought into how to represent it convincingly (even if it's cartoony). And you will want to be more thoughtful with the implementation of the medium, because right now, it really does look pretty scribbly and rushed. From what I've been told, most industry pros spend at least 10 hours on their finished illustrations - at least!!!

[Lightship69]

Hi Matey (again lol)

The reason I asked what software you were using to paint this is because of "layers" in photoshop you could still use this as a base or line drawing and paint over the top of it and carry on with it.
It all depends upon you and what you feel you need to learn and what you feel you are capable of, and also what you want from the picture.

I cannot advise further as I dont know what age you are and what level of skill you have, I'm sorry if this isnt as helpful as you were hoping for.

[williams73]

I don't mean to sound rude and maybe I don't know my ass from a hole in the ground but I would look at this as a sketch for a cool idea and build on it from there.....

[Lightship69]

Hi williams73
"look at this as a sketch for a cool idea and build on it from there....."

Thats sort of the area I'm coming from too I'm just trying to get Graphic Dan to make the decisions on what he wants to do with his art, and get the point accross that its up to him and not us what he does.

all the best everyone

[Graphic Dan]

Lightship and Saramel, I definitely get what your saying. Thank you!
I need to work on my research into ideas a lot more, most of the time I just sit down and draw without thinking enough about, what I want to create or practice. So I've just got to conceptualise a lot more! and be more specific about what style I want to convey, In the final image!

This has been a bit of an artistic reality check for me, So I appreciate it, thanks again! I'll look forward to showing you guys, some new stuff and checking out yours!

[Graphic Dan]

I Mostly use photoshop