Need help polishing piece

[isabella89]

I have a difficult time creating finished pieces. I need help on how to polish this to make it a completed portfolio worthy work. Any advice is really appreciated.

[Stoat]

She's got some fundamental, underlying anatomy issues. Particularly asymmetry in her trunk. Polish isn't what this piece lacks.

[isabella89]

I flipped it so i could see the flaws. The anatomy is awkward looking so Im working on it. Thank you for the help.

[justa]

I also think that finish isn't the issue here, except from the perspective that you haven't actually finished it :-). There are no shortcuts to actually putting the hours in. If you are new to drawing, always work from reference (or life if you can manage it). Reference can be helpful if you are posting places like this because you can include the reference and we can help you see the errors more easily. And as Stoat has pointed out, there are a lot of basic errors here.

I am not a wonderful draftsman so I tend to use the grid method to get proportions correct. Eventually you need to graduate away from such crutches but they can be helpful when you are 1st learning. Having said all that, I'd also suggest getting a really tight line drawing done 1st, then move on to values and hues.

Here is a lovely spot to learn some stuff: http://www.henningludvigsen.com/home/

Hope that helps

D'Arcy

[JOELB]

Okay so this is how you finish this piece. Clarity. Typically when painting a piece you work from general color and general shape to specific and detailed.
Start with the hands. Clean them up and make the fingers/ claws defined and clear.

Then work on the edges so that they're clean and fit the lighting scheme. Don't mistake clean with an outline.

After that check your materials. Does the metal, cloth, etc. look how it should? For instance the metal armband is pretty good, but the fabric looks like velvet. I have seen vamperilla wearing vinyl. So which were you going for? If vinyl put in some bright highlights.

Next skin this means color changes, pores, wrinkles, sweat, highlights and shadow modeling and blending. A small note; you don't want to blend the skin to much. But you should enough so that the appearance of individual brushstrokes isn't so drastic. Also skin has depths so that the closer to bone the less full the color will be.

Move onto the wings and background soften and smooth it out. Fix up the hair so that there are some streaks of highlight. After that do a final pass and fix anything that doesn't look right. Stop when you don't see anything. Take a break for a day and then look again.

Now for some advice you didn't ask for. The anatomy needs a little work, but not that much. Just keep practicing and it will get there. From what I see here it shouldn't take long. If you need reference ask a friend or girlfriend to model for you. Draw from life and take a few pictures just in case. As long as you say something to the effect of they're so beautiful that it would be a shame not to draw them, or they inspire you to create, etc you should be able to find someone easy enough.

Also I wouldn't use this as a portfolio piece. Except for a very few exceptions employers want to see your ideas and subjects. Not a rendition of someone else's.

Well that's my two cents, hope it helps and when in doubt keep at it.

[mimer]

Now for some advice you didn't ask for. The anatomy needs a little work, but not that much.

Actually, I'd say the anatomy is so much off, what needs to happen is to go back and actually learn some basic anatomy, because this piece isn't just a little bit off, it's very off.

Go back to basics, by all means make pieces like this because its fun and you learn something from it, but you really, really need to learn anatomy.

[tobbA]

I don't think the anatomy is that off either. It's disproportionate and undefined in places. But it's not that fundamentally off. Get the proportions right and after that start worrying about the anatomical detalils. If you can pull that off I think it'll end up looking good.

[jamsession]

your lines are insecure. i think that's the reason why parts of the anatomy don't work. either the perspective has flaws, or its an anatomic problem that causes her right (left to us) shoulder to appear bigger/longer than her left. lighting of the boobs is inconsistent, her left breast casts too much shadow as if it is hovering. i recently had to restart a finished and polished work from 5-6 years ago just because of issues with value and anatomy on the back/spine. i'd humbly recommend you to redraw her from scratch with a consistent light source and persective, plus a useful ref.