Viva Las Hell

[sweetguts]

I'm really trying to push myself for this painting I'm working on and was hoping ya'll would be kind enough to give me some crits.

The character is a demon girl who is actually gentle, shy and kind-hearted. She lives in hell, where the entertainment revolves around torture of the damned, seduction and general debauchery.

[DPFX]

Right now your focal point is lost in a sea of chaotic values.

[jondawo]

There was very little value separation between the foreground subject and the background. I lightened up the background a little to add some depth.
Also the sign behind her head was very distracting and made her head difficult to read. Think about putting it somewhere else in the image and making it's colours less attention grabbing.

[StefRob]

hmmm.... Beside the issues raised by the others posters the main problem IMO is you have a precise idea described in the first post but nothing in your picture seems related to that. If I were you I'd start again for it from scratch and include the notions you mentionned (damnation, torture and seduction).
You could keep her position but make the elements appear in background for exemple.

[Aceoko]

I think it would have looked better with a 3 point perspective. I like the colours. I agree with the value & sign comment above. I think maybe you could move the sign onto the building to the left, closer to the bottom maybe. But I like it, nice work.

[Venger]

You need to tell the story better.
Perhaps show other 'Demons' on rooftops flying around having wild fun! Oh and 'demon' her up a little as well, she looks to human (the old classic horns, wings or tail perhaps)
So it's 'Las Vegas' demonsville, needs more obvious 'Hell' additions - could be fun with 'Hell' billboards etc.

Your perspective is out - work on the 3 point perspective a bit more: quick op

I'd change some of the building placement so its not in line with the fire escape - got lazy in the OP

[sweetguts]

Thanks for the help guys, especially the value stuff, I always have trouble with that I'll get started on fixin' later today.

@StefRob: I probably should have posted once I had more specific elements in place, the other signs and billboards are all going to have hellish stuff written on them, (just need to think up some hell puns) fire in random places, etc. Sooo hopefully that would work?

EDIT: @Venger: Oh dang you posted just as I was writing this lol. That was the plan, but I didn't even think to add other demons, that's a great idea. Thanks!

[sweetguts]

Didn't have time to do as much as I wanted to yesterday, but I lightened up the background and pushed the values some more, as well as moving that dang sign. I'd like to keep the sky dark as well, but hopefully that helps.

I also cut off part of the bottom because I felt like it was just going to end up as dead space.

[Ales S.]

I like the extra bottom because with the fiery yellow it implies that there is something going on down there on the streets (general debauchery). Her face seems as if she's absorbed in some thoughts, undistracted by the everyday occurrences in this shitty town and her portrayal is mirrored in the peaceful starry night (It's good that you got rid of the fireworks). It's the city that is hellish therefore it should be presented as a contrast to the girl/sky. I would prefer if you express that with colors rather than flying dragons, because it would make the image more subtle and less straightforward. I am also not necessarly against the use of signs, If this city is a version of Las vegas you can use the signs and their colors/composition to visually express the chaoticness and disorder.

[Giacomo]

If it were me I'd either pull back the camera and make the picture about the city, or zoom in and make the picture about the girl. Right now it's kind of half-and-half and, in my opinion, feels a bit uncertain. JPEG below.

[Velocity Kendall]

in the same vein to giacomos very efective ideas, maybe widen the shot out. in both cases youre giving the image more room.





http://kyshastarr.blogspot.co.uk/201...eon-signs.html