Mermaid oil on canvas

[Star Eater]

Lay into her. Sorry about the less than great quality photo, I decided I'm going to hire a photographer for my next piece.

[Venger]

Easy to paint over in Photoshop but I'm not sure how you can transfer that back in oils…

[Star Eater]

Easy to paint over in Photoshop but I'm not sure how you can transfer that back in oils…

I don't understand?

[Venger]

Well I mean, its easy to change the lighting in PS but that means a massive repaint your end.

[Star Eater]

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult, but I don't get your point?

[Venger]

Ok Mike,
How much are you willing to repaint?…

[Arshes Nei]

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult, but I don't get your point?

He is saying digitally this would be a minor correction. But it may be more difficult to correct it to match traditionally. It just depends on the artist and their experience imo.

[Star Eater]

I just want crits...if the piece needs to be redone, just tear me a new one. Just go for it man.
Sorry, I honestly did not understand your posts earlier...luckily Arshes explained things to me by using small words and talking slowly.

Gonna hit the sack now, if you are doing a repaint or anything in PS...I will feel extremely guilty.

[Venger]

Ok, well, first off you need to work on the anatomy.
Her head doesn't seem to be attached to her neck, it's to far over to the left.
There's a weird boob, pectoral/deltoid thing going on.
The ribs seem odd and you're not describing the forms right on it, with that kind of twist you'll get creasing at the edge of the ribs or obliques.
I'd like to see a little more of the oblique before it blends to fish (around the hips)

Biggest one for me - the lighting & background.
Not keen on the blue to black (admittedly that might be the photo) it seems too sudden.
The blue (to me) doesn't read well with the rest of the image (I know her torso is blue) but tonally you lose parts of the torso when I think you should be bringing it out.
She doesn't read 'underwater' to me, I think you should mute your warm colours.

Actually I did a massive repaint for you (you know me) though the saturation is off somehow (messed something up) so her highlights are to high and a bit blasted.
I'm not saying do it like this - this is just my interpretation, hope it helps.
With a massive slice of Iain McCaig' mermaid (spectrum 20 cover)

[pauloricardo]

I wrote it at same time as Venger...

I think you don't need to redo the piece, I think it is beautiful, but, at the same time, it does not seems close to be finished. If you want to make something realistic as Boris Vallejo or Luis Royo, I think you already know you have to muck work to do about lightning and shadowing and work more in minor details to detach the mermaid. There are some parts of her body that has an effect more similar to the use of watercolours than oils. In my case, I don't like this kind of effect with oils, but, may be it is your intention.

If I was you, I would add some elements of the submarine behaviour, like this reference from Lumis.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm3kirZqjK...is+mermaid.jpg

Best regards

[Velocity Kendall]

her hand looks wrong. i like the irridescent green on her tail tho.
mermaids are selling cheap at the mo, this is the third one ive seen lately. wonder why.



heres some more refs

this is an oarfish, some people think they were one root of mermaid myths







rainbow trout


refraction dapple on a salmon


moray

[Star Eater]

Thanks so much guys, I really appreciate the effort you took in your crits. Making a note of all of it.

EDIT: And again V, I wish you wouldnt do a paintover everytime. Theyre brilliant and it feels like I'm getting great art for nothing from you as well as good advice!

[Venger]

I'll send you a bill at the end of the year then

[Giacomo]

mermaids are selling cheap at the mo, this is the third one ive seen lately. wonder why.

Expect to see a lot more. All my friends with early-teenage daughters (yeah, I'm old) inform me that vampires are now "out" and mermaids are "in."

[Star Eater]

I had no idea about that...funny thing is, I want to apply these crits to a new piece so I'm starting a vampiress...

I've always liked painting mermaids as the pictures contain so many challenges in them...all of which I failed.


Edit: Also, Paulo I missed the 'thanks' button for your crit. Fixed that now, it was top notch.

[Giacomo]

I had no idea about that...funny thing is, I want to apply these crits to a new piece so I'm starting a vampiress...

Maybe you could combine the two and write a series of young-adult novels. ("The MerVamp Trilogy: Part One - Bloodsplash.")

If you do decide to go this route, I want ten percent of all royalties for suggesting the concept.

[Star Eater]

Maybe you could combine the two and write a series of young-adult novels. ("The MerVamp Trilogy: Part One - Bloodsplash.")

If you do decide to go this route, I want ten percent of all royalties for suggesting the concept.

I would not be surprised if someone has not done that already. It sounds like a real thing...which is pretty sad.