Spartan

[ronin684]

I have an interview for university on Tuesday and I would like to include this in my portfolio. Any criticism would be welcome.
I started off with a sketch. Moved it into photoshop and added the tones, keeping it just black and white. Then I added a graident map and started working in colours using diffrent layers and blending modes.

[blexarady]

The anatomy of the legs looks a bit funky as if one is very muscular and one is wasted and skinny, meaning he'd run in circles in battle. Also the chest area seems higher on the (subject's) left although I appreciate this might be due to the arm bearing the shield being drawn back. The face is indistinct and could do with some more work; at the moment the vague highlights hint at some kind of monkey face, but a little reworking to crate brow, nose and lip highlights would sort that right out. The (s's) right arm seems too long from shoulder to elbow and is a bit bit fuzzy, but its not too noticeable.
I really like the low-key green/grey/gold colour pallette, the holding cell lighting and the composition that draws my eye from top right bright area accross the brass helmet and chest to the spear cutting accross the bright area at lower left. With a bit more work this could look really classy.

[ronin684]

Thanks for the critics and encouragement blexarady.

I tried to solve his legs a and pushed the colours further but still tried to keep them low-key. Im still not happy with his right arm. I tried to improve his face, but couldnt get it right, so for now iv moved it into again shadow. If time permits ill work on those areas. Im gonna put it aside for an hour or two, I think iv been lookin at it too long.

[Nom the puppet]

the shield's left contour seems to lose it's integrity and it starts to look like the contour of the soldier's torso rather than the shield's rim... maybe an extention (shifting?) of the muscular struture to the right might be in order to give some overlap...

also the lower back of the head, the angle seems to be coming in a bit to steep to me or the top extends to far... i think it's the former as if you fixed the top his head would be disproportionately small

I really love the flourescent work in the back on the shield and helment and how it catches the texture of each but i'm confused by the highlights on the chest... is there a second light source coming from the back?

great work

[J.Mac]

ok well here is what i think you should do. go back to the drawing! if you aren't good at painting you shouldnt paint with out working everything out first in a way that you understand it. i have to do this all the time b/c i am not that confident/good at painting so if i dont figure things out in my sketch/drawing i can't paint it. i don't want to sound mean but i feel that is what you need more then a cool looking painting that has error in it.

once you get the drawing/sketch figured out you can paint over it and not even have to struggle with what is going on with the forms.

you have some good things going on with texture and the look/feel of it. if the drawing issues were addressed it would be better and easier for you. good luck!

-Jesse