I'm a pretty pretty portrait

**Chender** · September 29th, 2006, 12:36 AM

Here's a portrait I've been working on. I'm still considering changes to the background and perhaps expanding the canvas downward more. Those and any other suggestions/comments more than welcome.

closeup:

**DSillustration** · September 30th, 2006, 01:21 AM

wow, no comments?

this is excellent!

a few suggestions.
the shadow behind her makes it look as if she is up against a wall.
i LIKE that.
you might consider pushing that idea further by adding a decorative wallpaper or something back there.

also, the necklace is cool, but it needs to be casting a shadow on her.
otherwise, the beads just look pasted on.

great job.
i look forward to seeing more.

**bunny** · September 30th, 2006, 02:49 AM

I love your choice of colours

nice saturation goin' on...

One suggestion though: I think her hair needs a little more detail. Right now it looks "lumpy", you might want to add some highlights and individual strands.

Other than that - nice work!

**draw** · September 30th, 2006, 06:27 AM

No crits other then what DSIllustration said about wallpaper

Really good work!

**Chender** · October 1st, 2006, 02:42 AM

Thanks for your comments!

DSillustration & draw :
I had the wall idea run across a few times. Visions of a big crack running right down at her, getting narrower. That's a bit more violent then the main focus, though, so I'll think on some more fitting wallpaper type designs. I hadn't even considered that. Maybe the wallpaper could be pealing in parts...
I think the main thing that indicates a solid surface close behind her is how dark it is around her. I was really trying to minimize that all while working on her, or at least blend it/gradate it in better to the background so it didn't stand out as much, or look like a shadow, which it ended up ultimately suggesting anyway (which also goes towards indicating a wall).
I'll get on the necklace too. Get some lit marbles or clear/colored beads lit up. That's the sort of effect I'm trying to go with them (since they're supposed to be tinted glass beads).

bunny - I know what you're saying. I'll work the hair up some more, at least mainly on the hair falling around/close to her head so the higher detail resolution pulls the eyes there.

**Chender** · October 19th, 2006, 02:14 AM

Latest update:
I gots a background! I'm mainly worried about its dynamics in regard to taking a disproportionate amount of attention away from the character, so any thoughts on that are especially welcome.

**th3rd_sin** · October 19th, 2006, 03:44 AM

Wow, really nice stuff. Her eyes though.... what's with that tone under her top eyelids? With that much tone under her top eyelids and mostly because of the bounce light, it looks like her top eyelids are hovering over her eyes. Just remember, whenever you have two surfaces touching, the darkest dark should be a very fine line right where they touch. Also, watch them clavicles, they should meet the humerus at the acromion (top bony landmark of shoulder) they aren't straight but more of an "S" type shape. Look up some shoulder anatomy or just feel around your neck and shoulder to really get the idea. Nice stuff though, Keep postin'!