WIP: Witch Concept

[stolensock]

Hi!

I'm a new user here on the forums and it's super intimidating posting any work into a community full of such amazing artists.

This is a character design that I've been working on. Skeletor-arm battle witch!

I would appreciate any input concerning color, value and overall readability. Actually, any critique is very much appreciated.

[Stoat]

I like it. I like the near monochrome. Putting a light outline all the way around the figure flattens it, but hey -- flat is a way to go. Not every picture is aiming for the same effect.

There's an awful lot of empty space over her head. Is there type to go in or anything?

[stolensock]

That's actually a really great point with the space above her head, Stoat. I started painting over an older sketch of mine - one where the space actually made sense and then I just forgot to change the dimensions. And you know how it goes, you get so absorbed in your work that you don't even question certain choices anymore.

My one question is: do you think the color is still somewhat readable even despite the near monochrome?

And I agree, flat is a way to go (Not if you're a girl, though). Anyway, thanks for lending me a fresh pair of eyes!

[Stoat]

I think it's working. Though, in the interest of full disclosure, my color teacher in art school told me I had no sense of color at all. And she *liked* me, so it wasn't that. I just like very muted unsaturated color.

I think what I like about this picture is the textures and the graphic-y shapes, in the skirt and so on. If you're going to put the white line around her, you might want to extend it out to the frame. Or give it an interior frame or something. At the moment, even without all the space above her head, she's kind of floating around in the picture unanchored. And, looking at it again, her right hand could use a little more attention.

Bless digital, eh?

[Falchion]

Skeleton arm as it is, her anatomy still reads weird to me. Any chance of seeing the under-drawing?

[stolensock]

Skeleton arm as it is, her anatomy still reads weird to me. Any chance of seeing the under-drawing?

I'm afraid the underdrawing is lost forever because I like to collapse my layers to save RAM (I usually run a lot of things in the background). But thanks for confirming my suspicions about the fishy anatomy. Stoat pointed out issues with her left hand and I think it's the entire left arm that throws it off because it just moves weird in the space that it occupies. I guess I'll get on that and post the results.

[stolensock]

I think it's working. Though, in the interest of full disclosure, my color teacher in art school told me I had no sense of color at all. And she *liked* me, so it wasn't that. I just like very muted unsaturated color.

I think what I like about this picture is the textures and the graphic-y shapes, in the skirt and so on. If you're going to put the white line around her, you might want to extend it out to the frame. Or give it an interior frame or something. At the moment, even without all the space above her head, she's kind of floating around in the picture unanchored. And, looking at it again, her right hand could use a little more attention.

Bless digital, eh?

I like to work in either monochrome or complementaries... there's something very soothing to my eyes about these approaches. Although branching out would probably wouldn't hurt.

I think the framing is a great idea. Funny thing, I was entertaining that thought for a while when I started on this. And yes, the hand is a bit funny, isn't it? I must have lost a layer with knuckle shading.

And thank you for the praise for the texturing. At least I know I'm doing something right - I struggle so much to get away from the smooth rendering style that I have developed and absolutely despise.