THE CROW comic-book cover

[Aleksi]

here's a cover for a special edition of "The Crow" comic-book with some new original stories.
This is linked to a mediEvil Crow story.

I have to pay my due to one of the best artist who's posting on this board with this picture.
Hope I'm not just too heavily influenced but that I'm finding my own way...

[(c)]

wow thats damn nice i luv teh colors!! cant find anything bad inside

[Pavel Sokov]

oh god that is hardcore.. i wish for more blood tho, nice movement tho dude.
12/10

[rI-n]

really like the luminosity of the skin but don't like the bird...the crow looks kinda feeble...it should match the ferosity of the main character. i also do like the expressions but the sword that the "knight" is fighting with looks wrong...it should either be poking the crow or past him already. overall looks very nice though.

[scottg]

This is awesome. I've been admiring you're work for a while and I just have a question How do you chose and apply you're colors?Layers in burn, dodge or screen mode?
I hope that question makes since.

Thanks an again you kick much ass!

[the black frog]

Super cool dude!!

The composition is great, a lot of motion - that's gonna hurt bad! -
It's a shame the weapons are not of the same quality than the rest...
They're not really believable but then again, I'am a purist so you can tell me to piss off

Good shit!
Send us some more like that

P.S. - My favorite part is the elbow

[Matt Dixon]

Great pic, Aleksi. Strong sense of movement, and the focus on 'The Crow' character is dead on. I LOVE the 'real' crow leaving the scene to the right of the moon!

I'm trying to guess which artist you're referring to in your post. The handling of light in the scene definately puts me in mind of Lord Foster of Jon, but it's hard to be certain - there's more Aleksi in there than anyone else.

[flex mathews]

wow... thats insane. amazing motion and composition. this is definately one of your best works.

[bRyaN]

I'm trying to guess which artist you're referring to in your post. The handling of light in the scene definately puts me in mind of Lord Foster of Jon, but it's hard to be certain - there's more Aleksi in there than anyone else.

I was thinking Jon "I'm gonna kick your ass" Foster too....

But there is enough of Monsieur Briclot in there...

BTW i love this picture....one of the best comics...and was done justice with this phenomenal rendition ....

[dusty imp]

Cool piece.
I'll take a wild guess, but i think you're referring to Marko.
I've got a couple of things id' like to point out so i hope it'll be helpful.
The tattoo on the guy's back looks more like a moth, i'm guessing it's supposed to be a crow? Also, the crow in the lower left, it's wing's are drastically different in size (widtthwise too), perspective alone can't acount for that. I'm a little confused by the swordsman in the front , it's hard to understand if he's swinging his sword or falling backwards. Other then that no complaints, awesome dinamism, good collor pallete. Thumbsup.

-Oleg

[Matt Smith]

Wow this is a freakin bad ass image. I really like the look of this piece. My only crit is on some of your tangents. The biggest one is the front crow near his pelvis. I thought its back wing was his leg for awhile. Probably due to the size and shape that it takes. The wing does look way too big espeically when compared to its other wing. I really enjoy the movement and the anatomy of the Crow. Awsome work.

[Strang]

great stuff aleksi..

just now i relized from your spawn work and this.. how much crow is kinda like a 'spawn'

now with this series and the 'midievil' series as you say.. its more like the spawn character..

cool

[Blackarts]

holy crap!

this is wicked, I love the motion, the colors, the little details like the arrows peircing him....just great! The crow's face is eerie and so full of energy - you nailed it.

[Riddick]

Ouch!
That is so Foster and so good!
With your special touch!
I really love the corpses and the make upd on the faces!
The crow at the left seems to be a little cut.
But nothing else to crit!
Really a nice picture!!! Your going to engrave your name in the comic book industry!

[max-cant]

brilliant -
great skin and light -

i agree with frogs comment on the weapons.
also - if its a battle/fight - wouldnt the weapons of the
assailants have some blood on them too........
maybe though since its the crow there is just him.

eitherway - great picture - like the background it loks like oil saturated paper - cool

m

[sevencrows]

wow. this is a really nice piece of art.alot of action and the anatomy is nice .great job making this one

[Jaku]

I think this is the best of your works i´ve seen.

I love the composition and the expresion of the face but the thing i´ve most enjoy of it is the colour of "The Crow", where i see your major improvent.

Great job!
Keep them coming!

Edit: I forgot to saying thank you! because you helped me today to clear a bit more the color mess in my head. THANK YOU!

[DANKA]

Yeah! It's amazing!!!

[RAMÓN]

You continue to improve. In my opinion this is one of your best Paintings ever.

oustanding art. beautiful.

[Blind]

Great work, Aleksi. I'd buy a book with a cover like this on it!!

[Wox]

Looks like it was influenced by Phil Hale, but I didn't realize he posted here. Anyway, nice pic. I think something may be slightly off with his far shoulder.

[marko71]

wowowooow!!! amazing .--i love it.--- i love all you work.--pure inspiration.--saludos.--from mexiko.--

[AndreasM]

I was thinking about Phil Hale as well, then again, both HardcorePixxx anf Foster has some similaryties to him. Veeeery nice work. I don't see whats off with his shoulder, but I have some problems with the red guys left arm. That might be becouse of the cropping, though.

[nicolas]

I don't even care who it was inspired by, It's a really nice piece ( as always ! )

And I wouldn't be to worried about "finding your own way", sure everyone has their influences, but I think noone is going to mistake your work for someone elses!!!!

cheers,

NIC

[Aleksi]

If I had more time (hard dealine) I could have fixed all the little details.
i'm glad that in spite of them all, the image seems to conveys what I wanted to at first.

I need to post my pictures here before sending them to print, to take benefit of all your crits and optimize my pictures.
But sometimes, I can't (time or legal constraints)

rI-n : I've tried to focus on a particular moment, just before the contact. it seems to me the best way to create a paroxysm, a peak, when the viewer can himself project into what will happen next. Up to you to imagine what will happen next...

scottg : no particular method. For this one, I didn't use too much the layers and their opacity (as I do for other works). I've tried something more painted-like with some colors adjustments but not layers with different modes...

the black frog :
I've used the book "Medieval soldier" by John Howe for inspirations for the weapons. It's not an illustration books but a photograph's one. He used disguised people, wearing reproduction of medieval clothes and weapon and made some reconstitutions. Interesting.
but I failed with them.
Next time I'll be more focused on this point

I agree with the problems with the Crow and the arm of the guy in the foreground.

Maybe I shouldn't have talk about my inspiration. it seems to me they are obvious. I just hope I've succeed into doing something personal with this picture. Just to go further in the future...

thanks again for all your feedbacks.

here's some close-up :

[Red_Rook]

aleksi your a fuckin beast, amazing work man.

[Profil]

good work aleksi. What program are you working in, photoshop?

[se7en_]

Amazing foster-style Aleksi! You pulled it off well. The only crit I have is that I had a hard time trying to figure out which way his head was turned at first. I think its because the dark mop of hair joins with the "crow" marks on his eyes - if it just had a hint a skin showing under the hairline it might have been a more obvious read. The brush work and attitude are top notch tho : )

[strych9ine]

I don't think that drawing inspiration from another artist is negative at all... this is seriously an amazing piece of work. I confused the crow with The Crow's leg (heh) for a bit, but that's been mentioned before.

I have nothing but the highest praise, your pieces are getting so dynamic and impressive. Sweet work man!

[el coro]

awwww man. my friend, i can always be satisfied by your posts. this shit is awesome. it looks as you have truly ascended to a whole new level, and i mean that. the handling of the "paint" is awesome. master class...who you been lookin at so i can get some of that? anyway, hope you have a happy holiday my brother..-c36