GR#054 - Fall - Anatomy, Portrait

[EyeCraft]

Been wanting to do something with orange leaves for a while, as well as continue the theme of my Greenery piece, so I've come up with something along these lines:



A tree-woman with a dragon fly on her pinky finger.  

Thoughts on pose? Anatomy? Shading? Etc?!

[Ovyx]

I'm not sure if I would have picked a dragon fly, just to keep the pieces in scale, but scale does'nt really matter, I guess. I'd say this peice looks like its going to be great, It appears anatomicly correct and the concept is very neat.

[bengo]

Only thing I think you should do is make it more tree-like. Give it more feeling of bark, that the skins in layers, so it differentiates more from human skin. Also maybe add some branches or something on her? Looking good though, as usual eyecraft.

[EyeCraft]

@bengoshia: Yeah, I've been thinking along the same lines. I plan to have a general wood grain texture happening over all the skin in the final, but I might "branchify" the hand a bit to carry the concept further. Outside of that I don't know if adding any more bits sticking out of her is going to be friendly to the composition. But I get what you mean, I'll keep it in mind.

@Ovyx: hmm that's a good point about scale. I hadn't really thought about that. The main reason I selected a dragonfly was colour, its delicateness, and it's spindly form follows well from the lines established in the composition. Can always swap it out for a bird if it doesn't work out, I guess.  

EDIT: Bit of an update:

[ErekT]

I dig the concept The anatomy looks good overall but the arm seems to be at a very uncomfortable, if not impossible angle in relation to the body.

[Helm]

extend your arm outwards and try to bend until the little finger is at that angle. Hurts very much

[pistachio]

extend your arm outwards and try to bend until the little finger is at that angle. Hurts very much

Huh, weird then. I must be really flexible or something. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Hold on...

As for the piece itself, it's looking like your avatar promising. Not exactly sure how I'd suggest making a wood grain texture, so for that, other than pulling up reference, I guess I'll leave you on your own. I might like to see a more branch-like approach to the hands, though. Can't wait to see when it's finished!

EDIT: Well now it's starting to hurt a bit, but it wasn't that way initially. ow ow

[pikminboy111]

i can't help but to feel that her right eye is higher than it needs to be. mayby if u move it closer to her nose.

[Elk]

[EyeCraft]

Massive help! That is exactly what was bothering me about the piece, though I didn't know it until I saw it  

i can't help but to feel that her right eye is higher than it needs to be. mayby if u move it closer to her nose.

Ah yes, I can see what you're saying.

I shall return with updates, thank you all  

EDIT: Okay, feeling much better:

[Chris2balls]

i like this piece, but i have a suggestion: since fall is from the season between summer and winter, maybe it should be looking away from summer and towards winter?

fall makes me think of sunsets, and days getting shorter.
i'm sorry if it's a bit sloppy, but i hope it gives you some cool ideas!

[st0ven]

i like this piece, but i have a suggestion: since fall is from the season between summer and winter, maybe it should be looking away from summer and towards winter?

fall makes me think of sunsets, and days getting shorter.
i'm sorry if it's a bit sloppy, but i hope it gives you some cool ideas!

I really enjoy this concept and suggestion. Its very interesting to look at and im suddenly very curious as to what is happening in the implied environment.

Elk i think you really nailed the hand pose here as pointed out by helm, the original extension of that pinkie finger is not quite possible for me to even achieve (even painfully). While i like your suggestion on the more natural hand pose, I actually REALLY love the modified original gesture of the hand with the dragonfly resting on the pinkie. Combine this with the more pointed, branchlike treatment of the fingers going on with Eyecraft's edit would be perfect in my opinion. In combination with the current facial expression, they both convey different emotions. The outstretched pinkie looks more perplexed and indifferent. A hint of curiosity. The outstretched index finger looks more sullen and forlorn. A depression or longing. Some remembrance of a memory from long ago that is assuredly lost.

Its ultimately your decision sir Eyecraft, but i certainly enjoy the more complex emotional depiction conveyed with the oustretched pinkie gesture combined with the lighting duopoly portrayed by Chris.

To add some of my own suggestions into the mix, Id certainly encourage you to really nail the curvature of the clavicle connected to the shoulder lifted close to her face. Both Chris and Elk portray this very well with their edits, but use different approaches to convey it (one with shape and one with light). Rounding the shoulder a bit more where it touches the face will help sell it . Also  i like the hair length and concept of it being leaves of course. My initial impression is that theres some influence of wind carrying the hair to the right. However the left side of her head does NOT convey that same windy influence to me, it looks too short and afro-like. Id be interested to see some more flowing branchy strands of leaf hair flowing in front of her face.

Very interesting piece overall im really enjoying this thread.

[EyeCraft]

@Chris2Balls: Incredibly dramatic, I love it!!! Will definitely play with the idea. It's funny though, since the colours I selected were the only real definite concepts that I had in my head for the piece.  

Autumn here is pretty much the same as any other time of year; no diciduous species, so this is kind of a distant concept for me.

@st0ven: Ah you have verbalised very much how I felt about each hand pose, though I myself couldn't detail it. Elk's treatment of the hand and arm are just exceptional; I shall give the original pose a do-over. As for the hair drifting across the face, I agree.

I don't know... I need to sleep and think.  

Thank you both  

EDIT:



Basically reversed the temperatures of the light sources, played around the leaves a bit. Still haven't touched the hand.

It's sort of an odd fluorescent lighting, but I wanted to maintain the tones that I had. And the more I look at the hand, the more convinced I am I need to revert back to the pinky (albeit with proper execution)  

EDIT II:



Trying to find a happy medium between Chris2Ball's awesome lighting and my own

MOAR EDIT:



Text-chaaaaah 

[Cyangmou]

Just did a little edit



-maybe add little bit more light at her left arm to improve the focus and tone the left one down, could also be good for the readabilty
-little edit at the face (right eye seemed to be off just a little bit + shadow on the left side)
-added some shadow at the forehead

[EyeCraft]

Thank you Cyangmou! All very sensible things.

New version:

[TheInquisitor]

Love the progress you are making on this. I really like the idea of doing an autumn theme to go alongside what you've already done before. I'd love to see a spring (young, pink blossom) and winter (old and white?) themed pieces too.

One thing to note is the dragon fly (that's what it is, right?) on the picture. I may be wrong and there's no doubt exceptions, but I believe that dragon flies are typically associated with summer and not autumn, particularly not when the leaves are going orange.

On the other statue, the one with the grass, you've got a deer. It makes the two statues look much different in size/scale.

Edit: Forget the comment about the scale. After thinking, the bug size is in scale with the leaves. Shame is doesn't match the other piece though.

[piffany]

Hello there~ I made some changes to make her more feminine, like a smaller nose, more arched brows, reduced nasolabial crease, more pouty lips and a less muscular neck. I'm not so good at pixeling, but hopefully you get the idea.

[TheInquisitor]

Nice edit, but I think something you've done wrong there is you've changed the eyes so that they're no longer focused on the dragon fly. I reckon EyeCraft's has a better expression. I agree that the nose could be smaller though.

[EyeCraft]

Love the progress you are making on this. I really like the idea of doing an autumn theme to go alongside what you've already done before. I'd love to see a spring (young, pink blossom) and winter (old and white?) themed pieces too.

Oh yes I would love do something with soft pinks and lots of blossoms, that sounds very appealing. I did sort of joke to myself about doing all the seasons, I may do, it depends if the mood has enough steam for 4 pieces. I see it more likely that if I did the two other seasons the concept will mutate somewhat.

One thing to note is the dragon fly (that's what it is, right?) on the picture. I may be wrong and there's no doubt exceptions, but I believe that dragon flies are typically associated with summer and not autumn, particularly not when the leaves are going orange.

Oh wow, I didn't even consider that at all, that is quite helpful, thank you. That makes me wonder what I should do now... hmm... shall ponder.

On the other statue, the one with the grass, you've got a deer. It makes the two statues look much different in size/scale.

Edit: Forget the comment about the scale. After thinking, the bug size is in scale with the leaves. Shame is doesn't match the other piece though.

Though this is meant to be a succession of the Greenery piece, and it shares many similarities with it in concept, I don't really hold it to being part of the same series or setting, so issues of matching/mismatching are not too much of a concern of mine.

Hello there~ I made some changes to make her more feminine, like a smaller nose, more arched brows, reduced nasolabial crease, more pouty lips and a less muscular neck. I'm not so good at pixeling, but hopefully you get the idea.

Thank you, yes the nose has been irking me a bit. It's a common problem for me to make my females too masculine (very obvious in the OP). That said, something appeals to me about not pushing too much in the feminine direction. She is not a doll-face, so to speak. Still, your edit makes numerous beneficial considerations, much appreciated. 


And I STILL have yet to rework the hand 

[piffany]

Glad you like the edit. By the way, I think in this previous version, her boobs look much better because they are softer-looking and less squished. Also the cleavage seems to be in the correct direction in relation to her body.

[TheInquisitor]

Having a think about the animal and there are all sorts of problems created by the scale. There aren't any creatures associated exclusively with austumn, but I've considered 4:

1) Robin - associated with autumn but moreso winter. The red chest would match in nicely. About the right size. Birds resting on the finger tip seems quite likely.
2) Red Squirrel - associated with autumn for collecting nuts. The colours would match. Might be a bit big though to the leaves.
3) Fox - red and black fits nicely but the scale is an issue, unless you throw out scale all together.
4) Ladybird - can be yellow or red which will match and is about the right size. Not sure if its associated with autumn.

[Chrispy]

I'd make her look older. Both because she's a tree, which are old, and because autumn shows decay and aging.

[TheInquisitor]

Agreed with that. It was something else I was going to suggest, but you beat me to the punch! The doll face look is too youthful for autumn.

A young face would be better suited to that potential spring version.
A really old face would be best suited to winter.