AuthorTopic: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend [updated 1.22.07]  (Read 9836 times)

Offline leel

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[wip]an LJ icon for a friend [updated 1.22.07]

on: December 27, 2006, 01:17:01 am
I've been lurking around for quite some time, but never participated and one of your fellow admins nagged at me to be active, so here I go: 
 My friend Lisa asked me to make "something cute" for her livejournal icon.  I've only worked on this for a couple of hours so far, it's not some big project or anything, and while I'm trying not to keep adding colors, it's not my main concern.

The big issue I have is that I don't really like the dithering, but I also want the shading to me more realistic than that on her left cheek. So, cc would be appreciated, but just to throw it out there - it doesn't have to be exactly like the ref photo, I'd like to exaggerate some things, like making the eyes larger and darker...

And just for fun - this is the steps I saved for a 'progress' animation I'll make when I'm done:
 
That's about it, I think. Hope you all had a great holiday.


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« Last Edit: January 23, 2007, 02:31:39 am by leel »

Offline Stwelin

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Re: an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #1 on: December 27, 2006, 01:36:10 am
Alright then, welcome to the mess, leel. :P

It's looking really good so far, it holds true to the ref. quite well, one thing i would suggest is to play with the hue slider a bit more to get a more dynamic feel.  Right now it just seems sort of flat, and lacking emotion.

I did a little color edit to show you what i mean. (hope you don't mind!)

(edit's on the left.)

Offline leel

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Re: an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #2 on: December 27, 2006, 01:41:41 am
I usually mess with the colors much later, but that looks really cool! thanks, I'll play around with that ^__^

Offline Dusty

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #3 on: December 27, 2006, 02:56:52 am
You need to kill the curl coming back up the face on the bottom. Because you're not showing the source of where it's coming from, it's hard to feel that it fits it, it looks more like a giant bug or something on her face.

I think this piece definitely needs some AA, though. The black is way too sharp and jaggy on the face.

Offline leel

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #4 on: December 27, 2006, 03:08:44 am
The black hasn't been worked on at all yet..

I tried changing the hues a bit,  but so far I didn't get anything I liked so I just worked on finishing the dithering on the face, and I'll try the colors again tomorrow.  Just wanted to post a little update.


As for the hair on the bottom - I agree, it's confusing as to what it is and why it's there, but I plan to add a hint of the shoulder there, and, obviously, AA the whole thing, so if at the end it still looks like a bug, I'll get rid of it.   Also, I don't really like the hair that's on the side.  It looks like it's pulled back by a clip, so tomorrow I'll try to straighten it out a little.

Offline MoD

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #5 on: December 27, 2006, 03:21:54 am
The left eye's pupil is better now, a lot smoother. The other eye's is bothering me a little though. In the previous version it was roughed out in a dark brown and thet added to the depth, I think. Try replacing the black there with your second-darkest shade.

There seems to be a slight form issue on the left cheek: in the ref it keeps the highlights or midtones closer towards the lip than in your pixel.

The nose seems to have some jpegging from the camera and that's showing in the horizontal line there. Unfortunately that's also present in your art.

Overall I like this and it's got some really nice elements such as the eyelashes and general form. But you might need to add a whole 'nother set of colors for the lips. Luckily those could also accent the skin under the eyes. One final thing is that it could use some more highlights, right now it has a bit patch of flat color on the nose that looks very unfinished.

Typefastfastfast!

Offline Senad

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #6 on: December 27, 2006, 03:22:06 am
It doesnt exacly looks like her.. check out my picture below..

Red lines - Showing you how you made an eye with different shape, which blocks u from making it look like orginal
Green Lines - dither / AA some of that color or some that looks like that under her eye, ull get better effect ;)



Good Luck !, BJ
God forgive him for his sins I know its was his last minute, You spread his wings so he can only fly.. He will allways be a legend in our hearts and legends never die..

R.I.P Tose Proeski ~Senad

Offline leel

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend

Reply #7 on: December 27, 2006, 03:35:59 am
m0d: I agree on the cheek high light and the lighter brown on the lid of her left eye (right side).  The nose thing though -  I know it jpeg'ed in the picture,  but when I originally made that part rounder it looked almost droopy, and Snader said to make it "less pointing down" and it looks better now than when I started out, so I think I'll keep it straightish for now.  As for the colors, well.. I won't be making the lips at all, but I'll definitelly add some pinkish hues to the nose and under the eyes,  but again - I usually save the colors for last, cause that's my favorite part! 

Senad: Like I said before it doesn't have to look 100% exactly like her, though you're right about the eye.  I'll try to work on that tomorrow, but I am taking a few liberties on this, so if I end up liking the rounder version better I'll just go with that.  Your point about the eye-brow is extremely helpful, I see now it gets too close to her nose, so that'll be at the top of my list tomorrow.  I've been trying to fix it, but didn't know what to do with it so I'd move on to something else, so thanks for mentioning that too! And again - the colors I'll work on a wee bit later.


Thanks for your replies! (-:

edited:
and again:   am I ready to move on to the hair? I still think the part above her nose is too flat, but I don't want to overdo the dithering again..
« Last Edit: December 28, 2006, 03:58:40 am by leel »

Offline AdamAtomic

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend [updated]

Reply #8 on: December 28, 2006, 10:17:50 pm
the bridge of her nose is thinner in the photo - I like how you've drawn the tip of her nose and nostrils though, that is adorable.

Offline Senad

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Re: [wip]an LJ icon for a friend [updated]

Reply #9 on: December 29, 2006, 01:08:37 am
awesome, love it !
God forgive him for his sins I know its was his last minute, You spread his wings so he can only fly.. He will allways be a legend in our hearts and legends never die..

R.I.P Tose Proeski ~Senad