FALL WIP wasn't sure I wanted to post...

chrisaakins

chrisaakins

Here is the finished product. I am debating if I should go back and ink it digitally. It would make it look more like a comic book and less like a portrait. I know there are things wrong with it, but I like it. So should I ink it or not? 0_1537365562934_Fall SVS Chris AKins 2.jpg Also the picture quality stinks. It is very grainy compared to the smooth line I see in the original.

Chip Valecek

@chrisaakins I would try doing the ink on it and see. I love the colors you have in it already. I think maybe the ink would really make some of it pop even more.

chrisaakins

Here it is inked. I think you are right @Chip-Valecek It really pops. 0_1537368033264_Fall SVS inked.jpg

MissMushy

@chrisaakins really cool portrait! I like the inked version better.
Just curious - is there any meaning to the way her fingers are holding the gourd? almost looks like sign language shape - not sure if it is trying to communicate something?

chrisaakins

@MissMushy I play with my fingers as I hold things. I figured she could do the same. She is a supernatural creature so she might be enchanting the gourd.

robgale

@chrisaakins Nice! I love the concept of this supernatural woman changing as the day progresses. I like the inked version better as well, it gives it a little more pop.

Chip Valecek

@chrisaakins for sure it looks great!

Jason Bowen

Have you added an extra finger in the right hand on purpose?
Some nice line work here

TessaW

Wow, it looks really good with the linework. It makes the colors feel richer. Did you enhance them after you added the linework, or is it just the linework that's making them pop? I'm really feeling the style it's created.

chrisaakins

@jason-bowen not sure what you are referring to. I count 10 fingers total.

chrisaakins

@tessaw all I did was add ink digitally and voila it came together. I am pretty amazed myself.

Jason Bowen

@chrisaakins oh sorry I was tired and my eye must have been confused. Apologies.

chrisaakins

@jason-bowen haha no problem. Thanks for taking the time to look at my artwork.

demotlj

When you initially asked whether to ink it, I was going to say I liked it as it is but now that you’ve posted the inked version, I love it more. As others have said, the colors become more vibrant with the ink and the whole thing looks like an illustration from the early 1900s. It’s a great style.

chrisaakins

@demotlj Wow! Thanks for that. I actually love the illustrations of illustrators like N. C. Wyeth and J. C Leyendecker.

NessIllustration

I think this looks really nice! The anatomy could be a little polished going forward (the hands especially, and the face is a little asymmetrical) but the facial features look really nice and the rendering is great too! The inking gives it a really nice look as well, and your line work is well done. Great work!

Whitney Simms

@chrisaakins looks beautiful! If you used your wife as a model she should be very pleased. There is a lot of love in your painting. Love the veriations of color in her hair.

chrisaakins

@nessillustration Thanks for the tips and the compliments on the line work. I have been working toward making my lines more expressive and watching the weights and such. I will say it is easier to do digitally than with a real live brush pen. About the hands... I realized that one hand was drawn too small and one of its fingers is probably not capable of bending like that, but I was too far down the road so to speak to change it. I tried enlarging it with paint and it helped some but I know what you mean. Oh well. FInished not perfect right? As far as the face goes, you will have to take that up with God since I was using a photo reference of my wife as the model. (Of course, since she is perfect in every way, I MUST have messed up! hehe.)

NessIllustration

@chrisaakins LOLLLLLL re your last sentence Haha smooth!
I find that sometimes, even when using a photo reference I can still skew the proportions especially if I'm working in a big format... In this case,flipping the picture might help you see discrepancies in the symmetry:

I don't know if that helps at all... I'm also a great believer in "finished, not perfect" and think most of the time it's best to take it as a learning experience and move on to the next piece! Reworking the same piece over and over is kind of a creativity killer