Finishing Drills for a Chronic Dabbler.

[animatosoor]

Week 7:

I'm working out solutions for this idea I have. It is going to be a series of 3 illustrations inspired by a short story I love called The Shadow. I think it's not going to be great for children story-wise, but I'm really excited about illustrating this anyhow. :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_cold_sweat:

Exploratory sketches:

[A Former User]

@animatosoor I'm liking the shapes of the figures you're creating! Best of luck with this project!

[animatosoor]

Thank you, @Alicja-W!

[ThisKateCreates]

@animatosoor The face is really cutely drawn. Look forward to seeing it in more detail.

[animatosoor]

Thank you, @ThisKateCreates!

This is my progress so far on The Shadow. There are a number of things I'm still trying to work out at this stage: the design of the shadow, both the characters' poses and expressions, and the overall composition. In my thumbnails I've pretty much narrowed my options for composition down to what I have here, but there's still more problem-solving for me to do.

Any feedback would be more than welcome!

I've also got to get started on the July SVS prompt, haha.

[MichaelaH]

This looks great, the shadow...huhu hu u
Looking forward to your july promt idea...

[Nathalie Kranich]

I am very excited to see where this is going, might need to dig out that short story! Oooooooh.

[animatosoor]

@MichaelaH Thank you, Michaela. I shall share it once I've gotten my thumbnails together, hehe.

[animatosoor]

@Nathalie-Kranich You'd love it, I think, since we both love some of the creepier material out there! This one's weird, so it's perfect. XD I've this inner conflict on how much of it I should really let show in my work, lol.

[Nathalie Kranich]

Yes, me too, as you know! All depends on your market I guess! Who's the author?

[animatosoor]

@Nathalie-Kranich Yes, I know! It's okay, we'll figure our inner conflicts out.

Hans Christian Andersen!

[animatosoor]

Inching along with the posing and linework!:

I'm wondering if viewers can tell that both characters are the same person? I'm trying to work on it so they still look like each other, despite their clothing and expressions being very different.

I also tried to ensure the door doesn't cut right through the middle of the picture, but it's still there. :S

[MichaelaH]

@animatosoor Hmm I didn't knwo they were the same person, the hands should be longer on the original and the eyes differ to much, but hair and style is ok. I would put the knie from the shadow guy little down and the shadows parts on the floor thinner. Maybe the beard on the ear side that it is the same for moth in angle (going up)

[animatosoor]

Thank you, @MichaelaH! I'll go work on those things. Revised sketch for now.:

[animatosoor]

These were as much value studies for me as they were "rendering and mood studies." I'd like the end result to have a fuzzy feel as well, especially around the shadow. I'm leaning towards #3 and #4, personally!

[MichaelaH]

I liek 3 the best, wil be good for the mood, 4 is great also, but maybe it will be to dark? Or maybe something between 3-4

[animatosoor]

I agree, @MichaelaH. I will be going for something in between #3 and #4. Thank you.

I have been doing these colour studies. I plan to do some more till I find something I really like.:

Overall, though, I've run into a failure this week: It's Monday, and I'm still at the colour studies stage with this. I'm realising how much of a struggle it is for me to pose human figures properly and have them interact in a convincing way.

[MichaelaH]

@animatosoor I like 2 the best, after that maybe 6. Yeah I am also late, had to do some custom order...

[animatosoor]

@MichaelaH Thanks for your input! I know it can be hard to manage various deadlines. We can do this, though! You have my support.

Progress shot:

[animatosoor]

I had to take a hiatus to deal with some personal stuff, but now I can do this again!

Week 8:

Exploratory sketches:

Sketch:

Value studies:

Colour studies:

I would love feedback on this, please! Do any of the colour studies work? At this stage, is there anything I should change in the drawing?