In Love (Need help, its for my girlfriend)

[Al Ian]

I am doing this for the girl I am dating. She's amazing needless to say. Anyway I am having trouble with the way my eye's in this image look. Its starting to frustrait me. Help me out!!

http://jmarkey77.home.bresnan.net/images/wip/melissa.jpg

[Al Ian]

You can start to see where I'm going with this. A slight lighting effect to show how bright the heart is. I also tweeked the shading on the heart to make it stand out more. Still clueless on the eyes.

http://jmarkey77.home.bresnan.net/images/wip/melissa01.jpg

[Matt Elder]

I'm just a little lost as to exactly what the image is and how all the elements relate to one another. Maybe if you could just post up a little thumbnail sketch to clarify, that might help.

[Al Ian]

Here is the work with the line art layer turned on.

http://jmarkey77.home.bresnan.net/images/wip/melissa02.jpg

The heart is glowing in the center. And the guy is supposed to be lit only by the light and fading into the background kind of like a fog. Does this help?

[Anghardel]

I like it, and the line art layer helped me to see what exactly was going on. I don't know why though, something about the right eye (my right side) reminds me of a skull. Maybe I'm strange in this way?

[Matt Elder]

Yeah the line art layer really helped to clarify what is going on in the image. I think you've got a great idea happening here. What you need to do is make the structure clearer (so people can figure out what is going on without that line art layer). I think what you need to do is put in some darker areas to really give the hands, heart and head more shape (ie use a darker orange or even a red). At the moment the image is quite bright so some darker areas might help to tone this down just a little.

The Halo's are a little confusing and I'm not sure if they are really necessary.

[the good war]

i'd say add nipples on it add them all over they love that sh#t
but seriously
do that
but seriously again i would say add color variation specically in the color of the charactors eyes humans tend to pick up on contrast and through contrast they make out form so nobody will understand your pick if you dont have contrast
and to avoid those little brush strokes on your painting paint with a greater opacity and brush size
further more people wont understand your picture if it does not have shadows
why dont you make the background dark so you can see you charactor

[Mad Giraffe]

Lookin' good.:thumbsup:
Love your trademark aliens...but please try to broaden your horizon sumtin'...but what the hey..it's cool..so why not continue with it?
Altough I would like to say that without the lineart a lot of the shapes is lost...maybe just define the shadows a bit more, make them stronger(stronger contrast)....
And also make the outer area's a bit darker..so that the eye is more fixed on the subject...my eye seems to be wandering of constantly because of the vagueness....because there's to little contrast variation eand strength
I've got an idea for the eyes! What about...cute cuddly shiney eyes..y'know...thos dark eyes with glares, girls just love cuddly stuff!(reference:dogs/cats/deer..just cute animals eyes).
Hope this helps.

M.G.

EDIT:
ps.:don't listen to me if you don't like what I have to say, don't blame me. I'm just an another stupid kid...

[Roeguard]

I tried an all reddish piece once, and had some problems because of it. Try putting a lot more dark blue or dark green into the background to pop the warmth of the foreground. It will make it look like "Melissa" is the center of the warmth, not the fog.

[Al Ian]

Damn, some great advice. Especialy with the background!!! I knew there was something I didnt like. I think I'll hook up the blue/green idea :)