WIP - digital painting of my cat

[Drumwhore]

Hello all :)
Here is a digital painting i'm working on for the moment, using a photo as reference, and photoshop 7. Please comment and/or criticize :)

here we go:
http://users.skynet.be/am272566/WIP_01.jpg

[Drumwhore]

Here's an update..

I think I'll never paint again anything furry in my life..
Total: 9 hours of work, around 7 only for the fur.. If only i knew it will be so boring.. :)

http://users.skynet.be/am272566/WIP_03.jpg

[JackalAnubis]

wow its looking photorealistic, great work, if you want to speed things up be more general as you move away from the face, the face should be the focus anyways, the rest of the body doesn't need to be as detailed

[Drumwhore]

The face is (fortunately) almost finished..

JackalAnubis: Thanks for the comment, but I actually don't plan doing the body for 2 reasons:
1/ I'm sick of painting fur :)
2/ Even if I was feeling brave enough to paint it, the result won't be very good since on the reference photo his body isn't very aesthetic.. The cat is being hold by my girlfriend, so we only see a hand, an arm, and some more fur :)

Anyway, if you have some ideas for a background, comments, suggestions, critics, whatever.. I'm listening :)


http://users.skynet.be/am272566/WIP_04.jpg

[johanson]

You might want to rethink the no body thing because:
1/ you wouldn't really have to paint all that fur. The body could fall atmospherically (sp?) out of focus.
2/ Don't let your photo reference stop you from doing anything. It's just a tool. If you need to, take another picture to get the general body shape, do it. Or if all else fails, make it up. You obviously have the skills.
It really is looking good.

-aj

[Drumwhore]

johanson: since I was feeling stuck with it, I decided to follow your advice and here is the (early) version with the body..
Are the proportions/values etc correct? They look quite ok to me but other's opinion is always helpful :)
I used another photo as reference, but had to tweak it a little because of a different lighting.. I also used the same color palette as for the head, hope it suits well.. :)

(I scaled down the pic, I didn't realize earlier they were getting so big (kb))
http://users.skynet.be/am272566/WIP_05.jpg

[nikia]

It's an extremely good job on the head Drumwhore. For perspective, I think you have to make the shoulders higher and bigger. They should be a bit bigger than the rear of the cat. I'd put a bit of detail in the fur around the chest and shoulders, then start softening it as you go back. It will make the head and body fit together better. All around good job though.

[Drumwhore]

Nikia: thanks for your comments :) but I changed my mind about doing the whole body.. I'll just add detail to the chest, then make a background, and that's it.. :)
Here's an update, before starting workin on it:

http://users.skynet.be/am272566/WIP_07.jpg

[nikia]

It looks really good Drumwhore.

[silverslash]

very jawsome..

the time u put in def shows, very nice more!!!

[Drumwhore]

Thanks for your comments :D
I think it's almost finished.. are there some things that need to be reworked? Like the background? Or is it just fine?
Waiting for your comments, then tomorrow I will move it to the finished artwork section if it's OK :)

http://users.skynet.be/am272566/WIP_08.jpg

[silverslash]

purrfect man, you picked it up a notch with the body, it looks alot more well rounded than before :D

im a lil bit unsure about the background, im torn between it helping or hindering, i like the darker grey tone but i dunno about the white,
well just my humble opinion

[nikia]

I really like the background. It gives it that extra punch. Really good work. I think you can move it to the finished section. Lol, the cat looks real!

[chapel]

it's very nice! I do like what the background does for it