Girl Portrait - Need advice.

[Mr. Scribbles]

When I'm not trying to get better at drawing and studing anatomy, once in awhile I try and do a painting in adobe and paint. I can never seem to get the detail in the face very well and painting the nose is very frustrating. Please critique.

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/2161/painting4lk.jpg

[GriNGo]

Well, i Just think you need to define the forms more... study the way the anatomy of the face is like, which portions are portrude more then the others, where shadows should go & the like. Right now as it is, it just seems very flat.

[ApolloNuevo]

what will assist you in painting the nose is what assists everyone in drawing everything. good lighting. here there is no descript light source. however, if the light is from the upper left...then you would know exactly where the shadows go for the nose...and the eye sockets, the lips, the zygomatic arch, and so on...

front only lighting usually kills a rendering.

i would suggest shooting some ref and starting again.
not a bad beginning, but much room to improve

-apollo

[Mr. Scribbles]

Thanks Guys for the advice.

[Boogieman]

Are you doing this portrait from reference or is it from imagination? Either way I'd suggest you do a value study before slapping on any color. I think that would help you with the nose. Even in front lighting there would be value differences that accentuate form, but you seem to have lost those. If it is from reference, squint your eyes and look for areas of light and dark and put those areas down on in monochrome before you paint in color. If it's from imagination, make pretend you have a spotlight in the upper left and render the planes of the face with respect to that. If you need help with building a head with planes I suggest you take a look at Loomis.

[Mr. Scribbles]

Are you doing this portrait from reference or is it from imagination? Either way I'd suggest you do a value study before slapping on any color. I think that would help you with the nose. Even in front lighting there would be value differences that accentuate form, but you seem to have lost those. If it is from reference, squint your eyes and look for areas of light and dark and put those areas down on in monochrome before you paint in color. If it's from imagination, make pretend you have a spotlight in the upper left and render the planes of the face with respect to that. If you need help with building a head with planes I suggest you take a look at Loomis.

Too answer your question, it was from imagination. Thx for the advice.

[Mr. Scribbles]

Here's a update I tried darkening everything and work out stuff with the eraser. I think it looks a little less flat as it did before. But I'm really stuck on what to do with the hair, I would like to put a cloak over her but I can't seem to get it to work. Anyway thx everyone for the tips. If I get this cloak to work I'll post it.

http://img439.imageshack.us/img439/3366/update2xq.jpg

[madster]

Better, but still too "drawn."
This is not CC quality, so it's moved to SWIPs...
Try watching this movie (http://www.charlesriver.com/resrcs/other/1584502320_movie.MOV) by Don Seegmiller, from his book "Character Design and Development." WARNING: It is a LARGE FILE, and may take a while to load on older, slower, PCs...

If you try stopping it every few seconds, and following along, you will be surprised at how good you will get at noses.

~M

[ammoburger]

very cool. i might suggest that you start to better observe the shapes of light and shadow before blur and blend to create form. it seems so be completely out of focus. cool subject matter. keep it up.

[Mr. Scribbles]

Yeah its very blurred, I didn't use the smudge tool but I was using the blurred brush. I need to figure out what brushes work best. Thx

[Mr. Scribbles]

Well I think this is as far as I'm going to take this peice. For my first digital painting its ok. I think the hair came out ok but the cloak/hood I feel I missed big time but whatever, just keep practicing.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6171/update26hq.jpg

[Poeticbynature]

First off, I like it. I watcheds the progression from your first picture and I really do like it. But when you are at school or work, take a look at the noses and facial sturcture of the girls around you. You'l; be surprised how man differences there are.

[bluepulse]

Awesome improvement. :) Remember to question value and how they relate to depth. You should have a harder line and darker values on objects closest to the viewer. I'm referring to the nose in this case. If you squint your eyes, you'll notice the darker outer spaces of the portrait come foreward and the center (nose) falls back.

[Mr. Scribbles]

Thx guys for the tips I really appreicate it.

[Poeticbynature]

Hey, not a problem. I can't draw faces to be perfectly honest with you. hehehe the last one was REALLY bad. I do animals, and poetry.

[Bad Brownie]

scribbles, this could be an awesome piece if it was just taken farther...more descriptive light source, push your values, etc. My advice to you would be to come back to it later on, and see then if you can't improve upon it. Don't forget it entirely...I see a future for it!

[Mr. Scribbles]

scribbles, this could be an awesome piece if it was just taken farther...more descriptive light source, push your values, etc. My advice to you would be to come back to it later on, and see then if you can't improve upon it. Don't forget it entirely...I see a future for it!

Yeah I can see the potential is has, and your right I think I will come back at a later time and try to get more out of this peice. Thx