Thor

[evildragonfire]

Hello everyone! After taking a (much needed) break, I am back. I am working on a new painting and would like some pointers, especially the hair. I almost feel like I am losing the hair and beard, so some help is much appreciated before I go much further on this.

[ShockWave]

You started on the details too quickly. The lower half of the painting is still blank. You need to build up the whole picture at the same time.

As for the hair, start using smaller brush sizes with lighter and darker shades of color.

His skull looks like it was chopped off. If you remove his hair on his head, you'll see what I mean.

The neck is too long as well. Neck muscles don't curve like that either.

*Make the bottom half look like the top half before you add any more details.*

[Jason Rainville]

There's either too much white in the highlights or too much red in the midtones, it's making his skin look really pink and shiny :(

As for his hair, I think generally there isn't enough contrast, you're not using a low enough value of blue for the shadow (too much blue in general in ALL the shadows methinks) and in certain places it's getting too soft.

And I concur with shockwave about the forehead 'dropoff' need to fix that up. I'm also thinking his neck may be a tad too long. Nice volume on the body :)

[evildragonfire]

HOly crap! You guys are right! His neck is too friggen long, and his head is chopped off! (What the hell was I thinking?) Kooldeal guys, I have already moved his head down and added more volume to his head also, after I read your post's. It looks much better already! Thank you. I will post an update as I move along on it further!

[evildragonfire]

Here is an update. I went with a deeper red for his hair since it was beginning to turn too orangish, and Thor was known for having a big red beard and flaming hair. I also brought more red into the skin on his chest, shoulder, and nose. I want him to look fairly cold, like he is in the cold blowing air alot.

[Sepulverture]

I think you oughtta stop working on the details while you're ahead, and fill in the bottom half of the picture. I could be wrong here, but with the sky being that dark cool blue that it is, it seems like you shouldn't be making so much use of such warm colors. It makes a nice contrast, but it's totally unexplained. I'm sorry if that's wrong, my knowledge of colors is really weak, but it just doesn't look right somehow. The pose is rather dull. He's just standing there. That's not to say he should be wasting everything in sight, or anything like that. But do some movement, or something. Have his left arm raised, or something. Looking forward to seeing it progress.

[evildragonfire]

Hey, thanks for your insights Sepulverture! The pose is very static on purpose, here is the reason. I remember in school (MANY years ago, yes, I am quite old......LOL!) the teacher in my literature class had a poster on the wall of some of the norse gods. Thor has always been my favorite, and in that poster the gods were all in static poses such as I have here. They were line drawings, and I remember that, in the static pose they seemed to actually exude more strength of thier character due to the sense of not doing anything really, just in the "look" that they had. I guess, I am trying to re-create the "look" or mood that those old drawings seemed to have. Maybe it is not coming through as I would wish, however, I can see the finished product in my mind's eye, so let's see if I can get it there. I know what people are saying about "starting the details too quickly" and perhaps they are correct. I know you are supposed to do the entire painting in steps so that it all takes shape the same way, and at the same time, however, for right or wrong, this is how I paint for the most part. I develope area's that interest me at the momment, then go on to the next part and develope. You will see how this works for me, and perhaps does not work for everyone. Am I doing it wrong? Probably...................LOL

This is the first painting of a series of norse gods that I plan to do. Actually, my 12 year old son has just discovered the norse mythology, and has reminded me of aspects that I have allways loved and wanted to illustrate. So, I am doing these for him (and for myself). Anyway, I already have the painting fo Thor battling the midgard serpent sketched out, and I plan to do that one after I am finished with this static portrait of my favorite thunder god. Bear with me, and thank you to all who are making comments. I appreciate it very much. :)

[evildragonfire]

Ok. Here is an update as I move down the painting.

[Truepinkas]

I haven’t spent a lot of time looking at your picture here as I have to head off to work very shortly, but two problems sprung out at me immediately. One his mustache seems to be done in antiperspective, as it seems to be getting larger the further from us it is. The far side is much thicker than the near. Second, what's going on with the contour edge of his forehead? It’s like he has a dent in his forehead just under his hair line, or a small growth at his hair line.

I'll see if I can find some time after work to give it a more thorough look over, but kudos to you on getting his hair color right and making Mjolnir have a short handle (Stupid wasp Loki…).

[evildragonfire]

HEY Truepinkas! You got the hammer handle thing! AWESOME! I love people who actually KNOW the story! Anyhow, you are correct on the contour of his head and the mustache, the mustache has bothered me also, and I will do some re-work on it! In the meantime, here is an update with Mjolnir being "fleshed out".

[evildragonfire]

Hammer time! :)

[ShockWave]

He needs lips and I would make the lightning bolt larger and add more of them. Otherwise it looks like an aftertought.

Also lightly draw the ouline of his legs to made the clouds look transparent because it looks like he is partly made of mist.

The wind is blowing his hair back but the beard is motionless? Use smaller brushes to break up the outlines of his beard, since it is windy.

[evildragonfire]

Hmmm...........lips? umm, nope.

Larger lightning? Hmmmm.............................nope, I like the minimalist look of the lightning for this representation. Larger bolts will come in next paintings where the power is needed.

Draw the outline of his legs? Actually, I have the shadow going down, perhaps not enough, or not dark enough? Anyway, he is the god of storms, and I remember even reading a passage where he actually had mist around his legs with lighting and thunder flashing in it. Also the reason he cannot set foot on Bifrost (the rainbow bridge).

Gotcha on the beard, even though it is braided, I suppose there may be some small movement to it. I will work on it some more. Thanks for your insights my friend. I still think it is awesome that we were both working on Thor pictures at the same time. :)

[Sepulverture]

The lighting on he hammer vs. the lighting on his bracers, and the rest of him doesn't seem consistent.

[Truepinkas]

I don't recall him not being able to step onto bifrost, but then again I don't remember him traveling outside of his two goat driven chariot...

Anyhow, the eyes need lightning IMO as the majority of descriptions depict him in this manner. I think your doing a good job so far, digging the hammer. Though i'm not sure what that mound in the background it... looks kind of blobish, could be a hill, could be Thor’s other shoulder covered in a large dead animal, kind of ambiguous. Anyhow I’d say yeah darken up the legs add unfocused silhouettes fading down into the clouds there.

This is of particulate interest to me as I myself have for some time been working on char design and varying imagery of the Norse gods. I’m planning about 25 images in all, all to be completed in colored pencil. Some of the more fun scenes depict the throwing games with Balder, and Nidhogg on an isle of corpses tearing at the world tree.

Keep up the progress, looking forward to more.

[evildragonfire]

Hey Truepinkas your project sounds very cool, and fun! Yeah, Thor could not step onto Bifrost because his thunderings and lightnings were far too powerful for the bridge to support. As far as his eyes needing more lighting, I was kind of leaving them in the way I have them, because I wanted it to look more like he is brooding, and perhaps a storm is gathering, rather than to paint the point of where the storm has broken and all his rage is evident. OH! yeah, the ambiguous shape on his shoulder is supposed to be a animal skin cloak, so I will work on that some more also to make it look more "hairy". On the rage of Thor I will paint that later, when I do the battle scene of Thor and the Midgard serpent. I think that I am going to paint Odin next. :)

[evildragonfire]

Ok. I addressed the issue of adding more lightning and more light in his eyes, as someone suggested (I am too lazy to scroll up to see who suggested it) anyway, I think that it does add more to him after all (I can be stubborn at times................LOL)

[dannyesloco]

That area of blue next to his face is bothering me, the sky surrounding him is dominated by a dark cloud. That area being right next to his face gives the file an unfinished look.

[evildragonfire]

Here is an extreme update. I have been posting in the critique section where I have had numerous wonderful idea's and help given to me to repaint this. ALl the help has definatley improved this painting into the product I had envisioned. It is not finished yet, however, I think you can see where it is headed. :)

[evildragonfire]

Another update.