Thor and Jormungand

[oglzogl]

Finished these two characters off. Pretty happy with the results. They are a part of a larger composition but I felt that these two were done... and could be presented independently.

Happy 4th!

http://www.toddpowelson.com/Ragnarok/Jormungand2-color.jpg

detail:

http://www.toddpowelson.com/Ragnarok/Jormungand2-detail.jpg

[Fozzybar]

wow...many things going on there oggy!

I really...really...dislike the background color...i would be pleased if you find some cooler colors...

Jormungand's (i guess it's the name of this snake thing) upper part is rendered very well with your original style, but the lower part is not rendered in the same way, so first i didn't recognize that it was J's body...i thought it was something else...maybe you did this to get the focus on the part where it is now, but i think if you keep the detail as in the upper part, but only a little darker it would be fine...

I like Thor's posing :)

[cucaracha]

ah finally a new piece :)

as fozz said, the background doesn't look finished, maybe a darker color to pop out the two charas?

you could improve the flash. Maybe it fits better if it's rendered the same way as Thor -

I really dig your rendering style, btw. It looks like it takes a really long time to paint.
Keep it up, very nice image overall.
cu

[oglzogl]

Thanks for the comments you guys :)

Yeah, I can see why you don't like the background... a bit too overpowering and dark. Not to mention unfinished. I probably got lazy after finishing the fire and said "Good enough" to the background when it wasn't :(

The lower part of the body I did plan on keeping very simple.. your right Fozzy, because I wanted to draw more attention to the action. Plus I worried that with the flames, detail on that part of the snake might get confusing. I originally just planned on having the snakes lower body one color to imply that something was there in the flames but then I started thinking it would pick up all sorts of light/reflections from the fire and maybe went overboard trying to show that.

It does take a bit of time cucaracha.. probably becaue I do these in Illustrator. I do sometimes wonder if I shouldn't pick up Painter or something (don't like using PS as a painting tool for some reason. Probably just not skilled enough yet) and trying my hand at that. But on the other hand, I really like the control Illustrator gives me.

[Fozzybar]

I don't think you will get the same style with ps or painter, at least not in the same time you do with illustrator...

[oglzogl]

I am sure you are right. I've never felt completely comfortable with the painting programs.

I really do like the style Ive been working towards but sometimes I do think it takes me too long to acheive it. Still, my finished Illustrator pieces do leave me excited to try new things and see where I can take the style next. Guess Im just a little slow ;)

Even when oil painting I tend to paint very slowly.. blending and shading and defining each individual shape. Illustrator does fit me and what I do pretty well.