Character Study In Oils - Updated with FINISHED WORK!

[KarylGilbertson]

Hey guys, I was hoping that I could enlist your help with this. I got a lot of great crits here while I was working on my last oil painting, but it would've helped a lot to get some of them before I went to board. So I figured I'd get my stuff up on here a little earlier this time.

This is a sketch for a character study painting I am developing. First image is some of the thumbs I did (I did 22 before this stage to even get to this idea). The second image is the a blow up of the chosen composition, and the final image is the latest sketch, cleaned up a bit and tweaked.

Got crits?

[Jason Rainville]

First impresion; face looks a bit manish. It might be the squareness of the jaw or the sharpness of the lips, not too sure, but it's something to look into I guess.

[KarylGilbertson]

I see what you mean. I -think- it's only the jaw, as you say. I will fix that up. Thanks!

[Andronicus2814]

yeah the nose also makes it look abit mannish. maybe you should shorten it or upturn the tip a bit if possible.

[KarylGilbertson]

Andronicus: Thanks for the comment mate. I have since updated the drawing a bit, messed around with the face a bit and fixed her breasts. I'll see if I can get a new scan of it up in the next little while...

[NathanLong]

Your draftsmanship looks good. I don't see any perspective problems, but then I'm not an expert.

Your composition is good too, though it looks like its waiting for a title at the top, or some other element.

[KarylGilbertson]

Hmm, though a title is a consideration, it isn't *REALLY* supposed to be a cover for something. Would it look good if I added say, an enemy ship about to crash? What are your thoughts?

[GriNGo]

I think by adding something at the top part of the illo will help it. A bird flying, a ship crashing as you said, or a nice looking landscape will help it out a bit. I like your drawing style Ookchk, hope I'll be able to see this finished someday.

[nauvice]

Her arms implicate stretching but not her body. Her chest should be higher and pushed out to indicate that she's breathing in while streching.

[KarylGilbertson]

Okay, here's a new version with some of the tweaks that have been mentioned. I still have to add something into the sky, I guess.. hmm...

[asoir]

Really nice, if you paint the sky in the right way I don't think you'd need to add something, looking forward to it!

[Marijane]

Nice picture like where your going with this. It maybe just me but her right arm the one that is bent look off to me. The tattoo seem to be on her inside arm on the outstretched one and on the outer side for the bent one.

Just a suggestion take it for what it worth maybe a sun behind more clouds or moon and stars would be good in the background.

[KarylGilbertson]

Actually, I think I'm going to put some planets in the sky up there... To push the "sci-fi" aspect of it some more.

[Kainin]

Will that make it look like she isnt in the atmosphere tho and with the open cockpit..
I kinda see her on a summers day comming back from a mission and kicking back :)

[Ian Mack]

Could you push the sci-fi aspect a little more on her clothes? The only elements you have rso far are the wrist band, short hair, underarm tats, and shirt.

[afterthought]

i think u can add jets/rockets launching diagonally towards upperleft, with trails behind em. that way u can show what the ship that she's sitting in looks like.

[nauvice]

A small flying robot or alien companion would make it more sci-fi 'ish, and if its "cute", it would add more to the serene theme of the image.

[KarylGilbertson]

Hey guys, back with another update-- the painting is FINISHED! Didn't have a whole bunch of time to be uploading WIPs, I needed to get it done quick snap.

This is probably my best effort with straight-up oil painting so far, I'm pretty happy with this. I would still like critiques, though... so my next one can be even better!

Proceed!

[NathanLong]

It looks good, but I think you lost some of her stretch when bringing it to paint, and I miss it.

She really looked like she was in the middle of a big stretch in the last pencil. Maybe it was in the tilt of her head or the curve of her back. Not sure. But it isn't as pronouced in the final.

[SBACHAN]

hey,
looks good,
i'm glad that you are happy with this, i usually hate everything that i do- a really bad habbit!!, confidence in your abilities only helps you to keep pushing further in your progress.Good for you.
crits: I would warm up some of the skin tones that you got. In particular, the nose, cheeks,elbows and hands. Skin is translucent and in certain areas ( noted above) the blood below the skin would warm up it's complexion.
I also think that our girl needs some more head, right now it's looking kinda flat and small.
concerning reflected light: you really don't need that long light blue outline over the entire figure, it's suitable only for the top of the hair.It dosn't work on the face because her hand is blocking her face from sky's light. I would also think the flames coming from the engines would have more of an effect on the figure.
i would also keep the edges on the ride as crisp as you have it (nice job on the bullet holes by the way),but much more fuzzy when it comes to the figure. It would make it look alot more natural.I think thats why she was giving off that manish quality.
I hope this was helpful, and i hope you don't take this personal either.Your going to get better with every piece that you do, just keep observing.
heres a real quick paintover that i did.

[Sepulverture]

The face is retaining some real mannish qualities. Also I might try diminishing some of the linework around her hands and arms, and pop in a few highlights on the skin. Looks like a pretty hot seat, and she'd more than likely be sweating up a storm around all those flames. Straightening and smoothing out those highlights on the cockpit canopy will also help give the illusion of sleek glass. Good job overall though.

[Elwell]

I agree that something was lost from the sketch to the final. I think you have to make a decision about whether you want your work to be more realistic or more stylized. Right now it's not enough of either, so a lot of things just end up looking like mistakes.
As for specific crits, ditch the blue outline on her body. It's a graphic element that flattens things out and, because it's the same color as the background, it now looks like her arm isn't overlapping the back of her head. Also, there's no depth to that background. Rather than sky and planets thousands of miles away, it looks like a couple of big balls right behind her.