CGMythology's Sketchbook (nudity)

I like the combo of that snarling face with what seems like really soft hair
I do have some comments for the arm with the axe, though. First, the arm itself seems to be places too far from the body (making the shoulder too long/wide). Second, the pose reference is resting the butt of the axe against her side. You've left it floating in mid-air, which makes the pose look a bit awkward. I think if you move the whole arm (axe included) closer to her body, the issues will be resolved.

*wonders why "axe" keeps getting underlined in red*

Charlotte:  Glad to hear it, the expression was a lot of fun!  I reworked the weapons a bit, hopefully it works better with the pose now, but feel free to let me know!

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I reworked the image heavily, and I feel it's a big improvement in regards to the previous sketch.  The painting itself is pretty much finalized, and I'm quite happy with it.  Did my best to not go crazy with the colors and avoided strong highlights on the skin which gave my images a bit of a plastic look... Went for a more muted color palette in general as well.  Overall I learned a lot from this image, it was a fun challenge!  There's still time for tweaks if needed, so any final input would be welcome.  Below is the final image followed by the steps for those interested.

 

 

I do think the finished image looks great, but my crit about the arm still holds. I guess one might not see it straight away, but still... 

 

Another fantastic expression!
Also the colour harmony of this picture is really impressive. All the lighting and shading looks really natural but it still has those powerful saturated tones of your usual style that keep the images so striking.

Charlotte:  Thanks!  Excellent point regarding the arm, it's probably also the thick armor that's giving it that impression.  I toned it down and fixed the issue, will upload an update when I post it on my official website soon.  Thanks again for your input, you always have a great eye!

Valcence:  Thank you!  Glad you dig the expression, that was a lot of fun to tackle.  I'm really happy to hear that regarding the  color harmony as well, I admit I was a bit concerned that I would lose some of my style by opting for more natural looking colors, so I'm glad to hear that wasn't the case!  I'll proceed tackling colors with this new technique as well going forward!

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I started work on a new sketch, based on one of  Satine Zillah 's awesome reference packs.  I chose a very complex image to replicate featuring several figures, and I think I was fairly successful in doing so, so I'm quite happy in that regard.  I did take some artistic liberties for some more natural looking poses as well as a  bit character design, and added an environment as well to bring the sketch together.  I'm going for an epic aftermath of a battle with this one, so hopefully that shows through with the sketch.  Any feedback before beginning the painting process would be most appreciated as always!

 
 

To paraphrase the bible (I think? Or possibly Talmud?)
"It's easier to see other people's mistakes than to avoid making your own" :p

This new piece seems quite complex My only crit at this point is probably that the man lying face down to the right looks a bit like a caricature or cartoon villain. Something about the shape of the nose and the face looking like it's wrinkled in disdain. But it might very well look entirely different to me once painted

Charlotte: I tried to post a response yesterday but I think there's some bug on the forum. With that said, that quote is so true, and its not limited to just art! I just wanted some clarification on which figure you're referring to? The one on the bottom right? All the fallen figures are supposed to be orcs, it'll probably work better once painted. We'll see how it goes!

I meant the one to the bottom right, yes - the one who's face we can see best (Apart from the survivor, that is)

Charlotte:  Good call!  I think it works better in color with highlights and shadows applied, so please let me know if it's better now!

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Finished the image!  Here is the final plus some steps for those interested.  Of course any final input would be welcome, so please feel free to offer any feedback if you feel so.

 

 

 

Definitely more orc than cartoon now