CGAN Sept. 2015 Challenge - Black & White - WIPs

Cherry, I'm not saying you have to use one colour or mustn't use more than one - exactly how you go about using colour in your piece is up to you. The overall impression should be greyscale, monochromatic or black & white though, not "ordinarily colourful" like most pictures are - if that makes sense?

Hey, Valence that is looking pretty bad ass. Nice work.

Aaaah okay that makes sense to me thanks Charlotte! (And fits exactly my idea of the picture.... )

Spent some time today on the mask ...I want that the mask is going under her skin but I think I have to change some things before it really looks like that what i have in mind

Cherry: I like the subtlety of the mask, it adds the right amount of interest with that sinuous flourish but doesn't cover too much of the face. And the idea of the mask under the skin sounds perfect. Maybe an emboss layer style could help with that? But I don't understand layer styles.

Yeah thanks a lot Val


For that I was a bit skeptical at first regarding black and white, it is now quite rapid progress, I must say.

That's looking very dramatic with the deeper values in, Cherry, and I like the mask very much indeed. The two sides match perfectly, I would have found that really tough to do.
Although I do like her long slender figure the upper arm looks a little too long at the moment. Perhaps it's just a consequence of the picture being unfinished but it's something to keep an eye on as you develop it further. It may well balance out as you add more detail.


Still doodling away at mine, trying to find interesting little shapes to fill the canvas. Oh, and I've lengthened it into a portrait format.



One thing I've become aware of is that the image doesn't read clearly as a thumbnail. I think this is because of the density of detail and the consisent value range over all areas of the picture. Hopefully this will be solved next week when I try to play with the lighting. I'm planning on using a soft light layer to to brighten/darken areas to help push them back and forth and create a better sense of different positions in space and also to make the lighting come from the left to begin to break the symmetry.

Some really nice pieces getting worked on in here. I hope to see some more show up

I'm TRYING to get something done in time. I'm not sure if I will, but won't know without putting forth the effort, right?

So here's a sketch on what I'm working on. I'm in a portrait sort of mood, so decided to work on one that I've been planning to do for a while for this challenge. She should work out well for it with what I have in mind. For any curious nerds out there, she's an Aasimar half-elf from D&D Forgotten Realms. She's better known as a badass with a mace.

Hello again Thomgirl! Nice start! I really really hope you'll have time enough to finish this. Or just have some days fun with

Val - this is a really interesting subject what you paint. - reminds a lot of old, past dynasties. I like the symmetry of it all but I also guess some breaks will be fine to have some special points to look at a moment longer.

I worked on my lady and gave her the first butterflies but there is still a lot to do and to detail and yes Val you're right the upper arm is a bit too long at the moment...

Thanks Cherry! Same to you! The mask is really beautiful, but the open space in her chest is really piquing my curiosity! Looking forward to seeing more, for sure.

It's been a surreal past few days for me and not in the way I'd generally prefer, but on the bright side of things, it's forcing me to just 'sane out' in my work. Which means this piece will probably be done in time. I'm REALLY trying to push a more painterly feel with this one. I'm kicking the soft round brush to the curb and just getting gritty... well, as much as I can anyways. NOT looking forward to the mace-work

What a face Thomgirl! Looks pretty and cute AND sassy at the same time!

I'm almost done I guess. I changed the hole a bit, let the butterlfies fly and gave light and colors to the picture. I decided against a clean black&white colored picture and gave the pic a more bluish, cold shine as a contrasting color to the warm red.