CGAN Zodiac Challenge - Libra - WIPs

Libra (September 23 - October 22)

The zodiac challenge will aim to run for the entire zodiac year and work with the timescale of each zodiac sign. This is a 'just for fun' challenge, but you will have a lovely set of horoscope images if you choose to take part. Kazky will be the main moderator for these challenges so contact her if you have questions or issues.

We will be sticking to the western zodiac, apologies to other zodiacs
Research each sign and depict it however you interpret it.

Deadline: October 22nd
Finals thread: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/current-...allenge-libra-finals

Rules in brief:
All challenge entries must be your own work.
You should post at least two WIP images that are clearly different from your final entry and each other.
Your final entry should contain your image (inserted so it shows up full size) and at least two links to your WIP posts on the forum.
No chatter in the finals thread – if you have questions, post them in the WIP thread or PM an admin.
Feedback is allowed & encouraged together with the voting and in the WIP thread.
Deadline is given in UK time (midnight GMT) with a grace period of 5 minutes for getting the post sorted.
Each member may cast one vote.
No cheating! Admins may decide to disqualify an entry that does not adhere to the above rules.

... Ya know, I've never really been into signs myself, but do enjoy watching all these come together. But I also never thought about there being different variations of the signs depending on what area you're from? - Until I read the brief that is, and took a quick look at the Western Zodiac. ...I've always just thought of Libra being the scales. See what ya learn when ya hang out with the smart people!

Look forward to seeing the images that are to come.

This'll be a tough one. In terms of symbolism, mythology and imagery Libra is by far the most banal of all the constellations. Needs a bit of imagination, I think. Now if only I had imagination....

hmm... I think I may have seen some over there *points to imagination*

Where? WHERE???

*fights to get to the front of the stampeding, unimaginative mob*

OK, OK, I take it all back. Libra isn't the worst constellation. I'd forgotten about Triangulum (and Fornax isn't much either.) My lack of imagination clouded my judgement.

Thankfully I did conjure up a couple of ideas when I thought about it in terms of a balance and at the moment I'm going with this one. But it's been very hard. I don't like doing line drawings and usually only spend about 5-10 minutes scribbling some rubbish before diving in with colour but this took me all of two hours to get right. (And it probably still isn't right!) And the eagle eyed among you will notice that I did just draw one hand and then flipped it.



I want it to be another "sky" picture and maybe want her to be balancing on top of a cloud with something dropping from her hands, maybe water or a cascade of sparkly stars or ... something.

Nope, still no update.
After spending all that time doing the black and white challenge it seems like I've forgotten how to do colour!
You know that phrase, "It's like riding a bike"? Well it's NOT like riding a bike.
I think I might be able to relearn a skill or two but it may take longer than I thought to correct some heinous errors.

Still just me in here? *carries on regardless*

After too much mistake-making and subsequent colour-corrections I think I'm getting a bit of progress now.
I'm happy with the forms of the body but I'm not completely set on the colour and lighting yet. Hopefully that will become easier when I've got more of the background in and I'll then be able to make the figure fit a bit more convincingly with the surroundings.
The background is going to be quite a bit darker, more detailed and more varied in colour once I get working on it. I want it to be a transition from the earthly atmosphere below to a deep space scene higher up revealing the necessary stars. I've done a lo-res mock-up to convince myself that it'll work ... and I'm almost convinced.
I do find the lighting tricky when the scenario is so inherently unrealistic in that abstract fantasy way but I think when the picture has more detail across the whole canvas then it'll make more sense to me and I'll hopefully be able to make everything gel a bit better.

Nice work so far, Val. I think the issue with your lighting with the highlighted areas that are emanating from the background are too close to white. They should mimic more the blues they're reflecting. Think of it more as a reflection of the color on the skin rather than 'light' hitting the skin. It reads okay up close, but I think that's part of what's causing your 'trickiness'. Everything about her would be catching the blues and as it is now, she has more of that paper doll cut out effect rather than being an object in her environment. Hope that makes sense

I have an idea for this, and maybe I'll get to working on it. Libra is my sign as well as my daughter's, my mother's, my grandmother's, and my grandfather's, so it's a very important sign for me personally and so it would be a bit of a self portrait But we'll see if I can get around to it in time for the challenge.

Libra here as well, Thomgirl.

Looking good, Valence. Another thing you might want to look at, is the rim-lighting. The rim-light on the lower parts of her arms, legs, etc. make sense with the current light source coming from the brightened clouds. But the rim-light on her head looks out of place with the present lighting. ... Unless you have plans to put a secondary light source above and behind her that is?