Attos' Sketchbook and Studies NSFW Nudity

After about 7 hours (which I'm guessing is a long time for an image of this type) I'm finally happy with where this is going. Still a few issues but hopefully that foot now looks like it has the correct amount of toes eh Dave?

Yes sir, they do indeed. ... It's looking good. And remember, it's never about how long it takes, it's all about how much fun you're having during the journey! Keep it up...

Thanks Dave.

Another hand study - slightly less crappy than the previous one

Very nice handwork. And very much better than any sketch I try to do. (Where is that envious smiley?)

Thanks Valence,

Thought I should at least attempt a sci fi/fantasy theme as most of my work on here so far is purely studies.

Found this great photographer on DA, Mehmeturgut, who has done some wonderful photos with a real grungy type fantasy feel. So I'm gonna try using the photo below as a jumping off point for a shaman type character. He's gonna be some sort of elementalist drawing on the power of the land to conjure magic. I intend to festoon him with all types of fetishes' and bones, feathers and charms much like Coltaines Wikans in Deadhouse Gates.
Hope this will be my first accomplished looking finished image so I'll post in a Wips thread from now on (though I may have to start a new one as I hate all my work in the previous one).

Done a bit more.....(and yeah I know I was going to post in a wip thread but I feel comfortable here in the dark gaps between the pages of my sketchbook)

Nice updates! I would make the background lighter at the top and gradually darker toward the bottom. The top lighter values would contrast well with his dark hair and the light is coming from the top anyways.

Thanks Crank,
I see exactly what you mean about the background however I havent decided what Im doing with it yet. I was thinking about lightning wrapping round his staff culminating at its head or perhaps some luminous foggy type illumination that works with the smoke in the original ref. Either way the current background is really just holding space right now so we'll see but thanks for the input.

Hey Atto! It's forming up pretty well, but one thing that's sticking out that I think you need to take a look at before you get much farther is the foot by the staff. It's unclear to me in the reference image since it's too small for me to get a good look at in that area, but I THINK you have the foot reading too close to the staff. There seems to be a book that the staff is penetrating infront of his foot, but as I'm reading it potentially in your sketch, you have the staff positioned to almost go between his toes (ouch! though maybe that's why he's yelling...)

Anyways, I'm just curious what you're looking to do with that area. It's hard to critique since I'm not sure what your intention with it is. I often change appendages from references to fit the environment/mood of my work, so I understand if that's what you're working towards

Thanks Thomgirl,
Yeah I see what you mean with the ref. I'm still working on that area, I need to reposition the figure slightly higher up and extend his staff so it meets the floor. I'm putting off making a decision at the moment in regard to what kind of 'magic' he's performing as that will also dictate the form of the staff, the lighting effect that I'm gonna add and how the end of the staff interacts with the floor. I do know that I want it to be something to do with air and birds as the character is supposed to be part of the 'Crow Clan' from the book Deadhouse Gates and that his foot is going to have some type of bird claw attachment type fetish thingy (yeah thats the technical term). I realise that by now I should have probably started to put in his charms and fetishes but right now everything I attempt is looking very amateurish. Its gonna be tomorrows job