CGAN August 2015 Challenge - Ganymede - WIPs

Tried to insert two images on one post but only one image showed up twice tried to edit it, but no success. Don't know if that is normal, so I've deleted from the original above and am inserting it here as a separate post.

This has planet and moon coloring and basic stars.


Microscopi: like your latest update. The super wide angle view and the color are great. If I could put one suggestion maybe make your central character (Ganymede) larger to give him more emphasis . This might require making the eagle bigger too. Example below:



Robin: Your black and white work is really spectacular. Only thing that is a bit confusing is her left arm coming out of the armor, what looks like the arm in the initial sketch now looks like a series of tubes. I agree with the others the crosshatching on the moon is really nice.
CherryGraphics: nice start to the theme with the eagle lifting Ganymede . Looking forward to an update.
Valence: Really like your latest update. The perspective with Zeus is really great. You are going to still keep Ganymede in the picture as in your earlier WIPs. Maybe he can be holding a cup up to Zeus, as he will become his cup bearer.
Anyway great work everyone, so lets get them all finished and in the final post.

Kodabble: Always nice to see Jupiter's big red spot! The textures are looking good. The only thing I'd say is, if your render times allow, maybe add some higher resolution detail to the closest parts of the landscape. Natural foregrounds are always tricky and can often end up looking a bit lumpy.
And your suggestion accurately pre-empted my cup bearing pose for Ganymede!

After moving him to a more central position I had to use a less open pose from the first idea (or was it the second idea? I've lost count now!) Anyway ... at least he's back in the picture now.
In fact I think it's virtually done now, I do have three versions with slightly different colour corrections and will pick one for the finals over the weekend.
There are still a million things wrong with it, I spent far too long with my wooden hand model trying to understand and improve the left hand with minimal success and I also struggled with the muscles around the spine/shoulder area. And yes he'll be staying starkers, I did try some ancient Greek clothing but it just looked like he'd been playing in his mother's wardrobe so I decided against that. Also I really like the reflected light on the backside, it's the only bit of anatomy that looks accurate! And in a lot of images Ganymede seems to be portrayed nude, I don't know why but I'll jump on the bandwagon anyway.
The one thing that does irritate me about the pic is that although the three elements look OK on their own they don't quite seem to gel together in a single image. I think it's perhaps the eagle that suffers most. I guess I didn't have the patience to render all those damn feathers correctly.
But never mind, it's too late now and I'd rather push on to the Virgo challenge than go back.
I just need to ponder my three versions and pick. It might be this one...