CGAN Zodiac - Scorpio challenge - WIPs

My last few pictures have been pretty similar so I thought I'd try something different this month. Well, I say different- it's different for me at least, otherwise it's horribly generic.

I'm sure I'm not the first to note that a scorpion tail is reminiscent of a plait/braid so I thought I'd have a go at a kung fu girl with a deadly sting in her hair and her hands in a claw-like gesture.
And even though I'm not a great fan of manga I thought it'd be good to try that style for the first time.

I've scribbled out the figure and pose (rather messily)...



...and today I made a start on trying to refine it into something resembling line-art. And did I hate doing that? Did I? ... YES!
I hate linework/inking. Not my thing at all. It's only tracing over the scribbly sketch and yet it takes an eternity and I do struggle to control line weight and the smoothness of curve.
My neck is now killing me in a horribly tense way but I shall continue. For now.

Public Service Announcement: WARNING! Never mind the naughty words, the previous video contains Ben Affleck AND his poxy little brother Casey!
It's gonna take me the rest of the day to recover from that horror.

But you know what I mean, the sketching should take longer than the tracing- sorry, inking. But for some reason, it doesn't.

And yes Charlotte, I think a software switcheroo is needed. It's strange, I usually do start my pics in ArtRage but these last couple of months I've been going through a PhotoShop phase. Hopefully that AR pen tool will behave and smooth out only the lines I want it to.

I think it's the precision I struggle with most. I just want to scribble and blend all the time in that smudgy, smeary way.

What? Aww, I love that movie! Well the bits with Jay and Silent Bob in them anyway (but then I'm a closet Kevin Smith fan).

I think its great that you're pushing yourself in a different direction Val, and I'm with you on your feelings toward Manga but then variety is the spice of life and I believe working in different styles and disciplines can serve to inform your other work in often quite surprising ways (except textile design, I find it very difficult to find any validity in textile design). The anatomy is looking good and I think you have the right mix of realism and comic styling to her forms. The stinger on the end of her braid also has a nice sense of weight to it.
I just wonder if she would look a little more dynamic standing on one leg with the other raised or leaping. Just a thought.

Actually, I haven't see the movie. I'm just allergic to Ben Affleck as has been documented on another thread. I seem to be allergic to a lot of actors these days, I should just stop watching movies altogether.

I did go through a few different legs poses/stances at the start and sadly this was the best one I could manage. But you're right about the need for dynamism. I'm hoping (hoping!) that once I get colouring then the increased contrast will emphasize the distance (ie depth) between the hands and that this will give it some dynamic energy towards the viewer.
At the moment the foreshortened hand just merges with the shoulder/arm (especially as a thumbnail.) This is one of the other problems I have with linework: the potential solutions to problems don't kick in until later in the process so you have to just systematically plod on through each step in turn and hope that the later step will work.
It requires a level of confidence in both the process and your own ability to work it through and sadly I have neither of those things.
I just wanna dive in with colour and start smearing/smudging it about in my usual fashion!

That's pretty cool, Charlotte! And it wouldn't look out of place in the challenge with an appropriate background.
And I'm envious of those smooth lines!

I did have a go with the ArtRage pen today but got very frustrated at my inability to control the tapering. The smoothing seems to taper both ends of the line when I don't necessarily want that. I'm sure there's a technique in there waiting for me to learn it but the middle of a challenge is probably not the right time. So I'm back in Photoshop for the time being. And what a very long time it seems to be... :ache:
I've almost got all the outlines done, just the hair left to do, and maybe some extra detail in the clothing. I'll definitely be glad when the inking (tracing!) is over.