CGAN Jan 2017 - Star Wars Heroine

A day early but I won't get chance to mess any more with this so...

1: The Opening Crawl.
2: The Wilhelm Scream.
3: "I have a bad feeling about this."





Good Luck, everyone.
And May The Force Be With You... Always.

I'm done too. All I can do now is over work it so I'[[ call it done.

WIP_1
WIP_2

Final Image\

Yrak R-Syf, the faceless Jedi that stepped into a force unknowed. she claims a glass figure gave her the Darksaber Sythe. I personaly think there were some drugs involved, but I don't know, I haven't seen the movie yet.

cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...s?limitstart=0#15016

cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=10#15030

cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=10#15046

cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=30#15185

Djeruinna - Jedi Shadow and still slightly unfinished but there you go - can't win 'em all.

False Start

Jedi 1

Star Wars.
Episode XI: Some Unnecessary Rambling Feedback.


Kodabble:
That's a fantastic pose in your picture. Wonderfully aggressive and confrontational, perfectly evoking that attitude that defined Leia's character. Although you weren't happy with the likeness, I can see a good resemblance to what I imagine an older Leia would look like at a time between the films that we've seen.
I like the work on the fabric, especially the creases on the sleeves, and the texture of the boots is impressive and convincing.
I think the foreshortening on the front forearm isn't quite there yet but I know that's a really tough angle to resolve perfectly. The hands are good though and I do like the split grips with one reverse, back-hand hold. It always looks good and adds a bit of flair and dynamism to the pose.

SchizophreniaWolf:
Another high quality piece of work. I said it before and I'll say it again: I love the scythe! The Star Wars films have a history of constantly adding a new twist to the lightsabre weapons and this idea is perfect and the design, with the halo of energy around the black centre, is even better than the Mandalorian darkblade from the TV stories. They should be paying you for this stuff!
A mysterious Star Wars Grim Reaper is exactly the kind of character the franchise could use and you've presented it really well here with the integrated background and text. And that's an awesome lens flare!

Atto:
Terrific composition here, Atto. The strong diagonal of the sabre/staff catches your eye first and then other similar and opposing angles of arms, shoulders and hair lead you all around the picture and keep you looking at it.
Good work on the figure too, that tilt and twist of the shoulders and hips stops the character from looking static and gives her pose a balance and tension, showing someone poised for action.
I like the way that the flesh and the fabric look distinct and separate while still remaining unified by the limited colour palette that only changes with the subtle purple glow of the blade.
I actually quite like paintings with an unfinished look (there are plenty in my sketchbook!) and I think you could have emphasized it even more with some loose scribbly brush strokes around that lower hand to break the solid shape. I always think that if you can't quite complete something fully then you can deliberately turn it into a positive stylistic thing. But maybe that's my laziness showing there!

Micro:
Good to see you tempted back into the challenges to paint through the pain. As you said yourself, Star Wars does make those demands of us.
I liked the set up and progress of your pic too. All Star Wars fans would recognise that style of scene involving a character gazing out at the vastness of space before turning to address the lowly subjects. I found myself looking closer and waiting for the camera to zoom in and then reverse-shot to reveal the reaction! Sorry you couldn't finish but don't worry there was certainly more than enough in the wips to get me interested in who this character was.

Is it voting time now?
"Search your feelings, you know it to be true."

All three of the other finished pics work perfectly as character concepts (fitting the brief much more accurately than mine!) And all are great characters, well painted and worthy of praise. But I'm gonna have to go with Schizo, not because of technique or composition or backstory. One of the reasons Star Wars and its characters are such a cultural success is because of the way that they're instantly recognisable in their most simple forms. Just from the shadow, silhouette or outline, everyone can recognise R2, C3PO, BB8, or Vader or Darth Maul, Jabba, Leia with her hair, even rubbish Jar Jar. They're all simple, yet original, iconic shapes that stick in your mind while still looking cool. And Schizo's pic achieves that too. The figure design and scythe together are unique and memorable and as such the character would fit equally well in a film or tv show as well as any kind of merchandise, from a poster on a wall to a simple stencil print on a T-shirt or mug. And fans would love it, remember it and buy it. And a cynic might say that THAT is what Star Wars is REALLY about.

So,
A few thoughts before I vote.
Schizo: I thought your image was going to be really static before I saw all the added wisps of movement and star bursts you added but now coupled with Vals' comments regarding silhouette and an instantly recognisable form I must apologise for losing faith in you (all be it momentarily) and commend you on another very successful image.

Kod: The defining quality of your image for me is the way you've handled that fabric on her front arm. It has a very nice translucent quality to it and the form of not only the fabric but also the arm beneath comes across very well indeed. The glow and shadows produced by the sabre are also very well handled (head and shoulders above my feeble attempt to say the least.)

Val: Wow thats a lotta work! The addition of the 'floating' head at the top was a great touch and immediately reminiscent of the Bladerunner cover. All the elements of a real Star Wars movie poster are there - a plethora of characters, the shadowy figure off to one side, the droids, the cityscapes with their representation of the battle between dark and light, the space battle raging on in the background even the plucky star pilot in the background and of course our hero and her disfigured nemesis.

With all that in mind my vote goes to Schizo this month.

If the brief had been to produce a Star Wars movie poster you would have had my vote Val but though yours, Schizo, had elements of a poster the main focus was still on the central character and her design - A very elegant and inspiring design it is too Schizo! Awesome job.

Should have just tossed a coin. Tails never fails, I say.