I haven't posted any artwork for sometime so I feel conscience-bound to post something. There is a new painting in the pipeline (together with more of my Am' Athir story) but it won't be ready for a while yet.

This first sketch is pretty typical of the way I have been painting to date. The guides are laid out (and are still visible) and the face is drawn around them. The mid value is painted in followed by the main shadow, then the main lights. This is all done very quickly and gets refined as I go along.



This second sketch is an exercise in working rapidly and loosely and no guides were used. It helps me to focus on what is important and in time, hopefully, will teach me to avoid unnecessary detail. It's also a more enjoyable way to paint.

Ooo! Nice!

The first one looks very 3D! And the second one is very expressive!

Nice work!

Thank you Moko. I seem to create better expressions if I feel them rather than planning them, so for me, the first technique isn't a good one for expressive paintings.

Same for me! Even if I'm not "drawing" an expression, I have to "feel" what I want to show in my art I make. :>

erisian: you are soooo annoying!!!why do your sketches look this good? i like the second one best, because the expression is so strong but both are very good sketches and make me want to put a handful of snow down your neck.

These are very basic to me - like glorified doodles - and they often take less than a minute to achieve. I'm working on the concept that it should be possible to get your painting mapped out very quickly so that the hours spent on it will be spent on refining and not on construction.

If it snows in Dalarna AnMal, you'll get your chance to try...

Very nice Aris. It is good to see you drawing and painting again. These are very good and more relaxed than any of your previous work. Keep going my friend. Kudo's

Thank you Molly.

I think I like the first one best...I can impose different possible expressive outcomes on the basic face...and it seems to have more possibilities for the finished product.

First one for me too. I am not into horror or scary stuff.

I like them both. The second one reminds me of a Vulcan.

Thank you everybody



Although Loga is a daemon, she isn't the horror film type. The Daemons of Am' Athir are a race of very corrupt warriors and are certainly scary but they are more fantasy than horror and of all Daemons, Loga is the most thoughtful and approachable,

http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6860

Rod - may I suggest a Romulan is more accurate on account of the emotional content?

Still like the first one best.

Thank you conbagui.

This shows the simplicity of the early steps - just a few blobs placed correctly.

I like the one where you show the simplicity of the early steps. The last one in the set of four really shows how important the areas of shade and light are in defining a face, it really comes to life in that one.

Thank you Caz. From here on the light and shadow can be refined using ctrl-click to sample the values and painting before adding more subtle values. All we see is light and shadow so getting the values right is very important in defining form.

Erisan - nice work on the faces, I like the step by step guide, thanks.

it is amazing how you can pull out a very good face from only 4 main steps!

The first one feels like a bronze bust. The second is the more interesting of the two (to me) - it feels more like an actual character. Stronger emotion is often easier to relate to in an image. Placing the shadows is, as you point out, most of the work. We humans can very easily "see" a face using very limited light cues.

Quick studies are fun to do and good practice, keep 'em up! Do you plan to develop any of those to a more complete form?
.
Griatch

Thank you everyone.



The first one is probable - I like it too much to leave it there. The second is one of my existing characters and was a quick alternative to a painting I am working on at the moment so I might not do any more to that sketch unless I think of another context.