(click for DA link)

One of those random images I sketch out while sitting on the train. Ended up as a test concept of a character out of the Shrike series of images (although this has a quite different color scheme).

So sketched on the train, then finalized on the desktop. Tested to move my entire work flow away from gimp for this one, since I have figured out how cloning and text editing works in Krita. Cloning is not working quite the way I hoped in Krita (or maybe I did it wrong), but otherwise that program is very useful as a painting tool.

Done in MyPaint + Krita.
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Griatch

Wow, the coloring and hair are fantastic.

Fabulous as usual Griatch. I like it all, and her eyes ... wow!

I enjoy viewing your work Griatch. An amazing talent indeed.

Eyes and hair are really nice (though she could have her full allowance of eyelashes). But the nose bridge is completely vertical, and the lower lip looks swollen and asymmetrical (the whole mouth seems shifted to the right).

Great name.... is she supposed to be of French descent?

I like her mouth, it is nice and full. I don't see anything wrong with the nose or mouth. Anyway, you must be standing on your head or something.

Thanks for the comments and feedback everyone!

@molly
I don't quite see it either, but that is what is great with getting feedback and hear people's different views and perspectives!

@ofnuts
Thanks for the feedback! The nose angle is intentional, I grew tired of making the classic "ski-slope" noses. This type of nose is how the nose looks for some people, for example for many of north-east African origin. She actually has a slight hook on her nose. What makes you feel the mouth is swollen - is it the lighting? I can't really see it. Also, you say it's shifted to the right - do you mean her or our right if so?

The name (something like "Sophine of Empheba") is a rather integral part for the story of Shrike, and yep the name is French although she may not be.
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Griatch

More wonderful results from one of the best masters of Chiaroscuro that I know. Thanks again for sharing Griatch.

Very nice Griatch. Nice to see some more wonderful work from you.

a real masterpiece!
as Lyle said, the chiaroscuro is excellent!
congratulations...

Look great Griatch, I wouldn't change a thing.

It's lovely to see a person with darker skin from you! I'm sure that's an odd way to put it but all the years I've seen your work it's normally lighter skinned of abnormal skinned (like green or red fur ), this is a delight to see something new! I love love LOVE her skin-tone and eyes, her hair is very lovely also! The lighting is epically nice too!

Her mouth seems to be a little shifted toward us, I'm not sure if that's anatomy or she's smirking so that might be nothing at all, the middle dent that people have on the upper lip seems to be lacking from her mouth also but that could just mean she has full lips.

This is quite nice! I tried Krita a few times but it wouldn't behave, but that might be because my mouse didn't work, I have a new one so maybe I should try again.

She has a lot of personality in her eyes.
I like the light from the left and as subtly plays with the hair color.
Initially I thought she was crying. But I did not understand why the green color in tears. So I assume that is a painting (like the paintings in some African tribal peoples).
I wonder what she is thinking ... this look is very enigmatic.

Best, just if she spoke ... love the French accent! Mon cher Akros!

It's a perfect work Griatch!

Very good interpretation of an ethnic look.

Thanks. I never really think of this style as chiaroscuro (I keep thinking of chiaroscuro as beeing even sharper contrasts) but looking it up in Wikipedia it seems correct for most forms of using stark contrasts to show 3D shapes. The things you learn!


Glad to hear it!


It's very different to work with dark skin, it behaves rather differently with light - it's quite an interesting thing to experiment with! I think one side of the amor bow (the "dent on the upper lip" might be a little hidden by the light hitting that side of the face, I might clarify that a bit, thanks.
I long had plenty of trouble to run Krita comfortably but lately it has stabilized a lot. Krita is rapidly updating but at the moment it seems worth it to use the latest development version.


Cool, glad you like it! The eyes are such an important part of a portrait that one needs spend a lot of time with them.

It's a sort of glowy tattoo actually, since this is a character out of my Shrike story (she doesn't actually appear below, but it's an example):



(click for DA links)

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Griatch

Caravaggio is a Master in chiaroscuro, I was thinking at him when looking at the way you master the light on the face of Sophine...

@dinasset

That is very kind of you to say.
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Griatch

She looks very French/Polynesian.

She looks great to me. And I'm definitely a fan of using non-mainstream-model looks...

Thanks folks!

It's fun to experiment with new characters once in a while.
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Griatch