(click for DA version)

Old version

(click for DA version)

Sorry for repeating the same subject over and over, but I need the training.

I got a lot of good critique and feedback on my first Shrike Study

Looking at it now, I myself can only agree with the critique, that's what a fresh eye will do for you!
However, as I sat down to try to fix things I came to the conclusion it was better to start all over again rather than to fix the old image. So I did, using roughly the same angle and concept.

Whereas I did intend the last one to be a "young" version of the main protagonist in my Shrike saga, I did this with her being older again. The proportions and angles should hopefully be better. I also experimented a bunch with giving more pores to the skin as well as many more things. I ended up using a different background and a slightly more realistic style for this as well.

As usual, I'm very interested in getting feedback on this, it's by far the best way to improve.

MyPaint + GIMP, about 5 hours.
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Griatch

Lighting is fantastic! A more somber (serious?) look on her face. Great job! Her bottom lip keeps getting my attention, as if I am expecting her to pout.

I do prefer the first one, it looks real

Very nice. Both works have their pluses but I think the latest is an improvement from the earlier work.

I like the first one best as it is a close up and shows more detail.Both are very striking however.
Great work Griatch.

I do like both chose one would be hard

I believe the first may be more adapt as a cover the second as part of a sequence

Thanks for the feedback! A few minor things have popped to my attention that I'll likely fix with the new one, but overall I'm quite satisfied with it. It's interesting how people have difficulty choosing between them.
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Griatch

Beautiful as always

Thanks.
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Griatch

Your ability to capture lighting in your images really amazes me, Griatch. I have to get the 3D light model software out just to see if I am doing it right. I have a tendency to get lazy when shading, etc.

Definitely #1 for me. I love the skin tones and you can almost see the depth in the skin layers. Very remarkable Griatch. You are very talented.

Thanks mahvin and molly.

I updated the image with a different background and also fixed some critique gotten elsewhere. Hopefully better.
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Griatch

If you don't mind me asking, what did you do to draw the skin texture? It looks very realistic.

@Merrak

I used a (for me) new technique for the skin pores: I first did all the colours and lighting correctly, then I used one of MyPaint's finest splatterbrushes. It basically creates an airbrush-like effect, resizing it will make the splatter dots smaller yet the distance between the splotches are roughly the same. On a new layer I spattered darker skin-colour, then used the eraser at low opacity to work these into the skin. Redid a few times to build up a grainy structure. Basically the darker splotches represent pores (shallow depressions in the skin) that are cast into shadow when seen lit from the side - so the effect is strongest when light hits from the side, along the cheek's plane.

Later I also brought the image in to GIMP and used a custom, very fuzzy brush and the dodge/burn tool at 5% opacity to carefully dodge away to produce highlights. If the original skin painting has the right tones, dodging will bring out a warm red-yellow hue that works well to simulate subdermal diffraction (an optical phenomenon due to the surface skin actually being transparent and the light reflecting off a deeper layer).
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Griatch

now i have no more doubts...the first!

@Photocomix

Oh, was it the background that did it?
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Griatch