I made another attempt at a close-up. I thought I'd try an easier angle before jumping back into the other one - although it's really the same angle, just with an arm blocking the chin that I can't get right .



I zoomed in on this piece that, coincidentally, is now exactly one year old. It's the world's slowest camera zoom.

merrak: close ups of an old painting must be a real challenge!
i think the face needs a little more shape, a few more shadows here and there wouldn't hurt. the mouth may be a bit too big and too close to the nose, but that depends on what goes on behind that arm - if she's yawning big or taking a huge bite of her arm or screaming with her mouth wide open it would work.
i really like the full view painting, it really gets my imagination going.

Wow, merrak, very interesting. I, too, like the full view painting. Keep working on that chin.

This does look very nice. The chin from below is tricky, this is a nice middle way.

I remember this painting well (it was made then remade some time later if I recall correctly?), I still like it as much now as then.
.
Griatch

Thanks for your insight

Do you think her mouth is too high? In the accompanying story, she's daydreaming as she is swinging into the light... but she's also talking to her friend on the other side of the room.




I'm still having difficulty with facial perspectives, but I'll keep a chin up.




Thanks!

It's been remade a few times. It was the "first" drawing I ever did (at least, in terms of when I started making a serious effort to learn). So I like to redo the entire scene, or parts of it, so I can see what I've learned.

Lovely work Merrak. The mouth is slightly too far to the right. Vertically it's positioned fine. Though normally it would be a touch higher it's very much an individual thing and this doesn't look wrong to me. In close up the arm looks too thick. Personally I would add some more shadows but maybe that's just a matter of style. You also have to be confident you'll put them in the right places or you might just ruin what you've done. If you do try it, use a new layer so that you can delete it if you go disastrously wrong.

merrak: i took another good long look at this and saw what erisian mentioned, that the mouth is a bit too far to the right, and then the angle sort of fell into place in my head. i'll take back what i said earlier, i think it was me not really getting it.

Here's an update. I moved the mouth a bit to the left. I also realized I forgot that indentation that is between the lips and the nose. (oops!). Her upper arm is now a bit thinner, too.

I also added some more shadows, including a few cast by the strands of hair falling over her face.



Also, get out your microscopes! Here's a really close-up:

Looking good Merrak! The indentation i believe is called a filtrum. We had an advert here in the UK where a little girl wanted to know and stood up among a group of scientists to ask what it is called. Anyway - nice work. Will we be seeing more of Mara in the future? I hope so.

merrak: hehe, that last close up is great, very detailed .
i think with the added filtrum (and thanks, erisian, for the word - only yesterday i was looking for it and couldn't find it) and the mouth in the correct place the otherclose up looks just great too. good job!

"Filtrum" is the word of the week. Learn something new every day

Mara is one of the more common recurring characters I have. She's been showing up in my artwork recently since I've been revising the novel she's in.



Thanks!

I should try the first one, Vasigari, again now.