i didn't know if i should post this or not because it really didn't turn out good and i don't know what to do to make it so, i think it's beyond hope and i should start on something new instead. but then i thought of how nice it is when someone posts something that's not really perfect and i get to see they don't always make perfect stuff either - always very encouraging . so i posted anyway.
it's my favourite griatch character, the unknown girl, though you can't really see it. i tried to do too much at the same time in this picture and that's always a mistake and it's a mistake i do very often. i wanted to translate the unknown girl into one of the styles i usually like working with - it's essentially "flat" art, it's inspired by middle east and oriental painting and it also features collage techniques - that's a lot of elements in one picture already. then i wanted to illustrate a word that i always think of when i see griatch's pictures of the unknown girl and that's "integrity". that's why the shadow figures around the character are both blurry and dissolved. then i wanted to try the sort of colouring that griatch uses for the stories with the unknown girl - it's greyscale with red tones added and usually one red item in the picture.
and since i tried to do all these things at once of course i didn't achieve any of them . let that be a lesson to you, boys and girls, don't ever do like me!
but i have to say if i hadn't made this picture myself and known everything that it was aimed to do, and i had just stumbled on it somewhere i think i would still have been caught by it and stopped to look. i don't know what it is, but there's something about it that i like.


edit: updated with changed font and text placement and it makes a good deal of difference (thanks griatch!), i like it a bit better now.

I really like it AnMal. Sometimes simplicity can be effective as in the case of the art of ancient cultures. This works well because of its simplicity.

erisian: thank you.

I recognized her pretty quickly, so I think you did a good job capturing the character's essence.

Very cool take on the Unknown girl, AnMal! I can of course not know just what you aimed towards in your mind but the result does indeed feel like an older/ancient style to me because of the intentionally flat textures. Nice idea with keeping the background chracters shady - they also have this sort of noicy structure that makes them look like shades on a TV screen, I like that effect.

She is definitely recognizeable. I'd say she's prettier here than i usually depict her actually . There are some anatomical issues but those can mostly be said to be a part of the style in this case, quite clever. You seem more critical than I am; the only critique I have is of the text which is, while suitably red, not quite fitting into the picture. If keeping the text, maybe a more somber, typewriter-like font along the bottom of the image might be more befitting the theme?

Anyway, cool that you took upon you to make this, the Unknown girl is one of those characters I myself much enjoy drawing. It's interesting that 'integrity' is the key word you associate with her.
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Griatch

thanks, people. you make me think there is hope for this one.
griatch: i think some of the anatomical issues are definitely part of the style, but not all. her right and left eye not being properly aligned isn't part of the style, for example.
i will try another font, i actually thought of a typewriter font at first but i wanted a little volume to get more red in.
i'm actually glad you didn't take this as an insult against poor unknown!

Uh, you silly goose, I've never seen anything you've done that wasn't excellent or at the least very good.

gms9810: you've got a nerve, brother! just crashing into people's threads and calling them silly goose like that, hmph!
(thanks, and it's nice to see you around, i mean)

updated.

Nice! I do like this font and text placement better.
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Griach

I think he means it affectionately. xD

Anyway, it's a very interesting take on the character.
Can defiantly see your style in it.

griatch: thanks - it's funny how much that small detail did to the composition.
mokonafan: hehe, gms9810 can actually call me silly goose anytime and get away with it - just don't tell him!
thank you for the comment! i can see my style too, just wish i could have seen some of the unknown girl in it .

I like the newer font. Also, I just noticed the silhouettes in the background ~ that's great!