Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diane | 01/07/2007 @646 | edit post

Hello everybody! I've been away for very very long due to the amount of work I had to do (I'm still very busy, but I have had some free time so I've started painting some things....) so I don't have many things to show but here is a painting I'm working on actually. It was meant to be just a lighting exercise at first (I was playing with my wacom and a mirror) but I liked the colours so I've decided to turn it into a painting. The girl is Morgan Le Fay, she holds a bottle of poison.... I let you imagine what happened I hope you'll like it, crits are very welcome. Do you think that I should add silhouettes in the background? Some more elements? It's still far from being finished so don't hesitate to crit and add suggestions Happy New Year to everyone! Previous steps : Actual image : Some closeups

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
wildlifehoodoo | 01/07/2007 @652 | edit post

Awesome word Diane! NOW STOP SHOWING OFFFF!!!!!!! lol You make me sick. welcome back and look forward to seeing things from you once more Spelt awesome wrong...corrected now...why am I telling anyone this? [Message edited on 01/07 @726]

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Thorsten | 01/07/2007 @666 | edit post

Looks very nice so far. I just have some slight problems with the lighting. At your first version there was a good night feeling, but with the development of the picture this is gone. At the moment it looks less like a real night (even foggy) than a Day for Night filter shot. Except for the doorways there is no real dark shadow. There is some glowing, but the light sources do not give light. The facial colours are for a night shot IMHO way to strong. My personal thought about the motif: I would love to see some interaction with the scene. At that moment she is just the crying cutie, a "Fantasy" standard. A happy new year to you, too.

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diane | 01/07/2007 @729 | edit post

Thanks a lot About the lighting, I know what you mean. I've actually not really worked on the bg so there's no real lightsource. there is a lightsource in front of her so her face and clothes must be enlightened. The poison bottle is shining, there are some light reflections through the nails, on the face and hands but when I add them on the clothes, it doesn't look good (even if it's right) so it's a deliberate choice, I'm not going for a photorealistic image The street contains lots of lightsources and is meant to be foggy so the light is a little bit diffuse. I know that the hair in front of lightsources should be very light, I'll work on that later Here's one more step where I've tried to fix some mistakes, I'm gonna work more on the lighting About the tear : I don't like it as it actually is. She must be crying or about to cry (Morgan le Fay is a complicated person, a little bit crazy, that does things that she sometimes regrets, I wanted to show her dualty, crying when she's still holding the poison bottle) More about this "evil" fairy (not really evil in fact) : LINK Thanks a lot! There are also some refs I've used to see how a street looked like in the night. [Message edited on 01/07 @733]

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
JordanRoots | 01/07/2007 @779 | edit post

hum, I think the nose is a bit too big, not feminine enough, because the girl is very pretty. and, although your colorsheme is mainly green, I feel like there should be some blues in the shadows so as it looks more like the scene is occuring during the night. The hair is very well done, and very gorgeous, but I liked the way is was dark, like in the first image. I'd just darken it a little more. the perspective of the background is good and the bg itselft is awesome. I like it. Maybe you should remove the silouhette? The chainmail, the hand and the poison bottle are very very well done and they are best things in the painting IMO. Again, very great work from you Diane, I was really missing your wips as I liked to see your techniques. Welcome back!

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diane | 01/07/2007 @895 | edit post

Thanks a lot Do you think that my nose is too big? I've tried the blue shadows thing, but it doesn't work, it looks too artificial.... I'll try some purple shadows... The silhouette is not finished at all (just 3 messy brushstrokes) so it looks very bad for now but I don't think that I'll remove it.... maybe I'll do 2 versions Thanks again

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
thienbao | 01/07/2007 @962 | edit post

Oh great to see you back, and with something for us to gawk at I have to say, beautiful design with the bottle, so delicate and enchanting. Her nose is not too big and is definitely "feminine" IMO. A little crit if I may, I think the color green is dominating this a bit too much. I would shift the colors to reds or blues(for the background maybe?) here and there. Also, the right side of her face seems a bit pulled down, flipping it might let you see it better, if you haven't already done so. Anyway, awesome so far!

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
JordanRoots | 01/08/2007 @042 | edit post

Lol, so you were the reference? is this your nose? I'm terriblely sorry. It's not that it's "too" big, it's just that it could be just a tad smaller pointier but, she's gorgeous with that nose too. it's just a matter of taste/preferences. And for the silhouette, do keep it, I know it's far from being done. Just one version will be enough, you don't have to please everyone, just please yourself. [Message edited on 01/08 @043]

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diegoth | 01/08/2007 @143 | edit post

I love the feel on this Diane, it reminds me to some of the tails I used to read when I was a little kid, but at the same time you go forwards to that realism. I agree with Jordan about this, he face does not look so femenine except for the eyes. The nose has a nice shape but it's too long. Great colours, and I hope to see more work on the background. Greetings!

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
mysticcat | 01/08/2007 @369 | edit post

Well, I don't really have any true comments on this since you've made it perfecrly IMO. Just come here to tell you that it's nice to see you back (and shake up this forum ).

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diane | 01/10/2007 @064 | edit post

Wow, thank you very much for your help guys Jordan : don't worry about my nose I've indeed made it just a tad bigger on the picture so I've fixed it (it looks more like me now) Bao : I'm gonna fix the colour issues later (I intend to add brown values in the stones on the walls so I think that it won't look so greenish in the end ) since I'm first trying to fix the issues on the girl Thanks a lot for your crit! I've flipped the image and you're right, it didn't look distorted at the beginning but it had become a little bit off after some more work. I hope that it's fixed now Diegoth : thank you very much! Mysticcat : thank you Another step :

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
JordanRoots | 01/10/2007 @178 | edit post

This nose is definitely prettier, this woman is gorgeous (and I don't say that just because I know you are the actual ref ) The bricks' texture looks very realistic, good job. the embroidery you just added is exquisite! it's really adds a lot to the picture. hmm, I think you should keep a little bit more of the lamps' shape, I don't think the glow of those lights would be strong enough to be able to hide the lamps themselves. I think the scene occurs during the renaissance era, am I right? So, those lights might be candles, and candles do not make as much light as those lamps you painted. But if it's electricity, then I guess the glows are okay. I see you made the hair darker, very better now, but then the face will have to be darker on that side too. Well, maybe I'm wrong, but I think her eyes don't look at the same direction, she's cross eyed, but I'm not sure. When I put my hand over the right one, she seems to be looking to her left in front of her, but when I hide the left eye, she seems to try looking behind her..... but again, I'm really not sure, it just attracts my attention. Those lips are G o r g e o u s, they make me wanna kiss them. I hope you won't get bored of my repetitive comments. I just hope it helps a bit. Jordan [Message edited on 01/10 @178]

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Cigaro | 01/10/2007 @722 | edit post

the glow would indeed be as strong as you have it here if there was fog....not a bad idea to it

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diane | 01/10/2007 @726 | edit post

Thank you very much! I'm gonna fix the issues right now There is indeed a lot of fog but I've not worked on it actually so it doesn't look so foggy.... I'm gonna try to make the lights look better though, I'm not very happy with them. Ok, so it's time to work now.... I'll be back in a few hours (maybe I can finish it today?) Thanks again Jordan and Andreea

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Thorsten | 01/10/2007 @992 | edit post

Keep in mind that those old lamps were much, much weaker than modern street lamps. So I believe it's better to keep the lamp and its structure visible.

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
ethegaurde | 01/11/2007 @002 | edit post

HI! I just wanted to stop in and say, "JEE, THANKS FOR MAKING ME FEEL BAD!!!" :Grumbles: As far as the lamps go they would indeed be weaker, but Cigaro's right about the fog affecting the way we perceive them (or is it effecting?). I think it would be best way to get around this would be (opinion-> to merely 'suggest' the nearest couple lamps with some faint loose brushwork and ever so slightly different hue/saturation. The thing is, I THINK somebody would be able to discern a general shape that is a lamp but would not be able to see it clearly, perhaps not even enough to KNOW it was a lamp. But I'm the village idiot and I'm all out of cents. T

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Diane | 01/12/2007 @067 | edit post

Thanks a lot guys! I've not had time to work a lot more on it so here's just a small update I've changed the lighting a little bit and added some "victims souls" that are represented as moths. they are attracted by the sorceress' poison as you can see. The moth is the symbol of a change, a larva that has turned into something free and also a symbol of death (something similar as Death's Head Hawkmoth) so I've used it to symbolise the way of the soul from life to death (not sure if this sentence is very english I'm sorry for my baaaaaad english, if you know how to say it better, please tell me ) Maybe the moths are too much, just tell me and I'll remove them if you think that it makes the picture look too busy. The big one is not totally finished, the contrast of the skull on the lightest wing is too strong at the moment EDIT : THE CLOSEUPS LOOKED DISTORTED! The images are no more than 700px wide and I've tried to make them smaller but it doesn't want to work so I've just linked them instead of making them appear. Just click on the links Actual painting : Here are some closeups : Lace Big moth small moths [Message edited on 01/12 @089]

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
wildlifehoodoo | 01/12/2007 @077 | edit post

Looking awsome Diane. I personally see nothing wrong with the nose! Seems in good proportions to me and not at all masculine. Keep it going.

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
seeThrou | 01/12/2007 @101 | edit post

absolutely breathtaking, thank you for sharing your progress with us. I love the little details and the addition of the butterfliy and glo bugs!

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
JordanRoots | 01/12/2007 @144 | edit post

I see you removed the silhouette.. I like the moths a lot, and the butterfly is beautiful, I like the skull.

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Cigaro | 01/12/2007 @597 | edit post

i'd say to get a bit of sparkling traces left by the small moths near the poison the big one is awesome

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
SandraS | 01/12/2007 @904 | edit post

*Admiring in silence* Very good work Diane! You even added the reflection of the moth in her eyes. I think it looks a little trapped in the net of her hair right now. But I'm really looking forward to see it finished!

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
Ikaa | 01/12/2007 @981 | edit post

...yes, it's really looks beautiful!! To establish the connection, maybe you could add some lightning reflections from the big moth in her hair and face?...ooh, I really love this, it's not an easy path choosen in this piece.

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
lorraineofkeli | 01/13/2007 @099 | edit post

your work is absolutely breathtaking.. how do you do it???

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
lorraineofkeli | 01/13/2007 @101 | edit post

seriously...how do you do it?!

Re: Morgan le Fay WIP - Diane
cnell | 01/13/2007 @610 | edit post

Diane i love your work and i'm learning a lot from this thread.