-Seven Deadly Sins: VANITY-

Painting \ Figure | 01/01/05 @872 | BlacKeri | critiques (180) | views (96315)

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Description

..Or if you prefer: Pride - Mother of all sins.

First one of the, duh, Seven Deadly Sins serie.

"Vanity is an excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise."

symbolism?
It's all pretty obvious but I will explain some stuff which inspired me, to sound cool, mind you.

- As you can read up, vanity is linked with the color violet, so here you go the color theme.
- Peacocks remind me of vanity as well, therefore I have used a peacock feather as an inspiration for the "frame".
- You can see the background being desertish (plus the dead tree)... Vain people usually never see any beauty in the world, but only in themselves... That is why everything around them, sooner or later, dies - and that is what I have tried to depicture.

techy info:
lady's props based on my (pencil) sketch based on a couple o' refs, refs for textures.
you can see some art nouveau inspirations in the frame - my tribute to A. Mucha, as he is my idol

Generally it is my most thought-through and time consuming piece and I need to say I am satisfied with it
Around 60 hours or so, as some parts were hell to finish, seriously :/

Coming next (someday): Envy :]

PS. No I am not really religious, I just found the Seven Deadly Sins a really inspiring subject.

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Comments (180)

tomkoff

01/01/05 @876

her skin looks very realistic, and i like also the background, nice work

yerffej

01/01/05 @879

Nice details and coloring,but there seems to be some problems with the anatomy.Her head,even with that hairdo seems to big for the size of her shoulders.The shoulders themselves seem a little too off as well,like her right collar bone would have to be broken to keep that position.

I do like the face a lot,it has a nice sheen to it without the waxy look a lot of people end up with.I look forward to the other deadly sins.^__^

Storyteller

01/01/05 @881

Great work! Outstanding shading, detail and background. One thing: the roots of the tree seem to be too sharp, so the tree looks kinda' pasted on the background (in my opinion). Anyway, this picture is amazing and very beautiful

UmbraTheory

01/01/05 @901

LOVE IT!!!!

arenhaus

01/01/05 @915

Yes, there are proportional issues, weird fingers, inconsistent pillars etc. - but the first thing one notices is the color and of course the well-rendered folds.

Only after that a closee study reveals that there are proportional issues...

Which means that the image works, I guess.

Not full marks, but close. Keep working well!

ARTOONATOR

01/01/05 @923

WOW!!!!!! You just won yourself +10 and became a favorite artist of mine.

Daremif

01/01/05 @929

Incredible dress!

I wait for continuation. By impatience
P.S.: Don't you think her neck is a bit long?

kittyKat

01/01/05 @941

WOHA! massive inspiration to me! the second I seen this.......
sorry I was talking out loud
this is EXCELLENT!!!!
enough said
10!!!!

siffert

01/01/05 @943

Beautiful! Love the colors and symbolism. Good work!

acida

01/01/05 @952

i think this one is one of the best from you... 9/9 i wish i could give you the 10

this artwork is just amazing

Raphael

01/02/05 @060

Stunning!!! Absolutely Stunning. It'd have a 10 if I could vote more than 8.

Style, composition, finish, everything, fantastic.

I've Always wondered whether photomontagepaintovers should be in the Painting or Photomanip section. Either way, excellent work.

Can't wait for the rest of the series, you are book marked as a favourite.

ultraviolet

01/02/05 @060

*falls off chair* AMAZING. That is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. Is it really an original painting though? Excuse me whilst I crawl off to a corner and cry if it is... LOL

Roll on next week!!

Sulariade

01/02/05 @096

Wow, simply wow! The pose works so well for this picture. The only think I think that would make it even more profound is if you used those silvery thin 'chains' around her wrists and neck to bind the mirror to herself. But then I suppose it's already bound to her by her own facination with her beauty.

The folds in the dress are amazing.. the frame and the background make me want to cry. This gets max for me, and I'm going to add you to my favorites so I can come back and drool at your stuff every now and again.

BlacKeri

01/02/05 @105

the idea was that the decorative element - the "chains" are a symbol of imprisonment by one's perfection. You are deaf and blind for other people's needs and views, trapped in your own little world. Therefore I wanted something which was supposed to be a decorative, become a sort of a "cage"

Meagan

01/02/05 @105

I am totally blown away! You get better with every piece. How inspiring. 9/9!

keiiii

01/02/05 @215

Fantastic folds, and the overall color scheme is great! Her hair style is also really nice, it suits the title of the picture.

SinisterUrge

01/02/05 @304

This is an awesome painting. I expecially love the use of colour and the amount of detail you put into this 7/7

reilanchan

01/02/05 @321

Ah finally this pic made it's way here.
I'd say it's one of your best

SailorDidi

01/02/05 @473

some proportions are a bit off.
But This is one of your best piece... the dress is truly stunning

Keep it up.... elite one day !
+9

(nice backgrounf too !)

heidorn

01/02/05 @524

Beautiful work on the character. I've seen this on dA before I think. Stunning work on the details I must say. Keep it up!

Crow

01/02/05 @574

a bit oversaturated dress, though the folds are nice. Anatomy is a bit odd as has been said already. Background is nice though that dead tree needs a bit refinement, looks like it has an odd contour or something. That mirror is excellent!

uncle-xeN

01/02/05 @768

so far your best work

mwilli424

01/02/05 @918

Very nice piece!
I really like your thought process here and especially that you were willing to explain it and tell about the symbolism involved.
So much of the work I see lately doesn't take advantage of the wonderful imagery you can get by using symbolism.
+7/7

Xris

01/03/05 @010

Jaw drops in slow motion and shatters on floor...

Andy--Jones

01/03/05 @034

The satin material is outstanding, and I love the hair. This is awsome.

Silenz

01/03/05 @048

As always; outstanding .. I love you works!

Medrano

01/03/05 @051

The hair is incredable the dress wow I think I'm going to pay so I can put this in may favorit artworks!!

leander

01/03/05 @115

Wow, one of the best picture I seen for a long time! And with deep ideology

ehm.. Pozdrawiam

Mork

01/03/05 @120

Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Pride. Those are the seven deadly sins as far as I remember. Vanity and Despair I've only seen as an additional two I think. Perhaps there are other versions of the seven?

As for the picture it seems like a good piece, the colors are nice, the framing and background too. I like her pose, I don't think it is achetypical vane, but perhaps a with a lot of pride as well.

DreamTheater

01/03/05 @155

everything is great, i'd personally take out where it said "vanity". It should be said through your work which it does, so you dont need it.
^
she mentioned about pride in the descritption

Bolivar

01/03/05 @169

DONT YOU DARE TAKE OUT A THING!

It's a wonderful, color rich, balanced, insightful piece!
It's one of my fav's now.. and so are you!

I would love to grant you a 10/10 alas I cannot do but more than 8/8

will-engine

01/03/05 @172

Very nice work. The dress detail is probably the best I have ever seen, and I am normally VERY critical on clothing. As has been mentioned, proportions for the head seem off. I really like the skin tone choices for the girl, by the way.

My only real gripe would be the border.. It isn't "meaty" enough to really be a border, in my opinion. If you are going for a playing-card style outline, it needs more. Wish I could give you a little more info, but without any more "meat", the words "Vanity" just seem to sit there. My opinion, though - take it with a grain of salt.

CityRose

01/03/05 @173

I'd have to agree with Arenhaus- this is really well done. At first I didn't even notice the background because I was just staring at that stunning dress, but on second look, I've noticed a lot of the great details that make this picture whole. Keep up the excellent work. I really like your choice with colour.

wittykitty

01/03/05 @191

How cool!

slime

01/03/05 @231

Incredibly good. It's a shame that the size of her head is too big in comparison with the body. If you fix that it would be perfect!

Taskism

01/03/05 @233

Thats amazing. I wish I had something like that to hang on one of my walls.

SeanyD

01/03/05 @239

You know what i dont get, is when people crit little things on anatomy such as her neck being too long. Now i dont know about most people reading this but ive seen people with very different sized necks in my life! lol i mean seriously you cant go by the perfect anatomicly correct person every time you do a new piece of work. Thats what makes us all individual is that were all different shapes and sizes.

Anyway (phew!) I think this piece works and i can certainly see youve put a lot of effort into it! Its Brilliant! Give yourself a major pat on the back and kick back for a couple of days. lol top marks!!

Thankyou for your inspiration.

AvolonPrincess

01/03/05 @286

God would be proud of this work...

Toltec

01/03/05 @324

Great work!

Kyena

01/03/05 @338

I would love to see your sketches and the original full size piece. Somehow it seems to me that you use a lot of pictures from gettyimages and I wonder if you trace them or if you just use them for general poses.
Also the "inspirational" frame from mucha as you mention is pretty much 1:1 from one of his original pieces. The hairdo reminds me a lot of a piece Nenne posted about a month ago

Her dress does have some strange white pixels around the edges at parts. You might want to get rid of those.

tetbautista

01/03/05 @386

sweet! i love the painting esp the backgorund, the details and the girl! keep it up!

max +8/8!

Mr-Graphic

01/03/05 @394

Oh my god @@

i like the girl she's very cute, and i like the BG colors

,,,, nice work Marta

Wysiwyg

01/03/05 @463

I saw this while crusing around DA, (don't have an account with them so I'm glad you finally posted here). If you did use references (as

Kyena noted, it would be interesting to see how they influenced this piece. I attending a Mucha showing once and was floored by his works, I recognized the influence instantly. Good homage

.

Eagerly awaiting the next 6....

Getting influenced by someone else's work is natural and pretty much unavoidable. But if you are going to outright use something, (I don't know if the Mucha frame is a 1:1 of his works) then just mention it. It's like your Lust WIP from DA, and your profile pic in DA...clearly you were influenced by Angel by

chain. But you didn't mention that in your description.

BlacKeri

01/03/05 @498

Er no i drew this on my own, NO images used.
And there is no existing Mucha frame identical to this, good luck searching :/

And Wysiwyg: the hair was NOT inspired by chain. I saw an idea of the hair design here: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=770773&Start=1&Artist=killahsin&ByArtist=Yes (and someplace else but I don't remember anymore, surely wasn't Angel though).

Please don't "state the obvious" so easily

call-me-Hk

01/03/05 @501

Great ! wonderfull rendering .

Wysiwyg

01/03/05 @507

Thanks for the clarification on the hair, mabye chain saw the same work. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of your work, but there are times (you would be surprise how small the world of the internet can be) when you come across images like your Eros + Psyche and then one day you find this Getty Images and you have to question if photo references are used even though not stated in Eros +Psyche's description.

Here's the Mucha link I was talking about Mucha Border Not identical, no, but probably the one you referenced.

Like I said, I think you are one hell of an artist. I mean, that dress is f#cking fantastic. But if you use a photo (ok, not here but say, on Eros) it's ok to mention it. The worse you'll get is a lecture by

arenhaus about how that's unhealthy

Keep up the great work, and my current environment makes it hard sometimes to make it to GFX, so if you post a new sin, let me know. I think your off to an awesome start.

BlacKeri

01/03/05 @510

ok thanks ^_^

Kerrigan

01/03/05 @512

Wow, i love it

Livingrope

01/03/05 @517

Hey Marta, nice one ! The best thing I've seen from you. The rendering is beautiful and your attention to drapery and the painted feel to it gives you something special compared to the rest of the GFX community.
Still, anatomically speaking there are issues (that may be easily corrected in PS). I'm talkink about the woman's right shoulder and breast. It's much too thin, she looks weird that way.
Also, I've seen that you live in Poland. I understand now why you love Mucha so much

but don't you think that we have seen of him too much. Poland gave birth to so many more talented "art nouveau" artists. What about Josef Mehoffer, what about Jacek Malczewski ? Take a look at these guys and your art will go to a higer level, believe me.

BlacKeri

01/03/05 @520

Thank you so much for the crit!
Hehe i know there are some problems in the anatomy, I will try to do better next time!

Uhm I don't know if I understood right, but I believe Mucha is from Czech Republic.

Anyway! I guess that who is talented more is a matter of personal opinion, but oh my gosh, I wouldn't have though you know Malczewski? he is one of my favourite painters too, actually :] His style, use of colors and symbolism are just so good

(Of course I am familiar with Mehoffer's art as well

)

If I can advice you a great artist: Jan Matejko. He's our classic!

curlyhair

01/03/05 @555

First of all,she's very original and beaytiful as well,her dress is a dream of every girl.But it is something devilish about her(and I like it so much!)7/7 If I could than I woud...(10+/7)

Katarina

01/03/05 @556

Oh, it`s very impressive and talanted work!
I agree, there is some problems with the anatomy here, but I think it`s not a big problem in this work.
I really like her hair and face - they are very realistic and sensuality.

OXXID

01/03/05 @560

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OXXID

01/03/05 @560

good work!!

+7/7

Wysiwyg

01/03/05 @579

Hey BK, got your PM and saw you changed your descriptions. That was mighty big of you as most people would just get pissed off and vote 0's and such. Like I said, PM me when you get a new one up.

BlacKeri

01/03/05 @582

Wysiwyg: mhm of course I will! Iwill submit Envy in around a week or two!

curlyhair, Katarina, grenner: thank you!!

Xeophex

01/03/05 @600

Beautifully painted. Well done.

marla

01/03/05 @639

wow!!!
it's great work!!!!!!!!!!!!

hady

01/03/05 @660

great one

Thurzia

01/03/05 @675

Really beautiful- if I were her I'd be pretty vain too!

blackholes

01/03/05 @695

Amazing work!!!!!!
your best so far, i think
+7/7

NecroLov3r

01/03/05 @727

kallen

01/03/05 @744

Absolutely beautiful and a 10

batfinklives

01/03/05 @763

Absolutley stunnin execution, the hair is what drew me...and the rest made me stay *) +5/5

SGK

01/03/05 @789

I think there are problems with the anatomy. Her head is a little too big, the neck is too long for a normal person, and her shoulders, and also some pilars (but i think they are ok).
mmm.. but woooaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! i am very impressed with the way you render the skin.
yep.keep your great job..!!!!

Ruxique

01/03/05 @800

Wonderful work, as always. I loooove your style.

billtvshow

01/03/05 @855

cant wait to see this series

billtvshow

01/03/05 @855

Her head is a little too big
Yeah, when you are vain, that tends to happen.

SudnDeath

01/03/05 @855

excellent work 7/7

MsMichelleLynn

01/03/05 @985

Incredible!!!!! 10/10

sLy

01/03/05 @988

awsome... realy , i realy like the uper side of the picture (makin' a realistic dress is realy hard ! ) still great .. keep goin' on !

Raphael

01/04/05 @006

Nothing to do with doubt BK, but IS there a larger version, just if there is then that means there's more detail in this beautiful piece that we are missing out on and I'd hate that to be the case. Any chance of a link?

Leetah

01/04/05 @096

I familiarized myself with your artworks, and find them all irrisistible. Your current work "Vanity" seems to have the most detail. I enjoy spending time wandering over the picture and finding new details to delight in. I especially love the chains that sparkle, her hair and face, skin tone, background, oh and the frame. I look at the picture as a whole and find it absolutely stunning. I give you my highest points and placed you in my favorites. Keep up the great work.

frozenfa

01/04/05 @128

This is awesome! the dress.. the hair... the accessories.. so beautiful..
9/9!!

MayYeo

01/04/05 @184

As said before, your best work so far. Please, complete your series

chain

01/04/05 @186

A red X

ARTYESTILO

01/04/05 @217

Perfect!!!!!!!!
I liked all !!!

Dragonken

01/04/05 @224

Good

B-nine

01/04/05 @339

I love this painting, it's absolutely stunning and I really empathize with you for having to paint those cloth folds, ridiculously hard >_<
only crit I have is that the tree in the background to the left seems 1. out of place and 2. not well executed in terms of form of the tree.
Great painting though

Jane

01/04/05 @341

The shoulders look a bit small, but it might just be all the hair messing with my imagination.

Though the folds are great, the dress seems a little blurred.
Either way, the hair is great, like the rest of the pic!
+10

TOLEDO

01/04/05 @390

I agree about the shoulders and the tree.
I miss some magic, it's too "studio look" for me.
Great job anyway, I really like it.

DANKA

01/04/05 @428

...despite some problems in the anatomy...it's a good work

Pipertim

01/04/05 @511

I don't think it matters that this looks like a collage of photograph painted over. The end result is verry nice.

BlacKeri

01/04/05 @523

But er, it's not

arbaon

01/04/05 @598

Very nice work.

DoctorKing

01/04/05 @701

ohuyet blya vot eto foto neujeli eto sdelano v 3d . Pozdravlayu skolko mogu stolko i dam ochkov

BigCircus

01/04/05 @759

Your getting better all the time. This one I think is your best. It has a new level of confidence and polish to it. The graphic design element is perfectly integrated and the colors are excellent!

exitium2000

01/04/05 @782

I really enjot the Peacock feather design, beautiful in both design and symbolism.. The colours are so nice and rich, perfect for the theme. I guess my only criticism is seems something is going on in the neck/shoulders trunk area..

I can hardly wait for Envy!

BoxTurtle

01/04/05 @839

woooooooooooooow i like how every thing is diferent shades of the same color. even hre skin is a tone of purple exelent

Luckchild

01/04/05 @867

This is gorgeous!

GijsRoest

01/05/05 @066

...utterly confused. The symbolism is great as the style as the colors of the figure as the choice of the border (peacock) as accessoiries as... well you get the point, show us Envy

SinisterUrge

01/05/05 @107

What I'd love to know is how you made the drapery look so great? I know this would be a pain, but I think its worth you while fixing up the anatomical problems. Really, her body just needs to be made wider. One of her boobies is far smaller than the other as well I noticed.

You should have been an elite member by now and my money is on you being on at the end of the month. I'll surely vote for you.

shyamshriram

01/05/05 @395

some anatomy problems... but still ur work is mindblowing.....i must give u 8+ keep it up

Artie

01/05/05 @412

Really great work! Clothes looks a little bit rough, but still great! +9

dizzi

01/05/05 @532

Very nice picture!
And you just added to my favorite artists!

leuparaleu

01/05/05 @663

Beautiful. And so expresive. Wow +7/7

leuparaleu

01/05/05 @663

Beautiful. And so expresive. Wow +7/7