Chefelf.com Night Life: Experimental technique - Chefelf.com Night Life

Well, I was using the pencil tool, and because of the very low resolution (which is necessary if I want to import it into that visual novel creation thingy), it became very jagged. I ran blur over it, but it didn't help a whole lot.
Anyway, I just started learning how to use photoshop correctly this week, I'm bound to get better.

I've had another look at it on the very bright screen of my omnibook, and I think there's still some thingies left to correct. The front lineart of her hair, for example. Not sure if I should just lower its opacity or blur it a little or maybe both, but I do have a feeling that it stands out a little bit too much.

Also, the lines of her shirt around her neck are too dark and rather irritating, don't you think? Her ear might also need some more accentuation. And the lines around her eyeliner are too sharp and create too much contrast. And her left eyelids aren't sharp enough. And I might brighten the glow of her hair a bit on the right. And holy shit I think I forgot some of the originally planned strains of hair that were supposed to fall over her back. Argh. And the skin-layer around her chin needs some more careful cropping. And is the shadow to the left of her ear right? I don't think so, should be a little darker, right?

... alright, alright, going into post-production... bleh...

Oh, stop pretending you're not satisfied with that.

Because if you're not I'm going to shoot you.

Hai, hai... alright already. I am actually most satisfied with it, since it's my best work up until now, even though the pose and theme don't make it anything special.

Doesn't mean that I should stop there, now does it? There's always something new to learn and some things to improve, well, at least that's my opinion. Anyways.

Blurred the hairs just a tiny little bit. Lessened brightness of her clothes' lines a considerable bit, retouched the dark spots that were supposed to be shadows on her back. Accentuated her ear. Corrected those lines around her eyes and her left eyelids (a bit). Didn't add that other strain of hair though, couldn't be arsed. It's so goddamn hard to get back to work on an image which you had already marked as "done". Cropped the skin layer as promised, though. Darkening of her ear's shadow didn't make much sense in retrospective.

... say, did anyone notice that the original lineart featured an earring? I completely forgot about that. Nothin' really important though. Well, unless you say otherwise, then I'll add it, shouldn't take too long.

Ahhh... well, so much for that. *kicks back* I don't plan on starting another project right now (even though my sketchbook is overflowing with ideas, I guess I'll have to seal that away for the time being), it feels like I've been continuously drawing for months now and even though it was fun, I really do wanna get all those thoughts about lines and correct lighting and pastel colours and the right amount of orange for a particular part of human skin out of my mind.

Maybe I'll do something simpler later, object-art for example... I've got some pretty ideas for some jewelry lying around here somewhere... ah, anyways, time for a break now.

I'm pretty down right now and feel like I never want to draw anything again. I've been having a lot of arguments with people about my pictures lately, and it's really tiring me.

Yes, I have been using a lot of references. You think someone could just draw something like that out of the blue? But I don't see the problem in looking at what things look like when you have an idea and trying to recreate that stuff on a canvas - isn't that how everyone does it?

Screw this, I'm tired of being called an art thief. I'm outta this thread for as long as I don't want to draw anything anymore. And right now it feels like this is going to be one hell of a long time.

People who work against others do that sort of thing. Once admitting that you use references to help I don't think you are a thief. Just improving, completing or adding your own ideas or work to it. Sounds like calling someone a cheater from learning quickly and so well off another person's skill especially with practice. Out of the blue? Practice makes perfect and it seems that they want to take the practice or experience away from it despite the effort you put into it.

I would feel devalued if someone did that to me in an area I perform well just because of some features I learnt from someone else.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 24 April 2007 - 12:11 PM

Off-topic, but I need to know: am I the only one who has to read DS' posts at least 4 times to understand them?

It isn't anything bad.

I was saying my reasons why I don't think he was an art thief.

Sadly there is a problem. I can understand my posts but some people can't.
I should have re-worded it to make it simple.

I meant no offence, I'm just curious.

I have no problems understanding his posts.

Gobbler: Give us more pretty pictures! Please?

Well I hope so otherwise I wouldn't be posting. Sometimes I have to re read what others are saying. Maybe to do with language barriers.


Another explanation: Maybe it is like accusing someone of cheating for travelling tens or hundreds of miles on a bike whilst expecting them to walk the distance.

Nice sermon, you fucking idiot.



There. That's what happens when people get me mad. I use the colour red. Hope that this is gonna be a lesson to you all. Next time I won't go that easy on you.

*sigh* Being unsuited for bearing any real grudges really pisses me off at times.

Anyways, as you can see, this is an old school speed drawing, bestowed (?) to Rittsu-chan. Very simple, coz I somehow had the inexplicable desire to not work my arse off just to be yelled at by critics again. I hope you may find the benevolence in your heart that will allow you to forgive me.

Seriously though, critic away people, this one's a pure vector drawing again, so I can change a lot. If I want to.

Don't change it!!!
I love it.
A masterpieces isn't when you can no longer say, "what else can I add?" but when you can no longer say, "what else can I take away?"
It's a lot harder to make a truly well-done piece of art with less pieces than to make something realistic. Abstraction is, well, teh awexome.
It's beautiful, and even if you do use it as a base for something else, please don't get rid of this particular piece altogether.

(Actually, her bottom lip does bother me a little, but not enough to detract from the rest of the piece very much.)

See, it's moments like this that convince me that the world runs on a principle of 'wrongness.' Anyone who makes absolute statements will be proven wrong by some mechanic of the universe.

Anyway I really like it, but the line between the nose and the lips and the hair line right next to it has this small white gap I find distracting. I know it's intentional. Maybe if white bit was curved? I dunno.

I like the red. It reminds me of Ookami for some reason.